The pencil once ruled the architect’s desk. Today, digital tools have transformed this traditional drawing method into an infinite canvas of possibilities. Indeed, modern architecture now involves architects using complex software to realize their ideas, working together across continents, and archiving their body of work in digital files.
These digital files are essential to every architectural company. However, designs are more likely to be hacked or stolen as they move from safe studios to cloud servers and shared platforms.
But it’s not just the IT department’s job to keep these digital assets safe; every architect who cares about their creative legacy and the future of their business must do the same. Explore the tips we’ll share in this article to protect your designs and safeguard your daily operations as an architect.
Remove Excess Personal Data Found Online
Every architect always wants to secure new clients, so removing data about yourself online might first seem counterintuitive. After all, how will clients reach you if they don’t know how?
That’s a good question, but as long as your architectural company has your contact details on its website, you shouldn’t worry about this. What deserves your attention is the excess personal information floating around online that serves no business purpose.
Truth is, excessive personal data online can create huge security vulnerabilities for you, your company, and your clients. Cybercriminals can target you or your company with convincing, targeted social engineering attacks if they have access to your personal data, like your residential address, phone number, or family details. To combat this, use data removal services to remove sensitive information from public databases while maintaining your professional visibility.
But before committing to any service, it’s worth researching options. Many have found valuable insights by reading various comparisons and reviews of different services in threads like Incogni pricing. These provide details alongside user testimonials that should help you find the best balance of protection and affordability for your particular situation.
Use Password Managers for Secure Account Access
Juggling password accounts can be difficult for architects who frequently use multiple tools for their design projects. So, to make this overwhelming task easier, many of them rely on overly simple or repeated passwords across accounts. Unfortunately, these create significant security vulnerabilities, similar to using the same key for your home, office, and car.
If you don’t want to create strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts, consider using a password manager. This tool helps you create and securely store every password for each of your accounts. Also, password managers automatically fill in your login credentials, which makes them a great tool that offers convenient access to every platform.
Depending on the browser you use for your daily operations, read online reviews about Chrome, Safari, or Firefox password managers to see which one you should choose.
Additional Cybersecurity Tips for Protecting Your Digital Blueprints
If you want to learn how to protect your architectural digital blueprints further, you can always try some other security practices besides those mentioned above. You can consider implementing:
- Multi-factor authentication to add a second verification step beyond passwords.
- Automated updates to ensure each software’s security vulnerabilities are patched.
- Data encryption to allow access to sensitive files only for authorized parties.
- Regular backups to create duplicate copies of your work and overcome ransomware risks.
- Firewalls to monitor and filter traffic within your network.
These tips will greatly improve your own and your work security.
Final Words
New cyber threats emerge daily, and they become more and more advanced. Due to this, you must take the necessary measures to protect your digital blueprints as an architect. Some of the best practices are using password managers and data removal services. Still, you can go for other common security measures that work best for you.
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