Directive Blogs

On April 7th, a new bug on the Internet was discovered that's putting millions of users' personal data at risk. Given the name "Heartbleed bug," it's capable of allowing infiltrators to collect information while you are securely browsing a SSL/TLS website. Since SSL/TLS is so widely used, it's very probably that your personal data is at risk.

If you're like most heavy Internet users, you've got multiple Google accounts and you have to think twice about which Gmail address to give someone. It's not like you set out to have three, or five, or even ten Google accounts. It just kind of happened over time. Can anything be done to streamline your different Google accounts?

This world is dangerous; there are murderers, serial killers, and identity thieves. These dangerous criminals aside, many people ignore the digital world and find solace in thinking that they are untouchable in their online community. Little do they know, some of the most dangerous criminals in the world exist on the other end of a telephone line, sitting in front of a computer: Hackers. One of the easiest ways to shield yourself from these criminals is to keep your antivirus up to date.

Just because you hit the delete button when using Microsoft Word doesn't necessarily mean that your information is gone forever. Thanks to Word's Track Changes feature, all of your deleted sentences can be easily retrieved. This is a very handy tool to help you out of a jam, but it can also be misused to leak secrets if you're not careful.

You're likely familiar with the various ways that hackers can steal your identity, but you may not be familiar with how hackers anonymously buy and sell people's personal information to interested parties. This is done through online ID theft services and a December hearing before the U.S. Senate highlights how one service was selling personal records on more than 200 million Americans!

In the business world, it's common knowledge that Microsoft is ending support for its popular operating system Windows XP on April 8. However, with recent data showing that 29% of the world's computers are still running Windows XP, it appears that the rest of the world is slow to act upon Microsoft's expiration date.

Before the XXII Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, there were concerns from several influential entities about the data security at the Olympics. These concerns were reported leading up to the games and on the eve of competition, the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams ran a story by reporter Richard Engel that intimated that visitors to Sochi were immediately being hacked when they signed into the public WiFi accounts provided to athletes, media, and guests of the games.

Are you aware of the value of your company's data? If you lost it all today, what would it cost your business in terms of productivity, downtime, and liability? Security precautions need to be taken in order to keep your data safe, including data backups. However, after you have a backup system in place, don't neglect the need to secure those backup files!

As thousands of athletes descend upon Sochi, Russia for the Winter Olympics, they will not only be competing against each other for the gold, but they will also be competing against hackers for the security of their personal data. What can we learn about network security from the Winter Olympics?

Tech savvy individuals and businesses alike have moved away from traditional Internet browsers such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Apple's Safari to Google's Chrome browser. After all, many people enjoy having a simplistic, yet powerful web browser that easily integrates it's Google Docs tools and Gmail email service. However, users may want to think twice about using the browser now that a new YouTube video has surfaced entitled "Chrome Bug Lets Sites Listen to Your Conversations." In the video, user Tal Ater walks through a very dangerous exploit that allows anyone to access your microphone through Google's voice recognition software embedded in Chrome.

Sometimes, when complex systems are put into place, the simplest and most fundamental tasks seem to be neglected. Updating your business' software should not be avoided. Software updates help secure your network and provide your company with an extra competitive edge. Don't risk your company's strengths by neglecting your software updates!

You may think that the standard security policies that come with your email account can protect you from hackers. It's an easy mistake to make, but the truth of the matter is that, if a hacker really wants access to an account, then they will employ every tactic possible to get it, which can make standard password security measures woefully inadequate.

The value of your email account cannot be understated. You may think less of your email inbox because there are so many other ways to digitally communicate, but to a hacker, your email is a goldmine of valuable information. You may use your email less than ever before, but that doesn't mean you can neglect email security.

There's a computer security threat so menacing that not even the best security technology can stop it. It's called psychology, and it's used with email phishing scams to trick users into overriding their security solution. The only way to stop this threat is with common sense, and unfortunately, there's no app for that.

It has finally happened, the bots have taken over. While robots have yet to enslave humanity, bots have taken over the Internet, accounting for 62% of all web traffic. Is the bot takeover something you should be concerned about?

A Song In the tune of "Here Comes Santa Claus"

Installing a VPN solution is perhaps the best move you can make to ensure the security of your network, and the files that it transports. Whether you send files between your workplace and home or to remote locations around the globe, VPN can help ensure their safety. What exactly is VPN, and why should your company be using it?

When considering network and computing infrastructure security for your business, you don't usually think about about alternative routes of delivery for these solutions; and especially don't consider that this technology is available without the traditional appliance. Now, comprehensive security solutions for your network, server, and end-user is available as a service, in the cloud.

Since the late 1990s, digital information, music, movies, software, and content has been at risk of being illegally shared worldwide for free. Peer-to-peer file sharing has forced entire industries to shift the way they do business as they try to counteract the illegal practice. The new Copyright Alert System will attempt to quell illegal file sharing.

The latest news in office technology movements is the shift toward BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) environments; in which employees are bringing their own mobile devices to work. All the cool kids are doing it, but should you? Before you follow the trend and allow your employees to bring their devices to work, you should consider these risks.