Three Cloud-Based Surveillance Options That Keep An Eye On Your Business

Chances are that if someone breaks into your business, they’ll have enough of an IQ to know that your computer may be storing surveillance data. Think like a burglar: If you really wanted to cover you tracks, you would do everything possible to destroy any computers in the premises. Surveillance data is stored in computers, VCRs, and other data-gathering equipment.

Casing the place isn’t difficult, especially if it’s small. Chances are you don’t hide your surveillance equipment effectively. And even if you did, there’s a chance that the burglar will take the time to try and find what is controlling the cameras. Wireless surveillance helps, since people doing B&Es (short for “breaking and entering”) usually follow cables to track the surveillance source. However, the best place to keep your data is far, far away from you.

But you’re not going to run cables through hundreds, or even thousands, of miles from your location, are you? We have this wonderful thing called the cloud that can help solve this problem for you. You’ve worked hard to get your business afoot! The best thing you can do to protect your baby is to implement cloud-based surveillance (known as VSaaS, or “Video Surveillance as a Service”). Take a gander at a couple of solutions I’ve found for you:

  • ControlByNet i-flashback Cloud - CCTV is out of style, and CloudByNet doesn’t hesitate to make that point. Their i-flashback Cloud solution caters to small- and medium-sized businesses that are looking for an affordable and manageable solution that can scale according to their needs. Their software claims to minimize the cost of running hardware and keep your data on a secure server. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any pricing data. It probably depends on the quantity of cameras you want installed in your location.
  • Smartvue Cloud Video - Here’s a really interesting offer! Smartvue tailors its product according to your needs. You don’t necessarily need  to have your video data on the cloud. You can buy one of their surveillance servers for as little as just under $300. You can also include a data plan that allows up to 100 GB of storage on the cloud for $25 a month.
  • ivideon - If the other two solutions gave you butterflies in your stomach, I can’t wait until you hear about this one. Ivideon, a Russia-based company, offers secure cloud video surveillance for up to 2 cameras for free. Their pricing on other plans varies depending on how long you want information archived and how many cameras you install. The home plan, for example, gives you a live video feed and archive for $0.10/day/camera, giving you the option of archiving for up to 30 days ($0.5/day/camera), for up to 16 cameras. Their “business” plan raises the live video price to $0.2/day/camera but raises the 16-camera limit to a whopping 5,000 cameras. Added to this, you get to export videos as AVI files (to be played with VLC or Windows Media Player) and you also receive email notifications.
Of course, there are many things you may want to record that don’t have anything to do with burglary. But when it comes to running a tight ship, you have to make sure that a B&E can’t happen without eyes prying all over it.


Twitter Announces $1 Million in Ad Credits for Chase Small Business Customers

twitter announcement

If you’ve been curious about the new Twitter advertising platform, you may have a good reason to try it out soon. But you’ll have to be a small business customer using one of Chase Bank’s financial products first. Twitter announced a partnership with Chase Bank last week aimed at trying to encourage use of its little more than a year-old advertising service.

Twitter advertising was launched on an invitation-only basis to select users in March of 2012 and was opened to all U.S. users in April of this year. The new program would award $1 million worth of free Twitter advertising credits in $100 increments to “eligible” Chase small business customers.

As part of the partnership between Twitter and Chase, the bank’s estimated four million plus small business customers, including those using Chase’s Business Banking, Ink from Chase credit card and Chase Paymentech (a system for merchants to accept credit cards on mobile devices, will get other benefits too. Some of those will include access to research, best practices and workshops about using Twitter to grow a business. No word yet on how many of these customers will be eligible for the free small business advertising credits, but Twitter has promised more details early this fall.

The popular social site will also be sharing customized content through a new @ChaseSmallBiz Twitter account.

On the official Twitter blog, Russ Laraway, head of small business for Twitter, wrote:

Our goal is to help small businesses build better customer engagement, increase sales using direct response techniques, and engage more followers with compelling content. We’ll be posting videos, infographics, white papers and a how-to guide developed by Chase and Twitter to help small businesses learn more about the value of Twitter.

This isn’t the first time that Twitter offered advertising credits underwritten by a sponsor.  Another program was rolled out in 2012.

