10 Ways to Work More Securely

The security of your computer and data is crucial for you and the success of your company. Lost or stolen information can reveal company secrets, or expose your confidential or personal information. The more you can do to keep your computer secure, the better off you’ll be. Use these 10 tips to learn ways you can protect your computer, your data, and your company’s network.

  1. Work with your IT department.
    Make sure you install all the patches and updates that your IT department recommends. In addition to installing Windows and Office updates, your IT department might require you to install additional security software, such as a firewall or custom software to help you connect from remote locations. Making these regular installations will keep your computer and your company’s network secure as possible.

  2. Use strong passwords.
    Passwords provide the first line of defense against unauthorized access to your computer, and a good password is often underestimated. Weak passwords provide attackers with easy access to your computer and network. Strong passwords are considerably harder to crack, even with the latest password-cracking software.
    A strong password:
    • Is at least eight characters long.
    • Does not contain your user name, real name, or company name.
    • Does not contain a complete dictionary word.
    • Is significantly different from previous passwords. Passwords that change just slightly such as Password1, Password2, Password3 are not strong.
    • Contains characters from each of the following groups:
    • Uppercase and/or lowercase letters.
    • Numbers
    • Symbols (!,@,#,$,%, etc.)

  3. Don’t enable the Save Password Option.
    Make it mandatory for you or someone else trying to access your computer to enter your password on all operating system or application settings. If you receive a dialog box asking if you would like the computer to remember the password, rather then requiring you to enter it, just choose no. Allowing the password to be saved negates having the password at all.

  4. Use network file shares instead of local file shares.
    Rather than opening up your computer to co-workers, use network file shares to share documents. And restrict access to the network file share to only those who need it. If you’re working on a team, another option is to create a shared workspace.

  5. Lock your computer when you leave your desk.
    If you’re going to be away from your desk for a while, make sure your computer is locked.
    To lock your computer:
    • On your keyboard, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE at the same time.
    • Click Lock Computer.
    • To unlock your computer, press CTRL + ALT + DELETE and enter your password

  6. Use password protection on your screensaver.
    Sometimes you’re away from your desk for longer than you unexpected. Plan for those situations by setting up your computer so that it locks itself after a specified amount of time.
    To password protect your screensaver:
    • Right click on an empty space on your desktop
    • Click Properties and then the Screen Saver tab
    • Change Wait time to 10 minutes or less.
    • Select On resume, password protect.
    • Click Apply.

  7. Encrypt files containing confidential or business critical files.
    You keep valuable and sensitive data on your computer. You might have sensitive information about your company or clients, or your personal bank statements on a laptop you use at home and work. Encrypting your data keeps it as secure as possible.

  8. Don’t open questionable e-mails.
    If an e-mail just doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t. Forward the e-mail to your IT administrator to verify before you open it.

  9. Encrypt e-mail messages when appropriate.
    If you’re sending confidential or business critical information, encrypt the e-mail and any files attached to it. Only recipients who have the private key that matches the public key you used to encrypt the message can read it.

  10. Use the Junk E-mail Filter in Outlook 2003
    Receiving spam, or junk e-mail messages, isn’t just annoying. Some spam can include potentially harmful viruses that can cause damage to your computer and your company’s network. The Junk E-mail Filter reduces the amount of junk e-mail messages, or spam, you receive in your Inbox.