MyVaultMate

Blog

Practical guides on finding sensitive data, cleaning it up, and meeting the rules that apply to small offices. Every article is a 2 to 10 minute read.

Showing 13–24 of 50 articles

Security Practices

Vendor Risk: What Happens to Your Data Once You Share It With Someone Else

Sep 21, 2026 · 3 min read

Every vendor, contractor or software service you share data with becomes part of your risk. Here is how to think about third-party sharing without needing a full vendor-management program.

Sensitive Data 101

Dates of birth, driver's licenses and passports: why labels matter

Sep 19, 2026 · 4 min read

Some sensitive values have no distinctive shape, so detection depends on a nearby label like DOB or passport. That keeps noise down, but it also means an unlabeled value can be missed.

Security Practices

Encryption at Rest vs. In Transit: What Each One Actually Protects

Sep 16, 2026 · 3 min read

"We use encryption" is said a lot without saying which kind. Here is the plain-English difference between encryption at rest and in transit, why you need both, and what neither one covers.

Sensitive Data 101

ITINs and SSNs: two numbers offices forget they hold

Sep 16, 2026 · 4 min read

Tax offices keep Social Security numbers and Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers in more places than anyone remembers. Here is what an ITIN is, why you hold them, and what the formats look like.

Security Practices

What a Data Breach Actually Costs a Small Business (Beyond the Fine)

Sep 11, 2026 · 3 min read

Breach headlines quote huge totals that small offices tune out. Here is a breakdown of the kinds of cost a breach brings, and why knowing where your data lives changes them.

Sensitive Data 101

False positives: why they happen and how to triage them

Sep 11, 2026 · 4 min read

Rule-based detection will sometimes flag a number that is not sensitive. Here is why look-alikes happen and a quick routine for deciding, ranking and recording what to do with each finding.

Privacy & Trust

What leaves your machine: a plain-English walkthrough

Sep 8, 2026 · 5 min read

A scanner that reads your files had better be clear about what it sends. Here is exactly what MyVaultMate reports, what never leaves the computer, and where you stay in control.

Privacy & Trust

Why we report redacted samples instead of full values

Sep 6, 2026 · 4 min read

A report about sensitive data must not become one more copy of it. Here is the design reasoning behind last-four samples, the 64-character cap, and what a sample is actually for.

Privacy & Trust

Questions an office manager should ask any scanning vendor

Sep 3, 2026 · 6 min read

Before you let any tool read your files, ask six plain questions: what leaves the machine, where it is stored, who sees it, how to delete, what it needs to run and what happens when you stop.

Compliance & Regulation

Data Breach Notification Laws: What US Small Businesses Actually Owe Customers

Sep 1, 2026 · 3 min read

Every US state has its own breach notification law, and the details differ. Here is what small businesses should understand and prepare before an incident forces the question.

Compliance & Regulation

The FTC Safeguards Rule for tax preparers: knowing where client data lives

Aug 31, 2026 · 5 min read

The Safeguards Rule asks tax preparers to identify and manage the data, devices and systems they rely on. Here is why a written program starts with knowing where client data actually sits.

Data Cleanup & Retention

How Long Should You Keep That? A Plain Guide to Data Retention Policy

Aug 27, 2026 · 3 min read

Keeping every file forever feels safe, but it multiplies your exposure with little gained. Here is how to set a simple retention policy and check that it is actually being followed.