Holiday Shopping Computer Security

This past Friday was Black Friday- the biggest shopping day of the year and the official launch of the holiday shopping season. That means that tomorrow is Cyber Monday. The reason there is no Cyber Friday or Cyber Saturday is that people wait to do their 'cyber' shopping until they return to work on Monday. Expect productivity to be down and network bandwidth to be up as employees return to work on surf the web in search of tremendous holiday deals.

Assuming that online shopping is approved, or condoned, or at least accepted, the loss of some productivity may be OK. But, there are still potential security implications of online shopping. The following suggestions from security vendor GFI can help administrators to secure their networks during the holiday shopping season. Many of the tips can also be applied for home networks as well.

• Educate users. Users need to know exactly what kinds of threats are out there. Uneducated computer users are often those who fall victim to viruses, spyware, and phishing attacks, all of which are designed to corrupt systems or leak personal information to a third party without the user's consent.
• Monitor user’s activity 24 x 7. Utilize web monitoring tools to control employees' web browsing activities and to ensure that any files downloaded are free of viruses and other malware.
• Implement Security Policies Implement a clearly defined, and not complicated, security policy. Back it up with clear communication. Security policies also need to be updated regularly to take into account new threats, developments within the organization and changes in processes.
• Limit access. In SMEs, it is not uncommon that there is a high level of trust between management and employees. Access to the Internet should be given only to those who need it, even it that person happens to be your cousin or the boss’s son.
• Invest in technology. Security should not be considered an expense but a cost of doing business in an online age. Vulnerability management, event logging and proper archiving software are essential tools to combat security vulnerabilities and help administrators secure their network.
• Update virus detection software. What is the use of having virus and spyware scanners if they're not updated? Up-to-date scanners ensure that the latest malicious software is detected immediately. Security holes exist in your operating system and no software is perfect. Once vulnerability is found, it's usually exploited within a very short period of time.