HANDS-ON ACTIVITY 11A

Securing Your Computer

This chapter has focused on security, including risk analysis, business continuity, and intrusion prevention. At first glance, you may think security applies to corporate networks, not your network. However, if you have a LAN at your house or apartment, or even if you just own a desktop or laptop computer, security should be one of your concerns. There are so many potential threats to your business continuitywhich might be your educationand to intrusion into your computer(s) that you need to take action.

You should perform your own risk analysis, but this section provides a brief summary of some simple actions you should take that will greatly increase your security. Do this this week; dont procrastinate. Our focus is on Windows security, because most readers of this book use Windows computers, but the same advice (but different commands) applies to Apple computers.

Business Continuity

If you run your own business, then ensuring business continuity should be a major focus of your efforts. But even if you are just an employee or a student, business continuity is important. What would happen if your hard disk failed just before the due date for a major report?

1. The first and most important security action you can take is to configure Windows to perform automatic updates. This will ensure you have the latest patches and updates installed.
2. The second most important action is to buy and install antivirus software such as that from Symantec. Be sure to configure it for regular updates too. If you perform just these two actions, you will be relatively secure from viruses, but you should scan your system for viruses on a regular basis, such as the first of every month, when you pay your rent or mortgage.
3. Spyware is another threat. You should buy and install antispyware software that provides the same protection that antivirus software does for viruses. Spybot is a good package. Be sure to configure this software for regular updates and scan your system on a regular basis.
4. One of the largest sources of viruses, spyware and adware are free software and music/video files downloaded from the Internet. Simply put, dont download any file unless it is from a trusted vendor or distributor of software and files.
5. Develop a disaster recovery plan. You should plan today for what you would do if your computer were destroyed. What files would you need? If there are any important files that you wouldnt want to lose (e.g., reports youre working on, key data, or precious photos), you should develop a backup and recovery plan for them. The simplest is to copy the files to a shared directory on another computer on your LAN. But this wont enable you to recover the files if your apartment or house was destroyed by fire, for example. A better plan is to subscribe to a free online backup service such as mozy.com or carbonite.com (think CDP on the cheap). If you dont use such a site, buy a large USB drive, copy your files to it, and store it off-site in your office or at a friends house. A plan is only good if it is followed, so your data should be regularly backed up, such as doing so the first of every month.

Deliverables

1. Perform risk analysis for your home network.
2. Prepare a disaster recovery plan for your home network.
3. Research antivirus and antispyware software that you can purchase for your home network.