FTC: FIVE KEY PRINCIPLES TO A SOUND DATA SECURITY PROGRAM.

The Federal Trade Commission has set forth the following five key principles for businesses to follow when creating a data security program.

1 Take stock. Know what personal information you have in your files and on your computers.

2 Scale down. Keep only what you need for your business.

3 Lock it. Protect the information that you keep.

4 Pitch it. Properly dispose of what you no longer need.

5 Plan ahead. Create a plan to respond to security incidents.

Source: National Association of Realtors, Data and Privacy Toolkit; Federal Trade Commission, "Protecting Personal Information: A Guide for Business," available at ftc.gov/infosecurity.