Posts Tagged ‘security’

What Controlling Security Performance during Recession Periods Means

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

Controlling security performance during recession periods is one of the foremost things that the management of a company must do to cope with the difficulty that recession brings.

The duty of controlling security performance during recession periods comes with much more importance. This is because there must be necessary adjustments and changes that must be made during a recession period in order to redirect the burdens of a company. In effect, the company is able to cope with the economic and financial trouble it may experience in case of a recession.

The question, however, is how to control the performance of the security department of a company during a recession period, taking into consideration the fact that controlling performance in ordinary times is difficult enough; much more during a period of recession.

Of course, the performance of a department lies with the people managing it. They have the power to determine whether the department will perform well or poorly by the way they lead the other members of the department. The final say, however, lies with the management of the company, who must oversee all the performance and efficiency levels of each department in order to ensure that the company works in top shape.

The first thing to be considered is the operating level of the security department. Some questions to be asked include: Does the security department make full use of its resources? Does the security department have sufficient resources? Are the functions of the security department sufficient to support the needs of the company? These are questions that must be resolved over and over again as the recession period continues, and even after the period ends.

The performance of the security department can always be monitored with the use of measurement and evaluation tools. One of the most effective tools is the Balanced Scorecard, which takes into consideration all the aspects of a department, and the company as a whole. If the department is not performing well, adjustments and modifications can be made by the company management in order to promote better performance and efficiency.

The company’s management can always come up with ways and means to control the performance of the security department. There is no problem if the security department is performing well. There is an even greater benefit if the same is one of the best performing departments in the company. The problem will surface if the department is performing poorly. It must be borne in mind that if one department is performing poorly, the entire company is affected in the negative as a whole.

The management can always grant incentives to the members of the department for good performance. This can be done despite a recession period because incentives do not need to be substantial. These can be simple tokens of appreciation that are meant to boost the morale of the members. Controlling security performance during recession periods does not need to be an expensive and time-consuming duty. In fact, it can easily be one of the simplest, practical, and most recommended functions of the company management in making sure that the company is able to cope and ultimately survive the period of financial and economic difficulty.

Practical Tips to Control Recession Effects on Security Performance

Monday, February 9th, 2009

How to control recession effects on security performance is a problem every member of the company management must deal with and at all times, especially during a period of recession.

How does the company control recession effects on security performance during a period of recession? How does the management make sure that every department of the company performs sufficiently and efficiently at all times, even during a period of recession? How do the people tasked to do the job ensure that the blows of a period of recession do not cost the company dearly in such a way as to render it incapable of continuing the business for which it was created?

So may questions, so little time.

Time is always of the essence when attempting to stem the negative effects of a financial and economic difficulty on a company and its respective departments. This is because the longer the negative effect continues, the graver the effects on the performance and productivity of the company, and the closer it gets to probable cessation of business activities, and eventually, dissolution.

Fortunately, there are ways to control the negative effects of a recession period, especially for the security department of a company, which is one of the departments being often neglected because of its passive function in the business activities of the company.

The company can make sure that the security department is performing well at all times, even during the recession period. The management of the company can do this by offering incentives and benefits to the members of the department in case of good performance. These need not be substantial, as the company is going through financial difficulties. Simple tokens of appreciation and gratitude will be enough.

The company’s management can also pour more of its resources into a department that is performing poorly. It is a reality that all actions within a company require certain funding. Thus, programs can be initiated to improve the performance of the department concerned despite the recession period. The members of the department can undergo training and instruction to be able to cope with the negative effects of financial and economic difficulty.

The management of the company can also choose to adjust or modify the functions of the security department in case there is redundancy or duplication of functions. Usually, these would exist in certain functions, such as logistics, training, and hiring of security personnel, and acquisition of materials and supplies for the department. These functions can be consolidated in other departments that have lesser or lighter functions, thereby reducing the burden that one department is facing.

These are only some of the remedies that the company’s management may take on in its pursuit to alleviate the burdens of the security department during the recession period. All that is needed is constant cooperation between the management counterparts of the company and the security department. As long as the members of the management of the company keep a clear and open mind, they can always come up with remedies to control recession effects on security performance. Just because there is a financial and economic difficulty that affects all business entities does not mean that every company must suffer the effects. Practical ways to avoid, lessen, or simply control these negative effects are always available.

Why It is Important to Analyze Security Performance

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

Many businesses fail to see the importance of taking time to analyze security performance. They only realize this when it is too late and their systems have been infiltrated already.

It has become quite the alarming matter how hackers and infiltrators all over the web are just able to find more ways and means of hacking even the tightest and most secure systems installed by major players in the corporate world. Just how do they do this? With the growing number of sophisticated hacking equipment all over the Internet, this just goes to show that the need to analyze security performance across all departments of a certain business or enterprise has certainly become as dire as ever.

