“Pick on someone your own size.” may just be the one and only thing cybercriminals agreed to. Increasingly, many smaller companies are now being targeted in order to gain information of their financial information, intellectual property, website and other competitive data that could be used to gain profits. Smaller companies, as cybercriminals are aware of, have business relationships with multiple different companies, including large businesses.

What the “hack” is going on?

By attacking smaller subcontractors, cybercriminals would have access to small amounts of information from many different companies. The theft of information which includes trade secrets, financial information and intellectual property can easily be sold to competitors or used as a threat to a company. According to Symantec, there was a 72 percent increase in targeted attacks on small businesses last year. The majority of the segments being targeted were companies with fewer than 250 employees.

During March, Hackmageddon reported that hacktivism and cyber crime are the largest motivations behind cyber attacks with 50 percent and 40 percent, respectively (see Hactivists on The Rise Compared To Cyber Criminals for security recommendations to prevent hactivism and cyber crime).

It is also important to notice the growing presence of cyber espionage as the primary reason for cyber attacks.
Liam O Murchu, manager of security response at California-based Symantec agreed: “We’re seeing a lot of what we believe is corporate espionage or espionage of some sort of other.”

How do I prevent cyber attacks?

The main reason cybercriminals are targeting smaller companies are because a larger company means a larger budget for securing their networks. As a smaller company, having full control of your network should be your main priority for security.

A recommended tool to use is AccessPatrol, which allows for protection from damaging malware to secure an organization’s network. Features included are preventing data theft and reducing system infections and this software is free to try.

Many cyber criminals target employees, so it is increasingly important for a company to monitor all internet access, downloads and emails with precautions. Last month, Microsoft announced that XP support was to end in April 2014, which means that Windows XP users will be at increasingly at risk from cyber attacks. In order to ensure appropriate Internet control and download restrictions, safe and reliable software must be used.

BrowseControl allows for internet access control, URL category filtering, and the ability to set restrictions to downloads, emails and other programs and chats. The free trial is also available to download, and is recommended for any company to prevent harmful malware and future cyber attacks.

The majority of businesses are smaller companies, and Microsoft Windows has the largest market share of operating systems used by companies. Myself, like many of you, will be familiar with these two groups and should be aware of all security options. Following these recommendations would allow you and your organization with enhanced security that will build a more secure and productive workplace.

By Anthony Trinh

The post Cyberattacks Now Targeting Smaller Companies appeared first on CurrentWare.

Windows XP, an operating system that had diverged its way around an evolving technological world, will officially stop being supported by Microsoft on April 8, 2014. With over 12 years of being arguably one of the most successful operating systems, Windows XP will no longer have additional security updates or other patches.

According to NetMarketShare, the 2013 figure (left) reveals that Windows XP has a total market share of 38.73%, just 6% lower than Windows 7. Last year in the 2012 figure (right), NetMarketShare revealed that Windows XP dominated the total market share with 43.74%. These figures show that users are increasingly shifting towards a newer operating system, which could essentially be the reason for Microsoft’s bold move. Despite a change in total market share, a large portion of users are still operating with Windows XP.

Why is this important?

Windows XP is the second most used Windows operating system today which means that if security updates and other patches are no longer supported, there will potentially be a significant number of users that would be affected with security issues on their computers. Similar to what happened with Windows 98 and Windows 2000, computers with Windows XP will continue to work as normal but in Microsoft’s words, will operate “at your own risk” with the issues of security vulnerability and potential malware to users.

What can I do if my computer is operating with Windows XP?

Personally like many of you, all of my documents and files are stored on one computer. This increases the importance of having the highest quality security on a computer.

A popular solution to prevent the threat of suspicious software or viruses to a network and to manage Internet access control is BrowseControl. BrowseControl is a high quality software program that will prevent security vulnerability and potential malware that may arise by operating with Windows XP. January 30 of this year we saw an updated version of BrowseControl with the new Category Filtering add-on. So even though Windows XP is no longer supported with updates, BrowseControl will be.

