Staff like to home-work but lack security know-how06 May 2005
A new survey from IT experts Novell has revealed that the vast majority of employees in the UK are in favour of working from home but are not employing adequate Internet security measures away from the office.
Nine out of ten of those questioned by Novell said they believed teleworking would make them more productive and less stressed, and three-quarters said they actively wanted to be able to work from home.
However, the survey also revealed that those who do work from home should get more Internet security-savvy. Research shows that those who do work from home are likely to ignore standard IT procedures. Teleworkers are also more prone to surfing the net and downloading virus-infected programs.
Several simple steps can help prevent you and your remote workers falling prey to viruses and hackers.
Install Security Software
It is imperative that a good virus checker is installed and configured to update regularly, as new viruses are discovered daily. The effectiveness of antivirus software is dependent on having the latest virus profiles installed on your computer so that it can look for recently discovered viruses.
Several antivirus programs, such as BT's Internet Security Pack, can be configured to update and check a computer automatically.
In addition to viruses, hackers can also exploit 'holes' found in complex programs so you need to check frequently for security updates and 'patches' to your computer's operating system and software. For example, Microsoft often releases security updates for Windows.
Install a Firewall
Again, a standard security feature, connecting to the Internet without a firewall should be considered the same as driving without a seatbelt - dangerous and fool hardy.
A firewall is hardware and/or software that limits access to a computer over a network or from an outside source. Some firewalls come with easy to use pre-configured security policies. Users can often customise these for their specific needs.
Surf Smart
One of the most basic ways to protect networks and individual PCs is to educate yourself in the way viruses and malicious programs are spread.
Email is a key vehicle for viruses so never open an email attachment if you don't know what it is - even if it appears to come from a friend or colleague. Many seem to be genuine but hide viruses.
Antivirus systems can protect outgoing and incoming email by scanning for viruses and these should always be switched on and up to date.
For similar reasons instant messaging or peer-to-peer software should not be used with anyone you do not know and trust, and the security options in your web browser should be set to medium at least.
Backup Data
Unfortunately viruses are being written quicker than they are being discovered; therefore it is likely that everyone will be a victim sooner or later.
For this reason adequate data backup systems are essential just in case all your layers of security are breeched, all is not lost. Modern programs allow for automatic backup without the need to dedicate valuable time to copying information manually.
