Practice Development News

Information Equals Power

Feburary 2007

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Enterprise e-Accounting

Thousands of users have discovered the benefits of working when and where they need, or choose, to. These users come from small and large business - individuals and team members who understand that application hosting addresses their requirement for affordable, secure, always-on computing.

The e-Accounting hosting services for QuickBooks Pro or Premier, for example, give businesses the flexibilty of working on their businesses and not their information technology. The program and the business data is available when it is needed, and can be accessed from any Internet-connected computer. It's secure, affordable, and offers benefits typically available only to larger organizations.

e-Accounting is there to take your company, and your business technologies, to the next level. Every small business is really a small enterprise, and at some point the "starter" software won't handle the job. When the business outgrows QuickBooks Pro or Premier, the next stop is Enterprise Edition. Providing for larger data capacity and more users, the Enterprise application suits the growing business with a seamless transition that won't interfere with the work that needs to get done. Migration from the Pro or Premier versions of QuickBooks is a snap, and doesn't introduce costs associated with down time for data conversions or personnel retraining. e-Accounting gets QuickBooks Enterprise Solution installed and running on our servers, so you simply focus on what you do best - running your enterprise.

Anytime, Anywhere Enterprise

Today's business and technology news is filled with events of data theft, network intrustion, hacking and phishing, and a general loss of control over certain types of business and personal information. While the operating system and security software vendors race to market with their tools and solutions, it is important to recognize that the most critical aspect of the solution rests with the people.

One of the most frequent requests we get is to tell users how they can set their systems up so they don't have to enter their login id and password every time they want to login. Now, this might seem like a handy convenience, but there are a number of problems with this approach, not the least of which is the obvious - if somebody else gets hold of your machine, they now have your login, as well. And the next step is getting your data.

Power to the People

Having the information you need when you need it is critical to making the right decisions for your business. The unofficial motto of the information age is "Information equals power", but information trapped inside your computer equals nothing. The key is to not only capture and retain data, but to turn that data into useful information and then make it available to those who need it. This can be more challenging than it sounds, especially when it comes to providing access for remote team members, co-workers or clients.

Unless your business has a competency in technology management, the wise choice may be to outsource the solution to your most challenging technical problems. With application hosting services, for example, you can use the software and systems that your business is already familiar with, and you simply access those systems in a different way. The ASP (application service provider, or host) takes care of the systems, the applications, and the network. Users are able to access their applications from any Internet-connected PC, and are assured that their programs and their data are secure, backed up, and available when they need them.

InsynQ has been delivering applications and virtual desktop services via the Internet for 10 years. We understand the requirement to keep your programs and data safe, secure, and available for you and your business - whenever, wherever. Visit our website to find out how your business could benefit from secure, affordable, anytime anywhere access.

InsynQ e-Accounting home

Protecting Yourself Against Data Theft

by Michael Ehart, CISSP, etc.

There has been a rash of reporting of data theft lately that has a very strange effect of causing many to become complacent about their data protection measures because, after all, their system is working.

The problem is that there is no way to know if your data is bulletproof. You can only be certain when it is not, and you have evidence that your security has been breached. The vast majority of data theft is undetectable and unprosecutable, because unlike physical theft the stolen data is still there. If someone sneaks into a museum in the dead of night, dressed in spandex and night goggles and makes off with a Bottecelli, in the morning there is a big square of unfaded wall, an empty nail, a light dusting of tracked-through laser-detection talcum powder and no painting. The problem with stolen data is that most of the time there is no way to know that your system has been breached, or if it has been, that anything is missing because nothing is actually missing.

So what do you do to keep your data secure? The threats come in three flavors, and there are steps that you can take to protect yourself from each one.

1. The Barbarians at the Gates. There are people out there who don't like you. There are people out there who don't care about you, but want what you have. And there are people out there who don't care about you, or what you have, but want inside just because they can. These are the folks that firewalls were invented to thwart, and I assume that you have covered this loophole. Firewalls, encryption, strong passwords, and some sort of Intrusion Detection System (IDS) cover you there. If you don't understand or like this stuff hire someone who does. A competent IT security consultant can set up most small practices in a few hours of system hardening. Do make sure that the contract includes some basic training for your users concerning the changes and best practices.

2. The Enemy Within. Far more likely to cause you grief is the viper cherished in your bosom. No one knows for sure, but I would guess that the retail model applies here--- 90% internal theft. After all, who else holds the keys to your kingdom? Training, monitoring, set usage policies and careful terminal check-out procedures can help, but you never know. If you have 20 employees and they all seem perfectly content, either you are the shining example all other bosses should aspire to or at least 5% of your workforce is adept at hiding their dissatisfaction. I know which one seems most likely to me.

3. Stupid is as Stupid Does. And Stupid seems to be doing more than his fair share lately. Data theft is the classic crime of opportunity. "It was just laying there, so I took it." Or "The web site was unsecured" or "The safe was left open" or -one that I recently was asked about- "I left the box of records in the back seat, and someone borrowed my car." I love consulting, but dang, please make it harder for me, will ya? No more post-it notes with passwords conveniently stuck to the monitor, or so cleverly stuck under the keyboard. No more backup tapes on a shelf behind your desk, or stacked on top of the server. No more shared passwords for the entire office. Once again, if you don't know about this stuff contract someone who does. It is so very much cheaper and less stressful to spend a few bucks and a few hours hardening your system and providing a few hours of common sense training for your crew than it is to learn about your data disclosure from the guy with good hair and too many teeth holding the mike and standing sideways in your lobby so his cameraman can get a good shot.

InsynQ e-Accounting takes information security and confidentiality very seriously. In fact, one of our engineers is a Certified Information Systems Security Specialist (CISSP) and carries certifications as a HIPAA Professional and HIPAA Security Specialist (among other things). Visit Michael Ehart's HIPAA blog Comply With Me

Keeping Your Business In Sync

From utility computing to application hosting to software-as-a-service and beyond: InsynQ has been there from the very start.