Computer Internet network security News

One of the worst things that can happen to your computer is to have a total computer failure, without having a backup of your data and applications. If you do not have a method in place that will allow you to recover from these types of disasters, your data is at risk. This can be especially devastating if your data is the backbone of your company’s business. An efficient disaster recovery plan consists of having recovery backup software in place to clone your hard drive and keep your computer data safe and out of harm’s way.

Disaster recovery software will not only protect you from losing your data if your computer crashes or malfunctions, but it can also be used to migrate your system to another PC. Employing disaster recover backup software to clone hard drive data allows you to duplicate your whole hard drive and all its data. By doing this, you can easily move all of your data, applications and even your operating system to another PC. This is very beneficial in the situation of your current PC malfunctioning or even in the situation of transferring data during a PC upgrade. Either way, by using software to clone hard drive data, you will be able to be back up and running on a different computer quickly.

Find more information about Windows backup software

You should always use software to clone hard drive data on a regular basis, so that you have a backup available if you need it. You should ensure that the disaster recovery and backup software that you use is compatible with the kind of interface you plan to use to clone hard drive data to another computer. Fortunately, most backup software supports all types of interfaces, such as USB, Firewire, SCSI, IDE, and SATA. Despite this fact, double check that what ever interface you use is indeed compatible with your software.

Making sure the speed at which your data is cloned is high enough is a consideration when employing disaster backup software to clone hard drive data on your computer onto an external USB or a Firewire disk. This is important because computer hard drives can be quite large, and if the backup process is too tedious, you might not perform regular backups. In addition, slow backups can slow down your computer, another deterrent from using them. Performing backups regularly is very crucial since it allows you to always have a current clone image available to restore to if disasters occur like malfunctions to your hard drive or other hardware, damage from computer viruses, physical damage or even total ruin of your machine due to natural disasters such as hurricanes or fires. If you have used software to clone hard drive data to a backup source, you will be able to easily restore your computer back to a previous functional image, and be back up and running quickly.

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Data Security clone hard drive

Ever had to format a hard drive against your will due to a system failure or virus and lost precious data in the process? Well nowadays there is a way out, there are certain companies in the UK specializing in data recovery that can even recover data from freshly formatted drives using powerful specialist utilities. No longer do you need to worry if you accidentally delete a file, even if the recycle bin has been emptied there is a good chance it can still be recovered. computer repair in west london

Infact in the vast majority of cases, if a file has been saved to a hard drive, then the data will be recoverable. Data recovery companies are specialists in this field, forget the cheap or free ware utilities you see plastered all over the net, by and large they don’t work, or try them first, and when they fail to recover your work, then look to the professionals. They have the ability to:

• Recover data from a multitude of storage mediums including hard drives, floppy drives, flash drives and solid storage devices.
• Deep scanning can be performed in a matter of minutes to let you know if your data can be recovered.
• File scanning or directory scanning, for when you only want to recover a certain file or directory.
• Scanning is conducted by using a write protected approach, there is no danger of unrecovered files being overwritten.
• Ability to recover single or multiple directories or files
• Ability to pay no attention to bad disk sectors that would cause other approaches to fail.
• Can be used on internal or external storage devices
• No size limits for devices, they can be 128mb flash cards to ten terrabite hard drives.
• File systems are not an issue fat 32 or ntfs will both work.

As you can see there are virtually no restrictions on the forms of digital starage that can be recovered. On top of this it is now possible in many instances for laptop video cards to be recovered in the vast majority of cases. This is a huge bonus as previously the failure of a video card in a laptop would have mean a new motherboard was needed, (usually the most expesive component to replace). Now new technologies mean that vga card can be reprogrammed and repaired. This is still pretty much a cutting edge technology and only one company in the UK currently has this ability, Fixitnerds of London. computer repair in north london

Data recovery is a valuable service for businesses, the loss of important digital data such as trading history, payroll and accounting records can prove ruinous for a small trader. Data recovery provides a cost effective remedy to an otherwise potentially catastrophic circumstance.

