Another reason to secure your web site

Google to reward web sites if they use the HTTPS encryption connection.

Aside from the security issue of having your web site be HTTPS (hypertext transfer protocol secure) now you want to convert from the old HTTP so you make sure your site gets top billing with Google.

HTTPS is a communication protocol for secure communication over a network especially on the internet. It works in conjunction with SSL/TLS. The main reason you want to use HTTPS is to prevent wiretapping and man in the middle attacks. It provides bi-directional encryption between you and the server where the web site resides. Which protects against eavesdropping and tampering with the communications going back and forth.

Read more on HTTPS here.


We all know that security is the number one issue facing businesses that operate on the web. However, many businesses, especially new ones do not take the time to make sure their web developer incorporates HTTPS.

If you really care about your customers you should incorporate HTTPS. The last thing you need is for someone to hack your web site and extract sensitive information. However, now you want to make the change so you keep getting traffic to your site.


Read the entire story from PC Magazine here

RIP, Microsoft XP: Don't Mourn, Just Migrate

XP support end of life, April 8th.

All good things come to an end, unfortunately. Microsoft’s XP operating system, with approximately 400 million systems still in use, will no longer be supported starting April 8, 2014.

Considering how much this has been in the news this should not be a surprise to most companies. However, for those that haven't yet made the transition may be in for a rude awakening. For companies that have not migrated to Windows 7 or 8 this transition will be expensive and complex. Because of this you can expect to see XP in use for years to come.

However, companies that do not update will be doing so at their own risk, both from a security and compliance standpoint.

1.   What does this end of life really mean?

Microsoft will no longer issue security updates for XP. 

2.   Why is this such a big deal?

Knowing how the bad guys operate, they are always looking for the path of least resistance when they launch attacks. It is believed that hackers have hoarded a number of exploits that they will launch once the XP patches stop. Also, due to how Microsoft uses shared coding between XP and newer versions of Windows, attackers will reverse engineer patches that Microsoft releases for newer Windows versions to create exploits that also work on XP.

3.   If I only have one or two XP systems in my network, am I at risk?

Yes, especially if they are connected to a network that has access to the internet. One bad apple can ruin the basket. A hacker is just looking for a way into your network and that one XP system will be their key in.

View a more in depth article on this issue here from Trustwave.

When you upgrade you must consider the following:

1.   Will my current software run on Windows 8?

2.   What will be the cost & time to upgrade your software to run on the newer platform?

3.   What will the cost be to train your staff?

4.   Will there be any downtime, loss of production?

These are expenses that many business people cannot afford immediately, but you must budget to upgrade your computer systems. The risk is too great to have your sensitive data stolen. And as we saw with the Target breach, your business may not store sensitive data, but if you communicate with another company that does, you may be at risk of a legal nightmare if a hack originates from your system.

Consider the following costs associated with a data breach:

1.   A forensic examination could cost from $150 to $275 per record stolen, or having an outside firm handle the forensics will cost you from $200 to $2,000 per hour.

2.   To notify your customers could cost from $.50 to $5.00 per customer.

3.   How will you handle the increase in customer service calls you will receive? Consider the extra labor hours and/or the cost to use a third-party call center.

4.   The cost to provide credit monitoring could be as high as $30 per customer.

5.   The cost of public relations could be as high as $214 per customer according to a 2010 Ponemon Study.

6.   The average legal defense cost could be $500,000 and the average settlement is $1 million.

7.   Consider the potential costs of regulatory proceedings, fines and penalties.

8.   After a breach, a company may be required to implement a Comprehensive Written Information Security Program.

View the entire article on Data Breach Costs here.

You be the judge. I think it is well worth it to migrate to Windows 8 no matter how much you love --  --  or depend on XP.

Facts About Data Security That Will Mesmerize Your Friends

OK, maybe not.  But even if this topic doesn't impress your friends at the your next Happy Hour gathering, it's still important.  Tara Shegogue has gathered some eye-opening statistics about the importance of backing up and securing your data.

The Importance of Backing Up Your Data and Files

By Tara Shegogue, Mythic Landing Enterprises, LLC

We all have important data on our computers, Smartphones, etc. We know that the threat of a system crash is always looming, but do we take the time to backup properly and as frequently as we should? Some people may even wonder, why backup your information at all? 

According to research done by the Boston Computing Network, 6% of all PCs will suffer an episode of data loss in any given year. Given the number of PCs used in US businesses in 1998, that translates to approximately 4.6 million data loss episodes. At a conservative estimate, data loss cost US businesses $11.8 billion in 1998. (The Cost Of Lost Data, David M. Smith). Now, in 2014, that number has almost tripled! 

Here are some other statistics that you may or may not know:

• 30% of all businesses that have a major fire go out of business within a year. 70% fail within five years. (Home Office Computing Magazine)
• 31% of PC users have lost all of their files due to events beyond their control.
• 34% of companies fail to test their tape backups, and of those that do, 77% have found tape back-up failures.
• 60% of companies that lose their data will shut down within 6 months of the disaster.
• 93% of companies that lost their data center for 10 days or more due to a disaster filed for bankruptcy within one year of the disaster. 50% of businesses that found themselves without data management for this same time period filed for bankruptcy immediately. (National Archives & Records Administration in Washington)
• American business lost more than $7.6 billion as a result of viruses during first six months of 1999. (Research by Computer Economics)
• Companies that aren't able to resume operations within ten days (of a disaster hit) are not likely to survive. (Strategic Research Institute)
• Every week 140,000 hard drives crash in the United States. (Mozy Online Backup)
• Simple drive recovery can cost upwards of $7,500 and success is not guaranteed.

