Mobile Security

Lost Or Stolen University Laptop Computers Could Cost Your School A Fortune

Posted on: November 4th, 2011 by Heather No Comments

Having a lost or stolen network laptop computer can be a very costly error for colleges and universities, especially if the missing computer is being used to store personal data about students, faculty, alumni, applicants, contributors or volunteers at the school.

Men stealing a laptop computer

In recent news, Warren County Community College in New Jersey confirmed that an employee "working from home in the evenings" lost a laptop computer that contained the personal information, including the names and social security numbers of as many as 5,461 people, including past and present students and college applicants.

In response to this data breach, the college has set up a privacy hotline and has offered those that were affected by the breach a one year membership with Experian's ProtectMyId service.

Last month it was disclosed that Cal State Bakersfield had a wide array of electronic equipment lost or stolen from their campus. This included 83 computers - 20 of which were laptops - valued at almost $165,000.

The items were found missing after the school did an inventory check of items owned from 2008 until February 2011.

Other missing items at CSU Bakersfield included cameras, copiers, a server, projectors and even a potters wheel. While some of the computers were located, 80 of these computers remain accounted for. It's expected that the college will write off any unrecovered computer equipment from their inventory.

Laptop computers remain to be a highly targeted item for thieves, whether it's owned by an individual or an organization such as university. Anyone that wants to protect their valuable computer assets and sensitive data would be well served to use encryption on Email, files and other sensitive data to keep unauthorized people from accessing key data.

Laptop security adds an extra layer of security so laptop computers can be locked down, preventing the person that has the machine from using it or reselling it. GPS tracking and IP logging aid in identifying it's physical location so it can be recovered.

Losing a laptop computer with critical information not only costs your Organization the loss of the physical equipment, it also damages your reputation and could cost your college thousands of dollars to pay for credit monitoring for anyone affected by it, which increases the overall cost for non-compliance as it pertains to laptop security best practices.

Remember - it's always better to be safe, than sorry. Especially as it relates to laptop computer security.

23 Million People Are Expected To Fly For Thanksgiving - Tips To Keep Your Laptop Safe

Posted on: November 3rd, 2011 by Heather No Comments

According to the Air Transport Association’s annual Thanksgiving travel forecast, over 23 million passengers are expected to fly on domestic and International flights from November 18 through November 29, 2011. The busiest travel days are expected to be Sunday, Nov. 27 and Monday, Nov. 28, followed by Friday, Nov. 18.

Millions of people will be flying for the holidays. Keep your laptop computer saf.

Protect Your Laptop While Traveling

If you're one of the over 23 million people scheduled to fly during this busy time and you'll be carrying your computer in tow, here are a few tips for keeping your laptop - and data stored on it - safe during the busy travel season:

Make sure you have a copy of your laptop computer's make, model and serial number in a safe place in case you need it.
Never check your laptop computer as baggage. Laptop computers should always be carry-on, so you have it closer to your person at all times. Laptop computers that are checked baggage could be damaged in transit or lost all together.
Don't leave your laptop computer unattended at dining courts, airport terminals or other public places where it could be targeted for theft.
If you use your laptop computer in any capacity to store sensitive information like patient, client or customer data, be sure you're using encryption to protect this data from being accessed by unauthorized people.
Keep a careful eye on your laptop computer when going through security checkpoints and scanners. If your computer has already passed inspection, but you haven't, this gives thieves the window of opportunity they need to quickly steal your laptop. Don't forget to pick it up once you've been cleared.
Make sure you have a laptop security solution installed on your laptop prior to departure. This way if your laptop computer goes missing, you can lock it down and prevent unauthorized access to your sensitive data and stop the perpetrators from using the machine or trying to resell it. Other features like GPS tracking, IP tracking and a picture from your built in webcam can help in recovering the device.

Don't let this Thanksgiving be the year that you lost your laptop at LaGuardia - or any other airport, for that matter. I hope these helpful tips make your holiday travels safer and more enjoyable!

Encryption Protects Data Stored On USB Drives, CD’s And DVD’s

Posted on: November 1st, 2011 by Heather No Comments

If your company stores sensitive data about clients, customers or patients on removable media such as USB thumb drives, CD's or DVD's, protecting this sensitive information from being accessed by the wrong people is key to preventing a security breach within your organization.

Physicians need to encrypt hard media for maximum security.

CD's DVD's and USB sticks that contain sensitive information should always be encrypted.

