Many small and/or home-based businesses choose to create a network because it allows them to share a single internet connection while also being able to access common files, peripherals and software.

Networks can be wired or wireless with each option having its own pros and cons.

Wireless networks offer offices a cleaner look since the computers aren’t connected through cables.  This allows users the flexibility of setting up their workspace in virtually any location in the office, it reduces the risk of people tripping and falling on the wires and visitors can also be given access to the internet. 

Unfortunately, wireless setups can be problematic in the sense that the connection strength may fluctuate for a variety of reasons ranging from having thick walls in a workplace to something as simple as poor weather.

Computers connected through Ethernet-based wired networks are typically less expensive to set up, are more reliable and often offer faster connection speeds. 

Once you have decided between a wireless and a wired network, there are some other basics that you will consider. 

• Up-to-date computers will probably be easier to connect since operating systems like Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP and Apple Mac OS X have built-in networking capabilities.

Wired Networks:

• Small networks (connecting two computers) may just need a single cable
• A wired router may be necessary along with the appropriate number of Ethernet cables

Wireless Networks:

• A wireless router will need to be connected to your broadband connection along with a cable to connect your router to the main computer or server.
• The other computers in the network will need to have the necessary wireless networking equipment integrated or attached in order to connect with the local area network (LAN).

Finally, it’s very important to make sure that your network is well protected.  The first step is making sure that the security settings are enabled on your router or operating system. 

Using a wireless encryption protocol (WEP) for a wireless network as well as network logins and passwords will help limit unauthorized users from accessing the network. 

Those who are very concerned about security can actually implement fingerprint recognition, and password keys, and full disk encryption as added protection.  Also, it’s a good idea to check the security and privacy settings on browsers.

Read more about setting up a small business network here.

image: Amazon

In order to avoid the risks associated with unknown Wi-Fi networks, there are two solutions you can use.

USB Internet Stick

By connecting a special USB stick to your computer, you can have access to the web in the same way you would with an internet-enabled phone – via a cellular network. Most major cellular providers have one of these options, though they go by many names – in Canada, examples are the “Rogers Rocket Stick” or the “Bell Wireless USB Modem”.

Right now, Verizon is the only company offering a USB modem that will work in 175 countries (Windows only).

The upside: it is more secure than a Wi-Fi access point
The downside: no added security benefits, most USB sticks are often country-specific, making them impractical for International business travelers.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A VPN supplies connectivity to support remote access to the business network. You connect to the internet with whatever means you have available – wired or wireless – and connect to the VPN. VPN technologies use tunneling to create the connection to the business network and uses encryption protocols to provide you with private access both to the company network and through it. This means you can access company data as well as access the Internet through this more secure connection.

A VPN uses various security mechanisms to protect these private / virtual connections. There are lots of vendors out there for VPNs, including the Cisco Easy VPN.

The upside: you connect to a secure network, so outsiders can’t monitor your web use

The downside: there are many technologies involved in choosing the right VPN solution for you. For some tips on choosing, visit here and here.

The recommended 12 steps to a secure small business wi-fi network are:

1. Use WPA Encryption — preferably WPA2
2. Use the Enterprise version of WPA/WPA2
3. Secure Ethernet Ports
4. Use Extra Encryption (VPNs)
5. Don’t Connect to Other Networks
6. Separate Traffic with VLANs
7. Secure Shared Folders and NAS Devices
8. Verify Firewalls
9. Use MAC Address Filtering
10. Disable SSID Broadcasting
11. Keep Hardware Updated
12. Keep Wi-Fi Signals Contained

Learn more about these 12 steps here

Nikki Credit, a spokeswoman for the Marshals, says that multiple computers may have been infected. The infection occurred because the Marshals computer network was not running the latest version of their OS and they were missing needed anti-virus software.

“Neeris and Conficker look for missing patches. If the PCs and servers are patched, the malware doesn’t work,” John Pescatore, research director and vice president at Gartner, told SCMagazineUS.com in an email on Friday. “The patch for this has been out since October 2008.”

When the virus was detected, the IT staff at the Marshals disconnected the computers from the Justice Department’s network to prevent further spread. Anti-virus software was updated and updates were pushed to all agency computer. No data was compromised at the USMS, though they were lucky that was the case. The FBI have not provided details about their “network issue.”

The biggest step you can make in protecting your company is to always keep your software up to date. This minimizes the risk of data being unnecessarily exposed to known threats. If you have Computrace by Absolute Software, you can use it to identify which of your devices is missing the latest patch.

Via CNet, AP, SC Magazine

The group has jointly released a consensus list of the 25 most dangerous programming errors – and how to fix them. These programming errors lead to security bugs and can enable cyber espionage and cyber crime – most errors are not well understood, nor is their avoidance taught by computer science programs. The press release also indicates that these errors are not frequently tested by organizations developing software for sale. This list is, therefore, a big step forward in making software more secure.

