GraVoc Associates News

M&A Whitepaper Now Available

2010-10-29T09:03:00.002-04:00

Even as the world economy begins to show signs of rebounding, many organizations may be considering the merger and acquisition process. In a whitepaper now available on GraVoc.com, the GraVoc information security team analyzes the M&A process and the role of IT and information security considerations within the M&A due diligence step.

In order to access the whitepaper, it is necessary to enter a limited amount of information. GraVoc assures your information will remain confidential and will not be disseminated to any third parties.

Also available on the information security page is more detailed information in PDF files detailing the scope of services provided by the GraVoc team. An additional whitepaper addressing operational risk assessment is also available from this page.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, a full-service consulting firm based in Peabody, MA, is dedicated to providing solutions for businesses through the use of technology. To assist clients in an M&A process, GraVoc would leverage the knowledge of its staff spanning several of its practices. GraVoc provides consulting services in the practices of information systems, IT & professional services, information security, and media production. For more general information about the company and the services offered, please visit GraVoc.com.

"New Set of Eyes"

2010-10-20T05:00:00.003-04:00

Every Wednesday, including today, you can check out GraVoc's new advertising spot on Banker & Tradesman's website. This spot features GraVoc's information security services as "a new set of eyes" for regional banks and credit unions looking to verify their compliance with laws such as the Massachusetts Privacy Law and GLBA.

Many regulatory examiners encourage financial institutions to perform due diligence on their risk management and audit vendors, essentially encouraging another set of eyes. Obviously, with three ISACA-certified professionals on staff, we would like to be that set of eyes. Furthermore, we find it to be troubling that many audit firms find no problem performing risk management work and then auditing their own work. GraVoc can be there on either side of the equation, providing true impartiality.

GraVoc is aware that many financial institutions are currently feeling pressure to complete certain projects by the end of the year. With ten weeks left before the new year, we strongly encourage firms trying to accomplish such a task to contact us sooner than later so that we can initiate, perform, and complete risk management and information security projects in a timely fashion.

Among the services offered by GraVoc's information security team include testing of your network perimeter, evaluation of controls within your network, risk assessment services, and business continuity plan development and training. The Peabody, MA-based consulting firm, featuring individuals with the CISA, CRISC, and CISM designations from the Information Systems Audit and Controls Association, also has practices dedicated to information systems, professional & IT services, and media production. For more information about GraVoc, we strongly encourage you to contact the offices at 978-538-9055 or visit gravoc.com.

One Shot

2010-10-18T08:19:00.002-04:00

The latest news from GraVoc Associates and their staff:

-On Wednesday, GraVoc was the "Champagne Sponsor" of an untraditional Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce event. The event was a scotch tasting hosted by Scottish comedian Sir Jeremy Bell, who provided an entertaining presentation on three whiskys, featuring toasts and frequent PG-13-rated humor. President/CEO David Gravel, in return for the champagne sponsorship, was subjected to wearing a kilt and plaid hat, and had the opportunity to open a bottle of champagne with a saber. He was given ten attempts, but successfully sabered the champagne bottle in one shot. Photos of the event will be available on GraVoc's Facebook page shortly.

-If Matt Wilkins looks especially tired on his next service call, he has a good reason. On October 5th, Matt and his wife Danielle's first daughter Molly Catherine was born. Both mother and daughter are doing well back at home in Peabody.

-On Friday October 8th, GraVoc was represented with a booth at the Massachusetts Association for Behavioral Health's Annual Provider Celebration. GraVoc showcased its GHR product - a comprehensive software solution that enables inpatient behavioral health and substance abuse rehabilitation centers to manage their bed capacity, client history, and insurance provider billing in one centralized application.

GraVoc Associates, Inc. is a Peabody, MA-based consulting firm helping business solve problems through a wide variety of technological solutions. GraVoc, in business since 1994, performs services in the practices of information systems, technology & professional services, media production, and information security. For more information about GraVoc, please visit http://www.gravoc.com/.

Dave Gravel, pictured in kilt, sabers a

bottle of champagne on his first try.

Celebrating 100 Posts

2010-10-11T08:39:00.000-04:00

The GraVoc News Blog is proud to announce that since its inception on November 7, 2008, it has recorded 100 unique blog posts. This is an exciting milestone to reach, as a common trend is for an organization to start a blog, publish a dozen posts, and either run out of content, interest, or time to continue posting with any frequency.

Over this time, GraVoc has acquired DivergingSoul Media Production, who set up the original architecture of the blog as a service. Presently, DivergingSoul's blog services are encompassed under GraVoc's media production services that leverage creative media, including social media, to enhance other businesses' web presence. GraVoc and DivergingSoul have helped several clients with services such as the establishment of their own blogs.

A key to a successful blog is consistency in post frequency, something we have preached slightly better than practiced while customer projects take priority. However, GraVoc has published two blog posts in each month since the blog's inception except for two. We hope, however, that as the blog enters triple digits in post count and as it enters its third year of existence, it can be used as a forum to exchange ideas. No matter your relationship with GraVoc, we strongly urge you to utilize the comments section.

As we mark this milestone, we would like to thank you for your readership.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, is a full-service consulting firm serving Greater Boston, New England, and beyond since 1994. Specializing in the practices of media production, information systems, professional/technology services, and information security, GraVoc's goal is to enhance its customers' operations and profitability through leveraging technological solutions. In 2010, GraVoc acquired DivergingSoul Media Production, who has been on top of innovation in the fields of social media, blogging, and web development since their inception in 2006. For more information on DivergingSoul, please visit divergingsoul.com, and for more information on GraVoc's other services, please peruse the previous 99 posts or visit GraVoc.com.

GraVoc featured in MassBanker's e-News

2010-09-29T14:19:00.000-04:00

GraVoc is pleased to announce that it was recently featured in MassBanker's e-News. The article addressed several security risks and changes that the banking industry is currently facing and will have to address in 2011. Some of these topics included new delivery channels, laptops and mobile devices, virtualization, e-discovery, social networking, and new regulatory stipulations. To read the full article visit the following link.

If you'd like to learn more about GraVoc's risk assessment and information security services, please contact Nate Gravel at 978-538-9055 ext. 129 or visit GraVoc' Information Security page at www.gravoc.com/information_security.html.

The Twitter Business Decision

2010-09-29T04:51:00.000-04:00

Within the last two years, social media services such as Twitter and Facebook ceased to exist as solely a medium for the computer literate to broadcast themselves publicly. became increasingly popular as free marketing tools for businesses of all sizes. The challenges for businesses to embark onto this frontier were (and still are) the following:

-Maintenance time
-Risk tolerance
-Knowing one's audience

The first two are rather self-explanatory. The first goes off the adage of "time is money." Even if a business is leaving the social media responsibilities to low-cost labor, the time spent keeping the pages current can become significant on the aggregate. This time can be used on other projects. If the business decides that diligent maintenance of their social media outlet is a more productive use of this employee's time than the next-best option, it is a good decision.

The second is slightly trickier. Many of GraVoc's clients, including many who operate social media outlets, are in highly-competitive markets where reputations and corporate images must be finely manicured and maintained. If an unhappy customer were to post a complaint on the business's social media outlet without it being monitored, edited, and administered, significant reputational risks arise. Many financial institutions with Facebook pages assign a person to check the page every 30-60 minutes during the business day.

The third point is perhaps the most intriguing. A recent Boston Business Journal article drove this point home: Individuals who use Twitter prefer businesses who use Twitter. On the flip side, individuals who do not use social media don't care whether the business they use are using social media. Your business, before deciding whether it's worth investing a portion of your employees' time, should consider its typical customer. It is someone who is interacting with social media sites? If so, it might be a smart business decision.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, is a technology consulting firm serving Greater Boston, New England, and beyond since 1994. GraVoc's business is divided into four practices of media production, information systems, professional services, and information security. GraVoc maintains a Facebook page and the GraVoc News Blog partially as a way to keep customers updated, but perhaps chiefly as an example of how a business can leverage social media to its advantage. GraVoc has declined to expand into Twitter partially due to the effort required to update frequently. To discover more about the company and the ways it can help your business, please visit gravoc.com.

GraVoc in the Community

2010-09-22T16:37:00.002-04:00

GraVoc and its staff have historically devoted a lot of their time to making a difference in the community. Within the last month, GraVoc has lent a helping hand in several different projects in Peabody, MA and beyond. A few highlights:

-Peabody Education Council: A few GraVoc employees donated some of their time and effort toward the PEC's late summer/fall activities. Projects included assisting in the design of the 2010-2011 calendar and volunteering at the Welcome Back Extravaganza at the Higgins Middle School. This upcoming Saturday, President/CEO David Gravel will be pulling the winning raffle ticket for the Red Sox Dream Day raffle. Tickets are still available, and you can indicate your interest in purchasing raffle tickets by clicking here.

-Race for Research: GraVoc sent an informal team of five to the 9th Annual Race for Research in Peabody, presented by the Progeria Research Foundation. Information security associate Dan Vassallo took first in the 5K race, narrowly defeating co-workers Connie Leaver, David Gravel, and Michael Roma. Vice President Cathy Gravel took second in her age group. It has not yet been determined whether the company will participate in the 2011 JP Morgan Corporate Challenge in Boston, but there is interest in forming a championship-caliber team if it is aligned with business goals.

-Torigian Golf Classic: Monday, GraVoc put together a foursome at the Torigian Golf Classic presented by the Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce, Peabody Rotary Club, and Peabody City Council. By all accounts, the team was carried by Jason Vlacich of the Information Systems practice. Unfortunately, the team struggled slightly and only birdied one hole. However, the hole they did birdie was the one the firm sponsored.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, an active business in the North Shore community since 1994, is a full-service consulting firm dedicated to helping small businesses leverage technology to improve their profitability. Divided into the four practices of professional services, information systems, information technology, and media production, the firm operates out of an office in Peabody, MA and employs 18 full-time staff, many of which have earned MCSE and/or MCP certifications. For more information regarding the company and the services offered, please consult the archives of the GraVoc News Blog or visit http://www.gravoc.com/.

