CALIFORNIA COMPUTER SECURITY ARTICLE http://www.accountingsoftware411.com/AcctSoftware.nsf/00/TIS102006CAA

How Secure is Your Computer Security -
Part 1By Richard Oppenheim CPA CITP
This article appears in two parts:
1. Getting ready for improving computer security
2. Planning and implementing computer security

There are uncountable articles that discuss security surrounding the use of computers. This information includes protection for applications, correspondence, internet access and yes, even games. The news of the day is often filled with reports of computers being stolen, discarded, corrupted and set on fire.

Some of the recent headlines include:

Ten computers stolen from Nashville-based hospital firm
Missing data involves thousands of files on unpaid Medicare, Medicaid bills
Computers Stolen in Ohio with 72,000 Medicaid Subscribers' Personal Info
5 Computers Stolen From Capistrano School District
Laptop Computers Stolen from School in Washoe County
Truck containing computers stolen from Botetourt Co. truck stop
31 notebook computers stolen from SME Bank

Computer security is not a new issue. It has been around since the integration of mainframes, minicomputers and personal computing within our business environment. Consequently, the need for security should NOT be a surprise. As the headlines above indicate, the potential loss can be just equipment or just the data or both. Losing encompasses the replacement cost as well as the potential loss of confidential information.

We live in a risk filled world. Within the world, computing has evolved to an omnipresence that has technology showing up everywhere for every one 24 hours per day. With the every moment use, everything from weather disruptions to natural disasters to equipment failures to bad people makes the management of our business and personal lives complex. Establishing security around yourcomputer equipment and resources has to start at the beginning – know what you have. All of the issues surrounding security have to be targeted at protecting the assets, resources and business functions within the enterprise.

Your computer security starts with knowing the total range of information about your firm. One part of that information range is the computing technology and supporting assets. The firm needs to maintain an inventory ofcomputers and the applications along with the data that have been installed on each computer . Examples of data include content from typical applications such as tax, audit, consulting, financial planning, record keeping and so on.

Firm management needs to be proactive about computer security. There is a requirement for research and analysis and a call to action for an on-going and evolutionary set of procedures.

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