Nokia Siemens Networks, Tieto establish first project with open OSS Integration Center

 

 

 

 

Press Release
Espoo, Finland – May 23, 2011
 
 
Nokia Siemens Networks, Tieto establish first project with open OSS Integration Center
Drive OSS transformation by reducing time and cost of systems integration
 
Nokia Siemens Networks has announced the first pilot project with its new Integration Center* launched in February 2011. Tieto, a leading European IT service company, is the first external developer to use Nokia Siemens Networks’ open platform for Operations Support System (OSS) integration for one of the operators in Europe. The platform is based on the vendor’s network management system, NetAct**. Tieto benefits from no upfront cost in using the development and testing environment while gaining access to a market of over 400 operators worldwide that use NetAct.
 
“Our first-hand experience of using Nokia Siemens Networks’ Integration Center as an open platform has been extremely promising,” said Ari Vanhanen, executive vice president for Product Engineering Solutions at Tieto. “Working on this powerful platform with its compelling multi-vendor capabilities makes it easier to realize and maintain fully integrated network management. The Integration Center clearly delivers an opportunity for operators to focus on their transformation projects while helping us develop integration software flexibly, cost efficiently and at a faster pace.”
 
“Nokia Siemens Networks is one of the few major network equipment manufacturers that continue to dominate mobile network management systems and equipment markets,” said Glen Ragoonanan, senior analyst, Analysys Mason***. “While other companies have concentrated on single-vendor, multi-domain, multi-technology network management systems, Nokia Siemens Networks stands out as the only vendor to aggressively pursue the challenging multi-vendor route for NetAct.”
 
“OSS transformation is a crucial task for operators to maintain their competitive edge, manage end-to-end service quality and enhance the customer experience,” added Shamir Shoham, head of product management for Business Solutions at Nokia Siemens Networks. “Our Integration Center supports this transformation by driving an ecosystem of service providers and system integrators that have the means to handle network integration tasks faster and more effectively.”
 
Nokia Siemens Networks’ Integration Center comprises a software development kit and a public, cloud-based test environment to enable fast integration of different types of software and hardware platforms into its NetAct network management system. With online documentation support available, the system is presented as a web 2.0 application with e-mail support, instructional videos and other aids. Operators and independent system integrators simply need to get a license to use the full Integration Center. While developing software for operators, system integrators retain Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of their integration work and are able to offer it to other customers.
 
 
About Tieto
Tieto is the leading IT service company in Northern Europe providing IT and product engineering services. Our highly specialized IT solutions and services complemented by a strong technology platform create tangible business benefits for our local and global customers. As a trusted transformation partner, we are close to our customers and understand their unique needs. With about 18 000 experts, we aim to become a leading service integrator creating the best service experience in IT.
 
About Nokia Siemens Networks
Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of telecommunications services. With its focus on innovation and sustainability, the company provides a complete portfolio of mobile, fixed and converged network technology, as well as professional services including consultancy and systems integration, deployment, maintenance and managed services. It is one of the largest telecommunications hardware, software and professional services companies in the world. Operating in 150 countries, its headquarters are in Espoo, Finland. www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com
 
Talk about Nokia Siemens Networks’ news at http://blogs.nokiasiemensnetworks.com and find out if your country is exploiting the full potential of connectivity at www.connectivityscorecard.org
 
 
Media Enquiries
 
Nokia Siemens Networks
Johanna Harjula
Media Relations
 
Media Relations
 
Tieto
Marko Salmimaa
Product Engineering Solutions, Operability
 
Jan Engström
Product Engineering Solutions, Operability
 
 
Notes to editors
*Nokia Siemens Networks’ Integration Center was launched in February 2011. To see the press release on this, please click here.
 
** Nokia Siemens Networks’ NetAct, the leading network management system, enables consolidated monitoring, management and optimization in multi-vendor environments, supporting over five million network elements worldwide to date.
 
*** Source: “Nokia Siemens Networks NetAct and OSS/BSS multi-vendor capabilities”, Glen Ragoonanan (senior analyst), Analysys Mason, February 2011.
 
Nokia Siemens Networks
Media Relations
PO Box 1
FI-02022 Nokia Siemens Networks

 

If you would rather not receive future communications from Nokia Siemens Networks, let us know by clicking here.
Nokia Siemens Networks, Karaportti 3, Espoo, NA 02610 Finland

Android Threat Set to Trigger On the End of Days, or the Day's End

 

 

http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/android-threat-set-trigger-end-days-or-day-s-end

May 23, 2011

Android Threat Set to Trigger On the End of Days, or the Day’s End

By: Irfan Asrar

Symantec has discovered a Trojanized version of a legitimate application that is part threat, part doomsayer. The threat was embedded in a pirated version of an app called ‘Holy ***king Bible’, which itself has stirred controversy on multiple forums in which the app is in circulation.

http://www.symantec.com/connect/imagebrowser/view/image/1786431/_original

Once the threat is installed, it waits for the device to reboot. After the reboot, it starts a service called 'theword'. After waiting few minutes, it attempts to contact a host service, passing along the device’s phone number and operator code. It then attempts to retrieve a command from a remote location. These same actions are carried out in a loop, with intervals of 33 minutes. In addition to having abilities to respond to commands through the Internet and SMS, the threat also has activities that are designed to trigger on the 21st and 22nd of May 2011, respectively.

