You May Not Need Antivirus Software for Your Phone

Business Technology

Antivirus software has gotten lots of bad press lately. This is largely due to the fact that antivirus software has recently failed to identify and contain huge malware attacks. But is antivirus software necessary for smartphones?

Antivirus Not Necessary on Smartphones?

In fact, it may not be essential. Many people do a great deal of their computing via smartphone now-a-days. People check their email, social media, and surf the web all on their smartphones. On a regular PC they must rely on antivirus software to safeguard them against malware when doing these tasks. However, antivirus software is developed for PCs not smartphones. If antivirus developers don’t build something truly compatible with smartphones they are losing out on a profitable market.

Smartphones vs. PCs

First, modern smartphones operate differently than traditional PCs and laptops. On a smartphone, each app receives its own work environment and is not able to access the data contained in other apps. This is actually a nice security upgrade from the world of PCs and laptops. Malware that is just installed onto a smartphone will be able to do little harm. So there’s the first strike against standard antivirus software: there’s not as much need for it on a smartphone.

Remote monitoring and management

How To Effectively Manage Remote Workers

Business Technology

Remote working is becoming more prevalent in the business world today. This is possible because of advancements in technology; i.e. smartphones, tablets, and the growing number of public places that have WiFi. There can be many benefits for the employer and the employee. Remote workers are often more productive, and they’re less of a drain on the company resources. For example, you don’t need to have office space and furniture for remote works. And the advantage of adjusting their schedule to fit their life is a major plus for the employee.

Remote Worker Challenges

A major concern for many managers when choosing to have remote workers is, how does one monitor their work? How do you know that they are actually working and not just watching movies all day?

One easy way to keep track of the amount of work being completed by remote workers is to set realistic goals that they must hit. This puts the emphasis on the results and prevents the manager from worrying about it, so long as the goals are being met. This also gives the employee freedom to work inside the hours they are most productive.

Security Challenges in 2012

Business Technology

Technology is always changing and adapting. So, regrettably, are cyber-criminals. MIT’s Technology Review website not long ago presented its list of the biggest technology security hazards of 2012. If you spend much of your life surfing the Internet or communicating with your friends through social media sites, you should be interested in this list. Learning what’s on it can protect you and your computer in 2012.

Stolen, Spoofed Certificates

One difficulty that the article discussed is stolen or faked certificates. When you log into a website, your bank for example, the traffic is encrypted with a “certificate”. This establishes that the site can be trusted. The faking and stealing of these certificates was a common strategy employed by cyber-criminals in 2011. This can allow them to have access to confidential information.

A Common Security Mechanism in Trouble?

Sites use certificates as a security measure more than any other means. If they are no longer considered trustworthy it might affect everyone, from the consumer, to the large company that is responsible for protecting your data.