Another feature CurrentWare offers is AccessPatrol. Despite high security software that may have installed, it is essential to be protected from data theft, system infections and threat of networks. Without security support for Windows XP, there will be an increasing amount of online fraud, theft and hackers. AccessPatrol prevents these issues by allowing users to control endpoint devices and manage their security levels.

Having a secured computer can never be overdone and should always be managed carefully. Whether security updates are supported or not, you should always be responsible for manually securing your computer. By using high quality software that updates itself frequently, your computer should be safe regardless of a supported or an unsupported operating system.

For more tips on protecting your accounts and internet security, check out 6 Tips for Protecting your Email Account and Small Business Internet Security Tips.

By Anthony Trinh

The post XP Support to end in April 2014 appeared first on CurrentWare.

Social media usage in Canada and throughout the world is on the rise; it is quickly becoming a ubiquitous medium for social interaction. There have been reports that up to 75% of employees in North America utilize social media while at work. With such prolific usage, it is counterproductive for employers to simply ban and block outright all at-work social media usage.

As is often the case with prohibition, these banning strategies will likely just increase the drive of employees to find workarounds to reach their favourite sites. Unlike the Web 1.0 world, where web sites provided distractions in the form of information and entertainment, social media is providing unprecedented communication and data storage capabilities that are being integrated into the daily lives of many people. For these users, removing access to social media for a prolonged period of time may be inconceivable to them.

At the same time, it would be unwise for employers to simply open the floodgates of unrestricted social media access at work. The same data collection functions associated with social media that provide so much convenience for its users are also a source of privacy traps and leakages of proprietary information for companies and individual employees alike. In addition, reputations of companies can easily be compromised in the world of social media. There have been many instances of late where employees have abused official company social network accounts.

The first step to managing social media at the workplace should be in establishing appropriate rules and regulations. However, rule and regulations on their own do not make good preventative strategies. It is very easy for employees to unwittingly or mistakenly misuse social media. A careful selection of software offerings and software configurations can help provide effective safeguards from wrongful social media usage at work. These can range from simple changes like stricter browser configurations to utilizing access-control software such as BrowseControl or BrowseReporter.

A company-wise social media strategy cannot simply end with a list of do’s and do not’s. It should always include appropriate measures in the software that employees utilize every day.

The post Social Media in the Workplace appeared first on CurrentWare.

The statistics from this study paint quite a compelling story about this social media’s dropping popularity.

The study found that approximately 27% of Facebook users intend to spend less time on this site this year, while only 3% plan to spend more time. Currently, 61% of Facebook users have already taken a break from the site for several weeks and some of these departures have become permanent.

The reasons for taking a hiatus from Facebook range from being too busy, to being too bored with the site, to annoyance with excessive “drama”:

• Too busy – 21%
• Not interested – 10%
• Waste of time – 10%
• Excessive drama and gossip – 9%

Facebook faces increasing competition from other up and coming social media sites such as Twitter, Google+, Pinterest. According to the Pew Research, not everyone who leaves Facebook returns to the site. If Facebook starts to feel stale, more of its users will be taking permanent vacations from the site, like they did with the previous hot social site such as MySpace.

Check out the below infographic by Online Courses on the stats for user Facebook fatigue.

The post Are You A Victim of Facebook Fatigue? appeared first on CurrentWare.

Zendesk, a provider of cloud based customer service software for storing, organizing and answering emails, yesterday reported that a hacker had gained access to their servers. Key clients of Zendesk that were affected by this attack include Tumblr, Pinterest and Twitter. Customer email addresses of these 3 clients were stolen according to the Zendesk blog. While this data is not as valuable as credit card or bank account information, it definitely offers opportunity for spam and phishing attacks.

This breach is yet another reminder of our vulnerability on the cyberspace. One consideration would be to protect our email accounts. Below are 6 tips for protecting your email account.

1. Strong Password

We give out email addresses only too readily. However, the only security requirement for accessing our accounts is a password. Weak passwords give hackers easy access to vulnerable email accounts, giving them full control of the use and contents of the account. Ensure that your password is strong. Use numeric and alpha numeric characters, a combination of upper and lower case, and symbols. Tips for creating strong passwords.

