With the wide availability of broadband Internet connections and inexpensive, fast desktop computers and printers, setting up a home office where you can truly be productive has never been easier. But there are significant security trade-offs to working at home.

One benefit of working in a cubicle is that your company's IT department takes care of your network security: your computer sits behind a firewall and runs an antivirus app that's always up-to-date. Most companies also use antivirus software for the network gateway, filter content, and employ an Intrusion Detection System (IDS)--all of which block malicious code.

At home, with an always-on DSL or cable modem Net connection, you're pretty vulnerable. While some companies require their remote workers to install antivirus and firewall software before being allowed access to the company VPN, most do not.

Home security
The good news: There's some great software out there that can help those of you who work at home, whether full-time or just occasionally, safeguard your systems and data.

At home, with an always-on DSL or cable modem Net connection, you're pretty vulnerable.

If you are employed by a company and work at home only occasionally, I suggest you talk to your IT department about your home setup to make sure it's secure. They should be able to give you all the help you need.

However, if you're in business for yourself, I recommend installing Trend Micro PC-cillin 2003 or McAfee VirusScan on all of your systems. Both offer good antivirus systems plus decent built-in firewalls. For a few bucks more, you can get a full-strength firewall such as ZoneAlarm Pro 4.0. While not directly related to security, another app that's useful for at-home workers is Norton SystemWorks 2003. It'll defrag your hard drives and clean out your registry files to keep your computers in good working condition.

Viruses and privacy
Using antivirus and firewall software is a good first step toward protecting your computer from viruses and hackers. But what about your sensitive data? What if a virus slips through that layer of protection (if, say, you forget to update your antivirus app) and infects your system? Your data--including your confidential e-mail and that nondisclosure agreement you just signed--could be at risk. For example, the Sircam virus, which appeared in 2001, sent documents from infected hard drives across the Internet. A virus like this could put your business at risk.

Depending on whom you work for, your company or organization may require specific procedures for handling sensitive documents. Many government, financial, and health organizations, for instance, are now required by law to safeguard e-mail correspondence. But private corporations usually have no such requirements.

A little forethought and planning could save you from a disaster down the road.

If you're worried about safeguarding your data, I recommend Steganos Security Suite 5.0. It offers a number of handy data-protection features. One I particularly like is its ability to "encrypt" a hard drive partition. When you set the drive as open, it shows in Windows Explorer, but when you lock it, the drive disappears from view.

The suite also includes an encrypted password manager to help organize all of your passwords, as well as tools to remove traces of your actions in recently used applications and to delete Web cookies and temporary Internet files. These features are also useful if you borrow a company laptop for a sales meeting or a trade show; they'll allow you to remove any personal data from the system before you return it.

Other notable features in the Steganos Security Suite: A "shredder" that overwrites deleted files, making them hard to recover, and an amazing steganography program that hides data by inserting it into unused spaces of various media files, such as JPEGs, WAVs, and AVIs.

Hide your e-mail
If all you want is encryption, there's always PGP for Windows, the de facto app for encrypting all your sensitive data. The latest version works with Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, and other e-mail clients.

Whether you run a business from home, work remotely now and then, or are just borrowing a company laptop, you should take some time to think about how to stay secure and maintain your privacy. A little forethought and planning could save you from a disaster down the road.

Have you taken the steps to protect your home office? Why or why not? TalkBack to me.