http://www.symantec.com/connect/imagebrowser/view/image/1786911/_original

There are multiple suggestions in the threat that indicate that it was aimed at users in North America. One obvious element is that the threat was checking the US date format (MMDDYYYY) and will only trigger activation if the date is “05222011”, as opposed to “22052011” etc.

http://www.symantec.com/connect/imagebrowser/view/image/1786451/_original

Another hint includes the cultural (borderline bizarre) reference in the threat, which is geared more towards an audience in the North American region. Additionally, it attempts to register users as members of a US-based political action committee called ColbertPAC. Lastly, and most evidently, is that the ‘End of the World’ occurring on May 21st is a phenomenon largely limited to North America.

And then on the 21st day of May 2011 AD….

As soon as the threat recognizes the date is May 21, 2011, it creates a database called “mydb.db”:

http://www.symantec.com/connect/imagebrowser/view/image/1786471/_original

It then writes the string “endoftheworld” to the table ‘myTable'. (This is used as a trigger to tell the class SMSsmack to automatically reply back to any SMS sent to the device with the message below.) Next, it randomly picks one of several pre-defined messages and proceeds to send the spam to the entire contact list:

http://www.symantec.com/connect/imagebrowser/view/image/1786481/_original

http://www.symantec.com/connect/imagebrowser/view/image/1786491/_original

http://www.symantec.com/connect/imagebrowser/view/image/1786501/_original

http://www.symantec.com/connect/imagebrowser/view/image/1786511/_original

http://www.symantec.com/connect/imagebrowser/view/image/1786521/_original

http://www.symantec.com/connect/imagebrowser/view/image/1786531/_original

Lastly, the wallpaper is changed to the following image:

http://www.symantec.com/connect/imagebrowser/view/image/1786541/_original

When the threats detects that the date has rolled over to May 22, it changes the wallpaper again and spams the contact list with a new message:

http://www.symantec.com/connect/imagebrowser/view/image/1786551/_original

Symantec has added detection for this threat, which is known as Android.Smspacem.

To avoid becoming a victim of such malicious Android applications, we recommend that you only use regulated Android marketplaces for downloading and installing Android applications. Also, in the Android OS application settings there is an option to stop the installation of non-market applications. On most devices this option is OFF by default. This configuration helps protect against rogue, pirated apps that may be malicious. Checking user comments on the marketplace can also assist in determining if the application is safe. Lastly, always check the access permissions being requested during the installation of any Android applications. If they seem excessive for what the application is designed to do, it would be wise to stop installing the application.

A special thanks to Kaoru Hayashi for the in-depth analysis of this threat.

 

 

 


(download)

Symantec Addresses Customers' Changing IT Environments with Updates to Altiris IT Management Suite

 

Symantec Addresses Customers’ Changing IT Environments

with Updates to Altiris IT Management Suite

Enhanced capabilities automate management, increase security and optimize costs across diverse technologies

 

Toronto, ON. – May 24, 2011 – Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced enhancements to Altiris IT Management Suite 7 that help organizations easily support new technology changes, quickly adapt to changing processes and business needs and gain the necessary insight to make more intelligent, data-driven decisions. The latest release introduces a new, intuitive user interface and streamlined software management and will include expanded patch support for popular applications.

Click to Tweet: Symantec helps customers adapt to changing workspace with updates to Altiris IT Management Suite 7: http://bit.ly/jhPJgR

 “Change is inevitable for IT organizations and it comes from several sources – from managing and supporting disparate endpoints to adopting new technologies or trends like cloud, virtualization, and mobile,” said Rob Greer, vice president, product management, Endpoint and Mobility Group, Symantec. “Tackling the ability to manage that change can be a daunting task in an increasingly heterogeneous environment. The new features of IT Management Suite will help businesses achieve a new level of predictability by allowing them to manage change with confidence, make smarter and faster decisions and drive innovation.”

As IT organizations continue to expand the number of devices, applications and virtual environments they support, it is increasingly essential to simplify the management complexities across these new technologies without overtaxing existing staff. The updated user interface now included in IT Management Suite provides organizations dealing with multiple teams, device types and workspaces with a single interface to manage the broad heterogeneity common to most organizations. The single interface helps drive repeatable day-to-day operations by delivering faster performance with common tasks, drag-and-drop functionality, tighter product integration and consolidated management across a number of platforms, virtual systems and mobile devices.

With a growing number of applications to support, the ability to accurately manage software and assess license compliance is taking on greater importance. IT Management Suite now provides complete visibility into IT software assets, delivers both physical and virtual applications and produces accurate license compliance reports. At-a-glance details help organizations quickly understand what software is deployed, what is being used and calculating potential cost savings. This consolidated view provides the necessary intelligence to maintain compliance and eliminate unnecessary software purchases.

The Symantec Global Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR) XVI reported a 30 percent increase in the number of vulnerabilities and a 161 percent increase in new vendors affected by vulnerabilities in 2010. With an updated release scheduled for later this year, IT Management Suite is expected to patch vulnerabilities for more than 120 applications from a growing list of non-Microsoft, third-party software including common browsers and plugins, standard commercial applications and common personal applications. It will also support service packs and other updates for complete protection.