2. Accessing Emails From Public PCs

If you have to access your email from a public PC, be sure to log off your account before leaving. You may even want to change your password after having accessed your email from a public PC.

3. Web address

Ensure that the connection to your email account is secure. Most secure connections will include https in the web address as well as the correct name of your provider (eg Google.com).

4. Suspicious Settings

Be alert for any unusual tabs or folders in your account. Regularly check the Sent folder and Contact list for any questionable entries.

5. Two Step Verification

Gmail users can consider using a higher level security known as the two-step verification. Signing in to the email account would involve both the use of a regular password and (periodically) a code that arrives on your phone.

6. Multiple Email Addresses

It’s often advisable to have multiple email addresses. Use one address for confidential correspondences and the other accounts for online purchases etc.

The post 6 Tips for Protecting your Email Account appeared first on CurrentWare.

Research by IDC shows that up to 40% of employee Internet activity is non-work related, costing employees thousands of dollars in lost employee productivity and increased exposure to outside attacks of the corporate network.

So how do employees address the consequences of non-work related browsing? Restricting Internet access can create a repressive work environment, damaging employee confidence and morale. Instead a more flexible approach could be considered.

A popular solution to this dilemma is to allow Internet access but block inappropriate sites. This can be a daunting task, however, the BrowseControl URL Category Filtering offers an efficient and straight forward means of instantly blocking unauthorized sites. Consisting of over 100 URL categories, which cover thousands of domains, Category Filtering empowers employees to easily block offensive web content. Through a user friendly central Console, administrators can instantly implement Internet restriction policies, affording greater control of Internet access, enterprise wide. By simply selecting the desired categories to be blocked, users are immediately blocked from thousands of offensive websites.

Implementing Internet Usage Policies can effectively improve employee productivity without being overly intrusive to employees.

The post Should Companies Restrict Web Access? appeared first on CurrentWare.

Irrespective of their size, organizations today are faced with the challenge of keeping up with Internet security while enhancing employee productivity and morale. While a tight control on Internet access can mitigate Internet risks, this can often prove to be damaging to employee confidence. With the ever increasing number of objectionable and unsafe sites, web filtering can be a laborious task.

The CurrentWare Category Filtering offers an efficient and straight forward means of instantly blocking unauthorized sites. The extensive list of more than 100 URL Categories encompasses a wide range of URLs that can be blocked, while still giving employees access to pertinent and safe sites. From the central Console, administrators can instantly implement Internet restriction policies, affording greater control of Internet access, enterprise wide. Category Filtering in combination with the existing URL filtering functionality, offers an ideal balance of security and flexibility thus enhancing employee productivity.

CurrentWare’s CEO, Jay Lakhani, is very confident that the new Category Filtering feature will provide more granular Internet control across the network. ”Our Internet filtering solution, BrowseControl, has successfully enhanced Internet security while boosting employee productivity. We are excited to introduce Category Filtering which will provide an added benefit of blocking millions of objectionable web sites instantly with a few simple clicks.”

Key benefits of the new BrowseControl include:

Enhanced Internet Security

Blocking multiple categories of objectionable sites helps to reduce attacks from viruses, spyware and malware, since these sites are quite often the source of common sources of malicious links and files.

Improved Productivity

While blocking Internet access is impractical, unlimited web access results in wasteful web surfing and reduced productivity. Category Filtering gives the employer full control of providing users access to legitimate sites while blocking inappropriate content. Productivity is enhanced and employee morale is salvaged.

Ease of Use

The ease of instantly blocking objectionable sites from a selection of over 100 categories gives administrators a high level of control of deploying polices that are in line with company usage polices. In addition, the local URL filtering, gives the added flexibility of going beyond the categories, by adding specific URLs to the Allowed or Blocked lists. Granular policy enforcement that complies with legal and corporate policies can be accomplished efficiently and easily.

BrowseControl 4.3 is available at http://www.currentware.com/browsecontrol/

The post BrowseControl – Category Filtering is Here! appeared first on CurrentWare.

