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IT security has always been a concern, but as we move into bigger and better technology, what are the challenges that face us? Technology changes so fast that it isn’t possible to predict exactly how things will go down, but we can prepare for as many eventualities as possible, using current challenges as a stepping stone.
Criminals have always seen the Internet as a possibility for committing more crimes, and that’s not likely to change any time soon. So, we can reasonably expect that cyber crime of all types will increase alongside technology. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: challenges, it, it-security
Categories: General, IT Security Basics
We have been repeatedly forewarned that we should avoid dealing with questionable and unverified sites for any of our online transactions. Much like in the real world where we are told to avoid suspicious-looking characters, we are constantly reminded that online transactions are much safer when done with sites that have proven track records of reliability and consistency.
When you wish to promote your blog, isn’t it a given that it is done in conjunction with respected sites as well. Reliability equates to better security and there is much sense in choosing to be associated with sites that promote quality online presence. In truth, we can practice security even by choosing the sites which our blogs will be associated with.Â
Blogsearchengine.com is backed up by SplashPress Media Network. It is a site that offers reviews and listings to blogs for the purpose of providing critical exposure and attention that would result to added traffic and relevant links. Its reviews are in depth and are meant to support a blog’s goal to maximize readership and earning potentials.
Membership packages start at the standard rate of $ 14.99 which can be upgraded to the Silver Package for $ 24.99, the Gold Package for $ 59.99, and the Platinum Package for $ 99.99. Those who wish to avail of this important service can simply sign up and pay the required fee which will only take about a minute to complete. Reliable sites complement each other as they work for their respective goals. The reliability of each is reinforced as they join forces to project security to consumers. A single quality link is worth more than a hundred trash links.
Tags: promote your blog, security by association
Categories: General, IT Security Basics
Information technology or IT continues to serve the needs of a business from start to the processes of change that it is required to go through as it expands. It is a necessary occurrence for increased IT security to be needed as businesses grow. Companies can protect themselves better by laying out the fundamentals of IT security through policies.
Every company operates on its own level of security in the aspect of technology use so it would be impossible to have complete uniformity between company policies. The most basic components however are essentially the same. Such components deal with maintaining data security discipline among employees and providing for the official use of the business equipments provided.Â
Electronic mail or simply email is deemed an official form of communication between the company and the customers thus it is important that those who are sending it are authorized to do so. Companies generally have the right to review online communication of employees done through company facilities which give them the chance to intercept and prevent communication which are contrary to company policy or puts the company at risk or danger. This right however has to be legally backed up by carefully worded terms and conditions. Most companies also include automatic disclaimer in email contents.Â
Employees need to know what constitutes transgression of company security if they are to be expected to act accordingly. There is also a need for policies to undergo periodic checking and evaluation to ensure that they are current to existing conditions and technologies. Employers must have access to sanctioning violators of IT security policies so that employees fully understand the consequences of their actions. Clear-cut written words that have sound legal basis provides the foundation of every IT security policy.
Tags: ensuring compliance of IT security policies, IT security and employees
Categories: E-mail, IT Security Basics, Security Policies
Checking accounts are very handy. With it you can pay your bills, pay for your purchases and keep track of your spending bills. Online checking account works the same way, except that they are more convenient to use. You can online fund transfer, unlimited ATM access and easy application procedures. Like with traditional banks, most of these are insured by the FDIC, which means that your money is safe and secured. Now here’s how to open online checking accounts.
Step 1 – Search online for online banks
When doing this, you need to consider the bank’s reputation, their accessibility, their security features, they accreditation and of how much fees they charge for the online application. Most of these banks do not charge you for anything but there are others that do.
Step 2 – Fill their online application
After deciding which online bank to enroll you into, it is now time to fill out the bank’s online application form. This may include your social security number, email address, physical address and name and birth date. After filling out the application form, they will give you some log in access including your password. They would usually ask you to change your password immediately and log back on to your account.
Step 3 – Read the terms and conditions
After signing up, it is important that you read the bank’s terms and conditions very carefully. Most of the times, the term contract are written in very small font so that customers will refuse to read them. But this is where you will find out about the hidden fees and other concerns that might cause complications in the future.