Bottom line: the advertising credits from Chase won’t be available for several months yet. Stay tuned and we will update you when they are rolled out to small businesses.

Twitter Photo via Shutterstock




Three Cloud-Based Surveillance Options That Keep An Eye On Your Business

Chances are that if someone breaks into your business, they’ll have enough of an IQ to know that your computer may be storing surveillance data. Think like a burglar: If you really wanted to cover you tracks, you would do everything possible to destroy any computers in the premises. Surveillance data is stored in computers, VCRs, and other data-gathering equipment.

Casing the place isn’t difficult, especially if it’s small. Chances are you don’t hide your surveillance equipment effectively. And even if you did, there’s a chance that the burglar will take the time to try and find what is controlling the cameras. Wireless surveillance helps, since people doing B&Es (short for “breaking and entering”) usually follow cables to track the surveillance source. However, the best place to keep your data is far, far away from you.

But you’re not going to run cables through hundreds, or even thousands, of miles from your location, are you? We have this wonderful thing called the cloud that can help solve this problem for you. You’ve worked hard to get your business afoot! The best thing you can do to protect your baby is to implement cloud-based surveillance (known as VSaaS, or “Video Surveillance as a Service”). Take a gander at a couple of solutions I’ve found for you:

  • ControlByNet i-flashback Cloud - CCTV is out of style, and CloudByNet doesn’t hesitate to make that point. Their i-flashback Cloud solution caters to small- and medium-sized businesses that are looking for an affordable and manageable solution that can scale according to their needs. Their software claims to minimize the cost of running hardware and keep your data on a secure server. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any pricing data. It probably depends on the quantity of cameras you want installed in your location.
  • Smartvue Cloud Video - Here’s a really interesting offer! Smartvue tailors its product according to your needs. You don’t necessarily need  to have your video data on the cloud. You can buy one of their surveillance servers for as little as just under $300. You can also include a data plan that allows up to 100 GB of storage on the cloud for $25 a month.
  • ivideon - If the other two solutions gave you butterflies in your stomach, I can’t wait until you hear about this one. Ivideon, a Russia-based company, offers secure cloud video surveillance for up to 2 cameras for free. Their pricing on other plans varies depending on how long you want information archived and how many cameras you install. The home plan, for example, gives you a live video feed and archive for $0.10/day/camera, giving you the option of archiving for up to 30 days ($0.5/day/camera), for up to 16 cameras. Their “business” plan raises the live video price to $0.2/day/camera but raises the 16-camera limit to a whopping 5,000 cameras. Added to this, you get to export videos as AVI files (to be played with VLC or Windows Media Player) and you also receive email notifications.
Of course, there are many things you may want to record that don’t have anything to do with burglary. But when it comes to running a tight ship, you have to make sure that a B&E can’t happen without eyes prying all over it.


Small Biz Contests, Awards & Events: Small Business Heroes, Twitter Chat #SMBizEdge, Small Business Week & More

Welcome to our latest curated list of events, contests and awards for small businesses, solo entrepreneurs and growing companies. To see a full list or to submit your own event, contest or award listing, visit the Small Business Events Calendar.

Featured Events, Contests and Awards

WBENC National Conference & Business FairWBENC National Conference & Business Fair
June 26, 2013, Minneapolis, MN

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) will convene 3,500 decision makers from the nation’s leading corporations, government entities and women’s business enterprises (WBEs) to generate business together and stimulate economic growth at the 2013 WBENC National Conference & Business Fair in Minneapolis, MN, June 25-27, 2013.

Big Awards for BusinessBig Awards for Business
August 14, 2013, Online

The Big Awards started with a mission of recognizing real talent and performance. Real business people, those with experience and knowledge, judge the Big Awards. Request an entry kit today and submit your nomination by August 14, 2013.
Discount Code
SBT50 ($50.00 off)

More Events

More Contests and Awards

This weekly listing of small business events, contests and awards is provided as a community service by Small Business Trends and SmallBizTechnology.



Small Biz Contests, Awards & Events: Small Business Heroes, Twitter Chat #SMBizEdge, Small Business Week & More

Welcome to our latest curated list of events, contests and awards for small businesses, solo entrepreneurs and growing companies. To see a full list or to submit your own event, contest or award listing, visit the Small Business Events Calendar.

