Five Security Tips to Protect Your Small Biz Investment
Gain Control of Your Email
Taking Full Advantage of CRM Software
New Dell Servers: Big-Business Performance at Small-Business Price
Backups Are a Breeze Online
Don't Let Your Networked A/V Devices Go it Alone
Cyber-Thieves' New Target: Business Processes
Weave Your Web
 

Five Security Tips to Protect Your Small Biz Investment
Small Business Computing (05/06/08); Simonds, Lauren

There are several steps small businesses can take to protect themselves from external threats such as viruses and malware, according to John Clay, the product-marketing manager at Trend Micro. For starters, small businesses should make sure that their security applications are kept current. Failing to do so will leave the business vulnerable to attack, Clay said. Small businesses should also be sure to use security software designed specifically for small businesses, not software designed for consumers. Security software designed for small businesses has a number of advantages over consumer-based products, Clay noted. For instance, business-grade security software allows companies with several employees to manage the security settings on their computers--a feature that is important because employees may not know how to use the software properly, Clay said. In addition to making sure that they have the right technology and that it is up to date, small businesses should establish policies on how employees handle sensitive data. Finally, small businesses should protect themselves from being held legally liable for losing data by following security best practices. For instance, small businesses should implement an e-discovery solution, since the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure require that they produce every e-mail that pertains to a legal dispute, Clay said.
(http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/article.php/3 745056)

Gain Control of Your Email
Processor (05/02/08)Vol. 30, No. 18, P. 1; Millard, Elizabeth

There are a number of techniques IT managers can use to gain more control over the thousands of e-mail messages that move through their companies' networks every day. One of the best first steps in an e-mail control strategy is to conduct activity profiling, said Chris Bradley, vice president of marketing and business development at MessageGate. According to Bradley, activity profiling can help an IT department get an idea about what has been happening on the company's network for the past month and see areas such as redundant information, overflowing inboxes, and possible risks. This step allows IT managers to get a bigger-picture view of what is going on in their company's network, instead of controlling pieces such as inappropriate content and exposure risks on a day-to-day basis. IT managers may also want to address e-mail storage when developing an e-mail control strategy. One way that IT managers can alleviate storage problems is by replacing attachments with links to documents that are stored in one accessible server, Bradley said. Finally, IT managers should follow up with employees and make sure that they have read the company’s e-mail policies and that they understand them. To ensure that employees know their company's e-mail policies, IT may want to consider developing a test on those policies that employees could take once a month or once every quarter, depending on the scale of the e-mail security problems at the company.
(http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?Article=artic les/p3018/20p18/20p18.asp&GUID=428D344003A242DEABBDA0AB4624E566)

Taking Full Advantage of CRM Software
WebCPA.com (05/01/08); Wolosky, Howard W.

New York-based Marks Paneth & Shron is one of the growing number of companies that are beginning to see the benefits of using customer relationship management (CRM) software. The company uses InterAction, a CRM application from LexisNexis. The software--which can be accessed by Marks Paneth & Shron's marketing department, internal accounting, and human resources department, as well as the company's partners and their administrative assistants, directors, and some managers--allows the firm to analyze how well an administrative assistant manages their partners' contacts. The software makes this possible by allowing Marks Paneth & Shron to see when contacts are not being maintained and updated. In the event contacts are not being maintained and updated, the CRM software can automatically update contact information from a partners' Outlook address book. In addition, an add-on product called Tikit allows outside contacts to manage their mailing preferences and contact information. According to Jean Frohman, marketing senior at Marks Paneth & Shron, the company's clients like using the CRM software because it allows them "to take back control of their preferences." She added that her company's clients have also appreciated them sense of community that has developing from "know[ing] who knows who."
(click for more)

New Dell Servers: Big-Business Performance at Small-Business Price
ITWeb (05/05/08)

