Monthly Archives: October 2013

Cyber Security Awareness

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Did you know October is Cyber Security Awareness month?  This tradition was established ten years ago in the United States by the Department of Homeland Security in cooperation with the National Cyber Security Alliance and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center.  This is a great opportunity for the public and private sectors to establish  secure and vigilant infrastructure and to protect IT Assets from Cyber Security Threats.

This initiative places emphasis on the following areas of Cyber Security throughout the month:

Mobile Security

The importance of cyber security in a mobile setting is highly important, no matter where you are or what device you are using.  Business owners should take time to evaluate Mobile Security Policies including Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), Acceptable Use Policies for access to corporate systems and their data from a mobile device.  Mobile data protection including Antivirus, Anti Malware and Mobile Device Management to track, monitor, protect and enforce IT security policy on a Mobile Device.

Cyber Security Workforce

Cyber Security in the workforce highlights the importance of fostering the next generation of workers through education and training.  Cyber attack can come from anywhere in the world, at any time.  As a result, the Cybersecurity workforce is on the defense against elusive Cyber Criminals.  Having a well staffed, well trained Cybersecurity workforce is critical to the fight against Cyber Crime.

Cyber Crime

Cyber Crime prevention focuses on national and local efforts to prevent traditional crimes like theft, fraud, and abuse that can also take place online.  Many of these attacks go unnoticed and unreported.  Malicious software or Malware may be downloaded and undetected.  Phishing schemes to collect privacy data, including usernames and passwords, also exposes your organization’s application and data to Cyber Crime.

Cyber Security Infrastructure

This  initiative highlights the growing intersection between cyber and physical security when protecting IT’s critical infrastructure.  Remember, your network is only as secure as its weakest link, so it is important to take precautions to protect your company from Cyber Crime.

If you feel your Cyber Security plan needs a review, be sure to contact your IT profession for an IT Security Assessment.

Do you Have a Strategy for Online Backup?

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Online Backup is one of the more popular deployments of cloud computing. Online backup can be a cost effective part of your data protection strategy. Many businesses have achieved benefits by leveraging cloud computing for secure and affordable remote data storage and cloud file sharing technologies.  In some cases, business owners do not even realize they are using Cloud Based Online Backup services.  For business owners there are a number of important considerations for your Online backup strategy.

Industry and Regulatory Compliance

Some industries, such as health services, have strict regulations on how data is managed and protected.  Some online backup vendors comply with these strict requirements, while others do not.  It is important to carefully select your online backup supplier and ensure their Service Level Agreements (SLA) meets your business needs and comply with your industry regulations.

Online Backup Recovery Time

Online backup can be a secure and affordable option for offsite data storage and cloud sharing capability.  If you are considering remote backup for your business continuity and disaster recovery plans, it is important to consider recovery times in the event you need to to restore your data.  Some online backup services provide great value for easy access to data, while other services are optimized for rapid recovery of your most critical information.  You should weigh costs and risks when deploying online backup for your disaster recovery scenarios.

How Secure is Your Online Backup

There are many online backup vendors providing a secure solution that is equally or more reliable that tape storage or other data vaulting solutions.  In fact, the cloud infrastructure for your data may be more secure than your on premise data storage given the physical security capabilities of a top tier data center.  One risk to consider is access to your company data through cloud sharing/cloud synching technologies.  Cloud sharing can provide easy access to your company data from a variety of devices including smartphones and tablets. If you are leveraging online backup for cloud sharing, it is important to have a mobile security plan in place to ensure secure access to your company data.


There are a variety of issues to consider for your cloud based online backup strategy. If you feel you are not taking advantage of cloud computing for remote backup or you are concerned about security and compliance risks, it is recommended you contact your IT Service and Computer Support consultant for a review of your online backup strategy.