Safe Systems

If you read and worry about all the possible security risks to your computer equipment and data, you wouldn’t dare turn your computers on in the first place! In an ideal world it wouldn’t be necessary to add software and devices to protect your system, but sadly this is now an essential part of your system armoury.

So let us guide you through the fact, the fiction and the practicalities of practicing Safe Systems.

Data Security

	User identity - ensure users log on to, and are authorised by, the system
	Configure users, user groups and associated access security permissions/ rights
	Configure company filing system with appropriate access rights
	Set security protection on individual folders and files, based on individual users and groups of users
	File encryption; document password protection

 
As part of the configuration we will determine with you the access rights of different groups of users, who should see what, and the way your data is to be filed and organised so that all users have ready access to the files they need.

Good Housekeeping

Ensuring that your computers are kept up to date with service packs and security fixes is the first step in protecting them from outside attacks. Having an effective security policy - restricting your users’ rights permissions on your workstations - will stop unauthorised software from being installed, either accidentally or deliberately, providing a fundamental level of protection.

We’ll help you implement and retain good housekeeping practices.

Social Security

Okay, so this should probably really be called ‘social engineering’, but it wouldn’t have been so catchy :-)

The biggest problems to security are now often due to social attacks; user behaviour presents one of the biggest security risks. We’ll help you implement the processes and security policies that ensure passwords have an acceptable level of security, ensuring they are regularly changed. And we’ll help you and your staff realise that leaving passwords on sticky pads on top of their monitors really isn’t secure!

Conventional social behaviour can lead sensible individuals to become victims of ‘pharming’. Beware apparently genuine requests for information - for example, maybe seeming to come from your bank - your staff may end up handing out information that should have remained private! Again, we’ll help you through this potential minefield.
You should have an “Acceptable Use Policy” in place which lets all your users know what is acceptable and what isn’t, whether it’s use of your IT systems or appropriate use of the photocopier!

Security Developments

The latest technology can also help you further increase the security with which you identify your genuine users.
Laptops are starting to include fingerprint readers, and smart cards can ensure that passwords are continually changing.

Company Filing & Back Up

Backup devices help protect your data against both accidental loss and malicious damage.
But it can only do this if company data has been stored in the correct place to begin with. All data created using company resources is company data. So we’ll ensure that company data is centrally stored, and create individual user storage space within the central storage so that it really can be backed up.

We’ll then define backup equipment, backup software and a backup regime that backs up your data and allows you let you take backups off-site - just in case…

System Resilience & Disaster Recovery

So your data is backed up; and a copy is stored off-site.

But what actually happens when your server dies or there is a fire or a theft - how do you recover?

We’ll guide you through the options for resilient systems - duplicated data, replication between servers, availability of spare equipment - and disaster recovery - minimising down time while your system is being resurrected. We’ll then help you decide the compromise between the resilience of your system and the costs of implementation.

Anti-Virus

Viruses can be present in code that is executed, whatever the source. So, on the Internet, a potential risk arises when any new data is saved, in particular from within e-mail or Web pages. Certain email clients will automatically open attachments, potentially exposing the PC and the network to viruses.

Implementing an effective security policy, as part of your Good Housekeeping, will help stop viruses from installing in the first place.

We’ll also recommend and implement effective anti-virus software to examine all risky files, emails etc. before they are saved or opened to help prevent infections from reaching your network. Centralised anti-virus software with good server management tools provides automatic update of workstations with new virus information as it becomes available. Ease of deployment and updating is almost as important as accuracy of detection, since no matter how good a package is at detection, it is no use unless it is deployed correctly and updated regularly. If this is difficult to do the chances are that the task will be put off, with potentially damaging consequences. Fish.Net will help and support you through all of this.

Anti-Spyware

Is Spyware virus software or not? Well, unlike viruses, spyware tends not to automatically replicate itself from machine, but the inconvenience, disruption and cost of eradicating it, make it as menacing as viruses.

As with anti-virus protection, we’ll help you implement an effective security policy and implement other protection and detection measures.

Anti-Spam

	Advertising, which is generally inconvenient, but definitely time consuming and therefore a cost to your business
	Phishing - which can be a security risk

 
Either way, the spam detection techniques are equally as good at detecting both.

We’ll implement effective anti-spam measures from a range of anti-spam tools and appliances which we have proven to be effective. At the same time we give you the control to review and adjust the results of spam detection - after all, one person’s spam is another person’s interesting email!

Firewalls

A firewall provides your effective protective barrier to Internet, protecting you from external attack.
We’ll ensure that you have a firewall that has been securely and effectively configured, but still allows the traffic you want to flow to and from the Internet.

Remote Users

Remember, when your remote users connect to your network, the computer they are using becomes part of your network. And if that computer they are using is also the family and games PC, then goodness knows what potential risk it exposes to your company network!

We will help you ensure that remote computers are just as well protected as the computers you have in-house so that they don’t infect your company system.

Help is Here

If all this sounds daunting, then yes it is meant to, but with some straightforward, sensible measures, Fish.Net will show you how secure, efficient and functional systems can be readily maintained

Let us audit your existing system and procedures … identify any potential security risks… and help you keep your system working and your data secure…

For more information please contact us on: 01457 819600 or by using our online contact form.