Security Group Tests

Patching is a particular bane in admin and support lives, but there's no need for this to be the case any more. Modern patch management can take the weight off IT's shoulders, explains Robert Jaques As any field executive will admit, laptops get left in some weird places. They also get stolen, and these problems all have one nasty result – data exposure. Mitigating this means encryption, says Jon Tullett Being in two places at once is what all grumpy users really want from their IT people. But it is possible, says Ian Parsons, with remote administration The battle against spam starts at the gateway to your business's network. Robert Jaques tests the latest technology that can catch it before it gets in Security means passwords, and passwords mean a growing productivity burden for users and employers. Single sign-on could be the answer, says Julian Ashbourn Two-factor authentication products need careful evaluation and testing if they are to provide the protection your enterprise needs, writes Peter Stephenson Application security attracts a lot of attention, but SSL encryption places a large burden on your servers. Ian Parsons can help you safely ease the load Fed up with the likes of spam and viruses disrupting your email? Jon Tullett delves into the world of email managed services to help relieve this headache An all-in-one security appliance might sound like the answer to every IT security professional's prayers, but do they really do the job? Robert Jaques finds out There are still those that prefer IPsec VPNs over their close cousin the SSL VPNs. Ian Parsons tries out a series of products to see if there is still life left in them As with any emerging technology there will always be sceptics, but it is time we gave biometric tools a chance. You might even like them, says Julian Ashbourn Virtual private networks are trusted by online banks, so they should ensure safe remote access to your systems, too. Ian Parsons tries out the latest products Catching the culprits of cybercrime is a complex issue, which is why Ian Parsons believes that forensic testing should be a key part of your security package With instant messaging fast becoming the next big communication tool at home and work, we must be aware of the security issues that exist, says Rob Jaques

Every organization should have some form of anti-virus system up and running, reports Rob Jaques, but getting the best from it requires careful management

Keeping track of what software is being used when and where is a laborious task. So Julian Ashbourn looks at products that help companies tackle it

Peter Stephenson defines intrusion prevention and explains the disappointing market, where some products went wrong and what features are really working It is possible that the amount of spam is decreasing but anti-spam technology is far from being obsolete. Jon Tullett provides you with essential reviews Seeing a rainbow can evoke a feeling of placid contentment. Wouldn't it be nice if seeing your firewall evoked that same feeling? Ian Parsons gets you closer An exposed cut takes longer to heal if you do not disinfect and protect it, and exposed machines are equally vulnerable. Eric Doyle reviews quality band-aids