There have been notable breaches of similar systems in recent memory: the hacking of the PlayStation Network a few years ago exposed millions of users’ data to unknown eyes. More recently, Zappos was hacked and 24 million accounts were compromised. On the one hand, these incidents are cautionary tales that remind us to always be mindful of sensitive information and where it’s stored. On the other hand, we’re rapidly moving toward a world where that information will have to be stored somewhere other than on our devices’ hard drives, and so security measures must be likewise advanced.

The question of whether the cloud is safe is difficult to answer with certainty, partly because it depends on whom you ask. A key point to understand is that every cloud service different, and each one has different security protocols.

It can be particularly nerve-racking for clients when two companies that don’t have a standard security protocol merger combine.

Such was the case last month when Rackspace, a leading provider of server hosting and cloud services, acquired Sharepoint911, a small but prolific group of ex-Microsoft Sharepoint consultants. The deal was borne out of Rackspace’s ongoing goal to become a market leader in Sharepoint implementation and a consultancy group (in addition to their seemingly endless other services).

The acquisition is a great deal for Rackspace because it’s another step on the road to expanding and dominating the market space they are in. But what about the consumer? Does the deal mean the haphazard trafficking of information back and forth through the ether, available to the wayward hacker who would have it?

Well, not really. In fact, snapping up Sharepoint911 helped customers, too. Absorbing the consulting firm gives Rackspace the expertise and know-how to address information breaches if they do happen. We can’t say for sure, but it’s reasonable to surmise that this will only be within the Sharepoint ecosystem.

Looking at the larger picture, it’s clear that cloud providers will likely install or train internal teams in cloud security measures so they can have the same level of expertise when cloud computing catches on with a firmer grip in the next five years.

Cloud providers can only sell their services if people trust those services are secure.

Therefore, heightened concern about security is forcing those providers to increase measures of safety even more than they already were. A successful attack on a cloud provider would be devastating in terms of compromised information, but potentially fatal for a business that may not be able to secure customers after a high profile breach.

So, is the cloud safe? Yes, but it’s not impenetrable. As long as you keep your stored information limited to the songs in your music library, shareable documents and other general things, you’re all good. Just don’t go storing your credit card numbers, passwords or Doomsday codes in your iCloud account because as with everything else in the world, if someone wants it bad enough, they’ll get it.

We would like to thank our guest writers on the Online Security Authority Blog! We feel it’s a honor and pleasure, to have others participate and contribute to the great content, advice and opinions on and in this Online World, we all live in… help us, help them, by supporting and visiting their sites!

as always, be safe Online

Your Online Security Authority

Bill Wardell

teach it, learn it, and share it…

© 2006 – 2012 Online Security Authority

OSA Technorati Tags: Breaches, Cautionary Tales, Cloud computing, Consultancy Group, Data Transfers, Gaming Devices, Hard Drives, Key Point, Mainstream, Market Leader, Market Space, Merger, Microsoft Sharepoint, Rackspace, Remote Server, Security Measures, Security Protocol, Security Protocols, Similar Systems, Standard Security, Traditional Computers

Symantec recently admitted that hackers stole their Norton Antivirus source code in 2006. The world’s largest security software vendor had previously blamed “YamaTough,” the hackers responsible for the infiltration, for the latest hack.

However, after further investigation, Symantec redacted their statement and admitted the hackers had infiltrated their own networks. Symantec later indicated that the hackers acquired 2006-era source code for Norton Antivirus Corporate edition, Norton SystemWorks (Norton Utilities and Norton GoBack), Norton Internet Security, and PCAnywhere.

“YamaTough” threatened to release 1.7 Gigabytes of source code for Norton Anti-Virus. However, the hackers later used Twitter to announce they would not release the code to the public until they were able to get all of the code.

What does this all mean to you, the consumer? If hackers are able to decipher Norton’s source code, they can use it to not only attack the company, but also attack the users of Norton’s security products. Should you be worried? The company stated that the customers using the most recent versions of their software did not face any threat of cyber-attacks from the hack. However, Symantec also stated that despite the age of the software, users of its PCAnywhere software faced a “slightly increased security risk”.

Unless Symantec were to write all new source code from scratch, elements of their code will still be prevalent today. This means that hackers are more able to decipher new code if they already have access to older source code because the versions will be somewhat similar. If you’re a little hesitant to trust a big software vendor like Norton Anti-Virus, I suggest opting for a free version of anti-virus software. Many people believe that free virus scanning software works just as well, if not better than paid subscriptions.

The issue of online security is growing at an increasing rate. This means, there opportunities for careers in cyber security. Having a degree in cyber security is a great way to protect yourself and others from criminals hacking into personal and confidential information. There will continuously be a need for cyber security professionals because this problem will always exist. It’s time to put a stop to these online criminals and if you can be the one to help, we all appreciate your services.

