Look for managed network services to grow as economy tanks, industry experts say
With fewer staffers, daunting new technologies, some companies opt for outside help
By Matt Hamblen
November 18, 2008 (Computerworld)
Managed network services are expected to continue to grow at a healthy pace, even as the economy tanks, according to an analyst and industry sources.
For many large businesses, the value of managed network services, such as routing and unified communications, actually increases during economic downturns. That's true in part because those companies may have to cut their staffs, and because the technology is getting more and more sophisticated, according to several participants in a webcast sponsored by Cisco Systems Inc. today.
"Managed services do well in tough economic times," said Katherine Trost, an analyst at Nemertes Research, adding there will be a "huge opportunity" for managed service providers in coming months.
In an annual survey of businesses conducted by Nemertes, 63% of this year's respondents said that they expected to adopt some level of managed services this year, that's up from 46% in 2007 and 27% in 2006. Trost said that upward trend should continue next year. The survey was based on in-depth interviews with 117 managers at companies of various sizes; it was supplemented by a Web-based survey with about 310 respondents, she said.
COMPUTERWORLD NETWORKING DAILY NEWSLETTER: Stay connected with the world of IT networking.
Cisco works with 300 managed services providers, including a variety of global carriers, to provide its technology to business customers. And today it expanded that number by eight. Cisco's new service provider partners include Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications Inc. Verizon Business joined Cisco in the webcast, and the companies touted the way Colgate-Palmolive Co. has benefited from global managed services they have provided.
Al Safarikas, senior director of service provider managed solutions at Cisco, said managed services have been the fastest growing segment of Cisco's business in recent months. The overall managed services market is growing at a rate of 10 times the rate of the IT market in general, Safarikas said, although he didn't provide any specific numbers. "Managed services have traditionally been countercyclical," he said, predicting continued growth despite the global economic downturn.
Michael Marcellin, vice president of global managed solutions at Verizon Business, said that while the economy slows, there will be "pockets" of the world where economic conditions will not deteriorate as much. IT shops in large businesses "will still be doing more with less," thus creating an opportunity for managed services, he said.
Verizon Business has 4,200 managed services customers in 142 countries, and it manages 262,000 network devices, such as routers and firewalls, Marcellin said. More than 200 data centers for large businesses are also under Verizon management, he said. Some companies just want a few branches managed, but others want to turn all network management over to Verizon.
Look for managed network services to grow as economy tanks, industry experts say
]]>Business bankruptcies in South Florida have reached a level not seen for almost 20 years. And the outlook remains grim for the near future, local bankruptcy attorneys said.
As of Oct. 27, there were 1,132 business bankruptcy filings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. That already matches the 12-month record since 1990, which was 1,138 business bankruptcies in 1992.
Business bankruptcies at new high - South Florida Business Journal:
]]>October 23, 2008
By bMighty.com Staff
In the face of the current financial crisis, small- and midsize-business owners need strategies, tips, and tricks to help their companies weather the storm and emerge poised for the future.
Financial Crisis Survival Kit | Business & E-Business | bMighty.com
]]>Microsoft Releases Emergency Patch For Windows Vulnerability
The out-of-band security update addresses a critical flaw that could allow a remote attacker to take over Windows computers without any user interaction.
By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
October 23, 2008 04:30 PM
Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) has released an out-of-band security update to address a critical flaw that could allow a remote attacker to take over Windows computers without any user interaction.
"This security update resolves a vulnerability in the Server service that affects all currently supported versions of Windows," said Christopher Budd, a MSRC security program manager, in a blog post. "Windows XP and older versions are rated as 'Critical' while Windows Vista and newer versions are rated as 'Important.' Because the vulnerability is potentially wormable on those older versions of Windows, we're encouraging customers to test and deploy the update as soon as possible."
Microsoft Releases Emergency Patch For Windows Vulnerability -- Windows Security -- InformationWeek
]]>Portrait Of A Computer Forensic Examiner
While data can be recovered from any computer, expert Ives Potrafka believes that corporate IT departments have far less control over what happens on PCs used for work.
By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
September 26, 2008 04:50 PM
Ives Potrafka, a forensic examiner with the Center for Computer Forensics, sees a lot of data theft. Those responsible tend to be ex-employees, either starting up a company while employed or going to a competitor and taking trade secrets.