Additional New Features and Benefits:

·         Expanded Platform Support: Beyond support for multiple operating systems and virtualized environments, including Hyper-V, Mac, Linux, UNIX, VMware and Solaris, IT Management Suite integrates with Symantec Mobile Management to support iOS, Android, Blackberry, Symbian, Windows Phone, and HP Web OS.

·         New Virtual Management Integration: IT Management Suite provides a consolidated management console across physical devices and virtual machines from VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V. The ability to blend both management environments is critical as organizations increase their virtual environments and extend provisioning to private clouds and virtual desktop implementations.

·         Increased Automation Capabilities: Built-in process automation allows IT to tackle task automation, run book automation and end-user self-service requests without requiring additional workflow solutions. By streamlining common IT processes, organizations can remove human interaction, provide faster service and document compliance to corporate standards. A new process portal tracks all running workflows through the various stages, providing greater customer efficiency gains that are core to businesses.

·         Advanced Reporting and Analytics: The addition of IT Analytics capabilities provides powerful reporting, ad hoc assessments and dynamic key performance indicators, allowing users to explore data and answer their own questions. Organizations can simplify administrative decisions and end-user experiences with real-time data-driven conclusions.

IT Management Suite is a critical component in Symantec’s management portfolio and strategy focused on helping customers more effectively manage hybrid environments consisting of virtual, mobile and traditional devices. According to a Symantec commissioned Forrester Consulting study on the benefits of deploying Altiris technology, customers realized quantified savings of $7.3 million over three years in a number of key areas, including labor saving in patch management, Windows 7 migration and process automation.(1)

According to Forrester Research, desktop operations managers are watching their computing environment change. There are now more types of devices and more varieties of operating systems entering the enterprise than ever before. This is leading to an architectural shift, one that moves the "desktop" environment away from the physical device and to the virtual device. At the same time, these desktop professionals are watching their jobs change: Desktop operations teams are now responsible for the security and disaster recovery of the devices (both physical and virtual) that they manage. This means that IT organizations need client management solutions that not only help them manage and secure today's more standardized PC environment but will also be able to support the desktop of tomorrow — one that is more virtual and heterogeneous than ever before. (2)

IT Management Suite includes Altiris Client Management Suite, Altiris Server Management Suite, Altiris Asset Management Suite and Symantec ServiceDesk. The suite is built on a common management platform that drives best practice automation and provides modular and extensible integration across Symantec’s product portfolio and third-party solutions.

Availability

IT Management Suite 7.1 is now available and can be purchased directly from Symantec or through Symantec’s worldwide network of value-added authorized resellers, distributors and systems integrators. For more information, please visit http://www.symantec.com/business/it-management-suite.

Related

·         Altiris IT Management Suite

·         Symantec Mobile Management

·         Altiris Client Management Suite

·         Altiris Server Management Suite

·         Altiris Asset Management Suite

·         Symantec ServiceDesk

·         Forrester Consulting: The Total Economic Impact Of Altiris IT Management Suite 7 From Symantec, Multicompany Analysis (PDF)

·         Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 16

 

Connect with Symantec

·         Follow Symantec on Twitter

·         Join Symantec on Facebook

·         View Symantec’s SlideShare channel

·         Subscribe to the Symantec News RSS Feed

·         Visit Symantec Connect Business Community

 

About Business Solutions from Symantec

Symantec helps organizations secure and manage their information-driven world with server management, endpoint management, server virtualization, endpoint virtualization and mobile management solutions.

About Symantec

Symantec’s Canadian operations are headquartered in Toronto with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver.  For more information on Symantec products or current promotions, access Symantec’s Canadian Web site at www.symantec.ca. Symantec is an active member of the Business Software Alliance (BSA).

 

Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world.  Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.

###

NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like additional information on Symantec Corporation and its products, please visit the Symantec News Room at http://www.symantec.com/news. All prices noted are in U.S. dollars and are valid only in the United States.

 

Symantec and the Symantec Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Forward-looking Statements: Any forward-looking indication of plans for products or programs is preliminary and all future release or delivery dates are tentative and are subject to change. Any future program plans, or release of the product or planned modifications to product capability, functionality, or feature are subject to ongoing evaluation by Symantec, and may or may not be implemented and should not be considered firm commitments by Symantec and should not be relied upon in making program participation or product purchasing decisions.

 

Symantec and the Symantec Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

 

 

$230 Million Financing Completed for Xplornet: Canada's Rural Digital Landscape will be Transformed


$230 Million Financing Completed for Xplornet: Canada's Rural Digital Landscape will be Transformed

MARKHAM, ON, May 24, 2011 /CNW/ - Xplornet Communications Inc. (formerly Barrett Xplore Inc.), is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed a $230 million private financing.  One of the largest Canadian telecom financing announcements this year, the funds will be used to support and aggressively expand Xplornet's broadband network across Canada to the 2.4 million households that do not have access to real, affordable broadband.  A start-up just 6 years ago, Xplornet is now one of Canada's largest telecommunications companies.

