Cyber-security no longer means only protecting your computer from ne’er-do-wells. Hackers are cracking codes on all sorts of devices and getting sneaky about breaking into everything from cell phones to car systems.

“Security threats are escalating every year,” says Adam Wosotowsky, a senior anti-spam analyst with McAfee Labs.
In years past, hackers often engaged in what could be considered mischievous fun — finding vulnerabilities in software and then pointing out problems that needed to be fixed. But over the past decade, Wosotowsky says, security threats have become more malicious, with criminals entering the scene stealing financial and personal information, and even worldwide governments engaging in cyber warfare.

With cell phones and automobiles becoming more computerized, hackers have an even wider selection of devices to infect with viruses and other malicious threats.

Top 10 Threat Predictions

As we enter the new year, security giant McAfee offers up its list of the top 10 security threats (PDF file) that are expected to loom large in 2012.

10. Increased industrial attacks. Many industrial systems are not prepared for cyber attacks, and attackers may engage in blackmail or extortion in 2012.
9. ‘Legalized’ spam. Legitimate advertisers are purchasing email lists of consumers who have authorized receipt of online ads, a move that comes as global spam volume has dropped over the past two years.

8. Hacktivism. Online activists will join forces with physical demonstrators, targeting public figures, industry leaders, and other entities.

7. Cyberwar showoffs. Countries are expected to demonstrate their cyber-war capabilities to send a message that they are not vulnerable to cyber attacks against their infrastructures (such as utilities).

6. Rogue certificates. Production of fake digitally signed certificates, which are used as a means of assuring consumers and their security software that the website they are viewing is legitimate, will increase.

5. Blinking online traffic lights. Legislative issues are expected to stall efforts to develop Internet traffic “rules of the road,” which could aid in reducing instances in which hackers steer users to an unintended server.

4. Advances in operating systems directing hackers elsewhere. New security features included in the operating system will force hackers to find alternative entry points in a consumer’s computer.

3. Threats to virtual currency. Hackers will increasingly target the growing use of cyber currency, which is often not encrypted, as a means to steal money and spread malware.

2. Embedded hardware. Cars, medical devices, routers, digital cameras, and other items use embedded systems designed to control specific functions. Once these embedded systems are hacked, an attacker can have complete control over the hardware, such as asking a car’s GPS system to tell the hacker where you live.

1. Mobile threats bypassing PCs. Attackers will improve their craft with an eye toward launching mobile banking attacks. For example, consumers may eventually see SpyEye and Zeus, two Trojan banking attacks, migrate from the computer to the smartphone.

Be Smart With Your Smartphone

With smartphone use rapidly on the rise, this can be a problem for consumers who wish to use their phone for mobile banking. Says Wosotowsky, “A smartphone is like a computer, so there are the same capabilities for infection.”

Consumers would be wise to treat their smartphone like their computer and take all the necessary precautions, Wosotowsky says. His advice:

• Don’t click on unsolicited links or download software from a source whose origin is unclear.
• Use only apps that come from your bank: “Consumers shouldn’t use a third-party mobile banking app, unless a large number of people have already downloaded it,” Wosotowsky says.
• Don’t mix money-work and fun. Avoid using your smartphone for the dual purpose of visiting financial sites to enter financial information and visiting sites to download games. Often, sites offering free games or porn contain viruses that can later harvest personal or financial information off a smartphone.

Motley Fool contributor Dawn Kawamoto is an avid user of smartphones and drives a car. But neither is infected with a virus, yet.

 

 

There are many different benefits of outsourcing IT Support. You will have to consider and research as much as possible in order to work out the advantages of this support method. It is an important decision to make for any company and not one that should be taken lightly. Outsourcing should be done for in order to benefit the company as a whole and save money. Additionally your company will grow and increase its contacts. There are many advantages of outsourcing IT support and a few of them will be highlighted here.

One of the first benefits of outsourcing IT support has to be the fact that you can concentrate on core activities and push the other things out via outsourcing. As things nowadays in the IT industry are growing rapidly with the advances in technology, there is more and more work for companies around the world. These demands cannot be met all the time to the deadlines specified. It is at this point that outsourcing work to a third party is the way to go. This then in turn frees up the local team in the office to focus on more pressing core activities which just wouldn’t get done otherwise. This is particularly important as this will keep your company successful.

Another one of the benefits of outsourcing IT support has to be the savings that can be made for this support. If your company is running up too many costs then outsourcing work can significantly reduce your outgoings. Additionally the cost of your overheads will be reduced as well. Generally, it is believed that outsourcing will really help to reduce on money being paid out as the staff you hire in another country are cheaper than those you employ from your own country.

If you have departments that are running well above the cost they should be in your company then this is a good reason to outsource the whole department or projects to get completed within budget. It is not going to help your company if one of your departments is holding your company back. This is where the benefits of outsourcing IT support are really felt. By using an outsourcing company then you can control those costs that are mounting up and have the department managed properly and correctly too. So if you have a department that has taken on too many projects, doesn’t have enough staff to complete these projects, and a budget that is too much then you should look towards outsourcing.

