Tag Archive for 2012

Top Five IT Trends for 2013

Top five IT trends for 2013Ian Kilpatrick, who has the longest job title I have ever seen, chairman of international value added distributor, specialists in market development for secure IP infrastructure solutions and convergence at Wick Hill Group shares his vision of the top five IT trends for 2013. In the article, Top five IT trends for 2013 at ITnewslink he shares his predictions.

BYOD Man1. BYOD – He says the first IT Trend for 2013 is BYOD. BYOD is now an unstoppable, user-driven wave that will continue to make a major impact on the IT world in 2013 and beyond.  2013 will see companies trying to integrate BYOD into their networks.

He also speculates that we can expect to see the growth of Microsoft (MSFT) Windows to Go secure USB sticks based on Windows 8, which provide remote users with the supported version of the corporate desktop. These are available from a limited number of suppliers authorized by Microsoft and include Imation’s IronKey Workspace for Windows to Go.

Mobile Device Management2. Mobile Device Management – The next IT trend for 2013 is that Mobile Device Management solutions growth will accelerate in 2013. The growth is due to the rapid growth of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, but particularly smartphones.

Growth will be strongest for MDM solutions that offer features such as ensuring mobile device usage complies with company security policies, allocating access rights, managing configuration, updating policies, dealing with data leakage issues, and dealing with lost or stolen devices.

A crucial component for the continued growth of MDM solutions will be the clear separation between the management of business and personal data on devices. There are over 100 suppliers in mobile device management many of them are good but niche solutions. The Gartner (IT) Magic Quadrant identifies the strategic leaders, which includes Zenprise.

High density wireless3. High density wireless – Wireless requirements have been significantly incrementing over the last year making it the third IT trend for 2013. The firm says BYOD has changed both the data transfer and performance expectations of users. However, these expectations have not been met, with many networks still inadequate in their coverage and performance.

The new 802.11ac standard, with 1 gigabit per second throughput rates, will be a key driver in organizations moving to high-density wireless in 2013. High density wireless will provide companies with high coverage and high performance, supporting business-critical applications and delivering complete site coverage There will continue to be a shift from niche solutions towards more strategic solutions. The Gartner Magic Quadrant identifies Xirrus, which will continue to experience stratospheric growth.

Data back-up and recovery4. Data back-up and recovery – 2013’s fourth IT trend for 2013 deals with data back-up and recovery. Organizations have been under immense pressure from ever-increasing data volumes, archiving, and compliance requirements.

At the top end, new data replication technologies will have a major impact on data centers in 2013. For smaller organizations, the shift from tape will continue apace. For conservative organizations, the move to disc (and, in particular, RDX technologies that combine the best of tape and disk) will accelerate. Hybrid back-up to RDX and then the cloud will increase. In volume terms, the lowest move (but in market-hype the biggest) will be significant growth in direct back-up to the cloud. RDX, hybrid, and cloud data backup solutions are available from vendors such as Imation and Barracuda Networks.

Data leakage protection5. Data leakage protection – The last Wick Hill Group IT trend for 2013 says that with the growing volumes of data and regulatory bodies’ willingness to levy fines for non-compliance, data leakage protection will continue to be a major cause for concern during 2013. Companies will be looking closely at how to secure and manage their data as their network boundaries spread even wider, with increased use of social networking and BYOD, increased remote access, the rapid growth of wireless, increased virtualization, and the move towards convergence.

Increasingly, organizations will couple DLP products with SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) solutions. DLP concerns will also continue the growth curve for authentication (much of it hosted in the cloud) and encryption, to protect data, both in motion and at rest. Some companies will look to hosted security services and the cloud to cope with an increasingly complex security situation. SIEM and authentication solutions are available from companies such as LogLogic, Check Point VASCO, and SafeNet.

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So these are not really earth-shattering predictions for 2013, BYOD, MDM, and Wi-Fi are already part of my world. We are doubling our backup capabilities and will be updating from our current McAfee to some sort of DLP

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedInFacebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

Disposal Dummies Cause Privacy Problems

The article Disposal Dummies Cause Privacy Problems, posted at  SecureWorld Post by Rebecca Herold lays out the privacy problems caused by dumb disposal policies. The article claims that trash-based breaches are worse than ever.

Disposal Dummies Cause Privacy ProblemsThe oldest security and privacy problem, unsecured disposal of personal information, is prevalent today as it was centuries ago reports the author. She says because of the rapidly growing amount of data, in which EMC (EMC) and IDC claim that data is doubling every two years, along with print information, there are even more ways in which disposal-related breaches are occurring. Here are just a few instances I found:

The blog outlines some of the most common egregious information disposal dummy security and privacy mistakes:

  • DTrash canonating print documents with personal information on them to outside groups, like pre-schools and community groups, to use as scrap paper.
  • Selling computers, smartphones, copiers, fax machines, and other computing devices, to recoup some of the investment, but not irreversibly removing the data before the sale.
  • Putting digital storage devices in the trash without first irreversibly removing the data.
  • Putting print documents containing personal information into unsecured dumpsters, and not shredding them.
  • Never throwing away no-longer-needed hard copy and digital devices; letting them accumulate in storage areas, with inadequate or no security, allowing them to be taken by anyone who happens along.

