Acoustics & Audio Technology

For my own situation, and having run 5 different business simultaneously, we initially connected to the Internet on Dial-up basis, back in 1992.

Those carefree days of no malware were wonderful, and the lack of Search engines made it difficult for Malware writers to do nasty things.

Who can remember the arrival of Mr. Gopher: After you carefully typed your question, he ran off the monitor screen, and vanished, sometimes arriving back a few minutes later, sometimes not arriving back at all - I suppose there are still lost Gophers loose, somewhere, feeding on Software Bugs.

Anyway, most folks were just interested in learning this knowledge base, and not intent on ruining other people's Computers.

Those "good old days" did not last, and some (indescribable names) decided to write Malware, starting with Scripts then Viruses, followed by Trojans, Worms etc

These days, we run here some 14 simultaneous Security Utilities, many are on "Guard" 24/7/365+, with major scans, each on successive nights, by alternative utilities on a regular rotation basis.

Periodically we run through all Storage Drives, clearing out the unwanted extras which do pile up, and ensuring the sector edges are overwritten to high standards as that is done.

Linux is the preferred Operating System, although for convenience I am writing this now using Windows XPPro, because I need certain applications and these are presently only WinXP compatible.

We discovered some years ago for the Windows PC's, Roxio GoBack Deluxe, a truly excellent product, sadly since sold off to others, who have since done nothing with it.

Because Roxio GoBack Deluxe works BEFORE MS Windows boots up, and you can go back at that point, it is far superior to the rather weak Windows "System Restore", which only works after MS Windows has booted up.

Careful closure of non-essential ports in the Router, is always a good precaution, and our ISP also checks for Viruses, both on send and receive.

A good Software Firewall is essential, in addition to the hardware one built into the Router.

Windows PC's here never use MS Internet Explorer, instead they use the Mozilla Firefox Browser - Faster, more Secure, and plenty of handy Add-ons.

If you use MS Windows, never rely on the rather poor "Windows Firewall", because there are far superior products available (you get what you pay for).

Because we have been Beta Testers for several Software Companies, certain ones have been grateful enough to give free Upgrades and Subscriptions - for this we are thankful - it is a two-way thing.

Ensure only trusted staff are employed - check staff for honesty etc frequently. More Data is compromised by a disgruntled/dishonest Staff Member, than is ever damaged by a properly protected System.

Check for Keyloggers - this is done automatically here.

Email: Windows PC's do not use Outlook/Outlook Express.

Rather MailwasherPro (Checks all Emails on POP3 Server, and can Delete/Bounce?blacklist BEFORE they ever arrive in the local PC.

The Email Client of choice here is Pegasus Email, (Always free, but you may donate) for its many extra facilities.

Both Mailwasher (free)/MailwasherPro (Cost + Annual Subscription), and Pegasus were invented right here, in New Zealand.

That has ensured that our System remains squeaky clean.

All that comes with a price:

1. Cost of Software Purchases
   
2. Costs of Software Subscriptions
3. Cost of maintaining System Security
4. Initial difficulty of establishing which Security Software can work together, on a harmonious basis.
5. CPU and System resources total approximately 25 % to run Security Software, before anything useful actually gets done.

Hard Drives here are monitored24/7/365+, and any oddities carefully logged. We use a Drive make which offers a "no questions asked" 5 year Warranty for full replacement.

We fully replace Hard Drives every 4 years, after cloning the data across to new Drives, then full erasure, followed by overwriting those old Drives 35 times, with random information - then giving them away to charity, or "child experimenters".

It is not an ideal situation, I admit.

But as I say: Better a slow PC with no Malware, than a fast one, which sends your Information away, or contaminates/destroys it, after all, that Information/Data, is really worth a lot of $$$$$$$.....