Featured Events, Contests and Awards

WBENC National Conference & Business FairWBENC National Conference & Business Fair
June 26, 2013, Minneapolis, MN

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) will convene 3,500 decision makers from the nation’s leading corporations, government entities and women’s business enterprises (WBEs) to generate business together and stimulate economic growth at the 2013 WBENC National Conference & Business Fair in Minneapolis, MN, June 25-27, 2013.

Big Awards for BusinessBig Awards for Business
August 14, 2013, Online

The Big Awards started with a mission of recognizing real talent and performance. Real business people, those with experience and knowledge, judge the Big Awards. Request an entry kit today and submit your nomination by August 14, 2013.
Discount Code
SBT50 ($50.00 off)

More Events

More Contests and Awards

This weekly listing of small business events, contests and awards is provided as a community service by Small Business Trends and SmallBizTechnology.



Tablet Based Point Of Sale (POS) Systems: Two Options That Take Your Business To The Next Level

Is your business still using Point of Sale (POS) cash registers? Is your restaurant still taking customer credit or debit cards from them to the register, then bringing them back? Are you still using flint and stone to start your caveman fires? Sorry, guys. It’s time to join the tech-savvy public and do something that not only serves your purposes as a business, but also engages your customers and gives you a much better chance of them revisiting your store.

Technology is something of a fickle beast, in that if you blink there will be some new toy out on the market that seems awfully gee-whiz amazing, but doesn’t have much of a track record. However, POS tablets do not have that issue; carrying around a portable, lightweight device from which you can check out customers or show them product demos is the way to go these days. Not only will you grab your customers attention, but with everyone pretty much toting around a smart phone these days, it’s important to keep up with the tech-lovers out there.

What kinds of tablets can help you, you may ask? There are some that are not pre-built for businesses, and some that are. It really depends on what you want, so here’s a few things to get your creative thoughts going:

The LeafPresenter. Leaf  is a company with a rep for building small-business-friendly technology. Their LeafPresenter is a $50-per-month technological wonder that can be optimized for your business - whether that’s retail, restaurant, or what have you. Turn checkouts into mobile experiences, let customers give you instant feedback if they so choose. The LeafPresenter allows you to accept payments via your customers choice of processor or next-generation payment methods such as PayPal, LevelUp and other mobile
wallets. The new LeafPresenter also makes Near Field Communication (NFC), Europay, Mastercard and Visa (EMV) and gift card support standard features. This reinforces the company’s open approach to payment acceptance, which gives businesses the freedom to accept new forms of payment and work with the traditional payment provider of their choice, all from one device.

Koupah. Utilizing Social Passport, Koupah is another tablet-based POS system, which takes things a bit further by tracking customers and keeping a record of their spending habits in order to generate specific advertisements for them that can print on their receipts. Koupah’s cost is…well, they’re actually free (three per merchant, actually). This includes the terminal, a cash drawer, and a receipt printer. They also provide free tech support and maintenance. Well, okay, it’s not really free - they charge three cents per transaction and 2.69% per credit card transaction.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but these are some of the bigger players. There’s plenty more where that came from, so go on and dive in to see what works for you. If you want to see more about POS for your business, check out our archives for more articles.



Tablet Based Point Of Sale (POS) Systems: Two Options That Take Your Business To The Next Level

Is your business still using Point of Sale (POS) cash registers? Is your restaurant still taking customer credit or debit cards from them to the register, then bringing them back? Are you still using flint and stone to start your caveman fires? Sorry, guys. It’s time to join the tech-savvy public and do something that not only serves your purposes as a business, but also engages your customers and gives you a much better chance of them revisiting your store.

Technology is something of a fickle beast, in that if you blink there will be some new toy out on the market that seems awfully gee-whiz amazing, but doesn’t have much of a track record. However, POS tablets do not have that issue; carrying around a portable, lightweight device from which you can check out customers or show them product demos is the way to go these days. Not only will you grab your customers attention, but with everyone pretty much toting around a smart phone these days, it’s important to keep up with the tech-lovers out there.

