By Alex Gonzalez
This is National Consumer Protection Week, and the Arizona PIRG Education Fund wants people to think about what they can do to protect their valuable documents - both physically and digitally.
The group is offering a new guide to help. The fund's consumer privacy director, R.J. Cross, said it is smart to "disaster proof" documents in case of an emergency such as a wildfire or flood.
She said now is the time to make a plan so you can save yourself a headache down the line.
"Having digital copies of sometimes your Social Security number or having your birth certificate can make it easier for you to navigate the process of those insurance claims," she said, "and the process of getting replacement hard copies if you're in that situation."
She added that when deciding to store documents online "in the cloud," it's a matter of determining the right combination of security and convenience. She recommended using a cloud service that offers what's known as end-to-end encryption.
The guide is online at pirg.org/resources.
Cross explained that end-to-end encryption offers an extra layer of protection, but it does come with a tradeoff: Once you've encrypted your files, you can't afford to lose your encryption key. If so, she said, you won't be able to access your documents.
"When you go from an end-to-end encryption, it is really secure, so secure that even the company that owns the cloud isn't going to be able to help you if you lose that key," she said. "So you do want to take good care of it."
She suggested printing out the encryption keys and keeping that paper in a safe place.
Cross said she realizes some people may not entirely trust a cloud service. That's why she also suggested scanning documents and loading them onto an encrypted thumb drive.
"Probably the last thing you want to do is be standing in line to get a new copy of your marriage license," she said. "The question is, how can I ameliorate the odds that I am going to add way more on my plate after a disaster than I have to?"
