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Backup
What would you do if you turned on your computer tomorrow and all of your information was gone? This could be an annoyance, or it could be devastating to your business.

The difference is in the state of your backup. The first key in computer safety is having good, multiple-verified backup for critical data, such as Quick Books, Auto Cad, and client files.

Business owners need to create two backups; one backup should be kept on-site for such disasters as hardware failures and viruses; and one backup should be taken off-site in case of such disasters as floods, tornadoes, and fires.

How often should you backup your system? Ask yourself how much data you can live without. If you input critical data every day, then you should backup every day. If you don’t use such critical data, then every several days should be sufficient.

Once a month, you should verify that your backup is working correctly by making sure that you can, in fact, restore a file from your backup.

Patches
The second key safety measure is keeping your computer programs patched and up-to-date. What is a patch? There are thousands of lines in every computer program, and there are at least as many hackers out there trying to exploit any holes they can find in these lines. A patch will plug known exploitable holes in your operating system.
How do you know if your programs need to be patched? The Microsoft website www.windowsupdate.com will scan your system and identify which patches, if any, are needed and will inform you how to apply them. You can also put yourself on an automatic reminder list so that any security bulletins pertaining to your system will automatically be e-mailed to you.

Virus Protection
If your system has access to the Internet and e-mail, you must have anti-virus protection. For those on a Broadband connection this is especially critical, because, with this connection, you have essentially joined a network where your files are potentially exposed all the time.

One of the most common ways that viruses are transmitted is though e-mail attachment. The best way to catch these before they wreak havoc on your system is having an anti-virus scanner such as McAfee, Trend Micro, or Norton. Is one scanner better than another? Not really. Most all scanners are good; the key is for users to keep them updated and to scan regularly. At least once a week is usually sufficient.
One of the most useful tools for virus control is a site provided by Trend Micro, www.housecall.antivirus.com, which can be used to scan your computer to find and rid it of any viruses. This is a great temporary fix to make sure your system is clean, but users need an active scanner at all times as well.

Spyware
The fourth key safety measure is to scan and rid your computer of Spyware. What is Spyware? Advertising Supported software (Ad-ware). Advertising companies can install tracking software onto your system, often without your knowledge; when you click on an advertising banner, for instance. With this software, they can track your surfing habits, profile your shopping preferences, and use your Internet connection to send this data to a third party, all without your permission. Is this illegal? No. According to the privacy policies of the companies, no sensitive or identifying data will be collected from your system, and you shall remain anonymous. However, it remains that you have software installed on your PC that is transmitting information about you and your surfing habits to a remote location. This can also dramatically slow your computer’s performance.

So, how do you know if you have Spyware? A free website, www.lavasoftusa.com, is available, which will scan your system and identify any Spyware you may have. Users should run Ad-Aware each week to catch and delete any Spyware from their systems.

Firewalls
Firewalls are almost mandatory for all business computers, especially if they’re on a Broadband connection. A firewall is essentially a blank wall between your system and other, less trusted networks. It can be thought of as a pair of mechanisms; one exists to block traffic; the other exists to permit traffic. Once it is installed, certain ports are opened to allow access to the Internet and e-mail addresses, while protecting the rest of your system. Firewalls can also be used for content filtering; for example, it may deny access to gambling and pornographic sites. Some firewalls will take care of anti-virus protection, as well. Firewalls can also enable Virtual Private Networking, which ensures a secure connection with remote locations, allowing employees to safely work from home.

With over 60,000 computer viruses out there which are constantly mutating and changing, countless hackers, and all of the other potential disasters, who knows what evil is lurking out there to threaten your computer system? If you follow these five key points, maybe you’ll be able to rest a little easier tonight, knowing that your system is as safe and secure from these bad guys as possible.