What kinds of tablets can help you, you may ask? There are some that are not pre-built for businesses, and some that are. It really depends on what you want, so here’s a few things to get your creative thoughts going:

The LeafPresenter. Leaf  is a company with a rep for building small-business-friendly technology. Their LeafPresenter is a $50-per-month technological wonder that can be optimized for your business - whether that’s retail, restaurant, or what have you. Turn checkouts into mobile experiences, let customers give you instant feedback if they so choose. The LeafPresenter allows you to accept payments via your customers choice of processor or next-generation payment methods such as PayPal, LevelUp and other mobile
wallets. The new LeafPresenter also makes Near Field Communication (NFC), Europay, Mastercard and Visa (EMV) and gift card support standard features. This reinforces the company’s open approach to payment acceptance, which gives businesses the freedom to accept new forms of payment and work with the traditional payment provider of their choice, all from one device.

Koupah. Utilizing Social Passport, Koupah is another tablet-based POS system, which takes things a bit further by tracking customers and keeping a record of their spending habits in order to generate specific advertisements for them that can print on their receipts. Koupah’s cost is…well, they’re actually free (three per merchant, actually). This includes the terminal, a cash drawer, and a receipt printer. They also provide free tech support and maintenance. Well, okay, it’s not really free - they charge three cents per transaction and 2.69% per credit card transaction.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but these are some of the bigger players. There’s plenty more where that came from, so go on and dive in to see what works for you. If you want to see more about POS for your business, check out our archives for more articles.



Mobile Marketing Will Generate $400 Billion in Sales by 2015

mobile market

If you sell directly to U.S. customers or provide marketing services to clients who do, pay attention. A recent report says a growing mobile market is already generating billions in U.S. sales. And businesses are also spending billions to market to customers via mobile channels.

The Mobile Marketing Association, a global trade association for the mobile marketing industry, says those numbers are only going to increase.

Consider that last year mobile marketing generated an estimated $139 billion in U.S. sales. This figure takes into account both business to business and business to consumer sales.

The association claims the “MMA Mobile Marketing Economic Impact Study” released last month, is the first comprehensive study of U.S. economic performance across the mobile marketing industry.

Huge Growth Projected

Most impressive is that this amount is expected to grow by more than half during the next two years. The report says sales generated through mobile marketing will top $400 billion by 2015, an amazing 52 percent rise.

But it’s not just sales that are increasing. The MMA study suggests the amount U.S. companies are willing to spend on mobile marketing is increasing too.

For example, in 2012 the study estimates retailers and marketers spent $6.7 billion to reach customers via mobile channels. That’s considerably less than the amount generated by mobile sales, but still represents a huge opportunity for businesses providing mobile marketing services.

The study projected that amount would also increase, reaching $19.8 billion by 2015.

Mobile advertising, mobile direct response or enhanced traditional media and mobile customer relationship management were all considered in that expenditure.

What it Means to You

While the MMA study was aimed at demonstrating the economic stimulus and job creation potential of mobile marketing, there is a clear message here for small businesses and entrepreneurs as well.

USA Today reported recently on how small businesses are already putting mobile marketing to work to generate additional sales.

We’ve reported previously on the importance of mobile technology to small business operations.

But the MMA study demonstrates the importance of mobile technology for growing your business too.

For many small businesses, this could include focusing on making sure you have a mobile friendly presence. It could also include focusing more attention on social media marketing, much of which is accessed via mobile devices by your customers.

You could also focus on developing mobile apps for your business. And, of course, if you provide marketing services to other business clients, it also means you should consider including mobile marketing services among your other offerings.

How is your business using mobile marketing to reach customers?

Mobile Photo via Shutterstock




Mobile Marketing Will Generate $400 Billion in Sales by 2015

mobile market

If you sell directly to U.S. customers or provide marketing services to clients who do, pay attention. A recent report says a growing mobile market is already generating billions in U.S. sales. And businesses are also spending billions to market to customers via mobile channels.

The Mobile Marketing Association, a global trade association for the mobile marketing industry, says those numbers are only going to increase.

Consider that last year mobile marketing generated an estimated $139 billion in U.S. sales. This figure takes into account both business to business and business to consumer sales.

The association claims the “MMA Mobile Marketing Economic Impact Study” released last month, is the first comprehensive study of U.S. economic performance across the mobile marketing industry.

