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Five Ways to Improve Network Security

A company's computer network is critical to its success. The proper administration and maintenance of a computer network can be expensive, but it can be made even more expensive when security is lapsed. Good network security starts with good internal policies on network usage. Once you get your users to start exercising good network habits, then you can dramatically improve your network security.

1) Email Attachments

One of the worst things you can allow your users to do is open conspicuous email attachments. You need a strict policy that forbids your users to open any email attachments that are from email accounts they do not recognize. The time it takes to get a technician over to a cubicle to properly dispose of a suspicious email is nothing compared to the time it would take to recover an entire network after a virus attack.

2) Email Account Usage

Network safety can be compromised without you even knowing it if you allow your users to sign up for newsletters and other online programs with their corporate email addresses. Once you allow users to sign up for online features with their corporate email addresses, your network will be overrun with spam that can choke your network to a halt. Develop a policy that requires a technician to be present if a user signs up for online features with his email address.

3) Downloading Files

As network technicians, you know the dangers of downloading any kind of file to a computer from a website. In many cases, your users are completely unaware of these dangers. Many users do not see a problem with downloading a desktop theme to their computer because it helps them create a more personal work environment. Your company needs to develop a strict policy banning any file downloading from any Internet site unless the download is approved by a technician.

4) Uploading Files

Network users sometimes bring in CDs from home that have files on them that the users would like to have on their computers. This not only can create a security breach, but it can also disrupt the corporate applications your company currently uses. Your company should ban users from uploading any files to their computer from any removable media unless that media has been checked by a technician first.

5) Chat

Banning users from chat functions can be tricky because some functions, such as Skype, are very popular with corporate users. Your company needs to develop an approved list of chat functions that can be downloaded to company computers and those downloads should only be done by a network technician.

Network security is critical to maintaining an efficient computer network. Once you have the right network usage policies in place, you will be better equipped to protect your network.


About the Author:

This guest post is contributed by Debra Johnson, blogger and editor of live out nanny. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: - jdebra84 @ gmail.com.

Guest Article by Debra Johnson

this is a guest article about five ways to improve the network security written by Debra Johnson. To know more about guest post guidelines to write for this blog please follow the link below.

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