Insight eNews

A Monthly Newsletter from AVF Consulting, Inc.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV Solution Center &

 Microsoft Gold Certified Partner

September 2006

In this edition:

From the President: Good Riddance, Getting Ex-Users Out of Your Systems

Product Focus: Checks by Deluxe

Tip or Trick: Entering a Date

AVF News:  Serenic Customer Conference and AVF's IT Services!

From the President: Andrew Fass

Good Riddance! Getting Ex-Users Out of Your Systems
Avoid security lapses by making sure you delete passwords, security codes and other access routes whenever employees leave your company.

When a vice president of mergers and acquisitions for financial services firm Morgan Stanley left the company, neither he nor the IT department thought much about the BlackBerry handheld computer he'd used on the job. The VP took out the battery and threw the device in a drawer; later, thinking it was basically worthless, he posted it for sale "as is" on eBay, without cable, cradle or software.

The BlackBerry sold for $15.50 to a computer consultant who found, after installing a new battery, that it wasn't exactly worthless. The device still retained contact information for some 1,000 people, including names and home phone numbers of high-ranking Morgan Stanley executives. It also housed e-mails containing confidential information about clients and personal e-mails revealing the VP's IRA account numbers and other sensitive data.

When you hire new employees, you want them to get busy as quickly as possible, so you probably issue access cards, security passwords, computers, mobile devices and log-on information right away. But chances are your IT staff isn't nearly as diligent about retrieving physical items and reversing access privileges when those same employees leave. As the Morgan Stanley tale illustrates, even large, security-conscious organizations can get burned if they don't keep tabs on employee departures.

Momentum spoke with Michelle Drolet, CEO of Holliston, Massachusetts-based security products and services firm Conqwest, about some techniques for preventing security lapses caused—intentionally or accidentally—by former authorized users. Her recommendations:

1. Make a departure checklist. Think about all the ways in which employees and other users gain access to the company—its physical location, its computer system, its phone system—and compile a list of items to collect. Whenever an employee or contractor leaves the company, voluntarily or not, make sure that both your IT and your HR people account for every item issued to that person, including access cards, keys, computers, credit cards, cell phones and PDAs. If they're allowed to keep or buy the devices they've been using, make sure all confidential information has been removed. And remember to eliminate not only e-mail access but voice mail privileges as well.

2. Start the process long before people leave. In fact, begin when they arrive. Policies should be clearly spelled out on the day employees join the company so that they're not surprised by procedures when they depart. Update and disseminate a security policy regularly—at least quarterly, Drolet says. The document should include both usage policies (what can be downloaded to a corporate system) and password policies (how a password should be constructed and how frequently it must be changed).

3. Watch for "creeping identity." Say someone gets hired as a programmer, but before too long she gets promoted a couple of times and now she's doing pre-sales support. "That person's original access capabilities should be changed for every promotion," says Drolet. "Some of that access should be relinquished, but it never is."

4. Make sure the company owns the hardware. If you give employees laptops and cell phones, all the data on those devices belongs to the company. You may be tempted to cut corners on computer expenditures, especially for remote employees, by having them use their own equipment, but that approach can raise questions about data ownership. From a security standpoint, says Drolet, hardware ownership is the only way to conduct business. "You can monitor network traffic and lock the computers down," she says.

5. Remove hard drives before recycling. "You'd be surprised how many people contribute computers to charity without thinking about the hard drives," Drolet marvels. "Either destroy computers or remove the hard drives before you give them away."

All logical suggestions. If Morgan Stanley had adhered to them, its former employee would have had to relinquish that BlackBerry long before it resurfaced to haunt the company.

This article was found in Microsoft Momentum, a newsletter for mid-sized businesses, and was written by Howard Baldwin. For more information about how you can prevent security lapses, contact Rob Waples, AVF's IT Manager, at 443-279-1020 or rwaples@avfconsulting.com.

Product Focus: Checks by Deluxe

Checks by Deluxe for
Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Checks by Deluxe for Microsoft Dynamics takes the guess work out of selecting the appropriate checks and forms to complement your Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision) system. 

Checks by Deluxe products are tested and approved by Microsoft and backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee to be compatible with your Microsoft Dynamics NAV system.  Customers can choose from a wide variety of checks and forms all available in an assortment of colors and formats.

Placing orders or re-orders with Checks by Deluxe is fast and simple.

• Log on to Microsoftbusinesschecks.com

• Call toll free, 1-800-432-1281

• Send order by fax, 1-800-432-1283

• Send order by mail

• Don't forget to enter your priority code MM5423 when you order

Customer service representatives are available 24 hours a day Monday through Friday and 7:30am to 4pm on Saturdays to provide you with assistance when you need it most. 

As an AVF customer, don't forget to enter your priority service code to receive available discounts or special offers, MM5423. 

For more information about Checks by Deluxe or how to order click here or contact AVF's Customer Service Department at 410-296-5100. 

Tip or Trick

Entering a Date

Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision) users are often required to enter dates into the system on a regular basis.  Lucky for you, the system is very flexible in how you enter those dates.  Here are some valid entries in a date field to help make that process a bit faster and easier.

AVF News & Events

Attention Non-Profits: Serenic's Customer Conference, Explorations '06, will he held October 3rd through the 6th in Charlotte, NC.  The conference offers four different tracks for attendees to explore.  Serenic has planned activities to facilitate community networking and allow customers to have input with the Serenic team and their partners.  In addition, Serenic has planned a NASCAR event to incorporate local flavor.  There will be an AVF representative present at the conference to address any of your specific questions.  For more information click here and to register, log onto http://www.serenic.com/SerenicCorp/events/explorations.html.

Keep Your Business Running at Peak Performance, Let AVF Show You How: There have been many recent advances made in the world of server technology and AVF's IT Department can be your guide to all of them.  Having a quality server and properly designed infrastructure can provide your business with the security, dependability and speed you need to keep your business on top. AVF's IT department would be happy to provide your business with a FREE Site Survey Consultation or more information about the benefits of updating your server. Contact Rob Waples today at rwaples@avfconsulting.com or 410-296-5100.