Huge Growth Projected

Most impressive is that this amount is expected to grow by more than half during the next two years. The report says sales generated through mobile marketing will top $400 billion by 2015, an amazing 52 percent rise.

But it’s not just sales that are increasing. The MMA study suggests the amount U.S. companies are willing to spend on mobile marketing is increasing too.

For example, in 2012 the study estimates retailers and marketers spent $6.7 billion to reach customers via mobile channels. That’s considerably less than the amount generated by mobile sales, but still represents a huge opportunity for businesses providing mobile marketing services.

The study projected that amount would also increase, reaching $19.8 billion by 2015.

Mobile advertising, mobile direct response or enhanced traditional media and mobile customer relationship management were all considered in that expenditure.

What it Means to You

While the MMA study was aimed at demonstrating the economic stimulus and job creation potential of mobile marketing, there is a clear message here for small businesses and entrepreneurs as well.

USA Today reported recently on how small businesses are already putting mobile marketing to work to generate additional sales.

We’ve reported previously on the importance of mobile technology to small business operations.

But the MMA study demonstrates the importance of mobile technology for growing your business too.

For many small businesses, this could include focusing on making sure you have a mobile friendly presence. It could also include focusing more attention on social media marketing, much of which is accessed via mobile devices by your customers.

You could also focus on developing mobile apps for your business. And, of course, if you provide marketing services to other business clients, it also means you should consider including mobile marketing services among your other offerings.

How is your business using mobile marketing to reach customers?

Mobile Photo via Shutterstock




Detection times of breaches vary across businesses

Only a third of businesses have the ability to detect data breaches within minutes.

A survey of 500 senior IT decision makers by McAfee found that 35 per cent had the ability to uncover breaches within minutes, while 22 per cent said they would need a day to identify a breach. On average, organisations reported that it takes ten hours for a security breach to be recognised.

While 73 per cent of respondents said that they can assess their security status in real-time, of the 58 per cent of organisations that said they had suffered a security breach in the last year, just a quarter (24 per cent) had recognised it within minutes.

Michael Fey, executive vice president and worldwide chief technology officer at McAfee, said: “If you're in a fight, you need to know that while it's happening, not after the fact. This study has shown what we've long suspected - that far too few organisations have real-time access to the simple question ‘am I being breached?'  Only by knowing this, can you stop it from happening.”

Similar research released by Lancope found that over two-thirds of large organisations said they either had not experienced a security incident in the last 12-18 months, or were unsure if they had.

Tom Cross, Lancope's director of security research, said: “Any organisation needs to know whether or not they've been subject to a security breach, and if companies believe they have not, the question may be are they really aware of everything that is happening on their networks.”

Respondents to Lancope's survey indicated that the most common incidents they were aware of were malware (18 per cent), denial-of-service (16 per cent) and insider attacks (12 per cent).

This year's Data Breach Investigations report from Verizon found that the number of breaches that remain undiscovered for months or more rose from 55 per cent in 2011 to 66 per cent in 2012, while discovery time was a number of months for 62 per cent of respondents.



Detection times of breaches vary across businesses

Only a third of businesses have the ability to detect data breaches within minutes.

A survey of 500 senior IT decision makers by McAfee found that 35 per cent had the ability to uncover breaches within minutes, while 22 per cent said they would need a day to identify a breach. On average, organisations reported that it takes ten hours for a security breach to be recognised.

While 73 per cent of respondents said that they can assess their security status in real-time, of the 58 per cent of organisations that said they had suffered a security breach in the last year, just a quarter (24 per cent) had recognised it within minutes.

Michael Fey, executive vice president and worldwide chief technology officer at McAfee, said: “If you're in a fight, you need to know that while it's happening, not after the fact. This study has shown what we've long suspected - that far too few organisations have real-time access to the simple question ‘am I being breached?'  Only by knowing this, can you stop it from happening.”

Similar research released by Lancope found that over two-thirds of large organisations said they either had not experienced a security incident in the last 12-18 months, or were unsure if they had.

Tom Cross, Lancope's director of security research, said: “Any organisation needs to know whether or not they've been subject to a security breach, and if companies believe they have not, the question may be are they really aware of everything that is happening on their networks.”

