Good Security Habits
There are some simple habits you can adopt that, if performed
consistently, may dramatically reduce the chances that the information
on your computer will be lost or corrupted.
How can you minimize the access other people have to your
information?
You may be able to easily identify people who could, legitimately or
not, gain physical access to your computer—family members,
roommates, co-workers, members of a cleaning crew, and maybe
others. Identifying the people who could gain remote access to
your computer becomes much more difficult. As long as you have a
computer and connect it to a network, you are vulnerable to someone or
something else accessing or corrupting your information; however, you
can develop habits that make it more difficult.
- Lock your computer when you are away from it. Even if
you only step away from your computer for a few minutes, it's enough
time for someone else to destroy or corrupt your information or
install malicious code. Locking your computer prevents
another person from being able to simply sit down at your computer and
access all of your information.
- Disconnect your computer from the Internet when you aren't
using it. The development of broadband technologies such as DSL
and cable modems have made it possible for users to be online all the
time, but this convenience comes with risks. The likelihood that
attackers or viruses scanning the network for available computers will
target your computer becomes much higher if your computer is always
connected. Depending on what method you use to connect to the
Internet, disconnecting may mean ending a dial-up connection, turning
off your computer or modem, or disconnecting cables.
- Evaluate your security settings. Most software,
including browsers and email programs, offers a variety of features
that you can tailor to meet your needs and requirements. Enabling
certain features to increase convenience or functionality may leave
you more vulnerable to being attacked. It is important to examine the
settings, particularly the security settings, and select options that
meet your needs without putting you at increased risk. If you install
a patch or a new version of the software, or if you hear of something
that might affect your settings, reevaluate your settings to make sure
they are still appropriate.
What other steps can you take?
Sometimes the threats to your information aren't from other people but
from natural or technological causes. Although there is no way to
control or prevent these problems, you can prepare for them and try to
minimize the damage.
- Protect your computer against power surges. Aside from
providing outlets to plug in your computer and all of its peripherals,
some power strips protect your computer against power surges. Many
power strips now advertise compensation if they do not effectively
protect your computer. During a lightning storm or construction work
that increases the odds of power surges, consider shutting your
computer down and unplugging it from all power sources. Power strips
alone will not protect you from power outages, but there are products
that do offer an uninterruptible power supply when there are power
surges or outages.
- Back up all of your data. Whether or not you take steps
to protect yourself, there will always be a possibility that something
will happen to destroy your data. You have probably already
experienced this at least once— losing one or more files due to
an accident, a virus or worm, a natural event, or a problem with your
equipment. Regularly backing up your data on a CD or network reduces
the stress and other negative consequences that result from losing
important information. Determining how often to back up your data is a
personal decision. If you are constantly adding or changing data, you
may find weekly backups to be the best alternative; if your content
rarely changes, you may decide that your backups do not need to be as
frequent. You don't need to back up software that you own on CD-ROM or
DVD-ROM—you can reinstall the software from the original media if
necessary.
Authors: Mindi McDowell, Allen Householder
