The Tech Blog
Technology That Fits Your Business

Your source for the latest in IT Security, Support and Solutions.

Businesses granting workers network access privileges face the inherent challenge of keeping all such employees fully up to date with regard to safe online practices.  Malware developers are becoming more adept all the time at devising ways to trick individuals into allowing infections to take root in computer systems, and even the most robust IT solutions that rely on software and hardware layers of protection can be foiled if the human element is not trained to make good decisions while using online resources.

In the current threat environment, malware often introduces itself on the network level - this requires organizations to have more effective malware controls that are based in the network itself, in addition to those that are implemented at the desktop or laptop level.  For small and medium-sized businesses, this can pose a challenge.  In part, this emanates from systems in which anti-virus and anti-spyware programs do not overlap or coordinate with intrusion protection at the network level.  Protection systems work better, however, if these functions are integrated into a seamless whole.

During 2011, business and government organizations in the United States saw more attempted malware intrusions than in any previous year.  Some of these intrusions were highly effective, damaging both the reputation and systems of targeted businesses.  When it comes to the security of a company's computer systems, it is not true that bad press is better than no press at all.  The public relations damage done to a business by word that private customer information has been compromised can be serious and long lasting. 

A new acronym has become common parlance among computer and network security specialists: APT. The acronym stands for Advanced Persistent Threat, and it is usually used in the plural since there is a multitude of such threats populating the online world. Last July, more than a hundred influential leaders in government and business IT applications gathered to discuss the growth of APTs and what can be done to prevent them from having an impact on private industry.

Business organizations have much to lose – literally – if their information systems are not thoroughly secured against malware and intrusions.  From records of credit card transactions to the private health records of employers who self-insure, personal data is at risk, but neither is company data immune to online threats.  Hackers trying to infiltrate your network may indeed be looking for product designs or source code under development.  A managed programs approach is one of the most effective ways to reduce the chances of information stored in your systems being compromised. 

Every new technological development brings with it specific challenges to overcome, and cell phones and other devices are no exceptions. From the point of view of the user, one of the best things about cell phones is the vast array of free ‘apps’, or small programs, that can be downloaded from service providers. These apps offer features that can help users in a variety of ways, from pointing them to the nearest Starbucks to providing up-to-the-second price quotes on stocks and bonds.

Government security forces in both Estonia and the United States have uncovered one of the most extensive crime scenes in modern times.  Six Estonian nationals have been arrested in connection with the internet fraud scheme, which used DNS redirection to deceive users into visiting websites they had not requested.  The point of the scam was to generate advertising revenue from these sites; authorities believe that the scheme netted almost $15 million.