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Data Security computer repair

The organizations are dumping data to databases  every minute. These databases contain private and personal information too. The people who dump enter data does not have any knowledge of security or any process involve in making those databases. The technological hands behind have most of the burden from database development to security. 

The standards of security involve in database designing is the most important factor. There is always a chance of loopholes in appliations which hackers discover and invade into your systems. The regulations like PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) working smart enough to combat illegal actities online but still there is a need of improvement.

There is a demand of time for software companies to enhance the security research process and work in collaboration to get powerful solutions to make the cyber environment safe.

Data Security database security, security standards

Watermarking can be used to protect the integrity of databases against unauthorized changes.  Malicious alteration cannot be detected in all cases. Wwatermarking database indexes in addition to the database tables would improve the detection of unauthorized alterations. Usually, each database table in commercial applications has more than one index attached to it. Thus, watermarking the database table and all its indexes improve the likelihood of detecting malicious attacks. In general, watermarking different indexes like R-trees, B-trees, Hashes, require different watermarking techniques and exploit different redundancies in the underlying data structure. This diversity in watermarking techniques contributes to the overall integrity of the databases.

Introduction of watermarking innitially does not work perfect and gave some errors too. The detection rate of the malicious attacks on databases depends on the nature of the attack, distribution of the data, and the size of the R-tree node.  The watermark insertion and extraction are mainly main memory operations, and thus, have minimal effect on the cost of R-tree operations.

Data Security database integrity, databases, watermarking

MicroRiver UK based manufacturer of secure USB flash devices have introduced and launched Xfort Network Security solution. This launch will give some relief to the users of flash drives to protect their data.

The full name of X-FORT is enterprise eXtreme FORT. It is a system that prevents employees from stealing confidential information. Using a Client-Server based architecture with PKI public key encryption/decryption mechanism, X-FORT monitors every client computer. According to their security policy, a company can control any possible channel that employees could use to take information out of the company. The architecture of X-FORT is completely policy driven, One computer acts as an X-FORT server which will install the Client program into all other computers in the company. The Client program has multiple invisible protections to prevent malicious removal. In addition, administrators can easily manage the system through a management console.

X-FORT system has obtained more than 40 patents from different countries. It applies a client-server architecture in accordance with PKI techniques of encryption/decryption to monitor every computer in the company to prevent information breach. X-FORT system provides an application that sets limits of authority for every user based on the company’s security policy to control the channels through which users export company information. Those channels are namely 1. external storage devices(USB Flash Disk, USB/IEEE 1394 HD, CD-R/W, Floppy, MO, ZIP and all sorts of memory card), 2. internet(my network places, dial-up network, FTP, HTTP and communication port), 3. wireless communication devices (IrDA, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi), 4. printers, emails and IM tools. Moreover, with the HD protection mechanism, X-FORT system prohibits unauthorized persons to obtain hard disk information from computer using the method of booting from floppy disk, CD-ROM or hard disk cascade.

In the light of system management, MIS can apply the function of console to implement central management and security policy on file exportation, printing, Software/Hardware usage, internet browsing, internet communication, log tracing and information in/out audit.

Majid Ali Sales Director MicroRiver commented, “MicroRiver have seen a huge demand for there range of secure USB flash devices. Data Security is paramount for any business moving data, since USB Flash drives have been a preferred medium for data transport, our devices are perfect for sensitive data leaving the corporate network. Using our Xfort solution combined with our devices, you create a very safe environment for data leaving your network. With all the modules of Xfort, you can rest assured data loss will be the least of your worries.”

Data Security, News microriver, xfort network

Parents, security experts and opposition parties have voiced alarm that 400,000 people are to be given access to a new national database containing details of all 11 million children living in England.

ContactPoint, which has so far cost £224 million, will hold the name, address, date of birth, parents’ details, GP and name of school of all English children aged under 18.

Any child receiving help with special educational needs, who has been in contact with social workers or seen a youth worker, will also have a special entry against their name.

