Friday, April 29, 2005
A serious security threat faces enterprise from the invasion of easily-concealed USB keys, music players, and portable hard drives, according to a recent article in Australia’s PC world Magazine.
These devices are particularly and issue for companies where intellectual property (IP) is intrinsically a competitive advantage, according to a market leading security analyst, James Turner from Frost & Sullivan.
The problem is that these USB devices can be used to transport large chunks of data between places easily which means they can also be used to lift large chunks of intellectual property and transport them into the hands of opposition companies.
Things like Ipods, USB keys, Digital Cameras and MP3 players can also be used to transport images, files and other data not normally associated with their primary use. Companies are having to now watch what their employees are doing.
These devices are particularly and issue for companies where intellectual property (IP) is intrinsically a competitive advantage, according to a market leading security analyst, James Turner from Frost & Sullivan.
The problem is that these USB devices can be used to transport large chunks of data between places easily which means they can also be used to lift large chunks of intellectual property and transport them into the hands of opposition companies.
Things like Ipods, USB keys, Digital Cameras and MP3 players can also be used to transport images, files and other data not normally associated with their primary use. Companies are having to now watch what their employees are doing.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
This months Q & A
This month a bit of a Q & A session thanks to the hundreds of emails that came in from both Mid North Coast and North Coast listers this last month.
What is a screen saver and do we need one these days?
A screen saver is a program designed to take what image displayed on the screen and hide it after a certain period of time by either blanking the screen completely or displaying a sequence of other moving images. The screen saver was originally designed to stop burn in in old single tone monitors. Basically, if the same image was displayed on a screen for a long period of time day after day the image was literally burnt into the monitor by the electron beam in the cathode ray tube.
These days monitors don’t have these problems, especially the the new LCD or plasma screens. But the screen saver is well and truly entrenched as a legitimate piece of business software as often companies display cooperate images on all of their computers during down time. But a screen saver can also be security as they can be set to lock the screen and ask for a password to get access again should the operator leave the machine unattended.
I bought 1 piece of software and want to install it on five machines?
Hold the bus here, do you have enough site licenses? Basically although you bought the piece of software you don’t technically own it. It still remains the property of the creator and manufacturer and they decide how you can use it by terms set out in the EUA or End User Agreement. Most software comes with a CD or other media and the permission to use it on one machine. If you need it on more than one machine you will require a site license which gives you permission to install the software of the 1 piece of media on many machines. Its often cheaper than buying 1 piece of software for each machine.
I can’t afford to spent upwards of 600 dollars for Microsoft office what do I do?
I agree with you often it is too expensive to get the software you need and software providers often complain that their costs are driven up by piracy and the pirates say if software companies provided software at a cost people could afford the level of piracy would be significantly reduced. But many options are open to you to use a legitimate office compatible product. A number of free options are available, the constantly under development open source product Open Office is available as a free download. Basically, it’s a project run by Sun Microsystems to develop a competitor to Microsoft Office called Star Office. Star Office is extremely inexpensive as a stable finalized product but open office often has cutting edge technologies and downloading a new version every three months will make sure you have all the latest functions. More information got to www.openoffice.org
But another great product I have found which isn’t open source or constant under development is the 602software suite. Has everything you need in an office suite, word quality word processor, excel quality spread sheet and other functions. The best thing is that it is free. Yippee!! Download it from www.602software.com
What is a screen saver and do we need one these days?
A screen saver is a program designed to take what image displayed on the screen and hide it after a certain period of time by either blanking the screen completely or displaying a sequence of other moving images. The screen saver was originally designed to stop burn in in old single tone monitors. Basically, if the same image was displayed on a screen for a long period of time day after day the image was literally burnt into the monitor by the electron beam in the cathode ray tube.
These days monitors don’t have these problems, especially the the new LCD or plasma screens. But the screen saver is well and truly entrenched as a legitimate piece of business software as often companies display cooperate images on all of their computers during down time. But a screen saver can also be security as they can be set to lock the screen and ask for a password to get access again should the operator leave the machine unattended.
I bought 1 piece of software and want to install it on five machines?
Hold the bus here, do you have enough site licenses? Basically although you bought the piece of software you don’t technically own it. It still remains the property of the creator and manufacturer and they decide how you can use it by terms set out in the EUA or End User Agreement. Most software comes with a CD or other media and the permission to use it on one machine. If you need it on more than one machine you will require a site license which gives you permission to install the software of the 1 piece of media on many machines. Its often cheaper than buying 1 piece of software for each machine.
I can’t afford to spent upwards of 600 dollars for Microsoft office what do I do?
I agree with you often it is too expensive to get the software you need and software providers often complain that their costs are driven up by piracy and the pirates say if software companies provided software at a cost people could afford the level of piracy would be significantly reduced. But many options are open to you to use a legitimate office compatible product. A number of free options are available, the constantly under development open source product Open Office is available as a free download. Basically, it’s a project run by Sun Microsystems to develop a competitor to Microsoft Office called Star Office. Star Office is extremely inexpensive as a stable finalized product but open office often has cutting edge technologies and downloading a new version every three months will make sure you have all the latest functions. More information got to www.openoffice.org
But another great product I have found which isn’t open source or constant under development is the 602software suite. Has everything you need in an office suite, word quality word processor, excel quality spread sheet and other functions. The best thing is that it is free. Yippee!! Download it from www.602software.com
