8 Steps to Keeping Your Business PCs Secure

The last thing any business wants is to lose all of their data or give outsiders access to sensitive information. Both scenarios could potentially destroy a small business, and yet so many business owners fail to stay on top of computer security. You may think, ‘I’m not an IT expert, how can I make sure it’s secure?’ It’s easier than you think. Here are 8 simple steps to keeping your business network safe and secure.

1. Keep your anti-virus up to date on all company computers. We’re assuming that you have anti-virus software installed already, of course, because that’s the single most important thing you can do to protect your PCs. Many programs update automatically, which is the best option for companies with many computers and no dedicated IT person.

2. Run anti-spyware programs regularly to keep malware off your computers. ‘Malware’ is a generic term for software that collects personal information and sends it to a third party. It might collect your browsing history in order to serve up targeted ads or it could do something more malicious, like log your keystrokes. Anti-spyware programs seek out and remove this software. A few good ones are Ad-Aware, Spybot Search and Destroy and Spyware Doctor.

3. Set up a firewall. Firewalls protect the computers on your network from outside threats by screening traffic and blocking unauthorized attempts to access data. It’s best to have a security expert configure your firewall, if possible, since getting the right balance of protection vs. inhibiting users from doing their work can be tricky.

4. Teach employees how to use email safely. This may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many people still open suspicious files. If you don’t recognize the email address of the person who sent the attachment, don’t open the file.

5. Create an IT security policy. In addition to asking employees not to open suspicious email attachments, ban downloading executable files (.exe), which could be harmful. Most employees shouldn’t have a real reason to download programs onto their work computers. You should also include a line that states that employees may not attempt to gain entry to any network, system, service or data they’re not authorized to access.

6. Keep your operating systems up to date. Older operating systems (like, for example, Windows98) are more susceptible to attacks. For PCs, Windows XP Professional is most secure. If you’ve got Macs, go with OSX. Download updates when they become available – they often include patches that will increase security.

7. Secure your wireless network. Not everyone who accesses your unsecured wireless network is innocently trying to find an internet connection. Unsecured wireless networks give hackers an easy way into your computers. For a guide to securing your wireless network, see PC World.

8. Use password protection. Password protect all important data files. That way, if your computers ever got stolen, the thieves wouldn’t be able to access sensitive data. (Of course, you should have backups of all of your data that are kept constantly up-to-date!). Instructions for password-protecting Windows files and folders can be found here. Instructions for encrypting files and folders on a Mac can be found at MacWorld.

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