GFI WebMonitor – Web Security and Internet Access Control Software

Most of companies want able to monitor and control user access to the Network and the Internet, GFI Software has a solution that can help you meet there need. Available as a standalone proxy version or as a dedicated plug-in for organizations that have deployed Microsoft ISA Server, GFI WebMonitor is a great, policy-based Web monitoring, filtering, scanning and control solution.

 

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Symantec Loves VIPRE

Our good friends over at Symantec love VIPRE so much, they’ve decided to use the logo in their new marketing campaign!

 

 

We prefer our colors, of course (I like blue) but otherwise, not a bad copy of our logo.

 

 

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

 

Alex Eckelberry -  GFI

 

The Web Security Strategy for Your Organization

In today’s business world, internet usage has become a necessity for doing business.  Unfortunately, a company’s use of the internet comes with considerable risk to its network and business information.

 

Web security threats include phishing attacks, malware, scareware, rootkits, keyloggers, viruses and spam.  While many attacks occur when information is downloaded from a website, others are now possible through drive-by attacks where simply visiting a website can infect a computer.  These attacks usually result in data and information leakage, loss in productivity, loss of network bandwidth and, depending on the circumstances, even liability issues for the company.  In addition to all this, cleanup from malware and other types of attacks on a company’s network are usually costly from both the dollar aspect as well as the time spent recovering from these web security threats.

 

Fortunately, there are steps a company can take to protect itself from these web security threats.  Some are more effective than others, but the following suggestions should help narrow down the choices.

 

 

 

Employee internet usage policy

The first and probably the least expensive solution would be to develop and implement an employee internet usage policy.  This policy should clearly define what an employee can and cannot do when using the internet.  It should also address personal usage of the internet on the business computer.  The policy should identify the type of websites that can be accessed by the employee for business purposes and what, if any, type of material can be downloaded from the internet.  Always make sure the information contained in the policy fits your unique business needs and environment.

 

 

Employee education

Train your employees to recognize web security threats and how to lower the risk of infection.  In today’s business environment, laptops, smartphones, iPads, and other similar devices are not only used for business purposes, but also for personal and home use.  When devices are used at home, the risk of an infection on that device is high and malware could easily be transferred to the business network. This is why employee education is so important.

 

 

Patch management

Good patch management practices should also be in place and implemented using a clearly-defined patch management policy.  Operating systems and applications, including browsers, should be updated regularly with the latest available security patches. The browser, whether a mobile version used on a smartphone or a full version used on a computer, is a primary vector for malware attacks and merits particular attention. Using the latest version of a browser is a must as known vulnerabilities would have been addressed

 

 

Internet monitoring software

Lastly, I would mention the use of internet monitoring software.  Internet monitoring software should be able to protect the network against malware, scareware, viruses, phishing attacks and other malicious software.  A robust internet monitoring software solution will help to enforce your company’s internet usage policy by blocking connections to unacceptable websites, by monitoring downloads, and by  monitoring encrypted web traffic going into and out of the network.

 

There is no single method that can guarantee 100% web security protection, however a well thought-out strategy is one huge step towards minimizing risk that the network could be targeted by the bad guys.

 

 

This guest post was provided by Sean McCreary on behalf of GFI Software Ltd. GFI is a leading software developer that provides a single source for network administrators to address their network security, content security and messaging needs. More information: GFI web security software.

 

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Before Investing in an Anti-spam Filter Know What to Look For

 

 

With a high percentage of emails directed at your inbox being spam, a good anti-spam filter is an absolutely vital piece of your email infrastructure. Knowing what to look for can help make the difference between a well-tuned email system, and a crawling mess of spam messages using up storage space and wasting users’ time. Before you go out and install the first anti-spam filter you find, here are some of the key things to consider.

 

Cloud-based or on-premise

There are hosted anti-spam filtering solutions that offer greater economies of scale, making them more affordable than in-house solutions. These can combine anti-spam with anti-malware, and filter out spam and other nasty stuff before it uses up your bandwidth or impacts your server’s storage and performance. The only downsides are that they represent a subscription service with monthly costs, and as an outsourced solution, some admins miss having the on-site control.

 

On-premise solutions are purchased (though they may have monthly or annual subscription costs for updates) so they can be capitalized, and by being in-house, the admins can have total control whenever they want.

