How To Keep Your Company Secure In The Digital World

There are a number of aspects that go into any modern business security process.  It’s important to make sure that as well as using door staff to keep the staff and premises in place, proper digital security is put in place to keep networks safe. Digital security like this:

Using firewalls

Almost every modern attacker’s first step is to try and find weak points and vulnerabilities in the network.  Ports are the mechanisms that a business network uses to connect to the web, and they can be exploited. A firewall will enable a company to block of those trying to access the ports from an external source.  There are a number of free firewall services available, though any larger company should probably take a look at adopting a more professional approach.

Make use of different passwords

This tactic is both basic and easy to implement, and yet it’s amazing just how many companies still don’t implement it.  It’s vital that a company ensures that all the passwords used by those accessing it’s network are strong and unique.  It’s almost astonishing just how many people still use terms like ‘password’ and ’12345′ as their own codes, simply because they’re easy to remember.  Needless to say, there’s simply no excuse for anyone to be doing this in 2014!

Use anti-virus software

Again, this is a well-known security tactic, but one that several companies still doesn’t take the time to implement effectively.  Absolutely every single computer that’s attached to the company network needs to have a full anti-virus and anti-breach software suite in place.  Fortunately, installing this software is quite easy, as it can be found for free across the web: software such as Avast! And AVG can be found for absolutely no cost, which makes it bizarre that some firms still don’t take the time to install it!

Update everything

It’s an unfortunate fact that those responsible for hacking and viruses continually evolve their tactics to try and get the upper-hand over those they’re attacking.  Fortunately, anti-virus suites (including the free ones mentioned above) continually also update themselves to deal with the latest threats.  It’s down to the user, though, to make sure that these updates are carried out.  If they aren’t, then the systems and networks that the business runs will all be at risk, with no exceptions.  One computer on a network being affected means that others can swiftly be dragged into the mire.

NYT: NSA embeds radio transmitters to access offline computers from miles away

Tonight’s fun NSA revelation comes courtesy of the New York Times, reporting on an agency program to access and alter data on computers that aren’t connected to the internet. Cherry picked from the NSA’s tool kit of developments — often used to bug equipment before it reaches the intended destination — the technology described relies on a circuit board or USB device (called Cottonmouth I) installed on a PC that communicates wirelessly with a base station nearby. The base station itself has already been described by security expert Jacob Appelbaum; codenamed Nightstand, it’s capable of hacking WiFi networks from up to eight miles away and retrieving or inserting data as necessary.

The programs described are not exactly up to date, and the NYT’s experts suggest recent developments are focused on making the US less dependent on physical access to do its hacking. Like the Dropoutjeep software created to attack iPhones, we’re told these techniques are designed for use in places like Iran and China. Still, with an estimated 100,000 or so installations it probably wouldn’t hurt to give your USB ports and internal expansion slots a once-over just in case.

Filed under: Internet

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Source: New York Times

Charter makes a $61 billion bid for Time Warner Cable, could be the first of many

After months of trying to negotiate a deal behind the scenes, Charter Communications is publishing details of its offer to buy Time Warner Cable (which split from Time Warner years ago). Despite a bid that including debt is enough to nab 20 or so Nests, TWC’s board responded to the offer by calling it “grossly inadequate.” Charter CEO Tom Rutledge is telling anyone who will listen that he can run the company better than its current leadership, and is encouraging shareholders to join him in this viewpoint by making this offer (apparently Charter’s third in the last year) public. For customers the upside isn’t so clear, as according to J.D. Power Charter is next-to-last in customer satisfaction, staying ahead of only Time Warner Cable — ouch.

Bloomberg mentions that a reason this deal may happen is because billionaire John Malone is backing Charter, and he believes that by joining the companies he can negotiate better deals with the Hollywood studios that provide their content. Another possibility mentioned by Gigaom, is that control over a larger swath of area and customers could help push bandwidth caps and tiered internet pricing. Others like Comcast have also been rumored to be interested in a deal for at least part of Time Warner Cable, but the Charter/TWC combination would make for the country’s third-largest provider behind Comcast and DirecTV.

This afternoon Charter put on a conference call (slides are available here for EBITDA fans to drool over) to explain its side of the argument, and Time Warner replied it “would not let Charter steal this company.” The biggest takeaway here is that these same economics affect others in the industry, so there could be more consolidation of cable/internet giants to come.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Charter (1), (2), Time Warner Cable (1), (2)