Protect Data In A Macintosh Environment

Messaging

OS X Server 10.4 and beyond is equipped with embedded iChat Server. Developed on the jabber protocol, Mac OS X Server has the ability to farm jabber services to any jabber-able client; this includes iChat, Adium X on Mac OS X, and Trillian for Windows. Your employees are able to communicate with each other on the network, or with remote access, to exchange files, text, and audiovisual chat. It's all able to be administrated from Mac OS X's Open Directory. Enabling the service on the X Admin application is a simple process. Sysadmins are able to encrypt by making a self-signed certificate or by simply going with a vendor such as GoDaddy or Verisign - to encrypt all IM communications. The best thing is that there aren't any client access license limitations. You may even already use an Active Directory system; if so, no problem. Just merge OS X to Active Directory, and use the AD credentials to IM with the iChat.

Content

A profile or group is able to be managed locally or on the OS X Server. This lets sysadmins block users from particular websites, even allowing the creation of an all-inclusive list of sites which employees are allowed to visit. If you already have Web Filtering by Postini in use, consider using it in tandem with the OS X policy to restrict undesirable content away from your employees' web browsers.

Security

You really should be proactive about the security of your small business, and that's exactly why OS X is complete with secure encryption of nearly all aspects of the user's experience. Three top ways to maintain safe and secure data include:

1) File Vault can encrypt the whole profile or folder into a disk image which is kept on the local system, protected by password.

2) Applemail and Entourage are both able to be modified for certificates which are self-signed or commercial-verified. Thawte provides free certificates by email, and other companies supply the same at low cost. This can allow workers to transmit encrypted email amongst each other as clients.

3) Keychain assistant, built into OS X, provides easy ways to store credentials in a high-security encrypted area, automatically.

The keychain created by OS X is pre-set to unlock after logging in, and lock again upon logging out. This allows users to keep passwords and other credentials secure. Apple's password assistant shows you the encryption strength of a password live as it is being selected. The user can develop the benefit of Keychain assistant by creating secure keychain notes manually, even adding several keychains devoted to storing certain kinds of passwords, software serial numbers, personal info, etc.

Archives

As you probably have an incredible number of emails or locally-stored files, it may be difficult for the newbie user to search for a particular file or email. Fortunately, OS X 10.4 comes with Spotlight, which PC-users can really only be prepared for using with prerequisite knowledge of Google Desktop or Windows Vista search tools. Spotlight is able to locate files by name, content, or file type. It's even able to do a boolean query, like 'apple .xls' to find Excel spreadsheets with 'apple' in the name. Spotlight can also be extended by the use of valuable plugins.

Data Recovery Can't Guarantee To Recover Lost Files But It Sure Does Offer Some Hope

Most of us know how it feels like to lose a cherished file or a very important one. Many things can happen to bring about such a tragedy. You can blame it on programming errors, system failures, viral infections, hardware damage and many more mishaps. Whatever the cause, data loss can be emotionally difficult to manage. It is important to remember though that there may be some things that you can do to recover your files. Although there is no guarantee of absolute data recovery, there is at least some chance.

Sometimes though, people shy away from data recovery because they think they may not be able to afford it. It is true that in some specific cases, the recovery of lost data may cost a lot. There are however, certain alternative avenues to recovery that may not require prohibitive expenses. You may have to spend only minimal amounts to get your precious data back. You should first assess the value of your lost files though. Before picking an option for data recovery, decide how much and how far you should go just to restore your files. Once you have made this clear, you can pick the appropriate recovery option to retrieve lost files.

One good option for data recovery is to purchase software intended for your specific use. You shouldn't forget though that there are many different kinds of software programs available for recovery. Some have been specifically designed for specific systems only. Not every available software will work wonders on your system. There are also some programs that will work best only for certain data loss causes. As you already know, you may lose your files for a variety of reasons. Before settling for any data recovery software or freeware, you should be certain that a specific product will fit your conditions and needs. Read product specifications and make sure to ask questions if there is something you aren't sure about.

Sometimes, the recovery of lost files may be more than your software can handle. When affordable programs do not work then you may have to contact data recovery services. You can pay an expert to take a look at your problem and find the best way to recover your files. Expert services naturally have some edge over software. You would benefit from the wider expert assessment and careful judgment of an expert. You should especially consider hiring an expert if the files that have to be recovered have a high value and cannot be reconstructed. It might be too risky to use a program in this situation since you might actually end up permanently destroying your files. Experts though may typically cost more than software.