We would like to thank our guest writers on the Online Security Authority Blog! We feel it’s a honor and pleasure, to have others participate and contribute to the great content, advice and opinions on and in this Online World, we all live in… help us, help them, by supporting and visiting their sites!

as always, be safe Online

Your Online Security Authority

Bill Wardell

teach it, learn it, and share it…

© 2006 – 2012 Online Security Authority

OSA Technorati Tags: anti-virus software, Antivirus Norton, Company Stated That, Cyber Attacks, Free Virus Scanning, Free Virus Scanning Software, Norton Anti Virus, Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition, Norton Goback, Norton Internet Security, Norton Systemworks, Norton Utilities, Norton Virus, Pcanywhere Software, Security Risk, Security Threat, Software Users, Software Vendor, Virus Scanning Software, Virus Security

Hosting and maintaining servers yourself can be a costly affair. The process of hosting a website is also complex and there is need for the businesses to take such an headache. Even the large companies in your niche are using the Internet service providers in their area to host their sites as the costs are low and rewards are large. Any typical Internet service providers server can host thousands of sites at the same time. Choosing Internet service providers for hosting your website can fall light on the pockets as they charge low monthly fees. Not only the fees but the website can be deemed totally secured when the hosting responsibility lies with the Internet service provider in your area. You will not be harmed by hacking or corruption attempts.

By now you would have understood the value of choosing good Internet service providers (ISPs) for your business. The growth of your business as well as the sales depend on the ISPs. Reputed Internet service providers in any area offer high quality services such as limited downtime. If the ISPs selected is not reputed enough then there are chances that your website will show “Page Not Found” message and other errors more often than not. You could end up losing many customers if this is the state of your website.

So, you must be wondering “what are the features of best Internet Service Providers in my area?”

• Limiting the downtime for your business website.
• ISPs should have a technical support team that provides help in issues relating to network, website, connectivity and email.
• They should provide fast upload and download times.
• Large web space to host web pages and files.
• Multiple email accounts.
• Dedicated domains and IP addresses.
• No Proxy servers.

Below given are some tips that will help you solve the riddle “which are the best Internet services in my area for my business website?”

• ISPs chosen should offer high value services with low costing service fees.
• Compare the bandwidth speeds of the Internet service providers using the online resources. Some ISPs provide faster speeds than the others. Higher bandwidth speed will be ideal choice as they will provide more consistent connections.
• There should lesser ratio per modem. This will assure that you get consistent speeds that will not be halted by too much activity.
• Online support provided by the Internet service provider is their real test. If the service providers respond promptly to their clients problem and give good technical advice, then they are worth relying upon.

I hope all the aspects of choosing the best Internet service provider in your area in regards to your business website have been answered. Now there is no scope to raise the question “which are the best Internet Service Providers in my Area for my business website?”.

We would like to thank our guest writers on the Online Security Authority Blog! We feel it’s a honor and pleasure, to have others participate and contribute to the great content, advice and opinions on and in this Online World, we all live in… help us, help them, by supporting and visiting their sites!

as always, be safe Online

Your Online Security Authority

Bill Wardell

teach it, learn it, and share it…

© 2006 – 2012 Online Security Authority

OSA Technorati Tags: Attempts, Broadband, business, Business Transactions, Business Website, Business Websites, Business/Finance, Corruption, Costly Affair, Disk Space, Downtime, Headache, High Quality Services, internet, Internet connections, Internet Servers, Internet Service Provider, Internet Service Providers, ISP, Niche, Pockets, Professional Image, Rewards, Service Provider, Technology/Internet, Telecommunications, Transactions Take Place, Typical Internet

Diaspora began in 2010 as four students’ replacement for Facebook. The social networking site is still in alpha testing, but it has the potential to lock down on privacy even more than Google+ for tech-savvy users. It will have huge implications across the board, but it will likely effect education the most.

Diaspora could be the solution for teachers looking for a way to connect with their students without all of the privacy concerns and negative connotations associated with Facebook. It functions a lot like Google+, except that servers can be privately hosted.

A smart, tech-oriented teacher could host a server (cutely named a ‘pod’ by the Diaspora team) from their school computer and lock-down the code to make it invite-only. That way, parents that have concerns about their students’ information floating around online can be reassured that it’s only bobbing in one very small pool.

Like the circles of Google+, Diaspora uses aspects to allow you to sort people into groups. It would be incredibly easy for students working on a group project together to create an aspect and be able to communicate when they’re not at school. This would ultimately mean parents would have to do less driving back and forth to drop off their kids for group projects.

For older students, Diaspora means a way to communicate without sharing everything with the world. Students attending an online university can even turn in their work over Diaspora since the network allows you to retain rights to everything posted on it, whether it’s pictures or words. Posting paintings, photographs and even short stories on Facebook causes concern with students now, since they’re essentially losing their rights to their works by sharing it. Diaspora allows a bit more ease when sharing personal works of art.

Beyond that, Diaspora won’t control what applications go onto the site. It’s an open source project, and the founders intend to keep it that way. Educators can easily create test apps and release them the day of the exam, or they could create digital flash cards or even just host their slideshows on the server. Diaspora has the potential to become a huge, free interactive Dropbox with unlimited space and abilities.