Data disposal is important because breaches caused by poor disposal activities are getting so bad that the article states there are growing numbers of laws explicitly covering disposal, and bills are being proposed at the state and federal levels. The Disposal Rule (part of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA) has been in effect since 2005. The blog says FACTA has many very specific requirements that basically all types of businesses, of all sizes, that do most types of credit checks must take when disposing of information in all forms.

In Michigan, data destruction requirements are covered in IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION ACT MCL Section 445.72a. where destruction of data containing personal information required; violation as misdemeanor; fine; compliance; “destroy” are defined.

MichiganBesides the fact that secure information disposal is now a legal requirement for most businesses, it makes sense to dispose of information securely to prevent privacy breaches. By having effective disposal policies, procedures and supporting technologies in place businesses demonstrate reasonable due diligence.

Ms. Herold argues that all organizations, from the smallest to the largest, need to follow proper information disposal practices or they will experience significant privacy breaches and non-compliance penalties. She presents an action plan to get started:

  • Assign overall responsibility for information security and privacy compliance to a position or department within your organization, which will include responsibility for the disposal of information in all forms.
  • Perform a disposal risk assessment to find exactly how your organization really disposes of all types of information.
  • Create information disposal policies and procedures, or update existing ones, based upon the results of the disposal risk assessment.

The policies and procedures need actions:

  • Locate, inventory, and gather at the end of their business useFilingcabinetfulness all types of digital storage devices, including CDs, DVDs, USB drives, external drives, tapes (yes, many organizations still use them), microfiche (yes, these too), and any other type of storage media.
  • Inventory all types of computing equipment, including not just the “traditional” computers, but also devices such as printers, fax machines, copiers, smartphones, MP3 devices, and any other types of devices that do computing activities.
  • Define acceptable shredding methods and locations for paper documents. Finely cross-shredding hard copy information is recommended, as well as ensuring any contracted shredding company does such shredding on-site.
  • Define acceptable methods of irreversibly removing data from computing and digital storage devices. Degaussers are still often used, in addition to contracted services to wipe storage devices clean.
  • Make sure you include information backups, and all types of information archives, in your disposal procedures. These items are typically overlooked, and many breaches have resulted from such items.

Data destructionThe bottom line for all organizations, the author argues is: You need to make sure there are proper safeguards for information, computing, and storage devices, during the disposal process.

The author concludes with some recommended resources and articles to aid you with improving your own personal, and organizational, disposal practices:

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedInFacebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

OMG Texting bday

OMG Texting bday20 years ago this week, one of the largest phenomenons of web 2.0 emerged. On December 3rd, 1992, a 22-year-old Canadian test engineer sat down and typed out a very simple message, “Merry Christmas.” Gizmodo says the text flew over the Vodafone (VOD) network to the phone of Richard Jarvis, and since then, we just haven’t been able to stop texting.

Texting is a major staple of communication now,Texting is a major staple of communication now, and by far the main use of a phone for many, but it didn’t start out that way. In the very beginning, texts were just a way to send network notifications, namely to let you know you had a voice mail. In 1993, Nokia (NOK) became the first company to make GSM handsets capable of person-to-person texting, but it still didn’t skyrocket to popularity for several years.

Growth of texting

ComputerWorld reports that in late 1995, three years after Papworth’s first text message, users were only sending an average of one text every two and a half months. In 2000 the industry counted 17 billion text messages, according to data from Ericsson. In 2010, the world sent over 6.1 trillion SMS messages or roughly 193,000 per second.

POTUS TextsToday, upwards of 7 trillion text messages are sent every year—that’s more than 200,000 per second.  So while you’re launching your daily flurry of textuals, take a second to consider the fact that your inane contributions are part of zeta-flood of data.

Digital Trends claims that texting is becoming obsolete. They cite data from Chetan Sharma, an independent mobile analyst and wireless carrier consultant, who reports that the number of text message exchanges in the U.S. had dropped by about 2 percent in the third quarter. This is a sharp difference from the steady growth that text messaging had previously seen. Sharma says it’s the first time that text messaging has begun to dwindle in the United States.

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Texting is still a huge part of the way people communicate via mobile devices, but the emergence of new messaging options has led to the first decline in SMS volume.

Apple‘s (AAPLiMessage, which operates almost Texting is becoming obsoleteexactly like a text message but only communicates between Apple devices. iMessage completely bypasses the carrier when sending text messages between iPhones.

