Monthly Archives: March 2013

Are You Ready for Mobility?

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Mobility in the workforce is increasing productivity and driving savings for small to medium sized companies. Recent research from the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) uncovers 73% of small businesses surveyed cite they have a mobile device strategy driven by moderate to heavy focus for Mobility to make employees in the field more productive. Moreover, 58% of respondents have productivity gains for travelling employees as a moderate to heavy focus to include smart phones, tablet PCs and laptop computers in their businesses. Connecting employees with customers was cited as a moderate to heavy focus for driving Mobility strategies by 55% of those surveyed, while 48% cited eCommerce as a moderate to heavy focus in their Mobility strategies.

To take full advantage of smart phones, tablet PCs and laptop computers in your company, there are a few precautions to consider when rolling out a mobile solution. Here are a few tips to consider to get the most from your Mobility solution:

Check your Mobile Security Policy

Some mobile devices may be vulnerable to trojans, malware and phishing schemes. Ensure that your Mobile Solution includes security measures to keep devices connected to your network, corporate applications and data are up to date with mobile anti-virus and mobile-anti malware protection. Passwords aren’t enough to protect your devices, therefore, companies must also encrypt corporate data on mobile devices and be prepared to remotely locate and wipe lost or stolen mobile devices.

Check your Network Bandwidth for your Mobility Solution

Some mobile applications can put a strain on your companies wireless network. To receive maximum productivity from your employees using mobile devices in the workplace, provide secure and robust wireless access. Monitor your network for performance, but also monitor your network for unauthorized access.

Train your employees on your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy

Your employees may access corporate systems or have corporate data on their mobile devices if you have a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. If your company provides a corporate owned mobile device, your employees may put personal data (e.g. photos, contacts) on your company owned assets. Regardless, establish an acceptable use policy within your business and train your employees the importance of compliance. Clarify if personal data can be stored on company owned mobile assets. Also, clarify if company data can be stored on personal assets. Train your employees on the risks associated with lost or stolen devices and make sure they understand the importance of reporting a loss or data breach, as soon as possible.

There are many aspects to getting the most from your Mobility solution. Ensuring that you provide your employees with secure, robust access to your approved systems and application data is key. Training your employees on your written policies is also important to ensure compliance with your mobile solution policies. Contact your IT Solutions expert for a network security assessment or review of your IT security policies.

Cyber Security: A Global Threat to Small and Medium Businesses

SMB Technology

You hear about Cyber Security threats, data leaks and data loss in the news on a regular basis.   Malware, trojans and phishing schemes hatched in countries like China, India, Russia and other Eastern European countries attempt to rob businesses of confidential information, privacy data and critical application data.  Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard has made Cyber Security a national priority.  US President Barack Obama energized the dialogue on CyberSecurity by mentioning it in his State of the Union Speak with an executive order for federal regulators to provide better Cybersecurity for banks, telecommunications, energy and other industries.

But what about Cyber Security for small businesses? Small businesses are equally targeted by Cyber Security hackers and may be less resilient from a cybersecurity attack than larger businesses as they may lack the stability, reputation and financial resources to rebound.

Here are a few steps you can take to protect your business from the threat of a Cyber Security Attack:

Beef up your Network Security to Avoid Cyber Security Threats

Your network is only as strong as the weakest point. To avoid threats from Cybersecurity make sure you have a Firewall in place and keep all connected devices have up to date firmware, operating system patches and keep the latest anti-virus and anti-malware definitions current.

Cyber Security Education and Training

Educate your employees and staff on the threats of cybersecurity. Make sure they are aware of the threats of Phishing schemes and are able to identify and avoid these dubious attacks. Train all employees on the risk of sharing privacy data such as name, email, birthdays and financial information on social media networks.

CyberSecurity Policies and Procedures

Establish clear procedures on notification and escalation of a data leak or data breach. Ensure your team knows how to escalate a concern within your company. It is more important to raise the issues quickly rather than cover up a Cyber Security breach. Ensure you have clear policies on how to coordinate notifications outside of your company, should an attack occur.

CyberSecurity Insurance

Cybersecurity insurance is designed to help mitigate the loss of data leaks, network damage and other financial exposure of a Cyber Security attack. Your business may be eligible for affordable insurance to cover costs associated with CyberSecurity attacks.

There is no way to totally eliminate the risk of a Cyber Security attack, however, there are steps you may take to prevent attacks and be prepared on what to do in case your business is victimized. Contact your IT Support organization for a complete IT Security Assessment.