A review by John Breeden II of Government Computer News puts the CMS CE-Secure Vault flash drive through its paces.  Dropping, freezing, submerging and othervise torturing the drive, did not affect the safety of the data. John describes the features of the drive and voices his opinion on its suitability for the government.

Read the full story on GCN Here.

Or, download the PDF of the article.

Organizations are finally catching on to the benefits of Full Disk Encryption, known in other circles as Self Encrypting Drives (SED). The Opal standard, now supported by some major hard disk manufacturers such as Seagate, Toshiba and others, offers an industry standard encryption technology that safeguards sensitive information.

InformationWeek wrote a piece related to this subject that is a worthwhile read... download the PDF of the story here.

Since the appearance of this article, CMS Products has developed external Opal compliant drives providing safe transport of large volumes of sensitive data. Certain versions of these drives are compatible with management consoles of the various manufacturers (such as Wave Systems and WinMagic).

So your hard drive failed, now what?

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 Thailand Floods

I don’t know if you have been following the news lately, but the monsoonal flooding in Thailand has reached epic proportions and has had a disastrous effect on the availability of hard drives worldwide.  According to the IDG News Service, a number of electronics companies have halted production in Thailand, including Nidec which according to iSuppli supplies more than 70 percent of all global HDD motors, and is a supplier to major HDD manufacturers like Western Digital, Seagate, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Toshiba and Samsung.  Please refer to the attached link for one more story about this problem:

Reuters.com - Thai floods, hard drive shortage threaten PC sales - http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSTRE79K76Z20111021

The plants at Western Digital have been impacted the most, with reports of a 60% reduction in available product for this quarter.  This has obviously impacted WD's competitors as well as the simple laws of supply & demand has taken hold immediately.  Our hard drive costs have gone up about 40% in a week and this will have an immediate impact on our pricing to our partners and customers.  Large OEM accounts like HP, Dell and Lenovo will be impacted very soon, since virtually all systems need hard disk drives.

This means that it will be advantageous for you to take a thoughtful look at your requirements for this quarter and secure them with a purchase order so that we can secure the inventory at the best price possible.  Based on your input, we will put in a written quotation for product and our best estimate of shipping times to meet your needs based on receiving a purchase order for product.

Thank you for your loyalty and partnership during these difficult and trying times.

Into the Cloud

By Melissa Yee

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of hype about cloud computing. It has become the coolest new thing and many consumers and businesses have jumped aboard.  It has been projected that cloud computing is the future of back up storage. It seems relatively simple and likeable. Cloud storage offers many benefits, such as being able to gain access to your data from almost anywhere. It offers you complete mobility and you don’t have to worry about backups. This has led many people to jump on the band wagon and into the Cloud. You can share almost everything from songs, to watching movies, to writing documents, or managing your business. Cloud storage sure has its upsides, but there are a few things to consider before switching over.  

So what are the big differences between cloud and physical backup? Many believe that cloud storage saves you money. However, that is not always the case. Cloud services have monthly fees where as you pay one price for a physical back up. On the upside, Cloud services also do the hard work and constantly meet the needs of a growing business. It is easier for cloud servers to update their system. However, that doesn’t mean that your on-site backup method will become obsolete as your business grows. Pick and buy wisely when purchasing physical backup.

Some major concerns about cloud storage are security, accessibility, portability and the backup contents. Backing up your data to a cloud server takes your data out of your hands. Cloud servers promise that their systems have “hack proof” security. However, this won’t stop people from trying, and many so-called “secure sites” have been hacked… just look at the headlines. The best way to ensure your data is safe is to control it yourself.

Cloud storage does offer an advantage, easy mobility. You don’t need to carry a device with you as long as you have internet connection. However, moving all your information to a cloud server means you are dependent on that business. If that businesses server crashes, you will not be able to access any of your data. As long as that server is down you will not be able to run your business until their server is back up and running.

What can you backup to the cloud? Data. Data consists of all your user files, such as music, videos, documents and business information. What you cannot back up to cloud?; your whole computer. So this leaves installed programs, favorites and the entire Windows or Apple operating system out. In case of a problem due to a virus or hard drive crash, you first have to painstakingly rebuild the computer basics, install all of your applications, THEN start the recovery from the cloud.  This process could take many hours or even several days.

Why won't my computer turn on!?

You are ready to get some work done and you go to use your computer. You push the power button on and nothing happens! After a few tries it then begins to settle in that your computer might be dead. You start to panic and you can see all you’re data slipping away and gone forever. According to a survey conducted by New York-based OnTrack Data Recovery, more people commit some act of computer violence than call for help when faced with a crisis. Todd Johnson, VP of data recovery at Ontrack, said about 13 percent of survey participants said they attempt to sweet-talk their computers into coughing up any lost data. 

Managing online business requires different skills and abilities than managing a business in the ‘real world.’ Customers can easily detect the size and determine the prestige of a business when they have the ability to walk in and take a look around. Not only do ‘real-world’ furnishings and location tell the customer what level of professionalism to expect, but "real world" personal encounters allow first impressions to be determined by how the business approaches its customer service. When a customer walks into a retail business just about anywhere in the world, that customer expects prompt and personal service, especially with regards to questions that they may have about products they wish to purchase.

Customer service or the client service is the service provided to the customer for his satisfaction during and after the purchase. It is necessary to every business organization to understand the customer needs for value added service. So customer data collection is essential. For this, a good customer service is important. The easiest way to lose a client is because of the poor customer service. The importance of customer service changes by product, industry and customer. Client service is an important part of every business organization. Each organization is different in its attitude towards customer service. Customer service requires a superior quality service through a careful design and execution of a series of activities which include people, technology and processes. Good customer service starts with the design and communication between the company and the staff.

In some ways, the lack of a physical business location allows the online business some leeway that their ‘real world’ counterparts do not enjoy. Location is not important, furnishings are not an issue, and most of the visual first impression is made through the professional design of the business website.

However, one thing still remains true. Customers will make their first impressions on the customer service they encounter. Unfortunately, in online business there is no opportunity for front- line staff to make a good impression. Every interaction the customer has with the website will be their primary means of making their first impression towards the business and its client service. Good customer service in any online business is a direct result of good website design and planning.

By Jayashree Pakhare (buzzle.com)