CurrentWare Announces Common Console

CurrentWare, a worldwide leader in Internet security software solutions, is pleased to introduce an enhanced new architecture of their Internet filtering and tracking software, BrowseControl and BrowseReporter version 4.0.

Now available on an even more powerful and robust common console, CurrentWare Console, the Internet filtering and monitoring policies of both BrowseControl and BrowseReporter can efficiently be administered through this common interface.

The clients for BrowseControl and BrowseReporter have also been combined into one common client, offering improved deployment through Active Directory, 3rd party deployment tools or through remote installation from the CurrentWare Console.

Discover the new CurrentWare console at http://www.currentware.com

Solutions available on the new CurrentWare Console include:

• BrowseControl is the industry’s most comprehensive Internet blocking and filtering solution. Block inappropriate websites through the Blocked List. Enable access to authorized sites through the Allowed List. Improve productivity by blocking online games or chat programs through the Application Blocker.
• BrowseReporter is a reliable and accurate solution for monitoring users’ Internet browsing activity. Identify the sites visited and the time spent at each site on a per user or per computer basis. Generate detailed or executive level reports/charts to isolate users who are abusing the Internet usage.
• enPowerManager is a lightweight tool for effectively managing the energy usage of PCs across an enterprise. Create effective
  energy management policies for shutting down and booting PCs on a regular basis, thus eliminating unnecessary energy usage.

World Cup fevor reaching businesses?

While the biggest football tournament on earth is great news for me, and for football fans all over the world, business’s may be less excited. With matches readily available to watch over the internet and times clashing with working hours, the number of unaffected businesses will be very small indeed.

Effective internet management plays a large part in negating this but the approach taken will very much vary from business to business. Some will opt to block their staff from websites they feel will be counter productive while others will allow full access and just keep track of how much time (and bandwidth) is spent following the World Cup. Then, of course, there is everything inbetween.

Naturally, the approach to take depends entirely on the type of company, the workplace environment, and the damage that following personal interests during working hours could have on the business.

Personally, I’m an advocate of the middle ground in most cases. If employees work hard and put in the extra mile, they should be rewarded and given an element of freedom to manage their personal lives at work. However, with a large proportaion of websites designed to immerse the viewer and keep them browsing, there is a fine line to be drawn. 

The internet allows for the work/home lives to merge considerably and this flexibility can enhance the morale of the staff and actually increase productivity. On the other hand, it can (and often will) impair productivity and very quickly contribute to an office environment operating far below it’s potential.

Suprisingly, bandwidth use is something often overlooked when it comes to web restriction or monitoring and is a key element. Streaming or downloading video places a considerable strain on company networks as corporate bandwidth limits are met or exceeded. Internet access across the business will slow down, emails will take longer to send and recieve, and vital day to day process will be affected as a result.

What I am in no doubt of is that internet activity needs to be monitored and (in most companies) some websites need to be blocked. Employers and managers need to be aware when someone is taking advantage of resources to quickly prevent the problem becoming more of an issue.

Facebook Lite given the ‘Thumbs Down’ by Big Brother

Facebook Lite, a basic version of the popular social-networking website for people with poor internet connections, has shut down.

Initially launched in September 2009, Facebook Lite targeted people with poor connectivity and only offered basic functions.

Sophy Silver from Facebook told Web User: “Thanks to everyone who tried out Facebook Lite. We’re no longer supporting it, but learned a lot from the test of a slimmed-down site.”

The company were reluctant to give any further information on the closure.

Those endeared to Facebook Lite have made their disappointment public on Lite’s page, with one such supporter claiming  ”It was the first good thing Facebook’s done in over a year.”

Facebook accounted for 6.22 per cent of visits to all websites from UK users during the last week of March, according to web-monitoring company Hitwise.

£500,000 fine for Data Loss!

A new rule, approved by the Secretary of State for Justice and expected to come into force on 6th April 2010, will enable The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to issue fines of up to £500,000 for serious data security breaches.

This new power is in no doubt a reaction to several high profile data losses from large organisations including the DVLA and the Ministry of Defence.

With an enormous amounts of personal data stored and processed online, Christopher Graham, the Information Commissioner, said he hoped the penalty would encourage companies to comply more closely with the Data Protection Act.

“These penalties are designed to act as a deterrent,” he said in an official press statement.

“I remain committed to working with voluntary, public and private bodies to help them stick to the rules and comply with the Act. But I will not hesitate to use these tough new sanctions for the most serious cases where organisations disregard the law.”

Under the most recent Act of 1998, data can only be used for the purposes for which it is collected and cannot be given to others without the consent of the individual.

Report shows employees to steal data

According to the ‘the global recession and its effect on work ethics’ survey by Cyber-Ark, 48 percent of respondents admitted that they would take company information with them if they were dismissed tomorrow.

A third of workers would steal data to help a friend get a job while 13 per cent would take access and password codes.

Of the respondents, 39 percent would download company information if they found that their job was at risk and 25 percent said that the recession has meant that they feel less loyal towards their employer. Alarmingly, 13 per cent would take access and password codes to allow access to the network once they’ve left the company and continue downloading information.

