Data is more important than cash -- The Executive Summary / Overview / Profile. As seen on Small Business School on PBS-member stations in the USA and the Voice of America around the world. The best little show on television about the American spirit.

Overview: Protect your Priceless Data

updated: January 2007

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Data is more important than cash

Vicky Carlson of Office Pavilion does it all right.

Vicky Carlson explains how she protects her company's assets.

The World: Every one of us remembers the joy when we posted the sign, "Open for business." Never at that point did we realize that there would be so many forces in the world that would work against us. To be a business requires continuity, resiliency and tenacity. But there seems to be something very basic within nature, both physical and human, that works against order and continuity.

Some people think metaphorically, "It's the battle between good and evil," while others think scientifically, "It is the chaos inherent in the quantum world and it is as natural as Fire, Air, Water, and Earth."

People. "Why do bad things happen to good people?" is one of those questions great thinkers have pondered for years. Our understanding of human will is still quite superficial and our interactions with other people can be as unpredictable as a natural disaster.

Invasions. The morning of 9/11/2001 caught us all off guard. Just one computer virus, the Blaster Worm, crippled 350,000 computers in 10 minutes. These are real battles against forces of evil. In 2006 viruses and other security breaches cost hundreds of billions of dollars in damages to business.

Just like we do in the face of natural disasters, all good people need to work together, forge alliances, to keep ahead of the nasty people and to help each other keep our businesses healthy.

WATCH TELEVISION THAT TEACHES

Key Ideas from this Episode

1.	Adopt A White Hat Position
2.	Think of Data As Cold Hard Cash
3.	Prepare For The Worst
4.	Hire The Experts
5.	Embrace The Connected World
6.	Appoint Your Own Security Guru
7.	Keep Creeps Out And Employees In
8.	Inform Yourself
9.	Take Updates and Patches
10.	Upgrade Every Three Years
11.	Stand On All Four Legs

WORK THROUGH THE CASE STUDY GUIDE: Answer the same questions that Hattie has asked these small business owners and the cyber-security experts.

Expert RESOURCES ABOUT SECURITY:

McAfee: Robin Matlock's Interview
	1. Security News Network 2. Free Online Virus and Security Check 3. Removal tools

Microsoft: Lori Neuman's Interview
	1. 3 Ways to be Secure. 2. Check to see if e-mail is genuine. 3. "e-Security Guide for Small Business"

Symantec: Art Wong's Interview
	1. The latest virus threats updated daily. 2. Free Online Virus and Security Check. Free DeepSite Analyzer 3. Removal tools

TrendMicro: David Perry's Interview
	1. Virus Advisories and Update Center 2. Free Online Scan and just for small business 3. Virus Encyclopedia

FOUR LEGS ARE REQUIRED HERE: David Perry, the kindly "white-hat doctor" in this episode of the show, says it'll require four legs:
- Hardware/software/firmware in the form of firewalls and Virtual Private Networks (VPN).
- Dynamic software: White Hat Protection where systems are updated daily, even hourly if necessary.
- Education: Shows like this one and web support pages that go even further. (Assign somebody the task of reading all of these materials and click through all the links. When they are 50% of the way through it all, they will have become your resident cyber-security expert. They'll know what to do and how to stay current. )
- The law: We need to encourage and support national and global legislation that cracks down on all forms of cyber terrorism.

KEY WORD DEFINITIONS: We all need to learn the language, concepts and tools (weapons) used by the offensive (from cyberterrorists to just nasty people). We also need to arm ourselves -- create the strongest possible defense -- to keep the black hats from coming in through the back door, through any of our windows, and especially unwittingly carried in with one of our friends or employees when they come through the front door. Here are just a few of our key word definitions:
- The Offensive: Adware, blended threats, denial of service, spyware, Trojan Horses, viruses, worms, and zombies.
- The Defensive: false-positive, firewalls, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Dynamic Security Software (anti-virus software), faithful backups, and the law.

ACT ON ALL THEIR EXPERT WISDOM:
- Implement firewall technologies.
- Implement Virtual Private Network technologies.
- Install dynamic anti-virus software on your servers and each PC and laptop that ever touches email or the web.
- Assign somebody the title, Chief Security Officer, and ask them to do a monthly seminar for the business and especially for any new employee.
- Be proactive with your local-state-national Chambers and your national trade association to support appropriate legislative corrections. We need to post the Deck of Cards for the worst spam factories and the names and backgrounds of hackers with a black hat.

CONTACTS: Three small business owners are in this episode of the show (in order of appearance)
- Office Pavilion, CEO, Vicky Carlson
  6920 Carroll Road, San Diego, CA 92121 T:858.784.5200 Email: Click here.
- Madison Park Greetings, CEO, Brian Jacobsen
  1407 Eleventh Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98122-3901 T:206.324.5711 Email: Click here.
- DanceWorks Studio, CEO, Suzanna Persa
  16641 Redmond Way, Redmond, WA 98052 T:425.869.7595 Email: Click here.

COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. We invite your comments and questions. Was the show inspirational and/or educational? We hope this show is both!

CASE STUDIES BY INDUSTRY TYPE: You can find other episodes of the show in similar industries. Also, look for other fast-growing businesses .

join, join, join. Watch television sparingly and get involved with your community and within your industry's and local business associations. We need each other's wisdom and work to make this world a better place.

GET OUT OF YOUR OFFICE: Become involved in the local and national activities of organizations that make a difference.
1. Chamber of Commerce. We encourage everyone to be involved with their local, state and the National Chamber; all are well worth your time. Some of these people could be on your own board of advisors.
2. Small Business Development Center. Associated with the Small Business Administration (SBA), there are over 1500 in the USA and they are an good resource for help and for continuing education.
3. Hyperlinks to trade associations, organizations and publications are constantly being added once recommended by a small business advocate.

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