"This is an investment in rural Canada that will be nothing less than transformative," said Xplornet's Chief Executive Officer John Maduri. "This will allow us to complete a job we started 6 years ago -bringing affordable broadband to every Canadian who wants it, no matter where they live.  That is a monumental accomplishment in the telecom industry.  Not only is this a ringing endorsement of our business model, it will permit an historic leap forward toward the full digital engagement of rural Canadians."

This funding comes on the heels of Xplornet's recent announcement that it had successfully started activating its new national 4G network.  The company, which by the end of 2012 will have a total of approximately 1,000 towers, is deploying a 4G WiMAX network and two next-generation 4G satellites.  This network will allow Xplornet to reach 100% of Canadians with fast, affordable broadband by the end of 2012.  "Wireless is the future of digital telecommunications," said Maduri, "and only Xplornet has invested this significantly in a hybrid satellite and fixed wireless network for Canada.  The fact that we can reach anyone on the second largest country on Earth - despite all the geographic and topographic difficulties - at an affordable price to customers - proves that wireless is the answer to Canada's rural broadband challenge."

The ability of Xplornet to secure a financing of this size reflects the willingness of investors to bank on a market that is both large and which has significant pent-up demand.  Gerry O'Reilly, Chief Financial Officer for Xplornet added, "This funding, which includes a very attractive refinancing of some existing debt, will enable Xplornet's continued aggressive growth in rural Canada, and position us for continued success as one of Canada's leading telecommunications companies."

About Xplornet Communications Inc.
Headquartered in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Xplornet Communications Inc. (formerly Barrett Xplore Inc.) is Canada's largest rural broadband provider, with customers and dealers in every province and territory. Xplornet aims to bridge the urban/rural digital divide by ensuring that every Canadian, regardless of where they live, has access to broadband, thereby enabling them to compete effectively in the global economy and gain access to essential government and educational services.

For further information:

Media Enquiries: please contact:
Jeff Hecker, Director, Marketing Communications and Public Relations
(905) 944-7969

This information is being distributed to you by CNW Group Ltd.
To discontinue this service, click here.

Ces renseignements vous ont été distribués par le Groupe CNW Ltée.
Pour mettre fin à ce service, cliquez ici.

© 2011 CNW Group Ltd, all rights reserved
© 2011 Groupe CNW Ltée, tous droits réservés

Symantec Announces May 2011 MessageLabs Intelligence Report

Image001

 

 

Symantec Announces May 2011 MessageLabs Intelligence Report

 

 

-Spammers establish their own fake URL-shortening services for the first time ever, contributing to rising spam rates-

 

 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – May 24, 2011– Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced the publication of its May 2011 MessageLabs Intelligence Report. This month’s analysis reveals that, for the first time ever and as predicted by MessageLabs Intelligence in its Annual Security Predictions for 2011, spammers are establishing their own fake URL-shortening services to perform URL redirection. This new spamming activity has contributed to this month’s increase in spam by 2.9 percentage points, a rise that was also expected following the Rustock botnet takedown in March.

 

Under this scheme, shortened links created on these fake URL-shortening sites are not included directly in spam messages. Instead, the spam emails contain shortened URLs created on legitimate URL-shortening sites. These shortened URLs lead to a shortened-URL on the spammer’s fake URL-shortening Web site, which in turn redirects to the spammer’s own Web site.

 

“MessageLabs Intelligence has been monitoring the way that spammers abuse URL-shortening services for a number of years using a variety of different techniques so it was only a matter of time before a new technique appeared,” said Paul Wood, MessageLabs Intelligence Senior Analyst. “What is unique about the new URL-shortening sites is that the spammers are treating them as ‘stepping stones’ – a link between public URL-shortening services and the spammers own sites.”

 

To make things more interesting, these new domains were registered several months before they were used, potentially as a means to evade detection by legitimate URL-shortening services since the age of the domain may be used as an indicator of legitimacy making it more difficult for the genuine shortening services to identify potential abuse.

 

“With legitimate URL-shortening services attempting to tackle abuse more seriously, spammers seem to be experimenting with ways to establish their own services to better avoid disruption,” Wood said. “However, as long as new URL-shortening services are being created, we expect spammers to continue abusing them.”

 

Other report highlights:

 

Spam: In May 2011, the global ratio of spam in email traffic from new and previously unknown bad sources increased by 2.9 percentage points since April 2011 to 75.8% (1 in 1.32 emails).

 

Viruses: The global ratio of email-borne viruses in email traffic from new and previously unknown bad sources was one in 222.3 emails (0.450 percent) in May, a decrease of 0.143 percentage points since April.

 

Endpoint Threats: The most frequently blocked malware targeting endpoint devices for the last month was the W32.Ramnit!html, a worm that spreads through removable drives and by infecting executable files.

 

Phishing: In May, phishing activity was 1 in 286.7 emails (0.349 percent), a decrease of 0.06 percentage points since April.

 

Web security: Analysis of Web security activity shows that approximately 3,142 Web sites each day were harboring malware and other potentially unwanted programs including spyware and adware, an increase of 30.4 percent since April 2011. 36.8 percent of malicious domains blocked were new in May, an increase of 3.8 percentage points since April. Additionally, 24.6 percent of all web-based malware blocked was new in May, an increase of 2.1 percentage points since last month.

