Stories by Ashton Mills

Remote Desktop Software: Review

Remote desktop software is a linchpin for any IT department, so it's no wonder there's a wide range of products on offer to cater for different requirements and environments. And this only has become more integral over time as teleworking and the plethora of mobile devices has taken off. In many cases, an employee's job depends on being able to remotely access data at work, via secure shares, VPNs, or remote desktop software.

Ashton Mills | 21 Jul | Read more

Secure cloud backup : Review

To help you narrow down your options, here's our take on some of the more popular and well-known services, as well as some you may not have heard of. Use these as a springboard—again, there are plenty of other options out there—for your own research, and if you're not currently using a cloud backup service you may find reason to once you've seen what's on offer.

Ashton Mills | 30 Apr | Read more

Enterprise sync and share services

One of the fastest growing segments of the cloud landscape is file sync and share, extending cloud storage with collaborative capabilities to maximise employee productivity, all without sacrificing – as much as is possible – the need for security.

Ashton Mills | 05 Jan | Read more

Enterprise password managers

Password management is big business, and with good reason: the weakest link in your network's security is the human component -- the one that can succumb to social engineering, phishing, or inadvertently running the wrong program at the right time (for the keylogging malware, at least). And then there are passwords, the proverbial keys to the kingdom.

Ashton Mills | 04 Dec | Read more

Self-encrypting drives

As data becomes ever more mobile there's an increased risk that it can fall into the wrong hands. And, while there are many technologies to try and prevent this from happening, or tracking a device down if it's lost or stolen, the ultimate solution to data security is preventing it leaving the storage device in the first place.

Ashton Mills | 14 Nov | Read more

Secure web services

If there's one thing the Snowden leaks have shown us, it's that security and privacy are largely an illusion. Yet, it's still possible to make it harder not just for criminals and hackers but also questionable government agencies with the right tools. Unfortunately, one of the key programs we all use to interface with the net is also the one of the primary vectors of attack -- the humble web browser.

Ashton Mills | 21 Jul | Read more

Review: Security firewall distributions

Firewalls underpin the security of any network, controlling the flow of data in and out. Where once they were simple in premise and execution, today they are just one component of a collection of services to monitor, track, limit and sometimes alter data to ensure the security of a network.

Ashton Mills | 20 Feb | Read more

Endpoint Security Products: Part 1

In a sphere that changes as rapidly as security, it's no surprise that 'endpoint' as a definition is fluid. It is so new a sphere in the IT arsenal that not even the players who field endpoint products can agree on where the borders begin and end -- though naturally it encompasses their own core competency.

Ashton Mills | 21 Oct | Read more

WatchGuard XTM 2520

If, as we are often led to believe, colour really is an indication of speed then the WatchGuard XTM 2520 would have to be the fastest hardware firewall solution on the planet. Or at least, in the rack.

Ashton Mills | 28 Aug | Read more

Review: Linux Security Distributions

Where once Linux was relegated to long-bearded gurus sitting atop servers bathed in a the dull glow of fluorescent lighting, today it's much more hip and found in one form or another in most enterprises, even on the desktop, not to mention that it underpins the net as we know it today.

Ashton Mills | 21 Jun | Read more

Review: Mobile Device Management

With the rise of mobile computing -- first via laptops, then smartphones and now tablets -- the IT landscape changed within the enterprise. No more was IT just about the local network, WANs and security for desktops and servers: it now had to incorporate mobile devices, spanning all manner of manufacturers, operating systems, and platforms and to do so without compromising security. The sheer volume of devices and the different software they run is a natural antithesis to network security. Yet, these devices are integral to the way business works today, and so the IT department must adapt.

Ashton Mills | 20 May | Read more

Review: File Recovery Tools

We've previously covered a range of tools to securely delete data, but what if you want to recover data? Perhaps you want to make sure a secure deletion works as intended, or restore data written over on a portable USB, or perhaps you've been tasked with recovering critical business data on the boss’s hard drive before tomorrow's important meeting.

Ashton Mills | 28 Nov | Read more