Introduction to Internet Security, Scotland from online-edge.

Get a Firewall. This is a vital protective measure, and will deter hackers from trying to gain access to your computer network. for a single PC, a 'personal firewall' such as Symantec Client Security offers a good level of protection at an affordable price-point. If you operate a network of PCs, you really need a professional firewall unit such as the SonicWALL TZ170. Units start at 10 users, and scale up to firewall appliances for hundreds or even thousands of users.
Install professional Antivirus software, and keep your subscriptions up to date. This includes protecting your desktop PCs, servers and mail gateways. Suitable products include the Symantec Professional AntiVirus and Multi-tier protection suites.
Keep Windows system updated. Again, this includes both desktop PCs and Servers. This can be achieved by setting up automatic updating, or visiting the appropriate microsoft website. CLICK HERE to visit the windowsupdate site.
CHECK gateway/router configuration of your Broadband/Internet connection. Often overlooked, it's not sufficient just to get your broadband system working- the correct security setup must also be implemented and checked to ensure that hackers are discouraged from attempting to gain unauthorised access to your network. This is particularly important for Wireless (WLAN) networks.

Online-edge can assist your organisation with selecting the right products, and making sure that proper and secure installation procedures and update methods are implemented. We can also check your present systems for mis-configuration and vulnerabilities, and recommend improvements.

As a Computer Security specialist company based in SCOTLAND, online-edge is able to provide advice, support and installation services suited to small and medium sizes organisations. We can assist you in selecting and installing the correct products for YOUR business, and offer friendly and sensible advice to our clients throughout Scotland and northern England.

The Internet has become increasingly important to companies throughout the UK, and within Scotland the uptake of Broadband has been increasing rapidly. The Internet is potentially risky to businesses, but if you follow the simple measures below, you will reduce your risk of attack.

What are the main IT Security risks ?

A recent IT security study sponsored by the UK DTI, The DTI Information Security Breaches Survey 2004, has shown another dramatic rise in serious attacks against UK companies over the past year. The report was based on interviews with over 1000 IT managers, and found that two-thirds of UK companies suffered a malicious incident in 2003. Incidents included computer viruses and worms, as well as fraud, theft and misuse involving computers. The figure has risen significantly, up from 44 percent in 2002 and 24 percent in 2000. The report also stated that half of all British firms were infected by a computer virus.

What many users do not realise is that the connection is a two-way pipeline- while you are sending email or surfing the net, hackers can easily gain access to unprotected systems, and can cause untold damage to your business by

stealing confidential information
storing illegal information on your computers without your knowledge
using your computer systems as 'zombies' to launch attacks on other organisations.

Information travels as packets of data, and might travel across many routers to reach its' destination. Internet users are identified by an IP address, such as 200.45.34.2, and the IP address for a particular user might change every time the user accesses the Internet (e.g. by dialing up the Internet Service Provider or ISP.) Some companies have a group of IP addresses. Because people tend to remember names more easily than numbers, a system called DNS is used to translate the name into a number which can be used (behind the scenes) to send an email or access a website. If you visit www.WhatIsMyIP.com, this will reveal your IP address. Some simple tools are built into Windows, such as ping and nslookup, which can provide basic internet diagnostic tools.

If someone is trying to hack into your system, you can trace their IP address and possibly report them to their ISP. Most software and hardware firewalls provide logging facilities which log hacking attempts. Unfortunately, most hackers can obscure their IP address by using a proxy server or hacking tools which alter their IP address, so the IP addresses in the log file are not always dependable. Network Address Translation or NAT is a technology which is often used to permit a group of users on a network to present a single IP address to the 'outside world'. NAT is provided by routers, firewalls and some servers.