Springtime has arrived and with it comes leaves on the trees, budding flowers, and birds singing in the branches. It also means it’s time for spring cleaning and making sure that your business computers are protected from all the newest malware threats of the year. Dealing with everything from taxes to advertising,

Network security for any size business can be tricky and navigating the system of licensing and installation, maintenance, and upgrades are all making staying up to date with necessary protection even harder to keep your company safe.

There are a few things anyone can do to make sure that your computer networks or personal computers remain protected and take very little time to complete:

1.  Make sure that your firewall is always turned on.
2.  Be sure your anti-virus software and all programs installed on your computer are completely up-to-date. Even a single outdated program can be a threat.
3.  Be sure any link you click on in an email is safe or, better yet, go directly to the company’s website before entering vital information.
4.  Head into your computer’s Internet Options and be sure to turn cookies to “Prompt” or “Off”. Some cookies will access your information to target ads to your browsing history or access sites you’ve not been to personally.
5.  Double-check personal information that may be stored in your personal or company social media site; there could be something there that can be used against you.
6.  If you or your company is using a free or trial version of protection software, considering purchasing the full version for complete protection and access to every update. Kaspersky, for example, offers a comprehensive suite that is both inexpensive and effective.

Even the most trusted software can be manipulated to cause any IT department major headaches. Managing anywhere from a handful of computers to any entire network of 500 or more computers are going to keep administrators busy, but with the right software and protection suites any attack or potential leak of information can be prevented all together or severely limited.

If your company is using (or not using!) any security protection software and would like to learn how best to get protected, Wasatch Software offers managed services and IT support and we're here to help determine if your antivirus and security needs are being met, whether your software is fully updated, or if you would like to learn about all the ways you can protect your company, your customers, and your investments. Contact us today to find out how we can help!

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a dreaded task but with a little time invested using the tips listed above, you can eliminate the need for damage control later, and ultimately, more time to get out and enjoy the beautiful spring weather.