Protective Measures

The secret to security is layers. The only way to keep out a modern day threat is to put enough layers in place to discourage even the most persistent hacker, or foil the most complex worm.

If you think that a common router is enough to keep out an attacker, you are wrong.

If your firewall is not configured properly it is useless.

There are literally thousands of security solutions out there specific to the size of the network or to the types of applications running on it, but there are a handful of tasks that every end-user should follow:

• Utilize an anti-virus. If you don't, you're a sitting duck.
• Stay up-to-date on all updates. This includes OS, Anti-Virus, and applications.
• Utilize and properly configure a firewall. Common routers just don't have what it takes to keep out the truly malicious traffic.
• Use strong passwords, preferably 8+ characters in length containing a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
• Maintain a company security policy. Define what information can and cannot be shared between co-workers or to external parties.