In this cyber oriented world Encrypted USB Sticks has become an element of our day to day lives. These sticks are available in various memory sizes as per the requirement. Various companies like Kingston, Sandisk Corp., Patriot, Sony, Transcend etc. are engaged in manufacturing various types of USB sticks. These USB sticks are portable and come very handy. Using these you can easily carry data from one place to another. Another feature is that these sticks can be roughly used as it does not get ruined easily.

Some of the Encrypted USB Sticks includes Sandisk Cruzer Micro 256MB, Sandisk Cruzer Micro 4GB, Kingston DataTraveler 101 4GB, Kingston DataTraveler 200 128GB, Patriot Xporter XT Boost 16GB, Sony Micro Vault Click 16GB etc. The Freecom DataBar USB memory stick has a memory size of 0.5 GB and provides a read speed of 8.0 MB/s. Additionally it also provides a write speed of 7.0 MB/s. Kingston DataTraveler 200 128GB has a huge memory size of 128 GB. It also has an amazing read speed of 20.0 MB/s and a spectacular write speed of 10.0 MB/s. Sandisk Cruzer Micro 8GB is another Encrypted USB Sticks that provides read speed of 7.0 MB/s and write speed of 5.0 MB/s. The Sandisk USB flash drive also naturally uses a USB 2.0 interface.

All these Encrypted USB Sticks are very user friendly and even a layman can use them easily. These are offered in economical prices and are also available easily at a store near your home. The USB sticks are priced according to the memory provided in it.

The Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 is enhanced software that has been designed for the protection of internet on computers, palmtops, tablet PCs and notebook PCs. With this security software comes a license key for a defined tenure post which it will be of no use. The tenure served by the key will be a worthy one as breaching the internet firewall will be next to impossible. The key can be used on 3 distinct computers which will form a virtual envelope over their respective internet systems. The software offers high end security for internet platforms and blocks malicious perpetrators like Trojans and other viruses. Any threat to the internet platform will be proactively tackled by the Kaspersky Internet Security 2009. It also restricts access of unknown applications and blocks their entry into system supplies.

If you have a chain of computers and are operating a business, then having the Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 on board is imperative. Every copy of this software will cover three of your computers so this way, you can also save a lot on costs. You can guarantee the safe running of your internet platform by installing the Kaspersky Internet Security 2009. Spending a paltry amount of money and assuring the security of such a vital part of your business will be a very wise investment. Once installed on your computers, you and your allies can simply relax and carry on with work without worrying about security issues and cyber trespassing. You will be able to divert more attention and energy towards work.

Tags for this article: internet, security, kaspersky

As everything is going mobile these days there is no surprise in the fact that most of the IT consumers prefer web browsing instead of tapping their desktop mouse buttons. Due to this the mobile computing solution providers are focusing on developing better mobile web browsers each day. The biggest example of this is Apple now allowing third party mobile web browser developers to launch their products for the iPhone as an alternative to Safari. No doubt that the mobile web browsers have changed the way people used to work and enjoy while on the move but such browsers have also increased the security loopholes.

Next generation mobile web browsers pose a big threat for mobile security. A recent survey conducted by F-Secure revealed that around 30 percent of U.S. and Canadian mobile phone users access the internet but majority of them do not use any specialised security software to protect their data and identity online. Most of the users who do have a security application installed on their WiFi capable smartphones, like the BlackBerry 8120 Pearl, do not know how to configure the application as per their preferences. Thus IT departments have to focus on new mobile web security developments. According to industry experts the IT professionals must revamp and enhance the security features of mobile web browsers, educate the users about safe and smart web browsing practices and develop a robust handheld device management system.

Charlie Miller, principal analyst for software security at Independent Security Evaluators (ISE) says, “Browser vulnerabilities are the easiest way to get remote code running on a smartphone. That’s because browsers are pretty complex compared to most programs on a smartphone. Once exploitation occurs, the remote code can do a variety of things.” Therefore it’s urgent and important to restructure the mobile security, especially when it comes to mobile web browsing.

