A recent report from Piper Jaffray found that 75% of companies expected to increase their IT security spending in 2015, following a year of high-profile hacks and data breaches in 2014.
The post How can businesses save money on internet security in 2015? appeared first on We Live Security.
Consultancy firm Ernst and Young have warned that employees returning to work with new smartphones and tablets purchased over the Christmas period could be a security risk for companies.
The post Christmas gadgets could cause corporate security issues says Ernst & Young appeared first on We Live Security.
AMSTERDAM and SAN FRANCISCO – January 5, 2015 – AVG Technologies N.V. (NYSE: AVG), the online security company™ for 188 million active users, today announced it has been selected by Business Solutions Magazine (BSM) as a 2015 Best Channel Vendor in the Network Security category. The annual poll of Value Added Resellers (VARs) and BSM subscribers rated vendor partners in seven categories including service/support, channel friendly, product features, product reliability, channel program, product innovation and VAR margins.
“We are thrilled our industry partners have voted us Best Channel Vendor,” said Francois Daumard, VP Global Channel Sales, AVG Technologies. “2015 marks the start of a pivotal year for us as we work to make the Channel appreciate the new face of AVG Business. Still not enough partners truly understand the transition that has been taking place within AVG Business. Thanks to AVG Business Managed Workplace® we are first and foremost today a remote monitoring and management (RMM) applications vendor. Crucially, as business applications move towards an increasingly integrated future, the only established network security Channel vendor that is fully focused on integrated cloud and mobile applications development.”
Throughout 2014 AVG Business has continued to invest significantly in support of industry partners including holding its first Annual Partner Cloud Summit, introducing a new product portfolio, expanding its international distribution footprint and hiring some recognized industry big-hitters to head up its Global Channel Sales and Marketing teams.
Best Channel Vendor 2015 is the latest of many recent accolades for AVG that include recognition by Virus Bulletin’s VB100 for products and the 2014 MSPmentor 250 for excellence in managed services leadership and expertise.
During fall 2014, BSM partnered with Penn State University to conduct a Web-based survey capturing significant data from active VAR subscribers. A total of 8,848 validated votes were cast, continuing the tradition of one of the largest and most detailed surveys of its kind. Scores were tallied by BSM editorial staff using methodology provided by Penn State.
The full list of 2015 Best Channel Vendors appears in a special report in Business Solutions Magazine’s January issue.
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AVG is the online security company providing leading software and services to secure devices, data and people. AVG has over 188 million active users, as of September 30, 2014, using AVG’s products and services including Internet security, performance optimization, and personal privacy and identity protection. By choosing AVG’s products, users become part of a trusted global community that engages directly with AVG to provide feedback and offer mutual support to other customers.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Contacts:
US
Holly Luka
Waggener Edstrom for AVG
+ 1 (415) 547 7054
UK
Paul Shlackman
PR Manager, SMB & Channel
+44 (0)7792 121510
As the tale of Sony Entertainment’s victimization at the hands of cyber hackers continues to play out (with new twists in the plot revealed almost daily for the last month), it feels like ultimately there may be something positive to emerge from the unprecedented event for us as a society.
While unfortunately, it may have been at Sony’s expense, the Sony hack attack has made cyber security a top-of-mind issue for mainstream media, businesses and consumers.
(Full disclosure, Sony is a valued AVG partner.)
From the initial reports of hacked celebrity email revelations that first put the incident front and center – to a decision by Sony to pull (for now) the film “The Interview” – to unprecedented charges by the FBI of the involvement of a state-sponsored hacker (North Korea) and our U.S. president vowing a “proportional” response for the ‘cyber vandalism’ attack on Sony and our freedom of speech…to North Korea’s internet subsequently going down (as we publish this blog) without explanation on Dec. 22nd 2014. It has now been confirmed by Sony that there will be a limited release of the movie on Christmas Day.
This incident has been playing out like a plot to a thriller –with all of us watching and trying to identify the bad actors. Unfortunately, it really is reality TV.
But one of the impacts also has been well-deserved attention to the increasing concerns about cyber security – from personal to national.
Cyber security is, without doubt, one of the most serious issues of our time.
Clearly, in 2014 the issue of cyber security has moved from being perceived as a somewhat “wonky” IT issue, to one that average Americans are now concerned with. Unfortunately, it has taken the Sony episode along with a year of high-profile data breaches and hacking at other very high profile businesses (Target, Home Depot, JP Morgan Chase, among them) to bring the issue into the mainstream consciousness and concern.
As we close 2014, it feels like it has been the (unofficial) year of the hacker. But it has made people more appreciative of the need for digital security. For that much we can be thankful. And, perhaps it will prompt us all to make 2015 the year of digital security.
It makes me very proud of what we do here at AVG to contribute to making the digital world safer for everyone.
AVG CloudCare™ is a platform that simplifies IT management for the small and medium-sized business. It protects devices, data and people with a set of flexible services that you can manage remotely from any web browser. Activate or deactivate services, roll out policies, install software, and simply take care of issues, all in a single platform.
