Latest Data management and data security News

Effective enterprise security cannot be addressed at the perimeter alone
posted on 20/05/2010

Perimeter network defence alone is insufficient to combat the full range of enterprise security threats. A defence-in-depth approach focused on protecting the confidentiality and integrity of data, while providing authenticated access to computing resources, is necessary to mitigate today’s risks. Paradigm shifts such as cloud-computing, software as- a-service, and remote data warehousing add significant challenges, as does the proliferation of sophisticated botnets and small, inexpensive, high-capacity portable storage devices. This article outlines a balanced approach to enterprise security: defending the perimeter while protecting interior services and critical data. The Advancing Threat Environment Business or mission impacts result when threats exploit vulnerabilities through an access vector to affect targets. The relationship between these attack components is many-to-many with a large number of combinations yielding a vast set of threads against which the enterprise must be p... [more]

Mobile users must remain vigilant when using mobile data services on their phones
posted on 19/05/2010

Ericsson recently announced that global data traffic has overtaken voice traffic for the first time. Mobile users are reminded to remain vigilant when using mobile data services on their phones or via mobile broadband dongles. “The rise of the Smartphone has brought about a revolution in the way we use our phones,” says Simeon Coney, VP Business development, AdaptiveMobile. “Whereas two years ago it was all about voice and text, these days our mobile handset is about so much more than that – it’s an extension of our connection to internet content, services and applications and for many users is more immediate than the laptop or PC. Unfortunately this upsurge in mobile data usage brings with it the demands of traffic types often not anticipated by the network. “For mature markets, these risks are often associated with cost. Users often remain unaware of the levels of background data access their handset and PC applications are demanding – experiencing a shock when roaming charges are l... [more]

Safeguarding confidential information is one of the most important obligations that telecom providers have to their customers
posted on 18/05/2010

Privacy protection is termed as the most critical issue arising out of the usage of the mobile location services. The primary concern has been with unauthorised surveillance, i.e. enabling others to track you without your knowledge or approval. Not only is your location at any point in time particularly personal to you – because your location can reveal a great deal about you and who you associate with – but it also invokes concerns about the potential for unwanted physical contact and hence risks to personal safety and security. In this early stage of the development of location services, the only viable source of location data was from mobile operators, and the capability of the platforms and devices most users were using were limited. In the last few years, however, as Vodafone Group Services Limited’s head of Legal - Privacy, Security & Content Standards, Stephen Deadman points out, the industry has seen a number of important developments, with the consequence that location services... [more]

Protegrity and Thales integration enables customers to protect sensitive data from acquisition to deletion
posted on 14/05/2010

Protegrity USA, Inc. has announced a partnership with Thales to strengthen sensitive data protection specific to the protection of cardholder data and personally identifiable information. Through this partnership, Protegrity has integrated the Protegrity Data Security Platform, one of the broadest protection platforms in the market and the first to offer flexibility in data protection supporting encryption, tokenization, format controlled encryption, and masking, with the Thales nShield product family of hardware security modules (HSMs). The Protegrity and Thales integration enables customers to protect sensitive data from acquisition to deletion, leveraging hardened protection capabilities throughout the data’s lifecycle. This solution leverages Protegrity’s capability to protect cardholder data as it travels from its earliest acquisition point at the store, to its analysis in the data warehouse. This partnership effectively takes the complexities and time out of deploying traditional ... [more]

Travelling business managers are putting company data at risk
posted on 07/05/2010

According to a report by Absolute® Software Corporation and the Ponemon Institute, 59 per cent of UK business managers admit to leaving their laptop with a stranger when travelling. The annual ‘Human Factor in Laptop Encryption’ study, which tracks the perception of the effectiveness of encryption solutions and actions taken by IT and business managers to secure their laptops, shows that business managers are continuing to put company data at risk by leaving laptops under the watchful eye of other travellers. “Whether it’s a case of leaving a laptop with a fellow train passenger while at the buffet car, or leaving a laptop unattended in a hotel restaurant, business managers are ignoring basic common sense, which is putting potentially sensitive information at risk,” said Dave Everitt, general manager (EMEA) at Absolute Software. Another key finding of the report shows that 35 per cent of UK business managers record their encryption password on a Post-it Note to jog their memory or... [more]

Other Security news and resources