 

 

Geographical Trends:

 

·       Russia became the most spammed in May with a spam rate of 82.2 percent.

 

·       In the US 76.4 percent of email was spam and 75.3 percent in Canada and 75.4 percent in the UK.

 

·       In The Netherlands, spam accounted for 77.5 percent of email traffic, in Germany 75.5 percent, 75.1 percent in Denmark and 73.9 percent in Australia.  

 

·       Spam levels in Hong Kong reached 75.2 percent and 74.0 percent in Singapore. Spam levels in Japan were 72.3 percent.

 

·       In South Africa, spam accounted for 75.9 percent of email traffic and 74.8% in Brazil.

 

·       The UK had the highest ratio of malicious emails in May, as one in 91.7 emails was blocked as malicious in May.

 

·       In the US virus levels were 1 in 540.3 and 1 in 334.5 for Canada. In Germany, virus levels reached 1 in 435.9, 1 in 1,197 in Denmark and 1 in 330.1 for The Netherlands.

 

·       In Australia, 1 in 513.5 emails were malicious and, 1 in 377.2 for Hong Kong, for Japan it was 1 in 1,164 compared with 1 in 706.7 for Singapore.

 

·       In South Africa 1 in 178.7 emails contained malicious content and in Brazil it was 1 in 378.3.

 

 

Vertical Trends:

 

·      In May, the most spammed industry sector with a spam rate of 80.2 percent was the Wholesale sector.

 

·      Spam levels for the Education sector were 77.4 percent, 76.0 percent for the Chemical & Pharmaceutical sector, 75.4 percent for IT Services, 75.4 percent for Retail, 74.5 percent for Public Sector and 74.7 percent for Finance.

 

·      In May, the Public Sector remained the most targeted industry for malware with 1 in 28.9 emails being blocked as malicious. 

 

·       Virus levels for the Chemical & Pharmaceutical sector were 1 in 305.9, 1 in 367.9 for the IT Services sector, 1 in 377.7 for Retail, 1 in 108.8 for Education and 1 in 313.5 for Finance.

 

The May 2011 MessageLabs Intelligence Report provides greater detail on all of the trends and figures noted above, as well as more detailed geographical and vertical trends. The full report is available at http://www.messagelabs.com/intelligence.aspx.

 

Symantec’s MessageLabs Intelligence is a respected source of data and analysis for messaging security issues, trends and statistics. MessageLabs Intelligence provides a range of information on global security threats based on live data feeds from our control towers around the world scanning billions of messages each week.

 

About Symantec

 

Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world.  Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com <http://www.symantec.com/> .

 

###

 


 

 

http://www.hillandknowlton.com/oldbinaries/hksig_logo.gif

 

Natasha Parnanzone

 

Consultant

 

Hill & Knowlton Canada

 

 

Direct Line: +1 416 413 4740

 

 

Fax: +1 416 413 1550

 

 

natasha.parnanzone@hillandknowlton.ca

 

 

 

 

 

160 Bloor Street East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3P7 Canada

 

http://www.hillandknowlton.com

 

 

 



Privileged/Confidential Information may be contained in this message. If you are not the addressee indicated in this message (or responsible for delivery of the message to such person), you may not copy or deliver this message to anyone. In such case, you should destroy this message and kindly notify the sender by reply email. Please advise immediately if you or your employer does not consent to email or messages of this kind. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not relate to the official business of Hill & Knowlton Canada shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by it.

McAfee and Carnegie Mellon Report Finds Serious Disconnect Between Businesses and Mobile Users


McAfee and Carnegie Mellon Report Finds Serious Disconnect Between
Businesses and Mobile Users

Risky Behaviours and Weak Security Postures are Commonplace in Mobile
Security

Santa Clara, Calif., and Pittsburgh - May 24, 2011 - McAfee today
released “Mobility and Security: Dazzling Opportunities, Profound
Challenges,” a global report focused on the consumerization of IT and
its impact on security. The report looks at mobility from two
perspectives - that of the company’s senior IT professional and the
general end users of mobile devices in the workplace.  Researchers found
that while an increasing number of consumers use mobile devices for both
business and personal activities, large numbers are not familiar with
their employer’s corporate policy on the use of mobile devices.

“Devices are no longer just consumer devices or business devices.
They are both,” said Richard Power, a CyLab Distinguished Fellow at
Carnegie Mellon University, the primary author of the report.
“Devices are more than extensions of the computing structure, they
are extensions of the user. The way users interact with their personal
data mirrors the way they want to interact with corporate data.”

Reliance on mobile devices is already significant and accelerating
rapidly. In the survey, almost half of organizations are very reliant on
mobile devices. Almost seven in 10 organizations are more reliant on
mobile devices than they were 12 months ago.  IT is becoming
increasingly consumerized and businesses now operate in a heterogeneous
mobile environment where BlackBerrys are no longer the standard. The
survey found that 63 per cent of devices on the network are also used
for personal activities.

Key Report Findings:
●       Lost and stolen mobile devices are seen as the greatest security
concern for IT professionals and end-users - Four in 10 organizations
have had mobile devices lost or stolen and half of lost/stolen devices
contain business critical data. More than a third of mobile device
losses have had a financial impact on the organization and two-thirds of
companies that had mobile devices lost/stolen have increased their
device security after this loss.
●       Risky behaviours and weak security postures are commonplace -
Although the need for mitigating mobile security risks and threats is
acknowledged, fewer than half of device users back up their mobile data
more frequently than on a weekly basis. Around half of device users keep
passwords, pin codes or credit card details on their mobile devices. One
in three users keeps sensitive work-related information on their mobile
devices.
●       There is a serious disconnect between the policy and reality -
95 per cent of organizations have policies in place in regard to mobile
devices, however, only one in three employees are very aware of their
company’s mobile security policies

“Data loss remains a huge problem for both consumers and businesses,"
said Todd Gebhart, executive vice president and general manager,
consumer, small business and mobile, McAfee. “Consumers need tools to
protect their personal information and businesses need a way to protect
their valuable intellectual property.  It's far too easy to leave a
mobile device in a cab, or at the airport.  This study shows that there
is a lot of room for improvement in terms of education and putting the
right tools in place to ensure mobile security.”

       “Mobility and Security: Dazzling Opportunities, Profound
Challenges,” is based on a survey of more than 1500 information
technology and end user respondents from 14 countries and was
commissioned by McAfee and produced by Carnegie Mellon’s CyLab.  A
full copy of the report is available for download at
http://www.mcafee.com/mobilesecurityreport.

About the report:
In collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University, McAfee took a hard
look at the topic of mobile security and the consumerization of IT. The
online surveys were administered by international research firm Vanson
Bourne. More than 1500 respondents from 14 countries, including
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico,
the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S.,
participated in the survey. The participants were split between two
surveys targeted towards general end-users of mobile devices and senior
IT decision makers in companies with 100 or more employees.

About McAfee:
McAfee, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC),
is the world's largest dedicated security technology company. McAfee
delivers proactive and proven solutions and services that help secure
systems, networks, and mobile devices around the world, allowing users
to safely connect to the Internet, browse and shop the Web more
securely. Backed by its unrivaled Global Threat Intelligence, McAfee
creates innovative products that empower home users, businesses, the
public sector and service providers by enabling them to prove compliance
with regulations, protect data, prevent disruptions, identify
vulnerabilities, and continuously monitor and improve their security.
McAfee is relentlessly focused on constantly finding new ways to keep
our customers safe. http://www.mcafee.com

McAfee Canada is headquartered in Markham, Ontario, with regional
offices across Canada. The company's Consumer Software Research and
Development facility in based in Waterloo, Ontario.

About CyLab:
CyLab is one of the largest university-based cybersecurity education
and research centers in the U.S. CyLab is multi-disciplinary and
university-wide, involving six colleges from Carnegie Mellon, 50 plus
faculty and over 130 graduate students. CyLab is located in the
Collaborative Innovation Center and is supported by both public and
private funding, predominantly government research funds and the support
of our partners. Our goal is to build mutually-beneficial public-private
partnerships to develop new technologies for measurable, available,
secure, trustworthy, and sustainable computing and communications
systems and to educate individuals at all levels.
http://www.cylab.cmu.edu/

-30-

NOTE: McAfee is a registered trademark or trademark of McAfee or its
subsidiaries in the United
States and other countries. Other marks may
be claimed as the property of others.


For more information please contact:
Jennifer Rideout / Adam Pletsch
StrategicAmpersand Inc. (for McAfee Canada)
jennifer@stratamp.com
adam@stratamp.com
 (416) 961-5595

If you do not wish to receive news releases from McAfee Canada please
reply to this e-mail with "remove" in the subject header.

: HP Personalizes Customer Support Experience for Instant-On, Connected World

 

 

 

 

HP Personalizes Customer Support Experience for Instant-On, Connected World

HP Support Center offers new support portal
and industry-first mobile technical support application

 

 

PALO ALTO, Calif., May 24, 2011 – HP today announced a milestone in its evolution of Always On Support by empowering clients and HP partners to solve support issues on their own terms by providing access to the information, people and technology needed to personalize their support experience.

Enterprises need to optimize products, exchange ideas with peers and proactively prevent problems to succeed in today’s dynamic environment. The new HP Support Center platform delivers one-stop access to IT professionals, online support tools and the industry’s first mobile technical support application.

In fact, deployments of the HP Support Center platform have resulted in an 18 percentage point increase in web support customer satisfaction and a 30 percentage point increase in resolving clients’ support requests in the first attempt.(1)

“Clients in an instant-on world expect a support experience that delivers immediate access to relevant people and information,” said Sue Barsamian, senior vice president and general manager, Technology Services Support, HP. “Our approach to support has evolved to be more accessible and available – on our clients’ terms – so they can get the most value out of their IT environments.”

The HP Support Center platform offers clients:

  One-stop access to the HP Always On community to interact with thousands of IT professionals, exchange best practices in problem resolution, and submit content to the knowledgebase. In addition to standard keyword and product search capabilities, clients can rapidly locate information through a step-by-step troubleshooting tool and access the most popular support documents.

  Instant mobile technical support to speed problem resolution for HP and select third-party products via mobile devices. HP is the first to deliver this patent-pending innovation, which leverages the capabilities of smartphone platforms. Expected to be available in app stores for webOS, Android and iOS 4 this summer.

