Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Security Standards

Security standards refer to a set of guidelines, best practices, and specifications established to help 
organizations and individuals protect their information, assets, and systems from various security threats and vulnerabilities. These standards are developed and maintained by various organizations, government agencies, and industry groups to ensure that security measures are consistent, effective, and up-to-date. 

Here are some notable security standards:

ISO 27001: The ISO/IEC 27001 standard provides a framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an Information Security Management System (ISMS) within the context of an organization's overall business risks.

NIST Cybersecurity Framework: Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States, this framework offers guidance on managing and reducing cybersecurity risk. It's widely used by organizations to improve their cybersecurity posture.

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard): This standard is aimed at organizations that handle credit card payments. It outlines security requirements for protecting cardholder data and is essential for businesses that process credit card transactions.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): HIPAA sets security and privacy standards for protecting patients' healthcare information. It is crucial for healthcare providers, insurers, and organizations that handle patient data.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): GDPR is a European Union regulation that governs data protection and privacy for individuals within the EU. It has a global impact as many companies worldwide must comply with its requirements when handling EU citizens' data.

CIS (Center for Internet Security) Controls: CIS provides a set of prioritized actions for organizations to improve their cybersecurity posture. The CIS Controls are divided into three categories: basic, foundational, and organizational, each with specific recommendations.

FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act): In the United States, FISMA establishes security standards and guidelines for federal agencies and their contractors. It focuses on protecting government information systems.

BSI IT-Grundschutz: This German standard provides guidance for implementing information security measures. It's widely used in German-speaking countries and covers various aspects of information security.

COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies): Developed by ISACA, COBIT provides a framework for governing and managing enterprise IT. It includes guidance on IT security and risk management.

OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project): While not a formal standard, OWASP provides a list of the top web application security risks and offers guidance on mitigating these risks. It's widely used in the software development community.

FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards): These are a set of standards published by the U.S. government for various information security-related purposes, including encryption and cryptographic algorithms.

SOC (Service Organization Control) Reports: Developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), SOC reports are used to evaluate the controls at service organizations that may impact the security, availability, and processing integrity of data.

These security standards help organizations mitigate risks, protect sensitive data, and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Organizations often choose the standards that are most relevant to their industry and specific security needs. Additionally, compliance with these standards can provide a competitive advantage and build trust with customers and partners.

Security Standards (27K)
This is an informational, non-commercial website dedicated to promoting the latest international standards for Information Security Management Systems, the ISO/IEC 27000-family (“ISO27k”). - iso27001security.com/

The ISO27k standards provide best practice guidance on protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information on which we all depend. Three standards in the series are already released and publicly available:ISO 27001, the Information Security Management System certification standard;
ISO 27002 (previously known as BS 7799-1 and ISO 17799), the code of practice for information security management; and
ISO 27006, a guide to the ISMS certification process for certification bodies.
Several other ISO27k standards are currently in preparation.
More than 3,600 organizations have been certified against ISO 27001 worldwide with many thousands more using ISO 27002 as the basis for their Information Security Management Systems.

I wish You Great Success.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Biometrics


Biometrics refers to the measurement and statistical analysis of people's unique physical and behavioral characteristics. It is used primarily for identification and authentication purposes. Biometric systems are designed to recognize and verify individuals based on these unique traits.

Biometric technologies are widely used in various industries, including finance, healthcare, law enforcement, and border control, as well as in consumer devices like smartphones and laptops for authentication purposes. As technology continues to advance, biometrics is likely to play an increasingly significant role in security.

Biometric systems offer several advantages, such as enhanced security, convenience, and the ability to provide non-repudiation (meaning it's difficult for someone to deny their actions). However, there are also concerns related to privacy, potential misuse, and the security of biometric data. 

The question is are you ready for biometric authentication?–thumb prints, iris scans, hand geometry, what ever. 
Electronic manufacturers could settle on a highly-secure standard and implement that technology across the board–computers, automobiles, ATMs, doors, and so forth. Do you mind pairing your thumb print with a single password or pin.

The readiness of users for biometric technologies varies widely and is influenced by factors such as cultural norms, privacy concerns, and familiarity with the technology. Generally, there has been increasing acceptance and adoption of biometric systems, especially in certain contexts like smartphone authentication (e.g., fingerprint and facial recognition) and government-issued identity documents. However, there are also challenges and considerations to address.

Here are some factors influencing user readiness for biometrics:

Familiarity and Convenience:
Users often embrace biometrics when it offers a convenient and user-friendly alternative to traditional authentication methods. Technologies like fingerprint recognition on smartphones have become widely accepted due to their ease of use.

Security Concerns:
While biometrics offer enhanced security, concerns about the potential misuse or compromise of biometric data can lead to resistance. Users may worry about the security of their biometric information, especially in the event of a data breach.

Privacy Issues:
Privacy is a significant factor affecting user readiness. Some individuals are cautious about sharing their biometric data, fearing unauthorized access or tracking. It's crucial for organizations to address privacy concerns and implement robust security measures to protect biometric data.

