Are Your Secrets Safe Here?
Posted by admin on Feb 10, 2009
Taken from Report on Small Business, November 2008 Edition
Written by Craig Silverman
Every business – no matter how small – is vulnerable to security breaches. A survey by security software provider McAfee earlier this year found that more than 30% of small- and medium-sized companies in North America have suffered a cyber attack. Yet 40% of IT professionals in those companies still don’t believe their online systems are at risk.
“Small businesses often have a relaxed culture because they consist of a small group of people who all know each other,” says Nasrin Rezai, director of global information security at Cisco Systems. “That means the company didn’t start with a culture of protecting information.” The key is to recognize that educating employees is as important to shoring up a company’s defences as buying technology.
“There is always a human element to security, and if you don’t address this and couple it with a technical solution, you’ll never have a reasonable security model,” says Malcolm Harkins, general manager of information security at Intel Canada.
As a starting point, consider the humble office cubicle, which is home to an array of security shortcomings that the average employee never thinks about.
1) Many employees like to keep a list of their colleagues’ phone numbers taped to a cubicle wall. Problems arise, however, when workers receive printed versions of the company’s entire directory, complete with titles, home and cell numbers and e-mail addresses. This company road map can be useful to thieves, who can cite insiders’ names to gain access to the office and its systems. Restrict hard-copy directories to a listing of names and extension numbers.
2) Passwords can be too complex. Instead of committing them to memory, employees write them on Post-it notes and stick them on monitors. When this happens, says Intel’s Malcolm Harkins, “security controls are driving behaviours that make the risk higher.” Passwords should be at least 10 characters long, and include both numbers and letters. Change your password every couple of months.
3) USB keys are a convenient way to carry documents and share them with colleagues. Unfortunately, these storage devices are easily lost and stolen. Banning their use in the office is one option, says Harkins,”but then people simply print out hard copies or burn files to a CD”. Instead, insist that staffers refrain from storing sensitive data on USBs or CDs unless it is encrypted.
4) Smartphones store reams of proprietary corporate and personal information. They also frequently sit unprotected on desks and in other public areas. Use the phone’s password feature to prevent anyone from accessing your e-mail or other data. Demand that staff notify IT the second a phone is lost or stolen.
5) So much for the paperless office: Employees often leave confidential information lying on desktops and in printer trays. For thieves and unscrupulous competitors, such finds are as good as gold.
Take a moment a look around your operation, and see what potential security risks you have… and prevent it.
AVG Upgrade from 7.5 to 8.0
Posted by admin on May 14, 2008
AVG has undergone a major revision, making a much more comprehensive protection package. In the process, the makers have kept the program easy to use, and seamless in it’s operation. The problem is that by the end of May, you will no longer be able to get support and updates for any of the 7.5 versions… including the Free version.
For FREE version users, you can get the replacement 8.0 version at free.grisoft.com Just click on the “Get it Now” button under the “Free basic protection” header. Follow the simple instructions, and you are all upgraded.
For PAID version users, you can download the newest version from the AVG Website. You will have to get a new product key in order to unlock the 8.0 program, as your old key will not work. You can use this online tool to get a new one. When asked for the new key, remove the existing key, and enter the new one from the tool.
If you are currently using the FREE version, and wish to start using the PAID version, you can purchase that through our online store.
If you are having troubles with any of these instructions, please feel free to contact us, or bring your system in. Also, if you are on dial-up internet, the downloads can take as much as five hours to complete. Using our high-speed internet, we can have the program downloaded, installed, updated, and ready in about 30 minutes.
WE ARE MOVING
Posted by admin on Oct 2, 2007
By the end of October, we should be in our new place. Come in and check our our new digs at 820 Gartshore Street, Unit 105 (beside Centre Wellington Hydro). We will be able to offer you better sales and support, plenty of parking, and we will continue to offer on site service. Our phone, fax, email and website will all remain the same.