Tag Archives: security

Business and Internet Security (Page 1 of 2)

Taking chances when it comes to Internet Security is never something to be taken lightly. Though some private and casual computer users will likely do so, business owners who make use of computers to store both business and customer data must consider security a top priority. Having run a business myself I can say with the utmost of confidence that not only must you have some sort of Computer Security set up for your PC’s but must also make use of reliable and dependable software. It is an all to common practice in business these days to cut corners in an attempt to save a buck and while I have seen several businesses cut expenses even in security applications to do so is simply folly.

When my partner and I began our business venture a couple of years ago the first thing we did after deciding to start the business was to begin with Security Research. Though we both involved ourselves with finding the very best security software I was tasked with the majority of the project. I was initially disappointed by all of the PC Security Software I had looked at as none seemed to deliver an all in one experience. Being an ample computer user and fairly tech savvy I didn’t want to treat my businesses network as I did my home network. Using several different antivirus applications to both eliminate and keep threats at bay wasn’t going to cut it in the business world. The program I needed had to bring everything to the table so that I would know I’m getting the best bang for my buck and that my business and its confidential information would remain safe.

I’ve heard all the horror stories of business being sued and/or shut down due to poor security measures taken by owners who feel penny pinching is the way to solve all problems. I was determined not to be that type of owner nor did I want my business to suffer the effects of that management style. After some exhaustive research and substandard results I felt it was time to consult with those that had gone down this road before me. I actually spoke with my former employer whom I was employed with prior to starting my businesses. She revealed that not only did they take PC Security seriously but that they also went with a company that they found through several internet searches. This company she had chosen and still uses to this day is known as eEye. eEye specializes in creating tools that will allow just about anyone to successfully remove threats from their computers and networks while at the same time keep those same threats out and away from their machines.

This information piqued my curiosity and so I began looking at eEye’s website and list of PC Security applications. As I was initially pleased with what I saw I began scouring the internet for opinions and reviews of the said programs. The majority of users said the same things my former employer did and they shared her opinions on the programs as well. After going over the results with my business partner we decided to invest in a couple of eEye’s products. We began with Blink® Professional Edition which would allow us to remove and keep all threats out of our computers and do it all in one program. Secondly we ended up with their Security Management Appliance 1505 which would further reduce our exposure to attacks, thus protecting our client and business data. Once things got set up both my partner and I couldn’t have been more pleased. Our network and individual PC’s have rum smoothly with little to no issues for close to two years. In addition to that, now that we are a much larger company than we were a few years ago we’ve taken on a small but effective IT staff of which the Director shares our tastes in Endpoint Security software so things continue to run as though we’ve never had any issues.

Business and Internet Security (Page 1 of 2)

Taking chances when it comes to Internet Security is never something to be taken lightly. Though some private and casual computer users will likely do so, business owners who make use of computers to store both business and customer data must consider security a top priority. Having run a business myself I can say with the utmost of confidence that not only must you have some sort of Computer Security set up for your PC’s but must also make use of reliable and dependable software. It is an all to common practice in business these days to cut corners in an attempt to save a buck and while I have seen several businesses cut expenses even in security applications to do so is simply folly.

When my partner and I began our business venture a couple of years ago the first thing we did after deciding to start the business was to begin with Security Research. Though we both involved ourselves with finding the very best security software I was tasked with the majority of the project. I was initially disappointed by all of the PC Security Software I had looked at as none seemed to deliver an all in one experience. Being an ample computer user and fairly tech savvy I didn’t want to treat my businesses network as I did my home network. Using several different antivirus applications to both eliminate and keep threats at bay wasn’t going to cut it in the business world. The program I needed had to bring everything to the table so that I would know I’m getting the best bang for my buck and that my business and its confidential information would remain safe.

I’ve heard all the horror stories of business being sued and/or shut down due to poor security measures taken by owners who feel penny pinching is the way to solve all problems. I was determined not to be that type of owner nor did I want my business to suffer the effects of that management style. After some exhaustive research and substandard results I felt it was time to consult with those that had gone down this road before me. I actually spoke with my former employer whom I was employed with prior to starting my businesses. She revealed that not only did they take PC Security seriously but that they also went with a company that they found through several internet searches. This company she had chosen and still uses to this day is known as eEye. eEye specializes in creating tools that will allow just about anyone to successfully remove threats from their computers and networks while at the same time keep those same threats out and away from their machines.

This information piqued my curiosity and so I began looking at eEye’s website and list of PC Security applications. As I was initially pleased with what I saw I began scouring the internet for opinions and reviews of the said programs. The majority of users said the same things my former employer did and they shared her opinions on the programs as well. After going over the results with my business partner we decided to invest in a couple of eEye’s products. We began with Blink® Professional Edition which would allow us to remove and keep all threats out of our computers and do it all in one program. Secondly we ended up with their Security Management Appliance 1505 which would further reduce our exposure to attacks, thus protecting our client and business data. Once things got set up both my partner and I couldn’t have been more pleased. Our network and individual PC’s have rum smoothly with little to no issues for close to two years. In addition to that, now that we are a much larger company than we were a few years ago we’ve taken on a small but effective IT staff of which the Director shares our tastes in Endpoint Security software so things continue to run as though we’ve never had any issues.

Proper Data Security And Storage Methods (Page 1 of 2)

The PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) requires that any merchant who accepts, processes, stores, transmits sensitive credit card information must do everything possible to protect and guard that data. Proper data security and storage, however, can be a difficult thing to do in-house.

Data security and storage comprise a major portion of the PCI DSS and is also a necessary part of maintaining trust with your customers. In an age where personal information is a valuable commodity, customers need to know that their transactions are secure and you have a priority on guarding their personal data.

The third requirement of the PCI DSS states simply: “Protect stored cardholder data.” This may be a simple thing to say, but that doesn’t necessarily make it an easy thing to implement, nor does it downplay the importance. There are quite a few individual security controls that are required before you can say that you have created the proper data security and storage environment.

The first step is encryption. If you must store sensitive information on your own system you must encrypt it. This is a basic step because if a criminal intruder should happen to bypass all the other security measures that are in place, all they will find on your system are strings of random gibberish that are useless without the encryption key.

The next step is to limit the amount of cardholder data on your system. This includes only keeping the data that is absolutely necessary for legal, business, or regulatory purposes. When you don’t need it anymore, get rid of it. The less you have that is worth stealing, the less of a target you become. There are also a few things you’re not allowed to store at all. These include the full contents of any track from the magnetic stripe (like the card verification code or PIN verification value), or the three or four digit validation codes or personal identification numbers.

Of course, even if you’ve taken the steps to electronically protect data by encrypting it, there’s still the possibility that someone inside the company could steal or wrongfully employ the encryption keys. For that reason, the third requirement of the PCI DSS also mandates protecting those keys against misuse and disclosure.

Access to these keys must be restricted to the fewest number of people possible. These keys must also be stored in as few places as possible. Backups are, of course, necessary, but if you end up backing it up in too many places, you’re likely to forget where they all are, or accidentally place one where someone with criminal intentions can get a hold of it.

Requirement numbers seven, eight, and nine also deal with limiting physical access to cardholder data. These mandate that you restrict access to this data by to business need-to-know, and that you assign unique IDs to each person with computer access. These are measures that help ensure that you can trace the source of your problem, should a breach occur.