Whitepapers

The State of International Co-operation on Cybercrime

Political leaders continue to hold conferences and sign treaties as the need to tackle cybercrime at an international level rapidly increases, but ultimately these attempts at agreement fail due to national interests and diplomatic concerns.  This whitepaper looks at what has been done and why agreements have failed to be ratified.

application/pdf iconThe state of International co-operation on cybercrime.pdf

Denial of Service Attacks

Denial of service attacks continue to grow in sophistication. This article considers the gains that such attacks can offer criminals, and examines the various types of attacks used today.  (First published in NESE http://www.elsevierscitech.com/nl/ns/home.asp)

application/pdf iconDenial of Service.pdf

Guide to Cloud Security

There has been considerable publicity around security services in the cloud being the next big thing and, as with many new IT trends, the predicted numbers are impressive. Infonetics Research recorded growth of 70% in 2009 totalling $9.4 billion, up 12 per cent from 2008. This growth has been fueled primarily by demand for content security services (e.g. web, email and archiving).
So what’s the reality behind the predictions?
 

application/pdf iconnb-cloud-computing-security-guide.pdf

Information Commissioner’s Office Powers: A Guide to Compliant Security in the UK from Network Box

Legislation on protecting data in the UK – such as the Data Protection Act 1998 (revisions, that take effect in April 2010, were introduced to the Act in 2009) and PCI DSS – have made good security even more important for businesses. Since the introduction of the Data Protection Act in 1998, a company breaching data security rules could be served an enforcement notice by the Information Commissioner and made to clean up its act. In January this year, the Information Commissioner was given greater powers of enforcement, and the ability to fine companies breaching data security up to £500,000.

application/pdf iconnb-information-commissioner-officers-guide.pdf

In the Matter of the Data Protection Act

James Pickering was asked to give advice and guidance to Network Box Corp (UK) Limited in relation to the application and effect of the Data Protection Act 1998 (“DPA 1998”). In particular, he was asked to outline the obligations imposed on businesses and their potential liabilities in the light of a number of significant amendments recently made to the DPA 1998 in response to a number of high profile contraventions.

application/pdf iconnb-data-protection-act-james-pickering-opinion.pdf

Guide to IT security for car dealerships

Car dealerships rely on IT systems and internet connections now more than ever before. Whether it is to provide an open connection to a third-party supplier database, to download manuals, to connect online with customers, or to use bespoke applications to provide inventory information, security is of increasing importance in this environment.

application/pdf iconnb-car-dealerships-security-guide.pdf

Securing the Public Sector

Recent years have seen a number of high-profile security breaches hit the public sector. Data privacy in particular is a serious concern, and is more tightly governed than ever before, with higher penalties for organisations that don’t comply effectively with legislation. At the same time, more public service business is conducted online, as information is distributed to citizens through web-based applications.

application/pdf iconnb-securing-public-sector.pdf

Browser Privacy and Online Security

According to figures from IDC, 20 per cent of businesses use Google Docs ‘widely’ within their businesses, with this figure likely to increase in 2010. But as businesses move away from traditional working practices and towards more flexible (and often free) communications services, they may be compromising privacy, and data security.

This guide gives companies the information they need to decide whether or not they should use free email hosting, browser and document storage services.

application/pdf iconnb-browser-privacy-guide.pdf

Securing schools from social media threats

Schools today face increasing internet security risks from the number of new platforms and technologies used by pupils and teachers in and out of the classroom. The proliferation of social networks such as Facebook, Bebo and MySpace, instant messenger (IM) platforms, and file-sharing and peer-to-peer applications and software mean that the IT teams in schools have to cope with an even greater number of threats than many corporate networks.

application/pdf iconNBWP_securing_schools_for_social_media_threats.pdf

Return on Investment

Threats from the internet are increasing and, as a result, a growing number of large companies have turned to managed security services as a cost-effective way of providing the expertise needed to keep these threats at bay. The decision to outsource security management to experts is taken by large organisations that have done the maths and recognise that it offers the best overall return on investment, protecting both the business and its customers from the disruption and cost of a security breach.

application/pdf iconNBWP_Return_on_Investment_Dec_09.pdf