Computer Security for Your Business
The 5 questions everyone should ask about computer security.
- Q. Windows has a firewall built in. Why do I need a separate firewall?
A. Many people make the mistake of thinking that since Windows XP SP2 has a firewall built into it, they don’t need a firewall. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Windows Firewall is designed with holes in it. This is required to allow the machines on your network to communicate with each SPI Firewall can prevent unauthorized access to your data. This is your first line of defense against hackers. CNT can install and configure a true SPI Firewall to protect your business.
- Q. Do I need an anti virus program on every machine, I only use one machine to access the internet?
A. People feel that if they have machines that do not access the internet then they don’t need an antivirus. Most viruses released in the last 5 or more years are network aware. That means they can seek out and find unprotected machines to hide in. From there they can attack other machines on your network and throughout the world. Every machine in your business should be protected. Protected means having an up to date anti virus scanning and cleaning or removing infections from all accessed files in real time. CNT can install and configure an enterprise anti virus to protect your entire network.
- Q. Are there other threats out there beside viruses and hackers?
A. Adware can slow your computer down to a crawl. It can cause annoying popups that get in the way of your business. How many times have you typed an entire sentence or more, and looked up to realize that a popup ad is on your screen, and nothing you typed actually got entered. This is only the beginning or this nightmare. Dialers can be installed that will automatically dial and stay connected to a high cost per minute foreign host, running up thousands of dollars in phone bills. Spyware can send your data files (including financial information) to a distant server, the hacker can then run up bills on your credit card, empty your bank account and worse. Trackware can record key strokes and send login and password information to distant servers… and remember, legitimate companies don’t compile this kind of information. Remote access programs can install and allow an attacker to directly access your machine over the internet. Any machine that uses the Internet for any reason should have a good anti spyware program installed and monitoring in real time. CNT can install, configure and maintain an anti spyware program to protect any machine that accesses the web.
- Q. I thought windows has security built into it. Why do I have to worry about security in the first place?
A. Windows has security built into it, but it is not absolute. No matter how sophisticated it is, Windows is simply a program. There is no such thing as a perfect program. Vulnerabilities are always being discovered in Windows. When one is found, Microsoft has a fix out almost immediatelly to fix it. This requires updating windows on a regular basis. Fortunately Microsoft has made this relatively easy. Configuring automatic updates to update with no user intervention is the best way to keep Windows up to date.
- Q. If I have all these things in place, can I sleep at night without having to worry about Internet threats?
- No. The best defense is a good offense. The best defense against Internet threats is a user who is paying attention. See the Simple Rules to Follow to Make Computing Safer
