The focus of recent Grundig IT newsletters has been on emerging cloud and mobile technologies that businesses can harness to enable their employees and grow their companies.
This time, we will be taking a look at some security tools which businesses and individuals can use. Security is becoming a bigger concern with each passing year, as evidenced by the recent Target Corp. security breach and other incidents which have been in the news.
FIREWALL:The first line of defense in any network or computer is the firewall. Firewalls are programmed to allow only certain types of network traffic through to the local network or computer, while rejecting other traffic.
ANTIVIRUS:
Most new PCs and laptops are sold with a trial version of antivirus or Internet Security software already installed.On Windows 7 or earlier PCs, I usually recommend uninstalling pre-existing antivirus programs and installing Microsoft Security Essentials (free antivirus software from Microsoft which is permitted on networks of 10 computers or fewer).
Windows Defender (the equivalent of Microsoft Security Essentials) is installed on all Windows 8 systems. When uninstalling a competing antivirus program, make sure to enable Windows Defender.Macs are not immune to viruses, though they are less likely to become infected than PCs. Antivirus for Mac is available here.
LARGER BUSINESSES:
Businesses with 10 computers or more, who can’t use Security Essentials due to licensing restrictions, should consider using one of the many Business anti-virus products. My favorite is AVG CloudCare. Instead of installing the antivirus console on a server, workstation antivirus installations are monitored and controlled through a web browser.Other good options for managed antivirus for businesses include System Center Endpoint Protection from Microsoft, which is similar to Microsoft Security Essentials but is managed from a central location.
To scan for and remove malware not detected by antivirus programs, I recommend downloading and using the Free Version of Malwarebytes from http://www.malwarebytes.org. Scan 1 time per week or once per month and move all detected items to the quarantine.
A full-featured version of Malwarebytes, which monitors continuously for malware, can be purchased for $25/ year. I highly recommend it for any PCs or laptops that have had repeated problems with junk from the Internet or if you would like to be proactive and prevent problems before they occur.
