10 Steps to Help Keep Your Business SecureVirus protection is a two-stage process. First, you need to educate the people in your organization, and then strengthen your network's security defenses. Review our checklist to see if your people and systems are covered.  Educate your staff.
This is the key to virus protection. Implement a plan to update front-line workers and managers on computer viruses and company policies.  Arm them with virus protection.
Virus protection software, like McAfee VirusScan and Norton Antivirus, should be updated by your IT administrators on a regular basis across your entire network. To do this, either check with the provider for updates or ensure you've purchased anti-virus software that can automatically update daily.  Avoid download dangers.
Employees may download software programs—such as programs to block pop-up advertising—but they inadvertently may be installing spyware, or hidden viruses. Your people should contact IT or network security when they want to download and install any program onto their computers.  Watch the Web.
Viruses can come from Web sites and e-mail messages. Make sure the e-mail program that IT has installed across the network has security features that can support your virus protection program. Microsoft Outlook 2003, for example, has an approach to virus protection that includes multiple level security and filter settings as well as content control features.
Get more information about Outlook 2003 security enhancements.  Beware of file sharing.
It's inevitable that co-workers will exchange files—but even if their desktops are secure, desktops outside the organization may not be. Your staff should know to never open unexpected attachments, and every e-mail message should go through a virus protection screening process. If an anti-virus application has been installed, this screening will be automatic when anyone in your organization sends a message.  Update virus protection programs.
Updating virus protection software is essential to keeping your network's security strong, but so is your operating system. Virus writers look for loopholes in operating systems to compromise your security. When IT makes sure they have the latest virus definitions and the most current operating system patches, their system will have the highest protection possible for any new virus threats. Your staff can quickly get the latest updates for their computer's operating system, software, and hardware on the Microsoft Windows Update site. In addition, whoever holds the responsibility for update management (for example, your IT staff) should help set up schedules to make sure both their team and your team routinely check for updates.  Teach people backup basics.
Even if information is lost to a virus, it can still be recovered if there is a strong backup system in place. It's important for your people to back up files as well as programs that may have been customized. How often they need to back up depends on the kind of data your organization collects and the speed to which you need to be back in business if any data is compromised. Make sure each member of your staff has a backup calendar and routine, and follows it.  "Fireproof" your data.
Set up firewalls, like Microsoft ISA Server, wherever your network or employee computers connect beyond your business's walls. That includes not only the Internet, but also local area networks (LAN) at a customer's site, and wide area networks (WAN) your people may be accessing on a regular basis.
Find out why you should use a computer firewall.  Get rid of spyware.
Spyware is covert marketing software that tracks or records a person's activity on the Internet without their knowledge. The user is unaware if spyware installs itself when another software program is downloaded and installed. Finding and deleting spyware can be extremely difficult. To remove it, you need spyware removal software.
Learn about spyware and deceptive software and find resources for spyware-fighting software.  Encrypt data.
Encrypted information cannot be seen by anyone other than the person for whom it was intended. Companies should try to encrypt all sensitive data, like e-mail messages, financial spreadsheets, and private documents. By encrypting e-mail messages and sensitive documents, you add an extra level of protection. Even if intruders intercept a message or hit your business network, your data will still be secure. This checklist reflects what you can do today. But with the recent announcement of Exchange Edge Services, soon you'll be able to stop attacks before they can affect your business. To learn more, read about this next-generation security technology for Microsoft Exchange Server.
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