Tag Archives: web security

Time for a change . . . for the better.

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Changes are finally showing at Forcepoint since the Raytheon acquisition of Websense. We know Websense customers are feeling some pinch this year since the Raytheon policies are now kicking in. Support or customer service people are harder to get a hold of. When renewal time comes around, the pricing, contract terms, and even the product lines have changed, and more.

Hesitate before you sign on again. Why should you pay extra for add-ons that should already be included in a Web-use security solution, like SSL inspection and U.S.-based technical support? Or why should you pay for a cloud solution that does not have the reporting detail that makes it a useful tracking or investigative tool? Research your options. It may well be time for your own change — to a stable, customer-centric Web-use security solution vendor like Wavecrest Computing.

Wavecrest has cost-effective, comprehensive, agile, and reliable solutions for your employee Web-use security and analytics needs, ranging from software and hardware deployments to cloud and hybrid deployments–all with SSL inspection, forensic-level reporting detail, and U.S.-based technical support included. No matter your business size, industry, or distributed workforce, Wavecrest has an easy-to-setup and easy-to-manage solution for you. Leave the high prices and complicated contractual terms, hidden fees for technical support or product updates, and all the confusion behind. Let Wavecrest focus on your business and your specific requirements. Talk to us today.

About Wavecrest Computing

Celebrating 20 years in business, Wavecrest Computing, headquartered in historic downtown Melbourne, FL, has provided commercial business and government clients with reliable, accurate Web-use management and Cloud Access Security Broker products since 1996. Managed Service Providers, IT specialists, HR professionals, and business managers trust Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products to manage employee Internet usage — managing cloud services and guest Wi-Fi networks, reducing liability risks, improving productivity, saving bandwidth, and controlling costs. Wavecrest has clients worldwide, including General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Florida Department of Health, Siemens, Department of Homeland Security, and a growing list of global enterprises and government agencies. Proud GSA contract holder for over 16 years and counting. For more information on the company, products, and partners, visit https://www.wavecrest.net.

Security should make you feel secure . . . right?!

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It is important to note that many companies are acquired every day, and this can be a good thing . . . for them. Or maybe not . . . “According to collated research and a recent Harvard Business Review report, the failure rate for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) sits between 70 percent and 90 percent,”Business Review Europe, 2015. More importantly for you as customers, many companies that are acquired leave old customers behind, picking up the pieces of what is left of good service, good prices, good products, and even good friendships.

Service is a critical part of finding the right vendor, especially in security today. There are just too many risks out there that SMBs don’t have the time to fully educate themselves about–they just want to go about their business. So for these SMBs, it is more important to rely on a vendor who they know and trust. When this type of service ends, it can be a major disruption requiring many businesses to decide to deal with the higher prices, more complex contracts, and foreign-based service people with endless ticket systems and long wait times.

About a year after the vendor is acquired, the new corporation’s policies really kick in, and customers start getting a good idea of changes. Renewal time comes around and instead of your vendor team member calling you to talk about how everything is and if there are any changes to your needs, you get an invoice with extensive terms and conditions that you need to hire a lawyer to understand. Prices increase and you wonder if it is not just to pay for all the terms and conditions being written!

What once was one of your favorite products becomes a burden. Product names change, product lines are cancelled or combined with new product lines, and the confusion builds. Cybersecurity industry acquisitions are becoming hard to follow. One is bought by another, to be bought by another, and then another that has already bought five other companies . . . names mix, divisions are formed, and old relationships are destroyed.

Security for your business should make you feel secure. It should not be something that holds you back or gobbles you up. Don’t be fooled by the promises vendors make just to hold onto you so that they can raise prices at renewal time. You got into business to focus on what you do. It should not be about keeping up with the fine print of enterprise security, the in and outs of the industry acquisitions, confusing contract terms, and high prices. Find that vendor who will become your “stable go-to.” Get a security vendor that makes you and your business feel secure.

About Wavecrest Computing

Celebrating 20 years in business, Wavecrest Computing, headquartered in historic downtown Melbourne, FL, has provided commercial business and government clients with reliable, accurate Web-use management and Cloud Access Security Broker products since 1996. Managed Service Providers, IT specialists, HR professionals, and business managers trust Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products to manage employee Internet usage — managing cloud services, reducing liability risks, improving productivity, saving bandwidth, and controlling costs. Wavecrest has clients worldwide, including General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Florida Department of Health, Siemens, Department of Homeland Security, and a growing list of global enterprises and government agencies. We are a proud long-term GSA contract holder. For more information on the company, products, and partners, visit https://www.wavecrest.net.

Feeling neglected? Let’s fix that.

