Cover all bases. Remember to update antivirus software on desktops and servers regularly. More than 500 viruses crop up monthly. Don’t forget remote users. And use different types of antivirus software. They don’t all catch everything.Surf secure. Make sure employee Web browsers are at the right security level to prevent breaches.Ship it out. Consider outsourcing the filtering of your corporate e-mail to catch spam and viruses before they get on your network. Publish policies. Tell employees to never open e-mail attachments from people they don’t know. Some viruses spread by mailing themselves to contacts in an infected computer’s address book. Get alerts. Subscribe to get the latest virus news and warnings on e-mail at sites like McAfee (dispatch.mcafee.com/us/default.asp) and Sophos (www.sophos.com/virusinfo/notifications).Grade it. Rank applications and systems according to how critical they are to your business. When a virus hits, determine which systems are most important to protect. Rate patches so that all IT staffers are on the same page: A low rating means patch it when you have a minute; high means do it now. Assign a staff member to take charge when a bad virus hits. This person leads conference calls and meetings, and coordinates the response and clean-up.Back Up! Create group pages among IT staff to use as a backup if a virus takes the company e-mail down.Sources: Microsoft, IBM, McAfee, Sophos, PricewaterhouseCoopers, CIO reporting Related content feature 10 most popular IT certifications for 2023 Certifications are a great way to show employers you have the right IT skills and specializations for the job. These 10 certs are the ones IT pros are most likely to pursue, according to data from Dice. By Sarah K. White May 26, 2023 8 mins Certifications Careers interview Stepping up to the challenge of a global conglomerate CIO role Dr. Amrut Urkude became CIO of Reliance Polyester after his company was acquired by Reliance Industries. He discusses challenges IT leaders face while transitioning from a small company to a large multinational enterprise, and how to overcome them. By Yashvendra Singh May 26, 2023 7 mins Digital Transformation Careers brandpost With the new financial year looming, now is a good time to review your Microsoft 365 licenses By Veronica Lew May 25, 2023 5 mins Lenovo news Alteryx works in generative AI for speedy analytics results OpenAI integration and AI wizardry for report generation are aimed at making Alteryx’s analytics products more accessible. By Jon Gold May 25, 2023 3 mins Analytics Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe