Reading the news reports and blog posts over the last several weeks regarding the threat posed by the loss or theft of smart phones poses a dilemma for just about every company that deals with confidential data – in other words all of us! A report released in October by Forrester Research predicts that by 2015 companies will have more mobile devices (smart phones, iPads and other non-tablet devices) than traditional computers on their corporate networks. Considering that thousands of mobile devices are lost or stolen each month companies need to understand the issue of exposing confidential information. Manufacturers, such as Research in Motion (RIM) and Apple, have long employed the ability to remotely kill a lost cell phone or application that may cause issues on the device. So you think that you have all the bases covered – think again!
Read the rest of this entry »
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States I was thinking about how many people will start online shopping soon. The Friday after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday, but the Monday after is called Cyber Monday. A lot of people will get up at crazy hours on Friday morning to be the first in line to get great bargains at every store imaginable. I do agree that getting hundreds of dollars off televisions and other electronics can be a great motivator.
As for me, I would prefer to sleep in on Friday and spend the time with my family. I would rather go online on Monday and go after all the bargains there. I don’t have to wait in lines, fight with people over merchandise or generally go crazy in a store. I know this is a ritual with some, so more power to you.
Read the rest of this entry »
Sounds like a line from a commercial, but really applies to what’s going on around data and document security today. A lot of organizations are looking hard at the security of their information. Everyday you read about another data breach by hacking, an insider stealing something or someone accidentally sending the wrong information to the wrong person.
The immediate reaction to these events is to throw technology at it. My firewall must not be good enough. I need an intrusion detection system. I need better virus protection. I have to lock down people’s desktops so there is no chance they will do anything wrong.
Read the rest of this entry »
In a recent article in Infosecurity Magazine, Jason Sohn, deputy general manager of Fasoo.com, explained that digital rights management (DRM) is quickly becoming a normal security feature in a growing number of companies. Organizations in China, Korean and Japan are seeing a tremendous need for this technology and the same is beginning to take hold in the UK and the United States.
At a recent DRM conference in London, sponsored by eDocument Sciences partner Documentti, Sohn said that even though enterprise DRM technology has been available for more than a decade, it is only recently that the security technology has started to take off.
Read the rest of this entry »
Today Apple released iTunes 10.1. I opened up iTunes and the application told me there was a new version available. I clicked through the install screen and the EULA (end user license agreement) popped up in my face. Like most people, I usually just click through the EULA without actually reading it. But today I read the top section. Why? Because it was in VERY LARGE LETTERS. This is what the first part said:
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING PING. We have changed the iTunes Store Terms and Conditions to provide you notice that if you have opted in to the Ping social network and use the new Ping Sidebar, iTunes will send information to Apple about the content you select in your iTunes library in order to provide you with Ping personal recommendations. By using Ping, you agree to Apple’s use of such information. If you do not want iTunes to send this information to Apple for Ping, you may hide the Ping Sidebar or opt out of Ping.
Read the rest of this entry »
Reading the news reports and blog posts over the last several weeks regarding the threat posed by the loss or theft of smart phones poses a dilemma for just about every company that deals with confidential data – in other words all of us! A report released in October by Forrester Research predicts that by 2015 companies will have more mobile devices (smart phones, iPads and other non-tablet devices) than traditional computers on their corporate networks. Considering that thousands of mobile devices are lost or stolen each month companies need to understand the issue of exposing confidential information. Manufacturers, such as Research in Motion (RIM) and Apple, have long employed the ability to remotely kill a lost cell phone or application that may cause issues on the device. So you think that you have all the bases covered – think again!
