Attacks, i.e. LizaMoon, foiled by built-in safeguards and common sense
A note from dts|infotech to our valued clients and friends . . . You may have heard about a current news story regarding the “LizaMoon” web attack. To see what this attack actually looks like, follow this link and watch the 4 minute video. It’s very informative. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKI5dg1cs74 For more technical information follow this link: http://community.websense.com/blogs/securitylabs/archive/2011/03/31/update-on-lizamoon-mass-injection.aspx The LizaMoon attack is all the rage among online security watchdogs for its speed and scope, but built-in safeguards and common sense mean few users will suffer. Security firm WebSense (www.websense.com) discovered the attack last week where malware writers used website flaws to inject malicious scripts into hundreds of thousands of websites. It’s virtually impossible to know the exact number of infections, but reports in the hundreds of thousands, and up to millions of websites, have been hit in this attack. The attack comes in the form of an infected domain called Liza Moon, which is part of a larger attack that redirects users to a website that dupes them into downloading a rogue anti-virus software (for a monetary price) called Windows Stability Center. … Continue reading
Employee Monitoring 2: Protect your company from employee misconduct
On January 11, 2011, Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said in his The State of American Business 2011 speech that, “We also need stronger global rules as well as more effective enforcement efforts to address the rampant theft of intellectual property in both the digital and physical worlds . . . and we cannot stand by as 19 million jobs in our most innovative and creative industries are threatened.” Effective enforcement begins in house with employee monitoring. You may feel like Big Brother, but it’s the most effective way to protect your company against employees you suspect of goofing off while they’re on your payroll, or downloading and removing sensitive files to sell to your competitors. The reality is that it happens all too often. There are numerous reasons to investigate employees. Here are just a few . . . Increased Productivity It’s estimated that US employers lose $759 billion dollars each year. Most of us accept a little downtime during the day for fun and relaxation, but according to surveys by Salary.com … Continue reading
Employee Monitoring: Feedback that employees tell us they want more of
Regarding employee monitoring, one of the published goals of the non-profit, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is to “Raise consumers’ awareness of how technology affects personal privacy.” And according to their Fact Sheet 7: Workplace Privacy and Employee Monitoring, “Employers want to be sure their employees are doing a good job, but employees don’t want their every sneeze or trip to the water cooler logged. That’s the essential conflict of workplace monitoring.” As a former network administrator, employee monitoring was the last thing I wanted to spend time doing. The very thought of watching someone is repugnant to me, let alone monitoring them. However, I was paid by a company to administer their network. And it is well documented that small businesses and large corporations are being ripped off every day by poor productivity, improper ethics, stolen documents and potential law suits stemming from employees who engage in this type of behavior. But time out. Can’t we frame this conversation in a way that has the potential to resolve conflict, and is non-combative yet beneficial to the company and their employees so … Continue reading
Data Recovery: Only $199.00! Is cheap what you really want, seriously?
Whenever I see advertising that claims Data Recovery for $199.00! I always think about what we went through to recover our data. And I wonder if other companies who find themselves in a similar situation really want to trust their data recovery for $199.00. Continue reading
Networks: IT consultants manage your network and make you successful
My introduction to computers and networks began when the owner of the company I was working for told me I was the new network guy. He said he had over looked how important computers would become as our company grew. My response was, “I’ve never even turned a computer on, let alone manage a network. Are you sure about this?” He said, “Yep, you’re a good manager. I know you’ll do a good job!” Reluctantly, I assumed the responsibility of a network with 1 Novell server, 12 workstations, 1 fax machine, 3 printers and the telephone system. I had no idea how any of it worked! If your experience with computers and networks matches or resembles mine, we have much in common. I feel your pain and I can help you. I know exactly what it’s like when a large client calls to say, “I sent you that info yesterday. You didn’t get it?” And sheepishly you say, “No, we crashed yesterday and we don’t have a back up, can you resend it?” Or when accounting comes to you because … Continue reading