An in-house IT staff can only do so much to keep your company’s network secure. Although employing anti-malware software on company computers and promoting best practices goes a long way, employees bear a great deal of responsibility when it comes down to using those best practices. Here are some tips to pass along.
1 Patch and update all programs, including security software and Web browsers. Even the best software needs updating to prevent potential cybercriminals from creating havoc on your employees’ systems. IT staff maintains the network and makes sure server updates take place, but employees need to help facilitate the process by installing updates on their systems when prompted.
2 Don’t open strange attachments.
Opening an attachment that contains malware is an easy way to infect your computer with malicious files. Any time you receive an email with an attachment, you should consider whether you know (and trust) the sender and then determine whether the email fits the sender’s character. For example, if an email suggests that you open some mysterious link, it’s probable the email is spam. Likewise, your grandmother isn’t likely to send an email asking you to download some salacious photos of hot girls, so you can be assured that such a message is also spam.
3 Avoid clicking links in unsolicited emails. Malware-laden email attachments and malicious links within emails are frequent bedfellows in spam. Often, bad links are even more insidious than attachments because they can take you to a legitimate-looking website where you may be tricked into entering your credit card number or a username and password.
4 Use the tools available to you. If your security software alerts you to a potential virus or malicious website, don’t dismiss it. Many Web browsers can display icons or other indicators in their address bars that help you determine whether a site is secure. If you’re unsure of a site’s veracity, look for the secure icon (often an image of a padlock) near the URL in the address bar or “https” in the URL. Some browsers will also alert you if you’re about to visit a potentially dangerous website and will require your permission before displaying the page.
5 Don’t use personal media on work computer. Although it’s convenient to use the same USB flash drive for storing and transferring files between your home and work computers, it’s best to keep any personal media devices separate. If you have a flash drive or other media that has been infected with malware, then connecting that device to your work computer is potentially a quick way to infect all the systems within the company.
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