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sandy ingram

Small Companies Look to #Cloud for Savings in 2011 - WSJ.com - 0 views

  • As of April 2010, only about 7% of small-business owners were using cloud services, but that number is expected to grow to more than 10% by mid-2011, according to a survey by technology-research firm IDC.
  • Half of small firms that use "the cloud" say it has improved their bottom line, according to a survey this fall by Microsoft Corp., which provides cloud services.
  • A number of surveys show that some business owners are hesitant to try cloud computing because they don't want to stray from familiar systems or invest in new ones. Some owners that have made the switch, however, say it has been a boon to their cash-strapped firms.
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  • Garey Willbanks, owner of Boiler Management Ltd. in Houston, says he pays about $600 a month to store information in the cloud. He estimates that is less than a tenth of what he would pay if he hired technology personnel to run an in-house storage server.
  • In June, Michael Tracy, a private law practitioner in Irvine, Calif., decided to try Nextpoint, a cloud-based program for attorneys. He had previously spent $10,000 to $12,000 a year licensing software that would organize materials before a trial. The problem was he needed it just a few times a year. By contrast, Mr. Tracy pays for Nextpoint only when he uses it, and he anticipates spending just $4,000 to $6,000 a year on the service.
  • "If you already have tight control over your company, your expenses may drop 10% to 20%,"
  • Despite the savings, there are risks. Security breaches, for instance, can happen if the cloud provider isn't reliable. "If they make money directly from you, then they will want to secure [your information]," Mr. Enderle says. "If they make it through advertising," they may be more likely to sell the information to advertisers, he says.
  • Others fear that they might lose their information, or have to spend a lot of time transferring data, if they want out.
  • "So make sure it's the right provider and that you're ready to be in it for the long haul."
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    "A growing number of small-business owners are expected to try cloud computing services next year, hoping to trim costs and stay up and running if disaster strikes. Cloud computing refers to any service that operates over an Internet connection, allowing immediate access from any computer or mobile device with Web access. Business owners can access software or store information-such as customer contacts, accounting data and presentations-and leave the technical maintenance to the cloud provider. "
sandy ingram

Why IT Is Moving to the Cloud - 0 views

  • While concerns about security, identity, SLAs, and other topics are still on the minds of many IT pros, those concerns are gradually being addressed by cloud providers
  • While cloud computing may not be a complete solution for every enterprise—nobody is talking about ditching internal data centers yet, and probably never will—a number of pressing factors are driving the growth of cloud computing. I’ll cover some of the biggest drivers towards cloud computing adoption here.
  • Improved IT Agility As recently as a few years ago, it took far too long for many IT departments to respond to increasing demand for computing capacity.
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  • Cost Savings and ROI Cloud computing isn’t a panacea, but there are clear-cut cases where moving part of your IT infrastructure to the cloud makes solid operational and financial sense.
  • Private Cloud vs. Public Cloud
  • Cloud-Savvy IT Staff
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    "70 percent of IT decision makers are using or plan to use cloud computing in their own enterprises within 24 months."
sandy ingram

Carnegie Mellon - MySecureCyberspace: Setting Up a Secure Network in the Office #smb #grc - 0 views

  • Staying Wired When possible and convenient, use a wired network. Wired networks, whose signals are contained within wires, are much safer than wireless networks, whose signals are broadcast into the air. One can be safe from a number of malicious attacks by connecting a computer to the router (a device that connects networks, in this case, your local network to the Internet) via an ethernet cable, instead of connecting via wireless. Appropriate network settings, of course, must be entered into the computers.
  • Taking the Office Wireless
  • Securing Each Network Node
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  • If a wireless network is desired, use the following recommendations.
  • Next, security must be implemented on the computers that will connect to the network, known as the "network nodes."
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    "A secure office network is the first step towards secure computing. Following are a few suggestions to secure networking at work."
sandy ingram

Private Cloud Computing: A Game Changer for Disaster Recovery » Welcome to pr... - 0 views

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    "Private cloud computing offers a number of significant advantages - including lower costs, faster server deployments, and higher levels of resiliency. What is often over looked is how the Private Cloud can dramatically changes the game for IT disaster recovery in terms of significantly lower costs, faster recovery times, and enhanced testability."
sandy ingram

The Fed 2011 Agenda: Rush to the Cloud ! - 0 views

  • The new 25-point plan establishes a Data Center Consolidation Task Force with a goal of reducing the number of data centers by 800 as of 2015.
  • The plan also touts scalability as a reason for embracing the cloud over traditional solutions. It cited the example of a private-sector company doing video editing that experienced a surge of demand and was able, using the cloud, to scale from 50 to 4,000 virtual machines in three days.
  • There's an expectation that moving applications such as e-mail to the cloud will facilitate data center consolidation and reduce IT budgets. Some federal agencies have already awarded contracts to move e-mail to the cloud. In addition, the government has selected a dozen vendors to supply Infrastructure-as-a-Service (Iaas).
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  • Google and Microsoft want the government’s cloud business and they’ve undertaken a PR campaign including announcements of high-profile contract awards. The General Services Administration (GSA) recently awarded Unisys and Google a contract to host e-mail in the cloud. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) selected Dell to supply Microsoft Online Services for the migration of 120,000 users and 21 e-mail systems to the cloud.
  • Microsoft was the winner of a Department of the Interior contract for moving e-mail to the cloud, a selection that Google protested. Google and its reseller, Onix Networking Corp, have filed suit against the Department of the Interior to overturn that selection.
  • Both Google Apps for Government and BPOS have been certified as being compliant with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). Being given FISMA Authority to Operate (ATO) is a certification the cloud infrastructure is a secure, trusted environment for government applications and databases they use.
  • The federal contracts for hosting e-mail in the cloud are not the first Big Government embrace of hosted e-mail. Microsoft reportedly has several hundred state and local agencies using its cloud services. New York City recently announced it will adopt Microsoft BPOS for 30,000 city users.
  • The State of California awarded a contract to Microsoft and Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) for the migration of 130 of e-mail systems to Microsoft BPOS.
  • The State of Minnesota Office of Enterprise Technology (OET) announced an agreement with Microsoft to migrate Exchange e-mail and other communications services to BPOS in a private cloud.
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    "In December 2010, the government's CIO, Vivek Kundra, released a 25-point plan for an overhaul of Federal IT that emphasizes a cloud-first policy for federal agencies. Currently the federal government is on pace to spend $79 billion on IT this year, with more than 20% going to infrastructure spending. Because the US government has spent $600 billion on IT over the past decade, the plan's intent is to reduce IT spending by the federal government."
sandy ingram

Infosecurity (USA) - Passwords becoming risky form of enterprise authentication - 0 views

  • “The fact that passwords remain the cornerstone of enterprise authentication represents a significant and increasing risk. The vulnerability of password-based authentication is widely recognized: From the earliest phishing attacks to the most sophisticated spyware, passwords still represent one of the most common methods hackers target and use to access corporate systems and sensitive data”, the study observed.The way to reduce the costs of lost passwords and the increased vulnerability of similar user passwords is through the use of strong multi-factor authentication, explained Chatterjee. For example, two-factor authentication involves the use of something the user remembers, such as a password, and something the user has, like a token.
  • This approach increases security because a hacker needs both to gain access to a system or account; figuring out the password is not enough. It also reduces the need for users to have multiple, complex passwords. The system's two factors provide the complexity from a security point of view, he explained. Chatterjee used the example of a bank ATM card, which requires the use of the card along with the password for the user to gain access to his or her account.
  • With the two-factor authentication, users do not need to have complex passwords that change frequently. This reduces the burden on the employees as well as on the help desk, he noted.
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    "30% to 50% of help desk calls relate to forgotten passwords"
sandy ingram

Cloud Concerns "Unfounded and Ridiculous" Former U.S. Chief Information Officer Vivek K... - 0 views

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    When I joined the Obama administration as the chief information officer, we quickly discovered vast inefficiencies in the $80 billion federal I.T. budget. We also saw an opportunity to increase productivity and save costs by embracing the "cloud computing"
sandy ingram

Is Internet Explorer 9 Now the Safest Web Browser? - 0 views

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    With criminals migrating to Chrome, Bott says Chrome's filters, and its entire approach to protecting users, isn't as airtight as IE9's - or even as secure as its advocates believe.
sandy ingram

Top regulatory compliance trends that will affect IT in 2009 - 0 views

  • More enforcement coming Deputy Attorney General Dave Ogden also was among those who see a renewed emphasis on "prosecuting financial crimes aggressively" in the months ahead. Reflecting Ogden's assessment, former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty said that money laundering, fraud and tax issues are also receiving increased enforcement action. McNulty pointed to the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), which mean that more information now must be disclosed and acted upon
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    More enforcement coming SOX 404(b) will matter FCPA compliance Focus on risk management
sandy ingram

Do You Know Where Your Data Are? - WSJ.com - 0 views

  • There's a basic consumer protection principle at work here, and it's the concept of "unfair and deceptive" trade practices.
    • sandy ingram
       
      Basically, a company shouldn't be able to say one thing and do another: sell used goods as new, lie on ingredients lists, advertise prices that aren't generally available, claim features that don't exist, and so on.
  • RealAge's privacy policy doesn't mention anything about selling data to drug companies, but buried in its 2,400 words, it does say that "we will share your personal data with third parties to fulfill the services that you have asked us to provide to you."
  • Cloud computing is another technology where users entrust their data to service providers. Salesforce.com, Gmail, and Google Docs are examples; your data isn't on your computer -- it's out in the "cloud" somewhere -- and you access it from your web browser.
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  • 69% of Americans now use some sort of cloud computing services
  • Google repeatedly assures customers that their data is secure and private, while published vulnerabilities demonstrate that it is not
  • Cloud computing services like Google Docs, and social networking sites like RealAge and Facebook, bring with them significant privacy and security risks over and above traditional computing models
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    Google's cloud computing services. On its website, Google repeatedly assures customers that their data is secure and private, while published vulnerabilities demonstrate that it is not.
sandy ingram

Few businesses are likely to be insured against the result of cyber attacks - Security ... - 0 views

  • Businesses are advised to thoroughly review risk management procedures and insurance programmes to ensure they have adequate and relevant cover in place: “The responsibility to get the house in order should lie with an organisation’s Managing Director or Finance Director, and not the IT department alone,” says Simon. “IT defences whilst vital only react to known problems and are not guaranteed to be 100 percent secure. Protection for the whole business and its sustainability is without doubt the safest option.”
  • “The economic downturn has resulted in people of all levels and responsibilities losing their jobs, and those with a detailed knowledge of their former employers’ IT and operating systems may well present a real potential threat, and turn to extortion as a way of taking revenge on their former employer, and of making some money at the same time.
  • According to The Wilson Organisation, insurers and underwriters are predicting a rise in white collar extortion as the recession continues to bite and unemployment figures increase. Worryingly many businesses do not have insurance cover for data or business loss.
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    According to The Wilson Organisation, insurers and underwriters are predicting a rise in white collar extortion as the recession continues to bite and unemployment figures increase. Worryingly many businesses do not have insurance cover for data or business loss. "According to a DTI Information Security Breaches Survey, a third of UK businesses think general business insurance provides full cover for damage to the business arising from data loss," comments Wilsons' Simon Hoare, "but the reality is quite different, with very few businesses likely to be insured against the result of cyber attacks on its most crucial management and business tool - corporate and customer information, most of which is today held on corporate IT systems. "For public company directors, this is in fact in breach of their duties under the Turnbull Report, which requires them to identify, manage and take an informed opinion on the transfer of risks for the business."
sandy ingram

FTC Red Flags Evaluation_for Low Risk Businesses - 0 views

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    Complying with the Red Flags Rule: A Do-It-Yourself Prevention Program for Businesses and Organizations at Low Risk for Identity Theft
sandy ingram

CEOs underestimate security risks, survey finds - 0 views

  • Computerworld - Compared to other key corporate executives, CEOs appear to underestimate the IT security risks faced by their own organizations, according to a survey of C-level executives released today by the Ponemon Institute.
  • of 213 CEOs, CIOs, COOs and other senior executives reveals what appears to be a perception gap between CEOs and other senior managers concerning information security issues.
  • 48% of CEOs surveyed said they believe hackers rarely try to access corporate data
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  • On the other hand, some 53% of other C-level executives believe that their company's data is under attack on a daily or even hourly basis.
  • The survey also found that the top executives were less aware of specific security incidents at their companies than other C-level executives and are more confident that data breaches can be easily avoided.
  • CEOs and other top managers differed in their opinion of who is responsible for protecting corporate data.
  • While eight out of 10 respondents said they believe there is one person responsible for data protection in their organization, there was a sharp difference of opinion on just who that person was.
  • More than half of the CEOs said that CIOs are responsible for protecting data at their companies; only 24% of other senior managers felt the same way
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    Computerworld - Compared to other key corporate executives, CEOs appear to underestimate the IT security risks faced by their own organizations, according to a survey of C-level executives released today by the Ponemon Institute.
sandy ingram

Databreach Calculator : Estimate Your Risk Exposure - 0 views

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    Since 2005, The Ponemon Institute has examined the cost incurred by organizations, across industry sectors, after experiencing a data breach. The results were not hypothetical responses. They represent cost estimates for activities resulting from actual data loss incidents. Based on five years of trend data, we have created a calculator that will estimate how much a data breach could cost your organization. We can calculate: The likelihood that your company will experience a data breach in the next 12 months. The cost per record in the event of a data breach at your Company. The cost of a data breach at your company. Answer a few short questions to find out how a data breach could impact your company as well as to see how you compare with other companies.
sandy ingram

Cracking Down on ID Theft: A Case for Cloud Computing - 0 views

  • The PCI Security Standards Council created the criteria, but the five leading credit card companies each maintain their own compliance and enforcement programs
  • and each has its own way to validate compliance.
  • In many cases, banks or merchant service providers are now sending letters to organizations that have smaller payment card transaction levels and asking them to prove they are compliant by completing a self-assessment questionnaire,
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  • If an organization can meet all of the requirements of PCI, it's going to be in great shape when it comes to HIPAA security compliance,"
  • The PCI standard applies only to those systems and applications used for storage, processing or transmission of cardholder data,
  • any organization that accepts credit and/or debit cards must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, but many hospitals and clinics have overlooked this obligation, says security expert Tom Walsh
  • Red Flags Compliance
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    In many cases, banks or merchant service providers are now sending letters to organizations that have smaller payment card transaction levels and asking them to prove they are compliant by completing a self-assessment questionnaire, he explains.
sandy ingram

Information governance policy issue: Who owns a governance program? - 0 views

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    "In risk-averse or highly litigious companies, the legal department should own the information governance program, but they should hire an information management person at a high level,"
sandy ingram

symantec state of security 2011 survey - 0 views

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    classifying confidential, sensitive information, knowing where it resides, who has access to it, and how it is coming in or leaving your organization . 
sandy ingram

Managing Cloud Risks - Forbes - 0 views

  • SLAs and the “Right to Audit” Clause When you move your data to the cloud, you must consider the risk to your brand should a breach occur. You need to ensure that any Service Level Agreements (SLAs) you have in place protect it. SLAs should address any and all risks to your data while it lives in the cloud. 
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    Vendor Risk Management and Cloud Security Standards Another important consideration when mapping out your cloud GRC strategy is to ensure your vendor risk management program accounts for the new risks that come with moving to the cloud.
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