Basic computer security:

How to protect your machine when using the internet

There are two factors to consider: the first being antivirus protection and the second being firewall

Viruses:
Viruses are programs that do damage to your computer. They either damage files on your machine so that you loose your work, or can in some cases even damage the physical hardware. They can also be used to disclose confidential information like network passwords or credit card information. This would also include things like remote banking.

Viruses can be protected against by following some simple steps.
1) install antivirus software on every machine in the company - no exceptions 
2) make sure that the list of viruses that is being searched for is up to date
3) scan all floppy disks and CD-ROMS that come from external sources
4) All employees should be made aware of their responsibility to be vigilant - in large companies it is often a case of gross misconduct to bring an infected file into the system. Companies with there own internal IT departments will often insist that all disks are given to them prior to being used on any machine on a network. They can even disable CD-ROMS and floppy disk drives for users. Also, users should be clear that they should not be visiting sites which are questionable (e.g. porn and chat rooms) or installing any software such as MSN messenger or Yahoo chat.

Firewall:
A firewall is a piece of software that controls who can access any given computer on a network. The internet is basically one great big network and therefore any one on it can access your machine. Yes that's right, someone from the other side of the world can see all your files, emails and transactions. Hackers are people who attempt to connect to computers on the internet with the intent of either getting information from you, shutting down your business, or even just for the challenge.

So what to do...
The reality is that if someone really wants to get into your systems then they will do. However they are more likely to do it by physically breaking into your premises than by hacking. My point is to get things in proportion - If you are a bank or ministry of defence then you would approach things far more seriously, however the average small to medium size company need only take a few basic steps. They are...

Install antivirus software on all machines - Norton Antivirus includes virus updates for the first year.

Install a personal firewall on all machines connected to the internet - Norton Internet Security also includes Norton Antivirus.

Make sure that all machines have up to date virus definitions. This can be automated by either installing server versions of the software or by giving access to the internet to every machine. Alternatively virus definitions can be downloaded manually and then installed on every machine. A suggestion is that his should become a regular activity - ideally daily, but weekly is reasonable.


Costs: (as of 11/12/02)
Norton Antivirus £25 per machine
Norton internet security £64 per machine

In addition this needs to be installed. If this was being installed on a totally new network it would be straight forward for example a machine would take about 5 to 10 minutes to do. However if the machines already are infected with a virus this will take significantly longer. The machine will need to be cleaned or rebuilt before the software can be installed. Therefore it is difficult to be specific about costs, it could take a morning to complete or an entire week

Other comments:
If the amount of Internet and email usage is increasing, or is perceived as being likely to, it may be sensible to install a permanent internet connection such as ADSL. This would alter the position with respect to your firewall requirements and should be considered at this stage rather than later.

If you would like more information or would like to discuss your
specific requirements then please call: