P2P File Sharings Has Its Risks

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing has opened up a significant breach in data security. The breach is so serious that the FTC has taken steps to notify hundreds of US businesses, of all sizes, that confidential information is freely circulating on P2P networks. This breach gives all sorts of unauthorized users access to sensitive and confidential information. For example: Jon Leibowitz, FTC Chairman, pointed out that “…health-related information, financial records, and drivers' license and social security numbers …” are visible on these P2P networks.
The existence of the data security breach underscores the issues of identity theft and fraud. The breach also underscores the legal issues and business liabilities. Closing the breach is imperative. Tony Bradley in his article “How to Stop P2P” data breaches” offers 3 sound ideas along with recommendations for closing the breach. Pay heed to Tony’s recommendations and implement them right away! Business data, especially confidential data, is an asset. It deserves even more protection than a physical asset. Lock it down!

In brief, Tony’s recommendations are:
1. Beware the Software. Remember where the P2P software comes from and remember that often it not built with the same concern for data security as commercial software. Additionally, the software can contain malware, viruses and the like. System performance issues and network performance issues can ensue.
2. Watch What You Share. The default share folder and sharing options can expose data to the world.
3. Just Don't Use It. There are legitimate uses for P2P networks. However, there is arguably no legitimate reason for accessing a P2P file-sharing system from a business network. In addition to the potential system and network performance issues, improperly configured and inadequately secured networks open you up to attack and compromise, or inadvertently exposing sensitive data.
As a final illustration, if you don’t believe this is an important business issue, then you may want to leave your wallet and credit cards on the front seat of your car and while you are at it, leave the windows down, the door unlocked and the keys in the ignition. I’m sure some unauthorized user will appreciate it.

The Risks of Using P2P File Sharing

Written by Marty Nuckles

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing has opened up a significant breach in data security. The breach is so serious that the FTC has taken steps to notify hundreds of US businesses, of all sizes, that confidential information is freely circulating on P2P networks. This breach gives all sorts of unauthorized users access to sensitive and confidential information. For example: Jon Leibowitz, FTC Chairman, pointed out that “…health-related information, financial records, and drivers' license and social security numbers …” are visible on these P2P networks.
The existence of the data security breach underscores the issues of identity theft and fraud. The breach also underscores the legal issues and business liabilities. Closing the breach is imperative. Tony Bradley in his article “How to Stop P2P” data breaches” offers 3 sound ideas along with recommendations for closing the breach. Pay heed to Tony’s recommendations and implement them right away! Business data, especially confidential data, is an asset. It deserves even more protection than a physical asset. Lock it down!

In brief, Tony’s recommendations are:
1. Beware the Software. Remember where the P2P software comes from and remember that often it not built with the same concern for data security as commercial software. Additionally, the software can contain malware, viruses and the like. System performance issues and network performance issues can ensue.
2. Watch What You Share. The default share folder and sharing options can expose data to the world.
3. Just Don't Use It. There are legitimate uses for P2P networks. However, there is arguably no legitimate reason for accessing a P2P file-sharing system from a business network. In addition to the potential system and network performance issues, improperly configured and inadequately secured networks open you up to attack and compromise, or inadvertently exposing sensitive data.
As a final illustration, if you don’t believe this is an important business issue, then you may want to leave your wallet and credit cards on the front seat of your car and while you are at it, leave the windows down, the door unlocked and the keys in the ignition. I’m sure some unauthorized user will appreciate it.

“This is like Déjà vu, all over again” -- Yogi Berra

Written by By Marty Nuckles

Yogi’s quote was the first thing that went through my mind as I was reading Paul Ruben’s article titled, “Google vs. Microsoft -- You Say You Want a Revolution”. Déjà vu, because getting huge numbers of small and medium sized businesses to buy the latest, hottest technology was a goal we repeatedly chased for years. When I was working in the hardware end of the business and when I was working in the software end of the business we tried simplifying. We tried bundling, partnering and embedding. We tried making it sexy and we tried making it cheap. Some of the technologies became market successes and others remained stuck in their niches. But overall, the massive tidal wave of adoption and subsequent buying never seemed to come. Why didn’t it happen?

In his article, Paul said, “By the end of this year, when ChromeOS is due to released … Google will be ready to offer enterprises its own take on the single vendor solution: Users will be able to use low-cost netbooks (and maybe desktop machines?) or smartphones running Google software to access data stored in a Google-managed cloud and manipulate it with apps running in Google data centers. It will be as inexpensive as chips and need very little in the way of patching or updating by IT departments.” Later in the article, Paul went on to ask, Will it happen?
Will individuals and small business be ready? Will they adopt the vision?
I asked myself can Google and the Chrome OS generate enough momentum, enthusiasm and motivation for me to replace the Microsoft products, the web services and the applications I use every day? Maybe they can. Chrome has become my browser of choice. I’m taking a wait and see attitude on the rest of it.

I went on to ask myself, can Google and Chrome get the $25M/yr businesses motivated to adopt the vision and buy? What about the $150M/yr businesses? And in those questions, I began to see an answer. The answer is: it may happen if there are compelling reasons for a small business to do so. Low-cost netbooks and smartphones, along with vendor managed applications are not compelling reasons, nor are the Google name and cloud computing. Just as an experiment, go say the words, “vendor managed, stateless device, anywhere access, cloud computing” to any owner of a $100M/yr business and watch his or her eyes glaze over. To a small business owner: better, faster, cheaper are compelling reasons, so are: quicker quotes to customers, fewer errors on billing, accurate tracking and faster delivery. Quicker access to the web is not high on their list of requirements; neither is reducing start up time. Spending money on new smartphones, netbooks or vendors is likely to be viewed as a significant cost and the perception that a changeover is required would likely be viewed as disruptive, regardless of how it plays out in actual practice.

Give me the net, net!

1. Take a good look at yourself and your business structure. If you see yourself as an aggressive and leading edge small business, then go for it! Evaluate the technology and build it into your plans to innovate. Use the speed of any-where, any-when access to push your company. You could be the next Under-Armour. Lower IT costs could provide money for investments in other areas. The same is true for devices and web-access that would allow you to “do a deal on the spot”.
2. If you are a conservative business, then evaluate the technology and look at your IT current costs. Would you recognize any costs savings or operational improvements by adopting the Google computing model? If so, develop plans for phasing them in over time. Use the cost savings as investment for further improvement and measure, measure, measure!
3. If none of this makes any sense to you, then ignore the whole thing and wait 5 years. If the Google model fails to catch on, you won’t have spent anything. If it does catch on, you’ll have enough historical information to evaluate it and you can make your plans from there.
4. If you’re selling technology, then learn to talk about the current problems it solves. Learn to talk about what could be done in the future. Above all else, learn how to construct and present a compelling business case that someone actually cares about. Make sure you can prove it too!
Final thoughts

I am in favor of simplifying things. The easier the access to the services and applications that we need daily, the better! The simpler and more transparent the access, the better. Fast access is great. Ditto for universal access and stateless devices.
I believe this computing model provides an excellent platform for more effective and efficient businesses.
I believe the potential inherent in this model will become more and more obvious as the members of the wired generation move into the small business arena and as they achieve success.
Competition is a good thing. It forces innovation.