Computer Security Considerations
Physical Machine
Is your desktop or laptop computer physically locked-down or secured in its present location? Some find this necessary. Others, who have multiple levels of premise security, alarms, & environmental controls in place, find such heavy security levels to be satisfactory protection. Obviously this is a judgment call based on your own relevant situation and environment factors.
Connectivity
As soon as you power up your computer, it can begin to connect wirelessly with other computers or networks in your particular area. Alternately, as soon as you plug your computer into a phone line or network cable, you are making connectivity with another network as well. As such, your valuable files and data must be secured against any unnecessary exposure or visibility to outside forces and malicious individuals. Files & Folders
File Sharing can either be active or turned off on your system: If it is not needed, turn off file sharing entirely. Otherwise, limit the shared folders on your computer/network. Data Protection
Do you have sensitive files and data requiring advanced security protection? Encryption can be enabled on such data, as well as password security, to protect against potential exposure or exploitation. Network/Internet Traffic
How is data flowing in and out of your computer? Sometimes, programs hijack the use of your computer for self-serving purposes – for example, to use your machine's processing resources, to report back your personal viewing or surfing habits, to gather statistics on your buying behavior, etc. Besides representing a privacy invasion, this eats up resources and oftentimes slows down your computer for your own use. Given the large amount of malicious software and "spyware-disguised-as-freeware" applications existing in today's marketplace, it is important to know which programs are necessary for your particular computing requirements and which ones can be done away with. Vast amounts of information can be gleaned from the internet on whether or not a particular program is beneficial or harmful to your computer. We can offer insights and are happy to help you with this process too. Particularly important is making sure that only the software programs you authorize have appropriate access to your network or the internet if needed. This can be helped along and better automated with a good quality software firewall that monitors internet and program activity for unscrupulous behavior. We can help you select the appropriate security protection for your particular set of computing activities and circumstances. Old Programs
What applications are running at all times, either in the foreground or in the background and are they needed, or old relics not fully removed from your system? Security vulnerabilities can be associated with programs' improper use of your system. Such applications utilize your computer resources and generally operate in the background of your machine (minimized, background tasks, system tray programs, or services). It might be time to clean house and remove those programs occupying your precious system resources. Application Security
Weaknesses in code can be exploited as vulnerabilities. There have been documented instances of individuals being able to take over a computer remotely due to these security vulnerabilities. Accordingly, it is essential to apply security patches & updates to your programs and applications to ensure a stable computer system. For more information, go to: http://www.ilinktechnology.com/checklistfortypesofsecurityneeded Making Corrections
If any or all of this seems complicated or confusing, we can help by analyzing what you already have, and recommend changes or additions to get your computer functioning smoothly. Please fill out the form below:
ILINK TECHNOLOGY, INC.
5055 Avenida Encinas, Suite 100
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Phone: (760) 216-6560
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