One afternoon, you go online to research some new equipment. Pop! “Consolidate your debt at fantastic rates!” Pop! “The best online casino ever!” Pop! “Free money!” Pop! “High quality vitamins from Guatemala!” Pop! “Find a date!” Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! – Zap – . Your screen has turned that all too familiar shade of blue. Those of you who have experienced this sort of thing know how frustrating it can be. Welcome to the new Internet – an endless assault on your PC by hackers, viruses, and Spyware. The Internet is an essential tool for your business, so how can you effectively protect yourself and your technology investment from these annoying, sometimes dangerous, critters? The first step is to understand how these pests get into your system. The next step is to ensure that you have the appropriate hardware and software tools in place to combat them.
Firewalls
You finally have high-speed Internet. The first thing you need to do to protect your technology is to ensure that you have an appropriate firewall in place. A firewall is a software program or hardware device (preferred) that places a barrier between your computers and the internet. An unprotected connection is very tasty to a hacker. Firewalls allow you to go out, but prevent others from getting in. Many routers have built-in firewalls that offer good protection. Norton and McAfee provide firewall software for a fee, while Zone Alarm offers a competent, free version of its software. Check with your IT professional to determine what type of protection you need.
Viruses
Viruses can ruin your business. Do not make the mistake of underestimating the damage that a virus can do. Some viruses can destroy all of the data on your computer: documents, financial data, payroll, your membership data…gone. (Last month’s article, in part, dealt with backups). Viruses can infect your system via email attachments, from another computer at the club, or by simply visiting a compromised website. Once infected, your machine can become a digital “Typhoid Mary,” sending itself to everyone in your address book (not the nicest way to keep in touch), or by copying itself to every computer in your club. Recovering from this type of viral outbreak can be extremely expensive.
There are many anti-virus solutions available to business owners including familiar subscription-based programs like those offered by Norton and McAfee, or free limited functionality anti-virus programs like AVG. Many anti-virus software vendors offer free online scans and removal tools at their websites. Remember, anti-virus software is not optional. One important note: anti-virus software is most effective when the virus signatures (the database your software uses to protect against new viruses) are updated regularly. Most software vendors issue updates weekly. One more twist, many viruses now include devastating payloads of Spyware. Ask your IT professional about which anti-virus solution is best for your club.
Spyware
Now let’s address those endless pop-up ads. If this is happening to you, you probably have some sort of Spyware. What are these little gremlins that invade your privacy? Generally, Spyware are small pieces of software that, whether you know it or not, you agreed to install. Most Spyware simply serves up targeted advertising to you while you are browsing the Internet. Some variations report your browsing habits back to a central server. The most evil form of these programs is commonly referred to as Malware. This nasty variety may hijack your browser, download software without your permission, or worse, track every keystroke you make on your computer. Just think about the sensitive information you type every day and what that could mean if it were in the wrong hands.
How do you get this stuff? How many times have you visited a website that pops up a gray window saying “click here to view our site better”? How about downloading free music-sharing programs? Free screensavers ring a bell? Be careful of anything that claims to be “free.” It pays to read those enduser agreements when you’re installing software. Changing your Internet browser to Firefox can prevent many types of Spyware infestations.
Like anti-virus software, there are many Spyware-cleaning solutions available to club owners. Ad-Aware Personal SE and Spybot Search and Destroy are two fairly effective tools for cleaning your system. Both are free to download. There are pay versions, such as Computer Associates Pest Patrol, that provide real-time monitoring features. There are many other packages available, but be careful; some Spyware programs actually masquerade as Spyware removal programs.
If you are going to have the Internet at your club, it is important to follow common sense practices. First, make sure that the Internet is only available at computers that absolutely need it. Second, make sure that you have antivirus software on all of your computers, not just the ones with Internet. Lastly, be very cautious when downloading “free” stuff from the Internet. You just might be surprised at what pops up next.
Chris McLean is the Director of Technical Support for Twin Oaks Software. Twin Oaks can be contacted at 860.829.6000, or by email at info@tosd.com, or visit www.tosd.com.