The importance of independent reviews on products designed for the SMB’s is that these businesses do not have the time and resource, nor the inclination in many cases, to research which solution will give them the security and reliability that their business requires.
In large enterprises teams of IT professionals evaluate multiple products and select based on criteria that their business demands. In small organisations the requirement to have a solution that answers the business needs does not change but the ability to research a market does differ.
Most SMB organizations trust their IT security to a partner, a reseller or consulting company that provides them the services and selection of products that an enterprise IT department would. The fact that the purchaser can easily validate the proposal from their IT partner by looking to see what accolades and awards the solution being offered has achieved makes the decision process much simpler.
VB100 is a comparative review conducted by Virus Bulletin, who put antivirus solutions through their paces with rigorous testing. In this case the testing was for servers running Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.
Try AVG CloudCare free for 30 days
In the last few years, businesses have been tackling a new set of privacy and security issues thanks to the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend where employees are increasingly using their personal devices for business use.
But what about the new device trend; wearables? How will wearable devices in the workplace affect a business? Will Wear Your Own Device (WOYD) be an issue?
Forrester, among other analysts, is predicting that 2015 will be the “year of the wearable.” IdTechEx predicts growth from $14 billion in 2014 to over $70 billion in 2024. But the market is just ramping up, and experts are predicting it to be huge, and ubiquitous –while feeding into the larger Internet of Things.
Part of the enthusiasm being generated for wearables is attributed to the much-heralded release of the Apple Watch. And part of it is that these devices are becoming mainstream. This has been brought to the forefront by developments with Google Glass.
Early issues surrounding Google Glass go to the very heart of the wearable debate: there are real concerns that the person talking to you and wearing the Glass could be recording everything. Taken into the workplace, Glass could be used to look at valuable corporate information or record a private conference meeting. Not to mention the company workout room and locker room!
My husband Bob, who was an early Samsung X watch adopter, likes to amuse dinner guests with demos of how he can video them with his watch without them having a clue… While his and the first “smart watches” were clunky, increasingly they are being designed to be smaller, cooler, and…well, look like any other watch.
Google and Apple are just two examples of the first wave of wearable tech; there’s also the Moto 360, Samsung Gear, and start-up players like Pebble with plenty more in development. In the next wave, experts envision devices being woven into clothing, placed in jewelry and bracelets, available as a skin patch, and other weird and wonderful ideas.
Privacy issues aside, there’s security to consider as well. Wearables run on software and software can be vulnerable to attack. In the case of Glass, you could foresee an attack that grants the hacker with a view of everything you’re seeing. Scary, right? For these and other reasons, some government agencies and other high-security-risk workplaces have banned Glass.
Of course, everyone can see if you’re wearing Google Glass. But as wearable devices get harder to spot, privacy risks go up. So as an employer, manager, enterprise expert, or small business owner, what can you do to maintain security and safety? Banning WYOD all together doesn’t appear to be a sensible option, and as a matter of fact may put your business at a disadvantage.
So, it’s a good idea to start putting policies in place. If you develop a good BYOD policy you’ll be in good shape for WYOD.
Here are a few areas to consider in expanding your BYOD policy for WYOD:
For more help creating a device policy for your business, check out our Small Business Digital Policy eBook.
I certainly don’t want to be all gloom and doom about wearable devices. I believe they can do great things in the workplace. For example, Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has developed a custom retrieval system for Google Glass, which allows an ER doctor to look up specific information about patients by using Google Glass to scan a Quick response (QR) code on the wall of each room.
Salesforce this summer announced the Salesforce Wear Developer Kit, a set of resources designed to help developers build apps that integrate with Salesforce service for such wearable devices as smart watches, smart glasses, smart armbands and biometric authenticators. Clearly we’re at the cusp of a WYOD evolution (I hesitate to call it a revolution).
It’s only natural that wearables are bleeding into the workplace.
And like any new technology in the workplace, it’s all about preparing for it and using it in the right way.
In 2001, we began our journey toward becoming the leader in consumer desktop security by doing things differently and delivering a great product for free. Today, we protect more than 175 million home computers, more than anyone else.
In 2011, we began our journey toward becoming the leader in mobile security by doing things differently and delivering a great product for free. Today, we protect more than 50 million smartphones, making us one of the top 2 mobile security providers and well on our way to becoming number one.
In 2015, we start our next journey – this one toward becoming the leader in business security. And we’ll do so by doing things differently and delivering a great product for…
…well, keep an eye on this space. We’ve clearly shown that when we focus our efforts, we know how to deliver differentiated solutions that become market leaders despite stiff competition.
We don’t do any of this by ourselves though. Over the years, we have listened to our evangelists on the forum, our fans on social media, consumer reviews, and the people who test out our products before they are released. We gather feedback, opinions, and suggestions and integrate those into Avast products.
Now we’re doing it again.
Avast Software will turn business information security on its head with our new business-grade security product designed specifically for small and medium sized businesses. But first, we need your help.