There is no doubt that the smartphones are at greater risk of security breaching and attacks by malicious codes. More and more people are getting inclined towards using smartphones as their main source of communication, connectivity and entertainment. As a result the phishers and hackers too have turned their head towards such devices instead of disturbing desktops and notebooks. Georgia Tech Information Security Center had cited in its 2009 Cyber Threat Report that there are chances of botnets targeting smartphones instead of desktops this year. Thus, it’s imperative to take smartphone security seriously.

To help fight against smartphone malware Lumension, the leading security management company has released Lumension Mobile data protection tool for Windows Mobile Devices like the Eten Glofiish M810 smartphone. The Lumension data protection tool will let the security administrators to enforce password policy and implement encryption up to 256-bit standard. It will also deny users to export data to an external removable drive and use Bluetooth for file transfer. In case of smartphone theft the security administrator can use the Lumension data protection tool to wipe the phone’s data. This tool is exclusively for Windows Mobile smartphones.

Don Leatham, senior director of solutions and strategy for Lumension. Commented, “We wanted to take a level of enterprise management … and use it to deploy and to monitor mobile devices. It identifies devices, groups them within a logical group, and then allows companies to apply group policy to anyone who sends company e-mail or stores company data.”

Data security is the latest concern of all organisations that deploy lots of computing machines, both fixed and mobile, on a network. To make the stored information more secure, security experts are looking forward to upgrading from partial disk encryption to full disk encryption. The new technology is likely to be adopted this year. But is the full disk encryption alone enough to prevent an data breaches?

The definite answer is NO. Although a full disk encryption will offer tighter security but it has its own limits and to be purely effective this technology demands a few substantial changes in the company’s security management policies and user behaviour. After all what’s the use of encrypting all the folders on a PC if the user still pen down his passwords and other hard to remember yet sensitive information on a note pad or card and keeps it in his Belkin laptop sling bag! Some users also store their passwords in their mobile in the form of sticky notes that ca be captured accidentally (or deliberately) via electronic cameras and other surveillance devices.

Therefore it’s necessary to have a security management with high level credentials to match it with full disk encryption expectations. Right from a simple USB port blocking solution to sophisticated digital rights management, all is needed to compliment a full disk encryption deployment and once it’s done the full disk encryption will be the number one security solution of 2009.

Bell Micro’s security division has partnered with the company Virtuity to support the sales of the BackStopp mobile computing software and services. The agreement signed between these two is exclusively for the UK.

According to Bell Micro this partnership will make the company to serve better to their customers. It will be able to deliver higher level security to prevent data theft on mobile computing devices. Now, if a BackStopp protected device is reported stolen or lost by its users the Virtuity will immediately locate the device and then delete all the ‘at risk’ data within 180 seconds. This will prevent the intruder from accessing the sensitive data on the stolen mobile device and is more dramatic than most security software like the ZoneLabs ZoneAlarm Internet Security software, for instance. After the mobile security protocols get activated, the BackStopp will generate a detailed report of the data accessed (if any). It will also confirm the Virtuity hosting centre about data deletion. If the stolen mobile device features an integrated web cam then the application will also photograph the malicious user.

Steve Browell, General Manager, Security Division at Bell Micro said, “If the national press taught us just one thing last year, it would be the importance of securing data on the move. Protecting data and bringing in encryption for data at rest and in transit, whether on PDA or especially on laptops is a driving need in modern business.”

Laptop and sensitive data theft is the biggest issue that majority of portable computing device users face on daily basis. Whenever such malicious activities happen the first thing that the user does is call the IT department immediately and abuse the support guy for poor service, weak security policies and inefficient data breach protection tools. But the main problem is what the IT department can do if the users themselves are careless and ignore the security advises that the support guy requests to follow?

The weakest link in laptop security is the users. Their poor computing habits make all the security tools, like the Panda Security Internet Security 2008 application, ineffective and essentially worthless. It’s imperative for laptop users to understand their own role in ensuring the security for their devices and data. Most of the laptop users simply overwhelm themselves by getting all types of advanced security solutions like anti-spam, anti-pishing, firewall, encrypting software and so on and start doing their work thoughtlessly. Below are the common mistakes the users usually make and then even the security tools become good for nothing.

• They leave their laptops unattended and unlocked in public places.
• They bring sensitive information on the screen without caring about the crowd surrounding them.
• Most of the users set their applications to log in to their accounts automatically. So whenever the laptop gets stolen the bad guy only has to break the main OS password and rest is automatically served to him.
• Users also give their laptop to anonymous person temporarily.
• Many users disable the software implemented by IT department because they find it inconvenient and resource hungry applications.
• Users often connect their laptops to unreliable wireless networks.

