Feature Story

Houston-Based Experts Offer Do’s and Don’ts of IT Security

Last July, German engineering giant Siemens AG found out the hard way bout the Stuxnet Worm, a high-tech virus designed to spy on and reprogram industrial systems.

The company acted fast, but before it could get rid of the problem, the worm affected at least 14 plants.

There are many more stories like this. Last year, the number of viruses spread via email grew almost 300 percent between July and August, according to Pierluigi Stella, chief technology officer of Network Box USA. Meanwhile, the rate of global software piracy climbed to 43 percent in 2009, a 2 percent increase from 2008, fueled in large part by expanding personal computer sales in emerging markets, according to the Business Software Alliance/IDC Global Software Piracy Study released in May of last year.

The study found that for every $100 worth of software sold legitimately in 2009, an additional $75 of unlicensed software was added to the market.

With an ever-increasing number of predators and methods, protecting business information seems a more daunting task. HBJ asked local technology experts for their Do's and Don'ts in modern IT security.

Here's an excerpt:

DON'T: Take a 'block-everything' stance

Many social network sites like Twitter are becoming important business tools for companies so arbitrarily blocking everything may actually be counterproductive.

The key is to make sure you have proper safeguards, as viruses and Trojans can quickly pop up and infect your network.

Corporate networks are going to come under greater attack from malicious viruses in the months to come, especially as social media becomes more ubiquitous at the office. Hackers, fraudsters, phishers, disgruntled ex-employees, etc., would all love to take advantage – and take control of business networks.

--Pierluigi Stella, chief technology officer Network Box USA

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