Here’s what you get:
How to join the program
As much as is feasible without delaying the product release, we’ll incorporate your comments into Avast for Business; other suggestions will be reserved for incorporation into future releases. And your business name will be added to the list of companies that will receive three months of Premium service after the product is released.
Avast Software’s security applications for PC, Mac, and Android are trusted by more than 200-million people and businesses. Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
Around 1,000 delegates at the NexGen Cloud Conference in San Diego last week heard Tony Anscombe give some valuable insight into the partner opportunity for the Internet of Things. The good news for our service provider partners is the opportunity is huge. Our recent Monetization of IoT study shows that around three fifths (62 percent) of small businesses has budget specifically assigned over the next 12 months for the development of IoT solutions.
On this evidence 2015 is shaping up to be an important year for IoT investment. Engaging with IT providers on NextGen Cloud matters is just one component of what’s to come. The other part concerns the immediate future for their small business customers and the ever changing threat landscape.
With that in mind, here are my top threats to watch for in 2015:-
The latter part of 2013 was notable for a spate of ransomware attacks on small businesses. This has continued in 2014 and we are likely to see more instances in 2015. Ransomware, like the infamous CryptoLocker, encrypts or locks personal files on your machine and extorts a ransom to recover them. To avoid falling victim, businesses should use reputable antivirus software, avoid risky downloads, educate staff and keep security software/operating systems regularly patched and updated.
Cybercriminals are increasingly focusing their attacks on small businesses. APTs are a relatively new class of malware developed by cybercriminals to steal passwords, logins and customer data. They are purposely designed to gain a foothold in the business and remain there undetected for a prolonged period of time. To counter this businesses require an equally sophisticated approach to defense that includes protection from risks in mobile communications and Cloud services as well as traditional networks.
As Cloud services and the Internet of Things become part of everyday business life password management is going to become a hot issue. We saw a good example of this in the news last month where streaming images from thousands webcams and CCTVs around the world ended up on a Russian website simply because they had default passwords or no log-in codes at all. Many of the images were taken from business CCTV equipment. Until companies learn to manage their passwords efficiently we can expect to see a lot more of this kind of incidents.
Not so long ago it was probably quite natural for your Apple®-loving colleagues to congratulate themselves for using the relatively threat-free Macintosh platform. But the tide is turning. The prevalence of iPad® and iPhone® mobile devices in the office has turned the Apple operating system into a prime target. Last month we saw reports of a new combination of malware that infects Apple’s OS®X and iOS® mobile devices called the OSX/WireLurker Trojan. Android™ too is subject to attack. You may have seen recent news reports about a new variant of Android malware called NotCompatible that uses spam email blasts and compromised websites to infiltrate secure company networks.
In summary, the outlook for business security threats is one of increasing diversity. At the same time more IoT devices and Cloud services are coming on stream. Our study strongly indicates that small businesses are ready to spend on ways to simplify how things are kept up to date, secure and monitored in 2015.
However, as always in business, you can never afford to rest on your laurels and we will continue to invest in and expand our bleeding-edge cloud security and managed services platforms. To assist us with this task it gives me great pleasure to welcome on board Francois Daumard as our new vice-president of Global Channel Sales.
Most recently with the mobility management company FiberLink, Francois has a strong background in Channel Sales and has previously worked for such organizations as Apple and Microsoft. Francois’ experience encompasses Global Sales & Marketing, Operations and establishing international strategic Channel Partner Programs. He is well-recognized as an active participant in the Channel Community and currently sits on the Vendor Council of CompTIA.
Francois will be responsible for the channel sales teams across the globe. He brings a tremendous amount of experience to the team and will be working closely with our VP of Marketing & Product Marketing Joanna Brace and her marketing team as we work to add a little sparkle to our channels in 2015.
As we pivot AVG business towards a cloud model, expansion of our global footprint has gathered pace. In 2014 Brazil, Australia, Germany and, following the recent acquisition of Norman Safeground, Scandinavia, DACH and Benelux have all come on stream.
Of course the size of the challenge ahead of us should not be underestimated. We are not going to convince businesses overnight how radically we have changed as an organisation. We must show them that today we are the online security company for devices, data and people with a modern consumer and business product portfolio to suit both markets.
Hopefully our continued roll out of market-leading cloud security and remote management solutions coupled with an unwavering commitment to helping our 10,000 global partners and their customers manage large numbers of business mobile devices will help to overturn some of those entrenched perceptions.
In summary, as we build up to the strategically important Mobile World Congress 2015 we can count on a solid framework, closely aligned to the ever changing needs of the Channel, that is capable of carrying us towards our next goal. That goal is to become the market leading applications vendor for streamlined delivery of cloud security and managed services to small and medium sized businesses.
A large number of companies are leaving their confidential files at risk by over-sharing with employees, according to a new survey by the Ponemon Institute.
The post Company data at risk by widespread employee access appeared first on We Live Security.
