Computer Virus Protection and Security Procedures

Essay by revolt January 2008

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Virus ProtectionNot only can you lose vital data by your system crashing, Viruses also cause havoc and must be rigorously controlled. Viruses can destroy the data on your computer, corrupt your system, lock you out of your own machine and even wipe out an entire hard disk. They travel from computer to computer through floppy disks, networks and even modems.

It is important to perform regular virus checks and your organisation should have procedures in place for this. They should cover:• The installation of anti-virus programs. There are many anti-virus programs available that protect your data from virus infection by detecting and removing them from your system• The set-up of anti-virus programs. You can set up your virus detection to run when your system starts up• The process for scanning individual computers and floppy disks for viruses• A schedule for updating the virus programs. Most virus programs also provide weekly downloadable patches to enable you to detect new viruses before they infect your system.

Security and Confidentiality ProceduresConfidentiality measures are necessary to protect the integrity of an organisation’s data. Increasingly, as organisations conduct business via the internet, security has become a major consideration and many workplaces have firewalls to protect their internal computer systems.

A firewall controls the passage of information from one network to another and reduces the risk of hackers gaining unwanted access to sensitive information. A firewall is essential for businesses that conduct financial transactions via their website and collect highly sensitive data such as credit card numbers from customers.

Your organisation should also have security measures in place for Internet usage and sending emails. Procedures may also concern the transmitting of commercially sensitive information via email. Any email message you send has probably passed through several intermediaries between its source and destination. Even the...