PriorITyCare Network Defense is a security appliance that uses a combination of best practices in network security, control, and monitoring done at the edge of the network not on the individual machines. With features like firewall, intrusion prevention, URL filtering, anti-virus, anti-spam, spyware blocking, ad blocking, and more we help defend the network from the edge before problems get in.
In addition to this we also include reporting on user activity so you can see which sites each user is visiting and how the internet is being used.

Learn more about Network Defense and how you can try it free for 14 days

Here are 3 very important reason why it’s time to upgrade to more reliable protection.

1) Tapes have a failure rate of 100%. No, that’s not a typo. Statistically, every single tape drive will fail at some point – it’s only a matter of when.

2) Your network could be inaccessible for days, or even weeks. Most standard backup software using Tape Drives is configured to ONLY back up your data; not your programs, operating system or network settings. If your server crashes or is somehow stolen, corrupted or destroyed, your entire network might have to be rebuilt from scratch – no small feat. Only at that point can your data be reloaded.

3) Human error. Tapes need near perfect care to function properly. Someone has to remember to rotate them every day, take them offsite, and keep them in a dry, cool and clean place – not in a purse or front seat of the car where they can be stolen, melted, frozen or disabled due to moisture, dust or condensation.

For a better solution, check out our PriorITyCare Recovery option!

Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security!

Imagine not being able to send or receive e-mail for days, possibly weeks. Don’t think this could happen because you have a reputable anti-virus software installed? If so, you’re operating on a false sense of security and hackers are praying that you keep thinking that way. Here’s why:

Most business owners think that because they have anti-virus software installed and a software firewall, that their network is “secure.” Not so. One of the most common stunts hackers pull is breaking through a software firewall to hijack a server. Once they’re in, they use YOUR server to relay spam and other viruses to millions of users in a matter of seconds.

This is double bad for two reasons:

1. In no time flat, your company’s server and email gets “blacklisted”, which means the big email delivery hubs (like Comcast, Google, Verizon, etc.) flag ALL e-mails coming from your server as “dangerous” and won’t let them through; and on the net, you’re guilty until proven innocent, which means it could take days or weeks to get your name cleared. During that time, you are completely without e-mail.

2. Your clients, prospects and vendors start getting Viagra ads and invitations to XXX-rated web sites from your company. Not good.

The absolute best way to make sure this never happens is to invest in a top-grade managed Cisco firewall. This small investment is worth many times the cost in peace of mind and saved time. Software firewalls that come with most servers or Internet providers are better than nothing, but they’re a weak lock that any hacker can easily pick.

A few key report findings include:

• Spam accounts for nearly 200 billion messages each day, which is approximately 90 percent of email sent worldwide
• The overall number of disclosed vulnerabilities grew by 11.5 percent over 2007
• Vulnerabilities in virtualization products tripled to 103 in 2008 from 35 in 2007, as more organizations embraced virtualization technologies to increase cost-efficiency and productivity
• Over the course of 2008, Cisco saw a 90 percent growth rate in threats originating from legitimate domains; nearly double what the company saw in 2007
• Spam due to email reputation hijacking from the top three webmail providers accounted for just under 1 percent of all spam worldwide, but constituted 7.6 percent of all these providers’ mail

View entire report

Common “Unintentional” Mistakes:

• Unauthorized application use: 70 percent of IT professionals believe the use of unauthorized programs resulted in as many as half of their companies’ data loss incidents.

• Misuse of corporate computers: 44 percent of employees share work devices with others without supervision.

• Unauthorized physical and network access: 39 percent of IT professionals said they have dealt with an employee accessing unauthorized parts of a company’s network or facility.

• Remote worker security: 46 percent of employees admitted to transferring files between work and personal computers when working from home.

• Misuse of passwords: 18 percent of employees share passwords with co-workers. That rate jumps to 25 percent in China, India, and Italy.

So how do you protect your important company data?

First you have to define a network Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). This document is a set of rules that details network usage and restrictions. A good AUP should state what a user is and isn’t allowed to do on the network, reference a more detailed security policy when needed, and state the consequences if the user breaks the AUP.

Second you must perform regular audits. Many times a company will set policies regarding security and network use but never audit to insure that these rules are being followed.

As you see in the statistics above, internal network abuse is a very real threat. These basic steps are just the start to protecting your company’s network and securing one of your company’s most important assets.

Paul

Cisco White Paper – Data Leakage Worldwide