August Happenings

2010-08-31T09:24:00.001-04:00

As summer comes to a close and people return from vacation, GraVoc Associates has been up to many projects and activities worth noting:

-From the certifications category, three of GraVoc's staff members received good news in the mail from ISACA, as all three passed the exam for the Certified Information Systems Auditor designation. They have submitted their applications to the organization, but this is typically a formality. More detail about this upon the official acceptance of their certifications.

-Several employees across departments stayed after hours one night in August, demonstrating their commitment to delivering stronger, more dynamic reporting capabilities. Michael Roma was kind enough to donate his knowledge and his afternoon to a SQL reporting workshop, which was taken advantage of by much of the GraVoc staff.

-Coming soon to the GraVoc website will be some new material about the information security practice and some of the new and revised services offered to respond to customer demand. There will also be a series of new whitepapers being made available shortly.

-A significant cosmetic change is new to the GraVoc offices in downtown Peabody, MA, as the DivergingSoul media production team is making the finishing touches to a new digital sign greeting visitors to the building. Upon the completion of the project, we will post pictures to the GraVoc fan page on thefacebook.com.

GraVoc Associates is a 20-employee technology consulting firm divided into the practices of professional services, media production, information system, and information security. Many GraVoc clients are based in Greater Boston and New England, but several projects take GraVoc's staff around the country and the world. Each practice is explained in more detail on http://www.gravoc.com, and we encourage you to peruse the website and the archives of the GraVoc News Blog, which is nearing 100 posts.

Vassallo Achieves CISM

2010-08-03T10:37:00.003-04:00

GraVoc's Dan Vassallo offically became the company's third Certified Information Security Manager in the eyes of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) last week. This designation recognizes an individual's experience and understanding of "the relationship between an information security program and broader business goals and objectives," according to the ISACA website. Vassallo joins roughly 13,000 individuals with the CISM, including GraVoc's David Gravel and Nate Gravel, but joins a smaller group of CISMs who have also displayed the ability to blog about themselves in the third person.

Another recent notable coming from GraVoc is the second-consecutive completion of the Breast Cancer 3-Day by the Flip-Flop Friends, anchored by Vice President Cathy Gravel. The group walked sixty miles in three humid days in July, raising money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, is a technology consulting firm serving Greater Boston, New England, and beyond since 1994. Now with nearly 20 employees and doing much more than just IT support, GraVoc specializes in the four practices of information security, professional services, information systems, and media production. For more information about the company and the services provided, please visit GraVoc.com.

GraVoc Attends World Partner Conference

2010-07-21T16:18:00.002-04:00

Earlier this month, GraVoc travelled to Washington, DC to attend the Microsoft World Partner Conference. Representing the company were Brian Gravel, director of the media production practice, and Dave Gravel, president and CEO. In addition to developing blisters on their feet, GraVoc’s representatives were able to attend speeches and seminars regarding the changes in store for the Microsoft Partner Network, the software giant’s goals amid the expansion of cloud computing, and innovative new features becoming available in the next several months.

A highlight according to the GraVoc attendees was keynote speaker and former President Bill Clinton. Clinton addressed technological advances and how they have re-shaped the way humanitarian efforts are coordinated.

Brian Gravel noted that attending the event, which drew an estimated 14,000 attendees, was certainly worthwhile. “It was fantastic to see the new features coming out and the ideas they’re coming up with.” He was especially impressed with the company’s new “Surface” concept, where a table-top becomes, in essence, an interactive touch-screen that can interact with mobile devices. (Click here for more information on Microsoft Surface.) The reaction by the director of DivergingSoul, GraVoc’s media production practice, to the eye-catching flashiness of the emerging product should come as no surprise.

This was the first time GraVoc had sent attendees to the World Partner Conference, but is the second major Microsoft event attended by the company after three staff members attended Microsoft Convergence in Atlanta in April. There are no definitive plans to attend the 2011 event in Los Angeles, but it is obviously still early in the game.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. A technology consulting firm with a diversified range of services, GraVoc finds Microsoft at the center of its professional services and information systems practices. The professional services practice specializes in network infrastructure design, planning, and maintenance, and the information systems practice specializes in the implementation and customization of enterprise resource planning systems. For pictures from the WPC, please visit the GraVoc page on thefacebook.com, and for more information on the company, please visit www.gravoc.com.

Wilkins Earns Certification

2010-07-06T14:03:00.001-04:00

Certification season is in full bloom at GraVoc Associates, as Matt Wilkins of the professional services practice is now a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist in configuring Windows 7. Matt passed the exam last Wednesday, affirming his own and his company’s commitment to keeping up to date with technological changes. As businesses are switching over to Windows 7 faster than any previous operating system, Matt’s efforts toward passing this exam are greatly appreciated.

Ron Smoller, also of the professional services practice, completed June with not one, but two certifications. He followed up his Microsoft certification mentioned in the most recent blog post with a Double-Take Software sales certification. This strengthens GraVoc’s partnership with Double-Take, and positions the company to better offer products for customers’ redundancy, disaster recovery, and data migration needs.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, is a technology consulting firm serving Greater Boston, New England, and beyond in the practices of professional services, information systems, media production, and information technology. The professional services practice specializes in IT support, network infrastructure design and maintenance, and the procurement and selection of the correct tools that will help businesses’ telecommunication and storage processes work more efficiently. Due to the dedication and competency of GraVoc’s staff, the company is recognized as a Gold Certified Partner by Microsoft. For ore information about GraVoc and the services offered, please visit GraVoc.com.

GraVoc Welcomes Koudanis, Congratulates Smoller

2010-06-28T08:11:00.001-04:00

This week, GraVoc’s information security team has brought aboard Costas Koudanis. Costas, a graduate of Northeastern University who had previously worked at an auditing firm in Boston, will enhance the information security practice’s ability to respond to upcoming projects. He also brings a wide range of skills from both an auditing and a technology background that can give GraVoc further insight into security issues facing its customers. GraVoc is happy to have the Topsfield, MA native aboard.

Also notable is that GraVoc’s Ron Smoller has achieved another certification from the Microsoft Corporation. He scored strongly in configuring Active Directory, Network Infrastructure, and Applications Infrastructure for Windows Server 2008, and therefore passed the exam to upgrade his Windows Server 2003 MCSE designation to Windows Server 2008 Technology Specialist. Ron focuses on the professional services practice of the company and assists several customers in their network design and support needs.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, is a consulting firm focusing on technology in the four practices of professional services, information technology, media production, and information systems. Founded in 1994, GraVoc employs roughly twenty professionals who are dedicated to providing a wide range of technology-based solutions and services to a diverse customer base. For more information about the company and the products and services offered, please visit http://www.gravoc.com.

This Week: Certifications and Gas Grills

2010-06-18T15:35:00.004-04:00

Two members of GraVoc's information security team, President/CEO Dave Gravel and his son Nate Gravel, have been grandfathered into the Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) certification by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). The CRISC certification is the newest of ISACA's four certifications.

This certification is for "IT professionals who have hands-on experience with risk identification, assessment, and evaluation; risk response; risk monitoring, [information systems] control design and implementation; and [information systems] control monitoring and maintenance." As the certification requires eight years of experience in information security and risk management, the CRISC designation is perhaps the most selective of ISACA's widely-accepted certifications.

Meanwhile, limited parking, rain showers, and unseasonably cool temperatures weren't enough to deter dozens of members of the North Shore business community from attending GraVoc's barbecue Thursday night. This event was part of the Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce's "Business After Hours" networking event series. The event was characterized by an extensive spread of burgers, hot dogs, beverages, and desserts. GraVoc is extremely appreciative of everyone who attended, and hopes everyone was satisfied by the atmosphere and the food.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, is a technology consulting firm focused on helping businesses in the practices of information security, professional services, information systems, and media production. For more information regarding GraVoc's wide range of services (the diversity of which became a punch line at Thursday's barbecue), please peruse the archives of the GraVoc News Blog or visit http://www.gravoc.com.

GraVoc Heads to Las Vegas

2010-06-09T08:46:00.001-04:00

GraVoc’s DivergingSoul Media Production practice jumped on a plane to Las Vegas earlier this week for the InfoComm 2010 conference at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Representatives Brian Gravel and Matt Molk are attending the conference to learn about current ideas and stay on the cutting edge of AV communications. Notably, the conference is showcasing advances in digital signage, so it presents an opportunity to share ideas regarding the DS2 digital signage network. The conference lasts through the end of the week, and a recap will likely be posted to this blog shortly upon their return.

GraVoc also made itself available at a more-local tradeshow, attending a conference staged by the Massachusetts Bankers’ Association. The Annual Bank Technology/Retail Banking Conference addressed, among other things, mobile banking and whether it is an inevitable new step that brings with its benefits a slew of risks. GraVoc saw many familiar faces, and got to meet several new people in the industry. GraVoc and other attendees participated in several constructive conversations regarding risk management in the face of the marketplace trending toward mobile banking.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, has been serving customers in Greater Boston, the North Shore, New England, and beyond. A technology consulting firm, GraVoc specializes in the practices of media production, information security, information systems, and professional services. For more information about the services and products offered by GraVoc, please visit www.gravoc.com or peruse the archives of the GraVoc News Blog.