Cyber-Ark claimed that the recession is creating camaraderie amongst workforces, at the expense of their employers as 41 per cent confessed to have already taken sensitive data with them to their new position, whilst a third would pass on company information if it proved useful in getting friends or family a job.

The most desired information was customer and contact details for 29 per cent of respondents, then 18 per cent said that they would steal plans and proposals. Eleven per cent would take product information.

If we are to take anything out of this report, it is that organisations need to be open to make improvements to how they control and monitor access to vital business systems, even by those at the highest levels.

Hacker threat second to employee mistakes

New research from IDC and security vendor RSA, that included 400 top level executives, revealed that organisations are more likely to suffer from accidental data security leaks than malicious insider attacks.

The research shows that the accidental data leaks often cause more damage than insider attacks; giving reason to doubt the traditional assumption that theft is the highest cause. Most security leaks are accidents that occur simply when employees do not follow correct security protocol or misuse information accidentally.

The firms that participated in the poll reported that accidental data loss accounted for 6,244 of incidents; unauthorized people receiving privileged access to data resulted in 5.794 incidents of risk, and malware attacks that came from within the firms accounted for 5,830 incidents.

Webinar – I Give In to Sin (No More)

Welcome! You have arrived at the website page to register for the free “I Give In to Sin (No More)” webinar that will be presented by CurrentWare on October 15, 2009.

The  “I Give In to Sin (No More)” webinar will demonstrate how the use of suitable Internet and Endpoint Security solutions can help to control employee abuse of the Internet, along with restricting the use of unauthorized portable storage devices at the workplace.  The webinar will be particularly useful to network administrators and IT managers in corporate, educational, healthcare and government institutions.

We will be highlighting three CurrentWare tools:

BrowseControl - Internet restriction

BrowseReporter - Internet monitoring

AccessPatrol – Portable storage security

Please respond to all the questions (mandatory) below no later than 12:01 a.m. (PST) October 14, 2009 and details about accessing the webinar will be emailed to you. You may attend one of the following “I Give In to Sin (No More) webinar live on :

• October 15th, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. (PST), or
• October 15th, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. (PST)

If you can’t attend, you can visit the link anytime on October 16 or thereafter and access a recording of the October 15 webinar.

Please note that the winner of the raffle will be announced On Oct 16, 2009. An email will be dispatched to the winner of the contest.

Please complete the below template and answer the contest question.  Respondents of the correct answer will qualify to enter a raffle to win two tickets to one of Depeche Mode’s “Universal World Tour” concerts in 2009 or 2010.

Please complete the below template and answer the contest question to sign up for the Currentware Webinar.  Respondents of the correct answer will qualify to enter a raffle to win two tickets to one of Depeche Mode’s “Universal World Tour” concerts in 2009 or 2010.

You will receive an email upon submitting the form. Thank you.

1. Prize will be 2 tickets to a Depeche Mode concert.
2. Prize does not include any transportation cost
3. Prize is eligible only to the participants that attend the webinar.
4. Winner will be announced at the end of the second webinar session on Oct 15, 2009.
5. The winner will be notified by e-mail. It is the sole responsibility of the individual who entered the contest to acknowledge the e-mail and claim the prize within thirty days. Once a winner has been contacted we will discuss suitable concert date and location.
6. Currentware reserves the right to have the final say on the concert date, location and type of seat.
7. Currentware reserves the right to disqualify any entrant trying to tamper with contest submission process and/or disqualify any entrant violating these rules and regulations.

Ealing council pay £500,000 for infected USB stick

Web Policies: Everyone needs to Know!

It is increasingly important for companies to effectively communicate their web at work policy to everyone in the organisation to ensure safe and productive browsing and to avoid confusion.

Firms have generally become more relaxed about the personal use of IT at work, as the costs of supplying internet and PCs have come down. They should be reasonable in setting rules and communicate them effectively to employees, Netsafe executive director Martin Cocker says.

“Many companies are saying, `Yes, you can use Trade Me, but only in your lunch break’.”

However, Sarah Trotman, managing director of business network Bizzone, says businesses have become stricter about employees using social networking sites at work.

Firms are often finding that employees are “twittering” or blogging on behalf of the business without their knowledge, and employees are often more clued up about social networking sites and the web than business owners.

“It has become more challenging to control the amount of information going out about their own business.”

Mr Cocker says surveys have shown small and medium-sized businesses often have incomplete IT policies and security.

This was highlighted by the Safe Air email controversy. An employee at the Woodbourne aviation engineering firm was dismissed for sending 425 lewd emails at work over a six-month period, but the Employment Relations Authority ordered Safe Air to reinstate the worker, since he was unclear about acceptable standards for IT use.  

How to Obtain the IP Address of your computer

The IP address is the unique network identifier for your computer. You will need to know what your IP address is if you want your computers to communicate.

To obtain the IP address from a Windows computer, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Start Menu > run > type in CMD
2. In command prompt, type in ipconfig
3. Look for the IP address field. It is usually in the following format: XXX-XXX-X-XXX