Managing Customer Data

• Avoid Security Pitfalls with Subcontractors

  Increased reliance on outsourcing IT and data services has left businesses vulnerable if the subcontractor suffers a data breach. Ground rules can keep subcontractors to company standards -- and state and federal laws.
  Mary O. Foley

• Slouching? Measure Your Security Posture

  There is an optimal 'security posture' for a business -- the approach your business takes to security, from planning to implementation, from hardware to network security and more. Is your business slacking off on security?
  Lora Shinn

• 10 Steps to Database Security

  Most small and mid-sized businesses that build and administer databases focus on performance and availability. Security is usually an afterthought. Until you read the headlines about the well-publicized data breaches.
  Mary O. Foley

• Is Your Business PCI Compliant?

  Nearly every business that processes credit-card payments will have to comply with payment card industry (PCI) standards, which are very specific about how data is handled. That includes smaller and smaller businesses.
  Minda Zetlin

• Outsourcing Security: Are You Ready?

  Outsourcing is an attractive option for businesses that would rather not deal with a 3 a.m. DNS attack or a hacker defacing the website during non-business hours. But what are the benefits and costs?
  Lora Shinn

• Pay for Storage? Weighing the Free -- and Low Cost -- Options

  Google's entrance into online storage, offering users some free storage – with more available for a fee -- increases the choices for small businesses. Here's how to decide between online versus computer-based options.
  Renee Oricchio

• Safeguard Your Biggest Asset -- Your Data

  A company’s data is its life blood, so why risk having it lost, stolen, or hacked into with shoddy security and privacy practices? Regular audits can help companies pinpoint weaknesses and establish good privacy protocols.
  Michelle V. Rafter

• The Right Way to Respond to a Data Breach

  Laptops get stolen. Insiders steal data. And hackers are always trying to intrude. In many states, businesses that experience data breaches have to notify all customers. Don't let one ruin your business.
  Renee Oricchio

• Ask, and You Shall Be Misled

  Customers can tell you a lot. But sometimes they don't know what they're talking about.
  David H. Freedman

• Guarding Against the Threat from Within

  Most businesses have made sure to protect computer systems and networks from hackers. But the majority of data leaks or breaches of sensitive company information or intellectual property are often inside jobs.
  Mary O. Foley

• Securing Your Business Laptops (And the Data Inside)

  Tips on how to secure your business laptops -- and the data that resides on them -- whether they're in the office or on the road.
  Marc Saltzman

• Which Anti-Virus Software Should You Use?

  A round-up of products that can help protect your company computers from viruses, worms, Trojan horses and other forms of attack.
  Renee Oricchio