Archive for the 'Highlights' Category

05
Mar
10

What We’re Reading, Week of 3/1

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Categories: Highlights

Tech News World…
Does VPN Make Sense for a Small Biz?
Jack Germain discusses how enterprises use virtual private networks to send and receive sensitive info over the Web. Smaller businesses often don’t have the IT resources needed to set up and maintain a VPN and some pricing models on VPN products ignore the needs of SMBs. This article offers 10 steps to follow that help ensure your CRM implementation is a success from the planning stages to post-deployment improvements.

Computerworld…
Does your Laptop’s Wi-Fi Really Make it More Vulnerable to Thieves?
Eric Lai says that many newer laptops have a set time—sometimes up to 30 minutes, before they go into sleep mode. This window of opportunity helps thieves at offices or shopping mall parking lots looking for corporate laptops to steal immediately after work. WiFi can add risk to using a laptop, but users can play it safe by keeping their laptop set to go to sleep on lid closure, making sure they uncheck the Internet Connection Sharing box in Windows and are careful about fiddling with the Power Manager features in their laptops.

SearchSecurity.com…
RSA Conference 2010: News, Interviews and Updates
The RSA Conference is a valuable resource in staying educated on the latest advances, threats and emerging trends in the information security industry. Couldn’t attend the conference this year? Check out Mike Mimoso’s wrap up coverage—great recaps!

26
Feb
10

What We’re Reading, Week of 2/22

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Categories: Highlights

SearchEnterprise.com…
Cloud VPN Services Can Take the Bite Out of SSL VPN Gateway Expenses
Jessica Scarpati says that while the cloud is a big leap for network engineers, cloud VPN services are popping up and may be a fit for enterprises that can’t afford or can’t properly maintain an expensive global remote access infrastructure. End users traveling overseas and trying to gain access to the enterprise’s SSL VPN gateway at corporate headquarters are frustrated with an inconsistent VPN. Organizations will need a VPN they can rely on and eventually may turn to a cloud VPN service.

Insecure about Security…
What Will be Hot at RSA 2010?
Jon Oltisk discusses his predictions for what the hot topics at this year’s RSA Conference will be. Network security will be a major topic, especially since ESG’s research indicates that this is the biggest security priority for most large organizations. Endpoint security, identity management, cloud security, data security, and cybersecurity will also be focused on.

Securosis…
RSAC 2010 Guide: Network Security
Mike Rothman put together a guide for what we can expect to see from network security at next week’s RSA Conference. The four main areas of interest for network security include application awareness, the ability of devices to decode and protect against application layer attacks. Speeds and feeds, which may come down to who has the biggest and fastest box. Many organizations’ perimeter networks are messes so they will be looking at consolidation and integration. With the understanding that some classes of attacks cannot be detected in advance, forensics and full packet capture gear will also be high profile at this year’s show.

19
Feb
10

What We’re Reading, Week of 2/15

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Categories: Highlights

Network Security Blog…
Responsible Disclosure Panel at RSA 2010
Martin McKeay will be participating in a panel at this year’s RSA Conference, taking place in San Francisco, CA.  The panel of industry experts will discuss exactly what responsible disclosure means to them and what responsibilities they owe each other. For a preview of what’s in store for the panel, check out this podcast where the experts they lay out the basis for their stance on responsible disclosure. If you are planning to attend RSA this year, make sure to stop by NCPs panel session on today’s remote access challenges and network technologies on Wednesday, March 3 at 10:40 a.m. PT in Green Room 130.

Security Uncorked…
Hosting a NAC and Endpoint Security Session at RSA 2010
Also at RSA this year, Jennifer Jabbusch will be hosting a peer-to-peer session on Network Access Control (NAC) and endpoint security. The discussion will focus on world case studies, an exploration of technical roadblocks and a dive into vendor-specific solutions.

