Scorpion Software Blog

Don't gamble on your security. Come to SMBNation in Las Vegas instead.

So recently at an event in Vancouver I had demonstrated the security benefits of Windows 7, and showed how well AuthAnvil works with it. I have had several people who aren't in the Vancouver area who asked if I will be doing that again in other cities, and I am pleased to let you know that I will.

I will be speaking in a couple of sessions at SMBNation in Las Vegas in the first week of October. Included in those sessions will be discussion on security in Windows 7, from Direct Access to UAC policy control with Susan Bradley and Oliver Sommers. I will also be doing a session on Microsoft Virtualization with Wayne Small, where we will talk about securing HyperV infrastructure with SCVMM and the likes of the Authorization Manager. We may even demonstrate how you can add AuthAnvil two-factor authentication to protect those HyperV servers.

With me are some of my MVP peers like Wayne Small, Susan Bradley, Charlie Russel, Eriq Neale and Oliver Sommer, just to name a few. I plan to carry around my digital camera and do hope to catch some of you in the hallways talking with us!!

So if you want to learn about security in the world of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft's virtualization stack, head over to Vegas October 2nd through 4th. (Like you need an excuse). And please make sure you come introduce yourself. I always love to meet new people! And anyone who shows me their AuthAnvil SoftToken in front of their peers is in for special surprise. ;-)

I know that Harry's early bird special pricing for SMBNation ended today, but I heard a rumor that he is extending it one more day. So head on over and register in the next 24 hours and save yourself a boatload of cash. That way, instead of gambling on your security you can learn from us, and then use that saved money for the tables at Vegas!

See you there!

Poor Password Management Eclipses Virus Problem

According to a recent Channel Insider/CompTIA survey, solution providers say there’s one problem bigger than the out-of-date antivirus. That’s poor password management. In 43 percent of security assessments, solution providers say they find poor password policies, enforcement and practices.

During a security panel Larry Walsh conducted at Breakaway, one of his panelists said that one medical practice he serves recognized the need for strong password policies and required each user to have a strong, mixed alphanumeric password for different applications and resources. The only problem was that this led to “sunflowers,” or users—including the practice’s owner—adorning their monitors with Post-it notes with scribbled passwords.

What I really liked about Larry's article about the survey was when he goes on to say:

Password management isn’t trivial. In fact, it’s hard because it’s both a technical and a human issue. As the solution providers on my CompTIA panel said, it’s up to solution providers to provide the guidance and tools to end users on how to improve their password management. Sometimes it’s just simple common sense - like never write down a password on a Post-it note and stick it to your monitor - or establishing policies and automated systems for forcing password rotation. Of course, password management is also a good excuse to talk about such things as single sign-on and multifactor authentication systems.

Isn't that so true? In AuthAnvil v3, we now include a powerful yet simple Self-Service Portal that makes strong authentication management quite trivial. Your users can take care of much of it themselves, from activating SoftTokens and resetting their PIN, right down to resyncing themselves and reporting lost or stolen tokens. And did I mention its FREE to all our customers?

Interested in learning more or seeing it in action? Let's Talk.