Application List Archives - Foster Institute https://fosterinstitute.com/tag/application-list/ Cybersecurity Experts Thu, 28 Apr 2016 13:00:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 https://fosterinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Favicon.png Application List Archives - Foster Institute https://fosterinstitute.com/tag/application-list/ 32 32 Security Version 2.0 https://fosterinstitute.com/security-version-2-0/ Thu, 28 Apr 2016 13:00:20 +0000 https://fosterinstitute.com/blog//?p=2306 Here is another powerful way to strengthen security – upgrade to the newest versions. Just like last week, your key tool will be your application inventory. It will look something like this… The application inventory shows how many machines have a specific program installed on them, such as: Qty – Application 18 – Adobe Flash […]

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]]> Here is another powerful way to strengthen security – upgrade to the newest versions. Just like last week, your key tool will be your application inventory. It will look something like this…

The application inventory shows how many machines have a specific program installed on them, such as:

Qty – Application
18 – Adobe Flash Player version 11
22 – Adobe Flash Player version 16
79 – Adobe Flash Player version 20
29 – Mozilla Firefox version 38.0.1
99 – Mozilla Firefox version 44.0.2

Your list will be longer.

Notice that there are three versions of Adobe Flash Player and two versions of Firefox.

As you can imagine, more recent versions of software are generally the most secure. Most organizations such as Adobe and Mozilla recommend that you always use the most recent versions of their tools.

Using the most secure versions of applications is especially important for programs that interface directly to the Internet, such as Flash, Java, and your browsers.

Ask your IT Professionals to update, when possible, those kind of applications. Then, they can show you an updated application inventory report, one that shows the machines being all up-to-date. And, you’ll be able to sleep better at night.

Please forward this email message to everyone you care about…

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]]> Smooth and Slippery for IT Security https://fosterinstitute.com/smooth-and-slippery-for-it-security/ Thu, 21 Apr 2016 13:00:16 +0000 https://fosterinstitute.com/blog//?p=2298 When talking about security, a good example is the large polished stainless steel sculpture commonly known as The Bean. If someone wanted to climb the bean, they would quickly find that the smooth surface provides no place to get a foothold. Make your computers like The Bean. Every single program installed on your computers provides […]

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]]> When talking about security, a good example is the large polished stainless steel sculpture commonly known as The Bean. If someone wanted to climb the bean, they would quickly find that the smooth surface provides no place to get a foothold. Make your computers like The Bean. Every single program installed on your computers provides a potential toe-hold that an attacker can use to access your systems. The key is to ask your IT Professionals for a summarized application inventory. That inventory needs to provide a list showing the number of computers – then the application:

Qty – Application
79 – Adobe Flash Player
84 – Microsoft Office Standard
99 – Mozilla Firefox
10 – WinPcap
25 – WinZip
And your list will be much longer…

To make your systems more secure, look through the list, and identify the applications that are essential to your doing business. Then, ask your IT Pro to remove anything that is not essential.

As you remove the non-essential programs, you make your network more secure. The fewer toe-holds, the more like The Bean, the more secure you will be.

Forward this…

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