Bad guys use well-known weaknesses to do their dirty work. Lots of people think ‘it’s all geek to me’ and don’t take simple steps to close these loopholes. Reading this is a good start. There are good sources of information aimed at non-technical users on the internet - spend some time reading this information or call us on 0800 783 0557.
 

 
Information security is more than getting the right technology. You must factor in people, policies and processes. You need a plan:

• Find out where you are now. Use this page as a checklist and apply it to all the computers in your business.
• Once you’ve completed the audit, prioritise action items according to the probability and likely impact.
• Taking each risk in turn, according to their priority, decide how to transfer, mitigate or avoid it (or, on consideration, live with it).
• Allocate resources and responsibilities and carry out your plan. Ensure on-going review and compliance.
• In short: audit, plan, execute, repeat.

 
Viruses can be very harmful and spread easily to unprotected computers. Installing virus protection across your systems is a vital part of any security policy. We can help you select a suitable anti-virus solution and make sure it is installed and configured correctly, and most importantly that it is kept up-to-date!
 

 
Firewalls protect your systems against intrusion attempts from the Internet. You are particularly vulnerable if you are connected to the Internet 24/7.
 

 
The bad guys are constantly looking for and finding new vulnerabilities to attack. Software developers respond by ‘patching’ their software regularly. Staying up to date with the latest ‘patches’ will help secure your systems.
 

 
Hackers use automated tools to crack passwords and can break a simple password in minutes. Social pressure or fraud can persuade users to divulge their passwords. The best security in the world is irrelevant if an attacker has a valid password.

Educate users to select strong passwords (avoiding obvious words and containing a mix of upper and lower cases, numerals and punctuation marks) and to treat their password as they would a PIN number. Change passwords regularly. If possible, use Windows Server password policies to enforce strong passwords.
 

 
The introduction of broadband Internet access has made Internet users’ lives easier, but at the same time has introduced security threats that simply didn’t feature in the dial up world.
 

 
Most viruses arrive in emails, so take every precaution when opening email attachments and use the protection built into your email software. Unsolicited ‘spam’ emails waste time, carry viruses and can cause offence.
 

 
Whether you’re browsing the Internet or are publishing your own site, it pays to be aware of security when using the Internet.
 

 
While implementing a network can facilitate the enforcement of a companywide security policy, a fair amount of planning is in order if you are to address the inherent security risks. Wireless networks, moreover aren’t as secure as their wired counterparts.
 

 
More and more people are using laptops, which may be convenient but also puts your business equipment and data at risk. Be prudent about the information you copy to a laptop. If possible, use a BIOS password and disable booting from floppy or CD-ROM (refer to your computer manual to find out how). Use Windows XP’s encrypted file system to secure confidential files.
 

 
Backups are the last line of defence against hardware failure, floods or fires, and the damage caused by a security breach. Some golden rules: Review your existing backup process, work out what data you need and how frequently it needs to be backed up. Test restoring data from time to time to make sure it works. Keep critical backups offsite.