Computer New Year's Resolutions

by Laz Smith (Originally published in the Wood Dale Chamber of Commerce newsletter, Jan 2007)

1. Install, update and use an anti-virus program.
2. Symantec and McAfee sell great products and Free AVG is a good free one. Use one and only one, and keep it current – they’re just for decoration if they aren’t up-to-date. Configure them to automatically update on a regular schedule so you don’t have to think about it. And then think about it.
2. Install, update and use an anti-spyware program.
3. Spybot S&D and Ad-Aware are good free anti-spyware programs. But be careful! If you’ve gotten a pop-up ad warning that you’ve been infected, with an offer for software to fix the problem, the “solution” is probably spyware too.
3. Back up valuable data.
4. Death, taxes and hard drive failures are all certainties. CD-RW or DVD-RW drives are a cheap, easy way to copy critical files. Handy Backup is an inexpensive program that lets you schedule backups to other PCs, CDs or DVDs, external hard drives or USB flash drives. You can also sign up for storage on the Internet with companies such as IBackup or Remote Data Backups.
4. Stay current with service patches and critical updates.
5. Hackers find holes in Windows’ security all the time, so Microsoft releases updates and patches nearly every week. Configure Windows Update to retrieve and optionally install these patches automatically.
5. Think about security.
6. In the old days (1990s), it was OK to have usernames but no passwords, or to have the same password for years, or for everyone in the office to have the same password. Not anymore. Experts recommend adopting a computer security policy for changing passwords monthly and enforcing longer or more complex passwords (for example requiring a combination of letters and numbers). [Update: see Microsoft's password checker to test the security of your password.]
6. Think some more about security.
7. If you’re on the Internet, you need a firewall. Hackers don’t always “aim” at specific targets. Sometimes it’s more like walking down the street checking for unlocked car doors. If the door’s locked, they move along. But if the door’s open, your car gets trashed or stolen. Just like your network. If there’s no firewall, there’s nothing between your business and the rest of the world except a password.
7. Think even more about security.
8. Is IM something you want your employees to be doing? What about Internet poker, or Doom? Do you want your employees using company equipment and resources to play games? Aside from being unproductive, it’s a high security risk for both viruses and spyware, and wastes network bandwidth, which slows down legitimate business e-mail. Configure PCs so that not every user is an “administrator,” or in a networked environment make use of the built-in user templates to restrict privileges. Configure your firewall to restrict on-line applications (like Instant Messenger or poker).
8. Get up to speed.
9. Are you STILL using dial-up? With the high-graphic content of most web sites today, you need a fast connection. Consider cable broadband (the author’s preference), or DSL. For your business, you might want to think about upgrading to a T1 line. If you already have a cable or DSL modem and more than one computer, you’ll want everyone to be able to use it. You can get a wired or wireless router, depending on your needs.
9. Get a web site.
10. For as little as $4 a month you can have a presence on the Internet. With a web site you can gain new customers, improve your competitive position and sell goods and services on-line. Even if you’re not ready to be on the web right now, check into registering a domain name for your company with a registrar like GoDaddy before someone else does.
10. Think about maintenance.
11. Experts calculate that if your business has more than 25 PCs, you should hire an IT professional full-time. Backups, virus and spyware scans, critical updates, password changes, plus hardware upgrades and software installations will keep an IT employee busy. Smaller companies have options as well, from part-time employees to outside contractors who specialize in computer maintenance.

About Geekz, Inc.

Geekz, Inc. is a Chicago-area computer consulting company that focuses on the unique computing, networking and application needs of residential clients, small businesses and branch offices of larger organizations. Geekz, Inc. helps clients meet their business objectives with scheduled maintenance plans, on-call computer support and emergency services.