BayArea Systems

…Computer Security

Computer security is the process of preventing and detecting unauthorized use of your computer. Quite often, intruders or hackers want to gain control of your computer so they can use it to attack other computer systems or simply having the ability to watch all your actions on the computer or stealing critical data and information from you.

Most software applications and operating systems have default settings that allow other users to access your computer. Examples include email or chat programs that let outsiders execute commands on your computer or web browsers that could allow the intruders to gain access or take control of your computer.

When security holes are discovered, computer software and operating systems vendors will develop patches to address the problem(s). However, it is up to the user to obtain and install the patches, or correctly configure the software to operate more securely.

…Computer Viruses

A computer virus is a program that has the unique ability to replicate. Computer viruses spread quickly and are difficult to eradicate. They can attach themselves to any file and can arrive on anyone's machine through e-mail, networks, Internet, pirated software, shared or downloaded files and other media.

In addition to replication, these viruses may also display messages or images; they can also destroy files, reformat hard drives, or compromise computer system security. Even if there is no visible damage, the virus can cause trouble by consuming storage space and memory, and degrading the overall performance of your computer.

Viruses won't go away. More than 60,000 viruses have been identified, and 400 new ones are created every month, according to the International Computer Security Association (ICSA). It's fairly safe to say that most organizations will encounter some level of virus outbreaks. No one who uses computers is immune to viruses.

…Hardware Failure

Your data is constantly at risk due to hardware failure, human error, software corruption, PC viruses, theft, and physical disaster. Data loss is expensive. According to a recent survey, it cost $12 billion a year for businesses. 42% of data lost is caused by hardware failure, 33% is caused by human error or hacker attacks, 13% by software corruption, and the remaining 7% by computer viruses. Computer users should routinely backup files that cannot be easily replaced. These would be files that you created and saved to your hard drive, and email or database data file.

To protect your information system, have you:
☐ Apply all software/operating systems (Windows, Linux, etc) patches.
☐ Properly installed network firewall and configure software security settings.
☐ Installed the latest anti-virus software and fully scan the whole system for viruses.
☐ Installed backup device, software and correctly set the backup routine.
☐ Fully tested the backup files and 100% sure the backup can be restored in case of emergency.