EasyLock 2 – Cross-platform portable data encryption solution from CoSoSys

The biggest challenge of securing modern IT infrastructures is to protect networks that mix different platforms and operating systems. CoSoSys has always considered this challenge when releasing a new version of their endpoint security and data loss prevention solutions, making them available for Windows, Mac and Linux. The same holds true for the freshly released EasyLock version 2, the software developer’s portable data protection solution.

This enhanced new version offers full support for cross-platform data encryption between Windows, Mac OS X and Linux openSUSE and Ubuntu. EasyLock 2 comes with military-grade protection for data stored on USB flash drives and other portable storage devices through its 256bit AES encryption. It also allows cross platform mobility by enabling users to protect their files when in transit and to easily access them on different operating systems.  Read more

British authorities experienced 1,035 data loss incidents

Only 55 of the data loss breaches have actually been reported

If you can’t stop data breaches, at least cover them up! This seems to be the data security code British authorities go by. Too bad for them there is something called Freedom of Information Act requests… A new report issued by privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch showed that councils across the UK experienced over a thousand data loss cases over a three year period – August 2008 to August 2011.

To get the information, the group sent 433 FOIs to local authorities and councils across the Great Britain and showed s shocking discrepancy between the reported 50 something incidents and the harsh reality. Not only did BBW uncover the data mishandling cases, they also requested information on what happened to the employees of said councils – if they had been disciplined, fired or prosecuted over the data breaches -, and inquired about the council’s response to each incident.  Read more

New Data Breaches Reported by Healthcare Companies

Hospitals, healthcare services providers, health insurance companies, all those operating in the healthcare segment seem to be particularly vulnerable to data breaches. Their patients and employees’ private details seem to be a frequent target for theft and easy to lose. It seems like this entire industry segment has no idea how to keep their data safe or how to properly dispose of it.

To recent incidents highlight this serious security issue affecting healthcare players. The first incident occurred at Texas Health Partners and Texas Health Flower Mound Hospital. A laptop was stolen from an employee of Texas Health Partners and it happened to contain private details about hospital patients. While the information was not encrypted, the laptop was at least password protected. The stolen notebook contained various details on patients, including name, addresses, medical history and lab test information.  The number of affected patients has not yet been disclosed. Read more

Access to Company Data: Why Employees Are Not All Equal

Here’s a good piece of news for companies around the world: when it comes to access to your important and confidential data, you don’t need to treat all employees as equals. In fact, it is highly recommended to make sure not anyone can access all your files, and if they can see them, you should prevent everyone from copying or transferring the information you need to keep private.

Ongoing projects, customer data bases, inventions, strategies, private records of employees, credit card and bank account information, all these must remain confidential. So if you store them, how can you make sure an employee that is unaware of the harm they are doing or who knowingly wants to harm you, fails at their attempt to expose the files in question? Read more

Data leaks at the Scottish Court Service

A formal undertaking was signed by the Scottish Court Service, after the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) reveiled that sensitive court documents were accidentally disposed of at a Glasgow recycling bank.

This breach was brought to ICO’s attention when a Scottish newspaper published details of the files containing appeal documents in September 2010. The documents in question have been lost by the editor of a series of law reports and the court service has failed to specify the procedure of keeping the documents safe. Read more

Insiders, frequent source of corporate fraud incidents

Employee perpetrated fraud has lost the average company about 5% of it’s revenue in the year 2009, the stealing of company sources representing up to 90% percent of the incidents. Employees tend to be tempted by privileged access to data and commit fraud. According to a report published by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) this type of fraud is the most damaging, causing a loss over $4 million.

“They have a high level of access, which gives them a greater opportunity to commit fraud,” Ben Knieff, director of product marketing for fraud products at Actimize said.

In order to prevent such fraud there are a few proactive steps a company can take: Read more

Is there such a thing as decent thieves?

A professor at the Umeå University in northern Sweden has received the entire contents of his stolen laptop on a USB stick. As this data was the result of 10 years of work, one can imagine this gentleman’s relief.

In a statement addressed to the local Västerbottens-Kuriren newspaper he says that he is unhappy with the incident but the return of the data makes him “hope for humanity”. Read more

Endpoint Protector 2009 for Mac Introduces File Tracing for Portable Devices

If you’re a Mac fan and also into device control, endpoint security or data loss prevention, you know there aren’t many solutions covering this specific area for Mac / Apple operating systems. One of the only solutions with a client dedicated to Mac is Endpoint Protector 2009, developed by CoSoSys. The Endpoint Protector 2009 Mac device control application has just been released in a new version, now including File Tracing for portable devices and offline temporary passwords.

The newly introduced features are designed to increase protection for business confidential data and to offer road warriors a way to stay active and productive when a permanent Internet connection is unavailable. Moreover, the carried data is kept safe from the common threats posted by improper usage of portable storage devices that often leads to severe security breaches. When enabled, the File Tracing feature logs all data and file related activity and stores it for later auditing. Each time an employee edits, deletes or renames a certain file originating from or subsequently copied to a portable device, his actions are recorded, along with his user credentials and the device specifications. Read more

CoSoSys offers enterprise level security via iPad and iPhone apps

Keeping your company or home computer network safe from day to day threats that could lead to data theft, data loss, identity theft or malware infections has never been easier. My Endpoint Protector, software as a service device control and data security solution developed by CoSoSys, is now offering an app version available for iPads, iPhones and iPod touch devices through the iTunes store.

With a few touches, you can use the app’s centralized console to authorize new devices, monitor file transfers and access to sensitive data and block portable devices, making sure all common threats are kept at bay. In a world where the unsecured use of portable storageand lifestyle devices – smartphones, notebooks, USB sticks, digital cameras or extern HDDs – can lead to tremendous data breaches and severe losses for both companies and individuals, having a smart and effective app at your fingertips preventing it all is extremely important. Read more

Don’t trust call centers with your private details!

That is the natural conclusion one reaches after seeing the results of a new survey on how call centers handle private details of customers. According to the survey conducted by Veritape, more than 95% of call centers kept customers’ credit card information on phone call recordings, practice that overtly breaches current industry security standards.

Of the 133 call center managers surveyed, only 39% were aware of in place industry rules against storing such information and only 3% actually wiped credit card details from recorded conversations.

“The routine practice of storing unedited audio recordings of calls is creating a vast reservoir of sensitive data on the servers of call centers across the UK, in direct breach of global industry standards drawn up by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Council,” said a Veritape statement.

When you need to actually contact a call center, make sure you think twice before giving them the information they ask of you!