IT Security Blog

Securing The Future Of Your Small Business- Tips And Tricks

By

using_mobile_in_the_office

When it comes to small businesses, there are so many things that you need to consider, sometimes even more than you do for big businesses. For one thing, if a big business like Home Depot can get hacked and shopper’s info might get stolen, this can surely happen to a small business as well. Also, your small business may not have as much product or money behind it as a big corporation, meaning you have less far to fall when it comes to business failure.

The thing is, you don’t want your business to fail. If people went into business with the idea it would fail, they’d probably think twice about starting in the first place. You can do things to help protect your business from the potential of failure though. Here are some things that all small businesses should consider when it comes to starting a secure business with staying power.

Consider Your Funds And Assets

Starting a business isn’t cheap, and neither is keeping one going. You may need to consider getting a loan to keep your business afloat, at some point. There are many reasons a small business might need a loan, from getting started to upgrading to better equipment.

Yes, even your equipment, and other assets, are important when it comes to securing your business’s future. You need to make sure that the stuff you has works and is allowing you to put out the best possible products and services. This can mean having great office equipment or the right company vehicle.

Protect Your Clients

Securing your business also means making sure that your clients and customers are secure as well. That means using security measures when it comes to protecting their information, whether it’s credit card numbers or their home addresses. Make sure to invest in good internet security that you can trust.

Always Be Expanding

If your business gets stagnant, it could start to fail. Find ways to always be expanding, whether it’s new products and services, or new advertising and event planning. Have a clearance event, and then introduce a new and improved product line.

Invest In Your Future

Events, like open houses, are a great way to invest in the future of your business. So is investing in advertising. If you aren’t getting the name and intentions of your business out there to people, no one will be shopping with you. Advertise both online and off to reach the most potential customers.

Investing in the future of your business also means making sure that you are offering the best of products and services, If that means purchasing new equipment, then do it. Make sure that you have your businesses best in mind, as well as the best intentions when it comes to what you are offering to your customers.

Securing Your System in a Difficult Environment

By

Businesses that maintain IT systems in a warehouse environment may find it challenging to keep these networks secure. Accidental damage, theft, and other catastrophes can cause major service interruptions or data loss.

There are many ways for companies to combat these technology issues, take control of their inventory systems, and grow their business. Take a look at these four ways to safeguard your IT systems and data in a warehouse environment. [Read more…]

How Long Should Your Password Be

By

We all know the importance of having good and difficult passwords once we have access to a site or a network but one thing that many would have to consider would be the length. Others would want it short, but these are people who would not care of why they are given access. Others want it long normally something that they can easily remember such as their address or birthday. But how long should it be?

Traditionally, it should be at least 8 characters. Some are fine with 6 characters but for security reasons and avoiding hackers, it would be best to make it longer. A combination of alphanumeric characters would be better as it makes harder to crack for people who love to do mischief. So if this were the case, the potential combination would perhaps be your car plate number, bank account or even your driver’s license codes. With that in mind, you better make sure you also write it down and keep it in a safe place. This is in case you may forget it for some reason due to the tons of information you have stored up in your mind.

Regardless, a user should always make sure that the password he chooses is something he is familiar with. For most sites, we are asked to put secret questions to which we can answer for ourselves. But in choosing the right one, we must make sure that it is something only we know and not something that can be easily guessed by anyone. Failing to do so may put your access and credibility at risk.

Trying Out Anti-Virus Software Independently

By

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.

Would You Download an Anti-Virus Freeware for Purchase?

By

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.

Telecommuting Woes???

By

telecommute.jpgResearch 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.