May Updates

2010-05-27T10:20:00.001-04:00

It’s been a busy month of May for GraVoc Associates, so busy that there has been little time to tend to matters like updating the GraVoc News Blog. Some quick updates on what is happening at the company:

GraVoc is excited about hosting the Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce’s June “Business After Hours” event. This version of the business networking event will feature a barbecue in front of GraVoc’s building in downtown Peabody.
GraVoc attended the Massachusetts Association for Behavioral Health’s Annual Meeting. Dan Vassallo and Paul Lincoln represented the business there and met representatives for several mental health associations throughout Massachusetts. GraVoc was at this event to promote the GHR system designed specifically for inpatient mental health and substance abuse recovery service organizations. Meanwhile, GraVoc’s team has been working furiously on improvements to this application, enhancing its overall functionality.
The DivergingSoul media production division has initiated an aggressive phase of research and development regarding Facebook’s “Open Graph” feature. This latest Facebook development, in short, allows a Facebook user to integrate his or her entire web surfing experience into his or her Facebook profiles. This includes “liking” articles, blog posts, or other websites as one can “like” events on Facebook. By clicking above, you can “like” this blog post. DivergingSoul is also headed to Las Vegas for an event in June.
An update on the last post: It is debatable who is enjoying retirement more: Ron Davis, whose retirement from GraVoc has opened up more time to focus on his wife’s business, or Nate Gravel, whose retirement from running (he ran under three hours on May 2nd in the Providence Marathon) has opened up more time to focus on GraVoc’s information security practice.
This summer, look for at least two pertinent whitepapers becoming available on the GraVoc website.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, located in Peabody, MA, has served clients in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond with consulting services since 1994. GraVoc’s services are all based in technology, and are now divided into the four practices of information systems, professional services, information security, and media production. GraVoc utilizes the GraVoc News Blog to announce events and occasionally offer some advice regarding topics relevant to clients and potential clients. For more information about GraVoc and the wide range of services provided, please visit GraVoc.com.

Quick Hits

2010-04-30T13:57:00.001-04:00

A few brief notables from the last week at GraVoc:

The company would like to offer its sincere thanks and a fond farewell to Senior Associate Ron Davis. Ron, who has handled business development for half of GraVoc’s sixteen-year history, is stepping down Friday afternoon and going into semi-retirement. Going forward, Ron will spend much of his time assisting his wife Debra in her entrepreneurial pursuits. The Davises own and operate Chili Choice, a New Mexican cuisine retailer and distributor in Gloucester.
Another update on the rubber chicken video: DivergingSoul’s footage has now even caught Keith Olbermann’s attention. See his commentary from an episode of MSNBC’s “Countdown” by clicking here, browsing the “oddball” section, and clicking the April 28th edition (the one about the Obama nightclub).
Director of Information Security Nate Gravel will be competing in Sunday’s Cox Sports Marathon in Providence, RI. Nate, a competitive runner formerly of Peabody Veterans Memorial High School and Trinity College, should be among the leaders of the race, as his previous best of 2:30:00 in the 2008 Madrid Marathon is several minutes faster than the Providence course record.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, is a full-service technology consulting firm offering a dynamic range of services to clients in greater Boston, New England, and beyond. Founded in 1994, GraVoc specializes in the practices of information systems, information security, and professional services. For more information about the firm, please visit www.gravoc.com or feel free to browse previous posts of the GraVoc News Blog.

Update: Rubber Chicken World Record Set

2010-04-27T11:50:00.001-04:00

Last week, the GraVoc News Blog brought you the news of a world record attempt being held in Boston for the most rubber chickens tossed at the same place, at the same time. As expected, the world record was set pending the approval of the Guinness Book of World Records staff—and caught on video by GraVoc’s DivergingSoul Media Production team.

DivergingSoul’s Brian Gravel captures the tense moments before the record attempt. Photo courtesy Haywire Group.

Officially, 265 rubber chickens flew during the promotional event for the Haywire Group’s Flickin’ Chicken game, which raised money for the Charles River Watershed Association. DivergingSoul’s video was picked up by several media outlets, resulting in a great deal of publicity for the game manufacturer and its beneficiary charity.

GraVoc Associates, Inc. is a full-service technology consulting firm located in Peabody, MA specializing in the practices of information systems, professional services, and information security. Upon the firm’s joining forces with DivergingSoul Media Production, clients in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond contract GraVoc for services ranging from the implementation of ERP systems to business continuity planning to filming the flight of hundreds of rubber chickens. For more information about the company and how those three services could possibly be connected, please visit GraVoc.com.

GraVoc to Film World Record Attempt

2010-04-23T10:27:00.002-04:00

In what is rumored to be the organization's first project in the rubber chicken throwing industry, GraVoc Associates will be filming a world record attempt in Boston this Sunday, April 25th. GraVoc's media production staff will be on hand as the folks at Haywire Group are orchestrating an attempt to set a world record for the largest number of rubber chickens tossed simultaneously.

The event will take place on Artesani Park on Soldiers Field Road in Brighton, MA Sunday at 3:00 PM, and the public is encouraged to attend, witness, and participate in the event. Rubber chickens will be available for purchase for $1 and all proceeds are to go toward the Charles River Watershed Association. This event is being organized by Haywire Group, a Western Massachusetts firm that designs family board games including the popular "Flickin Chicken" game.

Most world record attempts require the presence of an official adjudicator or a long list of evidence to verify the record. The DivergingSoul team (now a division of GraVoc) is responsible for compiling video evidence of the event. Audio/video production of events like Haywire's world record attempt is one of the services regularly offered by GraVoc's media production team.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, a Peabody, MA-based technology consulting firm, expanded into media production in 2010 with its acquisition of DivergingSoul Media Production. Together they serve Greater Boston, New England, and beyond with media-related services such as A/V production, web design, web 2.0 services, and the popular DS2 digital signage network. GraVoc also specializes in the practices of professional services, information systems, and information security. For more information about DivergingSoul and GraVoc, please visit http://www.gravoc.com/ or http://www.divergingsoul.com/.

GraVoc to Attend Great New England Credit Union Show

2010-04-16T09:00:00.003-04:00

Next week, GraVoc Associates, Inc. will be sending some of their information security team to the Great New England Credit Union Show in Boxborough, MA.

This will be GraVoc's first appearance at the show, and they can be found in booth 70, in between Enterprise Car Sales and FMS (Financial Management Solutions). An estimated 700 attendees from credit unions across the New England region are planning to be at the event, which features thirteen seminars of interest to credit union executives. Additionally, eighty vendors are expected to exhibit.

GraVoc's information security team will be on hand to explain more about their wide range of information security services that can be found both on the gravoc.com website and in past posts of the GraVoc News Blog. The GraVoc booth will feature typical tradeshow fare, such as a video display, candy, and handouts. We hope to see many familiar faces there, as well as new faces.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, founded in 1994, provides a dynamic range of information security services to financial institutions throughout Greater Boston and New England. The Peabody, MA-based company specializes in business continuity planning, LAN/WAN testing, and risk assessments. Lately, among its more popular services have been social engineering testing and services to help clients comply with the Massachusetts Data Security Law. Beyond information security, GraVoc also specializes in the fields of professional services, media production, and information systems. For more information about the services GraVoc provides, please visit http://www.gravoc.com/.

GraVoc Participates in Peabody Education Council Events

2010-04-09T14:41:00.001-04:00

In the last few weeks, GraVoc has made efforts to give back to the Peabody community through a pair of educational programs. Historically, GraVoc has an ongoing relationship with the Peabody Ed Council, and President/CEO David Gravel is the council’s current chair. Recently, GraVoc has participated in the mentoring program and in Friday’s Peabody Veterans Memorial High School Career Day.

Several students interested in various aspects of business visited GraVoc for a taste of job shadowing. Students with interest in business administration, computer programming, and media production spent a few hours behind the scenes at GraVoc. Programmers Matt Coraccio and Paul Lincoln offered advice to a student who was interested in programming but had not yet taken any programming classes in high school. “I only took one programming class in high school, and didn’t take any more until my sophomore year of college,” Coraccio said. “I told him not to worry, and he had plenty of time to take classes. It was great to see a student interested in what we do.”

GraVoc also sent three representatives to PVMHS Career Day, also put on by the Peabody Ed Council, this morning. Aside from the free stress balls and candy selections, students asked questions about GraVoc, the types of services they offer, the level of education achieved by their employees, and the fields of study GraVoc’s employees pursued. As GraVoc is a dynamic business with employees from many different backgrounds, students were encouraged to study fields they were interested in as undergraduates.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA and serving Greater Boston, New England, and beyond in the practices of information systems, professional services, and information security, is a 17-employee firm whose professionals bring backgrounds from accounting and finance to communications to English to computer science. Like many small businesses, GraVoc prides itself on its time spent on community service. For more information about GraVoc, please visit www.gravoc.com, and for more information about the Peabody Education Council, please visit www.peabodyedcouncil.com.

GraVoc Holds Compliance Consortium

2010-04-01T07:53:00.001-04:00

GraVoc’s information security team would like to extend its gratitude toward North Easton Savings Bank for hosting the first quarterly information security & risk management consortium. The event was held Tuesday morning March 30 at NESB’s new corporate offices in South Easton, and was attended by several GraVoc information security clients and friends.

Led by GraVoc’s Nate Gravel and Dan Vassallo, the meeting was the first of hopefully several where financial service executives both within IT and outside IT can share ideas, concerns, and observations regarding the current compliance landscape for regional financial institutions. Among the many topics discussed this quarter were the changes in Regulation E that require customers and members to opt in for courtesy overdraft payment, challenges brought on by the popularity of social media outlets, and current patterns in regulatory exams.

The GraVoc information security team is grateful that some of its clients braved adverse weather conditions to attend the event, and hopes that all attendees considered the event a conduit for discussion that was worth the drive. If you are interested in attending the next event, most likely to be held in June, please contact either Nate or Dan by calling the GraVoc offices at 978-538-9055.

GraVoc Associates, Inc., based in Peabody, MA, has served clients in greater Boston, New England, and beyond in the practices of information security, information systems, and professional services. Some of the more pertinent services offered in the information security practice include business continuity/disaster recovery planning, Massachusetts General Law 93H/201 CMR 17.00 compliance services, and social engineering simulations. For more information about the services provided by GraVoc, please visit http://www.gravoc.com.