Respondents to Lancope's survey indicated that the most common incidents they were aware of were malware (18 per cent), denial-of-service (16 per cent) and insider attacks (12 per cent).

This year's Data Breach Investigations report from Verizon found that the number of breaches that remain undiscovered for months or more rose from 55 per cent in 2011 to 66 per cent in 2012, while discovery time was a number of months for 62 per cent of respondents.



Women\'s Security Society enjoys successful launch event

A total of 165 people attended the inaugural member's conference of the Women's Security Society (WSS).

The audience comprised a cross-representation of security professionals from all business verticals and academia connected to the security profession.

Delivering talks on the night were Professor Gloria Laycock OBE on how science should be used to greater effect when tackling crime prevention; Emma Hunwick spoke about the importance of networking for a successful career; and Rebecca Stephens MBE gave an insightful talk on her successful ascent of Mount Everest as the first British woman 20 years ago.

The society will host a number of events throughout the year from sector specific roundtable discussions to large conference-style forums, as well as themed events. The next is a Security Careers Awareness Event on 25th July, while on 4th September the second members' conference, hosted by KPMG, will be held.

Learning points will be collated into a whitepaper format and fed back into the relevant public or private sector body.

The aim of the society is to encourage the advancement of women across all security platforms, to work together to inspire convergence across the profession. WSS membership and attendance at events is free and open to both men and women.



3 Ways to Protect Your Small Business from Cyber-Attacks

We’ve all heard the horror stories of cyber-attacks on businesses. Big banks, national retailers, and major websites have all been impacted by devious cyber-criminals, with customer data compromised and websites taken offline for hours. As small business owners, it’s easy to assume that cyber-attacks will never affect you. A criminal would target high-profile businesses, after all. Any small business would fly beneath a cyber-criminal’s radar.

But small businesses are no longer worry-free, according to security experts. Small businesses are increasingly being targeted by cyber-hackers, who are launching global espionage campaigns. Smaller businesses can be a bridge into the systems of their larger business partners, experts say, since small businesses often lack the security measures multi-billion-dollar firms have in place.

“In today’s security landscape, everyone must assume they are a target,” says Jim Butterworth, CSO of security firm HBGary.

But small business owners aren’t on their own when it comes to putting security measures in place. HBGary recommends taking the following steps to ensure your small business doesn’t fall prey to a cyber-attack.

  • Conduct a comprehensive network check. Businesses spent money and effort each year to prepare and update emergency response and business continuity plans. Butterworth emphasizes that incident-response plans must be treated with the same care. Your business continuity plan should include efforts to protect against cyber-attacks and should be regularly updated to address the ever-changing landscape of cyber-attacks.
  • Invest in security infrastructure. Some businesses assume that simply having anti-virus software on servers and devices is enough, but Butterworth stresses that anti-virus often isn’t enough. Software cannot protect a company against targeted attacks. While software manufacturers do their best to stay abreast of new malware variants, new attacks are being launched on an ongoing basis. There are measures a small business can take to protect servers, but many businesses are choosing Cloud service providers to entrust their security to the experts. If you choose the do-it-yourself model, e sure you stay informed about changes in the security landscape that could leave your small business vulnerable.
  • Educate your users. One of the biggest threats to a small business’s infrastructure lies in the behavior of its own employees. “Provide clear, concise cyber-guidelines for your employees,” Butterworth advises, adding that those guidelines should include restricting access to only those applications and files each employee needs to do his or her job. “Our users represent our largest attack surface, and a mature plan includes providing timely and relevant information to our first line of defense,” Butterworth adds. Each user should also be taught to avoid phishing attempts, including those that come through e-mail and social media sites.

Small businesses can’t assume that they are immune to criminal activity. By following these tips, you’ll be able to ensure your business is uninterrupted and your customer data remains safe.



3 Ways to Protect Your Small Business from Cyber-Attacks

We’ve all heard the horror stories of cyber-attacks on businesses. Big banks, national retailers, and major websites have all been impacted by devious cyber-criminals, with customer data compromised and websites taken offline for hours. As small business owners, it’s easy to assume that cyber-attacks will never affect you. A criminal would target high-profile businesses, after all. Any small business would fly beneath a cyber-criminal’s radar.