I wish You Great Success.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Web Statistics

The most important thing for you to know is how many people are coming to your site -- and what they're doing there. But discovering this information is trickier than you may think, even when you have a comprehensive stat package, like Google Analytics. That's because there are a number of different stats you can look at -- and they all tell you different things.

1. Hits: Your "hits" count is the LEAST reliable statistic available. Hits occur any time someone downloads a file from the server hosting your website. But most web pages are made up of more than one file. A "hit" could be anything from a banner ad... a graphic... a digital photo... or the web page itself.Some of your web pages might register as two hits. Some might count as twenty! That's why we don't recommend you track your hits. They simply aren't a good way to measure how many people are coming to your site.

2. Page ViewsPage views: This give you a better idea of the level of activity on your site. They show you how many of  your web pages are being viewed by your visitors. However, to make this kind of information meaningful, you have to think of it in terms of relative numbers instead of absolutes. Discovering your site received 20,000-page views in a week doesn't tell you a whole lot. 
But knowing your site had 4.29 page views per visitor during that week tells you a lot more. You now know that your visitors clicked to four different pages on your site (on average). 
This gives you an idea of how "sticky" your site is.

3. Unique visitors, or visits: This stat is most likely to equal a real person on your site. But even it 
doesn't tell you exactly how many people are coming to your site.For example, let's say a bunch of your visitors are using the same computer in a library or online cafe. Because they're all coming from the same IP address, all those visitors will be counted as one person. Still, it's as accurate a count as you're going to get. New visitors, these are visitors who have never come to your site before. 
Or have they?
It's possible the same people are coming to your site from different IP addresses, and therefore being counted as "new." Maybe they're using a different computer or using IP "masking" software that shows them coming from a rotating number of different IP addresses.

4. Returning visitors: This is a good number to keep your eye on. It tells you what percentage of your visitors have been to your site before. If they're coming back, it's a good sign that they like what they're finding on your site. So generally speaking, the higher the percentage of returning visitors, the "stickier" your site is the Average time on site. This shows you how long your visitors tend to stay on your site. If the average time is less than a minute, then clearly your visitors aren't finding what they're looking for on your site. If they stick around for five or more minutes, however, they're obviously finding something to interest them.

5. Percentage of sales per visit: When it comes to stats, this one is KING. It tells you what percentage of your visitors are actually buying from you. If you only track one number, this is the one to watch. 
Clearly you want to do whatever you can to make that number go up!

6. Referring sites: These numbers show you where your traffic is coming from. This information is essential for your traffic generation strategies. Focus on the traffic sources that are giving you the highest visitor/sales conversion rates. Are they search engines? Affiliates? Article directories? Spend more time getting MORE traffic coming from those places.

7. Top keywords: Most stats analysis packages will tell you which keywords are generating the 
highest-converting traffic for you.Be sure to doublecheck them with a keyword research tool like 
Wordtracker. You'll want to make sure lots of people are actually doing searches on those keywords. You don't want to waste your time optimizing your site for keywords no one is 
searching on!

If you're just starting out and need to know the basics about your site, this should give you a good start.

I wish You Great Success.

Monday, June 04, 2007

Quantum Relationship

The theory of relationship is to enhance the quality of your life and the life of othersand it suggest that the more discomfort you can handle the more success you will experience. Life is supposed to be adventurous, When you understand how to influence others and the environment you begin to expand the influence you have in life.

Robert collier noted; 
"The primal cause is mind. Everything must start with an idea. Every event, every condition, 
everything is first an idea in the mind." it is so basic that I think sometimes we forget that 
our minds are the starting point of all creation.

Ernest Holmes also noted; 
"Every person is surrounded by a thought atmosphere and through this power we are either attracting or repelling. Like attracts like and we attract just what we are in mind."

The point is that when we are relaxed and thinking about pure thoughts we receive pure answers. 
If we are relaxed and we are thinking about what we want in life we will receive an answer that is of pure desire.

Desperation is negative energy and that negative energy is what creates repulsion. This is why it is called the paradoxical intent, we must be in balance. It really is very simple to understand, but for many it could be very hard to get. 

We are all made of the same ingredients, in other words we all have a spiritual nature, physical nature and mental nature. We are also emotional and social beings who want to establish connection with those around themselves and with their environment. These Pillars were created for the purpose of creating harmony in your life.

We all have the ability to influence the world in big ways, but it is only those who are bold enough to take a stab at influencing themselves and others, they are the ones who will make a difference in the world.

If we want to experience life in ways that supports value, honor, and dignity we must act in ways that support value, honor and dignity. Here is where I think we find ourselves in terms of who we really are. This is also one of the most difficult areas of life that most people have to unravel.


In short, . Use what you learn and life will give you rewards beyond your wildest dreams.  but no one ever said life was going to be easy

I wish You Great Success.