Companies are continuing to look at ways of improving their security through their existing IT infrastructure, particularly email.  If you recall the recent demise of the IT consulting firm HB Gary in 2011, the hacktivist group 'Anonymous' was able to leverage their archived emails to deepen their attack proving that lack of email security can have catastrophic consequences. Let's look at 3 new trends in email security and encryption that will shake up the security landscape.

IT consultants assist businesses to streamline their systems and assist employees to use them in ways that are more efficient.  With the advent of mobile computing available through not just handheld tablet computers and cell phones, it may be more important than ever to hire a skilled IT consultant on board to make sure that a transition from older computing systems to more modern ones proceeds smoothly.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), is rapidly becoming a common paradigm among American businesses.  This tech provisioning strategy is particularly powerful for small and medium-sized businesses. By having employees use their own tablet computers or mobile phones for some business functions, management can save on money and resources.  Even so, a BYOD approach to IT solutions does bring with it significant complexities to consider.

The old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is true in many contexts in the business world, but is perhaps most true when it comes to the decision to hire an IT consultant.  By working closely with an IT professional, businesses can avoid the probability of proceeding on a trial-and-error basis when implementing a new system, program, or set of procedures.  IT consultants have been down the same road before with prior clients, and can offer expert advice and guidance about the most cost-effective ways to achieve business goals.

The increasing popularity of BYOD (bring your own device) policies in small and medium-sized businesses is leading more companies to investigate the advantages of a managed programs approach to IT support and services.  Under BYOD policies, employees use their personal devices such as smart phones or tablets in order to complete work tasks.  Such policies improve employee productivity because workers are more familiar with the operation of their own personal devices. 

Any business where employees are using smartphones or other mobile devices to process workflow must find ways to secure the devices themselves, but this strategy in and of itself will not be sufficient unless content is also secured.  One of the best ways to select and implement a management strategy for mobile content is to work with a managed services provider with expertise in this area.

A growing number of businesses and other organizations are allowing, encouraging, or even requiring employees to use their own personal devices such as tablet computers and smart phones at work.  This strategy lowers capital costs for the business and provides a positive benefit to employees since in many cases they end up carrying fewer devices, instead of a personal smart phone and one that belongs to the business; they simply carry the former. The state of Delaware has been at the forefront of the trend toward this model.   "We're thankful that we were able to get out a little bit in front of it," commented Elayne Starkey, who serves the state as its chief security officer.

BYOD, or ‘bring your own device’, can be a cost-effective way for businesses to create a more mobile and productive workforce, but without a proper policy in place to govern it, a BYOD model can all too quickly lead to behavior that is counter-productive to that goal.  Businesses considering implanting a BYOD approach should first work with an IT consulting firm to develop a policy that addresses some major issues associated with this model for IT governance. 

Two of the most significant IT trends expected to make a large impact on businesses during 2012 have already been underway in a limited fashion during 2011: BYOD and WLAN.  Both trends involve technology that can benefit from a strong managed programs approach to IT security and services.

Before wireless networks were common, hackers needed to find a physical route into a company's systems.  Even when that meant using a dial-in modem, the possible attack routes were limited by the available technology.  The spread of wireless communications, however, has given malicious actors an unprecedented level of opportunity.  When this consideration is paired with the fact that WLANs, wireless local area networks, often possess weaknesses in their approaches to IT security, this can be a recipe for disaster.