But small businesses are no longer worry-free, according to security experts. Small businesses are increasingly being targeted by cyber-hackers, who are launching global espionage campaigns. Smaller businesses can be a bridge into the systems of their larger business partners, experts say, since small businesses often lack the security measures multi-billion-dollar firms have in place.

“In today’s security landscape, everyone must assume they are a target,” says Jim Butterworth, CSO of security firm HBGary.

But small business owners aren’t on their own when it comes to putting security measures in place. HBGary recommends taking the following steps to ensure your small business doesn’t fall prey to a cyber-attack.

  • Conduct a comprehensive network check. Businesses spent money and effort each year to prepare and update emergency response and business continuity plans. Butterworth emphasizes that incident-response plans must be treated with the same care. Your business continuity plan should include efforts to protect against cyber-attacks and should be regularly updated to address the ever-changing landscape of cyber-attacks.
  • Invest in security infrastructure. Some businesses assume that simply having anti-virus software on servers and devices is enough, but Butterworth stresses that anti-virus often isn’t enough. Software cannot protect a company against targeted attacks. While software manufacturers do their best to stay abreast of new malware variants, new attacks are being launched on an ongoing basis. There are measures a small business can take to protect servers, but many businesses are choosing Cloud service providers to entrust their security to the experts. If you choose the do-it-yourself model, e sure you stay informed about changes in the security landscape that could leave your small business vulnerable.
  • Educate your users. One of the biggest threats to a small business’s infrastructure lies in the behavior of its own employees. “Provide clear, concise cyber-guidelines for your employees,” Butterworth advises, adding that those guidelines should include restricting access to only those applications and files each employee needs to do his or her job. “Our users represent our largest attack surface, and a mature plan includes providing timely and relevant information to our first line of defense,” Butterworth adds. Each user should also be taught to avoid phishing attempts, including those that come through e-mail and social media sites.

Small businesses can’t assume that they are immune to criminal activity. By following these tips, you’ll be able to ensure your business is uninterrupted and your customer data remains safe.



Accumuli to boost authentication offering with the acquisition of Signify

IT security service provider Accumuli has announced the acquisition of managed authentication provider Signify for a net consideration of £2.6 million. 

A provider of two-factor authentication (2FA) as a hosted or cloud service, offering tokens, smartphone apps and SMS services, and winner of the 2013 SC Magazine award for best remote access, Signify will bring 282 customers to Accumuli and add 2FA to its services. Signify CEO Dave Abraham will remain with the business in a consultative capacity to assist with the transition

Gavin Lyons, chief executive of Accumuli, said: “Accumuli's goal is to help organisations secure their business from the constantly evolving threat landscape. Given the growing mobility of today's workforce, it is becoming increasingly important for all organisations to offer employees secure remote access to systems and information.

“Therefore, adding two-factor authentication to our managed services offering represents the next logical step in our value proposition to help customers secure their business and reduce operating costs.

“Signify has a successful 13 year history in the provision of two-factor authentication as a managed service, and has an enviable reputation for helping organisations to secure their networks. We look forward to welcoming Signify's employees to Accumuli so they can continue to deliver an exceptional service to our customers.”



Accumuli to boost authentication offering with the acquisition of Signify

IT security service provider Accumuli has announced the acquisition of managed authentication provider Signify for a net consideration of £2.6 million. 

A provider of two-factor authentication (2FA) as a hosted or cloud service, offering tokens, smartphone apps and SMS services, and winner of the 2013 SC Magazine award for best remote access, Signify will bring 282 customers to Accumuli and add 2FA to its services. Signify CEO Dave Abraham will remain with the business in a consultative capacity to assist with the transition

Gavin Lyons, chief executive of Accumuli, said: “Accumuli's goal is to help organisations secure their business from the constantly evolving threat landscape. Given the growing mobility of today's workforce, it is becoming increasingly important for all organisations to offer employees secure remote access to systems and information.

“Therefore, adding two-factor authentication to our managed services offering represents the next logical step in our value proposition to help customers secure their business and reduce operating costs.

“Signify has a successful 13 year history in the provision of two-factor authentication as a managed service, and has an enviable reputation for helping organisations to secure their networks. We look forward to welcoming Signify's employees to Accumuli so they can continue to deliver an exceptional service to our customers.”



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