In recent news, encryption could have been key to protecting information that was contained on a laptop and a USB stick that stored the medical records of 430 Vancouver General Hospital patients including their date of birth, medical diagnosis and their names.

The laptop and USB stick was entrusted to a medical student that was attending a conference in Toronto when they came up missing. To make matters worse, there was a 12 day delay in reporting the unaccounted for devices to the proper authorities.

This story is a timely reminder that the portable nature of USB thumb drives, CD's and DVD's makes encryption a "must have" for any business or organization that uses them for storing or sharing personally identifiable information such as social security numbers, payment information, patient data, medical history, student records, birthdates, or other sensitive information.

How does encryption work?

By adding a layer of protection using AES 256 bit encryption, it assures that unauthorized people are prevented from accessing key data stored on these types of hard media. This keeps your information safe, even if the USB drive, CD or DVD is lost or stolen, because the person that has physical ownership of the device(s) won't have the proper credentials to access the files and data stored therein.

What other ways does encryption protect my business?

Losing critical information is problematic for any organization, so encrypting key information helps protect your business reputation by protecting information about your clients, staff, patients and others. Additionally, encryption helps avoid costly fines and penalties that could be levied against you in the event of a data breach as a result of an unsecured USB drive, CD or DVD being lost or stolen.

Security is key in 2011 and beyond - Encryption keeps your critical data safe at all times.

If you'd like to safeguard yourself against data breaches by way of physical media, we can help! Please contact us or Request A Quote for Encryption services today. We're always happy to help.

Laptop Thefts Reign In Police Blotters

Posted on: October 25th, 2011 by Heather No Comments

Laptop thefts happen all the time everywhere.

Police Reports Are Filled With Stolen Laptops

All you need to do is a quick Google News search to find published police blotters to see how prevalent this crime really is. Here are a few snippets from various reporting agencies in *recent news:

Huntsville, Alabama - A home was burglarized between 5:30 and 8:45 p.m. Sunday. A PlayStation 3 game system, a laptop computer, a Verizon hotspot and $2,500 in cash were stolen.

Howard County, Baltimore - Between 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Oct. 22, an unknown number of suspects forced open a sliding glass door and entered a residence, stealing two laptops and a video game system.

Altadena, California - Between 9:45 PM and 10:22 PM – A residential burglary. Suspect(s) entered the residence by breaking the deadbolt from the door. Loss: black Lenvo 15” laptop, black HP 15” monitor, gray Direct TV receiver.

Los Angeles, California - 1. Residential burglary. 7:15 to 10:20 p.m. Oct. 14. Entry through an open window. The location was ransacked. A laptop computer was reported stolen. 2. Theft. 5 p.m. Oct. 11 to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 16, Laptop computers were reported stolen from an open office.

These reports show that laptop computers and other electronics remain a popular target for thieves because they are easily portable and they retain value in the shady aftermarket. It also proves that your laptop computer is never safe from being stolen, even if it's in your own home.

Laptop computers that aren't equipped with laptop security measures can easily be resold or pawned for quick cash, but smart Laptop computer owners that have pre-installed laptop security can stop a cash strapped thief dead in his tracks AND get his laptop computer returned to him using the right solution that allows him/her to remotely lock down the laptop computer(s) so it can't be used by unauthorized people. This protects your sensitive data, such as your Email contact list, personal photographs, sensitive files and other information from falling into the wrong hands and exploiting any kind of data stored on the laptop computer.

Other features that a fully functional laptop security program should provide include a device scream that makes the laptop computer difficult to handle, it should be able to take a picture from the built in webcam that identifies who the culprit is, it should provide a lock screen that urges the finder to return it to the rightful owner. Other important software features include IP tracking that allows you to identify the specific IP address your laptop is being used from and GPS tracking to give you an approximate location of the laptop computer as well as a satellite photo of the suspected location of your computer.

As they say in football, "the best defense is a good offense" and this rings true as it pertains to protecting your laptop computer (or computers.)

If you're looking for an affordable solution to securing your laptop computer, we can help! We invite you to sign up for a no obligation, Free 7 day trial on laptop security services to protect yourself in the case of laptop loss or theft.

*Victim address/locations removed.

Small Business Internet Security Survey Turns Up Interesting Data

Posted on: October 24th, 2011 by Heather No Comments

The results of the annual Small Business Internet Security Survey, conducted by Zogby International in partnership with Symantec and the National Cyber Security Alliance turned up interesting data on how Small businesses addressed Internet security concerns within their organizations.