Facebook‘s (FB) Messenger app, which essentially exists as the mobile presence for the social network’s instant messaging feature. Facebook’s Messenger app can be used across multiple platforms, which could give it an advantage when it comes to text messaging alternatives.

Hopefully, the competition will force AT&T (T) to stop overcharging its customer. Gizmodo claims AT&T’s New Text Plan Overcharges You by 10,000,000 Percent. Literally lead the way toward cheaper texting plans.

The history of SMS

Related articles
  • Text messages direct to your contact lens (telegraph.co.uk)

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedInFacebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

Tablet Info

iPad thefts from Cleveland Heights-University Heights middle school students prompt community soul searching

iPad thefts from Cleveland Heights-University Heights middle school students prompt community soul searchingCleveland.com reports that iPad thefts from middle school students in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school district is causing an iPad re-think.

The school district gave 1,300 Apple (AAPL) iPad tablets to middle school students at the start of the school year. The report says students were permitted to take the iPads home as a continuing educational tool.

The experiment lasted less than three weeks because the students became targets for thieves. Between Sept. 26 and Oct. 13, a dozen middle school students had their iPads stolen while on their way to and from school, Cleveland Heights police chief Jeff Richardson said.

Since mid-October, the district has collected the tablets at the end of the school day and students no longer could take them home.

More than 130 people attended a meeting seeking answers about how to go ahead and whether crime will win out over education. The reporter writes that the meeting was meant as an information-gathering session. Police, principals, and other officials wanted to decide if the district could safely revive the “Take home iPad Plan” sometime in the near future.  The crowd reaction was mixed about how to proceed.

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Superintendent John Deasy’s $17.5M request for computer tablet funds nixed

Superintendent John Deasy's $17.5M request for computer tablet funds nixed

The Los Angles Daily News reports that the panel that oversees the spending of Los Angeles Unified’s bond revenue refused Superintendent John Deasy’s request for nearly $17.5 million to jump-start the purchase of computer tablets for every student. The Bond Oversight Committee voted 7-3 for the plan, but that was one vote short of the eight needed for passage, officials said.

The $17.5 million would have funded the first phase of his long-range technology program. The plan included the tablet pilot project at 14 secondary schools. Mr. Deasy said the tablets are needed for the district to start the new curriculum known as Common Core State Standards taking effect in 2014.

Ultimately, he wants to buy tablets for all 650,000 LAUSD students, a project estimated to cost upwards of $400 million.

Related article
  • LAUSD Superintendent Warns Of Shorter School Year Due To Budget Crisis (losangeles.cbslocal.com)
IDC Figures Show Samsung and ASUS Challenging Apple’s Grip on the Tablet Computing Market

http://www.stripersonline.com/t/628984/check-out-what-im-doing-tonightMIT’s Technology Review pointed out new data from IDC suggest that Apple’s dominance of the global tablet computer market may be giving way. Competing tablet makers, led by Samsung (005930), gained substantial ground during the third quarter of 2012.

Apple‘s (AAPL) market share dropped from 65 percent in the second quarter to just over 50% in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Samsung’s share doubled to 18%, and Amazon (AMZN) and ASUS (2357) each saw their share rise from under five percent to around nine percent.

2012 3Q Worldwide tablet shipments

As is clear from the graph above, TR concludes that it’s too early to tell how quickly the market is diversifying. Apple’s lag was at least partly due to rumors about its plans to release the iPad Mini, which led some consumers to hold off on buying a new iPad, according to IDC. Now that the Mini is out, analysts expect Apple to have a strong fourth quarter.

The iPad Mini’s $329 starting price, however, is well above that of many Google (GOOG) Android tablets, which is why IDC’s analysts believe there is “plenty of room for Android vendors to build upon the success they achieved in the third quarter.”

Android-powered smartphones are already more popular than Apple’s iPhone in the U.S. as well as in other countries, like China

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Tablet Makers Pursue Public Schools

Tablet Makers Pursue Public SchoolsSchools are a large and growing market for Apple’s iPad. Teachers claim that tablets help students with lessons, improve memory and language skills, and cause them to act more independently. The excitement among tablet makers is almost as great. Tablet makers like Apple are pursuing public schools for more sales.

MIT’s Technology Review brings us data from IDC which says global shipments of tablets will reach 177 million this year, and 11 million of them were purchased by businesses or government of those, IDC analyst Tom Mainelli says, the “vast majority” were sold to schools.

Mr. Mainelli thinks that within a few years all U.S. students will have some access to a tablet at school. With 55 million students in the country’s schools, that’s a lot of potential sales. The article says it’s not just a one-time product push: beyond selling tablets to schools and districts, tablet makers see a chance to set up future sales by establishing brand loyalty with young users. “All these guys see huge opportunities here,” he says.

