Latest SME and SMB security News

Comodo's Internet Security 2012 software guarantees protection of computers against viruses and malware
posted on 01/11/2011

Industry analysts estimate upwards of 70 percent of websites are infected with malicious code and close to 90 percent of unwanted emails contain spam or malware. Couple the rate at which dangerous code is introduced, with the proliferation of social networking, and computer users are at an increased risk of infection and damage while working online at home or at work. In fact, according to the Ponemon Institute, businesses experience at least one malware attack every day. Comodo's Internet Security 2012 (CIS 2012) software guarantees protection of computers against viruses and malware through Comodo's patent pending Default Deny Protection™. Unlike other Internet security vendors, Comodo's solutions do not rely solely upon blacklisting known threats from executing on a computer. Blacklisting can only protect computer users from known threats and therefore cannot protect users from new malware created every day. Comodo's Default Deny Protection, however, uses a combination of firewall... [more]

Only half of organisations are using a professional company to oversee the destruction of their confidential data
posted on 31/10/2011

Despite the widely reported risks of data breaches and identity fraud, there remain serious gaps in how data disposal is handled by public and private sector organisations across the UK. According to new research carried out on behalf of the Information Destruction (ID) Section of the BSIA (British Security Industry Association), nearly 19% of organisations have been a victim of serious data fraud. Where such data breaches occurred it was noted by the respondents that half of these involved paper - demonstrating the need for effective shredding - and the rest were related to computer hard-drives. A third of organisations questioned are still relying on standard municipal waste disposal to deal with even the most sensitive of their information destruction needs, with all the dangers which that entails. The loss of data from hard-drives is perhaps not surprising given the number of headline-grabbing cases in recent years, concerning breaches of patient information and customer deta... [more]

If the underlying wireless network can be compromised by hackers, then the user ID and password can be eavesdropped
posted on 28/10/2011

Research from the Wi-Fi Alliance is that 97 per cent of respondents believed that their data on wireless devices and networks is safe and secure. However, whilst wireless users are now more aware of the need for security, many wireless networks are still insecure, and easy-to-use authentication may be a low-cost solution to the problem. According to Steve Watts, co-founder of SecurEnvoy commented “In fact, as recent developments in the field of password recovery software from the likes of Elcomsoft has shown, even a WPA2 password is crackable. Using the professional version of Elcomsoft's Wireless Security Auditor software, for example, allows `password recovery' to take place on a computer with up to 32 CPUs and 8 GPUs to crack WiFi encryption using a brute force attack”. “Review tests of Elcomsoft's WSA software have shown the application can brute force crack as many as 103,000 WPA2 passwords per second – that's more than six million passwords a minute - on an HD5390 graphics car... [more]

Honeywell releases complete high-definition video surveillance system for SMEs
posted on 24/10/2011

Honeywell's entry-level system combines Honeywell’s new MAXPRO® NVR (network video recorder) XE with the latest additions to its line of low-cost Performance Series IP cameras. This solution eases the transition from analogue to digital video for smaller companies such as retail and convenience stores, healthcare centres and professional office buildings who need sharper image quality typically associated with larger, more expensive security systems. Honeywell’s MAXPRO NVR XE solution currently supports PSIA video standards and will be expanded to support ONVIF video standards in Q4 2011. It includes four recommended entry-level, indoor and outdoor IP cameras recently added to the company’s Performance Series line. The resulting image quality can assist investigations by helping companies more accurately identify objects, people and activities captured on video. Additionally, the system helps operators quickly assess alarm event information by simultaneously displaying alarm, pre-alar... [more]

Management is naive when it comes to understanding how much privileged access their IT departments actually have
posted on 20/10/2011

According to a Lieberman Software survey, 42 percent of IT staff can get unauthorised access to their organisation’s most sensitive information – including the CEO’s private documents. The failing is blamed on management’s naivety when it comes to understanding just how much privileged access their IT departments actually have. 39 percent of the technology professionals interviewed in this study confirmed that that their senior management does not have the faintest idea what IT can and cannot access. And, a staggering 78 percent admitted they could walk out the office tomorrow taking highly sensitive information with them. However, perhaps the most alarming revelation is that a third of respondents say they’d still be able to access sensitive information long after leaving the company – as the result of lapses in the organisation’s security practices. Commenting on this research Philip Lieberman, president and CEO of Lieberman Software, said “Companies should wake up to the fact that... [more]

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