Small Business Survey On Internet Security

Viruses and other internet threats are a concern for many small businesses.

1,045 Americans were polled for the study.

Key Findings

76% of those polled said that 75% to 100% of their employees used the internet everyday.
Employees used the Internet for many reasons, the most popular (82%) being communicating with customers, followed by Research (79%) and communications with vendors/partners (70%).
63% of those polled did not have Social Media usage policies in place.
66% of those polled considered themselves to be "very dependent" on the Internet for everyday business operations.
67% said that their business has become more dependent on the Internet over the last 12 months.
59% of those polled said they were personally responsible for the IT needs at their business - 85% didn't have an Internal IT manager to take care of backups, site management and other critical updates.
Small businesses handle multiple kinds of sensitive data - Customer data accounted for 69%; Financial records and reports accounted for 49%; Credit card information weighed in at 34% and Personal Employee data accounted for 32%.
38% of all employees had access to the same information on the network.
69% responded that Internet security was critical to their business and their business success.
40% offered training on how to keep their computers secure - 42% did not.
56% responded that they didn't have clearly defined Internet usage policies to outline what websites and web services employees are allowed to use on the job.
67% allowed employees to use USB devices in the workplace.
32% of those polled responded that viruses were the biggest concern with employee use of the Internet, followed by Malware at 17%.
Mobile device usage is largely permitted with 72% responding that they allow it in the workplace.
26% of employees can access company files and data remotely from their mobile device.
53% responded that they were more concerned with an external threat such as hacker or cybercriminal than an Internal threat such as an employee or contractor stealing data (10%).
29% responded that they used encryption to protect customer data.

This release of this study coincides with the 8th Annual National Cyber Security Month which is sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security to help educate individuals, businesses and organizations about the importance of Internet security to protect yourself against data breaches, identity theft and other Internet threats.

The study had an error margin of +/- 3.1 percentage points and the full report can be found here.

Five Tips For Avoiding Laptop Theft Or Loss

Posted on: October 18th, 2011 by Heather

Laptop computers are a popular device for thieves to steal because they're portable, usable and are worth a couple hundred dollars if they're resold or pawned for cash.

Secure Your Laptop Computer

Here are 5 tips to help you avoid having your laptop computer lost or stolen.

1. If you're using your laptop computer in a library, restaurant, student hall, coffee shop or in other public places, never leave your computer unattended - even for a minute. It only takes a couple of seconds for someone to swipe your laptop while you're getting a quick refill or going to the bathroom. Although it might seem a bit inconvenient to bring your laptop with you whenever you need to move, imagine the feeling you'd have when you return to find it missing.

2. If you must use your laptop at public places and don't want to be burdened with packing up your laptop every time you need to move, use a laptop lock and security cable to deter thieves from trying to steal it. (Although I'd still refer to #1 and say "bring it with you" just to be on the safe side.)

3. Never leave your laptop computer in plain sight in a vehicle. If you leave your laptop in an unlocked car, stealing your device is easy. Even if the car is locked, a motivated thief probably wouldn't think twice about smashing out a car window to get it. Carry your laptop with you or tuck it away in the trunk if bringing it with you isn't convenient. The same can be said for leaving your laptop computer in plain sight at your home. If you're leaving the house, be sure to shut your laptop computer off and put it away someplace safe where it can't be easily found, like a closet or cabinet.

4. If you're flying, always bring your laptop computer as "carry-on" luggage. Airports are a hotbed for laptop computer loss or theft due to the fast moving nature of the industry. Nearly 12,000 laptop computers are reported missing weekly at US airports alone, and 65% of them are never recovered. Travelers need to take extra care to assure that their laptop computer stays under their care at all times.

5. Use theft protection technology or laptop security software. Running laptop security software helps protect your laptop computer - and the sensitive information stored on it - safe in the event that your laptop computer goes missing. A reliable laptop security software solution should offer owners a remote way to lock their computer from being used, a warning screen upon startup, IP tracking, a device scream to alert and discourage use, a webcam picture of the person attempting to use the device, GPS and satellite pictures of the suspected location and encourages whoever has the device to return it to the original owner.

I hope that these five tips are helpful in keeping your costly investment of a laptop computer safe for a long, long time.

How To Increase Your Business’ Cybersecurity Measures For Laptop Security

Posted on: October 9th, 2011 by Heather

Cybersecurity is a growing concern for businesses worldwide, especially for organizations that maintain fleets of computers for their employees to use for work related tasks.

