Securing mobile devices

The most vulnerable part of any organization is its mobile devices, especially notebooks and laptops. I can't think of any scenario worse than getting a call from the CFO who, even while taking every reasonable precaution, ended up getting robbed of her laptop during an trip overseas. Contact lists, sensitive corporate data, and even resumes and personal information are all vulnerable to a hacker with no practical time constraints.

What's even more troubling is that over 12,000 laptops are estimated to be simply lost in airports every year! And most users, over 60%, take little or no steps to protect the data on their mobile devices.

There are some commercially available services, such as those provided by Absolute Software. Their service enables them to track a stolen or lost laptop and even delete data remotely. On Monday, Dell announced their partnership with this firm. But it does require that the thief put the stolen machine on the grid in some way, shape or form. I would suspect that by the time they did that, it would probably be too late.

Some additional, though clumsy, steps you can take to protect your sensitive data is to keep it off the device. If you really need a file while offline, then save it to a USB storage key that you keep separate from your machine -- like in your pocket. Also, be sure to delete temporary files often... emailed attachments that you open can live there for a long, long time. And finally, consider keeping all of your emails on the server, instead of on your local PC. This can be quite inconvenient, to be sure. Short of that, delete (and empty the trash) sensitive emails from your local machine (keeping the archived version on the server).

A reprieve of sorts

Microsoft has had their hand forced by the customer group with, by far, the most clout. Because many of their largest business customers are refusing to install the Vista operating system, choosing instead to wait until Windows 7 comes out (whenever that will be), Microsoft is going to extend support for WinXP until April of 1014. Typically, they stop supporting an OS 10 years after its release. But Vista has proven so problematic that they risk alienating their most consistent revenue source.

This appears to me to be a very aggressive, defensive move. They know that today's small and mid-sized firms are tomorrow's important customers. And today's big buyers will be quite cautious when asked to put their confidence in Windows 7. So Microsoft is hedging their bets. They know that they'll face an immediate and unpleasant reaction if they pull the plug on WinXP support. They also know that Windows 7 has to be really good. If not, then the mass movement from Windows to Linux & Mac will make the migration from main frame to desktop seem tranquil by comparison.

If it were me, I would be even more aggressive. I would ship every registered Vista customer an XP "downgrade" utility, discontinue Vista support, and redirect every available resource towards the Win7 release. It's a dramatic response, for sure. But they were good when they were bold, back in the day.

To read the InformationWeek article, click here.

Brittanica opens up ... sort of

One of the web's running soap operas is the ongoing contest between Wikipedia and the Encyclopedia Brittanica. I have heard Wikipedia derided as inaccurate and unreliable, even though independent research has determined that both claims are false. I have heard the demagogues bash Brittanica for isolating themselves in their ivory tower, refusing to allow anyone but their own designated experts contribute to the publication.

In defending their decision, Brittanica has made valid arguments. Yet, even they have come to terms with the realities of Web 2.0 capabilities. So they are launching a new web site, complete with an area for non-commissioned contributions and user feedback. It is not a perfect solution, but it does allow them to retain ownership of the intellectual property... and consequently protect the brand.

But how much is that brand worth in today's world? That's a question for another day. But if you want to read how they justified their decision, click here.

Fettered competition

Let's say you provide a service that is widely used across the country. There are only a few alternatives to your product, but those alternatives present the buyer with a real choice. Since buyers have to bear some transition cost when switching to a competing service, they will only change if they perceive a clear advantage to doing so. And you realize, that you are, in fact, losing customers to your competition. What do you do?

If you are in a traditional market, you work like you-know-what to improve your product, price it more competitively, and make your current customers feel good about their decision to stay with you. If you do it right, everybody wins... The customers get better pricing and service and, because of your improvements, you gain (or regain) a competitive advantage.

Last week, the FCC ruled that the Cable oligopoly has another alternative. They have barred Verizon from trying to retain their customer base. According to the Reuters article, Verizon is now not permitted to market their products to a customer who has informed them of their intent to switch to a cable phone service.

So let me get this straight. I decide, at some point, that Comcast's phone service is better than Verizon's, and decide to switch. Comcast notifies Verizon, who then makes me a competitive offer. Whoops. Scratch that last part. Now Verizon cannot make a better offer. The potential bidding war, that could benefit me and millions of other small businesses and consumers, has been called off. Someone might get hurt.

The unelected regulatory agencies continue to increase their influence over the marketplace. And we've seen where this leads. We really don't want to be like France, do we?

Reuters article as published on C-Net: FCC sides with cable in dispute with Verizon