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Strategic Technology Horizons is a free monthly newsletter published by Allen Falcon, President of http://www.horizoninformation.com target="_blank">Horizon Information Group, covering innovate ideas and perspectives on technology management issues relevant to small and mid-size enterprises. ******************************************************************************
Strategic Technology Horizons
June 2008A Note from Allen
Last week, I walked up to an ATM machine with the following message on the screen, "Would you like to continue with another transaction?" With nobody in sight, I had no idea who the person was that left their account open on the machine.There are two types of ATM machines: those that keep your card inside until your transactions are complete and those that let you swipe and hold onto your card. While many people prefer not to have their card held captive, ATMs that hold your card give you a tangible end to your transactions. When you get your card back, you know that the ATM has reset and your money (i.e. your data) is safe.
Without the definite end to the transaction, the ATMs that let you swipe and hold your card make it just a little bit easier for you to leave the machine before the job is done. A moment of distraction or inattention can create a data leak that could result in a pretty substantial leak from your bank accounts as well.
Beyond backup, archive and recovery, spend a few minutes thinking about and preventing data leaks that could cripple your business.
Best Regards,
Allen
How Does Data Leak?
By way of definition, a Data Leak is the accidental loss or release of data. While data losses like those from TJX Companies and Hannaford Supermarkets resulted from intentional, malicious acts by criminals, most data leaks result from a lapse of human attention and/or common sense.Here's an example: A courier in Salt Lake City, UT, recently drove home with a case of tapes in his car, rather then delivering them as scheduled to the off-site storage facility. Stolen from his car, at his house, the tapes contained the over 1.5 million patient billing records for the University of Utah Hospital, complete with names, addresses, and social security numbers. While the theft is a crime, the leak came from the careless treatment of the backup tapes by the courier.
Closer to home, a salesperson recently gave a customer a proposal using a USB Flash Drive, neglecting to remove other files on the memory stick. In addition to the proposal, the customer was given the vendor's pricing matrix for all customers (a definite advantage in contract negotiations).
As collaboration and information sharing move from "buzzword" to business practice, employee education, practical policies, and a modicum of common sense can prevent data leak disasters.
7 Reasons to Worry About USB Flash Drives
With all of the industry efforts to provide secure information sharing and collaboration (secure wikis, portals, email, etc.), who would have guessed these efforts would be so easily thwarted by the USB Flash Drive, the modern version of the floppy disk.If USB Flash Drives are becoming part of your company's culture, here are a seven reasons to be concerned (some more funny than others; all are based on real incidents).
Where Did the File Go?
Like the floppy drive, it is easy to add files to a USB Flash Drive without opening the virtual drive to see what else is on the disk. Sharing USB Flash Drives makes handing over files an easy accident.
The Great Escape
Like socks in the wash, USB Flash Drives love to play hide and seek. They love to jump off tables to the floor under your chair and hide under and inside napkins. One local coffee haunt as a separate "lost and found" for USB Flash Drives that attempted to escape from their rightful owners. Most go unclaimed.
Definitely NOT Waterproof
Whether or not they have the colorful covers, USB Flash Drives are toddler magnets. Ideal for teething or a game of "Does it Float?", USB Flash Drives easily end up in the wrong hands.
Copy ... Paste ... Uh Oh!
While some USB Flash Drives come with synchronization software, many (if not most) users rely on the tried and true file copy and paste. A simple copy in the wrong direction overwrites valuable data this is not likely backed up anyplace else.
Speaking of Backups
USB Flash Drives generally mount as removable fixed disks. Many backup software agents do not recognize removable fixed disks, making backups nearly impossible without first manually copying files from the flash drive to the hard disk.
I Lost My Keys
Many USB Flash Drives come with encryption utilities. While good for preventing theft, the encryption systems are generally proprietary to the drive manufacturer. IS Departments have little or no ability to help recover lost or forgotten passwords.
Nice Logo, Dude!
USB Flash Drives with company logos may great marketing gifts. Some folks collect and trade them like golf balls with logos. Before using that cool looking flash drive, check to make sure it is free of viruses and other malware.
Great Advice from Betsy Harper
In our last issue, we asked for advice that could help save fellow readers money. Kudos to Betsy Harper of Sales and Marketing Search for this wisdom. "Do not 'bargain' for a lower fee when using your recruiter. There's plenty of work for them and they will just put your job at the bottom of the pile if your job is not competitive with what their other clients are paying. But, what you can do is ask for terms. Instead of the standard net 30 day terms or" due upon placement", ask for a 30-60-90 day payment plan. It will help cash flow and if you have a good relationship with your recruiter, they should be willing to go along with that"
Things We Like: Secret and Not-So-Secret Savings
Register your Starbucks card and save 60%or more on your favorite coffee concoction; Use the right credit card and save 5% or more on gasoline. With prices on the rise, we hear of more ways to save money - some more secret than others.Click here and share your favorite ways to save.