  Online support process management to troubleshoot issues, manage contracts and warranties, submit support cases and connect with HP experts online. These processes are integrated with HP’s call center infrastructure, resulting in a convergence of service delivery models that improves a clients’ overall support experience.

“HP is applying its strengths in innovation to deliver clients tools that will help them completely refine and refresh their organization’s technical support practice,” said Rob Brothers, director, Hardware and Software Support Services, IDC. “The HP Support Center raises the bar for clients to take online support to a new level.”

Availability

All capabilities are available at no additional cost as part of warranty, HP Care Pack Services and contractual support agreements. Some capabilities require specific levels of support. HP Support Center will be available globally next month. More information is available at www.hp.com/services/supportcenterintro.

The enhanced HP Support Center is an enabler of the Instant-On Enterprise, which embeds technology in everything it does to serve customers, employees, partners and citizens with whatever they need, instantly.

HP’s premier client event, HP DISCOVER, takes place June 6 - 10 in Las Vegas and Nov. 29 - Dec. 1 in Vienna, Austria. The event showcases how organizations can get started on their Instant-On Enterprise journeys.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

(1)    Based on 2011 survey of current HP Support Center users in Asia Pacific/Japan.

 

Editorial Contacts

Stacey Hoskin, HP

+1 816 429 6477

stacey.hoskin@hp.com

 

Erin Hall

Burson-Marsteller for HP

+1 312 596 3457

erin.hall@bm.com

 

HP Media Hotline

+1 866 266 7272

www.hp.com/go/newsroom

 

 

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the competitive pressures faced by HP’s businesses; the development and transition of new products and services (and the enhancement of existing products and services) to meet customer needs and respond to emerging technological trends; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and financial results; and other risks that are described in HP’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2011 and HP’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2010. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

 

© 2011 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

 

 

 

Vormetric Adds Data Security Pedigree to Cloud Security Alliance

 

Vormetric Brings Data Security Expertise to Cloud Security Alliance

Leading Provider of Enterprise Encryption for Physical, Virtual and Cloud Environments to Help Shape Data Protection Best Practices and Standards

SAN JOSE, Calif. – May 24, 2011 – Vormetric, Inc., the leader in enterprise systems encryption and key management for physical, virtual and cloud environments, today announced that it has joined the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA). The CSA is a non-profit organization formed to promote the use of best practices for providing security assurance within Cloud Computing, and provide education on the uses of Cloud Computing to help secure all other forms of computing. Vormetric is a recognized visionary and thought leader in data security for its transparent, granular and high-performance approach to encryption.

With the increasing migration and distribution of data from physical servers to cloud infrastructures, enterprises need to maintain enterprise-class security controls and audit capabilities regardless of the location of sensitive and regulated information. Vormetric brings unique cloud security expertise to the CSA.  In addition, Todd Thiemann, Vormetric’s new senior director of product marketing, is Co-Chair of the CSA Solution Provider Advisory Council.

“Vormetric has a built a strong reputation for simplifying the complex problems related to enterprise encryption and key management. They bring the CSA hands-on experience in solving data security challenges in the cloud,” said Jim Reavis, executive director, Cloud Security Alliance. “We are pleased to welcome Vormetric and look forward to their input for developing working solutions to the cloud security problems we face today.”
“Security is the number one barrier to enterprises realizing the cost savings and business agility benefits of cloud computing.  We are delighted to contribute our expertise to help CSA develop best practices and overcome enterprise security impediments to placing sensitive data in the cloud,” said Ashvin Kamaraju, VP of Product Development for Vormetric.

About the Cloud Security Alliance

The Cloud Security Alliance is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to promote the use of best practices for providing security assurance within Cloud Computing, and to provide education on the uses of Cloud Computing to help secure all other forms of computing. The Cloud Security Alliance is led by a broad coalition of industry practitioners, corporations, associations and other key stakeholders. For further information, visit us at www.cloudsecurityalliance.org, and follow us on Twitter @cloudsa.

About Vormetric

Vormetric is the leader in enterprise systems encryption and key management for physical, virtual and cloud environments. The Vormetric Data Security product line provides a single, manageable and scalable solution to encrypt any file, any database, any application, anywhere it reside.  Vormetric achieves strong encryption without sacrificing application performance or creating key management complexity. The most security conscious organizations and government agencies in the world, including 7 of the Fortune 10, have standardized on Vormetric to provide strong, easily manageable data security. For more information visit: www.vormetric.com.

###
Vormetric is a trademark of Vormetric, Inc. All other names mentioned are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent to editor. If you no longer wish to receive email from us, please follow the link below or copy and paste the entire link into your browser. http://www.xmr3.com/rm/1517061-50409261-2-22-AV1-D0A6/pr@itincanada.ca/HCS8371

Trusteer - SpyEye Attack on Verizon Targets Payment Card Data

 

SpyEye Attack on Verizon Exposes PCI Shortcomings

We recently discovered a configuration of the SpyEye Trojan targeting Verizon’s online billing page and attempting to steal payment card information. The attack took place between May 7th and 13th.  SpyEye uses a technique called “HTML injection” to modify the pages presented in the victim’s browser, in this particular case the injected HTML is used to capture the following credit card related data.  The attack is transparent to Verizon customers since the malware waits for the user to logon and access their billing page and only then injects an authentic-looking replica webpage that requests this information. Since the user has logged on and has navigated to the familiar billing page they have no reason to suspect this request for payment information is fraudulent.