Finally, by outsourcing you can ensure that you have enough staff to cover holidays or Christmas for example. You will have additional staff and can contact them about working when your local employees are out. You may also find that some of your staff don’t have the right skills to complete a project correctly. If this is the case then it is worth outsourcing the whole department. In this way you are likely to find someone that does have those skills you need. The benefits of outsourcing IT Support  can be seen everywhere within the IT industry and that is why it is a popular method with many.

IT can play a vital role in steering organisations through the recession. IT director Peter Birley explains how.

In these difficult economic times, IT and business leaders need to do even more in order to sustain business levels and at the same time try to increase them with new clients or customers.

The question here is: can technology help your company to win business?

Based on some research I’ve carried out, the answer is yes, although not necessarily directly.

Meaning the core to winning business will still be based around the product or service, the price and possibly the relationship. At the end of the day the customer wants the right thing at the right price delivered in the right way – and by somebody they have confidence in.

So how can technology play its part?

Technology can help in numerous ways, mainly around automation, information analysis, specialist systems and improved collaboration.

I’ve grouped my research findings into four main categories where tech can help businesses grow:  customer, analysis, marketing and internal business.

Customer
Even satisfied customers can and do defect. They are often seeking more than a service and want answers that are innovative, add value and remove their pain points. They also like being delighted when they receive a service that provides unexpected value.

In order to achieve this I believe we need to understand not just the process that we use to deliver service but also the customer’s process. We also need to involve them in this analysis. This will help us to seek out where value may be added.

Here are some of the areas my research indicated that technology could help customers:

• Providing the customer with improved process
• Giving more transparency with direct access to information
• Improving the customer’s experience and ensuring relevance
• Providing online systems that are product or service-based and that can shorten the supply chain
• Understanding the customer’s requirements and pain points and delivering unique answers in response
• Demonstrating relevant technologies that give the client confidence and maybe demonstrate cost containment or quality assurance
• Demonstrating security and data leak prevention to install confidence

 

Analysis
Knowledge is power and analysis of your data may highlight some interesting results. Your company probably has a mass of data, sometimes buried in different systems, but if this can be harnessed and analysed, often known these days as ‘business intelligence’, then it will assist in the decision making process and hopefully guide you on where to concentrate your new business activities.

Areas where technology can help with analysis:

• Using business intelligence to spot growth areas
• Using predictive analytics to identify opportunities and likelihood of success
• Identifying profitable areas and focus new business on these

 

Marketing
The best marketing is still about understanding what the customer wants, listening to their feedback, matching your offering with that – and then getting your message out.

These days clients are also interested in your technology, capability, security and innovations, so these are worth getting over in any pitch or tender.

The march of social networking technologies continues and not just in the personal communication market. This is a brand new set of technologies that can be exploited in your marketing campaigns. The power is integrating these new technologies with the existing core customer relationship management (CRM) products which could open up new prospects and markets as well as provide better data on what your customers are doing.

Areas where technology can help with marketing:

• Using social networking for lead generation and qualification
• Using CRM systems to maintain relationships and information about prospects
• Integrating CRM with social networking site contacts
• Building Google Alert-type systems to track clients and filter to CRM
• Creating reporting systems on deals lost and delayed for lessons learnt
• Demonstrating technology capability in pitches
• Analysing web usage
• Developing websites that sell your services and allow easy contact

 

Internal business
The remaining area was about using technology to improve internal processes which would not only enhance the client experience and support the business goals but also free people from unnecessary tasks so they could be more productive in marketing and selling.

Areas where technology can help with internal business:

• Creating innovative businesses models and streamlining and automating processes to reduce costs and make products and services more competitive
• Freeing up people time
• Supporting business goals and expansion plans

 

In the end, technology plays a supporting role but when used properly and in conjunction with other initiatives, it can help to win business.

Peter Birley is director of IT and business operations at law firm Browne Jacobson LLP.

 To help SMB owners balance the competing demands of growth and cost containment, AT&T Small Business Solutions has offered five technology related tips that can be used to drive both efficiency and growth within the business.

• 1. Invest in a Business Website – According to industry research, more than half of all small businesses do not currently have a business website. The lack of a strong online presence severely handicaps your ability to compete, so it’s important to create a mobile-optimized website using either a professional site design firm or one of the many, affordable DIY site creation tools available in the marketplace.
• 2. Improve Your Tech Support – Hiring an IT expert can be an expensive proposition. But without technology expertise, your company may be in jeopardy of lagging behind the competition. So in 2012, you may want to consider hiring virtual tech support — 24/7 service from experts who can help remedy your technology issues remotely, via phone or the Internet.
• 3. Establish Reliable Data Backup Routines – Data disasters are costly for any business. But for small companies, the loss of large quantities of data can be devastating. Establish routines for regularly backing up your data on CD, removable hard drive(s) or affordable, online backup services.
• 4. Equip Field Reps with Mobile Apps – Mobile apps are inexpensive tools field personnel can use to perform a variety of tasks including fleet management, mobile dictation, paperless forms, time management/tracking, and other functions. In terms of ROI, it’s hard to beat the return you get from the quality apps available in today’s mobile marketplace.
• 5. Utilize Conferencing Technology – Rather than spending tons of cash on business travel expenses, consider how your business can utilize voice, web, and video confernecing technologies to conduct meetings or share presentations with customers, partners and employees.