“There appears to be broad agreement on the programming errors. Now it is time to fix them. First we need to make sure every programmer knows how to write code that is free of the Top 25 errors, and then we need to make sure every programming team has processes in place to find, fix, or avoid these problems and has the tools needed to verify their code is as free of these errors as automated tools can verify.” – SANS Director, Mason Brown

According to the release, just 2 out of these 25 programming errors led to more than 1.5 million website security breaches in 2008. The 25 errors represent the worst things that can happen when software is being written – and will give a minimum set of coding errors that should be eradicated before software gets to the consumer.

The programming errors include sending sensitive information in clear text and hard-coding security passwords into programs. The errors fall into three categories: insecure interaction between components, risky resource management and porous defenses. You can read more here or here.

Via PC World ; Clipart via Microsoft / Presentation Pro

The Windows bug, which can be fixed by this security update, exploits a bug in the Windows Server service used on Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008. The number of estimated computers infected, as of January 14th, was 3,521,230. That was up more than 1.1 million in just the 24 hours previous.

Windows recommends installing the update and running the software removal tool. The fact that so many computers were infected with this worm though the patch was available since October shows just how few people keep their software updated. This is a basic tenet of security for both individuals and companies.

So, is your software up to date? Why not run a check?
If you’re a Computrace customer, run a report to make sure that your machines have the most up-to-date patches.

And getting a lot of buzz – that Paris Hilton’s nearly defunct website was hacked to host malware, probably for quite some time.

Image; wax115 @ morguefile

As you can see from the video below, Ken goes on to recommend software than can help make your computer more secure and/or recover it. He recommends LoJack for Laptops / Computrace, as well as other programs listed here.

Thanks Ken for the great coverage!

Also in the news: Microsoft will stop selling its Windows Live OneCare consumer security service and will re-release it as a free download by the end of 2009. They hope this will mean less malware. Speaking of malware, a new trojan came up a couple days ago that can send both Mac & PC users, even with patched software, to impostor websites. Ouch!

Based on the data, PCs are more insecure than they were last year. Only 1.91% of PCs scanned could claim to have full secure / patched programs. The rest were not running the latest (and most secure) version of software available on at least one program.

• 0 Insecure Programs: 1.91% of PCs
• 1-5 Insecure Programs: 30.27% of PCs
• 6-10 Insecure Programs: 25.07% of PCs
• 11+ Insecure Programs: 45.76% of PCs

Quite scary that nearly half of those 20,000 PCs had more than 11 programs unpatched! Leaving programs unpatched makes them targets for hackers, which can lead to data leak issues if not stopped up. Mainstream programs like Microsoft Office, Adobe Flash and broswers are major targets for hackers.

So, perhaps now is a time to run your security updates? On PC and Mac, most programs can be updated automatically, or all together. In a few instances, you may need to ‘check for updates’ in individual programs. Of course, in a corporate environment, where you’re dealing with hundreds or thousands of computers, you need a way to manage this at once. Absolute’s asset tracking can help inventory what software and patches are installed, but other strategies (including Secunia PSI) can supplement in rolling out updates regularly.

Via security focus

ASUS is one of the world’s top 10 notebook manufacturers, with the B50 taking into consideration the needs of mobile business executives. The B50 features an integrated biometric fingerprint scanner, Trusted Platform Module for secure login and encryption, and now embedded Computrace support. You can read more about this news here.

What does embedded support mean?

This means that all the great features of Computrace are embedded at the firmware level, not the software level. When consumers activate the service, Absolute can provide a level of security and recovery capabilities at a higher level.

Embedding support for the Computrace agent into the BIOS provides customers the highest level of persistence and allows the Computrace agent to survive operating system re-installations, hard drive reformats and even hard drive replacements. That means anyone trying to remove the security features to get at your data is going to have a much harder time.

For a full list of computers with embedded support for Computrace (Dell, Fujitsu, etc), check here.

Also in company news, Absolute will showcased it’s laptop security solutions at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in Taipei on October 20-21. For more information, read here.

There are several new laptop bags that meet the TSA criteria of:

• Designated laptop-only section
• Laptop section completely unfolds to lay flat on x-ray belt
• No metal snaps, zippers or buckles around the laptop section
• No pockets around the laptop section
• Nothing packed in the laptop-only section other than the laptop

Computerworld has put together a good list of the laptop bags available already to meet these new specs. The laptop bags fall into 3 types:

1. Butterfly-style to open flat: one side the laptop, the other side storage
2. Double- or triple-compartment bags that unfold (like a garment bag)
3. Notebook sleeves (many existing on the market)

The bags that have been manufactured fall into many categories – from standard shoulder bags to wheeled bags to folded-backpacks. There’s probably one to fit your preference.

Having one of these bags will not guarantee that you won’t have to remove your laptop – if the security scan doesn’t give a clear enough picture of your laptop, you will have to take it out.