Social Media Restrictions – Your Company’s Responsibility?

2010-03-19T08:26:00.001-04:00

Now might be the best time to address the issue of an enterprise’s employees’ use of social media and whether a business should—or even has the right to—regulate their employees’ use of Facebook, blogs, Twitter, and other sites known as “social media” sites. This has become a concern as of late because now that Facebook is well over five years old, it does not look to be a fad that is going away. It has become a breeding ground for computer viruses and worms, such as the one circulating this week. It has also been a platform for social engineering attack tactics. Similarly, blogs (including this one) have been occasionally prone to spammers and potential attackers.

Even beyond the virus and social engineering risks associated with social media sites, business are faced with several dilemmas surrounding social networking. These include the following:

Content filtering: Businesses must decide whether to completely block sites such as facebook.com or blogspot.com so that employees spend less time wasted on the internet and more time working. On the other hand, some Facebook pages or blogs (especially the GraVoc News Blog) could provide helpful information.
The Organization’s Use of Social Media: GraVoc obviously has a blog and a Facebook account, as do many of our clients. In fact, one of the services we provide is helping a business leverage social media as a business tool. But who is responsible for updating and regulating content posted on these sites? Is the organization going to devote several hours of labor to monitor employees’ status updates and/or regularly write articles like this one?
Employees’ Behavior on Social Media: Organizations don’t want their employees to be posting Twitter updates or blog posts about how much they hate their boss, how rudely they were treated by a customer, or how they are not motivated to be working on a Friday afternoon. They also don’t want their employees to be posting R-rated material on their Facebook page while listing who their employer is on their profile.

Ultimately, it is most likely going to become necessary for most businesses, even the smallest businesses, to develop written policies dictating what is allowed and not allowed on social media outlets. For liability purposes, it is probably necessary to document what an employee is responsible for and what the employee can or cannot do surrounding social media and how they can affect the organization’s reputation or information systems.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, a Peabody, MA-based technology consulting firm, uses social media including a Facebook page and the GraVoc News Blog to inform customers, potential customers, and friends about relevant topics such as this one. GraVoc’s practices of information systems, information security, and professional services interact with social networking from several different directions, as GraVoc provides information security services that could help an organization draft policies or detect social engineering tactics, web 2.0 development services that help businesses generate business through these sites, and IT services that could help an organization safeguard itself with technological risks associated with the use of social networking sites. For more information about the wide variety of services offered by the organization, please visit http://www.gravoc.com.

GraVoc Website Updates

2010-03-12T15:56:00.001-05:00

The last week has brought some changes to the GraVoc website. The transformation of the GraVoc Software website (http://www.gravocsoftware.com) is now complete and much easier to navigate and get information on the software products offered by the company.

Some of the products offered include the GFS field service management platform, several utilities to integrate into Microsoft Dynamics GP, and the versatile GCMS cemetery and crematory management application for GraVoc’s many clients in the death care industry.

Also new to the GraVoc website is a case study regarding GraVoc’s Massachusetts General Law 93-H services. GraVoc’s information security team launched a recent project to help a client comply with the standards presented by the Massachusetts Data Security Law.

To access this case study and to learn more about GraVoc’s Mass. Data Security Law services, please click here.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, founded in 1994 and based in Peabody, MA, serves the Greater Boston area, New England, and beyond in the practices of information systems, information security, and professional services. We strongly encourage you to explore the revamped GraVoc website, available at http://www.gravoc.com, in its entirety to learn more about the company and what it can do for your business.

GraVoc Welcomes Paul Lincoln

2010-02-26T06:55:00.001-05:00

Earlier this month, GraVoc added Paul Lincoln as an associate to its information systems practice. Paul, a Microsoft Certified Professional, brings experience both in programming and network infrastructure to the table, so Paul also adds depth to GraVoc’s IT service offerings.

Paul, originally an Austin, TX native, is the second employee hired to the IS practice in the past six months, as Stefanie Marsh was also added to the team in August 2009.

Paul comes to the Northeast after most recently working at VersaCall Technologies in San Diego, CA. He and his wife just moved to Worcester, MA. Paul is no stranger to moving, as he carries an impressive military background. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Paul spent many years in the U.S. Marine Corps where he earned, among other honors, the Navy Commendation Medal. In his spare time, Paul enjoys working out and spending time outdoors.

Also notable this month, GraVoc would like to thank Karen Morey for her contributions to the information security practice over the past three years, and would like to wish her the best of luck at her new job.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, now a 17-person firm, offers a wide range of technology-based solutions in the practices of information systems, information technology, and professional services. Based north of Boston in Peabody, MA, GraVoc has served the North Shore, New England, and beyond for sixteen years. For more information about GraVoc, please visit the recently-revamped http://www.gravoc.com/.

93H: There Is A Reason For This

2010-02-19T09:15:00.001-05:00

As the deadline for compliance with the Massachusetts Data Security Law approaches (March 1st is now two weeks away), many businesses are undoubtedly looking at the new burdens that are being thrown at them and wondering if it’s necessary. Perhaps the Massachusetts legislature got bored one day and decided to inconvenience businesses by requiring them to write information security policies and implement safeguards. Maybe they have friends in the encryption or consulting industries. But a recent report has given further evidence to what many already knew: Identity theft is a growing problem and businesses that handle people’s sensitive information should make efforts to make sure that if this data is stolen, they are not the ones responsible for it.

A research group concluded there were over 11 million US identity fraud victims in 2010, a 12-percent increase perhaps caused by bad economic times (hat tip to the ISMG). Surprisingly, over two-thirds of this crime was executed using non-technical methods, emphasizing that identity theft prevention is not specifically an IT burden. This growing crime cost victims $54 billion in 2010. By comparison, ID theft victims lost three times what all of Bernie Madoff’s victims lost during Madoff’s entire career.

GraVoc Associates, Inc’s information security team, which has worked primarily with the highly-regulated financial services industry in the past, has begun to work with non-financial clients with Massachusetts Data Security Law (M.G.L. 93H or 201 CMR 17.00) compliance services. A free on-demand webinar has been recorded and distributed to existing GraVoc clients, and will be made available on GraVoc.com later on this week. The standards required by this law, while they are not nearly as aggressive as they were when originally penned, can require a lot of work, and many businesses have gone to GraVoc for advisory and help with compliance with this law.

GraVoc Associates, founded in 1994, provides a wide range of solutions in the fields of information security, information systems, and professional services. The GraVoc News Blog has been following developments regarding the Mass. Data Security Law since the blog’s inception in 2008, and you may find value in perusing the archives for more information. For additional information about GraVoc’s services in all three fields, we strongly encourage you to browse GraVoc.com.

New Look News Blog

2010-02-15T15:08:00.001-05:00

If you are reading this post through Facebook or through your RSS feed, we strongly suggest you go to the new-look GraVoc News Blog available at http://gravoc.blogspot.com. There, you will be able to more easily navigate the blog, sign up to receive posts via Real Simple Syndication (RSS), and still be one click away from the three GraVoc websites at GraVoc.com, gravocsoftware.com, and divergingsoul.com. You will also be able to read archived posts by date and by topic.

Obviously, if you are reading this on the blog itself, you can already see this.

In the aftermath of acquiring DivergingSoul Media Production in January, GraVoc has increased their time spent in web design and leveraging “web 2.0” services, including setting up and administering blogs for clients. GraVoc wanted their own blog to reflect how easy a blog can be to navigate.

GraVoc Associates, Inc., based in Peabody, MA, specializes in the fields of professional services, information systems, and information security. Among their professional services offered are offer web design, blog maintenance, financial consulting, and network services. GraVoc’s clients have spanned Greater Boston, New England, and beyond. For more information about GraVoc, please visit http://www.gravoc.com.

Apple’s Next Frontier: Real, Exaggerated, or Both?

2010-02-10T16:59:00.001-05:00

As mentioned in a previous entry of the GraVoc News Blog, we can now look back on Windows Vista and conclude that it may have been the worst thing to happen to Microsoft. Its hype and ensuing lack of popularity among end users, especially in favor of an older operating system in Windows XP, led to it becoming a complete flop.

Meanwhile, this failure has opened a small crack for Apple to penetrate the business/enterprise market, as explained in this recent whitepaper. Apple’s popularity with students who have since graduated and entered the business world, in conjunction with the ubiquity of the iPod and iPhone, has enabled Apple to gain market share in the enterprise. Granted, some outlets spin it in different ways than others--the whitepaper, which is ultimately promoting a cross-platform systems management application, cites a report stating that 80% of businesses have at least one Mac, while other reports claim that even after quadrupling their market share, Apple’s 4.5% share is dwarfed by Microsoft’s 94.9%. However, even if there is only one Mac in an enterprise, administrators must account for its well-being, both in terms of installing necessary software, fixing problems, and enhancing its information security measures.

Nonetheless, if this trend continues and Macs someday represent 1/10th of the machines in an enterprise, businesses will face the challenge of administration and maintenance of both Windows-based and Mac OS-based machines. This will inevitably result in higher costs, either in terms of labor/training time, more time doing manual implementations, or investing in a product that manages across platforms. With the advent of the heralded iPad tablet, and with enterprises still hesitant to make Windows 7 the operating system of choice, management of Macs in the enterprise may soon become a relevant topic.

Since 1994, GraVoc Associates, Inc. has been providing clients in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond with services in the fields of information systems, information security, and professional services. Among their professional services offered include network infrastructure design and management services. For more information about GraVoc, please visit http://www.GraVoc.com.

Windows XP: Is It Time?

