Staying Safe in Cyberspace

Millions of people globally take their portable computer wherever they go, doing business in the most obscure of places. Maybe you travel a lot or do business on a computer outside of the office environment?

Whether you work with a netbook, laptop or Smartphone, you need protection. IT expert Chris Pallett of Bespoke Computing Ltd offers some practical advice for staying safe in cyberspace.

Before leaving the office always check that your anti-virus is installed and running the latest updates. Even the slower netbooks should be OK running a proper anti-virus application without slowing it down.

We always advise the NOD32 from ESET, its award winning virus protection won’t take over your computer and they offer discounts when you have more than one computer.

Keep your working data safe and secure by backing it up. It’s a pain having your computer stolen or losing it somewhere, backups reduces the aggravation of not losing all of your files too.

If something does happen to your computer, you can prevent the misuse of your data files by using both passwords and encryption. Please remember that just having a password will not protect you.

Several encryption products exist though we recommend DISK Protect from BeCrypt, this inexpensive product is both security certified and used by several public and government bodies globally.

Once you’re on the road (or in the air) you should keep your device in a safe place or on your person to minimise the chance of theft. Pay special care when working out of public places like Internet cafes and never use USB memory that isn’t your own.

Avoid unsecured wireless networks at all costs, even if it means paying substantially more to get on the Internet. You should also never use websites like Internet banking in public places.

Finally when you’re back in the office again, make sure your anti-virus gets the latest version of updates and give your device a full scan.

Bespoke Computing Ltd works with several businesses that have staff working on computers away from the office all over the world. If you would like help with any of the points above including pricing information on ESET and DISK Protect then you can call Chris Pallett on 01952 303404.