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Home Office - Online Security

What are the basic security steps needed for your Home Office PC ?

1) Windows XP.
Windows XP best feature is the Restore Point. It allows you to undo installation problems and goback to a safe system restore point. However, sometimes you will need to use the Windows Rescue Disk. Take the time and create one !


2) Windows Update
Visit Windows Update and install Service Pack 2. Vist the site repeatedly until you have installed of the latest critical security patches.

Do not forget to turn on automatic updates.

3) Baseline Security Analyzer
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer helps you tweak Windows XP against hackers.


4) Norton Internet Security 2005
This peace of software got some bad user reviews in ZDnet - most concerning installation problems. However, technically speaking this is the best package availalble:
Best Antivirus, Smart Firewall, Intellegent Antispam and fairly well AntiSpyware.
A) Try NIS2005 before you buy
B) Follow the installation instructions to the letter (including "what to do before installing")
C) Install only on drive C: (not D , E , F ... - to avoid problems with Liveupdate). If you stil expirience activation problems see the activation hotfix or activation troubleshooting.
D) After the installation enter the control panel click Liveupdate and change to express mode. This will ensure automatic updates from Symatec Website.
E) Visit Symantec Security Check to make sure you set up your firewall correcty.

Itai

posted by Itai Frenkel @ 1:59 PM 1 comments

Home Office - Hardware

1) If you are enjoying hot summers - buy Intel. AMD works good in Canada. If all you need is office applications buy Intel Celeron - its cheaper than Intel Pentium and works just as good.

2) Buy a UPS for every computer. Its worth every cent. Your PC will live much longer.

3) Clean dust behind the computer. Do not let the Power Supply to choke from dust.

4) HDDLife keeps track on your hardisk physical condition. Every hardisk has the ability to restore data since it has some redunduncy. So - as it grows older, the redundancy is lower and your data is more at risk. HDDLife lets you know that, before the disaster happens.

5) SmartSync Pro
SmartSync Pro is the best file synchronization program available. Make sure that you keep your important files in more than one hardisk - schedule for daily or weekly synchronizations.

6) SpaceMonger
Out of disk space ??? Use SpaceMonger to map your hardisk graphically.


Itai

posted by Itai Frenkel @ 1:43 PM 0 comments