Security

As National Security and Privacy lead for Microsoft Canada, my job is to keep on top of the security threat landscape. And in order to do this I need to be in dialogue with Microsoft's customers and partners - only then can Microsoft advance best practices and keep everyone safe.

One way we have done this at Microsoft is to send out our Security Newsletter. Recently, we addressed the challenges of a mobile workforce, the improvements to Win 7, and the ongoing relevance of education.

The mobility challenge Before enabling mobile workers with remote access to data on corporate networks, organizations need to implement a stronger IT process combined with a higher level of security awareness training for all employees.

One way for businesses to improve connectivity and efficiency is to look for a solution that delivers enhanced security features specifically tailored for the mobile workers. For instance, IT departments can simplify connectivity and security policies by establishing a single set of rules for both remote clients and clients that are physically connected to the corporate network. They can also know that these rules are suitably applied.

And IT departments should source a solution that provides users with a security layer that offers full access to their corporate resources without having to manually create a VPN tunnel. This enables IT departments to push out updates and policies to mobile workers quickly and efficiently because their PCs can be accessed more frequently.

Your feedback has made Win 7
better Security is one of the key pillars of Windows 7. Customer and partner feedback has helped Microsoft to improve the product in a number of ways. For example, Windows 7 helps you implement policies to better meet regulatory compliance and corporate requirements. It does this with less manual work through management platform integration and available Solution Accelerators.
Encryption can be automatically enforced by Group Policy to help prevent sensitive information on PC hard drives and removable drives from falling into the wrong hands. Group Policies can also help you control which external devices can be connected to a Windows 7-based PC.

As well, BitLocker(tm) Drive Encryption and Bitlocker To Go helps you ensure that sensitive data is protected in your organization, right out of the box.

And AppLocker provides a flexible rules-based structure to specify which applications are available to which end users, reducing the need for you to modify settings after an application update.

I would highly encourage you to visit the Microsoft TechNet website for more information on Windows 7 Security Enhancements.

All about education
Online training is an efficient way to invest in security processes, and a lot of it can be had for little or no cost, including some of the training seminars offered by Microsoft.

Microsoft knows that security is not a "nice to have". This is why we are offering so many resources to make sure you are as protected as possible. It is also why we want to keep the conversation going. Feel free to drop me a line at: cdnsec@microsoft.com.