Small businesses have so much to potentially lose in the
event of a data breach. Whereas a larger corporation may have insurance and/or
forgiving customers, smaller companies are far more vulnerable to the possibility
of losing their business, their customers, and their credibility.
While one can never state that they are 100% confident they
will never be breached, taking a layered approach will at least provide
multiple deterrents.
Start with your pc:
1)
Changing the local administrator userid. To do
this,
a.
Log onto the pc as the administrator
b.
Go to the Start Button and select Control Panel
i.
Go to User Accounts
ii.
Rename the Administrator Account.
2)
Disable the Guest account
a.
Log onto the pc as the new administrator account
you’ve renamed
b.
Go to the Start Button and select Control Panel
i.
Go to User Accounts
ii.
Select the Guest Account
iii.
Select Turn Off
3)
Don’t use the administrator userid for everyday
work purposes
a.
Create a standard user userid
b.
Log onto the pc as the administrator
c.
Go to the Start Button and select Control Panel
i.
Go to User Accounts
ii.
Select Create New Account
iii.
Type in the name of the account
iv.
Select Standard User
4)
Turn on Windows Update (this can occasionally
create problems – confirm with vendors if you have customized software written
that depends on certain settings that Windows Update could turn off or install.
(An example is the version of Internet Explorer you are running).
a.
Log onto the pc as the administrator
b.
Go the Start Button and select Control Panel
i.
Select System and Security
ii.
Select Windows Update
iii.
Turn Automatic Updates on
5)
Use complex passwords and change your passwords
every 60-90 days
a.
Complex passwords consist of a mixture of
characters
i.
Use Lower and Upper alpha characters
ii.
Use at least one number
iii.
Use special characters
b.
The password should be at least eight characters
but preferably more than ten
c.
Use a passphrase. Something like Iliveinflorida
d.
Perform a character replacement
i.
Instead of I, use the number 1
ii.
Always put an exclamation point at the beginning
or endings of your phrase
iii.
Instead of O, use the number zero
iv.
Instead of an A, use the @ symbol
v.
Instead of an E, use the number 3
e.
Use different passwords for applications or web
portals
6)
Maintain up to date Antivirus and Malware
Software
a.
Purchase one that has a pc tune-up component and
you’ll insure your pc’s will be more stable as well
b.
Monitor that virus updates are occurring and
scans, both full and quick are taking place
7)
Be aware of who is accessing confidential,
sensitive and/or customer data
a.
“Trust but confirm”
b.
Don’t “overshare” online – once something is out
on the internet, it’ll never be private again
These are basics but they are the first step to creating a
layered approach to securing your pc and therefore, your online identity.
The next blog will deal with internet browser settings.
