For most modern businesses, data security is just as important as physical security. Just think about all of the critical business information, intellectual property, and client data that you store on your computer servers. You wouldn't leave that information sitting on your desk with the door unlocked, and you shouldn't leave it stored on your servers without putting adequate security measures in place.

Most of us know how to protect our computers with firewalls and antivirus software but we may not know how to sufficiently protect our servers. This article should give you a good idea of where to start.

Just like with your desktop, you'll want to protect your server with a firewall. Make sure your server's built-in firewall is running, and you'll want to add a network firewall if you connect it to a network. The network firewall will control traffic and enforce security policies between networks that have different levels of trust, such as your office network and the Internet.