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Technology… you have to love it. Communication is instant. Global collaboration is an everyday occurrence. Record keeping is relatively painless. BUT… greater access is not a one-way street. If your messages and info can get out, there's always the possibility that hackers can get it. Or systems can fail. Or you have neglected to properly store information for later retrieval. The articles below point out some of technology's challenges that you might be able to overcome before they become trouble for your organization.

New technologies can challenge your IT security. (Item #1) What do you need to know about cyber insurance? (Item #2) Are you aware of the potential security risk of cell phones? (Item #3)

If sensitive personal data falls into the wrong hands, it can lead to fraud or identity theft. (Item #4) What's the best way to select passwords that work? (Item #5) What is the state of your email storage and retrieval system? (Item #6)

As always, we look forward to hearing about your concerns with regards to business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered, please email me at bmellinger@attainium.net

Best Regards,

Bob Mellinger
President
Attainium Corp

Quote of the Week

"Technology... is a queer thing.
It brings you great gifts with one hand,
and it stabs you in the back with the other."
- C.P. Snow, New York Times, 15 March 1971 -

Articles

1. IT security - the challenges and opportunities of cultural diversity and dispersed teams
As multi-cultural and geographically dispersed teams become more commonplace, effective collaboration will become more important. The take up of technologies such as telepresence, instant messaging and video over IP will help to address many of these communication problems. However, with these new technologies - and indeed the very nature of collaboration itself - come new challenges to your IT security.
http://www.continuitycentral.com/feature0468.htm

2. How cyber insurance might ease your (network) insecurity
Could a virus cripple your PC network? If so, do you have enough cash reserves to make up for the downtime? What happens if the company you use to authorize credit card purchases goes belly up? Are you covered for lost revenue until you find a new company?
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/resources/finance/business_insurance/how_cyber_insurance_might_ease_your_network_insecurity.mspx

3. Can Cell Phones Compromise Your Network?
Simply by carrying a mobile phone, employees may inadvertently be walking, talking network-security risks. Here's how companies can respond.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2006/tc20060413_027470.htm

4. Is your company keeping information secure?
Safeguarding sensitive data is just plain good business. The Federal Trade Commission offers a guide for businesses on how to protect personal information.
http://www.ftc.gov/infosecurity/

5. The Simplest Security: A Guide to Better Password Practices
Passwords don't have to be complex cryptograms. A few simple methods can help make living with passwords a little easier.
http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1537

6. Lost White House e-mails illustrate a common issue for US businesses
The recent White House scramble to locate and provide historical e-mails for legal discovery is also a common and growing problem for US businesses, reveals a new survey conducted by Osterman Research, Inc. The survey strongly suggests that corporate e-mail storage and retrieval is not well managed and with increasing legal requests for e-mail, that businesses and management are at risk.
http://www.continuitycentral.com/news03187.htm