Protect Sensitive Data On Your Laptop From Access

Cybersecurity Remains A Big Responsibility For Businesses

This is why companies and organizations that want to increase their cybersecurity efforts would be well served to consider laptop security software as an affordable and easy to deploy method to protect their laptop computers in the event of loss or theft.

Mobile Workforces Pose More Security Risks

As businesses work towards efficiency, more employees work non-conventionally from home, at virtual offices and even when they're "on the road." While mobile workforces are great for maximizing productivity within your organization, these mobile workers can increase the chance that one of your laptop computers could be lost or stolen, especially if these employees are required to travel.

A recent web based study conducted by the Ponemon Institute that included 714 participants in the security/ IT field found that airports, hotels, rental cars, taxis and industry conferences were the most common place for laptop computers to come up missing.

31% of respondents said they didn't know how many laptops were lost or stolen in the past year within their organization. Additionally, more than 49% of respondents say that their organizations experienced more than 10 lost or stolen laptops over the past year.

The study found many of those surveyed didn't believe that any one person in their organization was responsible for securing laptop computers. 41% said they thought securing laptop computers was the responsibility of the business unit or departmental management.

Other Cybersecurity Risks Associated With Mobile Workforces

Even if your corporate issued laptop computer isn't lost or stolen, allowing a mobile workforce to access the internet and Email presents it's own set of issues as it relates to Cybersecurity. Internet threats such as Spam, viruses, phishing attempts and malicious websites can compromise the security of a laptop computer – and possibly your entire computer network.

Other concerns include personal use. Your employee shouldn't be using your laptop to access websites that offer illegal downloads, P2P sharing, pornography or other potentially brand damaging websites.

How To Strengthen Cybersecurity Measures For Laptop Security

Businesses and Organizations can strengthen their security measures the following ways:

Use Encryption. Encryption assures that information is kept secure and away from prying eyes using keys. This prevents unauthorized people from viewing Email and other documents stored on company issued laptops. Encryption should be used to protect large files and physical media such as USB drives, CD's and DVD's that are being used to store sensitive data.
Use Web Content Filtering. Web content filtering allows IT managers to set specific rules about websites employees are allowed to visit on the company owned device. Additionally, it offers the protection of URL filtering so if a web domain is determined to have malware or contain other malicious code, your employee will be stopped from visiting the website and possibly compromising data.
Use Cloud Based Email Security. Cloud based Email security uses a filtering process to remove threats such as spam, phishing attempts and viruses from arriving in your inbox. By removing these malignant messages remotely in the cloud, your corporation is saved from the headaches of virus removal, computer repair or hardware replacement.
Use Laptop Security Software. Laptop security software is one of the best defenses in securing your company issued laptop computers. One quick software installation gives IT managers the ability to remotely lock down devices as soon as it's reported lost or stolen, securing both the data on the machine and preventing anyone else from using the computer or reselling it on the black market. Laptop security software also assists in recovering the computer by using GPS, IP tracking and satellite imagery of the computers approximate location.

Loss or theft of a company issued laptop computer that isn't protected with these key security solutions can pose multiple threats to your company. Let's not forget that many newer laptops are equipped with much larger hard drives so these devices can store virtually unlimited amounts of sensitive data on clients, customers, patients or employees. If these files can be easily accessed , you could have a serious data breach on your hands.

If your business or organization would like to increase your Cybersecurity measures on laptop computers, we can help! Please request a quote on our lineup of laptop security software offerings or Sign Up for updates on our cloud security webinars.

HIPAA Compliance Email Is A Must For Healthcare Professionals

Posted on: October 6th, 2011 by Heather

If you're in the healthcare industry, chances are you're familiar with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 - also referred to as HIPAA.

Doctors, Dentists And Other Healthcare Professionals Are Governed By HIPAA

HIPAA Compliant Email Provides The Security You Need

HIPAA compliance Email is a key component of meeting standards set forth in this mandate that was established by former US President Bill Clinton.

Physicians, healthcare clinics, dentists, psychologists, chiropractors, nursing homes, pharmacies, HMO's, health insurance companies and health care clearinghouses are required to use HIPAA compliant Email services that include encryption to protect patient data while transmitting health records electronically.

Healthcare providers must take great care to assure that personally identifiable information - or PII - isn't made available to unauthorized people or their organization could face significant fines and penalties.

