It is common knowledge that employees are the source of most computer problems in office computers. As a business owner what are you doing to reduce the opportunity for infestations that could take down all of your computers?
Hardware appliances can reduce the possibility of infections by eliminating spam and blocking website access. However, protection also includes putting policies and procedures in place to govern usage of company computers and network.
Whether you have two company computers or twenty you should establish policies for:
- Personal Web Surfing. Do you want your employees checking out porn or a new job or shopping for lingerie on company time? Some of these web sites are also the source of viruses that will infect your computers. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
- Personal emails. Personal emails are another source of viruses. Their friends and family may not have strong anti-virus protection. Do you want them infecting your business computers?
- Non-employee use of company resources. Do you want your employees’ children using your computers or network? What will they expose your business infrastructure to when they visit their favorite websites?
- Taking home company data. What data should you allow to leave the office, if any? Keep in mind that it is easy to lose a USB flash drive. If you want to allow employees to take work home, what type of encryption should be used to protect the data if the drive becomes lost?
- Downloading and installing non-business software. Non-business software consumes the limited resources of your computer, particularly memory. This software can also be a source of viruses and other malicious attacks.
Think carefully about the access you want to grant to yourself and your employees. Seek your employees’ input so that the policies protect the company without hindering their ability to conduct company business. Then set the policy. Communicate it. Work with your I.T. service provider to establish it. Enforce it.
As the owner, you need to set the example for your employees, adhering to company policies and procedures. You also need to enforce company policies, even if the violators are members of the family. If you don’t enforce them equally, then expect your employees to ignore the policies and procedures as well.
Wishing you safe passage through the I.T. Minefield!
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This topic is discussed in greater detail in Navigating the I.T. Minefield: Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise. To purchase your copy, please visit http://bit.ly/SNL4W.
Leslie Knight is a small business consultant with over 20 years of experience in Information Technology management in Fortune 500 companies. She applies her experience in Corporate America saving them millions to smaller entrepreneurial enterprises. She is also the author of Navigating the I.T. Minefield.