According to Potrafka, when insiders steal corporate data, they tend to do it via noncorporate e-mail accounts or using external storage media.
Portrait Of A Computer Forensic Examiner -- Computer Forensics Security -- InformationWeek
]]>Verizon Gets Its Own Geek Squad
With Expert Care, Verizon joins Best Buy and AT&T in the home electronics repair market.
By Marin Perez
InformationWeek
October 9, 2008 02:58 PMVerizon (NYSE: VZ) wants to be the first one you call if you're having problems with your home electronics, as the communications company unveiled its Expert Care plans.
The service will be similar to the Geek Squad from Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), and Verizon said it will offer its customers in-depth technical support for software and hardware problems, as well as repair and replacement coverage for computers, TVs, and telephone equipment.
Verizon Gets Its Own Geek Squad -- Tech Support -- InformationWeek
]]>Citigroup, Lehman Bros. Sell India Outsourcing Units
Citibank's $505 million sale to Tata was a year in the making, while other U.S. banks may face difficulties unloading India outsourcing operations.
By Mary Hayes Weier
InformationWeek
October 8, 2008 03:25 PM
While the government prepares to bail out some U.S. banks, some banks are bailing out of India-based operations.
Tata Consultancy Services on Wednesday announced it's acquiring Citigroup Global Services for $505 million, a unit of Citi that provides business processing outsourcing -- including customer call centers, document imaging, and IT support -- for Citi's various global entities. The unit employs 12,500 people in Mumbai and Chennai.
Citigroup, Lehman Bros. Sell India Outsourcing Units -- Financial Services Offshore Outsourcing
]]>Counterterrorist Data Mining Needs Privacy Protection
A National Research Council report represents an attempt to address privacy concerns that have dogged past counterterrorist data mining programs like Total Information Awareness.
By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
October 7, 2008 12:30 PM
In a sweeping new report that examines the balance between security and privacy, The National Research Council (NRC) recommends that the U.S. government rethink its approach to counterterrorism in light of the privacy risks posed by unchecked data mining and behavioral surveillance.
The NRC report, "Protecting Individual Privacy In The Struggle Against Terrorists," is the culmination of three years of discussions and research aimed at providing the government with a framework for thinking about existing and future information-based counterterrorism programs. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry co-chaired the study committee.
Counterterrorist Data Mining Needs Privacy Protection -- Security -- InformationWeek
]]>Government Cracks Down On Online Disaster Scammers
One case brought by the Hurricane Katrina Task force last November resulted in sentences of more than eight and nine years for two brothers who operated a fraudulent Web site.
By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
October 3, 2008 03:15 PM
More than 900 people who aimed to defraud disaster victims and their would-be benefactors have been swept up in a storm of litigation.
On Wednesday, the Hurricane Katrina Task Force, set up in September 2005 to fight disaster-related fraud, said that it had filed federal charges against 907 individuals in 43 federal judicial districts since its inception.
Government Cracks Down On Online Disaster Scammers -- Hurricane Katrina Fraud -- InformationWeek
]]>Verizon Data Breach Report Reveals Industry-Specific Risks
The report finds that financial services companies face the highest risk from insiders, while high-tech, retail, and food and beverage businesses are most vulnerable to partner companies.
By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
October 2, 2008 03:38 PMWhen it comes to data breaches, different security strategies work better for different industries.
In a supplemental report that follows up on a data breach study released in June -- covering 500 forensic investigations over four years into incidents that led to 230 million compromised records -- Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Business compares and contrasts data breaches across four industry sectors: financial services, high tech, retail, and food and beverage.
Verizon Data Breach Report Reveals Industry-Specific Risks -- Security -- InformationWeek
]]>10 Tips For SMBs To Survive The Cash Flow Crisis
Posted by Michael Singer, Sep 30, 2008 02:33 PM
If you own a small business, it could feel like the whole world is closing in around you. And yet, SMBs have some of the best options out there, according to consultant and financial software developer Rusty Luhring.
Luhring spent 30 years building financial software for companies such as Ferox Microsystems and Franchise Analytics. He says after seeing the turbulent investment times of the late '70s, he knows what it takes to help the little guy manage cash flow.
So after Congress sent President Bush's $700 billion bailout package packing, what's Rusty's best advice for small business owners?
