Ten Ways to Secure Your Small Biz Computer Network

If you do not have a full-time IT team of workers or a company like Plexus looking after your pc infrastructure, here are ten fundamental matters you can do on your own to keep your office network running easily.

1. Keep Your Anti-Virus Program Current – Ensure your anti-virus software subscription is current and the software updates properly. Just because an anti-virus software program got here with your pc does not mean it is shielding you, so make certain. I do now not propose the Nortons and MacAfees of the world, which commonly come with a loose trial on all new PCs in recent times. Suppose you probably did now not purchase the subscription. In that case, I advocate as an alternative installing the unfastened variations of AVG or Avast, which were ranked better with the aid of Consumer Reports than the first-rate regarded brands. For your servers, however, I propose Trend Micro to be able to come at a very affordable rate, particularly in comparison to the value of mending all your crucial documents from an inflamed server.

2. Use an Internet Gateway Appliance – You’ve probably heard the advertisements on the radio for unsolicited mail-blocking firewalls. However, many similarly effective, less steeply-priced, or unfastened alternatives exist, including Untangle. These gadgets sit down between your Internet connection and all your computers to filter out any form of junk, whether or not it is hitching an experience on an Internet site or an email. My feeling is that if a trojan horse is attempting to get into my house, I want to prevent it at the front door instead of trapping it within the kitchen, so permits preserve these items from ever reaching your computer systems

3. Be Vigilant – Even if the email is from a person you realize, don’t open it if you are not anticipating an attachment. If the email has an internet hyperlink, are you sure you want to click it? Civilly decline if a salesperson suggests up and wants to expose your files on his flash power. A few years ago, a colleague and I interviewed local builders for a tiny database mission. As he twirled his shiny keychain flash drive on his finger, he provided to duplicate the statistics files so he could take a more in-depth look at domestic and get again to us. Suffice it to say, we declined and said we would get lower back to him.

4. Limit Employee Computer Use – If your employees have unfettered net access rights from their computers, you’re likely inviting hassle if they don’t need net access to perform their activity responsibilities. Appliances like Untangle can effortlessly block, restrict, or screen internet pastimes with the aid of each person. For a reasonably-priced opportunity, test the weblog I put up from lower back in January about a free and powerful internet-blockading device constructed properly into Internet Explorer Content Advisor.

5. Control CD Burners and External Media – CD/DVD Burners, Flash drives, and mobile phones make facts enormously portable. It is so portable that important agency data ought to walk right out the front door snuggly tucked away on the flash force of a temp or within the iPod of a sad employee. Just like the Internet, do not give it to them if they do not want it to do their jobs. Here’s a link to equipment that is free of charge to show off USB ports and CD burners.

6. You Must be ‘This High’ to Go on this Computer – If youngsters go to the workplace, don’t let them at the computers. If you leave your computers on overnight, ensure to lock them (Control + Alt – Delete + Lock Computer). We would not want to tempt the cleansing crew or their children, now might we?

7. Routine Maintenance – Back in the I Love You, Nimda, and Melissa Virus days, we pulled some all-nighters cleaning gadgets after the inflamed device, no longer because they did not have anti-virus software. Still, due to the fact they lacked the modern-day Microsoft patch that plugged a protection hole. For workstations, we advise putting Windows Update to automated. The PC will acquire and install Microsoft protection and software program updates as needed. Make certain that your anti-virus is configured in an equal manner. I propose configuring it for servers to download the updates; however, I can choose when to put them in. In this manner, I can do the updates after hours or on the weekend, so if there are problems, I have time to fix them before people begin displaying up for paintings.

Eight. Secure Your Wireless Network – When wi-fi first got here on the scene, I may want to assume having a loose Internet connection anyplace I went thanks to human beings being too lazy or too intimidated to configure wi-fi network security nearly. Today, however, they’re easier than ever to be at ease, so make certain yours is earlier than people begin hanging out in your automobile parking space with a laptop and latte to surf your community and ship god-is aware of what to god-knows-who.

9. Windows File Permissions – The Windows operating machine has permission settings to limit or give entry to humans or groups. For example, if you have a document folder, you best want you and your accountant to enter it, but not Becky, the Admin Assistant. Or, possibly, you have performance reviews to which you need to be privy, which are the most effective; you may also set that up. These are easy to set up, but you might require a touch of schooling first. Give me a call, and I can stroll you through the method. If you try it by yourself, practice on a brand new folder with dummy documents in preference to, by chance, lock yourself out of the payroll folder.

10. Disaster Recovery – Some call this Disaster Prevention Planning, as in permit to avoid recovering initially. Still, I like the term Business Continuity Plan, as in, catastrophe or not, ensuring our business runs unaffected. No, depends on what you call it. Do you have a plan and some nearby mechanism to help you stay in commercial enterprise or recover fast if there’s a flood, an earthquake, or someone forgets to pay the power bill? Trust me, I’ve seen everything show up. If now not, here are some questions to ask yourself while growing your plan:

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