Best Practices on safeguarding your computer accounting office network
Proactive and Preventative Security is Best Practice
Purpose: To provide guidance to accounting firms on securing their networks and hardware against hackers, internet viruses and other mal ware, including spyware and spam.
Overview: Being able to access the internet for information or communication is vital for accounting professionals. But because your client’s confidential financial information is stored in electronic format, it is susceptible to the same viruses and malware to which other computer applications are susceptible.
Therefore, it is extremely important to have security features in place that protect your network and consequently your client’s data.
Best Practices: Below is a checklist of network security items for accounting offices:
- A firewall or Unified Threat Management (UTM) systemConnecting an office to the internet opens up a two-way flow of traffic. In order to block information at the office from being accessed by hackers, viruses, or other mal ware, a firewall should be installed. You can have a software firewall, a hardware firewall, or both. We have had great results with Cisco SA500 UTM devices.
- A UTM goes beyond the firewall by including greater security protections such as antivirus software and antispyware, amongst others.
- Good internet security software will include antivirus and antispyware protection. Some also include a software firewall. These generally run the duration of one- year, after which time they expire. It is crucial to have this protection on your computers and servers at all times. Ensure that your package comes complete with periodic updates in order to catch newer viruses and advanced spyware. Download and install antivirus software updates as they become available.
- Never open any files or macros attached to an email from an unknown, suspicious, or untrustworthy source. Delete these attachments immediately, and then delete them again by emptying your Trash folder.
- Delete spam, chain, and other junk email without forwarding.
- Scan external media drives for viruses before using them.
- Moderate your internet usage and do not visit social networking and other non-work related sites while at work.
- Most accounting offices employ a wireless router to connect some computers, laptops and mobile devices such as an IPhone or IPad in the office to a network. Unfortunately, some wireless routers are not as secure as wired routers. If using a wireless router, you must make sure that the router is secure and requires a robust encrypted password to access the network. We highly recommend Cisco AP541 Wireless Access Points. We have had great results with these easy to install and maintain AP's.
* THIS DOCUMENT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A BEST PRACTICES OVERVIEW FOR ACCOUNTING FIRMS. THE FIRM SHOULD ESTABLISH A NETWORK AND COMPUTER SECURITY POLICY IN CONSULTATION WITH ITS IT CONSULTANT.
Please call (203) 349-8047 Ext 211 to review your IT and network security. We are local Fairfield County, CT based I.T. Servicess provider helping professional and small business use technology smarter.
Check out our 6 Tips For Using Passwords to Protect Against Identity Theft suggestions about how to best handle our myriad of passwords.