 

Choose the solution that works best with your administrative style and costing strategy. If you choose an on-premise solution, make sure you select one that is server based, not client based. The administrative overhead of managing a server at your edge is much lower than trying to administer an agent installed on every client, and the licensing costs will likely be far less as well. Centralizing the anti-spam filter will make it easier to maintain, and will prevent spam messages from taking up space on users inboxes, and on your mailbox servers.

 

Spam detection methods

There are a variety of ways to detect and block spam. No single way is fully effective; you need a product that combines methods for a defense-in-depth approach. Bayesian filtering is a very effective way to detect spam, but it must be ‘trained’ to your environment. Whitelists need to be in place to minimize false positives that could block critical business communications. Keyword lists should also be an option for companies whose business might include words that others would consider spam. Other approaches include SMTP header analysis, blacklists, using SPF records to reduce spoofing, and reputation services. By combining the analysis of these multiple methods you ensure the maximum effectiveness of your anti-spam filter, while minimizing false positives.

 

User self-service

Whitelisting business partners and customers, and checking the quarantine folder for blocked messages, can both become major tasks for the helpdesk. Look for anti-spam filter solutions that offer user self-service, both for adding senders to the whitelist, and for enabling users to release quarantined messages themselves, or by delivering spam to the user’s junk mail folder.

 

Reporting

Today’s management is all about the metrics. Look for an anti-spam filter that includes robust reporting and that includes the ability to use this information in dashboards or for computing SLAs. Spam is one of those problems that no one notices as long as your anti-spam filter is doing a good job, but that becomes a major issue if a spam message slips through.

 

 

Remember, whether cloud-based or on-premise, a good anti-spam filter offers you defense in depth, economical licensing, reduces the administrative overhead, and supports users for routine tasks.

 

This guest post was provided by Ed Fisher on behalf of GFI Software Ltd. GFI is a leading software developer that provides a single source for network administrators to address their network security, content security and messaging needs. More information: GFI email archiving.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

How to Control Internet Usage to Improve Company Output – By GFI

 

There’s a time for work and a time for play – unfortunately few live up to this saying. Besides wasting time on non work-related activity in the actual place of work, employees also procrastinate on the web.  The Internet has proven to be an indispensable tool for businesses and blocking employee access to it could only prove to be counterproductive; yet, organizations need to take the right measures to control Internet usage so as to improve worker productivity while reducing security risks which could adversely affect the company output.

 

It is possible to control Internet usage without affecting employee morale. The following are some points on how this can be achieved:

• Block offensive sites – such as adult sites, sites with racist or other discriminatory content, etc. Objectionable and offensive sites can create a hostile or threatening working environment. It is therefore very important for such sources to be blocked, as allowing access to them could not only result in employees leaving the organization (which also means more time and costs to recruit replacements), but it can also result in potential lawsuits. Making use of good web filtering software which can block access to such sites is clearly essential.

 

• Monitor other time-wasting sites – While a 2010 study by Burson-Marsteller showed that “79 percent of the largest 100 companies in the Fortune Global 500 index are using at least one of the most popular social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or corporate blogs”, demonstrating that direct correlation between top financial performance and deep social media engagement can work to the company’s advantage, businesses need to monitor the use of such sites to prevent cyberslacking.

 

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5 Benefits of Automating Patch Management

You need a patch management solution for proper patch management. But what are the benefits of automating patch management for these companies?

 

1. Security

Security is the most obvious reason as to why companies would want to have an automated patch management solution in place. One of the main reasons why software vendors release new patches is to fix security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malicious software or people intending to damage the IT systems or network.

 

Applying security patches in a timely fashion highly reduces the risk of having a security breach and all the related problems that come with it, like data theft, data loss, reputations issues or even legal penalties.

 

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GFI Labs Issues Labor Day Phishing Warning

GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition (build 20100730) now available

 

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GFI Software Enhances its Security Product Offering with the Acquisition of Sunbelt Software

The company’s VIPRE technology will allow GFI to offer its own established antivirus product

Raleigh, NC – July 13, 2010 – GFI Software, a market leading provider of software infrastructure products for small and medium-sized enterprises, announced today that it has acquired Sunbelt Software and specifically its VIPRE® product suite. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition will allow GFI to merge VIPRE technology into GFI’s email security and web security solutions group, and will provide GFI with new security products consisting of world-class and innovative technology. The assets of Sunbelt’s software distribution business, started over 16 years ago and separate from the technology side of the company, will be divested into a separate entity and the company is exploring other strategic partnerships.

