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Mobile Device Management Stocking Stuffers for Christmas

TMCnews


TMCnews Featured Article


December 21, 2011

Mobile Device Management Stocking Stuffers for Christmas

By David Sims, TMCnet Contributing Editor


Haven’t finished your holiday shopping yet? No? That makes you... part of the 99 percent, let’s face it. And if you have a mobile device management pro on your list, you probably need to find something appropriate.


Good thing that Matt Lidestri, who manages security and Internet services for COCC in Avon, Connecticut, is here to help you with that special gift for that hard to shop for person.

As Lidestri says, credit unions need to monitor employees who use their personal smartphones for work. MobileIron has developed a combination of an app and server software to do just that, called MyPhone@Work, which helps a credit union enforce such policies as password strength and updating, as well as restrictions on app installations.

Lidestri understands the budget you’re working with -- but, as he says, “the credit union will pay a monthly fee for each device managed by the credit union’s servers.”

Isn’t it interesting that online ads seem to know what items you want? That’s because advertisers are trying place their messages on pages you view just when you’re about to buy a rival’s product, Lidestri says, and recommends the latest version of the Firefox browser as a gift to help put an end to this by allowing you to opt out of online behavior tracking.

Last year around this time, Lidestri recommended Comodo which he describes as “a free firewall to protect members from malware at home.” Yes, you need a firewall in your house, and this year Lidestri recommends another free tool to take care of malware and adult content on the Internet -- K9 by Blue Coat (News - Alert). It uses “the same advanced Web filtering technology deployed by companies and governments worldwide,” Lidestri says, “all with a user-friendly interface that allows you to control Internet use in your home.”

And it might not be free, but the new Windows 7 operating system is much more secure than previous iterations. For one thing, it’s the product of Microsoft’s (News - Alert) Security Development Lifecycle and it ships with better protection via User Account Control – so any time a program wants to make a major change to your computer, Lidestri explains, “the UAC alerts you and asks for permission.”

And because it’s that time of year where everyone is extra cheerful, Lidestri gives you a free piece of advice: “Create at least one ‘regular’ user account on your computer, and use that account exclusively for day-to-day use.” Why? As he explains, malware often needs to make changes to the system in order to be effective, and if you sign in as a regular user, not administrator, “malware cannot be installed automatically or by simply clicking an ‘OK’ button.

There you go. Happy holidays and good luck shopping!


David Sims is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of David’s articles, please visit his columnist page. He also blogs for TMCnet here.

Edited by Jamie Epstein







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