In addition, you can get a quick pulse on your PC's basic security readiness with Microsoft Personal Security Advisor.

Disgruntled Employees

There is also another potential threat to your data -- a disgruntled employee. Employees should be included in any data security policy.

Research has shown greatest threat to a business's security is from its own staff. Some businesses forget to ensure that policy and procedures are set up to protect against potential threats such as e-mail viruses, internet misuse and mishandling of personal and private data, which can all lead to an attack on company's security, not to mention a mark on its reputation.

The key is to be able to protect your data without alienating your staff.

On this point, if you have not done so, include an external security audit to your security plan. The audit is an ongoing process and should be undertaken annually or biannually or following significant change within your business that may affect security (a disgruntled key employee leaving, office break-in, etc.).

Legal and Insurance

People also need to be audited as well. It is also important to make an audit of each user's authorization and privilege level so confidentiality of business information is secured and maintained. If this policy is adhered to, then security risks will be greatly reduced.

Computer and internet use policies have become popular to various businesses. Many such policies are written into employment contract of employee, and you may be wise to seek legal advice on this subject.

There is legislation that covers data and information security, including Data Protection Act. The act requires you to provide adequate protection for data you hold on your computers. Every situation is different, and it's vital to get appropriate legal advice, as there are several laws that cover computer use that may be relevant to your situation.

Lastly, become aware of what is covered by your commercial business insurance. At very least, make sure that you are in some way covered.

Whatever your business situation, data security are a complex issue potential for disruption, to both to you and your business may be alarming.

If you're at all unsure about whether your office computer security is up job, talk to a computer consultant or data-security consultant.

Copyright Steven Presar

The production phase can be broken down into three areas and will include:

Step 4a - The design production: The artistic look and feel design production, usability designing, navigation production, and image and button creation. The homepage of site and inner page template both need new design applied to them. The homepage design may use same template rest of site uses, or it may be unique. If it differs from rest of site, then make sure its look and feel is very similar to look and feel of inner page template(s). Also, if it differs, consider applying this entire step-by-step guide to homepage as well, treating it as a separate, but related entity.

Step 4b - The technical production: This entails html coding, any other coding to contribute to functionality and configuration of server’s environment. The technical aspects could also include any server side coding in a major programming language, database design and development, and site security measures.

Step 4c - The marketing production: This area includes creating homepage and pre-determined inner pages to be search engine and index friendly. It also includes copy writing for every page. Any mechanisms for interacting with visitors will be produced here. For example, forms on your site that asks users to give information are ways for a user to interact with your site. Although look & feel of form falls under ‘design’, and actual mechanisms that make form work falls under ‘technology’, purpose of forms will be very marketing-centric. What you ask, how you store data, and how you retrieve it and use it later are all marketing issues that should be addressed in this step.

Step 5 – Testing: The produced site now must be loaded onto a staging area that is exactly like production environment, or made accessible to testers only. During this phase, various people will test all aspects of site, including functionality, spelling and grammar, hyperlinks, and all other elements. This is often called Quality Assurance phase.

Step 6 – Publishing: This phase is push of new site from staging to production. Here site is made live and is now on World Wide Web.

Step 7 - E-marketing and maintenance: Unless site is marketed, it won’t matter how well-designed or technically robust it is, no one will ever visit or use it. Therefore, final and ongoing phase entails implementing e-marketing techniques, keeping site’s content fresh, and making continual adjustments based on site specific and customer research.

Whether you decide to tackle building a new website yourself, or you choose to hire someone else to do it, steps outlined above ought to be followed. If you decide to do it yourself, you’ll need to read up on graphic design and usability, Web technologies and e-marketing.

If you hire an outside company to build a site for you, ask them how they plan to accomplish it. Ask them if they have a set method for building a new site or re-vamping an old one. If they have a good system, it ought to look a lot like steps above. They ought to be proficient in all aspects of website development and be able to communicate to you everything they are doing and why. Remember, better your site is initially and better you manage your new site going forward, better your business will be.

Jason OConnor is President of Oak Web Works, The synthesis of Web marketing, design, and technology Jason is a Web development expert, e-strategist, and e-marketer who is successfully affecting the future of the Web in a highly positive way

http://www.oakwebworks.com