Colleges and universities can host their own servers to ensure student privacy and recreate the glory days where Facebook was only for college students and you could only join a network you were actually a part of. It would help larger and online schools guard student privacy, since they would be able to know immediately if a student was attending their school instead of simply taking a leap of faith in assuming they didn’t just randomly add a college to their profile.

Because it’s open sourced, Diaspora is going to have the full tech support of the internet behind it. Sometimes getting support from Microsoft isn’t very easy. But try asking a question in a Linux forum, and you’ll have an answer in minutes. The difference is that people care about something they help create. Open source developing gives immediate buy-in to techies across the world who would be more than willing to help a teacher out when he or she needs tech support.

Though it’s still in alpha testing, Diaspora is available to join by visiting their site.

We would like to thank our guest writers on the Online Security Authority Blog! We feel it’s a honor and pleasure, to have others participate and contribute to the great content, advice and opinions on and in this Online World, we all live in… help us, help them, by supporting and visiting their sites!

as always, be safe Online

Your Online Security Authority

Bill Wardell

teach it, learn it, and share it…

© 2006 – 2012 Online Security Authority

OSA Technorati Tags: Alpha Testing, Circles, Diaspora Team, Drunk Photos, Facebook, Four Students, friendships, google, Group Project, Group Projects, Inappropriate Content, Negative Connotations, Paintings, Privacy Concerns, Savvy Users, school boards, School Computer, Short Stories, Social Networking Site, Student Teacher, World Students

Electronic Theft

The Internet is a marvelous invention. It helps us shop, pay bills, keep in touch with family and friends, and makes businesses more efficient and profitable.

Unfortunately, it also provides ample opportunities for your identity or important elements of it to be stolen by unscrupulous website owners and hackers. Preventing electronic identity theft begins with knowing how it can be managed.

Your bank account information is available to anyone who knows your user name and password. If you store that information anywhere but your memory, it can be stolen. Computers are hacked or searched by authorized users every day. Wallets and purses are stolen or lost just as often. Drawers, desks, tables and closets are searched as well. No human memory is infallible, but keeping exact information stored anywhere could open your bank account, your cell phone account and even your credit card account or entertainment accounts to anyone who finds or guesses your user information.

Don’t use common password patterns. Birth dates, anniversaries, social security numbers, age combinations, old addresses or zip codes, names or places for your passwords. Instead, use a misspelled version that’s easy to remember. Make security questions based on fact, but don’t use factual answers. For example, if your dog’s name is Rover, you can use the “What is your first pet’s name” security question option, but don’t use “Rover” as your answer. Instead, use a cartoon animal your children like or use “River” as your answer—something that might seem right if viewed but isn’t the exact answer. You see “Rover” written down as a reminder, but you would enter “River” instead.

Vary the characters in your passwords. Characters on a computer are anything that occupies a data space—dashes, commas, periods, numbers, letters, special characters like @ and even the spaces between words and sentences. Most sites don’t allow spaces in passwords, but they do make a difference in security question options. Use a combination of letters, numbers, dashes and special characters when allowed. Use upper-case and lower-case letters, and for maximum security, don’t repeat letters in passwords either.

Don’t share passwords and user names with others, even if trusted friends. Unfortunately, not all friendships last forever or end amicably. If you truly need to temporarily share your password, change it as quickly as possible.

When you access an online account in public, lower your screen’s angle to where only you can barely read it, and never step away from your computer or tablet while logged in on a site. Security questions and passwords can be changed in only a few moments, and you can be locked out of your accounts. Also, always log out of a site then close the window or tab. Don’t just open another website on that tab or window.

Monitor Account Changes and Credit History

US law provides the option of one free credit report per year: Use it. Request a credit report annually without cost, and a $10 investment at the six-month point is well worth the minor expense. Keep tabs of information on your credit report, for those are often the first place you might find evidence of identity theft.

If there are loans or credit cards for which you did not apply that show on your report, contact each reporting agency with a dispute. Contact each creditor with the same dispute and request copies of all application paperwork and signatures. Notify each query organization since the initiation dates that such-and-such entries are not yours and under investigation for identity theft.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking it won’t happen to you. Unfortunately, too many people have and will discover that it can.

The author of this article is Holly Miller, a writer for CouponCroc.co.uk. Shop safely and securely online and save when you use discount codes and vouchers on all of your purchases.

We would like to thank our guest writers on the Online Security Authority Blog! We feel it’s a honor and pleasure, to have others participate and contribute to the great content, advice and opinions on and in this Online World, we all live in… help us, help them, by supporting and visiting their sites!

as always, be safe Online

Your Online Security Authority

Bill Wardell

teach it, learn it, and share it…

© 2006 – 2011 Online Security Authority

OSA Technorati Tags: Ample Opportunities, Birth Dates, Cartoon Animal, Closets, Drawers, Electronic Identity, Electronic Theft, Exact Answer, Factual Answers, False Identities, Human Memory, Mail, Marvelous Invention, Protecting Your Identity, Question Option, Security Question, Security Questions, Social Security Numbers, Ssn, Terrestrial World