Ryan Francis

Author Archives: Ryan Francis

Believe your employer doesn’t know about your legal problems? Think again

An employee gets stopped over the weekend for a DUI. Unbeknownst to him once his name hits the police’s public database, his employer will know about it soon after – whether the conviction has any impact on the employee’s job performance or not.That is just one scenario in which enterprises are checking up on their employees to make sure their private lives don’t impact the companies bottom lines. It is not uncommon for companies to do background checks on prospective employees, but some businesses are carrying that through while employees still punch the clock.Security company Endera explained that employers want to know if an employee is on a criminal watchlist, is booked or arrested, loses a key certificate, is in financial distress or is involved in a lawsuit. An employee roster is loaded into the continuous monitoring system, and that system provides 24/7 scanning of thousands of external data sources. The employer receives real-time, secure alerts for further investigation.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

New products of the week 5.1.17

New products of the weekImage by HPEOur roundup of intriguing new products. Read how to submit an entry to Network World's products of the week slideshow.Bluescape visual collaboration softwareImage by bluescapeTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

New products of the week 5.1.17

New products of the weekImage by HPEOur roundup of intriguing new products. Read how to submit an entry to Network World's products of the week slideshow.Bluescape visual collaboration softwareImage by bluescapeTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Users have little confidence their company can protect their mobile device

A survey sponsored by Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. found that 64 percent of respondents are doubtful that their organization can prevent a mobile cyberattack, leaving employees' personal information vulnerable to theft.Alvaro Hoyos, chief information security officer at OneLogin, said that number does not surprise him. He said the employees might not know the ins and outs of their company's security controls. IT departments typically don’t go out of the way to communicate all the security controls that they are relying on to secure your IT environment.He said companies should use their security awareness training to help users understand what risks you their employers are addressing with technology.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Users have little confidence their company can protect their mobile device

A survey sponsored by Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. found that 64 percent of respondents are doubtful that their organization can prevent a mobile cyberattack, leaving employees' personal information vulnerable to theft.Alvaro Hoyos, chief information security officer at OneLogin, said that number does not surprise him. He said the employees might not know the ins and outs of their company's security controls. IT departments typically don’t go out of the way to communicate all the security controls that they are relying on to secure your IT environment.He said companies should use their security awareness training to help users understand what risks you their employers are addressing with technology.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

10 ways to achieve ROI on a network solution

Measuring ROIImage by ThinkstockWith the advent of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), WLAN network access to customers and visitors and virtualized systems, the demand for IP addresses has exploded. Small companies might have to manage more than 1,000 IP addresses and it is not unusual for larger companies to have 10,000 or more spread across many locations. Setting up and protecting the network infrastructure is a major challenge and needs to be even more sophisticated and dynamic than ever before.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

10 ways to achieve ROI on a network solution

Measuring ROIImage by ThinkstockWith the advent of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), WLAN network access to customers and visitors and virtualized systems, the demand for IP addresses has exploded. Small companies might have to manage more than 1,000 IP addresses and it is not unusual for larger companies to have 10,000 or more spread across many locations. Setting up and protecting the network infrastructure is a major challenge and needs to be even more sophisticated and dynamic than ever before.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

10 ways to achieve ROI on a network solution

Measuring ROIImage by ThinkstockWith the advent of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), WLAN network access to customers and visitors and virtualized systems, the demand for IP addresses has exploded. Small companies might have to manage more than 1,000 IP addresses and it is not unusual for larger companies to have 10,000 or more spread across many locations. Setting up and protecting the network infrastructure is a major challenge and needs to be even more sophisticated and dynamic than ever before.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

9 tips to turn your data center green

Going greenImage by ThinkstockData center providers know all too well that it’s not easy being green. According to a 2016 report by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), data centers are responsible for close to 2 percent of U.S. energy consumption. Ensuring the integrity of these systems is a major challenge for data centers looking to create sustainable operations for their facilities and the companies who rely on them, but some simple steps can make all the difference.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

9 tips to turn your data center green

Going greenImage by ThinkstockData center providers know all too well that it’s not easy being green. According to a 2016 report by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), data centers are responsible for close to 2 percent of U.S. energy consumption. Ensuring the integrity of these systems is a major challenge for data centers looking to create sustainable operations for their facilities and the companies who rely on them, but some simple steps can make all the difference.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