But the admission from Government that so many different individuals would have access to such sensitive data sparked renewed panic that the information would not be safe.

More at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/

Data Security, News database, kids database

Corporate Data breaches are growing at an alarming rate. As of Dec 16, 623 companies have been responsible for exposing the personal information of more than 34 million people –that’s up 150+ companies from last year! With this in mind, ShredStation, a leader in secure information destruction and recycling has put together a list of the top New Year’s Resolutions company’s should consider to prevent data breaches.

Mt. Laurel, NJ (PRWEB) December 29, 2008 — In the first 11 months of 2008 there have been a record number of corporate data breaches -588 companies have been responsible for compromising the private information of more than 33 million people. Beyond the damaged or lost relationships with customers and the bad publicity, there are legal and economic consequences that can compound the issue. Fines can range from $1,000 to $2,500 per individual record compromised.

“There has been more prosecution in the last six months than there has been in the last six years,” said Bob Johnson, Executive Director of the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID).

As the number of data breaches continues to rise, ShredStation, a leader in business and residential information destruction services, suggests companies consider the following Information Security New Year’s resolutions:

Resolution 1 – I will protect my electronic assets
According to law enforcement and private research groups, anywhere from 600,000 to 1.5 million laptops are stolen or lost each year. To make matters worse, the FBI reports that 97 percent of stolen laptops are never recovered. Protecting laptops in the workplace is a vital part of maintaining information security. If possible, lock computers to workstations. At the very least, use a security token that requires the user to input a randomly generated password to log in and access company information.

Resolution 2 – I will create a formal document destruction plan
Digging through the trash or “dumpster diving” is completely legal and unfortunately one of the most frequent ways data breaches occur. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) requires that companies not only destroy documents containing sensitive customer and employee information, but also prove they have a formal destruction policy in place.

Resolution 3 – I will develop policies for my employees’ mobile devices
Blackberrys, thumbdrives and PDAs have become common in the workplace. However, many companies have no system in place to monitor what information their users are storing. Employees need to be educated about what should and should not be on a device that is used outside of the workplace. Proprietary, private or financial information should be stored only if absolutely necessary. It’s also imperative that the sensitive information be password-protected should the device be lost or stolen.

Resolution 4 – I will take inventory of my computer data
According to a study conducted by the Ponemon institute in 2006, 64 percent of surveyed companies admitted they had never done an inventory of data stored on their computers. Additionally, as many as 30 percent of those companies admitted they’d have no real way of predicting what information they’ve lost from a stolen computer. Without knowing what you had you can’t know what’s missing. Conduct a quarterly audit of the information stored on your company computers, specifically laptops since they’re the most likely to be misplaced.

Resolution 5 – I will destroy my company’s end-of-life electronics
Most businesses have a back room that serves as a computer graveyard -a place where old and outdated computers are stored. Many companies fail to properly sanitize or destroy hard drives in these computers, leaving a wealth of private company, customer and employee information there for the taking. If this information falls into the wrong hands, the company could face steep fines for privacy legislation violations.

“The average cost of a data breach for a public company has risen to $6 million,” said Al Villamil, President of ShredStation, Inc. “What a lot of companies fail to consider is that a breach doesn’t just mean a fine, it means attorney fees, customer communication, lost customers, call center support and customer credit monitoring -not to mention a PR nightmare. The New Year is a great time for businesses to start taking a hard look at their policies and begin to take a more proactive approach to protecting their private information.”

About Corporate Data Breaches
According to a recent survey from the Ponemon Institute, 59 percent of customers said they would terminate or strongly consider terminating their relationship with any company that encounters a data breach. In 2006, the average cost for one customer record was $182, a 30 percent increase from the previous year. According to Tech//404, a liability insurance company, the estimated cost for a data breach (when 10,000 records have been compromised) is more than $1.6 million after factoring in everything from legal fees and customer notification to media management and fines.

