Did you know that by simply going to the wrong web site [it’s amazing how easy it is to get tricked these days], your entire computer can become controlled by a bot-net master who will use your computer as his own to attack other computers, send out spam and capture your personal and financial information using programs called [key loggers] which can capture everything you type on your computer keyboard [without you ever even knowing it until your bank account gets emptied].

Yes my friend that’s how bad it is out there on the bad old internet these days. And most small and mid-size business are not taking all the steps they could to protect their business against catastrophic intrusion [data loss and stealing of data] and stealing of client private data which can be very costly. Many major companies have had to admit publically that they didn’t do everything they could have to protect their client’s private information and these mistakes cost them plenty in real dollars [millions of dollars].

The damage that potential hackers can cause your operations include but are not limited to:
1. Taking over your computer and making you part of their bot-net which can include sometimes over 100,000 computers, these army of bad-computers are used to launch attacks against companies or individuals and for sending out spam and causing general mayhem.
2. Once your computer is under the control of a bot-master there is a good chance he/she will try to install what are called [key loggers] which can capture everything you type at your computer keyboard including usernames and passwords to your bank accounts for the bad guys future reference and access.
3. Your computer becomes slow and unresponsive because someone is using your computer for their purposes and you lose productivity/$money. Sometimes a perfectly good computer you spent $1000 on last year which should be great becomes so unusable that those who don’t know better will throw it out and buy a new computer not realizing it wasn’t the computer, it was that it was loaded with spyware, malware, viruses, worms, and malicious software’s.

The major ways your business gets hit by internet borne threats are:
• Simply browse to a web-site which is a malicious web-site designed to download [spyware] into your computer and the worst part of it is this can all happen with no visual indication anything has occurred on your system! This is what happens to grandma’s computer when she calls you to report it’s going so slow.. slow.. slow.., that plus some computers have had so much software installed they need to be wiped out and reformatted again.

• By opening email attachments with an infected payload that is designed to execute a program that will take control of your computer for the purposes of the bot-master. Then it’s no longer your computer, but his…

What are the basic protective measures you can take?
A Firewall between your Internet connection and your office network
Protect yourself at the point the [public internet] comes into your [private office] network.
With the right firewall [integrated security device] Internet Browsing and Incoming Emails get checked for threats before they even hit your computers! This provides an external protection net for your office network.

One example of a product which does this and protects against multiple threats at the same time is:
The Astaro Security Gateway:
http://www.astaro.com/our_products/astaro_security_gateway

Read more about it here:
http://www.laymantech.com/AstaroSecuityGateway.htm

Install an integrated workstation security solution:
This is software which gets installed on your workstation and should be your 2nd line of defense against internet borne threats after your network firewall protection device/router. There is anti-spyware, anti-virus, plus a new bread of security softwares products like www.eset.com which combine all of these and the ability to scan web-sites for problems before they attacked your computers.

AVG Free 8.0 [for home and personal use]:
http://free.avg.com/

Or a commercial grade solution like:
ESET NOD32 Antivirus which provides:
• Proactive Protection: The award winning ThreatSense technology combines multiple layers of detection protecting you from Internet threats before it is too late.
• Precise Detection: ESET accurately identifies known and unknown threats. It consistently wins top awards from testing labs and is recognized for having zero false positives.1
• Lightweight Design: Requires less memory and CPU power, allowing your computer to run fast, making more room for games, web browsing, and emailing.
• Fast Scanning Speeds: Highly efficient program ensuring fast file scanning and product updates. It runs quietly in the background

Why and What Steps to Take Now:

If you don’t protect your small/mid-size business operations for internet borne threats you could experience everything from your computers running slow as molasses to your data being silently stolen without you even knowing about it. The risk is that if you lost your clients data, or proprietary private company information your entire companies operations could be at risk, and is this a risk you can really afford to take with your future and those depending on you?

I recommend taking an inventory now and ensure you have at a minimum the following installed in your office:

1. A Network Firewall Capable of scanning incoming web browsing and email, and ideally all types of internet traffic for malware:
a. [malware is all the forms of internet borne threats which can bring down your computer and business, it includes:
i. Spyware – get’s download when you browse the internet can record everything you do and setup programs which can – phone home to the mother bot-ship – about your browsing activities.
ii. Viruses – They invade your computer and do everything from delete data to be annoying to render your computer useless.
iii. Worms/Root Kits/Key-loggers a class of programs which install themselves without your knowledge and can do almost anything the bot-master wants them too on his behalf.
iv. Instant Message Malware – Yup problems can actually be downloaded ito your computer direct from your internet chant
v. Peer-to-peer File sharing programs like Bit-torrent are ways that infected supposedly [free] programs get downloaded into your computer and network, and the most of the times it’s an inside job because your employee downloaded – do you have an internet usage policy in place at your business?

2. Integrated Security software on all your workstations and servers:
a. The best programs will be network versions which have a central console where you can easily keep track of all your computers and what their condition is.

3. Staff training on basic security issues:
a. i.e. don’t open attachments your expecting, don’t browse to non-company approved web-sites, don’t give out passwords ever over the phone, knowing and supporting what the company internet usage policy is.

There is more to a complete program of security to protect your office, and Laymantech.com [Christopher C. Welber] are available via email, phone and on-site to help you in building a system of protection for yourself and your business.

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Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope it helps you protect what needs to be protected in your life.

Warm Regards,

Christopher C. Weber
President
Laymantech.com

Perry Fishman
Web-Master & Developer