10 Tips For SMBs To Survive The Cash Flow Crisis - Startup City Blog - InformationWeek
]]>Intel Chairman: We'll Invest Through Recession
Craig Barrett said he sees demand for medical technology continuing to rise in all parts of the world, despite the economic downturn.
By Reuters
InformationWeek
September 30, 2008 02:00 PM
LONDON, Sept. 30 -- Intel (NSDQ: INTC) will continue to invest in products and technologies even though it sees that a U.S. financial meltdown is likely to affect the emerging markets that are crucial for its growth, its chairman said on Tuesday.
"I think you'd have to be prudent and assume that if the financial marketplace melts down there's going to be some impact but nobody's predicting that, nobody knows how big it's going to be," Chairman Craig Barrett told Reuters journalists.
Intel Chairman: We'll Invest Through Recession -- Wall Street Bailout -- InformationWeek
]]>McAfee To Pay $465 Million For Secure Computing
CEO Dave DeWalt said the purchase will help round out McAfee's line of products that help protect business networks.
By Reuters
InformationWeek
September 22, 2008 01:30 PM
BOSTON - Computer security company McAfee plans to buy Secure Computing for $465 million, adding specialized equipment that keeps hackers from breaking into computer networks.
McAfee To Pay $465 Million For Secure Computing -- Security -- InformationWeek
]]>Political pressure is mounting to eliminate the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's lead role over cybersecurity, a move that that would effectively admit the agency's failure to adequately perform its assigned duties.
But that invites the obvious question: Who should take over? One option would be, as we heard earlier this week, the White House itself. Another choice would be the more shadowy world of intelligence agencies such as the CIA or National Security Agency, which already is responsible for protecting government computers through its "information assurance" arm.
All week, members of a cybersecurity commission forming recommendations for the next administration have been telling Congress that cybersecurity requires senior level policy and program coordination from the White House.
Should NSA take over federal cybersecurity efforts? | Politics and Law - CNET News
]]>XP Security 'Scareware' Scams Skyrocketing
Posted by George Hulme, Sep 10, 2008 11:49 PM
More users than ever before seem to be falling for scams being levied by fraudsters looking to make a quick -- and lucrative -- buck from bogus security applications. It's sad to see people get scammed from their money when they're seeking some level of protection from Internet threats -- but instead they end up paying to install software that does nothing, at best, or is in fact itself malware. At least one security firm says criminals are raking in hundreds of thousands a month doing so.
These "rogue" applications are pushed out to users in many ways. It can be through spam that is designed to trick, or socially engineer, users into downloading. Sometimes they'll try to infect users through drive-by-downloads, where Web surfers are either automatically infected because they were unfortunate enough to reach a malicious Web site and have a security flaw in their Web browser. And then there's those insidious pop-up advertisements where some users will be enticed to download these applications through a pop-up Window.
XP Security 'Scareware' Scams Skyrocketing - Security Blog - InformationWeek
]]>]]>Top Tips For Preventing Identity Theft
Posted by Keith Ferrell Tuesday, Sep 9, 2008, 03:44 PM ET
Your customers' and clients' private information should be as important to you as their business -- and should be protected just as carefully, according to a new book on identity theft prevention techniques. Take a look at the top tips below.
Jim Stickley's The Truth About Identity Theft, out in paperback the first of September, includes nugget after nugget of good information about how to make sure your customers' data remains their and, just as important, if it does get lost it wasn't you or any of your employees who lost it.
Among the top tips:
Only ask for the customer information you need; extra information creates extra risk and in the case of some date such as Social Security numbers, the request may actually be illegal.
Encrypt all data on your computers and, crucially, encrypt all archival backups.
If you backup your own data, store the backup tape or disc in a secure place: a bank safety deposit box, for instance.
Enable firewall protection on your computers.
Patch all systems as soon as patches become available: delay equals increased risk.
Insist that all passwords be at least 10 characters, mixing numbers and letters in random fashion (don't use recognizable words, however obscure) and include at least one random symbol (the @ # $ % % & and so on above the numeral keys.)
Test the strength of your passwords at qqq.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/password/checker.mspx
If you do have a data breach inform your customers at the same time you inform all other parties (financial institutions, law enforcement agencies.) Don't make things worse by waiting.
Plenty more in the book, all of it good advice from a recognized breach expert.
Might add another tip: have your employees read Jim Stickley's book.