About ShredStation, Inc.
Founded in 2005, ShredStation, Inc. is a New Jersey-based leader in small business and consumer level secure document and data destruction and recycling. ShredStation provides a variety of secure, convenient and affordable services to meet the document destruction needs of its customers -regardless of the amount of material or data a customer needs to destroy. Whether its paper, computer hard drives other electronic media, ShredStation recycles 100 percent of all collected materials. For more information please visit shredstation.com.

Data Security, News data breaches, Data Security

The introduction of large numbers of PCs and networks into the workplace led to the development and widespread adoption of client-server systems in the 1990s. This development has been significant to the growth of distributed databases. Distributed databases require processing power at each site where data is physically located. Processing power is also usually required at each individual workstation to resolve the complex issues of where and how data should be stored and retrieved in a distributed database environment. Client-server architectures provide processing power at all locations. In a traditional mainframe architecture, the combination of processing power and data storage is located at only one site – implementing a distributed database is not possible.

Although client-server systems are usually identified with distributed data storage, there is no requirement for data storage to be distributed in client-server environments – data may be centralized on one mainframe, distributed widely throughout the organization, or anything in between. Many organizations have seen the ability to move to client-server as an opportunity to replace their expensive mainframe data centers with less expensive minicomputers and microcomputers. Such a strategy has come to be known as downsizing or rightsizing. With the cost of good RDBMS software for mainframe systems at around $250,000, the lure of using smaller Unix-based systems running RDBMSs costing $10,000 is strong (Burleson, 1994, p.91).

The use of client-server has not proven universally successful, however. A 1994 survey by the Gartner Group (as cited in Applegate, McFarlan, McKenney, 1996, p. 372) estimated the move to client-server to cost an additional $50,000 to $65,000 per workstation over a five-year period. Many organizations also underestimate the work involved in training users to operate, and support staff to maintain these more complex systems and networks. One estimate places the cost and effort of maintaining the network and distributed information architecture in client-server architectures at 40 percent (Ryan as cited in Applegate, McFarlan, McKenney, 1996, p. 372). Many IT managers fail to recognize that moving to client-server may cause their support staff requirements to grow by double or more in size, especially when many geographically dispersed sites are involved or the user population is not familiar with the use of client workstations. The added costs of such systems have soured some firms on the technology and slowed its implementation. These recent lessons highlight the importance of implementing client-server as a strategic transformation of the organization’s IT architecture, rather than simply a replacement for older technologies.

In the last few years client-server systems have grown to include three or more tiers. These three tiers have also been referred to as front-end software, back-end software, and middleware (Burleson, 1994, p.79). Such layered architectures allow separate platforms for data storage, processing of data according to business rules, and user interface. This promotes code reuse and the ability to change or upgrade individual platforms while requiring little or no modification to the other layers.

The three-tiered client-server architecture promotes the implementation of new distributed database systems by limiting the impact of the changed database architecture on the application as a whole. Most commonly, the distributed database architecture can be changed without any modifications to workstation code since the middle tier handles all interface with the database. Such multi-tiered client-server systems have helped overcome the drawbacks of the increased cost of client-server systems by adding to the value they bring to the organization.

Computer hardware security, Data Security client server, database management, databases

Choosing between a generic open file tool and an application-specific agent raises important

compatibility issues. A major strength of generic open file tools, as compared to application

agents, is that they work with all software applications.

Unfortunately, many generic open file tools are not compatible with all types of backup software.

Generic open file tools that function regardless of backup package being used are therefore at a

distinct advantage, especially if an enterprise frequently changes versions or types of backup

software, or its primary backup package fails.

For example, consider a company that normally uses third-party software for backup purposes. If

the company has deployed a generic open file tool that only works with that particular backup

package, it would be unable to support other emergency backup solutions such as the standard

operating system default backup utility. With a generic open file tool that works with all backup

programs, the company could conduct a reliable backup even if its third-party software suddenly

failed.

In addition, customers with multiple platforms (such as migrations between NetWare and NT

servers) must often purchase a new generic agent license in order to protect open files on the

new system.

Because of this, companies must be wary about the type of generic open file tool they choose. If

they do not select wisely, they may have to obtain frequent updates to their generic open file

agents or be unable to obtain complete backups using alternate backup programs.