Tags: Banking, checking accounts
Categories: General, IT Security Basics, Physical Security
For each PC owner, there will be a preferred setting and software to use. It may depend on the impact and addition of processes or how they protect your computer from malicious intent stemming from viruses and spyware that are spread all over the web. But in the end, you may ask yourself which is the best among these anti-virus software solutions and which can really protect my computer from potent intrusion?
Seriously, there is no definite answer for this. We may see a lot of reviews and best ranked anti-virus software on the web but none of them guarantee 100% protection. Viruses and malware will always find a way and the degree of infection can start from minimal to dangerous at times.
While you can always rely on brand recall, depending on how you understand reviews and features that each software could give, trying them out one by one via their trialware options when you download and evaluation copy would be great. However, beware of some marketing gimmicks such as warning you of infections that may be dangerous to them yet minimal to others.
Anti-virus software selling is still a business and to get the nod of consumers, you have to impress them by showing them something. This is not to say that software companies are actually turning to these low way of marketing their product but why would you purchase an anti-virus software if you have nothing better to show than the price?
That is why you would be better of trying majority of these software programs. For sure you will know which are really needed and which are not.
Tags: Spyware, virus
Categories: IT Security Basics, Malware, Spyware
Getting hold of an anti-virus software these days is not as hard as before. Normally, you had to the nearest computer shop and ask around which best anti-virus software can keep your protected and then install it once you buy it outright. Through the years, software companies have allowed anyone to download their software, try it and then eventually be given the option to buy it. Some are even lucky enough when geniuses develop certain key generators to which they can crack the trialware into the full version. But all that seems checked now.
To date, there are still an abundant number of sites like forums that house such cracks and codes. Some of them work but not as plenty as before. Software companies have religiously sought to skim them one by one, blacklisting said codes to which makes freeloaders scratch their heads and continue to get a working key just to avoid a couple of dollars. Sadly, that is not as rampant as before.
If you think about it, this may only be the tip of the iceberg. Software companies may soon follow the cue of Microsoft in blacking out their screens if they are using pirated versions. If Microsoft can do it, then why not companies like McAfee or Norton? They are not small time companies and for sure, they have the funds to make it work like Bill Gates did.
Cheaters cannot complain and so do pirated users. So if that happens, it will all be due to the nature of being a cheapskate that did these people in.
Tags: freeware, protecion, Spyware, virus
Categories: IT Security Basics, Operating Systems, Spyware, Tips
Research has shown that a survey conducted within a large company shows that although telecommuting is very much productive for many firms it tends to be on the downside for those employees who do stay within the physical office itself. This can be in the areas of personal assistants/secretaries and other office workers who are left to run the office in the absence of their counterparts/coworkers. This leads to dissatisfaction in the workplace hence lowering productivity and encouraging home-bodies to engage in dangerous liaisons from within and outside of the office.
The hatred felt is seen in the rising occurrences of these same people becoming the entry point for attacks on corporate networks when they visit social sites to pass on the otherwise boring day. This is also counterproductive for their attention to work and the other nuances such as physical security and IT security is so much a threat that it is under study on how to improve the working conditions for these people. They are distracted and left to do almost anything they please which is where the security gap seems to be, using the corporate network to access social sites to which they are members of. Even the installation of hardware and software security measures cannot guarantee security coverage at all angles for the main security risk is still the human behind the keyboard who does the typing and not on the structure of the system itself. It might be helpful to get them out more often to allow their facilities more practice letting the steam and pressures/boredom to dissipate. Role rotation may be a key but is not always feasible for there are certain knowledge associated issues that have to be addressed to be able to do that. Training and re-training people allows them to sharpen skills and add new knowledge to their already bored lives.
Tags: Mobile-Workforce, Telecommuting
Categories: General, Instant Messaging, IT Security Basics, Malware, Network Security, Physical Security, Privacy & Anonymity, Real-World Issues, Security Policies
This has been proven true by incidents broadcast around the world in minutes or hours after they have happened. Many have suffered the consequences of such incidents in the UK, US and mostly each and every place on earth where people have had their information taken and used for no good before there was even a sign that there was a problem.
