As SMB network system administrators we tend to focus on client “pain points”, i.e., “When did you realize that you needed help?” Was it when your hard drive failed and all data was lost? Did a workstation become infected with a virus or malware which prevented your staff from using the Internet? Or maybe you couldn’t get the computers in your office to talk to each other. We promote network maintenance because it is the best approach to avoid many common small business pain points. We try to seriously to talk business owners out of the “break fix” mode of thinking about their networks because in the long run it is more costly and is not an economical means for planning for the future. Besides, if I have to brow-beat clients about the most critical backbone of their business neither of us are winners. Trying to get by on the cheap is just another quick sale; which is not the basis for a lasting relationship. I want to be the trusted adviser for the technical issues related to your business network. For me trust is the first step in developing a secure computer network.
The next step for maintaining a secure network is keeping the operating system and all installed software up to date. Yes, even MACs need to get updated periodically. I know this sounds like a simple no brainer, especially since both Windows and MACs can update critical security patches automatically. Do you know how to manually update your operating system? I periodically manually update workstations (and always manually update servers) because there are always other types of updates available besides security updates; specifically, hardware drivers or additional product functionality can be included in basic system updates. Most of us have several other programs installed on our workstations, including web browsers (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, etc.); image/photo editing software (Photoshop, Fireworks, Gimp, Pixelmator, etc.); accounting software (such as QuickBooks, Quicken, PeachTree, etc.); database software (FileMaker and Access); and customer/donor management software (Maximizer, ACT, Goldmine, and Microsoft CRM) and of course antivirus software (Norton, TrendMicro, McAfee, Sophos, Panda, etc.) that are useless if not weekly updated and renewed. Most of today’s software has some form of automated process for updates (either periodic updating or user notice to complete update); you should make yourself familiar with this process for all of your critical software. I was recently made aware of an Adobe Flash security flaw, http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20006893-83.html and http://www.adobe.com/support/security/advisories/apsa10-01.html: the primary issue about this update is that it affects all major operating systems, Windows, MAC, and Linux. How many times have you blown off that annoying Adobe Flash update notice? To me this drives home the point that we are all vulnerable to some degree. I don’t expect you to become a security expert but timely updating can help increase the security of your workstation and network.
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