Upcoming HIPAA audits emphasize the importance of using a HIPAA compliant solution across all platforms of your healthcare business, starting with Email. In order to meet maximum HIPAA IT requirements, organizations should implement encryption on all electronically stored documents to assure they remain in tact and can't be altered or accessed by unauthorized personnel. Any sensitive data that's being stored on a USB drive, CD or DVD should also use encryption to protect it against unauthorized access. HIPAA email security should always follow email security best practices.

If your business uses laptop computers or mobile phones to store or share sensitive information, mobile security software is a must to protect these assets if they're ever lost or stolen. Mobile security software allows IT managers to lock down laptop computers or mobile phones when they're reported missing so they can't be used by others. Furthermore, these security precautions can help recover missing phones or laptops using technology including IP tracking, GPS and satellite photos that provide information on the approximate location of the device.

If you need to deploy HIPAA compliant Email services at your healthcare business, we can help! Please feel free to contact us or request a quote today. We look forward to hearing from you!

Laptop Computer Data Security Best Practices

Posted on: October 3rd, 2011 by Heather 1 Comment

Data security for laptop computers is something that all businesses and organizations should be concerned with because these machines are vulnerable to loss and theft due to their size and portability. One lost or stolen laptop computer that contains files or access to sensitive data could result in costly fines at the expense of your business.

Laptop Theft Can Happen To Anyone At Any Time

Protect Your Laptop Computer From Theft

What are the best practices for laptop computer security?

Laptop computer data security is a multi faceted process that begins with setting web content controls that protect the device from viruses, malware and other intenet based intrusions that could compromise the machine. Web content controls assure that sensitive data on the machine can't be hacked remotely or otherwise stolen, even if the computer is still in your physical possession.

The next step in securing laptop computers is putting Email security and Email encryption policies into place. Email security and encryption are used to protect important Email transmissions from being read by anyone other than the person it was sent to and keeps prying eyes away from data that wasn't meant for them. Encryption can also be used to protect files saved on the computer, USB thumb drives, CD's and DVD's that are used to store identifiable client information such as health records, payment history or social security numbers.

The last piece of the puzzle for laptop computer data security best practices is putting laptop computer security software in place. Laptop computer security software allows IT managers or laptop owners to remotely lock down the machine so that it can't be used or accessed by unauthorized people (or persons.) This not only protects the sensitive information stored on the device, but should also help with recovering the unit by way of IP tracking and geolocation using GPS and satellite pictures that give an approximate location of the missing or stolen laptop. Other features like taking a webcam picture of the person that has the device can also lead to the arrest of the perpetrators involved in the theft.

These best practices for laptop computer data security are highly recommended for any business that issues laptop computers to their personnel, especially in the fields of healthcare, insurance, financial advisors and other industries that fall under Government regulations for conducting business online.

Although this process might sound confusing, instituting these best practices for laptop data security is easier than you think and we can help. To learn more, please submit a request with your basic information and we'll get back to you with a turnkey security solution for your laptop computers.

Advantages Of Mobile Security

Posted on: October 3rd, 2011 by Darren McLaughlin

Mobile Security is a growing field due to the large number of people who now use mobile devices for important business-related matters. The amount and variety of data being stored on mobile devices is truly stunning, and with this size and complexity come new responsibilities. Companies are battling to make sure data that is intended for their networks stay on their networks. If it doesn't, they can end up facing huge fines.

Compliance requirements are making mobile security a necessity for many businesses. The basic idea is that if a laptop or smartphone is stolen or lost, data breaches are very likely. Companies need to remain in control of their security and privacy settings, even in this type of event. Properly configured mobile security prepares companies for this type of disaster. Using policy-based rules, the IT department can shut down the mobile device so that data breaches do not occur. That's a great thing during a time of crisis!

Mobile security solves a major and persistent data security problem.
Mobile security is needed for compliance.
Mobile security gives you 'peace of mind' because you're ready for disaster.
Mobile security gives you a chance to recover your lost mobile device.

Mobile security represents a chance to make the best out of a bad situation. Once your mobile device goes missing, there's no telling just how far it can travel and how much damage may eventually happen by its data being spread. Installing and configuring mobile security based on policies enables you to ensure that data breaches are shut down before they get too severe.

In the event of a lost laptop or smartphone which doesn't have mobile security installed, data breaches can theoretically grow to unimaginable proportions! If someone steals your laptop or smartphone, you can rest assured they don't have the best interests of your data at heart. Now you can stop this problem forever.

If you think you can benefit from mobile security, we invite you to try our 7 day free trial and see how easy it is to install and configure a working mobile security plan.