Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Preventing Data Theft
Although physical theft is everyone's fi rst thought, there is also the issue of data theft, which
can cost a company even more than hardware theft in the long run. For any organization,
the loss of data can equate to the following:
Loss of trust from your customers/clients when they discover that someone else has
their personal information
Serious embarrassment if there are public media reports that your company has lost
control of its data
Legal liabilities from either regulatory authorities or angry customers whose data
you've compromised
Loss of competitive advantage when commercially sensitive data falls into the hands
of rivals
A thief doesn't need to steal a computer to steal data; someone can sit down at your
computer, plug in a USB memory stick, and be gone with important data fi les in a couple of
minutes. For this reason, some organizations have OS security policies that disable the USB
ports on PCs that contain sensitive data.
One way to prevent others from booting from a device other than the hard disk is to
modify the BIOS Setup settings so that a password is required to save changes to BIOS
Setup. That way, nobody can change the system's boot order to prefer a USB port over the
main hard disk.
Locking your computer as you leave your desk (via the OS's lock command), as well as
having your screensaver set to resume on password after a short period of time, will help
reduce the risk of someone using your computer while you're away.
EXERCISE 9.1
Secure a Windows PC from Unauthorized Local Use
1.
In Windows 7, right-click the desktop and choose Personalize.
2.
Click Screen Saver. The Screen Saver dialog box opens.
3.
Open the Screen Saver drop-down list, and pick any of the screensavers (for example,
Bubbles).
4.
Select the On Resume, Display Logon Screen check box.
5.
In the Wait box, change the value to 2 minutes.
