Guide for Maximizing Computer Productivity

***DRAFT***  FOR REFERENCE ONLY Pending edits, additions and approval.

The following guide is a generic recommendation for computer use and maintenance.  It’s goal is to maximize a computers productivity in a business environment.  Where possible, it should be accompanied by an “Acceptable Use Policy” and enforced by management.

1. Use a monitored Antivirus program.
   1. AV is needed to prevent virus infections. If the AV is not monitored, and something goes wrong, you probably won’t know it till you get a virus.
   2. TSL can provide an AV solution that reports to our dashboard and gives us an alert if it runs into problems.
2. Use an email spam filter.
   1. Another time and productivity drain is scanning through unwanted email. Not only does this take time by the user, it can also contain viruses and malware. It also increases the chance that a desired email is missed or deleted.
3. Use an internet gateway firewall.
   1. A good firewall is needed to prevent attacks from outside your network. They can include virus scanning, spam filtering, inspection and reporting of internet usage.
4. Only install programs needed for your business.  Uninstall any unneeded programs.
   1. Every program installed on your computer creates a new way for virus, malware or hacks into your computer. A central contact should be referred to before installing any software including AV or Malware. Generally, users should not have admin rights to install anything.
5. Use an Uninterruptable Power Supply(UPS).
   1. Momentary power interruptions cause many computer failures.
6. Limit or block use of social media web sites and non business email.
   1. Social web sites are great places for malicious entities to disguise malware and viruses.
   2. TSL can block these sites for you. This is not a replacement for an “Acceptable Use Policy” that your business gives to all computer users.
7. When finished with your computer for the day, close all programs and log off. Leave the computer turned on.
   1. Logging off of your computer and leaving it on allows for routine maintenance, backup, and checks to be done when they least affect the user’s productivity.
8. Periodically inspect and survey the network infrastructure.