2010-02-01T15:17:00.001-05:00

It is now 2010 and today was supposed to be the two-year anniversary from the end of Microsoft Windows XP sales. (It was eventually pushed back several months due to public outcry and the flop of Windows Vista.) We are coming up on XP’s ninth birthday this summer. Most enterprises are stubbornly sticking to Windows XP, even when purchasing new machines, as about 60% of machines in businesses still use Windows XP. Of course, vendors are also helping the operating system perpetuate its dominance as it becomes obsolete by continuing to offer Windows 7 or Windows Vista with the option of an XP downgrade. But who can blame them? The market is demanding that XP continues to be available.

Most agree that Windows Vista came with more than its fair share of problems. It may have been the single worst thing to ever happen to Microsoft, as Vista hurt its reputation considerably and some users have decided to use other operating systems (more on this in the next entry). End users and administrators alike are hesitant to adopt Windows 7 for the fear that, like Vista, the product has too many unfamiliar features (notably security settings) that get in the way of doing business as expediently as possible.

However, it has been almost four months since Windows 7’s hyped-up release. And while the XP downgrade is still available in many places, it will not be around forever. Windows 7, meanwhile, has started to be adopted more steadily by enterprises. There is no way around it: XP is almost nine years old and it is probably time for many businesses to make the switch. Think of it this way: Is your automobile eight years old? How many cars have you purchased since August 2001? Chances are, your operating system is older than your current car, and possibly your last car. Windows 7 has enjoyed a warm reception, and it’s not early in the game anymore. XP is becoming obsolete, and it’s time to wonder if business will keep their death grip on XP until support is completely extinct in 2014. It may be time to say goodbye to the familiar system and move forward.

Since 1994, GraVoc Associates, Inc. has been providing clients in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond through technology in the fields of information systems, information security, and professional services. GraVoc is based in Peabody, Massachusetts and its wide range of services include hardware and software procurement, network infrastructure design and management, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems integration. For more information about GraVoc, please visit http://www.GraVoc.com.

Take A Few Minutes This Afternoon; Protect Your Computer

2010-01-21T15:00:00.001-05:00

Microsoft has sent out an alert intended for all Internet Explorer users regarding a critical patch that protects the applications from at least eight different vulnerabilities and exploits.. As Microsoft typically sends alerts on a regular basis, this “out-of-band” alert highlights the importance of the update that is not available.

The majority of Windows/Internet Explorer users automatically run a Windows Update application, and security patches like this one will typically be installed automatically as these users shut down the computer at the end of the day. If not, a user can go into the computer’s control panel and select “Windows Update” to see if they have any important updates to install. While the automatic updates as Windows shuts down are typically vexatious as the computer user is eager to go home but cannot leave until the updates are finished, this one is especially important.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, is a consulting firm specializing in information systems, information security, and professional services. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, GraVoc is committed to providing customers with worthwhile information such as this message to make sure their systems continue to work as they should. For more information about GraVoc, please visit GraVoc.com.

H1N1 Past Peak…For Now

2010-01-11T15:08:00.001-05:00

The World Health Organization announced last month that the second wave of the H1N1 (swine) flu pandemic had abated slightly after reaching its height in the United States in November. However, the organization warned of additional waves of the pandemic event and claimed that the event will likely linger through 2010 and perhaps 2011.

A characteristic of most pandemic events is that they come in waves. The United States have already seen two waves of the H1N1 outbreak, the first coming in April through early June, and the second taking place as autumn arrived. Viruses typically mutate over time, such as the Tamiflu-resistant strain that spread in small circles this fall, but they typically do not change so dramatically that someone who has already had the virus or a vaccine would become ill again. Once the majority of the general population has developed an immunity toward the virus (through infection or immunization), the virus typically returns to patterns similar to the seasonal flu.

Effective pandemic planning strategies take into account additional waves of pandemic outbreak. Many measures taken by organizations in response to the last two waves of 2009 H1N1 have readied businesses for an additional wave of H1N1 or an appropriate response to the feared H5N1 (avian) flu virus, which has not been widespread, but is feared to be more virulent.

GraVoc Associates, Inc., based in Peabody, MA, is dedicated to providing customers with solutions in the fields of information security, information systems, and professional services. Serving Greater Boston, New England, and beyond since 1994, GraVoc offers pandemic planning services to ensure that your organization is prepared to respond to widespread illness, supply chain interruptions due to a pandemic event, and widespread employee absenteeism. For more information about GraVoc, please visit GraVoc.com. For previous blog posts on H1N1 on the GraVoc News Blog, please click here.

Buddy List Blues

2010-01-07T09:05:00.001-05:00

In a recent whitepaper issued by MessageLabs, a division of Symantec, security risks surrounding instant messaging within a company are addressed in vivid detail. The document, entitled “Bullet-proofing Instant Messaging,” claims that 80% of “corporate or enterprise users” utilized an instant messaging service. While the practice of instant messaging opens up the possibility of many efficient opportunities in business processes, such as instant file transfer and rapid communication that allows multi-tasking more than the telephone does, users of instant messaging either on a business level or a personal level know that many risks come associated with it as well.

Some of the risks involved include the following:

Quick spread of worms and malware from clicking links and automatically downloading files.
Transfer of corrupted/untrusted files.
Insecure access controls – IM services typically do not require industry-standard authentication procedures in terms of password strength or multifactor authentication.
Liabilities with file sharing and copyright infringement: If a user’s “buddy” sends, for example, an illegally-downloaded music file to the user, both the user and the company could be liable for copyright infringement.
Perhaps most importantly, cleartext transfer of potentially confidential data. Unlike internal email, this information typically does travel outside the organization’s firewall.

The document also outlines a variety of solutions to mitigate the risk that comes with instant messaging as a business solution. Predictably (as it is their product), MessageLabs promotes software-as-a-service solutions as a way to secure instant messaging platforms. They also mention options such as internally-developed secure IM platforms so that employees can IM each other from within the network. Perhaps the most practical solution, however, is employee diligence: If employees are careful about their behavior and the behavior of others surrounding their use of instant messaging, or of an organization strongly discourages instant messaging, opting to use email as a comparable mode of communication, many of the risks surrounding this practice can be reduced.

GraVoc Associates, Inc., located in Peabody, MA, is dedicated to providing solutions to its customers in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond through the use of technology. Specializing in the practices of information systems, professional services, and information security, GraVoc occasionally uses the GraVoc News Blog as a way to call customers’ and visitors’ attention to relevant, engaging topics such as this one. For more information on the company, please visit the GraVoc website at http://www.gravoc.com.

DivergingSoul Now Part of GraVoc

2010-01-04T08:59:00.001-05:00

Effective January 1, 2010, DivergingSoul Media Productions is now a division of GraVoc Associates, Inc. This is an exciting milestone as these two companies become one and GraVoc’s staff increases to twenty with the addition of DivergingSoul’s Brian Gravel and Matt Molk. DivergingSoul has served both individuals and businesses since 2006 in the fields of audio and visual media production, web design, and creative marketing strategies.

DivergingSoul brings an additional creative influence to GraVoc, who currently serves Greater Boston, New England, and beyond in the fields of information systems, professional services, and information security. Some of the services DivergingSoul brings to the table include the DS2 Network, which leverages digital signage in high-traffic areas, and Web 2.0 services, which use creative strategies and the use of user-friendly technologies (such as blogs like this one, Facebook, RSS feeds, etc.) to promote a company’s message and web presence.

GraVoc President/CEO David Gravel considers the merger a logical step in line with industry demands: “There is a blurring of the lines between the technology practices,” he said. “More and more of our customers are asking us to be able to support their web and training needs. In that light, the merge with DivergingSoul is natural as it further extends our ability to address our customers’ needs.”

“We’ve had a strong working relationship in the past and we are looking forward to a new chapter in our company’s history,” said DivergingSoul co-founder Brian Gravel. “The worlds of IT and AV have been rapidly merging together and the combination of DivergingSoul and GraVoc will create a one-stop solution for media and information solutions.”

DivergingSoul will keep its brand identity while operating as a division of GraVoc: This is currently reflected on the revamped divergingsoul.com. More information about the services offered by GraVoc’s newest practice is also contained on the website.

As a result of the merger, the GraVoc website has undergone some changes in look and functionality. To see these changes, learn more about GraVoc, or learn more about GraVoc’s newest division, please visit http://www.gravoc.com.

Practicing What You Preach

2009-12-28T11:48:00.001-05:00

Earlier this fall, I gave a short presentation on how the GraVoc News Blog had become a useful marketing tool for our organization because it helped show prospects, customers, and even competitors that GraVoc was a legitimate company with its finger on the pulse of its customers’ interests and concerns.

Shortly after the presentation the GraVoc News Blog had gone radio silent. This is evidenced by the quantity of blog posts available in our archives for the month of November. This illustrates that in order for the blog to continue as a useful tool, it requires constant nurturing, time, and attention. My attention during this time shifted to other matters at hand, and the credibility of the blog suffered.

However, improvement is possible. I wrote the last three blog posts, including this one, while snowed in earlier this month and unable to travel to work. There was a limited amount of work I could do at the time, and I used my time effectively by going back and maintaining the blog by putting future posts into the draft section to be published later. If I can juggle my responsibilities and maintain this space, a member of your organization can do that as well. Roughly one hour a week is all it takes to turn your opinion or observations into a valuable marketing asset.

GraVoc Associates, Inc., a full-service technology consulting firm located in Peabody, MA, has served Greater Boston, New England, and beyond for over fifteen years in a wide variety of technology-related services, including the fields of information security, information systems, and professional services. One of the services offered, is consulting on making media such as a blog work for your business’s marketing plan by proving your firm’s expertise and by enhancing your search engine optimization. For more information, please see http://www.GraVoc.com or http://www.divergingsoul.com.

Also, please stay tuned to this blog on Thursday for a major announcement.

