What’s the fuss about?

Guest blogger: Nick McGrath, Director of Platform Strategy, Microsoft

I am often asked what is the biggest challenge people face on Security. My answer is simple:“enablement.”

Security is an enabler to help a company to grow. Business owners expect the company’s information to be available for their employees on any device, at any time, anywhere they might need it.

Inside of every successful Business “someone” has to take responsibility for the security of the computers and the information they hold. This is the role of the security professional, a trusted employee or a trust IT supplier working on behalf of the company. They keep the secrets of the company secure, reduce exposures to external threats and allow the right levels of access to the right people. They are the gate keepers that have the keys to the information that’s the life blood of any company.

With this weighty responsibility comes the need to provide access in a controlled manor. Microsoft is one of many industry partners that consumers, small business customers and the security professionals can turn to for help. Many will ask ‘why Microsoft?’  Unfortunately, they see us as the cause of these problems not the solution.

The answer comes in three simple words. People, Process and Technology. You can have the world’s most secure technology and it will be useless if the People responsible for it’s implementation do have a Process in place to enable the security within the technology. So where does someone start? How can you understand what the threat looks like within your company?

The quickest and simplest way to secure your business is by getting the right person to implement the right processes using the right technology for your business needs. They in turn need to know the steps that need to be taken on this undertaking. Get Safe Online is run by Government and industry partners like Microsoft, eBay, HSBC and others provides sound advice for business customers. This is a good place for businesses to start and it’s one of the ways Microsoft is helping to solve the problems of computer security.

Anyone who uses laptops for business needs to think about encryption and this is another area where Microsoft can help. Here’s a tip: our Data Encryption Toolkit for Mobile PCs. It provides guidance and tools to help you protect your laptops and the information they hold. The tips and tricks outlined in this Toolkit are easy to understand, and the guidance shows you how to use two security technologies already available to you in Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista: the Encrypting File System (EFS) and Microsoft BitLocker Drive Encryption (BitLocker).

Every day the security risks we face in the physical world are changing. The television news will often give you an insight to these risks and the steps you should take to protect yourself and your loved ones. The internet is no different to the physical world in that regard. It’s an ever changing environment that forces us to keep vigilant to the latest threats and the steps we should take to protect ourselves.

Get Safe Online will provide you with the news on these threats in a factual and practical manor. Please continue to tune in and listen to the advice it provides.