Data theft is increasing at an alarming rate day by day. In this time of recession it’s vital to have advanced data theft protection tools and applications to safeguard the vital information stored on our mobile computing devices. With this in mind Absolute Software, the company known for its computer theft recovery, data protection and IT asset management solutions, has enhanced its line of mobile computer anti-theft and management products by adding Wi-Fi geo-location tracking system.

Now the much enhanced products will use IP tracing, GPS tracking and support Wi-Fi tracking too. Consumers will be able to log in to an online asset management portal to view their systems. All the online systems will be beautifully plotted on a Google map, just like your car when using a satellite navigation system like the Navman S70 3D. In the event of laptop theft the Computrace system will alert the monitoring centre by sending a signal over the Internet. Afterwards the theft recovery team uses variety of techniques to find out where and how the stolen laptop is being used. These techniques include key capturing, registry scan, file scanning, geo-location etc.

Chairman and CEO of Absolute, John Livingston said, “In the present economic climate, there is increasing pressure on IT and compliance departments to get more from their investments in mobile computing while ensuring maximum protection against data breaches.”

“The addition of Wi-Fi tracking is helpful in recovery efforts and helps organisations reduce loss and exposure to data breaches. But, more importantly, it enables organisations to track their Wi-Fi enabled computing assets, such as desktops, laptops, and netbooks, on a single worldwide map. When used effectively, this intuitive tool can help them mitigate losses by enabling simple and timely identification of when an asset may have moved to unauthorised locations”, John added.

The Windows worm known as Conficker, Kido or Downadup is causing lots of trouble to Windows OS users these days. The worm has already infected more than nine million computers to date and the worst thing is that it can allow the hackers and spammers to access the infected system’s files and trace all their Internet activities.

Cyber criminals can use this worm to remotely get hold of an infected PC connected to the network. The whole process is so transparent that the user cannot identify this, unless he gets to know that his files are automatically deleted or the installed applications are behaving abnormally. This worm also allows the hackers to crack the sensitive information. It can tell out your passwords, credit card numbers entered on the sites, bank account number and much more. In no time the worm can even make you bankrupt and possesses enough potential to re-route the web traffic for any disguise criminal activity.

Kido basically takes the advantage of the Windows Operating System’s vulnerability and gets deep into the kernel, system’s main files and registry. This worm is spreading at a fast pace and replicating itself on the active networks rapidly. According to a security analyst at Kaspersky Labs the worm is very intelligent and uses multiple ways to replicate. In fact, it even uses everyday and usually innocuous USB sticks, such as the Sony Micro Vault Click USM4GL, to infect other systems. Simply connecting an infected USB stick to another computer can be enough for the virus to infiltrate and seize control of the new computer system

Tags for this article: windows, security, conficker

Almost everyone knows Kido by now. After all this worm has infected more than nine million Windows computers as of now and is spreading at a very fast pace. This worm not only destroys the system’s core files, operating system procedures and system’s registry but also acts as a feast to hackers and spammers. It allows the cyber criminals to control the infected PC over a network, access all the data and all the security codes, credit card numbers, account details and much more.

Kido is also known as Conficker or Downadup and infects only the Windows OS. But now enough is enough. Microsoft is ready with the appropriate tools and methods to destroy this worm. The company has issued a new series of security patches that can proactively help the users to identify this worm, so getting addition anti-virus programmes, like Kaspersky Antivirus 2009, is currently unnecessary for dealing with the worm. If your PC is already infected then you have to use the Microsoft’s malicious software removal tool first and then install the security patch. You can download the patches and tools from the Microsoft’s official website.

According to Microsoft, “If your computer or environment is impacted by this malware, you may want to run the malicious software removal tool to help disinfect it. The first step would be to install the update on all your computers and replace passwords of network shares with stronger ones. Then use the malicious software removal tool to remove the worm from infected computers. Infected computers may not be able to access Windows Update and therefore the administrator may need first to download the tool using a clean computer, and then distribute it to the other machines.”

Tags for this article: mobile, windows, security