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  • Origin Storage 16:41 on 31/01/2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , personal data, theft   

    NHS Trust faces £350k fine following hard disk theft 

    Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust faces huge fine – nearly three times the previous record – after stolen hard disks containing patient data were sold on eBay

    An NHS Trust in Brighton faces a fine of £350,000 after hard drives containing patient data were stolen and sold on auction website eBay.

    According to the Argus Newspaper , 232 hard drives were stolen from PCs that were kept in a locked store room at Brighton General Hosptial. Four of the drives were later sold on eBay. The buyer informed Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust of the incident, and a later investigation revealed the extent of the theft.

    The Information Commissioner’s Office said the Trust’s failure to protect its patients’ data was likely to “cause substantial distress to data subjects whose personal and highly sensitive personal data has been taken by an individual who had not right to see that information”.

    The ICO has served the Trust with notice of the £350,000 fine. If upheld, it would be almost three times the current record, a £130,000.00 fine handed to Powys County Council last month. The council had accidentally posted details of a child protection case to the wrong recipients after they were picked up from a shared printer.

     
  • Origin Storage 15:06 on 30/01/2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , WES   

    Wave Launches Premier Cloud-Based Encryption Management Service for Centralized Data Protection 

    Easily Deployed and Managed, Wave Encryption Service Delivers a Class of Data Protection Once Reserved Only for Large Corporations

    LEE, MA–(Marketwire – January 30, 2012) – Wave Systems Corp. has launched Wave Encryption Service (WES), a scalable, yet powerful subscription-based service for data protection. Able to be deployed quickly and managed efficiently on demand, Wave’s new service allows organizations to centrally enforce strong data encryption policies on laptops across the organization to secure data and meet compliance regulations — without the complexity and cost associated with an on-premise solution.

    WES manages a variety of client encryption solutions, including folder-level software encryption and Microsoft Bitlocker®. Notably, WES is the only Cloud-based service for managing Opal self-encrypting drives (SEDs), which offer security and performance benefits over other forms of encryption.

    The service has earned favorable marks from one of its first customers. Salisbury Bank deployed the service in late 2011 for laptops used by the sales force and executive team. Salisbury Bank is a full-service community bank headquartered in Northwestern Connecticut, with locations in Western Massachusetts and in New York.

    “What we really like about Wave Encryption Service is the simplicity it brings to protecting data on our laptops. It’s easy to set up, use and administer,” said Todd Clinton, Salisbury Bank’s Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer.

    Clinton noted the easy-to-navigate console, which lets him set up alerts and run monthly reports on noteworthy events, such as the encryption status for specific computers by location. He also noted that the WES implementation helped the bank earn favorable marks during a recent independent security audit.

    In addition to cost, scalability was important to Clinton.

    “We evaluated solutions from other vendors,” he said, “but most had strict minimum seat requirements that we just didn’t meet. So the choice was pretty easy — plus Wave gave us the flexibility to manage multiple types of encryption as our needs change.”

    Clinton is using WES to manage file and folder encryption for now, but he anticipates adding SEDs on new platforms in the future.

    Brian Berger, Wave’s Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales, noted that WES is an option for both small and medium businesses and the enterprise.

    “Some data protection laws on the state and federal level mandate encryption at the endpoint, no matter how big or small the business or the size of its IT budget,” Berger said. “The Wave Encryption Service is designed to provide the same compliance-grade security of an on-premise solution, without the complexity or cost. It can eliminate the need to install or maintain third-party software and can be implemented securely in the Cloud. We believe it is an ideal alternative for the cost-conscious SMB and the enterprise.”

    The Wave Encryption Service Advantage:

    • On-demand encryption management. Simply point and click
    • Automatic configuration of leading encryption technologies via a single Web interface:
      • SEDs from all the leading storage vendors
      • Microsoft BitLocker – Microsoft’s encryption application included in Windows 7.
      • File and folder encryption
    • Business ready with pre-configured compliance security policies
    • Transparent to users.
    • Optimized for business with subscription-based payment options

    More details on WES are available here.

    About Wave Systems
    Wave Systems Corp. reduces the complexity, cost and uncertainty of data protection by starting inside the device. Unlike other vendors who try to secure information by adding layers of software for security, Wave leverages the security capabilities built directly into endpoint computing platforms themselves. Wave has been a foremost expert on this growing trend, leading the way with first-to-market solutions and helping shape standards through its work as a board member for the Trusted Computing Group.

    Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), including all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) the company’s financing plans; (ii) trends affecting the company’s financial condition or results of operations; (iii) the company’s growth strategy and operating strategy; and (iv) the declaration and payment of dividends. The words “may,” “would,” “will,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend” and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company’s ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Wave assumes no duty to and does not undertake to update forward-looking statements.

    All brands are the property of their respective owners.

     
  • Origin Storage 17:12 on 27/01/2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    Thecus N8900 Review – PC Pro 

    Intel’s Atom has outgrown its usefulness in the business NAS appliance market, with manufacturers moving to more powerful Core i3 processors. Qnap set the ball rolling last month with the A-Listed TS-879, and now Thecus joins in with the N8900.

