Five Easy Ways to Enhance Computing Security
From ITS Wiki
The security of your computer and data is important. The more you do to keep your computer secure, the safer your work and data will be. Consider using these five easy steps to enhance your computing security.
1. Use strong passwords
Passwords provide the first line of defense against unauthorized access to your computer, and a good password is often underestimated. Weak passwords can allow easy access to your computer and network. Strong passwords are considerably harder to crack.
A strong password:
• Is at least eight characters long.
• Does not contain your user name, real name, or company name.
• Does not contain a complete dictionary word.
• Is significantly different from previous passwords. Passwords that change just slightly—such as Password1, Password2, Password3—are not strong.
• Contains characters from each of the following groups:
o Uppercase and/or lowercase letters.
o Numbers
o Symbols (!,@,#,$,%, etc.)
2. Don't enable the Save Password option
Make it mandatory for you—or someone else trying to access your computer—to enter your password on all operating system or application settings. If a dialog box prompts you about remembering the password, rather than requiring you to enter it, just choose no. Allowing the password to be saved negates having the password at all.
3. Lock your computer when you leave your desk.
If you're going to be away from your desk for a while, make sure your computer is locked.
To lock your computer (PC):
1. On your keyboard, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE at the same time.
2. Click Lock this computer (Lock Computer if you're running Windows XP).
3. To unlock your computer, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE and enter your password.
4. Use password protection on your screensaver
Sometimes you're away from your desk for longer than you unexpected. Plan for those situations by setting up your computer so that it locks itself after a specified amount of time.
To establish Windows 7 screensaver password protection
1. Right click an empty space on your desktop.
2. Click Personalize, and then click the Screen Saver section.
3. Change Wait time to 10 minutes or less.
4. Select On resume, display logon screen.
5. Click Apply.
To establish Windows Vista screensaver password protection
1. Right click an empty space on your desktop.
2. Click Personalize, and then click the Screen Saver section.
3. Change Wait time to 10 minutes or less.
4. Select On resume, password protect.
5. Click Apply.
To establish Windows XP screensaver password protection
1. Right click an empty space on your desktop.
2. Click Properties, and then the Screen Saver tab.
3. Change Wait time to 10 minutes or less.
4. Select On resume, password protect.
5. Click Apply.
5. Don't open questionable emails
If an email message just doesn't look right, it probably isn't. We’ve said it before (and we’ll probably say it again), if an email looks suspicious just delete it. Never reply or click links.
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from http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/security/worksecure.aspx