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While computer
operating systems today are much more secure than
just two years ago, there is still some user
management necessary. These operating systems, such
as Microsoft Windows XP are becoming more and more
“user friendly” from a security standpoint. Many
potential security problems are locked down by
default and the user generally does not need to be
concerned with implementing them.
However, computer
security (“cyber-security”), in general, is still
somewhat reactive. Good examples of being reactive
are the Anti-Virus products on the market today, for
example Norton Utilities by Symantec. While they try
to anticipate new types of attacks, they still can
not effectively predict specific attacks, because
the creators of such attacks are effectively on the
“offensive.”
Most laptop computers
today use Microsoft’s Windows XP, SP2 as the
operating system. This release has some of the best
security features currently available for a
computer, but they need to be checked or in some
cases implemented by the user. A good example of
this is an anti-virus product installed on your
laptop. Not only does the Anti-virus software need
to be enabled, but the Microsoft XP settings may
need to be changed to accommodate the anti-virus
changes. It is the user’s responsibility to make
sure this protection in enabled.
These checklists
outline the steps you should take to reach a
baseline of security with Windows XP Home Edition
and Windows XP Professional computers, either on
their own or as part of a Windows NT or Windows 2000
domain. Additional information about these
checklists can be found on the Microsoft Website.
Just search on the Microsoft site using the term
“security.”
Important: The
purpose of these checklists is to give instructions
for configuring a baseline level of security on
Windows XP computers. This guide does not provide a
complete list of all security features provided in
Windows XP or how to use them. A complete list of
new security features available in Windows XP is
available on the
Microsoft Web site.
Windows XP
Professional Configuration - 12 Steps
1. Verify that all
disk partitions are formatted with NTFS
2. Protect file shares
3. Use Internet
Connection sharing for shared Internet connections
4. Enable Internet
Connection Firewall
5. Use software
restriction policies
6. Use account
passwords
7. Disable unnecessary
services
8. Disable or delete
unnecessary accounts
9. Make sure the Guest
account is disabled
10. Set stronger
password policies
11. Set account
lockout policy
12. Install antivirus
software, antishareware software and updates
These security tips
are suggested by Microsoft to provide a baseline
level of security for your computer. Additional
security steps that are very important to protect
your laptop and desktop computers include:
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Keep your data safe and backed up
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Use the Internet safely
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Protect your networks and servers, especially
when wireless access points are used
Microsoft has a tool
called the Baseline Security Analyzer that is
excellent. It helps detect security threats and is a
must have tool for anyone interested in security for
a laptop, desktop or computer network.
Laptop Theft
Another very real
security threat to your laptop is theft. According
to Safeware Insurance, “387,000 laptops were stolen
in the US in the year 2000 - versus 319,000 in
1999.” The FBI notes that “over 98% of stolen
laptops are never recovered.” Also “notebook theft
is the 2nd most prevalent computer crime,
following virus related offenses” according to a
CSI/FBI PC Crime and Security Survey.
When your laptop is
stolen, you not only lose the hardware, you lose the
data on the hard drive. This happened to my
daughter, an architecture student at the University
of New Mexico. She lost much of her portfolio of
architecture projects in her first two years because
of this theft. As with most laptop owners, some of
the data was backed up and some was not. We replaced
the laptop but the sense of violation and loss was
still there. She still misses that Fujitsu P2046
laptop, as she really liked it.
Think what would
happen to you business or home records if your
laptop was stolen. Even it you have it backed up and
replace the computer, you will probably feel
violated by the theft. There is also a psychological
cost that is often not thought of until it happens
to you. You would have no idea of where or if your
data on the laptop was stored on some criminal’s
computer waiting for the opportune time to steal
your identity, or pull some other crime against you.
You would not know if one of the many laptop drives
sold on web auction sites was the one out of your
laptop, or even if that laptop “just like yours”
being auctioned was in fact yours.
As you can see, laptop
security encompasses a number of things. Many of
these things are not really very difficult or even
very technical. They do take some thought, planning
and often some research to find out the best way to
counter some of the threats that are out there
today.
The good part is
that there are many security resources which can be
very helpful and useful available on the internet
today. Many software and hardware suppliers, like
Microsoft, and Dell for example, have extensive
security information, articles, whitepapers and
books available. Many county, state and federal
agencies, such as the
Department of Homeland security,
FBI and
CERT, also have extensive security suggestions
and information available for protecting your
laptop, desktop computer, and computer network.
H. Court Young
Geologist, author and publisher
Promoting awareness through the written word
http://www.hcourtyoung.com
http://www.tmcco.com
(303) 726 8320
©August, 2007 |
The
Orphan Boy mine was started in Colorado's glory days. It was reopened in
1948 by one man, Herbert T. Young, who had a passion for mining. He was
a member of the "greatest generation."