“Over the past several years, we have looked extensively for the best technologies, the best developers and the best management teams that will allow us to expand our current product offerings and to provide the best service we can to our customer base. We were impressed by the high quality and innovative technology that underlies Sunbelt’s VIPRE line of products and immediately saw strong synergies between the two companies. We have acquired a good, growing and cash-flow positive business that fits well within GFI’s strategic vision to consolidate our products and grow our business,” said Walter Scott, GFI’s CEO.

 

“Furthermore, Sunbelt’s technology is backed by a reliable, committed customer support team that provides great service – something so important for us. We see this investment in Sunbelt and its VIPRE technology as an excellent opportunity to increase our install base, drive the software globally through our international partner channel and also build our consumer market, which has a powerful drag-along effect on the SME and SoHo markets,” Mr. Scott added.

 

“The technologies developed by both companies are highly complementary and I have a hard time imagining a better combination,” said Alex Eckelberry, CEO of Sunbelt Software.  “Additionally, GFI and Sunbelt are rooted in similar business principles, with similar markets and a commitment to superlative customer service.”

 

About Sunbelt Software

Headquartered in Tampa Bay (Clearwater), Fla., USA, Sunbelt Software is a leading provider of Windows security software including enterprise antivirus, antispyware, email security, and malware analysis tools. Leading products include the VIPRE® and CounterSpy® product lines, Sunbelt Exchange Archiver™, CWSandbox™, and ThreatTrack™.

 

About GFI

GFI Software provides a single best source of web and mail security, archiving and fax, networking and security software and hosted IT solutions for small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) via an extensive global partner community. GFI products are available either as on-premise solutions, in the cloud or as a hybrid of both delivery models. With award-winning technology, a competitive pricing strategy, and a strong focus on the unique requirements of SMEs, GFI satisfies the IT needs of organizations on a global scale. The company has offices in the United States (North Carolina and California), UK (London and Dundee), Austria, Australia, Malta, Hong Kong and Romania, which together support hundreds of thousands of installations worldwide. GFI is a channel-focused company with thousands of partners throughout the world and is also a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.

 

 

To view this release online, go to:

http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Press/Releases/?id=362

 

For more information:

GFI Software

Please email David Kelleher on dkelleher@gfi.com

GFI – Malta: Tel: +356 2205 2000; Cell: +356 7906 3606; Fax: +356 21382419.

URL: http://www.gfi.com.

 

Sunbelt Software

Please email Brian Alberti on sunbelt@daviesmurphy.com

Sunbelt – US: Tel: +1-781-418-2403

URL: http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com.

 

 

The Main Risks Associated with Spam

There was a time when spam was considered little more than an invasive annoyance. It was merely an attempt, albeit an unwanted one, to communicate information about a product or service to as many people as possible. But then hackers saw another opportunity. They decided to use this tool as a means to exploit consumers and businesses.

 

Spam then, can pose considerable risk to the enterprise. But what are the primary issues?

 

Productivity – If we estimate the time that it takes for an employee to evaluate and delete an unwanted email, and multiply that by the number of employees, we begin to see how costly spam is. While this scenario may not represent real dollars spent mitigating the problem, it does translate into productivity losses which can have a financial impact. Time spent dealing with spam is time not spent on company business.

 

Storage Space – Company managed anti-spam solutions typically include one or more servers and software. Some estimates indicate spam accounts for over 90% of email. What this means is that a significant portion of that server space is used to receive and sometimes quarantine suspicious emails. If messages aren’t deleted, space can be easily consumed, forcing the purchase of additional storage space.

 

Security – Unfortunately, many spam messages are sent with the intent to harm the receiver. Clicking on erroneous links or opening infected file attachments can result not only in damage to the computer, but loss of data as well. In an era where privacy laws protect consumer data, the loss may be further compounded by financial penalties and damage to company reputation.

 

Spam can no longer be viewed as a problem of convenience, targeted at potential consumers. Real loss of data, reputation or company services can prove costly. Based on these risks, businesses should invest in solid anti-spam service solutions. To further reduce costs, cloud-based solutions have proved that they are not only up to the task, but will also save your time and money in the process.

 

Additional Resources:

http://www.allspammedup.com/2009/10/taking-control-of-the-risks/

http://www.spamlaws.com/

http://blogs.computerworld.com/16285/outbound_spam_hard_data_illustrates_real_risks

 

This guest post was provided by Veronica Henry on behalf of GFI Software, a leading software developer that produces network and messaging security solutions for SMBs. More information about GFI anti-spam solution can be found at http://www.gfi.com/mes

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.