Posts Tagged ‘SMB’

Small Businesses Must Address Security and Privacy

Friday, September 18th, 2015

I’ve been working with hundreds of businesses over the past fifteen years, and I’ve found many common challenges that they are always trying to address, as well as some common, dangerously incorrect, beliefs about security and privacy. There are some common misconceptions that are unique to one-person to small businesses.

Here are four common recurring incorrect information security and privacy beliefs of small businesses, and the facts that these businesses need to know: (more…)

Encryption: Myths and Must Knows

Friday, March 2nd, 2012

I am looking forward to the day when we can look at the news headlines and not see some report about a lost or stolen computing device or storage device that contained unencrypted personal information and/or other sensitive information.  And, I also want to stop seeing stories reappear about such an incident, such as the stolen NASA laptop with the clear text Space Station control codes that was stolen last year, but is making the headlines yet again today.  NASA is a large enough, and tech savvy enough, organization to know better!  However, there are many organizations that simply don’t understand what a valuable information security tool encryption is.   I work with many small to medium sized businesses (SMBs), all of which have legal obligations (such as through HIPAA and HITECH, along with contractual requirements) to protect sensitive information, such as personal information.  Over the past year I’ve heard way too many of them make remarks such as… (more…)

Domain Name Issues And Related Business Risks

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

I have learned a lot about domain name maintenance and management issues over the past week! As a follow-up to my blog post yesterday, I have since discovered that as a result of a divestiture *two* registrars claim control of my domain (that I created and have owned and used since 2002); one in Australia has primary control, and the one I have always communicated with in Washington state has secondary control…I never knew this before.

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SMB PCI DSS Issues at the State Fair

Thursday, August 16th, 2007

Yesterday I was at the Iowa State Fair literally all day; from 8am to around 8:30pm. Despite the 95 degree extremely humid weather it was such a fun day! The cloudy skies and nice breezes helped a lot. We didn’t get to probably half of the exhibits and activities. And I was *VERY* disappointed I didn’t see any of the at least 4 presidential hopefuls who were on the grounds; the place is so big I guess we were always in the wrong place at the right time.

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Software Licensing: Free Tools from the BSA & 10 Steps To Compliance

Tuesday, February 6th, 2007

I saw an article published on February 1, “United States: 10 Simple Steps To Ensure Software Licensing Compliance.”

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Software Licensing: Free Tools from the BSA & 10 Steps To Compliance

Tuesday, February 6th, 2007

I saw an article published on February 1, “United States: 10 Simple Steps To Ensure Software Licensing Compliance.”

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Free Awareness from the FTC: Phishing

Friday, February 2nd, 2007

I ran across this on the FTC site, an email to send to folks that links to an animation to help make them aware of phishing messages; isn’t this cool!? The FTC sight provides this as an awareness raising communication. It’s a little long, and hopefully the folks going to this link will have their sound turned off so it doesn’t shock their desk neighbors, but all in all it is a great, FREE (paid for by U.S. tax dollars), awareness communication to warn about the threats involved with phishing messages.

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