secure computer helps protect your identity
...and the identities of your friends, relatives and customers!
Using the simple techniques that I outline you'll have a computer that:
Protects your data,
and
Protects your identity.
Let me ask a question...
How much is the information on your computer or network worth?
If you own a business this question would be a little different...how much is your business worth?
Don't answer right now, just read through the next paragraphs and think about your own particular situation...
If you purchase items on the Internet you've probably entered credit card information through a web browser. That information is most likely stored on your hard drive.
If you belong to online membership sites the user name and password used to access those sites is stored on your hard drive.
Have you done your taxes online or with tax return software installed on your computer? That information is probably saved on your hard drive.
Does your email program store the email addresses of your family, friends or customers that you correspond with? If so then in a lot of cases you've also entered their phone number, addresses and maybe even their birthdays, right?
Do you bank online? Then guess what, that information is very likely stored on your hard drive.
Starting to see the picture?
Are you a business that keeps any kind of information about your customers? By that I mean do you have your customer's names, addresses, phone numbers, how they pay, account numbers, credit ratings, etc?
Many businesses that I have consulted with use database driven programs that store customer names, addresses, phone numbers, bank account information, credit card numbers, dates of birth and social security numbers. All too often there is only minimal security to prevent access by outsiders. I've even had business owners and managers tell me it's too difficult or time consuming to setup security!
Data security and protecting the information your customers trust you with is important.
Would you bank someplace that was so frivolous with your personal information?
If the answer to that is no then you have to ask why anyone would do business with you if you treat their personal information that way?
Now, let me ask you again...how much is the information on your computer or network worth?
Let me ask that in a different way...
How big is the lawsuit going to be when it's discovered it was a breach of security in your computer or network that allowed that information to be used in an unlawful manner? I know, that may seem like a stretch, but I have seen it happen...often.
When it's so simple to put effective safeguards into place doesn't it seem like the right thing to do?
There's no need to spend tons of money, either, but lets look at this from a different point of view for a minute.
You've made an investment of several hundred to several thousand dollars in the computer equipment you now own.
The typical desktop computer today costs around $1,000.00 depending on how you buy it but lets use that as a baseline for this example.
Add a printer, scanner, digital camera, word processing and spreadsheet software and there's another $600 for a total investment of $1600.00. Hey, it's just an example, if your numbers are different then plug them in!
Like a lot of other users add in the $30 per month for a broadband Internet connection and there's an additional $360 per year you spend to be connected to the Internet. You've invested a great deal of money to acquire this equipment haven't you?
More than that...you've invested a great amount of time getting everything just the way you want it. Right?
Doesn't it make sense to take a few simple precautions to ensure it's safety and the safety of the date it contains?
With over 2 1/2 decades in the Information Technology business I've pretty much seen all the mistakes that can be made. And some of you have paid me dearly to fix those mistakes. You have the power to make your online experience fun or miserable. The Internet can be a fun, rewarding and educational place. Or it can turn using your computer into a nightmare.
Bottom line...
the more time you spend promoting your business ...
the higher your ROI...
Here's a fact for you...
if you spend more time supporting your network or website than you do talking to your customers...you lose...
In the next section you'll find how you can take charge of your computer, protect your data, your identity and make your Internet computing experience far more enjoyable and less risky.
All you want is for it to just work...right?