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It seems the newly named Forcepoint has finally settled into the company they planned since the Raytheon acquisition of Websense. As a Websense customer before the acquisition, are you feeling a bit neglected now? In this new corporate culture, are you finding it difficult to get a hold of technical support or that customer service is not there when you need them? Could it be that their focus is more on the larger Raytheon cyber security customer base than on their Websense customers? Whichever the case, your business is the one that suffers. Stop spending your precious time on working through multiple levels of bureaucracy to get what you need.

Wavecrest has comprehensive, agile, and reliable solutions for your employee Web-use security and analytics needs, ranging from software and hardware deployments to cloud and hybrid deployments. No matter your business size, industry, or distributed workforce, Wavecrest has a solution for you.

Retaining a positive SMB mentality, the Wavecrest team believes strongly in one-on-one communication with prospects, customers, and partners. When you reach out to us, we have a human being on the other end of the line that knows the product well, communicates well, and will take the extra step to get your enterprise and employees secure. You don’t have to go through automated calls, ticketing, or several levels of technical support to reach the person with the knowledge you need.

Leave the government contractor-level pricing, contractual terms, and confusion behind. Don’t remain just a ticket number. Let Wavecrest focus on your business and your specific requirements. Talk to us today.

About Wavecrest Computing

Celebrating 20 years in business, Wavecrest Computing, headquartered in historic downtown Melbourne, FL, has provided commercial business and government clients with reliable, accurate Web-use management and Cloud Access Security Broker products since 1996. Managed Service Providers, IT specialists, HR professionals, and business managers trust Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products to manage employee Internet usage — managing cloud services, reducing liability risks, improving productivity, saving bandwidth, and controlling costs. Wavecrest has clients worldwide, including General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Florida Department of Health, Siemens, Department of Homeland Security, and a growing list of global enterprises and government agencies. We are a proud long-term GSA contract holder. For more information on the company, products, and partners, visit https://www.wavecrest.net.

Your Employees and Their 917 Different Cloud Apps. Are You a Sitting Duck?

targeted duckEvery day someone in your company is using a cloud app. Actually, it is probably more like every minute. Let’s not go into the personal versus work devices on the company network, or whether it is Facebook or Dropbox they are using. Those details don’t really tend to matter when the access allowed is for your own business to decide. It is about the sheer number of cloud services and apps in use in the enterprise today, the visibility in knowing what they are, and the many employees who are left out of the conversation.

We hear managers talk about how it can’t happen to them. They have the best employees, and the discussion is unnecessary. It is already understood–they would NEVER do that! Or our favorite–big brother–the need to let your employees know you really trust them and respect their privacy by allowing them to do what they think they need to do on their own. But that’s not going to protect your business when malware hits or a breach happens . . . and the chances of these happening to you are growing exponentially every day, especially when you are not communicating security issues with your employees.

With all the headlines being about Shadow IT, malware, data loss, intrusions, and ransomware, you would think it would be a common workplace discussion. But based on some recent surveys, companies aren’t saying much internally.

Some numbers that may surprise you. What percentage of employees:

  • Have not been told the right way to download/use cloud applications: almost 60%
  • Have not been told risks of downloading cloud apps without IT’s knowledge: just under 40%
  • Have not been told how to transfer and store corporate data securely: over 40% !!!!

To keep things in perspective–studies are showing that on average, enterprises have 917 different cloud apps in use!

This is not a respect for privacy issue. It’s a security issue, for your business and for your employees! Keeping them in the dark does not show them respect or protect them, it makes them victims before anything even happens.

As technology gets stronger, we as individuals have more decisions on what we use to make our lives, including work, more efficient. But if you do not educate and communicate regularly about cyber threats with your employees, have real visibility into their Web usage, or have a clear, agile Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), you are basically a sitting duck.

About Wavecrest Computing

Celebrating 20 years in business, Wavecrest Computing, headquartered in historic downtown Melbourne, FL, has provided commercial business and government clients with reliable, accurate Web-use management and Cloud Access Security Broker products since 1996. Managed Service Providers, IT specialists, HR professionals, and business managers trust Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products to manage employee Internet usage — managing cloud services, reducing liability risks, improving productivity, saving bandwidth, and controlling costs. Wavecrest has clients worldwide, including General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Florida Department of Health, Siemens, Department of Homeland Security, and a growing list of global enterprises and government agencies. We are a proud long-term GSA contract holder. For more information on the company, products, and partners, visit https://www.wavecrest.net.

 

*Stats based on surveys from Softchoice and Netskope.

Wavecrest Computing announces CyBlock Hybrid’s new reporting features.