Having duplicate copies of your most important information saved in a remote location keeps it safe in case anything goes badly wrong with your computer.

When you think about it, there are a number of ways files can be lost unexpectedly:

• Computer crashes – always happen when you least need it, and can lead to data loss.
• Virus Infection – aggressive malicious viruses can corrupt files and disable computers.
• Hard drive failure - hard drives have a finite lifetime and can fail suddenly and without warning. The sudden death of a hard drive can cause the painful loss of months or years of irreplaceable files and the timing can be catastrophic – if this happens close to a work or college deadline it could be a nightmare scenario.
• Physical computer damage – your files are more at risk if you use a laptop. Light and portable comes at the price of reduced durability. Laptops are sensitive and are easily damaged if dropped or have drinks spilled over them.
• Theft – computers are sought after by thieves and cannot always be kept secure while traveling.

The bottom line is that if you value what’s kept on your computer, it’s wise to take steps to protect your information from sudden loss.  Work can be redone, but the loss of cherished files like family and travel photos is permanent.

Many users regularly back up their files to their computer hard drive, but in the event of a total computer breakdown this will not protect the information.  Saving data to a separate location makes far more sense, and can be easily done if you have an external hard drive, or a large-capacity pen drive to back up onto.

However this method is only as secure as the device you’re backing up to. When saving your files on physical devices, your backup device needs to be kept in a different location than your computer, and can in turn fall victim to damage or loss. In addition, despite your best intentions, you may forget to copy your files as often as you should, leaving a large amount of recent work unprotected.

••••••••

Electronic Billing & CustomerSupport maintains many layers of protection to secure your data:

• Our systems are monitored by Trustwave for any unauthorized access or anyone trying to break the numerous firewalls we have in place for protecting your customers' data.
• Virus protection is updated regularly.
• The latest level of data encryption is in place.
• Policies & procedures are in place to make sure all passwords meet the highest level of security and are under constant review.
• Access control is limited to a need-to-know basis and security cameras track any movement in sensitive areas.

Electronic Billing & Customer Support is dedicated to providing you with a very flexible system to make your organization more profitable while providing the security you need to relax.

Source: http://www.bostoncomputing.net/consultation/databackup/statistics/

6 Tips For Safeguarding Your Personal & Financial Information

6 Tips For Safeguarding Your Personal & Financial Information

In today’s world of technology, having two or three or even five different passwords is not uncommon for accessing the many accounts you have on-line. Therefore, you should reduce your risk by being smart and taking a little extra time when setting up your on-line accounts.

Yes, you have legal rights if your information is stolen, but why would you want to go through all the hassle after the fact? Help yourself by preventing the need to jump through hoops to correct stolen information.

Here are 6 tips you should use to protect your personal information.

1.  Create unique passwords with a combination of letters, upper & lower case and numbers and special symbols if allowed.

a.      The highest level of password security is a combination of upper & lower case letters with numbers and special characters like (!@#$%^&*).

b.     You should change your passwords at least every 6 months, recommended is every 3 months. I know, it is a pain but well worth it.

c.      Never store your passwords on paper or in a computer. If you must store the passwords to remember (and only if it is absolutely necessary), use this little trick to help you remember. If your password is “Horse*91234” write (---H - - - -- - - star - - -   - - - - - -4) as a reminder or use any variation to which only you would know the answer. Using phrases or words as reminders is not always effective because we tend to give too much information in the phrase that someone may be able to figure-out.

d.     Another solution is to install a dedicated password memorization program like Roboform, KeePass, LastPass, 1Password, and Dashlane.

2.   Regularly check on your accounts online. Take 10 minutes per week to check your accounts to verify all account activity is legitimate and accurate. Spend 10 minutes now, or hours and hours later trying to correct problems. Do not wait for your month end statement to review your accounts.

3.    Set up account alerts for all your credit card and bank accounts. This is a very valuable tool that most banks and credit card companies have available to their customers today. For your bank accounts you can be notified via email, text or phone call for the following:

a.      Minimum balance reached.

b.     Withdrawals made on the account over a certain dollar amount. This can be a very useful tool but also frustrating if you use your credit cards often. However, thieves are getting smarter and they realize that charges under $50.00 are covered by the issuing bank and may not be detected by you until it is too late. Click here to see what your liability will be if your information is lost or stolen.

c.      Deposits made to the account.

d.     Available balance notification.

4.     Reconcile your accounts monthly

a.      People who don’t reconcile their accounts on a monthly basis are asking for trouble. It is not the responsibility of the financial institution to monitor your account. Many do offer some type of monitoring as an added service but it is your responsibility to know what is correct and what is not.

b.     Reconciling your account on monthly basis also helps you understand where you are spending your money which in turn will help you better budget and understand your spending habits. It will also save you some money. Do you realize how much you spend on fast food, for example?

5.     Never give out your personal information in an email or an attachment to an email. No reputable company will ever ask for personal information through an email. Transmission through a secure email link is the only time you should consider sending sensitive information in an email. 

6.     Review your credit report on a regular basis. You are allowed one free credit report yearly -- take advantage of it!  If you take the above steps to secure your personal information you should not need to enroll in services that charge you a monthly fee to monitor your credit. You should already be aware of wrongful activity on your account if you follow the advice above and put it into action.