Application-specific open file agents have different compatibility issues. Because they function

only with specific applications, changes to the application or backup package might require a

corresponding change in the agent. As a result, the customer is always playing catch-up,

installing new software and then going through extensive testing to ensure that it is working and

configured properly.

Data Security file management, file tool, open file

Geographic dispersion of organizations is not an entirely new concept. Large firms have connected major regional offices to their centralized databases using dedicated lines for years. The difference now is that geographic dispersion is taken to greater extremes to provide cost savings and improved contact with the firm’s customers. Large regional offices are increasingly replaced with smaller locations in all of the firm’s markets. This change greatly increases the number of dedicated lines which, if provided at the same service levels as in the older centralized systems, could add up to an enormous expense. Clearly, the traditional centralized database model creates a problem for firms wishing to benefit by such increased geographic dispersion.

Another aspect of the geographic dispersion problem is the growing abundance of portable computer use by mobile professionals. A common example of this is the travelling salesperson using a laptop-based database to query available inventory and take customer orders. The nature of this work prevents a full-time network connection, and the database on the mobile system must somehow be linked to the firm’s master database at regular intervals to update the distributed copies of any data that has been changed. This is another case where geographic dispersion has rendered the centralized database architecture obsolete.

Geographically dispersed organizations require an architecture that allows the bulk of data retrieval and updates to be performed on fast and inexpensive local area networks (LANs). This architecture should reserve the more expensive WAN for data updates that are relevant to other sites. Mobile users should have a copy of the data for their local use and an efficient means to update using a part-time connection.

Data Security centralized database, database, database management

1. Open File Manager monitors the file system for read requests coming from the backup

program. When the backup application accesses the first file for backup, Open File Manager

determines when there are no partial transactions pending.

2. When it discovers this state, it then begins maintaining Preview Data in a dynamically

allocated Pre-Write Cache for all open files on the system. The cache is in the form of

standard disk files and is distributed across all volumes in order to reduce the load on any

one volume. It grows and shrinks dynamically, so that the system administrator isn’t required

to pre-allocate the peak usage cache space. In comparison, other backup programs have a

cache that is limited to a single volume. If the cache grows too large for one volume, or if the

administrator doesn’t pre-allocate enough space, the operation will fail.

During this time, Open File Manager is constantly monitoring the file system for read requests

coming from the backup program.

3. When the application reaches a part of a file that has been changed, Open File Manager

substitutes the original (pre-write) data from the Pre-Write Cache to fulfill the backup request.

As the backup progresses, any file-write operation from another application goes directly to the

proper file, while a copy of the Preview Data (the data that will be overwritten) is placed by Open

File Manager into the Pre-Write Cache. When the backup program reaches a part of the file that

has been changed during the backup of that file, Open File Manager then substitutes the original

Open File Manager White Paper

Data Security file manager, file saving, open file

Prior to the popular acceptance of DDBMSs, corporations normally relied on centralized databases designed to serve very structured information requirements. These centralized databases had some characteristics in common. First, they ran on powerful and expensive hardware that could handle very large portions of a firm’s data reliably. Second, they were administered by a small number of well-trained people who could manage the organization’s complex mainframe or minicomputer. Third, the dedicated data lines forming the corporate wide area network (WAN) had to be highly reliable and have a large capacity, because any downtime will preclude at least one site from operating, and every operation had to be transmitted to and from the central database in real time. These centralized databases could provide adequate performance to firms able to work around their shortcomings. These shortcomings include the lack of flexibility in the application of the firm’s information and the requirement to implement a single point of failure for the entire enterprise.

This section explores the lessons learned about the limitations of centralized database systems over the thirty years they have been in general use. First the business forces are explored. Each of these business issues has generated information technology requirements that distributed database architectures are uniquely capable of supporting. Second, the technology issues are explored. These have come about from advances in information technology that have made the centralized database model less relevant in today’s organizations.

Data Security centralized database, database management, databases