DSL & Cable have allowed small business owners a way to access the web at faster speeds and to network (link together) a small office of two or three people on the same connection-here is a detailed example showing a private LAN interfacing the internet WAN via a firewall/ router device. Wow! Small businesses can have the corporate structure for less than half the price. Is there a catch? Not really -- you just have to remember that if you want to act like big business you need to protect your systems properly. Even if you are a one person office.

DSL & Cable allow us to access the web faster but it also opens our systems up to attackers / hackers. Faster Out -- Faster In!

Many people respond to me by saying -"I have virus scan on my email." That is wonderful and I congratulate you on taking the first step in protecting your information. What if the attacker is not after your email? What if I'm after your files? What if I come in looking for your Quickbooks, Peachtree or Microsoft Money files? Are you open to this kind of attack?

A firewall is software or hardware or both that limits certain kinds of computer access from a network or other outside source. Firewalls are used to thwart would-be hackers from infiltrating computer systems. ( Definition from http://www.smartcomputing.com)

As a small business owner I use both hardware and software for maximum flexibility and protection.

Hardware is an actual physical item you can touch, for example your printer is a good example of hardware. The piece of hardware that is commonly used to protect your computer is a router. A router is the part of a communications network that receives transmissions (information) and forwards them to their destinations using the shortest route available. In this scenario the router would stand between your computer and your DSL or Cable modem. This device when configured properly can keep outside intruders from entering your computer.

Software is a set of instructions that tell a computer what to do. A popular brand of firewall software is Norton's Personal Firewall. This application uses rules to evaluate unauthorized intruders and prohibits them from gaining access to your computer.

The cost to protect your system is between $60 and $90 for a router and $60 for software totaling on the high side $150 and about 3 hours of your time. Now I ask you if someone attacked your system and gained access to your confidential financial files would it cost you more than $150?

If you have been wondering about protecting your small business computer system or a home computer that is on a high speed connection this information should help you to move forward.

10-aug-04 8:01 AM