First name, last name
Street address, City, state, zip
Phone number, phone type
Email address
Country of citizenship
Social security number
Date of Birth
Mother’s maiden name
Card number, expiration date and CVV

While this attack is not technically new, it continues a financial malware trend we have been tracking in recent weeks: a shift away from stealing usernames and passwords to stealing payment and credit card data. As I mentioned in last week’s post, this practice allows criminals to commit card non present fraud on the Internet, and also makes it more difficult for banks to identify the source of fraudulent transactions since they cannot be traced back to a specific computer.

Whether it’s on consumer machines, call center computers, or point of sale systems, attackers are targeting endpoints to steal readily available payment card data. This trend is exposing a major shortcoming in the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), which only requires endpoints to be running anti-virus software. As we have seen, anti-virus software is unable to effectively defend against zero day attacks.

There’s no easy answer, since most endpoints used to enter payment and credit card data are outside the control of the merchants who process the transactions. One model to consider is the path taken by the growing legion of banks that are supplementing backend risk and fraud management systems with end-user education and browser-based security tools.

With the growing incidence of payment and credit card theft targeting the online properties of service providers, merchants, and e-commerce vendors, the payment card industry should take a closer look at endpoints as the emerging “weak link”  in protecting card data against theft and fraud.

###-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent to editor. If you no longer wish to receive email from us, please follow the link below or copy and paste the entire link into your browser. http://www.xmr3.com/rm/1517061-46807131-2-13-AV1-E70F/pr@itincanada.ca/HCS8371

Former Premier of Ontario Mike Harris joins Above Security Board of Directors

 

Former Premier of Ontario Mike Harris joins Above Security Board of Directors

Joining the cause of helping to protect Canadian businesses from the growing threat posed by cyberespionage and electronic fraud

TORONTO, May 18 /CNW Telbec/ - Former Ontario Premier Mike Harris announced today that he is joining the Board of Directors of Above Security, an internationally-renowned Canadian-based cybersecurity company.

In 2010, for the first time, major international corporations reported higher fraud losses from electronic theft of data, rather than physical stealing of assets, and this trend is continuing to rise rapidly. According to a recent, secret, Harper government memo, over 86% of Canadian businesses have been the victim of cyberespionage, with the average cost of a data breach event reaching its highest level ever of $7.2 million per incidence in 2010. While internal fraud and negligence used to be the leading cause of data breach events, malicious external attack is now taking center stage, with the incidence of malicious attacks tripling in just the past three years.  Above Security provides its cloud-based, enterprise-class "security as a service" ArkAngel solution as a simple, yet sophisticated defense to its fast growing client base in 22 countries around the world.

"The need to help protect Canadian businesses and consumers from the growing threat posed by cyber-attack is the reason I was attracted to join Above Security", explained Mr.  Harris, working from the law offices of Cassels Brock, "More than just that, as the recent hacking attempts from servers located in China targeting the Canadian Treasury Board, governments need to be paying more attention to their own systems to protect Canadian citizens' right to privacy. Above Security, in my opinion, is one of Canada's best kept secret weapons in this fight."

Above Security provides fully outsourced cybersecurity surveillance and professional services and has a wide range of international clients including the Canadian Payments Association, Pan Caribbean, First Citizens Bank (Trinidad & Tobago), and Loto Quebec as well as many of Canada's own government ministries. In the ever evolving cat-and-mouse game of cyber-attack, technology often sits center stage, but in the end security always comes down to people vs. people and that is the domain where Above Security excels.

"We're very excited Mr. Harris has accepted our invitation to join us," said Matthew Mather, Vice-President of Business Development at Above Security, "Mr. Harris will be a great asset to us as we move into the Ontario market."

About Above Security

Above Security is a leading specialist in cybersecurity with more than 10 years experience helping guard the networks of more than 250 leading private and government organizations in 22 countries from its worldwide operations centers in Montreal, Canada and sister site in Sierre, Switzerland. Customers include Canadian Payment Association, Pan Caribbean, First Citizens Bank (Trinidad & Tobago), Loto Quebec and many more. In addition to ArkAngel, its own proprietary managed surveillance solution for intrusion detection and prevention, Above Security provides a full suite of security services including penetration tests, vulnerability scans, forensic analysis, security architecture and configuration review, disaster recovery planning and more.  Above Security is an accredited member of FIRST (Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams), a certified Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) for Latin America and Canada and a globally certified Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV) for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

For more information visit:  www.abovesecurity.com


For further information:

To arrange an interview, call Above Security Director of Marketing and Communications, Marisol Litalien, at 450-434-8060.

This information is being distributed to you by CNW Group Ltd.
To discontinue this service, click here.

Ces renseignements vous ont été distribués par le Groupe CNW Ltée.
Pour mettre fin à ce service, cliquez ici.

© 2011 CNW Group Ltd, all rights reserved
© 2011 Groupe CNW Ltée, tous droits réservés