In Part One of “Computer Security: Understanding the Risks and Taking Action” I talked about the different types of malicious software which can harm your computer, and their four primary categories, viruses, spyware, adware, and malware. In Part Two, I am going to discuss what you need to do to protect your computer from these threats.

First of all, there is the necessity of installing antivirus software on your PC. The most popular product among our clients is Symantec Endpoint Security (Formerly Symantec Antivirus), though there are others which can be effective as well, such as products by McAfee and Trend Micro. These products have management consoles, which allow a network administrator to monitor and maintain the software from a single location; usually the server. For a business network environment, we consider this to be very important, since it’s otherwise extremely difficult to make sure all the computers in your environment are fully protected. You should also have a centralized email filtering method, either through software installed on your server, or through having all your email filtered by a 3rd party service before it arrives at your server (we offer this through our partnership with Message Labs).

Antivirus software primarily protects you from viruses, which is good, but it isn’t always enough. More recent versions   >>more

I need a new computer, should I wait for Windows 7?

The official release of Windows 7 is October 22nd, 2009. The urge to resist buying a new computer until then is tempting, but what if you can’t wait? What if your users need new PC’s right now, but you are worried that you will be getting something that will be obsolete in a few months?

Microsoft is offering a Windows Software Assurance incentive to corporate buyers who purchase new PC’s with Windows Vista Business between April 1, 2009 and July 3, 2009. The incentive is retroactive, so if your purchase occurred after April 1st you are still eligible. Currently the offer only covers Vista Business. Other operating systems do not qualify.

What is Software Assurance?

Software Assurance is a maintenance plan that Microsoft offers on new products. One of the benefits of Software Assurance is   >>more

Public Wi-Fi Hotspots are EVERYWHERE, but are they safe? Wi-Fi technology works by broadcasting packets of data over radio waves between two sources. Think of it as a CB radio setup with a base station and a handheld device. Just like a CB radio, Wi-Fi is relatively easy for someone to intercept.

While they do pose some security challenges, hotspots are convenient and have made work on the road much more efficient. If you want to take advantage of this convenience, it is up to you to take measures to ensure that you’re not attracting unwanted visitors onto your computer.

Here are 10 questions to ask yourself before using public Wi-Fi:

1. Do you know the source of the hotspot? Some crafty data thieves will set their computer up to be safe like “(name of a city or name of a Wireless provider) Wi-Fi”. These networks, set up for the sole purpose of stealing your  >>more