Are Your Systems Secure?
By Frank Cincotta, President, Mage Technology Partners

Securing your organization's proprietary information and systems is of paramount importance in a competitive business environment. Computer systems and technologies, although a necessity in today's fast-paced business world, also offer competitors and criminals access to your information if you are not properly protected. Enterprise security is a challenge for many companies today, especially with recent viruses like SoBig and MyDoom.B. However, ignoring your security systems can lead to computer breaches, downtime, financial losses and decreased productivity.

Unfortunately, very few emerging and small businesses have a strong understanding of the risks of computer breaches and how to protect their systems and information. Recently, the Computer Security Institute, with the participation of the FBI, released the "Computer Crime and Security Survey." Some of the results were startling and warrant mentioning.

The survey, based on responses from more than 500 computer security practitioners, found:
85% of respondents detected security breaches within the past year
64% acknowledged financial losses due to computer breaches
23% suffered unauthorized access or misuse in the past 12 months
70% cited their Internet connections as a frequent point of attack
40% detected system penetration from the outside
58% of those acknowledging attacks reported 10 or more incidents.

And these are computer security professionals. How do you think the average system or network administrator is faring in this battle? Clearly these statistics show the risks an organization takes when they do not utilize an enterprise security system. So what can you do to protect your business?

The first step is to identify what you are currently doing. Are you running any kind of Intrusion Detection Software (IDS)? Does your website restrict users from your private network? Do you utilize a firewall and anti-virus software? If you answered "No" to any of these questions - you should consider getting up-to-date immediately. Your system is very easy to access from the outside.

Furthermore, in how many different ways does your system allow external access? There should be only one way to gain external access for your employees - email. Also, make sure you are using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection for any remote access by you or your employees - it will ensure a secure connection.

You can also enhance your security by hiring a network administrator that will handle all security issues. Limit your employees Internet usage by requiring it to be business related and only allow them to run authorized applications software on their computers. Finally, have a comprehensive computer usage policy in place and make sure you require a key or badge to gain access to your office or business.

Given the sheer volume and complexity of security threats to account for when designing an enterprise-computing infrastructure, most I.T. professionals simply don't have the necessary time, tools, or expertise to effectively combat the problem.

So what are we really worried about? more >>>

How Companies Can Plan for Emergencies
Business Continuity Planning Basics
By Jonathan Freedman - President of Mage, LLC

Business Continuity Planning is an important and necessary component to any organization, especially during these tumultuous political and economic times. Today, many companies are seeing the need to create contingency and recovery plans to manage their business processes during crises.

The type and magnitude of events that can result in significant business interruption can range form computer viruses, power outages and human error to violence and natural disasters. Yet, according to the Gartner Group, only 15-25% of companies actually have a proactive business recovery plan in place. That's a shockingly low number when one considers the serious effects these events can have on a company. In fact, 43% of companies never reopen after a disaster and 29% close within three years of the event according to the US National Fire Prevention Agency.

So, how can you prepare your company for a crisis, disaster or downtime? more >>>

Operations
Jonathan Freedman
jfreedman@mageusa.com

Organizational Consulting
Craig Bentley
cbentley@mageusa.com

Technology
Frank Cincotta
fcincotta@mageusa.com

Marketing & Sales
Michael Lynch
mlynch@mageusa.com