Warm Holiday Wishes from GraVoc

2009-12-24T10:44:00.001-05:00

The entire GraVoc organization would like to take this time to send the best holiday wishes to all of our customers, vendors, families, and friends.

GraVoc On Facebook

2009-12-21T12:58:00.001-05:00

For those who do not personally institute a “No Facebook At Work” or even a “No Facebook At All” policy, GraVoc invites you to visit the company’s new Facebook fan page. From the page, you will soon be able to view basic information about the company, connect with fellow customers/fans/well-wishers of the business, and have current posts of the GraVoc News Blog show up on your news feed.

Despite our expansion into this form of social media, GraVoc will not spam fans’ inboxes and will make all possible efforts to avoid the use of poor grammar, nonexistent punctuation, and web-speak acronyms. The GraVoc Associates Facebook Fan Page is available here.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, specializes in providing technology-based solutions to small-to-midsized businesses in the fields of information systems, professional services, and information technology. One of the services provided includes establishing your business’s web presence. It is celebrating over fifteen years of business serving companies in a wide range of industries in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond. For more information regarding the company, please visit GraVoc.com.

Northeast Ice Storm Anniversary (Part 2)

2009-12-17T15:09:00.001-05:00

Note: This is the second installment of a reflection on last year’s ice storm that devastated northern Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, and southern Maine. For the first installment, please refer to this link.

While many employees of a firm see a snowy day or a loss of power such as the loss of power due to the 2008 ice storm as an unexpected and welcomed day off, it is a burden on the company at large. It means lost revenue, customers without service, and still the same expenses: Those very same employees celebrating the day off are still expected to get paid their salaries. This is why it is so important to have a plan both written and ready to launch to minimize disaster-related downtime. Customers, like those waiting for power in New Hampshire last year, won’t “just understand” that a business they are relying on doesn’t have their act together in the face of disaster.

Just as important if not moreso is the lesson unfortunately learned by Unitil. The utilities company suffered irreversible reputational damage as a result to the slow response to the 2008 ice storm disaster. Unitil is now either a punch line or a swear word in those areas of New Hampshire and Massachusetts that lost power for so long last year. The business will now have to continue to dig themselves out of a hole to survive. There is no doubt that the state of New Hampshire will be investigating Unitil’s past BCP to find out what went wrong last year, as well as its new one to determine whether there will be provisions in place to prevent a repeat of this week last year.

GraVoc Associates, Inc. is a full-service technology consulting firm located just outside of Boston in Peabody, MA. GraVoc has served Greater Boston, New England, and beyond for over fifteen years in the fields of information systems, information security, and professional services. GraVoc’s disaster recovery/business continuity consulting has served, among other clients, many clients in the highly-regulated financial services industry, which provides a high standard for business continuity compliance. For more information, please visit the GraVoc website at www.GraVoc.com.

Northeast Ice Storm Anniversary (Part 1)

2009-12-14T12:13:00.001-05:00

It’s been a year since a historically-devastating Thursday night ice storm gripped northern Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, and southern Maine. Though the ice eventually melted, down trees and damaged power infrastructure robbed several thousand individuals and businesses of power—and customers of these businesses still demanded adequate and prompt service.

Just as pandemic planning may have seemed abstract, vague, and useless until enterprises needed to amend human resources policies and supply chain procedures in response to this year’s H1N1 flu outbreak, traditional business continuity/disaster recovery planning is similarly abstract until it is actually tested in a live environment. A case in point is the now-notorious utility company Unitil, who, according to a (N.H.) Union Leader article, will be investigated by the public sector for its inability to restore power to residents for over half a month in some cases.

Your enterprise’s disaster recovery plan must be contingent on what is most crucial to your business and what services you must provide immediately to your customers. If your business is dependent on having adequate staffing in times of disaster, the plan should include how to cope with extreme circumstances by adding and dispatching additional staff quickly so that business can be delivered. If your business relies largely on the available of technology, like many of our customers, the restoration of that technology in a timely fashion is a top priority. This priority should be reflected explicitly and appropriately in your business continuity plan. This should take into consideration leveraging current technology and outsourcing relationships, both of which are outlined in more detail in this IBM whitepaper.

More information on the anniversary of the 2008 ice storm will be made available on the GraVoc News Blog, http://gravoc.blogspot.com, on Thursday December 17th.

ERP Investment: A Good Idea in a Recession?

2009-11-06T10:34:00.001-05:00

A recent whitepaper by the folks at SAP outlined a variety of mistakes made by companies in challenging economic times. While the whitepaper is a thinly-veiled prod to urge readers to invest in an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system such as their own, it illustrates management errors and how investing in an ERP system during a recession results in better transparency and efficiency, fostering faster growth when the economy gets back on track.

The document outlines six mistakes being made by businesses. The first is “taking existing customers for granted.” Existing clients who already trust and appreciate a business’s product are the lifeblood of the business, especially when everyone else is hesitant to buy anything. Customer relationship management is crucial because staying “in tune” with customer needs is impossible without staying “in touch” with the customer. Another mistake is “failing to capitalize on market opportunities.” A company will miss out during times of economic growth if they do not recognize the need to introduce a new product and use tools to project the estimated revenues and costs associated with the product.

The paper identifies “allowing operational efficiencies” and “driving the wrong behavior in the organization” as two more mistakes being made that can be solved by an ERP product. Administrative tasks can take a fraction of the time with an ERP system. As wasted time costs companies money, time efficiency can help businesses cut costs. Furthermore, metrics that are easily visible within the system can prompt managers to create the most effective sales incentives.

Perhaps the two most important aspects of the paper are the mistakes of “letting problems go undiagnosed and uncorrected” and “failing to offer transparency to stakeholders.” By tracking all aspects of the company’s operations, decision-makers can find and eliminate issues and make more informed decisions in a timely manner.

An effective ERP system can solve all of these problems.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, located near Boston in Peabody, MA, is a Microsoft Gold Certified partner with operations in the practices of information systems, professional services, and information technology. The information systems practice, among other things, helps customers choose the correct ERP system that fits their needs and enhances their operational efficiency. Last year, GraVoc climbed from 15th to 2nd in New England among Microsoft Business Solutions (Microsoft Dynamics) resellers. For more information about GraVoc’s custom utilities that can work hand-in-hand with ERP systems to create more transparency within your organization, please visit gravocsoftware.com. For more information regarding the information systems practice in general, please visit GraVoc.com.

GraVoc Showcases Health & Recovery Application at Tradeshow

2009-10-28T12:27:00.001-04:00

On Friday, GraVoc sent three representatives to the Association for Behavioral Healthcare (formerly the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Corporations of Massachusetts) 10th Anniversary Provider Celebration. At the ABH expo, GraVoc promoted GHR, a comprehensive bed management software designed for inpatient health and recovery service providers similar to many attendees of the event.

Like many of the GraVoc Software products, this solution was designed based on customer input regarding their needs and which key processes must be streamlined with this software. This was GraVoc’s first time attending this event, and many representatives of health and recovery organizations from throughout Massachusetts were impressed by GHR’s functionality. The application was designed with the goals of a quick learning curve and ease of use.

GHR handles occupancy management, admission processing, management of billing processes (including care that falls under health insurance and care that does not fall under health insurance), discharge management, client history inquiry, and reporting. With GHR, a behavior health facility will be able to waste less time on administrative tasks and instead spend that time caring for their patients. More information about GHR, including screen shots of the application, are available on the GraVoc Software website.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, is a consulting firm specializing in information systems, professional services, and information security. The information systems practice encompasses the development of several internally-developed GraVoc Software solutions, all of which are profiled on the gravocsoftware.com. For more information on GHR or the company, please visit GraVoc.com or call the GraVoc offices at 978-538-9055.

GraVoc Attends PACC Business Expo

2009-10-24T13:42:00.001-04:00

GraVoc Associates, Inc. featured their information security services at the 2009 Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce Business Expo on Thursday. Additionally, GraVoc’s Dan Vassallo delivered a presentation about blogging and how the GraVoc News Blog improved the company’s web presence, credibility, and search engine optimization.

GraVoc shared a booth at the tradeshow with marketing consultant Divergingsoul Media Production, who also impressed attendees with its variety of digital media service offerings. Attendees were encouraged to visit the GraVoc booth by the chance to win a portable media player. Congratulations to Colleen Derrivan of Phil Richard & Associates Insurance, who won the raffle.

At the conclusion of the event, the Chamber of Commerce presented a panel of seven members who used non-traditional techniques to market their products or services. Dan Vassallo represented GraVoc on the “7 Experts, 7 Tips, 7 Minutes” panel, explaining how the GraVoc News Blog has heightened GraVoc’s web presence and search engine optimization. It is now easier for businesses looking for a Boston-area, North Shore, or Peabody technology consulting firm or Microsoft Dynamics partner to find GraVoc and learn more about the services the business provides. Dan has received comments from competitors, vendors, and customers about how the blog has made the firm appear to really be on top of relevant issues. It also lets customers know what is new with the business.

GraVoc Associates, Inc., based in Peabody, MA, is a seventeen-person consulting firm specializing in the areas of professional services, information systems, and information security. For more information on GraVoc and the services the company provides, please visit GraVoc.com or check out the archives of the GraVoc News Blog.

Catch GraVoc at Upcoming Tradeshows

2009-10-20T14:19:00.001-04:00

GraVoc Associates, Inc. will be attending the following tradeshows this week:

Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, Thursday October 22, 2-7 PM
MHSACM’s 10th Anniversary Provider Celebration - “Enduring Mission, United In Purpose,” Friday October 23, 8AM-2PM.

The PACC Business Expo is taking place at the Holiday Inn in Peabody, MA, and GraVoc will be sharing a booth with DivergingSoul Media Production. At the expo, GraVoc will be sharing information mainly about its information security services, which are explained in further detail on the GraVoc website. GraVoc is looking to help businesses who need guidance as the March 1 deadline for compliance with the Massachusetts Data Protection Law closes in.

