When sending out sensitive email - watch out because Electronic Documents because these can very easily spread like wildfire.
Encryption in containers before sending sensitive spreadsheets, documents, presentations out via email is a good idea. I recommend TrueCrypt - this is freeware, and has worked well for me in Windows (including vista) and Linux.
If your notebook comes with free utilities/capabilities to secure your data, now is a good time to turn them on. Difficult economic times usually see a rise in theft, and notebooks are a particularly tempting target. A lost notebook means time spent mitigating the implications of lost data that you don't want to see falling into the wrong hands. This could be an even bigger time/cost sucker-upper than that of replacing the physical hardware and restoring your last backup. I recommend turning on HDD encryption, which is becoming available on many models of notebook today.
Bite the bullet and take up a more secure OS.
Buying a new PC and wanting to downgrade the OS to XP from Vista?
That'll provide your users a faster and more familiar desktop environment. But you WILL be compromising on security.
I recommend you take Vista, but strip off the unnecessary baggage (eg eye candy, server
service, crapware, etc) and you'll have something much better than XP, that performs just as well. And there's always the MacOS option if you're so inclined (but this usually means you need to buy new apps if you're a confirmed MS Office user)
For older PCs, where the OS is already in an unstable state - consider a move to Linux. It's free. It's stable (especially on older platforms built with standard chipsets). There aren't many viruses written for it. There are a good many programs that can take the place of what you were using on Win95, 98, ME or whatever was installed on that old PC (I hope it wasn't Windows 3.1x or DOS)
I will create another post later on essential desktop software for Linux PCs.
If the need for cost savings has driven you to give up running your own eMail servers, and instead take up service from the likes of Google Office, be careful of permissions.
It's possible that you're opening up your calendar to anyone who knows how to type in
the right words into a Google search.
Still on Security, it is security from all the malware that are affecting not just your PC, but your reputation as a company. Imagine you are a SMB doing a growing B-to-C business, and overnight your customers' data are stolen or worst given out because data theft has just hit you!
ReplyDeleteMost SMB think about Anti-virus, and it is not enough. Bec antivirus only protects your attachment from emails, it still exposes the company from its #1 activity when using the PC, ie. surfing the web.
Protecting a smaller enteprise does not mean one has to spend more. While the big enterprise can consider virtualization as an option, a smaller company can consider hosted services as an option.
SaaS (software as a service) used to be focused on CRM type of productivity tools. But it has now enlarged to cover message security. Imagine the gain in network traffic once spams stop entering into your workspace.
Other hosted service also include protection of your company website. Vendors now provide site security service by sending simulated attacks on your site to ensure it is secured before the real things hits you.
Overall, SMBs should focus on acquiring suite products (messaging, web, gateway, endpoints) covering all the potential exposure. Most vendors would give good discounts and the ease of management is often another money saver in the most true sense.
When once virus replicates to create nuisance, malware now are meant to steal data - making the lack of content security a very high cost to pay. However, learning about the other options meant that one can still save and pull thru tough times like the present. Maybe we can still have the pie and eat it...
Eric Chong