Well it seems the SEC has approved amendments to FINRA rule 8210 that requires encryption of information provided via portable media devices (PMD).

A portable media device can be either a CD-ROM, DVD or portable hard drive. That’s right folks, it’s time to encrypt all your files starting December 29, 2010. In other words, starting in 2011, any electronic records or files have to be encrypted with 256-bit encryption or higher.

Additionally, you’ll have to provide FINRA staff with the confidential key regarding the encryption.

Now, this is where our product REALLY HELPS YOU OUT. Below is an image we’ve published several times that speaks exactly about this issue….encryption with a personalized encryption key.

Basically, this is a product we’ve been offering for some time now. By using our product, you’ll satisfy the intent of the law and the amendments by using Filetwin. 256-bit AES encryption is standard with Filetwin.

Here’s a simple picture of how your software looks when it’s encrypted and perhaps this will make sense why FINRA requires it.

This amendment might be a pain-in-the-butt for members, brokers or dealers but it’s a good thing to do for your own safety. There are too many people out there trying to get their hands on information that doesn’t belong to them.

For more information or just to discuss file encryption, please feel free to speak directly with one of our U.S. based Backup Advisors by calling 1 877 310-2884 or click here to contact us online.

Recently, Cisco and McAfee released their 3Q10 Threat Reports. These reports show an alarming increase in malware in the late part of 2010. Often, search engines inadvertently return search results that are malicious sites.

The unsuspecting person may think that because Google returned search results that those results are verified. Wrong!

10% of malware was encountered via search engines.

Many users do not realize the risks that the growth in Internet sites yields. Thousands of new sites come online every day. Many sites are legitimate, however, many others are suspicious or downright malicious.

How do we know which sites are safe and which sites are malicious? You don’t.

Malicious websites spring up every day. These sites are often tied to current events and daily news from around the world. Cybercriminals follow global trends and prepare websites in anticipation of user activity. So how are you supposed to stay ahead of these criminals? Well, as the old saying goes, “the best offense is a good defense.”

“So, how do I defend my data against so much malware?”.

You put a few applications in place to combat malware activity and a PLAN B in case they get the best of your PC.

Here are some applications we recommend:

1.Our Filetwin software. Online backup software specifically designed for businesses.If you do become infected, most often the major problem is that you can’t work because your machine will lock up and you can’t access anything. Since our application provides web access to your backed up data, malware no longer causes disruptions to your productivity.

2. Install Malwarebytes. It’s considered one of the more robust anti-malware applications on the market today. This software scans your PC and removes any malware residing on your PC.

This combo package is a decent strategy to offset the potential effects of a malware attack on your computer.

The best solution is…be extremely careful what you approve to be downloaded to your computer. Always download from trustworthy sources otherwise make it a policy not to install or download anything you feel might put your computer and data in jeopardy.