Sep 12, 2013 | SMB Technology
Earlier this week Apple announced their new line up of iPhones. The iPhone 5c is a new model catering to smartphone users on a budget, while the iPhone 5s is their newest flagship product. The iPhone 5s features a new fingerprint sensor known as “Touch ID” designed to provide access to your new iPhone 5s with the touch of a finger versus a four digit passcode. Mobile Security Concerns According to research by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) mobile device theft or loss is a top concern among IT professionals and small business owners. CompTIA research also indicates that requiring a pass code to unlock a mobile device passcode is the most utilized defense according to 76% of those surveyed. But is a four digit passcode enough? Apple “Touch ID” improves Mobile Security Biometrics are far from perfect however, Apple Touch ID is expected to increase mobile security over a four digit pass code. Apple’s four digit passcode is limited to 10,000 combinations and can be cracked by an expert in under six minutes. Because some are concerned that Apple Touch ID stores fingerprints on its’ new A7 processor Apple will continue to provide the four digit pass code option for those who choose not use use Apple Touch ID. Other Mobile Security Concerns Through cloud sharing applications, Social Media, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) adoption and other mobility trends, mobile devices can create a hole in your company’s IT security architecture. Access to corporate applications and their data, privacy information and commingling of personal and company assets add to the mobile security challenge. Mobile devices are the...
Aug 9, 2013 | SMB Technology
If you have a mobile workforce who use mobile devices within your business you want them to be productive, connected and have secure access to your companies applications and data. According to a recent research report by the Computing Technology Industry Association, mobile workers complain about poor connection speeds 49% of the time. In addition, mobile workers have difficulty transferring data and also are challenged by applications that are not optimized for the mobile environment. Make Sure Your Network is Ready for the Mobile Workforce Your Mobile workforce need ssecure and ready access to your network via WiFi communications while in your office. If you WiFi is insufficient your workers will suffer unnecessary downtime or slow connections and you will lose productivity and have decrease worker satisfaction. Secure your Mobile Workforce You also need to make sure those devices connecting to your corporate network are authorized and secure with the latest anti malware updates and O/S Patches for their specific mobile device. Mobile devices are the target of malware, phising schemes and virus threats. These exploits could expose your company and your data to data leaks or losses resulting in privacy and data breach. Undetected, your company could face fines, loss of reputation and other business interruption issues. Make Sure Your Data and Voice Plans Have Policy Control No one likes big surprises at the end of the month, so managing expenses for your mobile workforce should take into consideration travel and various roaming and out of network charges. Make sure your policies are clear who is responsible for voice and data usage and what is or is not...
Mar 25, 2013 | SMB Technology
Mobility in the workforce is increasing productivity and driving savings for small to medium sized companies. Recent research from the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) uncovers 73% of small businesses surveyed cite they have a mobile device strategy driven by moderate to heavy focus for Mobility to make employees in the field more productive. Moreover, 58% of respondents have productivity gains for travelling employees as a moderate to heavy focus to include smart phones, tablet PCs and laptop computers in their businesses. Connecting employees with customers was cited as a moderate to heavy focus for driving Mobility strategies by 55% of those surveyed, while 48% cited eCommerce as a moderate to heavy focus in their Mobility strategies. To take full advantage of smart phones, tablet PCs and laptop computers in your company, there are a few precautions to consider when rolling out a mobile solution. Here are a few tips to consider to get the most from your Mobility solution: Check your Mobile Security Policy Some mobile devices may be vulnerable to trojans, malware and phishing schemes. Ensure that your Mobile Solution includes security measures to keep devices connected to your network, corporate applications and data are up to date with mobile anti-virus and mobile-anti malware protection. Passwords aren’t enough to protect your devices, therefore, companies must also encrypt corporate data on mobile devices and be prepared to remotely locate and wipe lost or stolen mobile devices. Check your Network Bandwidth for your Mobility Solution Some mobile applications can put a strain on your companies wireless network. To receive maximum productivity from your employees using mobile devices in the...
Jan 9, 2013 | SMB Technology
New iPad at work? Make sure it is secure. With the holiday season behind us, as expected, many employees are coming to work with shiny new tablet computers including Android Tablets, Microsoft Windows RT Tablets and the new Apple iPad Mini. Your company may have a “Bring Your Own Device” mobile device management policy that allows employees to use these devices at work and, in some cases, for work. Maybe you made that year-end corporate purchase to outfit your staff with the new iPad. Either way, you need to make sure your corporate network, applications and data stay secure as these mobile devices enter the workplace. Here are a few tips to make sure your mobile device policies are in place, so your employees can use those new iPads securely. Review your Mobile Device Policy Does your company have a written mobile device policy? If not, you should put that in place. The top issues with mobile devices, such as a new iPad, are related to loss or theft. Because these devices may have access to your corporate applications and data, including email, customer and inventory data, make sure your employees know what is acceptable use for these mobile devices. Is it ok to store corporate data on personal devices within your company? Conversely, can employees store personal data on a corporate owned mobile device? Either way, have a stated mobile device policy so you can measure compliance with your mobile device policies and procedures. Proactively Manage Your New iPad You can secure your iPad in case of loss or theft by keeping an audit of the...
Dec 7, 2012 | SMB Technology
2013 IT Trends There are a number of driving factors that will influence 2013 IT trends. These trends include Mobility, Cloud Computing, Disaster Recovery and IT Security. These 2013 IT trends will influence IT budgets and plans, while enabling companies to take advantage of mobile computing, enterprise infrastructure, software as a service (SaaS), social networks and more. Here are some predictions for 2013. Mobility A top 2013 IT Trend is Mobility. Mobility and mobile device management go hand in hand. Most IT industry analysts agree market growth of smartphones and tablet computers will outpace PCs in 2013. The IT Industry research firm IDC is now projecting that 172.4 million tablets will ship in 2013. Mary Meeker, former internet analyst turned venture capitalist noted 24% of Black Friday shopping occurred on a smartphone or tablet in 2012. Microsoft also hopes to get a large share of the tablet PC market with its recent release of Microsoft Windows 8 RT Tablet. This trend in mobility will drive the greater need for Mobile Device Management and mobile security as more corporate data will reside on and be accessed by mobile devices than ever before. Cloud Computing Another 2013 IT Trend is Cloud Computing. In 2012 many companies turned to the cloud to access enterprise class infrastructure, remote support, online backup and software as a service (SaaS) for critical applications, such as email, sales force automation (SFA) and customer relationship management (CRM). Expect additional growth in cloud adoption from managed security solutions for anti-virus and anti-malware protection, as well as other data protection services. IT research firm Gartner predicts by 2015 ten percent...
