How Not Installing Anti-Virus Could Be Putting Your Business at Risk

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How Not Installing Anti-Virus Could Be Putting Your Business at Risk

For practically any business, computers and the internet are a guaranteed part of every working day, so when it comes to cyber protection, the needs of any business are pretty similar, whether they are a law firm, tradesmen, retailers or a professional working in any other industry. No matter what the organisation does, viruses and malicious code can be highly detrimental and sometimes costly for businesses. Vital information can be lost or stolen, potentially leading to disastrous results.

Here are some tips for what businesses should be doing to ensure they are protected against cyber-crime:

Ensure anti-virus software is updated regularly

Businesses that fail to invest in up to date anti-virus measures are putting themselves at huge risk. It should go without saying that all computers should have anti-virus software installed, however, despite the advances in anti-virus software, it’s essential that businesses continue to ensure that their anti-virus systems are updated on a regular basis, as malicious code changes frequently.

Anti-virus scanners can only find viruses that are recognised in their database, so as codes and viruses continue to develop, anti-virus software must be updated so that any malicious code can be found.

At Synium, we are committed to proactively monitoring anti-virus measures and protecting our customers from computer viruses, malware and ransomware. By including an anti-virus service in your IT support plan, you can enjoy the peace of mind that your computer systems are protected with effective anti-virus software that is updated constantly to counter any new threats.

Ensure staff don’t open unexpected attachments

It’s becoming increasingly common for viruses to be sent as email attachments. People will often open attachments sent by co-workers, clients or friends, only to find that the attachment contains malware or a virus. The safest rule is never to open an attachment if it isn’t expected, even if it is from a trusted acquaintance. They could be sending malicious files to you without knowledge of doing so.

To prevent the spread of viruses and malware, it’s vital for companies to educate their staff on the dangers of opening suspect email attachments. Should staff receive an email that they are unsure about, they should contact their in-house IT department, or speak directly to Synium, who can look at the email and attachment. Our Anti-spam services include Antivirus filters and are designed to eliminate spam or infected emails before they can clog your inbox or infect your business data.

Consider banning the use of flash drives

It would be worthwhile to ban employees from using flash drives, CDs or any other form of mobile media on company computers. Whilst it’s more common for computer infections to be sent via email, flash drives also provide an opportunity for transporting viruses.

At Synium, we can help businesses put in solutions to prevent people from downloading from such devices.

Back up business critical data regularly

Whilst this will not protect computers against malicious files and viruses or being held to ransom, it will allow a business to protect as much critical data as possible, should a computer or computer system become infected. By ensuring that all important data is backed up regularly, the risk of losing years-worth of valuable and sensitive data is reduced.

Install patches

Viruses can exploit vulnerabilities or holes in applications and operating systems in order to infect the computer. Whilst anti-virus is designed to prevent this, it’s still recommended to continually install new patches to provide an extra layer of defence.

Patches are changes to computer programmes, designed to update, fix, improve and protect against vulnerabilities and bugs. At Synium, we will monitor and manage the installation of the latest security and feature patches, ensuring that your systems continue to operate securely and efficiently.

Seek IT support

An IT support company can allow you to focus on your core business by providing proactive IT and anti-virus support. As well as being on hand to help if things go wrong, IT support professionals can help you to avoid potential problems in the future.

It’s always best to have professional IT support in place who can pro-actively monitor your computer systems, rather than simply dealing with issues when they go wrong. In the majority of cases, potential issues can be detected long before they become a problem, so investing in proactive IT support helps businesses to avoid downtime and the resulting financial loss.

An IT support company will ensure that anti-virus and security patches are always up to date and working efficiently. To learn more about business IT support in Birmingham and the West Midlands, contact Synium IT today by calling 0121 663 0203, or browse our website.

Simon Tonks
simon@synium.co.uk

Owner and MD of Synium who loves his job, his life and the wondrous outdoors - especially when on a golf course, or a bike of any kind (but preferably on a mountain bike going downhill fast).Please get in touch if there is anything IT related I can help you with (or if you want to talk golf or bikes :-)