    Along with a fast 3.3GHz Core i3-2120 processor, it has 8GB of DDR3 memory and supports 6Gbits/sec SATA III hard disks. Supplied to us by Origin Storage, our review system had eight 3TB Hitachi SATA III drives, which looks good for the price.

    Thecus’s Setup Wizard provides quick access to the main web interface, where you start by creating your RAID arrays. If you want a single 24TB array, select XFS, as EXT4 only supports 16TB.

    We came across an annoying problem at this stage: the RAID wizard provides a slider bar to set the percentage of the array to be kept back for iSCSI targets, but this refused to move. After talking to Origin’s helpful support, it transpired that Thecus has changed the way arrays are created, but not updated the management interface or its confusing and poorly translated manual.

    The upshot is you don’t need to set aside space for iSCSI targets anymore. The N8900 uses the same method that Qnap and Synology have always adhered to, where targets are simply created within the chosen array.

    We also had problems setting up the N8900 for 10GbE testing. The review system came with a dual-port Emulex card, but we found this isn’t supported. The card is hard-set to use a PCI Express x8 slot, but the only available slot is x4.

    Fortunately, our testing kit includes dual-port Intel 10GbE cards that worked fine, and the N8900 proceeded to deliver superb performance. With a direct connection to a Dell R515 server equipped with a 10GbE Emulex card, we saw Iometer return a raw read speed for a mapped share of 540MB/sec.

    We then direct-attached a Broadberry dual-Opteron 4100 server to the second port, and with Iometer running on both systems we recorded a cumulative raw read throughput of 1,016MB/sec. Real world copies using drag and drop were also swift, with a 2.52GB video clip returning 287MB/sec for both read and write operations.

    IP SAN performance is excellent as well, with a 100GB target assigned to the Dell server delivering a raw read speed of 112MB/sec over Gigabit. Swapping over to 10GbE saw Iometer report a huge read speed of 780MB/sec, with drag-and-drop file copies returning to 500MB/sec.

    Business backup options aren’t as good as those from Qnap or Synology, with no cloud features or support for hosted services such as Amazon’s S3. The single-user copy of Acronis True Image Personal is of limited value as it doesn’t support Windows Server, and you have to upgrade to get features such as scheduling, disk cloning and incremental backups.

    The N8900 is easily the fastest 2U rack NAS appliance we’ve tested, and the 24TB model is excellent value. It can also be upgraded with a selection of freely available modules, but we can’t help thinking Thecus should have sorted out the web interface and user manual before rushing it to market.

    Read more: Thecus N8900 review | Storage appliances | Enterprise | Reviews | PC Pro http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/storage-appliances/372421/thecus-n8900#ixzz1kgAgdEdA

     
  • Origin Storage 16:50 on 24/01/2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , ,   

    Thecus Release New 2 & 4 Bay NAS for Consumers and SMB’s 

    With 2.13GHz Intel Atom CPU and HDMI and USB 3.0 output

    Thecus Corporation the N2800, the successor of the N2200XXX.

    Keeping the SD card reader and LED design, the N2800 has been tweaked after user’s demands.

    It is be one of the first Intel Atom N2700 based NAS and multimedia oriented. You can connect it to the TV of the living room to play HD content and/or use it as a backup center for a couple of computers in your small office.

    On its side the N4800 has 2GB of DDR3 RAM. This NAS is for SMBs in need of centralized storage, application serving, and top-notch response time within multi-user environments. For the more demanding users, the N4800 will also have its use at home.

    USB 3.0: from optional to mandatory
    Thecus already launched NAS compatible with USB 3.0 for early adopters. Now that the technology has matured and more USB 3.0 devices exist on the market, it is embedded by default. The N2800 has one USB 3.0 port, which are at least 10 times faster than USB 2.0.

    3rd generation Intel Atom CPU
    New Intel Atom CPUs are designed to work without fans. This will reduce noise and power consumption of the NAS. Associated with amounts of DDR3, those Atom will provide better performance. Reaching the limits of Gigabit bandwidth on a ‘small NAS’ is already possible, thanks to the N2200XXX. It gives you also multi-users environment, web hosting, backup, data encryption, application serving, RAID computations and HD multimedia streaming, thanksto multi-tasking.

    HDMI output
    After installing the proper module, plug a screen on HDMI output, a mouse and keyboard on USB ports. You don’t need computer anymore to check on your NAS. You can for instance directly watch videos or browse Internet from your NAS to your compatible device. For small installations and/or mobile users, this feature is designed to lower the TCO of the network architecture.

    Specifications of N2800

    • Intel Atom 3rd Generation at 2.13GHz
    • 2GB of DDR3
    • USB 3.0 port
    • HDMI output
    • SD/SDHC/MMC card reader

    Specifications of N4800

    • Intel Atom 3rd Generation at 2.13GHz
    • 2GB of DDR3
    • USB 3.0 port x2
    • Backup Battery Mini-UPS
    • HDMI output
    • OLED Screen
     
  • Origin Storage 16:26 on 19/01/2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , mobile encryption   

    Goverment take action taken after care provider lost unencrypted memory stick 

    A care provider with offices in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man has taken action to improve its data protection practices following a joint ruling by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Office of the Data Protection Supervisor (ODPS) for the Isle of Man.