Sadly, there is just no way for businesses to stop storing information as we all go about each single workday, for this would mean hampering the performance of the business itself. Thus, the better and wiser thing to do is keep a close eye on the security metrics that you have implemented across all departments of your company, to check if they are still as efficient as they should be.

For the most part, IT security metrics can actually be obtained from the system levels of the company or enterprise. These metrics are designed in such a way that the size and the needs of the organization are analyzed according to level. This way, the arrangement of the metrics themselves is made more appropriate. The basic premise here remains the same – that the metrics themselves still be aligned with the objectives and the performance of the company itself.

You must ensure that data is portrayed in quantifiable format so that comparisons made would be unbiased and the realization of corporate goals and objectives can also take place in the long run. But when it comes to verifying the performance of security, the following aspects should be considered: the identification of the appropriate actions to improve the system itself, the analysis of activities implemented to check on their adequacy, and the efficiency of implemented security controls.

Comparing collected data that cannot be quantified in nature can be very difficult because comparison can easily become subjective here. More importantly, if your data is not quantifiable, then how can you even begin to use applicable formulas in analyzing security performance?

Another important thing you also have to understand is the fact that there is no such thing as perfect analysis. Something close to perfect can be achieved, of course, but when it comes to aiming for perfect analysis, then you might as well you’re your endeavors altogether. Still, there is a need to implement accurate IT security monitoring. Security performance can only be successful if your security metrics can determine projected trends, as implied in terms of performance. In the process of analyzing these aspects, you are then a step closer to formulating better action plans and solutions to deal with whatever problems your company might encounter in terms of security performance.

A lot of people – even managers – find themselves a bit intimidated when they start to analyze security performance. Do not be. Even if the results are hardly what you expect, this is still a step closer to determining loopholes in your security system, and this is what such an analysis should reap in the end.

Top 10 Computer Security Aspects to be Wary About

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

Computer security has long been a questionable issue for many computer users. Here are the top 10 issues commonly experienced by the lot of PC users.

Computers have certainly made the jobs of many professionals way easier. Do you remember the time when you had to redo your whole report just because of a few measly mistakes that you cannot afford to have on your fully furnished and typewritten document? This just might be a certain period of time that you are happy to keep on the shelves. Yes, the advent of computer and technology has certainly made a lot of things easier to handle. Of course, this does not mean there are no problems to be faced at hand because computer security is indeed one of the major concerns in the arena these days. Here are the top 10 computer security aspects that businesses should pay attention to.

#1. Viruses

Of course, viruses would be amongst the top. For the most part, viruses are sent and transmitted via email attachments so do not open any attachment if you are not too sure about its source. Also, make sure to have a reliable antivirus application on your system.

#2. Spyware

These applications send personal information about you to a potential hacker without you knowing it. Identity theft is often committed with the use of spyware, so you really have to be wary about this threat.

#3. IP Spoofing

This is a way to gain access to computers. What the intruder does is he sends messages to a certain computer, bearing an IP address that is seemingly from a reliable host. In reality, this is just a ploy to gain access.

#4. Trojan

On the surface, this seems a legit computer program. In reality, this program sends out information from your computer to a third party, eventually damaging your computer. Most of the time, Trojan viruses are accessed via email attachments as well. Thus, do not open any attachments if you are not too sure about the identity of the sender in the first place.

#5. Spam

Spam pertains to email messages that are unsolicited and these can be very annoying to any recipient. Thus, be careful when leaving your email information on websites and forums because spammers will definitely use this to their advantage, leaving you as the victim in the process.

#6. Adware

Those annoying pop-ups of advertisements can really take their toll on you. Watch out for this threat because it can be very disturbing having a spammer send you sequential pop-ups in just a few minutes’ interval.

#7. Diallers

People still using dial-up modems should be wary about dialer programs for they redirect your calls to extremely expensive numbers. You will not know what hit you until you get your phone bill.

#8. Hijackers

As the name suggests, hijackers actually grab control of your browser. These can then incorporate whatever changes they want with your home page, your search bar, and search pages. Hijackers often redirect you to unwanted websites.

#9. Phishing

This comes in the form of emails that seemingly come from reliable websites, such as eBay or PayPal. These websites ask you to verify certain details about your account; however, these are just ploys to get you to share sensitive account information.

#10. Hoaxes

The ever-present chain letter that has been in circulation for centuries now. Not only do these take up your time, but you can also fall victim to these hoaxes, especially if they appeal to your philanthropic nature. Thus, you also have to be wary about these chain letters and hoaxes that you receive.