What is the biggest network security problem?

Computer and network security continues to be a subject of ongoing concern and I find, that I cannot write enough on this very important business subject and issue.

The overwhelming and continual problem, which compels me to revisit this subject, is that I am continuing to see business owners who just don't take seriously the importance in making sure critical information is well protected rather than the possibility of losing valuable and critical operational data as well as the network being compromised and data being stolen.

Not a week goes by that my company is not confronted with a call, from a business, identifying that their entire network and its data may have been breached and the data compromised.

So why are businesses continuing to experience problems in the area of network security breaches and what should companies do in order to combat network and computer security problems?

Most companies tend to put thousands of dollars into things like anti-virus/anti-malware protection, firewalls, password policies and security procedures. Yet, they fail to do the thing, that will first and foremost tell them what the source of their network security problems may really be, which is take a hard, in-depth look at exactly what the security problems are and where they are coming from.

When called upon, to deal with the issue of network security and a potential breach, the first thing we do is to freeze everything on the network and begin to do a systematic analysis of all activity that has taken place, on the network, over the period of the last month. Now, because the network freeze can and will create system down time, it is always smart to do this on the weekend verses normal business hours and once the process is done, without fail, at least 90 percent of the time, we find what the biggest network security issue is and the problems originate from the company.

- George Bardissi

Communications providers are hard to categorize

Throughout the course of looking into the government’s creation of new legislation that would allow for expanded and more intrusive wiretapping of all Internet communications, it is clear that the initiative is largely being spear headed by federal law enforcement and national security officials.

It is also quite interesting that these officials, along with Congress, that are working on the proposed legislation have not been able to agree on how to determine or define what makes an entity a communications service provider.

Even more interesting is that the White House tends to have a clearer profile of what a communications service provider is, or at present, it would appear that way.

The White House seems to feel that any entity involved in using encrypted e-mail transmitters and social networking sites along with peer-to-peer messaging software should be targeted.

Of course, when you look at the aforementioned profiles, it is immediately apparent that company’s like Skype, Facebook and BlackBerry will most likely come under the long arm of the new wirer tapping legislation if passed and enacted.

Companies who operate servers outside the United States, according to the White House definition, will also qualify as communications service providers, thus making them part of those companies that will need to comply with the new legislation.

When questioned about the new legislation, one of the FBI’s attorneys indicated that the security community is not necessarily attempting to expand its authority, but rather to preserve their existing capability to execute the current protocols, now in place, allowing a continuation of ongoing protection of the public and national security.

This all coincides with the fact that national security officials, for quite a while, have been actively pursuing the government to give them greater latitude and control in being able to wiretap the Internet, because of the intensified activity on the part of extremists and criminals who are inclined to do more of their conversing online and not on the telephone.

It goes without saying that the proposed legislation does raise worrisome privacy concerns relative to all who use the Internet.

In the Times article, James X Dempsey, vice president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, made it clear that it seems like the national security agencies and the White House are trying to send time spiraling backward, in that they appear to want the services provided on the Internet to function in the way that telephone systems once functioned.

The United States is not the only country grappling with the matter of Internet security concerns. Over the course of this year, it has been reported that India and Saudi Arabia both threatened to extinguish all BlackBerry services, because of their governments feeling that the device’s e-mail encryption was responsible for creating a potential national security risk in their respective countries.

In light of both countries’ firm stance on eliminating BlackBerry services, RIM did concede to their demands and the two countries’ security officials complete, lawful access to Internet and smartphone data. Of course, this kind of leverage is exactly what our national security agencies are hoping to gain with the advent of the proposed legislation.

The vast majority of citizens, in the United States are probably not aware of the fact that our Internet and phone networks have been under protocols that allow for various agencies to eavesdrop as a result of the 1994 law titled the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act.

Although the wiretapping authority was amended to include digital networks and cell phones as well as the already covered copper-wire phone systems, the law falls short, according to the security agencies and the government as it still fails to cover communications service providers.

So what does this mean for you and me? Well, quite simply, nothing if we are honest, law-abiding citizens. You see, if you aren’t doing anything wrong or questionable, then ask yourself, “What do I have to fear?”

Because that’s what it really boils down to. Whether we like it, or not, the days of complete privacy, as a result of the world we live in, are over.

Thus, you and I have a choice to make. Either we accept the fact that with advanced technology there will continue to be an advancing loss of privacy, or we decide to walk away from technology and return to a time of greater simplicity where we had to physically and personally communicate with one another and not through a touch screen or keypad.

Are you living a righteous life or are you one who by virtue of your unlawful or questionable activities will become afraid of what may come to be a complete loss of privacy in the ever expanding realm of balancing information technology and national security?

Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate what you’re doing on the Internet.

- Andino Ward

The White House wants to tap the Internet

Are you ready for the next round of possible government-inspired Internet security measures?

Well, get prepared, because there is big talk and even bigger plans under way regarding Internet security.

It was reported in the Sept. 27 edition of The New York Times that the White House is hard at work creating legislation that will broaden the scope of the current wiretap authority to infiltrate and intercept our Facebook, BlackBerry and Skype communications without prior knowledge or consent.

The proposed legislation would also include an agenda that will give law enforcement and security officials increased ease in being able to infiltrate and eavesdrop on your online chatter as well.

Don't be alarmed, as the proposed legislation is not expected to be presented to Congress before next year and we all know just how long it can take, before a decision is made on anything in Congress.

You can bet there will be hearing after hearing, filibusters and a host of other objections during the process.

This proposed legislation is being seen as an Obama administration-sponsored bill, which for all intents and purposes would appear to be true since it is coming out of the White House.

One of the unsettling and most prominent aspects of the pending legislation, if passed and enacted, will demand that every Internet-based communication service reset its internal protocols to be technically capable of adhering to the federal wiretap order to include the ability to intercept and unscramble encrypted messages.

The overall scope of this legislation has incredible implications, as it may seem to be a means of releasing the proverbial hounds of hell on an unsuspecting population, in that it will equip our government with the power to listen in on every communication that is made online.

Of course, given the times that we live in and the relentless pursuers of anarchy, terrorism and the destruction of anything and anyone that does not have a shared belief, in their opinion, philosophy, political persuasion or religion, this new legislation may not be such a bad thing.

Yet, there is always that overwhelming, sinking feeling that Big Brother is waiting, watching and listening, as well as the distinct possibility that those in the administration, intelligence community or any other entity with access to and permission to use this legislation having ill intentions could use it for all the wrong reasons and exact untold invasions of privacy.

What of the government officials working on this new legislation? Who are they and how are they attempting to define who the Internet communications providers are and what the criterion is that the government will use to move forward in exacting the new legislation on their choice of who constitutes a qualified, in their opinion, provider?

And what about the providers of Internet communications services, what are their thoughts on this new legislation?

How will the new legislation affect the realm of wireless technology, specifically the smartphone?

Make sure you're on board, next week, as we will look at these questions and attempt to provide answers accordingly.

- Andino Ward