Apr 22, 2013 | SMB Technology
Malicious Software or Malware is a serious concern to IT Security experts and business owners alike. Malware is a category of Cyber Security threats that includes Viruses, Worms,Trojans and Botnets. It is no surprise that the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) tenth annual IT Security Information Trends report placed Malware at the top of the list of security threats. CompTIA cited that eighty-five percent of Business Owners and IT Professionals have a moderate to serious concern about Malware. Why should you care? Many times Malware intrusions will go undetected. Some malware may cause your computer to run slowly. Some malware may be programmed to silently harvest privacy data from your hard drive, while other malware is programmed to destroy data on your hardware. Other malware can turn your PC into a Cyber Hacker by exploiting security holes and using your PC to attack other PCs. Costs associated with data breaches is estimated to be as high as a billion dollars each year. Moreover, the number of Malware threats are exploding. Symantec estimates there will be over 250,000 new threats (not attacks) identified on Android devices in 2012 alone. What can you do to avoid Malware? IT Security Risk Assessment The reality is you can not afford to eradicate one hundred percent of all cyber threats, so you need to have a pragmatic plan for defending yourself. Start by understanding your security risks by reviewing your core applications and data, policies and procedures, as well as, your network infrastructure. You are as vulnerable as your weakest link. IT Security Compliance To protect your applications and their data, as well as...
Apr 8, 2013 | SMB Technology
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery planning is about making sure your company can quickly become operational after a systems failure, natural disaster or other interruption. A holistic approach is required to get your doors open and employees productive. According to recent InformationWeek research, IT professionals polled about Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery are most concerned about protecting databases (68%), followed by email (45%), accounting data (39%) and network services (36%). It is important to separate basic data protection from business continuity planning. Most companies have some type of backup in place to provide basic data protection. When data is lost in an isolated situation, such as a hard drive failure, virus infection, or a lost device, your local or online backup provides a reactive way to rapidly restore your data. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery provides a proactive plan to pragmatically reduce the risks of a disaster recovery scenario. Here are some important considerations: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Risk Assessment Start by gaining an understanding of your environmental risks and exposure. For example, the geographic area your business is located in, may make you more prone to flooding, hurricane, earthquakes or fire. These variables may raise your risks. However, if you are adjacent to a hospital or fire department, you may have a lower risk of losing power during a disaster. Tailor your Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan to Your Company’s Needs Evaluate your core systems to determine what applications and data you need to operate. Basic services such as phone, email or order processing may put your business at risk even with the a brief outage....
