Taking Additional Security Precautions

As you would probably expect, protecting yourself from viruses and security holes is not all there is to managing your security issues. There are threats beyond the Internet bad guys, threats that come from right inside your home or office.

Physical Safety

You will want to start with a few physical precautions. These include placing your computer tower away from kids and pets, avoiding spills, and making sure you lock your office door when you go to lunch or leave for the day. You will also want to avoid smoking around your computer, as this can cause damage to the inside of the tower. Here are a few other things to consider:

1. Keep your backups in another room or building. If there is a fire or similar threat, at least your backups will be safe.
2. Keep installation CDs, product keys, and passwords secure and together. You might consider a fireproof safe.
3. If you do keep coffee or sodas near your computer, create a no-spill area for them, such as a half-open drawer.
4. Use surge protectors for all hardware.
5. Avoid permanently sharing folders on your computer, especially on your desktop, unless necessary. There are inherent risks to allowing data to be so easily accessible by too many people.

Passwords

You will also need to take some generic computer precautions like configuring high-security passwords and creating a screen saver that is password protected.

High-security passwords are those that contain upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters like exclamation points or asterisks. Use a high-security password on your login screen for both computer and network access. The same password will automatically be configured when you enable a screen saver that requires a password once it is active. (You can do that from Display Properties> Screen Saver, just right-click in an empty area of your Desktop and select Display Properties.)