Also at the PACC Expo, GraVoc’s Dan Vassallo will be featured in the “7 Experts, 7 Tips, 7 Minutes” discussion, where he will explain how regular updates of the GraVoc News Blog has helped GraVoc’s marketing efforts. This segment will take place at 4:00 PM on Thursday.

At the MHSACM tradeshow, to be held at the Westin Waltham Hotel in Waltham, MA, several members of GraVoc’s staff will be on hand exhibiting the GraVoc Health Recovery Management System (GHR) application. This user-friendly, easy-to-use software helps medical organizations easily track which rooms/beds are occupied and how long. It also keeps track of patient history and streamlines medical service to billing insurance companies.

Eliminating time spent on administrative tasks enables medical professionals to dedicate their precious time and energy on helping patients’ recovery. GraVoc was invited to this tradeshow by a satisfied GHR customer, and the company is excited about the opportunity to demonstrate how the GHR application can help health and recovery organizations improve their service process, cut down on wasted time, and improve their bottom lines.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, located in Peabody, MA is a full-service consulting firm that specializes in information security, information systems, and professional services. A versatile organization, GraVoc’s client base, as evidenced above, has spanned from medical organizations to financial institutions, to manufacturers, distributors, and commercial clients in a wide range of fields. For more information about the company, please visit the new GraVoc.com. If you happen to be in the area, GraVoc would love to see you at one of the tradeshows this week!

Marsh Leads Team at JDRF Walk

2009-10-05T09:43:00.001-04:00

GraVoc senior associate Stefanie Marsh led a tremendous fundraising effort at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Seacoast Walk held Sunday September 27th. An active member of the foundation’s New Hampshire Seacoast chapter, Marsh joined over 500 other walkers in the event, which was held despite a second consecutive year of foul weather.

Marsh’s team, “Zack’s Pack,” is named for her son Zachary, who is affected by diabetes. Over 15,000 children are diagnosed annually with juvenile diabetes, and while treatment for the condition has improved substantially in the past decade or so, there is no cure. Due to the generous support of family and friends, Zack’s Pack alone raised over $4,000 for diabetes research.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, a Peabody, MA-based consulting firm specializing in the practices of information systems, professional services, and information security, is proud of Stefanie’s achievements and her dedication toward community service and the JDRF. For more information about GraVoc, visit www.GraVoc.com, and for more information about the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, please visit jdrf.org.

Congratulating One Employee, Welcoming Another

2009-10-01T10:00:00.001-04:00

Part of the buzz surrounding GraVoc Associates’ fifteenth anniversary party last month was the fact that the company was celebrating its first retirement. Yesterday it became official, as office manager Patricia Kulakowski stepped down from her post at the front of the GraVoc building.

Pat had worked in this capacity at GraVoc since 1996, and she will be celebrating her retirement by taking a trip to Aruba with her husband next week. The entire GraVoc staff congratulates Pat on her milestone and sincerely appreciates her many years of service and contributions while at the company.

Pat will be replaced by fellow Peabody native Connie Leaver, who began working full-time at GraVoc last week. Having previously worked in both the insurance and in the banking industries, Connie is eager to bring a unique view to the consulting firm. The GraVoc organization warmly welcomes Connie and encourages customers to greet her kindly the next time they call or stop by.

GraVoc Associates, celebrating fifteen years on the North Shore, is dedicated to increasing customers’ efficiency and profitability through technology. GraVoc provides services in the three practices of professional services, information systems, and information security. For more information regarding the business, please visit www.gravoc.com.

GraVoc Joins Mass. Bankers Association

2009-09-23T16:19:00.001-04:00

GraVoc is happy to announce that recently they joined the Massachusetts Bankers Association. The membership will give the company access to resources that will enable them to better serve clients in the financial services sector. As part of this association, GraVoc will be able to better keep abreast of issues that concern financial institutions. GraVoc hopes to use this knowledge to continuously improve existing information security services and create new offerings to fit the needs of their bank and credit union customers in a rapidly-changing business environment.

The organization has a membership of over 200 financial institutions in Massachusetts, as well as an additional 200 vendors that provide products and services to the banking industry. GraVoc provides services to banks and credit unions throughout New England in the areas of information security and information technology. Massachusetts-based financial institutions especially have a daunting challenge ahead with the dawn of the Massachusetts Data Security Law in March 2010.

Peabody, MA-based GraVoc Associates is celebrating fifteen years of business in the areas of information systems, information security, and professional services. GraVoc offers a wide array of services to regional financial institutions, both on the network infrastructure, design, and maintenance side as well as information security, network security, and business continuity services. GraVoc also extends services to commercial accounts in all three practices. For more information about GraVoc and the versatility of services provided, please visit www.GraVoc.com.

GraVoc Celebrates Milestone

2009-09-18T10:14:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday night, GraVoc Associates, Inc. hosted a get-together with staff members, customers, and friends at the Lyceum Bar and Grill in Salem. The event marked the celebration of GraVoc’s fifteen-year anniversary serving businesses in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond in the fields of information systems, information security, and professional services.

The event featured a video (courtesy of DivergingSoul) featuring the company’s evolution over the last fifteen years and a speech by President/CEO David Gravel introducing the staff. Customers had the chance to interact with each other and with staff members, and GraVoc greatly appreciates its guests taking the time out of their Wednesday evening to travel to the event.

The party was held as a gesture of appreciation toward GraVoc’s customers and how, while the company’s slogan is “our business is your success,” that it is also true that “your business is our success.” The milestone would not have been reached without the confidence of GraVoc’s customers. Moving forward, GraVoc looks forward to continuing to help clients achieve efficiency, maintain compliance, and improve profits through technology for many years to come.

For more information about GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, please visit www.GraVoc.com.

Social Engineering: Are There Rules?

2009-09-11T11:06:00.001-04:00

A very interesting alert came from the National Credit Union Administration last month regarding a fraudulent letter and accompanying CD. The letter and CD were sent to an unnamed credit union, indicating they were from the NCUA when in actuality they were not. An employee of the credit union told the NCUA about it, prompting the alert.

It was very quickly learned that the letter and CD were sent by a consulting firm contracted by the credit union in question to conduct penetration testing and social engineering testing. The consulting firm, MicroSolved, owned up to it and praised the client credit union for doing exactly what they should be doing: Reporting suspicious activity to the appropriate authority. In his blog, MicroSolved CEO Brent Huston expressed his admiration for the whistleblower, the NCUA, and the multiple media and Internet outlets who made this incident into an inadvertent “awareness campaign” regarding the dangers of social engineering.

MicroSolved got a considerable amount of heat for impersonating the NCUA and for using the NCUA’s logos, names, and likenesses. Whether this is ethical or not, it is probably more effective if not necessary to use those likenesses. Are real-life attackers going to be following the rules of “we don’t use logos to impersonate agencies?” Of course not. And the most effective tests are the ones that most closely resemble the real-life scenarios. Unless real fraudsters have the ethics to not use the agency’s likenesses, the people complaining about this firm’s ethics using them should really be complaining about something else. The priority should be keeping businesses’ information safe, not the proper use of names and logos.

Social engineering is a tactic employed by malicious attackers that instead of targeting weaknesses in computer systems, targets human beings as a way to gain unauthorized access to confidential information. Social engineering preys upon trust, curiosity, and authority in a variety of different ways, including bogus emails, phone calls, letters, CDs, or other means.

GraVoc Associates, Inc. is celebrating fifteen years of business serving Greater Boston, New England, and beyond in the fields of information security, information systems, and professional services. With three CISMs on staff, GraVoc brings a high skill level to its information security consulting practice. As a service to its clients, GraVoc posts items of note such as the one above to increase awareness of constant changes in the information security landscape. For more information about GraVoc’s offerings in information security consulting, please visit www.gravoc.com or speak to a representative at 978-538-9055.

Government Provides Pandemic Guidance

2009-09-08T14:14:00.001-04:00

While there is little new to report on the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic, other than the fact that flu season is coming soon, the vaccine will be released shortly, the flu as it currently stands is not as deadly as it was initially projected to be, and the 2009 H1N1 is now the dominant human flu on the planet, the United States government has a slew of resources available for businesses to plan for widespread employee absence, slowdowns in the supply chain, and public fear about the spread of illness. Highlights include the following:

Supply Chain Planning: Banks may have to wait longer for cash shipments. Manufacturers may have to wait longer to receive raw materials. Vendors and service providers may have slower customer service as their employees may be out sick. Businesses must plan accordingly for this as well as planning for the absenteeism of their own employees.
Absenteeism Threshold: How many people can your business afford to lose to absenteeism at the same time before business operations are adversely affected? If the number of absent employees exceeds this number, does the company have plans to adjust accordingly? Are there policies and technologies in place so that absent employees (if they are not sick themselves but are caring for a sick family member) can work from home?
Sick Time Policies: Has your HR department considered revising policies regarding sick time so that sick employees are not showing up to work and spreading the disease just because they have a limited number of sick days? Businesses must take the health of other employees into account, as well as the probability that employees may have to care for children who are home from school as a result of a school closure or a child becoming ill.
Extended Hours: Social distancing will be a technique used to prevent the spread of the flu. Many companies will stagger their hours of operation so that employees will have less contact with other employees, decreasing the probability that a virus will be spread.
Screening: Companies should consider whether employees will be asked if they have had symptoms of the flu (i.e. fever, headache, sore throat) in the last day, and whether they should be mandated to leave the workplace if they have.

More advice from the United States Government, including a useful pandemic planning checklist, are available here.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, are celebrating fifteen years of serving customers in many industries in the practices of information security, information systems, and professional services. Encompassed in the information security field is business continuity and pandemic event planning, and GraVoc has many years’ experience helping businesses plan for a disaster or a pandemic event. With the onset of the swine flu pandemic in April, the GraVoc News Blog has provided additional guidance and updates regarding how to plan so that business operations are not interrupted. For more information about GraVoc’s business continuity services, as well as its other products and services, please visit www.gravoc.com.

