HP Expands Smart Office Portfolio

To protect information and keep businesses up and running in a disaster, HP has expanded its business protection portfolio with new solutions to address data protection issues such as backup, recovery and compliance for small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). The new HP StorageWorks Data Protector Express and HP StorageWorks MSA 1510i are the latest additions to HP’s Smart Office strategy.

The HP StorageWorks Data Protector Express is the first low-cost software application tailored to help SMBs easily manage the backup and recovery of business data. Backup and recovery scheduling, media management and reporting can be complicated tasks which often require specialized IT support. The Data Protector Express graphical user interface (GUI) simplifies these tasks and works across Windows, Netware and Linux environments.

Typically used for environments with one to ten servers with up to one terabyte of data, the HP StorageWorks Data Protector Express is a user-installable product that can go from “box to backup” in a matter of minutes. Able to securely store information on any media, including tape, disk or CD/DVD, it uses the same three-tier architecture as the enterprise-scale HP OpenView Storage Data Protector.

The new HP StorageWorks MSA 1510i array for IP-based Storage Area Networks (SAN) enables mid-size businesses to ensure their data storage keeps pace with the rapid growth of business-critical information. An iSCSI or IP SAN delivers a simple, efficient solution that allows customers to easily implement and manage a SAN just as they do their existing Ethernet network.

In addition, customers can take their internal disks directly out of existing HP ProLiant servers and move them into the MSA 1510i, an industry exclusive, which results in lower risk when a customer is moving from direct attached storage to external storage.

Report Outlines Online Risks

As online threats become more sophisticated and organized, businesses of all sizes must put controls into place to secure operations and infrastructures. Cyveillance has sponsored an IDC report to educate the market on these growing threats and provide best practices. Download the report at www.cyveillance.com/idc.

“The external threat environment for online security is advancing, with a growing number of profit-minded perpetrators and increasingly sophisticated attacks,” said Allan Carey, senior analyst at IDC and author of the recent report on mitigating online security risks. “Organizations need to increase their awareness of online risks that extend beyond information security, and are evolving to combine cyber and physical security, along with direct threats to business operations, revenue and critical infrastructure.”

According to the IDC report, the Top 5 Online Threats for 2006 are:

• Fraud and Identity Theft: Phishing schemes have increased and now even encompass “spear phishing” which targets specific groups. Financial Insights, an IDC company, estimates that global financial institutions may have lost up to $400+ million in fraud losses in 2004 due to phishing schemes.

• Information Leaks: The insider threat of trusted employees deliberately or inadvertently distributing sensitive information is a major concern.

• Unlicensed Product Sales: Organizations must be alert to broader online threats such as intellectual property loss and the online sale of counterfeit or gray-market goods.

• Convergence of Physical and Cyber Security: Threats are moving beyond pure information security and are converging with physical security. Extremist groups and activists are connecting online and discussing methods to attack the critical infrastructure at organizations including energy and utility plants, transportation systems and corporate buildings.

• Corporate Espionage: Information intentionally or deliberately leaked onto the Internet can make the difference between profit gained and profit lost. Competitors that obtain access to confidential files can leverage the information to their advantage.

Combating these risks requires businesses to take multiple actions. Create corporate policy in regards to information security and enforce that policy aggressively. Educate customers about what types of requests and product offerings the company will make via electronic mediums. Monitor the Internet vigilantly for early signs that corporate identity is being used without authorization. Take a holistic approach to information security with the tools, expertise and solutions to stay atop emerging threats and mitigate risks.

OmniPCX Solution Gets Top Rating

The Alcatel OmniPCX Enterprise telephony platform was ranked as the most secure in Miercom Communication’s annual IP-PBX test. Alcatel’s enhanced security capabilities provide wire-speed encryption and authentication with support for the 802.1x/RADIUS standard across its converged IP telephony and networking solution, which includes the Alcatel OmniPCX Enterprise, the Alcatel OmniTouch Unified Communications suite of applications, the Alcatel OmniVista network management platform, the Alcatel OmniSwitch LAN switches and Alcatel IP Touch phones. Alcatel is the first vendor to introduce RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) support for converged security of voice and data on a per-user, not just a per-port, basis. RADIUS is a widely deployed protocol that is used for enabling centralized authentication, authorization and accounting for network access.

“Attention to security in the voice network has been significantly bolstered by supporting the 802.1x/RADIUS protocols,” said Ed Mier, president of MierCommunications. “Alcatel is effectively addressing security concerns of enterprises by authenticating each and every user, with their unmatched encryption capabilities and SIP support features.”