May 2010
In this issue:

Welcome to the second edition of the JW Secure Informer, our bi-monthly newsletter. This is an opportunity to share what's on our radar, specifically with respect to enterprise network security, but also regarding IT and business more generally.

The Informer is intended to be useful content and good for a quick read. So if it's just clutter in your inbox, we've failed, and I hope you'll let us know.

A recent article in The Register reminded me of the importance of giving software developers real-world hacking experience. Unfortunately, the only way to learn how to write secure software is to experience, first-hand, doing it wrong. And if your code gets hacked but you don't find out about it, that doesn't help much. Thus, a hacking sandbox, such as this one provided by Google, is an important resource for professional education.

Other such resources? If you've never used Metasploit, you should. There's a tutorial here.

Here's a trivia question that you need to factor into your marketing strategy: What has nearly 400 million users, an open programming interface, and lots of buzz? Answer: Facebook. But while it's one thing to create a business page on Facebook (we have one here, click the "Like" button!), making it interesting and interactive is a different matter (and I'm speaking from personal experience). The good news is that there's plenty of help online, including analysis of other business pages, plus tips on getting started.

What's the security angle? It's no secret that Facebook has generated more than its share of privacy concerns. I take the perhaps incongruous viewpoint that, while Facebook is a marketing platform that you cannot afford to ignore, there's evidence (see the previous link) that the company is not doing an adequate job of protecting the privacy of its users. A sensible question to ask: what's the potential for the negative perception of Facebook's privacy strategy to harm the reputation of other businesses using the platform? Answer: so far, that kind of blowback isn't happening. The real risk is wasting time by using the platform ineffectively.

Small businesses often face a sobering reality: they know there are technology applications that could make their business more efficient, but the cost of implementing and maintaining the IT hardware and software is prohibitive. That's where cloud-computing can actually bring a sunny forecast. By shifting the IT infrastructure and management burdens to a third-party, cloud-based provider, a small business can get enterprise-class technologies delivered as a subscription service.

Recycled Energy Development (RED), a small business that helps industrial manufacturers convert their waste energy into recycled electricity and heat, faced just such a dilemma. RED had a document management problem: keeping track of their numerous clients and all the associated contracts, engineering specs, and project plans.

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Have you ever run out of battery power on your mobile PC during a meeting or a class? Have you worried about running out of power while waiting to meet with a client? Have you asked yourself how much longer your battery will last? Sufficient battery life is a persistent challenge for mobile PC users. But Windows offers several ways to help maximize the battery life of your mobile computer.

In this article, I'll discuss how to take advantage of Windows settings to manage power more efficiently. I'll also introduce some non-software related tips that you can use to extend battery life.

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Don't Focus on the Black Spot
used with permission from Joel Weldon, www.successcomesincans.com

Leader says "Look for the good" -- managers learn to find it.

Speaking to her department managers, a young, dynamic executive tacked a huge sheet of white paper on the wall behind her. Then, with a felt-tip marker, she made a black spot in the middle of the paper.

"What do you see?" she asked someone in the front row.

"A black spot," came the reply.  She asked the same question of every manager, and received the same answer each time.

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