Physical and Digital Security Preventive techniques

Security measures are essential need of the time due to the prevailing environment of the world. It is concern of each and every person, whether a business man or a house owner. However, it depends upon the resources how strong one can take the preventive measures to restrict the unwanted hands out of access to one's assets. These security preventives may be physical, digital or a combination of both. Here we have detail as under,

Physical Security:

It is well known to every person that the physical security means the preventive guarding of assets with the help of touchable, visible and weighty items assuring the possible security of assets. These security measures might be for safeguard of one's office, homes, cars, other vehicles, and all such assets. We will discuss most of the generally adopted measures as under,

Locks:The oldest physical preventive instrument, it is used to save the personal belongings safer from the unwanted hands and persons. However, these locks are now available in wide varieties and both in metal body and in digital structures. However, the full metal locks are best for outer securities and the digital locks may contain the passwords, these are best suitable for one's almiras and money cases.

Tailgating:When one are following a vehicle on the road and the situation is that one may collide with the vehicle in the front is tailgating. This often happens when one want to overtake the vehicle next to one. Only sharp drivers should expect for everything goes right. One must use the blinking front lights of one's car to overtake under such condition. Otherwise the situation may go against one's life. Try always to keep control over speed and safe one's life even if one is the best driver.

Securing Physical Documents/Password/Shredding:The negligence in safekeeping of one's physical documents may cause one serious consequences even if they are scrapped. It is best practice to use a paper shredder to ensure one's document is fully scrapped or one have option to burn such documents. However, the digital documents just need a solid password for its safekeeping. Never use password before anyone else even one's best friends. One should say excuse me to one's friends and colleges when opening password of one's personal computer of any digital file.

Biometric: The term biometrics is basically used to identify a person for his specific natural body look and behaviour as well. The biometric machines are used to authenticate the access of right and concerned person to the safeguarded assets. It is used mostly in the sensitive labs and production systems where the equipments are very costly and negligence is not tolerated. The scientists have named this technology as "Behaviometrics" due to its ability to read the physical condition and the behavioural characteristics of humans. These machines are installed at the entrance gates of such rooms. When one put one's finger on it or one's eye, it reads it and authenticates the person as right individual. This system is very useful now-a-days even one can mark attendance with this system.

Badges:In many organizations, the access badges are issued to the regular employees and the known visitors to move inside the premises of the concerned organization. Any person found without these access badges, shall be assumed illegal entrant. However, the structure of these access badges should not be the easier one to be imitated. These badges provide access only to the authorized persons therefore it must contain some hidden bar code and which should be identified through the biometric machine systems. It is however mostly used by the security agencies and police personnel. The main contents of access badge are a scanned picture of the personnel, complete bio data, organization's logo and address. Now it is common in several organizations.

Key Fobs:The key fob or simply a fob is a small device that is used to safeguard the unauthorized access to the data and other similar resources. A person may enter the code that is changed randomly after every about 1 minute and then enters the Personal Identification Number (PIN) code. If these both codes match then the machine would allow the access otherwise it may hang the process. Mostly these key fobs are used in ATM machines, digital environment organization, digital labs, etc. However, it also refers as Key Chain.

The key fobs are used by the car drivers with wireless technology. They just need to push a specific button on the fob to unlock gates and lock gates. However, there may be including another button to lock and unlock the back trunk of the car. The key fobs have made the work so easier just pushing single button. Most probably when one have some heavy items in one's hands then one just push button to open gate no need to balance oneself to open gate. This system has gained much attraction all around the globe and is requirement of the age.

RFID Badge:The RFID refers to Radio Frequency Identification system. It was presented by the Mario Cardullo in 1973 and was patented device. This device used radio frequencies using sound and heat as information transponders. The RFID cards are used to follow the tracks. It may be embedded in any animal body to track its existing place. However, this was war invented device and the similar one was used in the World War II by the Germans to identify the war plans as friends or enemy. The National Geographic TV researchers have also showed the use of such device to follow the tracks of various animals which were medically treated, to know their current conditions. Most of these devices use batteries and they can send signals when the object is hundreds of meters away from the receiver. This device can be attached to the soldiers during the war to tract the active objects and non-active. The purpose may be to know the death rate.

