The world of information security has always been beset by various threats that have ranged from the simple viruses that were distributed on floppy disks, to the complex computer viruses that are distributed as E-mail borne attachments that can be opened by careless users. The need for better training for any staff that are in positions that handle sensitive data is more important than ever. With Windows operating systems in the major businesses around the world, it is very clear that users need to take great care with the handling of unknown E-Mail attachments and suspicious content on the Internet. There are many security training services on the Internet. These are a great resource for training staff on how best to deal with the many security issues faced when using a computer that has access to the Internet and such training can definitely help prevent such problems as those faced by the unprecedented spread of Malware that is spreading at a massive rate. Any training course that can help with this unprecedented threat to your business will be worth the price. Security Awareness Training is the best tool to educate your staff on the best practices in dealing with security issues in the workplace. Information security awareness training programs like this have a variety of courses available, there is even a free trial to allow you to try the courses before taking the plunge. The range of brochures available on the website contains a great deal of information about the security courses available.
Security has become very important now with many attacks on corporations around the world that have netted private customer details and credit card information, the need for improved security infrastructure and education is paramount. Education is the key to avoiding Malware and suspicious attachments in E-Mail, that can seem innocuous but actually can contain malicious content. I have heard of someone that searched for a benign website and after clicking a link on the Google search results page they were presented with a page that offered a malicious executable for download. This is why you need to pay attention to what you are clicking on the Internet. There are countless malicious websites and Spam E-Mails that offer something that is too good to be true. Like those Google advertisements that offer a work at a home job making US$5000.00 per month using your computer, but in actuality, this will only steal your money if you sign up for it. The famous Nigerian Spam E-Mails are still making the rounds and sadly they are still sucking in unfortunate people, but the Malware that is making the rounds as well as cracking attacks that have stolen credit card details and customer data are more damaging to the reputation of a corporation. The famous Sony attacks have brought information security into the limelight, highlighting the need for greater security than ever.
Sony was storing passwords in a plain text format instead of using an MD5 hash, which is a failure on their part considering that MySQL uses an MD5 hash to encrypt passwords, as well as the Linux/UNIX operating systems themselves. When you log in to a UNIX/Linux system you type your password and it is hashed and compared to the password stored in the /etc/shadow file. If this matches then you are allowed to log in. Simple things like this make your computer even more secure, and it is hard to believe that Sony corporation will all the money they have made could have ignored simple information security practices that could have saved them much online embarrassment. That is why the need for information security courses is more important than ever before. As I said, education of your staff is the key to preventing security issues and maintaining a smoothly running workplace without damaging security breaches that can embarrass your company if they become widely publicized as the Sony example demonstrates. Groups like Luzsec have been responsible for many high profile attacks in the past, as well as the group Anonymous. That is why these online security courses are so important, with proper security training, you will be better equipped to deal with modern security threats that online businesses face in our modern age.