NY Times Personal Tech…
Safe Travels for You and Your Data
In this article, Riva Richmond offers some tips for keeping your data protected while you are on the road. Before using a computer in a cybercafé or hotel, ask what security measures are in use and if they reset their computers after each user so unauthorized programs are removed. She suggesting backing up your data, especially personal and business documents since laptop theft at airports is so common. There are also risks when using public Wi-Fi so Riva stresses the importance of using a firewall as well as a secure VPN.

eWeek.com…
How to Implement Secure, PCI-Compliant Access Controls
Dave Olander, President and CEO at Xceedium, discusses the six attributes that next-generation access control systems need in order to meet both the letter and the spirit of the PCI DSS. They are: right-size permissions based on a zero trust model, implement fine-grained enforcement, integrate audit capabilities to validate controls, automate all the requirements from access to audit, deploy an identity-aware infrastructure, and create backward and forward compatibility.

05
Feb
10

What We’re Reading, Week of 2/1

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Categories: Highlights

Chenxi Wang’s Blog…
Ok. There Is More (or Maybe Less) to the VPN Story, Google Says
Chenxi Wang recently posted on the Microsoft vulnerability that led to the Google hack. Google contacted her directly to say that they cannot confirm that the attack came through the VPN. They said that a Google employee’s machine (running Internet Explorer v6) was compromised via the IE vulnerability. The attacker used the compromised machine to somehow gain access to Google’s servers. The method of access, at some point, may have involved VPN, but Google does not agree with the characterization that “the compromised client used their corporate VPN to gain access to the servers.” If Google issued an “emergency VPN update” then perhaps other organizations should be rethinking their remote access.

CIO.com…
Windows 7 Tips: Best Security Features
In this article, Shane O’Neill describes the new security features in Windows 7. From encryption to malware fighters, there are key Windows 7 tools that keep enterprise and home PCs safe and secure. The top six Windows 7 security features that both consumers and enterprise users should know how to use are: Bit Locker to Go, Internet Explorer 8 for safe browsing, Microsoft Security Essentials, AppLocker, more control of UAC and backing up data.

Network Security Blog…
PCI Compliance and “Public Cloud” Don’t Mix
In this post, Martin McKeay makes the argument that PCI compliance and public clouds do not mix. Martin says the primary problem with attaining PCI compliance in the cloud is an issue of visibility, meaning there’s no way to truly review and validate system configuration when your systems are temporary.  Cloud service providers will need to look at ways to offer services that take advantage of all of the positive aspects of cloud computing, while allowing for all of the 200+ PCI requirements to be met.  Providers will need to look at how they manage the creation and deletion of virtual servers, segregation of resources and collection, and monitoring and retention of log information. Martin concludes that you cannot be ‘PCI Compliant in the Cloud’, but you can use cloud services and be compliant.

28
Jan
10

What We’re Reading, Week of 1/25

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Categories: Highlights

The Windows Blog…
Remote Access Challenges
In this post, Alexander Kent explains some of the most common remote access challenges and offers advice on how to make your Windows Home Server accessible across the Internet. He addresses these issues: UPnP is not enabled or supported by your router, an Internet Service Provider is blocking Remote Access Ports, and Double NAT. If you have experienced issues with any of those challenges, this breakdown should be helpful.

Insecure about Security…
Will 2010 Be “The Year of IPv6?”
John Oltisk believes that the foundation of IPv6 is now firmly in place and we will see steady and growing momentum in the years to come and that by 2013, the transition will be nearly completed. He makes this prediction for the following reasons: the argument that we are running out of IP addresses is now taking hold, IPv6 is now supported in all major operating systems including Windows, Linux, MacOS, and z/OS, many governments around the world already run on IPv6 or are in the process of transitioning to IPv6 and IPv6 security will become more and more important moving forward.

Securosis…
Security Strategies for Long-Term, Targeted Threats
This post offers some security strategies for dealing with long-term, targeted threats such as the Advanced Persistent threat in Firestarter. One suggestion is to segregate networks and information since the more internal barriers an attacker needs to traverse, the greater your chance to detect. However, allowing VPN access across these barriers won’t help segregation nearly as much. The root cause of many breaches has been a weak endpoint connecting over VPN to a secured network. You can use NCP’s Secure Entry Client to make sure this does not happen.

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