In modern organizations, these devices can be attached with the security personnel to make the security fool-proof and most secure. The active signals will represent the security person is alive. This is amazing advancement in technology. The University of Bristol successfully installed RDIF in the ants to know the living conditions of the ant in its community. It also shows the size of this device and efficiency.

Tokens:

The security tokens are the hardware tokens used to provide unique identification to the customer of the card holder. They use electronic access system. It has several types:

Password Type Token:These tokens use passwords to give authenticity to the user. One may log on to Yahoo.com to check one's mails. One will be required to give one's password after entering one's mail address. The wrong password would never allow one to access one's mails. However, it is recommended that one must change one's password once in a month. In addition to this, any question may also be asked to answer and the provided answer may be used as future token as to be essential for any change in settings.

Physical Token: These cards use an electronic chip which is used to give access to some computer data or file. The do not depend on any computer to be connected with it but it may also use wireless technology as well. The tokens might be connected with computers. These are called the connected tokens and are combination of physical and digital security devices such as USB tokens. The smart cards also used as tokens to access the bank accounts when one need cash.

Privacy Filters:The privacy filters is an amazing technology advancement of the age. The black privacy filter screen is attached before the screen of the computer monitor and enables the data only visible to person sitting before the computer monitor only. However, it does not affect the appearance of data on the screen. This screen can be used in the open place where there is little privacy or chances of being watched like in the exam centre. These privacy filter screens are available in different frames, structures and sizes.

Retinal:The retina is very essential part in our eyes. It uses the light and reflects it to the brain through optic nodes and prepares pictures which we see. Therefore, the retinal security devices refer to the devices which are directly linked with the camera devices such as security camera. The security cameras are of various types and hundreds of electronic companies are preparing different models. The security rooms are structures to see the visuals directly send through the security cams. It keeps the memory and is essential to catch the unwanted activities within the specific premises or on the road.

Digital Security:

The term digital security brings the concept the security of electronic files and data that is kept in the hard disk of one's computer or laptop. However, the banks offer the electronic digital locks to the account holders for the safekeeping of their belongings. The digital security is of several type and is as under,

Antivirus:The antivirus is any software that prevents one's computer from the unwanted access and undesirable attacks from the websites containing viruses. One's basic information may be theft by sending a virus file into one's computer through the World Wide Web system. Many companies provide the trial versions before recommending one to purchase the full paid versions of software. When the trial ends, it requires to be purchased and a special licence is provided to one. This licence may be valid up to three, five, and ten or even twenty years depending upon the company's offer. Avast, Kaspersky and Symantec Anti-virus are the most famous anti-virus software.

Firewall: The firewall is an electronic fence inside the computer system that prevents the computer to communicate with the other available computer networks in that area. It prevents one's data being shared to any other computer. It may require permission at the time of instalment and there one needs to choose the right option. However, it is not a secure alternative because many a times we ourselves share important data to other available networks which the firewall is totally unaware about.

Antispyware: Most of the time when we are using internet a web/computer hacker may send software into one's computer system to gain the information without one's permission. It is the information that one are sending to other computer on the network. This is called spying. The anti-spyware software restricts such elements out of the reach of one's computer hard disk and makes an alarm when it is observed. Mostly, it does not allow one to visit that particular website and asks one's permission. These spywares does not harm to one's computer but one's personal files and data are gathered without consent. Many companies are offering this software but one must use only paid and trusted software. Always avoid trial software downloads.

User Authentication/Strong Password:It is highly recommended that the password must be strong enough when one provides it before anyone else then it should not be easy for him to remember. I must be combination of both digits and the characters of ABC. However, it should not be as lengthy that one could forget. A strong password is good choice to restrict the unwanted hands from one's account.

Directory Permission: It is a normal practice that the most trusted websites require permission to access the user directories with assurance not to be shared with any third party. This must be avoided. If it is not to be shared then what stands the purpose of this function/command.

User Education and Principle of least privilege:

The computer user must have basic knowledge of the software and hardware he is using along with the merits and possible demerits. The concept is that one must read the online reviews. It is the best way to understand the behaviour of one's hardware devices and software.

It is therefore recommended that no single device is capable to provide the fool-proof security to one's belongings. As these devices and software have their own functions specifically to meet the specific situations and threats. One must use a combination of both the hardware and software devices to safeguard one's belongings.