    Praxis Care Limited breached both the UK Data Protection Act and the Isle of Man Data Protection Act by failing to keep peoples’ data secure. An unencrypted memory stick, containing personal information relating to 107 Isle of Man residents and 53 individuals from Northern Ireland, was lost on the Isle of Man in August 2011. Some of the information was sensitive and related to individuals’ care and mental health.

    The device has not been recovered. However, Praxis has informed all affected individuals about the loss and no complaints have been received by the regulators.

    The company has now commited to making sure that all portable devices used to store personal data are encrypted. Any personal information that is no longer needed will also be disposed of securely in line with the company’s updated data security guidance.

    Christopher Graham, UK Information Commissioner, said:

    “Carrying people’s personal information around on an unencrypted memory stick is clearly unacceptable. The fact that some of the personal details stored on the device were out of date and so surplus to requirements makes this breach all the more concerning.

    “The ICO will continue to work closely with other data protection regulators where it is clear that a data breach extends across national boundaries.”

    Iain McDonald, Isle of Man Data Protection Supervisor, said:

    “Today’s joint action aims to send a clear message to organisations that a lax attitude to data security will not be tolerated by either the ODPS or the ICO. We will continue to work with regulators in other countries to ensure that our residents’ personal information is protected.”

    A further undertaking has also been signed by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). The undertaking – agreed with the ICO – follows the loss of up to 30 membership forms on a train in May. The organisation didn’t have a policy in place for handling personal data outside of the office at the time of the incident. The CIPR has now agreed to review its new data protection policy and make sure that it is communicated to staff by the end of February.

     
  • Origin Storage 11:02 on 17/01/2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,   

    Origin Storage Hard Drive Update 

    Welcome to Origin’s Updatte on the On-going hard drive shortage

    There seems to be a lot of mixed messages on the on-going shortages of Hard Drives, and verifying some reports are becoming very difficult.

    We are seeing an ease on supply; on certain lines; but believe the next 6 – 9 months will certainly be challenging with some vendors still trying to profiteer from the shortages.

    Prices have stabilised with cost coming down slightly, and Information Technology research and advisory company Gartner’s are reporting that availability on drives will be down 25% over the next 6 – 9 months.

    Western Digital

    WD re-started production of hard drives on December 7th in one of its buildings in Bang Pa-in (BPI), Thailand, one week ahead of internal schedules. This facility had been submerged in some six feet of water since October 15th, the estate was pumped dry on November 17th, main power was restored on November 26th and production restarted November 30th

    All submerged slider manufacturing equipment from the BPI facilities has been removed for assessment, decontamination and refurbishment and has commenced decontamination and restoration of its remaining buildings in BPI

    WD expect to recommence head slider production in BPI by March 2012  and also begin production in a new WD slider fab location in Penang, Malaysia.

    The company’s other Thailand hard drive facilities at Navanakorn remain under approximately two feet of water. The industrial estate was pumped dry at the end of December at which point the work of decontamination and refurbishment commenced.

    Toshiba

    Have completed pumping water from the factory and the area surrounding the industrial park, and have restored lighting by generator.

    Alternative production is being done at Toshiba’s other sites, but the production volume is limited by available manufacturing capacity.

    The date and scale of resumption of normal operations is under consideration.

    As always, please feel free to contact us for any further information :-

    Andy Cordial – 01256 813988 — Richie Maure 01256 813986

    Andy Cordial

     
  • Origin Storage 09:57 on 17/01/2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ISSA, , , Trusted Computer Group   

    Trusted Computer Group & ISSA Membership 

    Origin Storage are members of both the Trusted Computer Group and ISSA

    The Trusted Computing Group (TCG) is a not-for-profit organization formed to develop, define and promote open, vendor-neutral, industry standards for trusted computing building blocks and software interfaces across multiple platforms.

    Trusted Computing is a category of technology developed and promoted by the Trusted Computing Group. The term is taken from the field of trusted systems.

    Trusted Computing is the industry’s answer to growing security problems in the enterprise and is based in a hardware root of trust. From this, enterprise systems, applications and networks can be made more secure.    With Trusted Computing, the computer or system will consistently behave in specific ways, and those behaviour’s will be enforced by hardware and software when the owner of those systems enables these technologieS.

    Trusted Computing technology will make computers safer, less prone to viruses and malware, and thus more reliable. In addition, Trusted Computing will allow computers systems  to offer improved security and efficiency.

    The Information Systems Security Association (ISSA)® is a not-for-profit, international organization of information security professionals and practitioners. It provides educational forums, publications, and peer interaction opportunities that enhance the knowledge, skill, of its members.

    The primary goal of the ISSA is to promote management practices that will ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information resources. The ISSA facilitates interaction and education to create a more successful environment for global information systems security and for the professionals involved.

    Members include practitioners at all levels of the security field in a broad range of industries such as communications, education, healthcare, manufacturing, financial, and government.

     
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