Blog post with links to get help http://blog.connections.com/2011/03/30/the-top-5-network-security-mistakes/ The Top 5 Network Security Mistakes My associate David Bennett was at an attorney's house the other day, helping him setup his home network to run his practice. He asked a simple question... do I need to bother with passwords at home? Seems like it's just a pain. So David asked him whether he let friends on his wireless network when they came over. His response of "Yes" was the answer he got back as well! Always protect your sensitive data. Here's our top 5 issues that we deal with all the time on client networks: 1. Weak Passwords. You know you need to have a stronger password, yet "password" is still the #1 password used by computer users. For maximum security, your password should contain numbers and letters, both upper and lowercase combined. 2. Lack of Education. Most viruses and spyware are invited by the user; therefore, if you want to make sure your employees don't download viruses, take the time to educate them on what new viruses are circulating and about common scams. 3. Lack of Maintenance. No software is perfect, which means security loop holes will be exploited by hackers the minute they are discovered. That's why it's critical to keep your security patches up to date.   4. Plug and Surf. Computers are NOT designed "ready to go" out of the box. Before a phone line, ethernet cable or wireless card is anywhere near a new computer, certain security needs to be installed and/or configured. Ideally, this should include virus protection, multiple spyware scanners and a program that runs in the background to prevent malicious software from ever being installed. 5. Do It Yourself. Setting up a network, applying proper security measures and downloading and installing software can be tricky. Large companies have IT departments. Small business owners should also ask for advice or even hire help. It's worth the extra cost. We perform 3-4 network assessments each month, and I'm constantly amazed at the number of networks that are virtually unprotected! In almost every case, the owner thought they were protected... they thought their "IT guy" was taking care of things. If you'd like to have your network checked free of charge, let us know. Since Hurricane Season is around the corner, we'll even provide a complimentary risk assessment. Check for the link to request a checkup below. We're happy to help! Welcome to the Master of Disaster Video Blog. This is an ongoing series of tips and strategies to help you prepare your business and home to survive any type of disaster. Look for simple ways to get started and explanations of industry terms in easy to understand language. I am a Certified Business Continuity Planner at Connections for Business Please email me with questions or suggestions for topics mod@connections.com and visit http://blog.connections.com/ Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/modconnections Be sure to "Like" us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Connectionsforbusiness