Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Security and the Home Enterprise

    By
    Larry Seltzer
    -
    August 3, 2006
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Here at Larry Seltzers House, Inc., the computing infrastructure has always been more sophisticated than the neighbors and more complex than it really has to be. But I have capabilities from which all home networks would benefit, and toward which the industry must move.

      After hardware failures in some 6-year-old computers that finally had to be replaced, I took the opportunity to rebuild much of my network from the ground up, and to reevaluate security at the same time. Because I had been briefed on it and was impressed, I decided to migrate the home network to Microsofts Small Business Server 2003 R2.

      I try to treat my home network like a business, but its not entirely that simple. I do have to support my the computing needs of my wife and daughter. Lucky for me my daughter is too young to complain; just point her to the PBS Kids site and shes happy. And I havent screwed up my wifes computer yet to the point where shed complain.

      /zimages/2/28571.gifMicrosoft has announced Service Pack 2 of Windows Server 2003, on which Small Business Server is based. Click here to read more.

      And now that we have a clean, planned business environment we have benefits that, the way I look at it, anyone would want in a home network, if he or she knew such things were possible. Tops on my list is our family shared calendar, although there are free solutions for this too. We also have portable profiles; I can log on to any computer in the house (we have quite a few) and get to any of my stuff, including all of my e-mail, and not in some lame Web-based interface, but from Outlook itself.

      Because SBS comes with excellent remote access support, we all can get at all of our e-mail, calendars, documents or whatever from outside the house, as well. I have visions of putting homework deadlines and cleaning your room in the calendar. And while I dont have hard plans to set up a family Intranet and design workflow procedures, dont put it past me.

      /zimages/2/28571.gifFor advice on how to secure your network and applications, as well as the latest security news, visit Ziff Davis Internets Security IT Hub.

      The typical home network is completely unmanaged, a set of loosely connected islands of information. For the most part, administrators (i.e. parents) cant manage client systems (children and other parents), and tools for enforcing security are blunt. The power to administer your kids computers in the way a business could is analogous to going into their room and searching it. Parents may or may not be comfortable doing that, but I think its important that they be able to do so.

      For a business product of this capacity, Small Business Server 2003 is easy to set up, but thats not easy like your average Linksys router, which most consumers find challenging. Even the average business will buy SBS pre-installed and still need a consultant or VAR to set it up and configure it for them.

      SBS and the other products Im using here are far, far too expensive and complex for home networks, but to me that just means the industry has a long way to go. And of course a home network doesnt need most of whats in SBS. But a future home network should make it easy to manage systems, manage security, run applications at the network level and do it all easily. Maybe my daughter will be able to do it for her kids.

      Security Center Editor Larry Seltzer has worked in and written about the computer industry since 1983. He can be reached at [email protected]

      /zimages/2/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest security news, reviews and analysis. And for insights on security coverage around the Web, take a look at eWEEK.com Security Center Editor Larry Seltzers Weblog.

      Larry Seltzer
      Larry Seltzer has been writing software for and English about computers ever since—,much to his own amazement—,he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1983.He was one of the authors of NPL and NPL-R, fourth-generation languages for microcomputers by the now-defunct DeskTop Software Corporation. (Larry is sad to find absolutely no hits on any of these +products on Google.) His work at Desktop Software included programming the UCSD p-System, a virtual machine-based operating system with portable binaries that pre-dated Java by more than 10 years.For several years, he wrote corporate software for Mathematica Policy Research (they're still in business!) and Chase Econometrics (not so lucky) before being forcibly thrown into the consulting market. He bummed around the Philadelphia consulting and contract-programming scenes for a year or two before taking a job at NSTL (National Software Testing Labs) developing product tests and managing contract testing for the computer industry, governments and publication.In 1991 Larry moved to Massachusetts to become Technical Director of PC Week Labs (now eWeek Labs). He moved within Ziff Davis to New York in 1994 to run testing at Windows Sources. In 1995, he became Technical Director for Internet product testing at PC Magazine and stayed there till 1998.Since then, he has been writing for numerous other publications, including Fortune Small Business, Windows 2000 Magazine (now Windows and .NET Magazine), ZDNet and Sam Whitmore's Media Survey.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×