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Don't Let the Bugs Bite this Christmas

11th December 2009

It's that time of year when businesses across Scotland are preparing to slow down for the festive season and take a well earned rest from the daily grind. But before you set the alarm and shut up shop remember to give your IT network an early Christmas present by protecting it from the greater security risks it faces at this time of year.

With e-cards, Christmas jokes and increased unsolicited e-mail (SPAM) all doing the rounds; it's no surprise that even the most robust IT systems can be tested to the hilt. So what can the small business owner do to ensure that they can tuck into mulled wine and mince pies safe in the knowledge that their IT system is fully protected? Gordon Christie, MD of IT Hotdesk, a new IT and communication solutions company based in Aberdeen offers this advice:

"The run up to Christmas has become a busy time for the average computer system with more and more people choosing to send their Christmas greetings by email rather than standard mail. The recent strike action by Royal Mail is likely to fuel this and lead to a further increase of e-cards, leaving IT systems even more vulnerable to the threat of malware. But, with adequate planning and modern technology there is no reason why small business owners should not be able to enjoy a peaceful countdown to the festive season and then take a break with their IT system in one piece when they return in the New Year. As the festive holiday is likely to be the longest period during which the business will be closed with no one entering the premises it is important that business owners take steps to ensure that nothing goes wrong with their network while they're away.

"Typically office workers are feeling more sociable to the run up to the break and often increase their usage on social networking websites such as Bebo and Facebook. In recent times some companies have banned the use of facebook during working hours due to misuse and downtime of staff productivity. The worry from an IT security perspective is the risk being on these sites poses - again opening users up to a new virus which can spread like wildfire.

"Viruses certainly aren't the only threat to your system - unwanted spam can prove to be disruptive in the workplace and can clog up your inbox. You may also have noticed that, after reading one spam email, they begin to appear in greater numbers - this is because spammers often embed html code in their emails, which alerts them that you have opened the email. This innocuous sounding piece of information lets them know that your email account is active - and it can then be included in a list of addresses sold on to other spammers. You can however prevent them from receiving this information by setting up your email account to display only plain text emails, cutting out the html code. By deploying varying security systems on your network you can prevent these unwanted threats.

"A tailored security perimeter appliance device to the network can protect your internal systems from SPAM, Virus infected attachments, Malware/Spyware and you can filter user requests to websites. You can even block files that appear suspicious, like the Christmas fairy lights that appear on the screen of your desktop computer. These centralised appliances allow you to deploy standardised configuration to desktops, file servers, database servers and e-mail servers. The appliance should be configured to block threats at the perimeter level, therefore never allowing a potential threat to enter the network.

"However the use of removable media such as USB drives means that whilst the perimeter network is secure with the appliance, the computers located on the network need their own security protection as well. Importantly users of desktop computers can be locked out of making changes to the programs so you know that the system is fully protected at all times."

In many small offices, when the more IT-savvy members of staff decide to take off for the Christmas break a little earlier, the technophobes are going to have to learn to resolve any IT issues themselves, and Gordon explains there are a few steps that can be taken to aid this.

"Many members of staff either aren't aware of, or simply don't take advantage of, the help that is available to them. It may sound obvious, but the chances are that whether your problems lie with the office photocopier or fax, or with a spreadsheet or database package, there is a troubleshooting guide designed to help you to overcome your technical problems. This may exist as a manual or as software located in the programme, on its CD-ROM, or online."

Gordon continues, "Another area of concern over this period is the number of us taking advantage of technologies that allow us to work remotely from home. While there are many benefits to be gained, the practice does bring with it potential problems. To ensure your personal computer does not provide a back door into your company's server there are a few steps that can be taken. Firstly, you should configure the computer to allow each user to log on individually; this will give you the opportunity to protect your own profile with a password. Secondly, by installing the remote access programs in your own profile, you can ensure that only you have access to them. Finally, you should ensure that any computers used as a remote access terminal are protected with the latest anti-virus and anti-spam patches.

"It's usually the most basic steps that companies get caught out on and you'd be surprised at the number that take short cuts. The top tips I would offer any small business are:

Ensure that your PC has Virus Protection Installed, preferably with a firewall and malware module
Ensure that you're are subscribed to receive updates
Ensure that the software is configured to update frequently, we recommend at least twice a day and we set our customers to hourly

"Of course, some of us are simply suited better to IT than others, which is why you should ensure your office has adequate IT support, at both on and off peak times. At IT Hotdesk, we appreciate that if someone is working at an off peak time, in the evening or holiday season, the chances are they are working on something important, and the reliability of their system is paramount. We currently offer North east companies free IT health checks and would highly recommend making the most of these before the season is upon us!"

IT Hotdesk offers services such as IT audits, data recovery and protection, desktop support, hosted applications, mobility solutions and network and server design and implementation. It partners with the most respected brand names in the IT industry, such as Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Trend Micro and Citrix, to bring together these high quality, complementary IT products and services. Based at 7 Queen's Gardens, Aberdeen, IT Hotdesk provide IT management and support to companies based in the UK and Internationally.

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