A sound data security plan is built on 5 key principles:

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.

Use the checklists on the following pages to see how your company' s practices measure up - and where changes are necessary. You also can take an interactive tutorial at www.ftc.gov/infosecurity.