This article was originally published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on March 25, 2014

Since word broke last month that Target was ultimately breached through a connection it had established with one of its vendors, many businesses are taking a hard look at what kind of access they've granted to their own vendors.

And with good reason. It will be a tough year or two for Target's shareholders, but Target will survive this. The sobering reality is that most small and medium businesses don't survive such events. With the average cost of a data breach spiraling to $188,000, 60 percent of small businesses shutter their doors within six months of a data breach.

So, what steps can small and medium-size businesses take to reduce the risk of a breach coming from an established connection with a vendor or business partner?

This article was originally published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on February 25th, 2014

Many folks can't wait for tax season to kick off at the end of January so they can file their tax returns and get their refunds. But there's another group of people who are anxious to get started on your taxes, too: scammers.

The Internal Revenue Service incorrectly issued a massive $4 billion in fraudulent tax refunds in 2012, according to a report released by the Treasury Inspector's Office in 2013. The money was largely sent to people who stole Social Security numbers and other personal information about U.S. citizens and then filed fraudulent tax returns in their names, claiming huge refunds.

In today’s world, it’s all about mobility. Taking your life with you while on-the-go has become the norm and because of that, it’s more important than ever to keep your devices safe and secure. That’s why we’ve chosen Lookout Security & Antivirus as our App Pick of the Month.

Today’s mobile devices aren’t just used as phones any more - they’re tiny handheld devices that hold the details of our lives – and chances are, you don’t want the details of YOUR life being put into the wrong hands. Lookout Security & Antivirus offers essential protection for your phone and tablet against malware, viruses, loss and theft. It’s available to both IOS and Android devices. There’s a free basic version, or if you want enhanced protection with added security, the premium version is available for an additional cost.

This article was originally published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on October 8th, 2013

This October marks the 10th anniversary of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which was launched by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance to promote awareness about using the Internet responsibly.

This year’s theme -- “Our Shared Responsibility” -- notes that the Internet is a shared resource and securing it is our shared responsibility. The simple message is “STOP. THINK. CONNECT.” Understanding the consequences of your online actions and behaviors will greatly reduce the hazards of using the Internet.

On the National Cyber Security Alliance’s website staysafeonline.org, weekly themes deliver awareness education in different focus areas:

This article was originally published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on November 5th, 2013

Last year’s “Cyber Monday” -- the Monday following the Thanksgiving holiday -- was the heaviest spending day of the year for the third straight year, ringing up nearly $1.5 billion in online sales. It was the first time that online sales had topped the $1 billion mark. This year, the National Retail Foundation projects a 13 to 15 percent increase in online sales.