 

Wavecrest Computing announces new reporting features are now available in the CyBlock Hybrid deployment. Reporting features, Real-Time Monitor and Dashboard Charts, can easily be accessed for both your CyBlock Cloud and local  CyBlock configurations. This enhancement allows the customer to easily monitor and develop reports on users, both local and remote.

Use Real-Time Monitor to see remote users’ current Web activity, or use Dashboard Charts to check on- or off-premises Web traffic trending by users, groups, categories, or denied and allowed traffic. Run a report for management or an audit that can include cloud, local, or all configurations. The new features proactively increase your administration capabilities while reducing the time you spend on Web management tasks.

The CyBlock Hybrid deployment is used when an on-site CyBlock installation is paired with CyBlock Cloud to provide coverage of remote users with the convenience of local administration for all users. Contact us for more information today!

Constantly improving, developing, and enhancing to make your Web security more efficient, Wavecrest Computing has been the recognized leader in Web Security Solutions for over 19 years. Wavecrest’s scalable filtering and forensic reporting analysis product lines, CyBlock and Cyfin, are designed to enable organizations to successfully address Internet abuse, legal liability, shadow IT, workforce productivity, malware, and many other Web security threats.

Cloud Hybrid Reporting
CyBlock Cloud – Hybrid Report

 

Can you see your enterprise shadow IT?

shadow-it-300x171Can you? It’s there…hidden on your employees’ devices and on your network. We all know people try to use the path of least resistance in getting something done. Today, cloud computing allows us all to do almost anything from anywhere with relatively no resistance at all. Within corporations though, this can become a problem commonly known as shadow IT. “There are an astonishing 10,000 cloud services available on the market today, which creates a growing problem for IT around Shadow IT as only 9.3 percent of those apps meet enterprise data, security and legal requirements, cloud security company Skyhigh Networks found in its Q1 2015 Cloud Adoption and Risk Report.” Corporations need to control their proprietary information, network, and Web security. While employees may be thinking they can get their job done faster, the corporation is thinking about threats. “The result is technologies that empower individuals and teams limit the organisation as a whole.”

There are several views for this, all valuable. From the employees’ view, they believe they are finding ways to be more productive and efficient by using technology that is easily accessible and likely, not costing the corporation anything additional. It is quick and easy and can get the job done before the IT department would even have a chance to look at a request form. So, why would the corporation be upset? Here’s why–unauthorized applications, or shadow IT, can cause serious risks, such as Malware, data loss, and other severe network security concerns. As the responsible party, IT needs to know what is happening, especially when it comes to the random unauthorized applications users are bringing into the network.

What can be done? Which view holds more importance? That depends on your organization but gathering the information to make that decision can be quick and easy. You need total visibility into Web use so you can find and analyze any potential shadow IT. Proactive, comprehensive reporting of all Web-use activity allows a full view of users’ activities. IT and management need to see detailed drill-down activity per user, per group, or per category, and determine if the “shadow” application is to be quarantined, or discover the application is actually useful to the organization as a whole and add to the acceptable applications list.

It is important to take into consideration the employees’ need to have access to useful and contemporary tools. No post, article, or news story can tell you what to do within your organization. Only you know what will best suit your environment. Try collaboration though, between users, management, and IT. The key is to find the most useful applications and move toward applications that work, with the best interest of the overall corporation at heart.

Wavecrest Computing has been the recognized leader in Web Security for over 19 years with CyBlock and Cyfin Solutions. These scalable filtering and forensic reporting analysis products are designed to enable organizations to successfully address Internet abuse, legal liability, shadow IT, workforce productivity, and Web security threats.

Into the Madness of March…brackets, bandwidth, malware, and all.

BracketMarch Madness begins on March 17th this year. We all know that employees check out highlights or even stream a whole game. According to Turner Sports’ Will Funk’s interview with AdWeek,Turner did 70 million live streams on broadband and mobile during March Madness 2014. That is a lot of streaming. With all the streaming and new apps that are out since last year, 2015 will likely set another record.

This year, have the choice to allow your employees some freedom to watch and enjoy! CyBlock Web Security Solutions will help protect your business, blocking sites known for malware and proactively controlling bandwidth consumption, while allowing responsible viewing.

With Wavecrest’s Bandwidth Management in CyBlock, there are numerous ways to be able to control access when you need to. With Real-Time Data Usage Monitoring, you will be able to easily view current data usage for the entire enterprise, detect unexpected spikes that could indicate excessive data use, or just observe the last 5, 10, or 15 minutes of real-time updates.

