With the rise of computer viruses and ransomware, do you have your electronic financial documents secured against the latest cyber security threats?
If you’re unsure, don’t worry. I’ll show you how to store your important financial documents securely.
In the article 5 High-Tech Solutions for Your Money Binder, you can find a template to create your own Money Binder. When creating your own binder, it should include important documents such as:
In addition to those documents, you may also consider securing your social security cards, recent tax returns, and birth certificates. Your original documents should be stored securely in a safe deposit box, locked filing cabinet, or a fireproof/water-resistant home safe. But what do you do if you would like to store a copy electronically?
It’s simple to scan and store your documents online on the cloud through tools like Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud. You can even do it directly from your smartphone.
Storing documents on the cloud makes it easy to retrieve files from anywhere in the world. But you need to consider the security implications of transferring your scanned documents into an electronic format. Ask yourself, “What is the worst thing that can happen if this document gets into the wrong hands?”
If you decide to store any of these documents electronically, assess the many threats you may face, such as:
Ransomware is on the rise with several hospitals becoming infected, prompting the FBI to release this official statement. You may have also heard about Gmail, LastPass, and even the CEO of the identity theft protection agency, LifeLock, being hacked. No company or computer is 100% secure. You can’t control the threats, but you can control how you protect yourself.
Whether you keep your important financial documents in a safe deposit box or encrypted online, there are definitely pros and cons to each. Now that you understand what it takes to securely store your important financial documents electronically, you are better equipped to make informed decisions on your own document storage strategy.
Article found here.