Survey: Wireless tech under security threat
Laptop Battery As small businesses increasingly implement wireless networks and mobile tech, the security precautions they employ may not sufficiently defend their data, warns the American Small Business Travelers Alliance (ASBTA)
The iolo Threat Center provides timely information about the latest computer threats, and provides additional tools that can help you improve the security of your computer.
Thinkpad The U.S. alliance provides services and functions focused specifically on the travel needs and interests of small business owners.
You want locks on doors, password protected access to servers and surveillance cameras everywhere. You also want to make sure that the web host tracks all tech activities. With laptops, PDAs, wireless technology and other advancements, know tech can hack a server from the lunchroom using his or her own laptop – he has the right information. And they do. Open access to servers and to security information should be strictly limited – on a “ know” basis. All you need is one “disgruntled employee” to gum up the works if that employee has access to security data, or worse, to the server room itself.
Microsoft ASBTA's recent Mobile Professional Survey indicated that a majority of small business owners and employees consider wireless technology essential to their business and rely on wireless devices, such as laptop computers, mobile phones, smart phones and PDAs, to stay connected.
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Laptop Computers Unfortunately, the survey also revealed that although nearly all of the survey respondents indicated that they use antivirus software and/or firewalls to protect their wireless data, very few are protecting their mobile technology from advanced data security threats and equipment theft.
Use this as your 'gateway' to connect multiple computers, including laptops, to your wireless network.
Laptop Computer "Whether it's at the office, in the local coffee shop, or halfway across the world, mobile technology is at risk from more than just viruses, adware and your basic garden-variety hackers," said Chuck Sharp, ASBTA President.
While most laptops today feature integrated wireless connectivity, that is, they already have everything they need to connect to a wireless connection, some do require the use of a plug in card. standard PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) slots on your laptop (the PCMCIA slots are the little doors on the side of your laptop which are about the width of a mobile phone and around half a centimetre thick). Once the card is plugged in and set up (youa ll need to install appropriate driver software), youa ll be able to connect to a wireless network.
Desktop Computer "While antivirus software and firewalls are critical to computer security, they are only a baseline defense to protecting company data, and they don't even begin to protect against the theft of expensive mobile equipment."
Notebooks Like antivirus and antispyware programs and firewalls, virtual private networks (VPNs) are an easy and cost-effective mobile security measure.
Lenovo VPNs allow for secure encrypted remote connections and prevent unauthorized users from accessing a company's data. Surprisingly, only 11 percent of the small businesses surveyed by ASBTA indicated they utilize VPNs.
Hard Drive Where a company VPN is not a realistic option, a number of alternatives do exist, including Symantec's line of pcAnywhere software products, and online solutions like GoToMyPC ( www.gotomypc.com ).
Travelstar Intel's online guide, "Wireless Networks for Small Business," ( http://www.intel.com/business/smallbusiness/wireless/index.htm ), offers a number of other simple ways small businesses can secure their wireless data, including changing default settings for WLAN access points, disabling SSID broadcasting, and using Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) instead of Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) for WLAN security.
Gateway Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of mobile security is protecting the actual equipment from loss and theft.
Laptop Parts Security cables and locks for laptops and cases, as well as equipment alarms, offer protection against theft both at the office and in unsecured environments like coffee shops, hotels and waiting areas.
Software In the event a theft does occur, a number of products offer encryption technology to protect data from unauthorized users, and tracking technology to locate the device, including Computrace by Absolute Software ( http://www.absolute.com ), and The CyberAngel by CyberAngel Security Solutions ( http://thecyberangel.com ).
Hard Drives "It's great to see that small businesses are making sure their technology investment is protected from viruses and spyware," said Sharp.
Electronics "But it's vital that they don't develop a false sense of security if they are using only those basic security measures, especially when advanced solutions for data and equipment protection are so readily available."