Small and medium businesses no longer have to sacrifice server performance or reliability for price. Dell's new PowerEdge R300 and T300 servers have industry-leading performance, memory and high-availability features previously only available in more expensive systems designed for larger businesses. Utilizing the quad-core Intel Xeon x5460 processor, the PowerEdge R300 achieves up to 26% better performance than the HP DL320 G5p, and up to 51% over the IBM System X 3250. The T300 tower server achieves up to 31% better performance compared to the HP ML310 G5 server, and up to 51 better performances than the IBM System X 3200. The new R300 and T300 servers helps companies better handle memory-intensive applications by offering 24GB of memory - essential, high-availability features include hot-plug hard drives and redundant power supplies to help increase uptime and prevent loss of data access. Dell's new services portfolio, ProSupport, gives small and medium businesses greater flexibility to choose the support options that make the most sense for their companies. These service options, combined with features delivered in the R300 and T300 servers, make it easier for customers to spend less time worrying about their IT so they can focus more on productivity and growing their businesses.
(http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/computing/2008/0805060724.as p?A=SBC&S=Servers%20and%20Server-Based%20Computing&O=FPIN)

Backups Are a Breeze Online
Boston Globe (05/01/08); Bray, Hiawatha

Many small businesses and professional practices forgo backup systems despite expert advice. Many of these business owners find backup devices too costly or confusing, while others contend that there is no need for backup if a fire destroys the office building or home where the computer and backup files are stored. Online backup systems can provide these business owners with some relief. IDC Corp. estimates only 1.5 percent of consumers use online backup technology, which copies files over the Internet and stores them in high-security data centers. However, businesses can find companies to store their data for free or for $50 per year in some cases, though some services have size restrictions and other conditions. Mozy and Carbonite are just two online backup services available for low fees and storage is unlimited, though high-speed Internet connections are required. Each online service will require an initial software download, which will monitor and backup data automatically.
(http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2008/05/0 1/backups_are_a_breeze_online/)

Don't Let Your Networked A/V Devices Go it Alone
Small Business Computing (05/02/08); Moran, Joseph

There are two different approaches to wirelessly connecting multiple electronics devices to an existing WLAN. In one of these approaches, each device that is to be connected to the network is equipped with a proprietary wireless adapter. In the other approach, an ethernet connection is used to link each of the devices to a wireless bridge that supports multiple devices. This approach has a number of advantages of equipping each device with its own wireless adapter. For instance, the cost of buying a wireless bridge is often less than the cost of buying wireless adapters for each individual device. In addition, this approach requires the configuration of just the wireless bridge, not several different wireless adapters. However, there are some downsides to connecting several different devices to an existing WLAN via a wireless bridge. For instance, a configuration problem or hardware failure with the wireless bridge will leave the devices connected to it unable to link up with the network.
(http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/webmaster/article.php/ 3744401)

Cyber-Thieves' New Target: Business Processes
E-Commerce Times (04/01/08); Germain, Jack M.

Businesses worldwide depend on e-mail, but malware is putting corporate data at unprecedented risk, according to a survey by Webroot. Cyber crooks focus on e-mail because they can extract valuable personal and corporate information, said Webroot executives. Chris Benham, vice president of corporate marketing for Webroot, said firms need to be more proactive by establishing policy rules and enforcing strict compliance to e-mail rules among employees. Too many businesses are being too "casual" about safeguarding their email, he said. "Attackers are going where the money is by breaking into business processes. Their actions are hard to track and harder to prosecute," Benham warned. Webroot's survey of 1,494 e-mail security product decision makers involved individuals from the United States and six other countries. Three-fourths of all respondents said e-mail is very or extremely important for communicating with clients. The biggest security concern cited was infections from viruses and spyware, followed by data breaches and spam. Upwards of 50 percent of respondents were affected by spyware and virus attacks in 2007, and more than 40 percent had to cope with a phishing attack. Roughly a third of the organizations responding said they experienced a reduction in employee productivity and system performance as a result of spam in 2007.
(http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Cyber-Thieves-New-Target- Business-Processes-62066.html)

Weave Your Web
Entrepreneur (05/01/08); Holloway, Lindsay

Businesses can bolster their online presence with new electronic commerce solutions. Microsoft Office Live Small Business recently rolled out an updated version with new features that is designed specifically for entrepreneurs that wish to market their services and wares online. To begin, businesses need to use AdManager to launch an e-mail marketing campaign via the Windows Live and Ask.com networks. Entrepreneurs can also use Homestead.com's e-commerce solution Storefront, which has a starting cost of $24.99 a month. Other advertising options include Homestead's comprehensive keyword advertising service SearchLight, Homestead Directory, and a new Local Listings service that lists local businesses on Google Maps, Yahoo Local and similar sites.
(http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2008/may/1 92794.html)