Advice
Advice
please see our advice below for simple things you can check to ensure your business runs more securely, efficiently and productively
please see our advice below for simple things you can check to ensure your business runs more securely, efficiently and productively
backup business data
backup business data
understand what data your business handles and where this data resides
understand what data your business handles and where this data resides
Your business data may reside in several places; it is typical to have both local storage ie document files and offsite cloud storage ie email. Wherever it resides backup your business data to an alternative site location.
Your business data may reside in several places; it is typical to have both local storage ie document files and offsite cloud storage ie email. Wherever it resides backup your business data to an alternative site location.
perform risk assessments to assess accidental or unlawful loss of this data
perform risk assessments to assess accidental or unlawful loss of this data
There can be many causes of unexpected data loss. Users accidentally damaging their computers or accidentally deleting data. Users inadvertently installing a virus or becoming victim of an email or website scam. Computer hardware failure. Computer lost or stolen. Computer ransomware attack.
There can be many causes of unexpected data loss. Users accidentally damaging their computers or accidentally deleting data. Users inadvertently installing a virus or becoming victim of an email or website scam. Computer hardware failure. Computer lost or stolen. Computer ransomware attack.
computers should be configured to avoid problems
computers should be configured to avoid problems
Windows 10 / Windows 11 computers user accounts
Windows 10 / Windows 11 computers user accounts
Use a standard user account instead of an administrator account when using Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers. We recommend this as probably the single best thing to do to avoid problems with users accidentally damaging their computers or inadvertently installing a virus or becoming victim of an email or website scam.
Use a standard user account instead of an administrator account when using Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers. We recommend this as probably the single best thing to do to avoid problems with users accidentally damaging their computers or inadvertently installing a virus or becoming victim of an email or website scam.
Microsoft quote "Why use a standard user account instead of an administrator account? The standard account can help protect your computer by preventing users from making changes that affect everyone who uses the computer, such as deleting files that are required for the computer to work. We recommend creating a standard account for each user. When you are logged on to Windows with a standard account, you can do almost anything that you can do with an administrator account, but if you want to do something that affects other users of the computer, such as installing software or changing security settings, Windows might ask you to provide a password for an administrator account."
Microsoft quote "Why use a standard user account instead of an administrator account? The standard account can help protect your computer by preventing users from making changes that affect everyone who uses the computer, such as deleting files that are required for the computer to work. We recommend creating a standard account for each user. When you are logged on to Windows with a standard account, you can do almost anything that you can do with an administrator account, but if you want to do something that affects other users of the computer, such as installing software or changing security settings, Windows might ask you to provide a password for an administrator account."
Unfortunately the first and often only user account created on new Windows computers is an administrator account and therefore this user does not get the above security benefits. To get these security benefits for an existing computer that was not setup from new with a standard user account instead of an administrator account. Create a new user account called admin for example with a password and set account type to administrator. Tip set the desktop background to really garish colour so you know you are logged in as an administrator and will know not to use this account normally. Change your regular account type to standard user account.
Unfortunately the first and often only user account created on new Windows computers is an administrator account and therefore this user does not get the above security benefits. To get these security benefits for an existing computer that was not setup from new with a standard user account instead of an administrator account. Create a new user account called admin for example with a password and set account type to administrator. Tip set the desktop background to really garish colour so you know you are logged in as an administrator and will know not to use this account normally. Change your regular account type to standard user account.
always use Windows 10 / Windows 11 Pro for business computers with Bitlocker device encryption
always use Windows 10 / Windows 11 Pro for business computers with Bitlocker device encryption
Always use Windows 10 / Windows 11 Pro for business computers and ensure Windows 10 / Windows 11 Pro Bitlocker device encryption is turned on, as usually it is default turned off.
Always use Windows 10 / Windows 11 Pro for business computers and ensure Windows 10 / Windows 11 Pro Bitlocker device encryption is turned on, as usually it is default turned off.
Windows 10 / Windows 11 Pro is better than Windows 10 / Windows 11 Home for your business because it has Bitlocker device encryption which helps protect your data by encrypting it.
Windows 10 / Windows 11 Pro is better than Windows 10 / Windows 11 Home for your business because it has Bitlocker device encryption which helps protect your data by encrypting it.
Put simply should your Windows 10 / Windows 11 Home computer be stolen, even though it may have a password, it is very easy to read the data on it.
Put simply should your Windows 10 / Windows 11 Home computer be stolen, even though it may have a password, it is very easy to read the data on it.
A Windows 10 / Windows 11 Pro computer with Bitlocker device encryption turned on is impossible for anyone to read the data on it without the password or your BitLocker encryption key.
A Windows 10 / Windows 11 Pro computer with Bitlocker device encryption turned on is impossible for anyone to read the data on it without the password or your BitLocker encryption key.
networks should be secured
networks should be secured
only allow access to your business networks for your business authorised devices and users
only allow access to your business networks for your business authorised devices and users
Use routers and network switches which only allow access to your business networks for your business authorised devices.
Use routers and network switches which only allow access to your business networks for your business authorised devices.
Use Guest WiFi routers to provide customers with free WiFi, ie for cafe etc. Guest WiFi keeps your business network separate and limits what customers can browse etc; rather than give wireless networks passwords to your customers to use your business wireless networks.
Use Guest WiFi routers to provide customers with free WiFi, ie for cafe etc. Guest WiFi keeps your business network separate and limits what customers can browse etc; rather than give wireless networks passwords to your customers to use your business wireless networks.