What to ask when selecting application security solutions

Buying decisionsImage by ThinkstockThere are many factors to consider when making an application security purchasing decision, and the pressure is on organizations now more than ever to improve their security risk management preparedness. In fact, more than 80 percent of security attacks target software applications, with application vulnerabilities as the No.1 cyber-attack target. Organizations need a comprehensive application security toolkit to stay secure throughout the product lifecycle, and need to address key questions that can help them determine the right tools to address security risks.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

What to ask when selecting application security solutions

Buying decisionsImage by ThinkstockThere are many factors to consider when making an application security purchasing decision, and the pressure is on organizations now more than ever to improve their security risk management preparedness. In fact, more than 80 percent of security attacks target software applications, with application vulnerabilities as the No.1 cyber-attack target. Organizations need a comprehensive application security toolkit to stay secure throughout the product lifecycle, and need to address key questions that can help them determine the right tools to address security risks.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

What to ask when selecting application security solutions

Buying decisionsImage by ThinkstockThere are many factors to consider when making an application security purchasing decision, and the pressure is on organizations now more than ever to improve their security risk management preparedness. In fact, more than 80 percent of security attacks target software applications, with application vulnerabilities as the No.1 cyber-attack target. Organizations need a comprehensive application security toolkit to stay secure throughout the product lifecycle, and need to address key questions that can help them determine the right tools to address security risks.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Healthcare records for sale on Dark Web

Last August a Baltimore substance abuse treatment facility had its database hacked. Patient records subsequently found their way onto the Dark Web, according to DataBreaches.net. The group noticed such things as dates of admission, whether the patients are on methadone, their doctors and counselors, and dosing information.In the DataBreaches.net blog, the hacker “Return,” who they think is Russian, described how he compromised the Man Alive clinic: “With the help of the social engineer, applied to one of the employees. Word file with malicious code was downloaded.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Healthcare records for sale on Dark Web

Last August a Baltimore substance abuse treatment facility had its database hacked. Patient records subsequently found their way onto the Dark Web, according to DataBreaches.net. The group noticed such things as dates of admission, whether the patients are on methadone, their doctors and counselors, and dosing information.In the DataBreaches.net blog, the hacker “Return,” who they think is Russian, described how he compromised the Man Alive clinic: “With the help of the social engineer, applied to one of the employees. Word file with malicious code was downloaded.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

What’s in the fine print of your disaster recovery vendor agreement?

Sign on the bottom lineImage by ThinkstockDisaster-recovery solutions require several complex, moving parts coordinated between your production site and the recovery site. Service-level agreements are ultimately the most accurate way to determine where responsibility is held for disaster-recovery process and execution. It’s important to have SLA documentation around these critical aspects of recovery so that customers have commitments from their vendor. It’s also important that a service provider’s agreements contain service-credit backed SLAs for additional accountability. When considering DRaaS vendors, ask your potential partner how far they are willing to go in protecting your business and your data, and if these promises will be reimbursable if not met. Bluelock's Brandon Jeffress reviews what is essential to be in an ironclad SLA.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

What’s in the fine print of your disaster recovery vendor agreement?

Sign on the bottom lineImage by ThinkstockDisaster-recovery solutions require several complex, moving parts coordinated between your production site and the recovery site. Service-level agreements are ultimately the most accurate way to determine where responsibility is held for disaster-recovery process and execution. It’s important to have SLA documentation around these critical aspects of recovery so that customers have commitments from their vendor. It’s also important that a service provider’s agreements contain service-credit backed SLAs for additional accountability. When considering DRaaS vendors, ask your potential partner how far they are willing to go in protecting your business and your data, and if these promises will be reimbursable if not met. Bluelock's Brandon Jeffress reviews what is essential to be in an ironclad SLA.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cybersecurity companies to watch

In canvassing the security industry, CBInsights came up with a list of startups with early-to mid-stage high-momentum that have pioneering technology with the potential to transform cybersecurity. They split the companies into the following categories: Quantum Encryption, Predictive Intelligence, Deception Security, Autonomous Systems, IoT Security, Mobile Security, Automobile Security, Critical Infrastructure Security, and Cyber Insurance.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)