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Businesses
face new challenges as they enter the new age of Internet
use
By Steve Laux
Dot Com Magazine
"A
healthy dose of paranoia is appropriate." For Fred
Bell, owner of MicroAge in Green Bay, these are words to
live by. Security is his business.
Originally
focused as a networking business in 1992, when Bell purchased
it, MicroAge has since developed into a company concerned
with designing and providing security in the business environment.
"We
noticed a need in the business community to address security
concerns in terms of liability, productivity and protection,"
Bell said.
Prior
to 1992, businesses needed only to focus within their four
walls when providing network security. Since its release
to the public in 1992, the Internet has poked holes in these
walls, creating a new set of security issues.
"Businesses
are in the process of dealing with the ethical considerations
of using technology in the workplace," said Bell.
"In
1992, there were only 50 Web sites. Today there are millions.
For local businesses, it has moved past the point of questioning
the value of the Internet to how they can use it effectively
to ensure their survival."
For
most traditional businesses, this requires a new way of
approaching their business model.Part of this new approach,
said Bell, is "for businesses to decide what they want
technology to do for their company and how they are going
to address the security risks that come along with it."
There
are external risks such as hackers and competitors which
standard protection such as a firewall can not stop. Furthermore,
using a browser or e-mail may provide a port of entry for
these threats. Eighty percent of all intrusions occur from
behind the firewall.
When
it comes to hackers, Bell has some strong opinions."There
is this notion that hackers are glamorous and extremely
intelligent. First of all, they are committing crimes of
trespassing and vandalism with their actions," he said.
"Second, within twenty minutes anyone is a hacker.
It doesn't take a special skill, only some software."
According
to Bell, the biggest threat to most businesses is internal.
Policies are needed to regulate employee use of the Internet
and internal network. Most local business owners are dealing
with this new technology as something that has come up while
many of their employees have grown up with it from day one.
"There
is now a digital workforce that will combine its work and
personal life in the workplace," said Bell.
With
this trend the liability issues increase. If someone in
a business receives an e-mail with an off-color joke and
subsequently forwards it to their e-mail list, that business's
name has just been sent out with the questionable material.
When the courts catch up with the Internet liabilities,
this won't be a laughing matter.
The
access to internal networks is another risk from within
for most companies. Network administrators have the "keys
to the palace" in most companies without being asked
to sign and follow a company policy. Employees may have
as much access as an administrator in those networks that
do not set up password-protected areas."Another concern
is that without policy, a network administrator could leave
your company, taking all of the passwords and accessibility
information with them," said Bell. If this would happen,
a new network would have to be built.
Another
internal concern is use of the Internet in the place of
business. "If companies don't address and control Internet
use, then it will eat them alive," said Bell. The Internet
in general has allowed for great gains in productivity in
terms of speed of, access to and transfer of information.
By the same token, it has created a loss in productivity
due to the lack of having a defined policy for its use.
This
is where MicroAge sheds some light to local business owners
on how to proceed into the digital age. It provides a 10-step
methodology when helping a business achieve security. The
first and most important issue it tackles is to define potential
risks and to develop company-wide policies based on those
risks.
"Policy," said Bell, "needs to start at the
top with owners and managers. They have to understand that
security isn't an event. It is an ongoing process."
Many
businesses have the misconception they can purchase a security
product and not have to worry about it again."Software
is only part of the solution," he said. "Without
good office policy, even the best security software is useless."
To find
out more contact Fred Bell or visit the MicroAge Web site
at http://www.microagegb.com.
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