We keep writing about it and it keeps getting worse. ETD’s, or electronically transmitted diseases, are real and they infect millions of Americans’ computers and networks each year. Prevention is the key to keeping your business data protected.
Use Protection
Use a reputable antivirus product. While no antivirus software works 100% of the time, they will catch most known viruses. A properly managed and up-to-date antivirus program may mean the difference between an annoying “your PC is infected” message and a major shot in arm in the form of an emergency IT bill.
Practice Safe Browsing
Same as in life, if you troll the depths of depravity, you may end up catching something, and it may burn. A good rule of thumb… if its a dangerous activity in real life, it most likely carries risks online also.
Hey, it doesn’t happen often but reputable websites (and their users) get infected too. However, you are far more likely to catch an ETD by attempting to get something for free (after all, nothing is really free) or viewing content not suitable for the general public.
Don’t say we didn’t warn ya.
Be Monogamous
Third party email has been a security hole for business for a long time. It has been, until now, an acceptable risk for many.
No business owner or manager wants to upset employees and have a minor coup on his or her hands over blocking personal email. The landscape has changed. Malware attacks have risen sharply in the past year and email is a primary vector of attack.
While a business can control their company email through multiple filtering techniques, effectively protecting an employees personal email is cumbersome and raises privacy concerns. Catching a fatal, data destroying ETD through an employee’s personal email is not worth the risk. Tell them to check it on their phones.
Use Multiple Forms of Protection
It’s a dangerous world out there. You never know who has what ETD. Many lie in wait for days or weeks before any visual symptoms appear.
The best way to minimize your chances of a costly and painful ETD is to implement multiple layers of protection. Talk with your IT provider to ensure that you are adequately protected if the first line of defense fails.
Quarantine Yourself
Technically part of the above section but worth being singled out. Keep your internal environment as sterile as possible by limiting what goes into your network with a business class firewall.
A proper firewall will monitor inbound and outbound traffic for malicious data and block viruses before they get to your users. Stopping an ETD at the door is vital to reducing your risk of infection.
Get Regular Checkups
Work with your IT management company to monitor and maintain your system. A reputable IT support company will continuously monitor your network for infection and also work to implement the proper procedures to anticipate risk and minimize potential infection.
Evaluating weak points and consulting with you about your business risk is critical to maintaining a healthy environment.
Get a Re-Do
The nice thing about technology over real life is the ability to start over. In a catastrophic scenario, having a good backup utility and process is an absolute necessity. When faced with a business disaster due to a worst case scenario, a backup should be a reliable last resort. Audit it often and set the proper expectations for it’s capabilities.
Your business should never be in a life or death situation resulting from a momentary lapse in judgement.
Ignoring the Risk is Dangerous
It only needs to happen once. Ignoring the risks only places your livelihood at risk. If your business has never suffered a major disaster due to a virus infection or malware attack, you may be lulled into a false sense of security. The lack of an issue in the past does not lessen it’s likelihood in the future.
If you have lived through an ETD ordeal, ensure that it never happens again. The virus and malware landscape is changing daily. The best protection is a comprehensive security plan that effectively addresses business goals, risk tolerance, productivity and technical limitations.