Below are some tips that Small Businesses can implement:

1. Employ Internet access security software

Internet security can include implementing Internet restriction solutions which would limit employee Internet use. Users are allowed access to company authorized sites only. Examples of such solutions include BrowseControl.

While, restricting Internet access may not always be conducive to business needs, an Internet monitoring solution is often a favourable option. Internet use is not limited to employees, however, their surfing activity is logged into comprehensive reports. This allows managers to identify users that of excessive Internet use for personal purposes. BrowseReporter is a popular solution for monitoring Internet usage.

2. Be wary of Social Engineering

Educate employees about not giving away confidential information on social media sites that may compromise company security.

3. Password Security

Security breaches are often the result of poor password choices. Strong or secure passwords included alpha numeric characters, numbers and upper and lower case letters. Employees should be instructed to regularly change their passwords every few month.

4. Backup Data

Virus or malware attacks can often render data unusable. Backup procedures of company information should performed regularly. Typically the backup should be stored in multiple locations (onsite and offsite) for security purposes.

The post Small Business Internet Security Tips appeared first on CurrentWare.

Below are some key threats to keep in mind as the new year unfolds.

Phishing Emails

Phishing emails give the appearance of being sent from legitimate companies. The purpose of these messages is to attempt to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information such as login credentials (username/password), full name, credit card details etc.. The content of the phishing email is intended to alarm you and trigger a quick reaction from you. Typically the intent is to get you to disclose sensitive information such as bank account and pin numbers. Be suspicious about such emails, pick up the phone and speak to the company that sent this email to verify it’s validity. Very few companies would request personal information through an email.

Social Media

Social networking tools have changed the way we interact both at the professional and personal level. With their increasing popularity, they also bring tremendous opportunities for network threats and scammers. Be prudent of sharing personal information. The more information you share, the more likely someone could impersonate you to entice your circle of friends/associates to share personal information, download malware or get access to restricted sites.

Cloud Computing

The increasing popularity of moving data to the cloud provides many conveniences but it also comes with substantial risks. The risk of exposure is substantial, especially when using mainstream public tools such as Dropbox, Google apps etc.. Practice caution when uploading data that is confidential. Many end users naively choose convenience over security. Educate employees about the importance of keeping corporate data within the confines of corporate resources.

Passwords

Many of use tend to use simple passwords such as a spouse’s names, birthdays etc, which compromises our security. Applying more complex passwords makes it difficult for hackers to use automated tools for cracking passwords. Avoid writing passwords, best to commit them to memory.

Happy 2013!

The post IT Security Tips for 2013 appeared first on CurrentWare.

The CurrentWare Suite delivers an enterprise level security solution, encompassing, Internet filtering, web monitoring, endpoint security and power management functions.  From a single console, administrators and managers can effectively enforce Internet restriction policies, monitor employee web activity and prevent proprietary data theft through mobile devices.

The CurrentWare suite includes:

BrowseControl, the flagship solution, provides a secure means of restricting and filtering employee Internet access, block access to unproductive applications such as online chat programs and more.

BrowseReporter is a reliable solution for monitoring and reporting on employee Internet use.  Comprehensive reports and charts showing employee Internet activity can be automatically generated and emailed on a scheduled basis.

AccessPatrol addresses total endpoint security for USB blocking, storage device control and endpoint data loss prevention (DLP).

enPowerManager CurrentWare’s contribution to Green IT, supports power management of PCs.

Key enhancements in version 4.2.0.6 include:

• Enhanced technology for website tracking and reporting.  Employee Internet usage is accurately logged and reported for the latest versions of IE, Chrome and FireFox.
• The improved CurrentWare agent provides sharper performance for filtering and monitoring Internet access.
• A single client setup file for both 32 and 64 bit
• Streamlined installation of the CurrentWare solutions. BrowseControl, BrowseReporter, AccessPatrol and enPowerManager installs integrated with the Server/Console install.

Pricing starts at $199 for a 5 pack.  For more details please contact your local CurrentWare rep http://www.currentware.com/contact/

The post CurrentWare 4.2.0.6 Released – Enhance Internet Security, Increase Employee Productivity! appeared first on CurrentWare.