Big business has been reminded again and again that complacency is it’s worst enemy and they have failed again and again at the area. Why? Well first, total protection is almost always imperfect and somebody out there with enough intent and resources can break-in however expensive the protection methods may be. Next is that the best systems for protection is always the ones that cost too much yet they still remain vulnerable and hackable. Contrary to most ad’s you see in print, the internet or your Television there is no one true solution to protection, for if the hardware and software measures succeed in protecting you, the human behind the computer/s are always the biggest risk. That is why even the most expensive solutions are used in conjunction with other solutions to provide the best of both worlds combining physical and software solutions hoping that combination will be enough protection from the continuous influx of attacks from the web and elsewhere. Encryption is nice but it takes a lot of computing power to implement making it too expensive for implementation on all levels of the company. All of these high-tech solutions and hardware would be nothing if the people using the various computer systems in the said organization fail to use them so the weakest link in every system is still the human. Strict adherence and compliance is the key with systems that process information somewhat autonomously already in use doing the searching and classification of information without the user’s input. This uses the latest in Artificial Intelligence with minimal intervention or input from the users.
Tags: IT Security Basics
Categories: Cryptography, General, IT Security Basics, Network Security, Physical Security, Privacy & Anonymity, Real-World Issues, Security Policies
Biometrics is seen as the next step in computer systems security and access control due to the failure of more primitive and fundamental security systems. Fingerprint scanners, passwords, security keys and even smartcards have failed miserably in providing the ultimate and most secure intrusion prevention method for just about anything. From your home, car, computer terminal at work to just about anything else that needs security, it has be come more and more of a must due to the increasing threat of identity theft and other computer related crimes in and out of the workplace.
Biometrics are security systems that are based on the differences the human body manifests in terms of eye structure, facial features and now vein geometry. We’ve all heard of DNA or the so-called blueprint for life and the way it makes each and every human different from everyone else on this earth (well, except for some genetic disorders and diseases that changes the DNA makeup). That is what biometrics takes advantage of as a source of a very unique key or method of identifying one from another person.
Your fingerprint is mapped when it is initially scanned into a computer system which convert’s your analog (actual) print into a digital map that is as unique as you are an individual. Iris scanners take into account the differences the iris has from each and every individual (through the use of a low powered light and scanner to obtain a picture of the eye’s iris which is also unique). Voice recognition takes into account, the differences our voices have from everybody else also converting it into a digital map or password of sorts. Vein geometry, uses a thermal imaging camera to take a picture of your hand or whole body which is sensitive to heat showing all the blood vessels which show as hotspots thus giving you a unique id of sorts as that is also mapped and converted into digital form. All of the above biometrics systems rely on our individual differences which are quite unique to us and add onto it, other more basic security measures such as a physical key (password, key or other devices) to give the ultimate security system preventing intrusion.
Tags: identity-theft, Secure workplace
Categories: General, IT Security Basics, Network Security, Operating Systems, Physical Security, Real-World Issues, Security Policies
One of the common problems that PC owners have these days is finding out that they have a virus residing in their PC. Don’t be comforted by the fact that you have an anti-virus software running. Viruses will always find a way. Also, if you do have one, are you sure it is licensed?
Apparently, most people fail to realize the value of a good anti-virus software when it comes enabled with all the features included. Some are fine with the trial version as long as they are protected. At least that is what they think. But the real value of a good anti-virus software comes out when you get the full version that comes with the actual cleaning tool when you get one officially.
For most trial versions, you may be surprised to note that once they are able to detect a certain virus, you can only discover them but not clean them. If you do try to clean them, it will tell you to get the full version at a certain price of course.
There are some software that clean certain viruses but these are mostly low in threat. But the graver ones are the issues you have to content with. If you really want a fully protected PC, chances are you better consider an investment that can really protect you from such virus issues, most of which can really hurt you as far as computer files and documents are concerned.
Tags: anti-virus, freeware, protection, software, trialware
Categories: IT Security Basics, Operating Systems
