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Can you put a value on the data on your computer? For a small business, things like their intellectual property, customer or product information are most likely all stored on here.

IT such as laptop computers and desktop PC's holds the key to many small businesses, but have you taken steps to ensure that your computer and the data contained within it is safe?

There are simple steps to help with this, such as antivirus software, secure passwords, theft prevention measures, and insurance for your IT, as well as taking appropriate measures to back up your data.

Protection from Viruses and Unwanted Attacks

Hackers, viruses, people trying to get hold of your data, spyware, all want access to your important and highly valuable business information contained on your laptop. These free software programs will all help to secure your data.

The next thing you must do to prevent unwanted access to your PC is a firewall.  I use ZoneAlarm. and once again this is totally free.

It is a sad fact that the widespread use of Internet Explorer makes it a big target for hackers, simply switching browser and email client to Mozilla and Thunderbird will help you here.  Not only are they less attacked, they are also less vulnerable to attacks.

Finally to remove or lock any spy ware then try this product from lavasoft, once again its totally free of charge.

Protection Of Your Data

The next thing to do after securing your PC form attacks is to make sure you have an appropriate way of storing and archiving all your data. 70% of businesses that suffer data loss never full recover from this. Say there was a lightening strike, the power surge fried your hard disk, now how would you get back all that valuable customer or product information?

For my laptop computer I use an external hard drive, which can be bought quite reasonably from many places like Amazon.  The drives usually come with data back up software which means that any new files on your PC will be backed up regularly at preset intervals, say every day in the evenings after you finish work would be  a great idea.

Of course, you can never be too careful in terms of backing up your data, so why not back it up a second time on a different drive, or even online.

In the UK, there is a good service from BT where all your files are securely transmitted online and saved on an external web server.  This is not free, but if you balance out the value of your data then it is very useful.

Theft Prevention

So you have now done everything you can to protect whats on your computer, but there is still the risk of theft, or loss. Its worth bearing in mind that in London last year (2006) over 3000 laptops were left in taxis.

Next, buy a lock, and chain the computer to a fixed object.  This combined with a suitable alarm system will help reduce the risk of burglary. 

Laptops are more of a risk, by their nature they are light, easy to carry and expensive.  The perfect target for a thief.  Carrying them around in a traditional laptop bag, it is obvious to anyone what you are carrying.  Instead, go covert.  Put your laptop in a backpack, or another type of holdall.  Putting it in a laptop bag first will protect your computer from any scratches.  Don't leave your computer unattended, this may sound obvious but it is amazing how many computers are stolen on a train or in a restaurant when left unattended.

The last measure is to insure your computer, as not all thefts can be prevented.

• Take appropriate steps to protect your computer.
• Take appropriate measures to secure your businesses IT resources. It is not just your computers that will be saved, but in many cases, the whole substance of your business... customers, data, intellectual property, all invaluable to you and your small business.
• Take appropriate measures to secure your businesses IT resources. It is not just your computers that will be saved, but in many cases, the whole substance of your business... customers, data, intellectual property, all invaluable to you and your small business.