The Connectivity Center Aims to Improve Computer Network and Information Security

    HUNTSVILLE, AL, May 07, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The attention being paid today to computer network and information security is ever-present. High-profile news stories, and even the priorities of national defense and democratic elections, are surrounded by questions of computers and security. It is, perhaps, the biggest story of our age, and almost certainly the issue with the widest footprint.

Yet, for all this priority and profile, computer network and information security currently carries with it a huge, inviting gap. While mysterious, remote, and invisible threats occupy the center of our attention, Internet experts of every kind are recruited hungrily by corporations, governments, and enterprises all over the world to bolster computer network and information security against the likes of hackers. However, the Achilles heel, the unnoticed vulnerability in this whole picture, is the one element that's visible and tangible – the USB data ports and unlocked cable connections that are hiding in plain sight. There are literally more ports and connections in the world than there are computers, and all but a precious few are unguarded.

Even the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is Vulnerable

It was widely reported in 2011 that, as part of a study, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security randomly dropped USB and optical drives in government and private contractor parking lots – and more than half of those who picked one up readily plugged it into their work computer. Bloomberg News reported that 60% of those workers and contractors who picked up the drives plugged them into office computers. The report also said that 90% of found drives stamped with official government logos were plugged in.

Clearly, this proves the viability of attacking computer network and information security with the simplest-possible approach. As to the reasons why professionals could be so careless, it seems that an element of human nature includes seeing oneself as an exception – or seeing this instance as an exception. That, evidently, is all the permission that people need to plug an unidentified flash drive into even the most "secure" computer network.

The lesson here is that intentional attacks are far from the only way that sinister viruses and malware come into data ports. In fact, intentional attacks are most likely the minority.

The broader threat is unintentional. A thumb drive that gets used at home and then at work brings with it anything the home computer might have picked up along the way in the form of bugs and bleeps from the vast Petri dish of the Internet.

USB flash drives are not, by any means, the only devices that serve as carriers of computer viruses and malware. A smart phone that was synced to the home computer brings these viruses and malware to work just as thoroughly, and if an employee plugs in at work to charge, then the viruses and malware find a new home at the office.

Computer Network and Information Security Measures You Can See

Fortunately, the missing computer network and information security measures that prevent these pernicious attacks and casual carelessness are just as visible as the threat. The Connectivity Center deploys an evolving array of USB port blockers, network port locks, fiber optic port locks, and dozens of other devices that overcome these threats of attack or infection.

The Smart Keeper® series offers port blocking with the additional feature of serialized keys that enable access only from authorized users. With Smart Keeper, you can make sure that access goes only to those persons with "need to know" and "need to use" authority within your organization, without the expense and complication of Network Access Controls.

The cables that connect computers in your network are another point of vulnerability, because a malicious user can unplug a device from the opposite end of a tethered cable. With Link Lock connectors from The Connectivity Center, this other way into your network can be effectively secured. Adding yet another layer of computer network and information security is the Link Lock Hub, which not only serves as a secure USB hub for your attached USB device, but also locks your devices so that they cannot be removed without authorized access.

The Connectivity Center reminds you that without securing the ports and connectors within your computer network, your cyber-security profile cannot come close the 360-degree computer network and information security protection demanded by today's environment. And this is just one part of the product portfolio and the programs we offer. Our history and heritage bring quality, value, variety, and versatility to the present moment in this data-rich world. Let's get acquainted and go to work.

About The Connectivity Center

The Connectivity Center is a supplier of some of the leading physical cyber security and AV connection technologies. The company is especially known for its Smart Keeper series – a portfolio of physical data security products. The Connectivity Center brand prides itself in quality, value, variety, and versatility. We want to be a one stop shop for most of your connectivity needs and we love to serve our partners in this evolving industry.

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