3 Essential Business Responsibilities for Freelancers

When you work for a corporation, large or small, you have certain rules that you must follow in order to maintain the security of the data on your PC. For example, you should not browse unsecure websites or download unsafe files lest you unleash a virus or malware upon your PC and the network. Beyond that, much of the responsibility of keeping the company's network safe rests solely upon the IT department. If anything goes wrong, typically the IT department will get the blame and will have to take steps to ensure that it does not happen again. Many companies face large fines if there is a breach of sensitive data.

However, when you are a freelancer, all of the responsibility rests squarely upon your shoulders. You have the sole responsibility of ensuring that the data you collect and work on for your clients is safe from viruses, hackers, malware, and of course backed up so that it is not lost in the event of an unfortunate circumstance, such as a hard drive crash. Your clients won't remain clients for long if you fail in any of these endeavors, so it is important to always practice the steps needed to ensure the utmost security for your client's data as well as your own.

1. Back up your files

Even though your files and data may be well protected from viruses, malware and hackers, you could still lose it all from a simple hard drive crash. Your PC likely has some sort of built-in backup application, or you could invest in another application that offers additional features you might need, depending upon your business. Being a successful freelance writer, you must have skills of record keeping safety. You can easily set your backup preferences to backup all the data on a daily basis to an external drive or to the cloud, so that in the event that something does happen to your PC or hard drive, you'll still be able to reclaim all your files.

2. Use the best antivirus software possible

One cannot stress the importance of antivirus software, and while many PCs often come with a standard application designed to protect the computer and its files from viruses, hackers and malware, the pre-installed software can often be lacking. Additionally, one problem inherent in many antivirus applications is that they must be manually updated. That means that in the interim, before you've had a chance to download and install the latest update, ever-busy hackers might have already designed new viruses and malware that can take advantage of the flaws in older versions of the software, subsequently infecting your computer and possibly wreaking havoc on your files.

To remedy this, it is wise to invest in the best virus protection software available, which by today's standards is a cloud-based antivirus application. Cloud-based antivirus software does not rely upon you to download and install updates—updates are installed automatically whether you are there or not, ensuring that the software is always up to date and ready to protect against the newest threats. Additionally, cloud-based antivirus software also protects files stored on cloud-based applications, which is especially important since so many files today are being shared and worked on using such applications. So don't just opt for the cheapest application, you'll be glad you chose the best antivirus program possible.

3. Use data encryption

Most IT servers in small businesses and larger corporations are equipped with encryption applications, which help to keep data secure from those unauthorized to access it. Strong encryption applications for your own PC will protect all of your client's important data, such as tax forms, client lists, and other sensitive information that definitely should not fall into the wrong hands, and especially not those of identity thieves. The encryption helps to keep the data protected when being sent to others as well, such as files sent to the client for review. To ensure optimal protection, you'll want your clients to utilize encryption as well. If your clients already have a method they use for encryption, then you might want to consider using the same application, rather than trying to get your clients to adopt your method.

So in conclusion, back up your files every day, and protect them with encryption and the best antivirus software, so that you'll never have to tell your clients that a file has been lost or sensitive data has been compromised. Remember to also keep your PC firewall active, as the firewall also helps to ensure that hackers cannot gain unauthorized access to your PC or send harmful code into your system in an attempt to gain access to data. You might also consider insurance, which can protect you in case an accident destroys your computer equipment or a client attempts to sue you.