You can also make sure the critical business operations remain functioning efficiently, even during the games, by using the Bandwidth Throttling features. Be more restrictive as the noncritical usage gets higher by setting one of the automatically triggered, higher-usage policy thresholds to throttle more or even block. E-mail alerts will keep you informed wherever you are. Once a policy is activated, policy-specific traffic is throttled or blocked, allowing business-critical applications (VoIP, CRM, etc.) to continue operating as needed.

Don’t forget about protecting your company from malware. March Madness search results have had a history of being known for malware in past years, and this year will likely be no different. As your employees search for brackets or results, CyBlock blocks traffic to the constantly growing number of sites that generate and/or promote malware. Keep out viruses, Trojan horses, phishing attacks, and more.

March Madness has become a way of life. Decide how your company will handle the traffic and proactively prepare for it by letting CyBlock help protect and secure your business and your employees. Find out more about all the Web Security product lines at Wavecrest Computing.

 

Keep employees productive and secure while working from mobile devices.

Many times mobile devices are the primary, or only, organizational interface for an employee. With this evolving mobile business environment, it has become critical to protect both the company and the employee. With CyBlock Mobile Security Browser App v2.0, a companion to the easy-to-implement CyBlock Cloud Web Security Solution, you will enable your employees to work efficiently and securely while accessing the Internet on their mobile devices. Easily enforce your company’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) on iOS devices by defining one or more Web-use policies to successfully address Web security threats, Internet abuse, legal liability, and workforce productivity.

CyBlock Mobile Security Browser App’s Version 2.0 adds many exciting enhancements, such as support for iPhone 6/6 Plus, customizable Web blocking messages, and connection status alerts. Easily enforce your company’s AUP on iOS devices. Learn more about Wavecrest products: https://www.wavecrest.net/

CyBlock Mobile Security App Block Message

CyBlock Mobile Security App Block Message

 

 

Cyber Monday is Quickly Approaching is Your Network Ready?

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Cyber Monday crushed it, again.

Online shopping on Cyber Monday hit $2.29 billion in sales in 2013

  • Adobe reported that Cyber Monday eCommerce sales grew 16% year-over-year to $2.29 billion.
  • Adobe also said that 18.3% of sales came from mobile devices, an increase of 80% year-over-year.
  • ComScore reported that Cyber Monday reached $1.73 billion in desktop online spending, up 18% from 2012.
  • IBM said Cyber Monday was the biggest online shopping day in history, with a 20.6% increase in online sales.
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The chart above shows Cyber Monday sales dramatically increasing around 9 am on Monday and holding steady throughout the entire work day.

With more and more of your employees doing their shopping online, it has become a cyber security issue for businesses making sure their networks are secure, managing bandwidth and protecting their employee from identity theft . CyBlock Web Security products will help you manage all of this from an easy to use single console.

CyBlock is a complete Web management and security product:

  • Advanced Web Filtering
  • Threat Protection
  • Bandwidth Management
  • SSL Inspection
  • Comprehensive Reporting

More information about CyBlock Web Security Products.

 

Wavecrest Computing Releases Hybrid Option for CyBlock

Melbourne, FL November 12, 2014

Wavecrest Computing, the makers of CyBlock, have just announced the availability of the Hybrid option for CyBlock.

For organizations that are composed of a main office, branch offices, and remote and mobile users, there is a certain need to safeguard all networks and employees in the organization. Organizations want to apply the same Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), which is being enforced for on-premises employees, to remote employees. Along with an on-premises installation of CyBlock Software or CyBlock Appliance, companies can also secure remote offices and mobile users using a Hybrid deployment of CyBlock.

“The Hybrid deployment is a feature that uses CyBlock Cloud to extend Web filtering and monitoring to our clients’ off-premises employees, that is, those connecting to the Internet from hotels, airports, home offices, or remote offices.” Dennis McCabe CEO, Wavecrest Computing

CyBlock Hybrid offers a flexible Web security solution that combines your on-premises CyBlock installation with a CyBlock Cloud service. You can manage the policies for your on-premises and off-premises employees from a single interface. Using CyBlock Cloud, the Hybrid deployment secures remote and mobile users so there is no need to route traffic back to the main office. You can free up local server bandwidth and be assured that Web filtering for these users is occurring in the cloud.

CyBlock Hybrid Cloud

Wavecrest Computing has been the recognized leader in Web security and Web-usage forensic solutions for over 17 years. Our scalable filtering and forensic reporting analysis products are designed to enable organizations to successfully address Internet abuse, legal liability, workforce productivity, and Web security threats. Wavecrest Computing’s client list includes well-known corporations such as Edward Jones, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Blue Cross Blue Shield, MillerCoors, Rolex, Siemens, and others.