Forward ITC

Forward ITC were very pleased to announce that they had achieved ISO9001 accreditation in May 2008. This goal was set from day one and recognizes the quality of their procedures and commitment and drive to maintain, and where possible improve that standard moving forward. As a backup company dealing with critical and sometimes sensitive data, it was seen as a vital step in their growth to provide their clients with the knowledge that their data has the best possible protection.

Around the same time Forward ITC re launched their services with the aid of a new website. This means that clients can now sign up online, making the whole procedure much simpler. They even have the option to manage the service themselves by choosing our new Self Managed Solution. This has enabled Forward ITC to spread throughout the South West and beyond.

All businesses need to have robust data security policies in place, including access control, firewalls and encryption as protection.

Research has shown that many have terminated their contract with organisations that have notified a breach of data security.

It is also important for organisations who are dealing with third-party suppliers to provide clear guidelines for responsibility, in order to ensure that suppliers treat data carefully. This should include a plan for handling media scrutiny. Facts need to be established quickly and a clear explanation to show that you are in control. The media are prevented from pointing the finger until the facts are clear.

The home secretary said police risked losing the ability to fight crime and terrorism without the new laws.

Reports suggest the government wants a single database to store details of every UK phone call and email sent. It was stressed that the "content" of each email would not be stored but consultation would be launched in the New Year to decide what the new laws would be.

Plans to collect more data on phone, email and web browser habits are expected to be included in the Communications Data Bill to be introduced in the Queen's speech in November.

An inquiry has been launched after a memory stick with user names and passwords for a key government computer system was found in a pub car park. A spokeswoman said the matter was being taken "extremely seriously" and the Gateway website had been shut down. She said the "integrity" of the website - which provides services including tax returns - had "not been compromised". "We are taking this issue extremely seriously and a full and urgent investigation is under way," the device contained user names and passwords for testing an old version of the system, and all the information was encrypted.

Atos Origin, the government subcontractor which runs Gateway, who lost the stick, said there had been a "direct breach" of its procedures, and that one of its employees had "misplaced" the stick. A

It was found in the car park of the Orbital Pub in Cannock, Staffordshire, near to where the firm is based. "The company takes the loss of this device very seriously and we are currently carrying out a full investigation of both the circumstances surrounding its loss and the data content of the stick," the spokesman said. "It is clear that the employee removed the device from company premises in direct breach of our own operating procedure. Atos Origin is working very closely with the government and the police. The company takes full responsibility for this loss and will discipline the individual involved.

"As this may become a criminal matter for the individual concerned, it is inappropriate for us to comment further at this stage."

This is the latest in a series of incidents in which memory sticks and other devices holding personal data have been lost. In August, another government contractor PA Consulting lost a memory stick containing the personal details of tens of thousands of criminals. Earlier, Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell was forced to apologise after he left confidential ministerial correspondence on a train.

Cornish Facebook users are being warned not to open suspicious links in their Facebook accounts after a Trojan virus made its way through the profiles of hundreds of users in the county.

Web development company, UKNetWeb, which advises businesses on their use of Social Media, has issued the warning after noticing a number of local business people had fallen victim to the virus which spreads itself through messages sent to each member of a their friend list. The title of the dodgy message varies with messages such as "Maan,yyou're great!" and "your ass looks not bad in this video" forming part of the message body or Facebook wall posting.

Anyone receiving messages of this kind should not press the link under any circumstances and should delete the message from their inbox or wall immediately. Once clicked, these links forward you to a site which hunts for a file on your PC (referred to as a cookie) and prompts the user to update their video or flash software. Once accepted the Trojan virus proceeds to lock the user out of their account and messages each of the friends on their friend list with a similar message, further spreading the virus. UKNetWeb Managing Director, Toby Parkins says, "Issues of this kind are not uncommon; however, they can be extremely disruptive and annoying to the individuals involved. It is always best to exercise caution and where suspicious do not take any chances. You should ensure that your computer has the latest anti-virus and anti-phishing software installed and run on a daily basis".

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A company that specialises in secure data protection and retrieval has expanded with the support of Objective One investment via SWIG (South West Investment Group).

Forward ITC, which was set up three years ago by Rojer and Wendy Isaacson, used a SWIG loan to buy essential items of IT hardware and software and to house the servers in their fire-proof data centre. To aid this expansion the company moved from a spare room in the Isaacson home in St Agnes to new office premises at Mount Hawke in 2006.

This expansion has already paid off for St Agnes Parish Council, which lost essential records following an arson attack. But the council had wisely decided to use the services of Forward ITC.

Sue Herman, clerk to St Agnes Parish Council, explained: "Our decision paid almost instant dividends, when all of our equipment was severely damaged in an arson attack some two months later. With their help, we had our data on a loan laptop next morning which meant we suffered the minimum possible disruption to parish procedures."

SWIG spokesperson John Peters added:"Rojer and Wendy clearly had an excellent skill set for this business and presented a very good case for support. As a new venture, they needed additional finance to get off the ground which made them ideal candidates for SWIG".

Recently the company's website – www.forward-itc.co.uk – has been relaunched and Forward ITC also achieved ISO 9001 accreditation.