Last week, we discussed keeping your work computers and mobiles physically safe; ensuring that they’re not stolen or lost. But what about the inside of your PC? You’ll also be responsible for maintaining the software and hardware inside your PC, and this applies to both laptops and desktops. Here are five pointers to help you keep your computer virus-free and running smoothly throughout your ownership of it.
- Be understanding about your restrictions. Your IT department or IT company may necessarily limit the types of software you can install on your PC for security reasons. This is usually not down to anything that you would install, but not all employees are of the same calibre and it’s very important to ensure your PC remains operable. Unlicensed software, for example, can get your company sued, and there is similarly the chance that an illicitly downloaded program infected with malware will spread to the network. Most programs are not appropriate for work use anyway; keep dodgy programs to your own personal computer.
- Ask about updates. Are you responsible for installing all Windows Updates to your PC, or will you have to wait for your IT technicians to take care of the job? If it’s your responsibility, it’s important to keep your computer completely up to date with the latest security fixes and patches.
- Be careful with your emails. Unfortunately spam monitoring systems are not always up to snuff, and if you open an illicit attachment, you’re placing your entire network at risk. Don’t click on any emails in your spam folder unless they’re from a sender you trust, and if you see a strange email in your normal inbox make sure to remove it.
- Install employer-approved virus prevention and malware software. If your computer already has such software, make sure you run regular virus scans. If your company approves of you leaving your PC on after work hours, schedule the scans to run when you’re not at the computer. This will prevent any annoyance on your end, as you won’t be required to sit around while your computer slows down to search for viruses. If you do not normally leave your computer on overnight, set it to run during your lunch hour or scan your hard drive manually during meetings.
- Go light with installed software. If you are given the green light to install personal software and data on your work PC, don’t go crazy with it. Ensure you have a license for all of your downloaded programs and that you can demonstrate what purpose it serves for your business. Permission to take more control over your PC does not mean that you should allow virus laden or illegal programs on it; you should instead be a bit more careful. And, for personal reasons, remember not to store any of your own data, like pictures or music, solely on your work PC. Should an update go awry or you get a new PC at work, you’ll still have that information at home.
Use these five important tips to keep your PC running smoothly and speedily. If you do have a problem, ensure you notify IT support as soon as possible to prevent damage and lost productivity time.