Amazon To Rescue 'One Laptop Per Child' Program
Similar to last year, "Give 1 Get 1" lets consumers purchase two XO laptops and keep one while giving the other to a needy child somewhere in the world.
By W. David Gardner
InformationWeek
September 5, 2008 02:33 PM
One Laptop Per Child's XO computer.
The One Laptop Per Child Foundation is planning to repeat its "Give 1 Get 1" program again this holiday season, but this year it expects to eliminate the bottlenecks that plagued last year's program because Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN).com will deliver the inexpensive device.
Amazon To Rescue 'One Laptop Per Child' Program -- PCs -- InformationWeek
]]>Virus Found On Computer In Space Station
Citing security policies, NASA would not disclose details about how the virus got on a laptop on the International Space Station.
By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
August 27, 2008 04:45 PM
NASA confirmed on Wednesday that a computer virus was identified on a laptop computer aboard the International Space Station, which carries about 50 computers.
The virus was stopped with virus protection software and posed no threat to ISS systems or operations, said NASA spokesperson Kelly Humphries.
Virus Found On Computer In Space Station -- Malware -- InformationWeek
]]>Nations Respond To Google Earth Threat
From banning Google Earth to simply ignoring the mapping service, countries are working to deal with potential security violations arising from the images Google makes available online.
By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
August 26, 2008 04:40 PM
To deal with the "Google (NSDQ: GOOG) threat," as Google's geospatial mapping application Google Earth is characterized in the July 30, 2008 report from the Director of National Intelligence's Open Source Center, foreign governments have offered five main responses: negotiating with Google, banning Google products, developing similar products, taking evasive measures, and nonchalance.
Nations Respond To Google Earth Threat -- Google Earth -- InformationWeek
]]>Google Says Infected Spam Is Getting Worse
The company's Postini corporate e-mail security service reported that the volume of e-mail virus attacks peaked at almost 10 million on a single day.
By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
August 12, 2008 04:00 PMOn its enterprise blog on Tuesday, Google plans to report that it saw more infectious spam messages in July than any month so far this year.
According to data gathered by Google (NSDQ: GOOG)'s Postini corporate e-mail security service, the volume of e-mail virus attacks peaked at almost 10 million on a single day, July 24.
That kind of volume, six to seven times what's typical, means spam messages are getting through someone's defenses and turning recipients' machines into zombies, said Sundar Raghavan, a product marketing manager with the Google Apps Security & Compliance team.
"The summer of spam has caught up with us this time," said Raghavan.
Raghavan suggests that in contrast to the message protection Google delivers from the Internet cloud, anti-spam hardware appliances that don't update fast enough may allow malicious e-mail attacks to succeed.
Much of the spam that Google is seeing aims to exploit not browser or operating system vulnerabilities but user curiosity. Thus, explained Raghavan, spam now takes the form of spoofed CNN newsletters with link descriptions designed to bait the user, such as "Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) Bribes Chinese Officials." Clicking such links in spam messages, however, generally leads to malware.
Raghavan also said that Google has seen an increase in e-mail messages with viruses concealed as encrypted .RAR attachments, despite an overall decrease in malicious attachments.
Marshal, an e-mail security company, on Tuesday issued its security report covering the first half of 2008. In the first six months of 2008, the company says spam volume doubled.
Marshal said that because of unpatched browsers, 45% of Internet users are at risk when they visit legitimate Web sites hosting malicious code. And there are many such sites. In May, the company identified 1.5 million Web sites infected with malware as a result of a botnet attack.
It may not come as a shock that Marshal, as a maker of e-mail security hardware, has more faith in e-mail security hardware than Google.
"We are now in the situation where spam accounts for almost 90% of all e-mail and increasingly contains links to infected sites," VP of products Bradley Anstis said in a statement. "Companies really need to employ a combination of e-mail security gateways that have anti-spam protection using multiple techniques to block malicious content and secure Web gateway products that do not just rely on URL filtering but also scan the content that end users are downloading and uploading in real time."
E-mail users may also want to consider in-brain message filtering (no purchase required). Just as one might be skeptical of offers of wealth from a mysterious Nigerian benefactor, one might also refrain from clicking on links to suspect news stories along the lines of "Steve Jobs Uses Windows Vista At Home" or "Google Provides NSA With Real-Time Search Data."
Google Says Infected Spam Is Getting Worse -- Google -- InformationWeek
]]>