The most successful tablet maker in the education market is Apple (AAPL). In its July 2012 quarterly report, the company said it sold one million iPads to schools. TR notes that Apple hasn’t reported education numbers since then, but it did unveil a smaller, cheaper model that it expects will also appeal to students and educators: the $329 iPad Mini.

Amazon (AMZN) also highlighted its interest in the education market with the debut of Whispercast, a service to manage its Kindle e-readers en masse. Jay Marine, vice president of product management for the Kindle, the company sees the education market as “a meaningful business opportunity.

Smaller companies are making tablets aimed specifically at the education market. Two firms are CurriculumLoft, which makes the Kuno tablet, and Brainchild, which sells the Kineo.

Brainchild CEO Jeff Cameron claims his company’s $299 tablet, which runs on Google‘s (GOOG) Android software is better than mass-market devices because it was built for educational use. TR says that, unlike most tablets, the Kineo has a replaceable battery, resulting in a longer lifespan. Its touch screen is meant to withstand spills, and it has more physical buttons than an iPad.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedInFacebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

Is Cloud-Based Anti-Virus Ready?

Is Cloud-Based Anti-Virus Ready?Cloud computing technology is one of the most disruptive technologies in recent history. Xath Cruz at CloudTimes argues in a recent article that cloud computing is also disrupting security software such as anti-virus and he asks how effective are cloud-based anti-viruses?

malwareThe article, How Effective are Cloud-Based Anti-Viruses? claims the demand for cloud-based anti-virus software has gone up steadily as more cloud-dependent computing devices have invaded the market. Cloud-dependent computing devices like iPads, Nooks, iPhones, and Galaxy’s are as susceptible to malware as their big desktop brethren.

In order to fight the malware threats to cloud-dependent computing devices, cloud-based anti-virus has evolved.  Cloud based anti-virus works differently than popular cloud-based document editors like Google Docs, where you only need a web browser and internet access. The blog post explains that cloud-based anti-virus software can’t function if it’s only in the cloud, since your PC won’t easily give the right kind of administrative access needed by antivirus software to programs hosted remotely, as that would leave your PC at risk of being intruded upon by other programs.

small native app that runs on the deviceIn order to protect a PC, tablet, or smartphone, a cloud-based anti-virus software requires a small native app to run on the device. When downloaded, the app acts as the anti-virus, with its database and heuristics data being hosted on the cloud. There is also cloud-based anti-virus software that use web browser extensions or Active X and Java to gain proper access to your PC.

Like any technology, cloud-based antivirus software has specific pros and cons when compared to native anti-virus suites, Mr. Cruz lays out some of the pros and cons of cloud-based anti-virus:

Cloud advantages

cloud based anti-virus1. No Installation Required – The first advantage of cloud-based anti-virus is that there’s no need to install them on your PC. Cloud-based anti-virus does not eat up hard disk space, with its storage and memory footprint being a fraction of what local anti-virus need. Additionally, you can get them up and running immediately, and there’s no likelihood of messing up the installation (which usually results in a non-working antivirus or corrupted file volume).

2. No Updating Necessary –  With cloud-based anti-virus, there is no need to update data files, since it’s hosted on the cloud, and will automatically be patched or updated by the provider. This will offer the latest in protection when it becomes available.

3. Double Security Layer – With cloud-based anti-virus software, it is possible to run a locally installed anti-malware app and run another different cloud-based antivirus without worrying about conflicts or PC slowdown. Different anti-virus software are better able to catch or inoculate different viruses.

collective intelligence4. An advantage of cloud-based anti-virus software the author missed is collective or community intelligence. SearchSecurity reports that when a system identifies malware, it’s able to give feedback to the cloud anti-malware provider, thus providing a wider surface area for rapidly detecting 0-day attacks.

Cloud disadvantages

1. Won’t Run in the Background – Cloud-based anti-viruses are not effective against viruses that run on startup. Cloud-based anti-viruses are not TSR (terminate and stay resident) programs and only run on an as-needed basis.

2. Limited Scan – Cloud-based anti-viruses risk missing dormant viruses in unopened or archived files. Windows’ security protocols will prevent some cloud anti-viruses from scanning the computer. They will only be able to scan core windows files and what’s currently loaded in the memory.

Network connection3. It Requires an Internet Connection – Cloud-based anti-virus is useless without access to the Internet. This is a problem for portable device users who can’t be connected 24×7. Without an Internet connection viruses will be free to do whatever they want.

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The author concludes for the best protection your PC can get, you need to use the services of both a locally installed anti-virus software and a cloud-based one.

The main concern I have about cloud-based anti-virus apps is downtime. Cloud providers like Microsoft, Amazon, and Amazon have had issues lately providing their services. Downtime at the upstream ISP on the LAN can also play havoc with cloud-based anti-malware apps.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedInFacebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.