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1. Install anti-virus/malware software! 2. Update the operating system and install all the security patches! 3. Buy/install a firewall. There are may excellent firewalls today on the market. A firewall is basically a filter with a on/off switch for different services and protocols. The firewall is not better than the rules behind it and you are responsible for the rules! Get a firewall with a good and simple functionality, something "good ole grandma" would understand. * 4. Use STRONG encryption to protect your sensitive/confidential files! There is no other way to protect your information today if you want to continue to use a computer, period. However, be aware of the local laws for encryption, you could end up in jail in some countries for using strong encryption! 5. Use back-up software and create routines for backing up your files! Keep your most sensitive back-up files on a different location well protected against theft, water and fire. There are special cases for computer media. Your local security dealer can help you with the details. Tell him/her that the safe will have computer media and needs to withstand theft, water and fire. There are several good webbased back-up services as a costeffective, instant, outsourced solution. These services can be very effective for small business that can´t/shouldn´t focus on IT and back-up routines. The company can now safely concentrate on its core business. 6. When you decide to remove/give away a hard disk, erase it properly if you are worried about the content. If you have deleted a file the "regular way" by extracting it to the trash can or pushing the delete button it will still be there on the hard drive!!!! A 10 year old child can extract your file/picture whatever.....Do you want that to happen? You need professional help to safely remove all files from the hard disk. Use commercial erase software! For the really paranoid people I would recommend a hard disk shredder, they are not that expensive anymore and they are fun to use :=) 7. Whenever you connect to your computer from a remote location or the company server ALWAYS ENCRYPT the communication. Use IPsec, SSL, SSH, or to put it simple: For heavens sake, use encrypted lines! Make sure your firewall supports this and that your client support encrypted communication. There are several good commercial solutions today on the market, USE THEM! 8. Use strong passwords and keep them private. Do not use summer, God, LasVegas99" or similar. These passwords will be broken by a 8 year old child in 10 seconds! Use instead a combination of words, numbers, symbols, upper/lower case, and minimum length has to be 15 characters**. Ex: App_Son19#!!sas* is a good password and it will be hard to break (for the time being). All passwords can, however, eventually be broken. Always remember this! 9. Look at e-mail as a standard postcard, everyone and anyone will and can read it! If you need to send sensitive/confidential information, ENCRYPT it! No buts, use encryption if you want to handle sensitive/confidential information on the Internet, period! Never ever open attachements that are strange or from strangers. If you don´t know what it is, throw it away! Dangerous attachements can be files with file endings such as: .exe .vbs .pif .shs Please remember that a file can be masked as something else inside a "ziped" file, however, most antivirus software can detect this today. VARNING! If the file is encrypted then it is impossible for antivirus software to inspect the package before it is decrypted and opened . *Next year it will be 18 and so on depending on the advances of the processors and the software that breaks the passwords. Passwords are inherently bad as a security solution for authentication but they are cheap and widely accepted........ |
