Use a computer anti-virus program. This should be updated regularly – at least once a month - to cope with new viruses.
Do carefully check any disk coming into the practice for viruses – not matter where it has come from. Some practices have a "quarantine PC", which is totally isolated from any other computer. The quarantine PC can be used to test all discs (data and software) for viruses.
Don't use non-standard software from magazine covers, friends, clubs etc.
Password protect your data. Password lists should not be stuck up on noticeboards!
Regularly run hard-drive maintenance tools, particularly surface scans, and defragmentation routines. This helps to avoid writing to damaged disk sectors.
Discourage staff from tinkering with the program files.
Screensavers in Vision are compulsory and blank screens after a short time interval.
Where possible, archive material from the hard disk.
Delete duplicated documents from a word processing package and zip up other large word-processing documents. A "Disk Full" message could mean disaster.
Keep all computer disks in an organised way in a safe place, locked away in storage boxes. Don't leave them by the computer.