GraVoc Staff Earns Certifications

2009-09-03T10:39:00.001-04:00

In response to the business environment becoming more competitive, several GraVoc Associates professionals have demonstrated their competence in GraVoc’s three practices of information systems, information technology, and technology and professional services. Several staff members have earned certifications over the course of the summer, and the organization is using this space to congratulate them:

Nate Gravel has achieved the CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) certification from the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). There are only about 10,000 CISMs worldwide, and Nate, 24, is likely one of the youngest to earn this certification. A CISM demonstrates experience in the fields of information security governance, information risk management, information security program development and management, and incident response. Nate also earned a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) certification in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM software.
Eric Hannabury has added his seventh MCP distinction, as he successfully earned certification in the installation and configuration of Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0. Eric already holds the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification, one of the premiere validations of technical capabilities in designing and implementing Microsoft network infrastructure.
Ron Smoller, also an MCSE, has earned his sixth MCP distinction in the installation and deployment of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0.
Doug Tilley earned an MCP in the field of Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 Financials.
Matt Wilkins earned an MCP in the area of the customization and configuration of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, located in Peabody, MA, has served Greater Boston, New England, and beyond in the three practices of information systems, information security, and technology and professional services. Like any company, GraVoc relies on the strength of its employees, as knowledgeable employees help GraVoc better serve its clients. For more information about the range of services offered by GraVoc, please visit www.gravoc.com.

Mass. Law: No Longer Strongest In Country?

2009-08-31T09:56:00.001-04:00

Last week, the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation decided to issue a revised version of 201 CMR 17.00, the regulation that outlines and enforces compliance to M.G.L. 93H. Not only did the OCABR delay the effective date for a third time, but saying the changes in the language have “softened” the aggressive nature of the law would be an understatement.

While this is good news for the smaller enterprises, such as a business that only stores personal information of its six employees or small businesses that don’t have thousands upon thousands of dollars to spend on some of the physical and technical safeguards prescribed by the old version of the regulation, information security experts (such as the ones who wrote scathing indictments of the changes here and here) argue that this regulation has been softened to the point that is rendered worthless. One of the authors wrote that retail firm TJX would have been compliant with this regulation when they experienced the data breach that inspired it.

Highlights from the changes:

Perhaps the most significant change is the removal of the personal information inventory piece. This may have been the most cumbersome and unrealistic part of the regulations, but also may have been the most important. It is difficult to protect information if you don’t know where it is. Other states already do require the personal information inventory in their data protection laws.
Words like “reasonable” and “technically feasible” permeate the new version of the document, while they were used very sparingly in the old version. Information safeguards, including encryption password strength, and the installation of virus definitions, security patches, and firewall protection, previously had specific standards to be in compliance with the law. The new standards use the “reasonable” and “technically feasible” terminology. As it may ease small businesses’ financial burden, these words are certainly vague and open to interpretation.
The Frequently Asked Questions that accompany the document on the Massachusetts OCABR website further illuminate the problems with the use of these terms. The FAQs state that email messages with personal information do not need to be encrypted if the process is not “technically feasible,” for example. A noncompliant business can readily answer to authorities simply by saying “I did not find this safeguard to be technically feasible.”
The language of the regulation removes accountability for those who “store or maintain” personal information. This would suggest that if a company keeps its records at a hosted storage facility or with a service bureau, the vendor is no longer responsible for this information. Other provisions regarding vendor management are similarly weakened or taken out completely—a contract including compliance is required but enforcement of a vendor’s compliance is no longer documented.
Compliance as an ongoing process is also put into question with the changes. There is no longer language regarding assessing risk associated with information, processes, or applications and putting in appropriate safeguards. Language requiring monitoring the effectiveness is also removed.
Similarly, thorough investigation of any network intrusions were previously mandated by the regulation. They are no longer explicitly required unless unless they result in a data breach. A business no longer has to report or document any unauthorized physical access to computer systems. Restricting access to systems, such as server rooms, is also completely eradicated from the document.
Language regarding employee access to personal information is substantially less stringent. Language regarding limiting access to those with a “need to know” is eradicated and the word “immediately” has been removed from the part requiring companies to revoke physical and electronic access to records when an employee leaves the organization.

There are six months left before the revised compliance deadline. With the revised provisions in the regulations, compliance is much more achievable. However, compliance with these weakened regulations might not be enough to keep information safe anymore.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, located in Peabody, MA, is celebrating fifteen years in the practices of information security, information systems, and technology and professional consulting. For more information on GraVoc’s compliance services aligned with the Massachusetts Data Protection Law, please contact GraVoc at 978-538-9055 or visit the GraVoc website at http://www.gravoc.com. More information on this law has been covered in the GraVoc News Blog, so by clicking “Massachusetts Data Protection Law” below is also a useful source of information.

Data Breach Lessons Learned: Part 2

2009-08-25T11:02:00.001-04:00

Continued from Friday’s post, here is more information regarding how the indictment of hacker Albert Gonzalez in connection with the biggest credit card number heist in history is significant to your business and protecting its information assets:

As difficult as it is to announce a data breach, companies not only have the responsibility to their customers to alert authorities of a data breach, but they will also be helping the efforts of law enforcement to catch criminals like Gonzalez by announcing in a prompt manner. Companies already implicated in highly-publicized breaches have lost immeasurable, irreparable damage to their reputations. However, as this story develops, there has been news that Heartland may have known more about the scope of the breach than what they reported. This may be a serious problem for the company.
While Gonzalez is the malicious intruder in this case, the corporate victims also take a piece of the blame, whether rightfully so or not. Securing a network is like locking your doors when you leave your house—except it takes a lot more time, effort, and money.
With so much attention being paid lately to social engineering techniques such as phishing and the threat posed by malicious “insiders” in rough economic times, this massive data breach was executed using somewhat-traditional network hacking. Hackers have not abandoned this tactic.
As cumbersome as laws like the GLBA, HIPAA, PCI, and the Massachusetts Data Protection Law are, they may very well be necessary to keep individuals safe from identity fraud.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, located in Peabody, MA, serves customers in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond in the practices of information systems, information security, and professional and technological services. The GraVoc News Blog is updated frequently to provide free information and tips to help your company’s bottom line. For more information regarding GraVoc’s services and how they can help your company’s efficiency and security, please visit http://www.gravoc.com.

Mass. Data Protection Law Delayed, Softened

2009-08-21T11:33:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week, the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulations (OCABR) made the decision to delay the effective date of the Massachusetts Data Protection Law (also known as MGL 93H or 201 CMR 17.00) for the fourth time. Businesses are expected to be in compliance with this law, which is designed to protect Massachusetts residents from identity theft, by March 1, 2010.

The original effective date of this law was January 1, 2009. It was delayed until May 1, 2009 late last year, and in February it was moved back to January 1, 2010.

The provisions and standards of data protection have also been amended. While the law is still perhaps the most aggressive in the country, compliance is much more attainable with the revised provisions. The amended law can be read in PDF format here.

This announcement can be interpreted many ways. A pessimist may look at it in a way that the effective date may never come and that Massachusetts is writing this law for a public relations purpose. Optimists may view the four separate delays and significant amendments to the regulation as a gesture by the state saying that they are listening and they understand the needs and limitations of small businesses. It could possibly be indicative that the state and the OCABR are serious about enforcing compliance, so they are making changes so that compliance is actually a possibility for businesses.

This news will be covered in more depth on the GraVoc News Blog towards the end of next week.

GraVoc Associates, Inc., based in Peabody, MA, is celebrating fifteen years in Greater Boston. GraVoc works with a variety of different clients in several sectors, providing services in the practices of information security, technology and professional services, and information systems. GraVoc’s information security team has several years’ experience serving the highly-regulated financial services industry, and is committed to helping clients from any industry comply with the Massachusetts Data Protection Law. For more information about GraVoc and its M.G.L. 93H compliance services, please visit GraVoc.com.

Lessons Learned in Data Breach Indictment

2009-08-21T08:46:00.001-04:00

The indictment of Albert Gonzalez and two other co-conspirators in connection with data breaches resulting in 130 million credit card numbers stolen is massive news. This is the largest breach of credit card numbers ever recorded, and the fact that someone was caught speaks volumes about the efforts of law enforcement officials. However, this indictment doesn’t change the fact that the numbers were still compromised and the corporate victims—the businesses that had data stolen off of their networks—have suffered irreparable damage both in terms of regulatory compliance and corporate reputation. There are many lessons to be learned about this incident. The GraVoc News Blog will outline this information in a two-part series.

Albert Gonzalez is already currently in prison for his involvement of a previous high-profile data breach involving TJX, Dave & Buster’s, BJ’s, and other companies. In his career as a hacker, he very well may have stolen 200 million credit card numbers! Each of these operations, while certainly sophisticated, were reasonably small. This news shows how readily available credit card numbers can be if a network is violated.
This attack was well-planned and well-researched. The scope of this group’s “research and development” included driving with a computer to evaluate the security (or lack thereof) of potential victims’ networks using a variety of tools, many of which may also be used by companies like GraVoc to help companies identify vulnerabilities in a network’s perimeter. Potential victims were also qualified by researching the means of payment processing.
The attack was carried out with a SQL injection and installation of malware, exploiting network vulnerabilities that were previously identified and documented. These attacks typically exploit “poorly-coded” applications, and when these vulnerabilities are initially found, they are documented and resolved in an updated version of the application. In other words, many of these vulnerabilities are the result of a company’s lack of diligence regarding updating software versions.
Experts agree that despite the diligent preparation for this attack, an SQL injection is not a difficult exploit to execute. While Albert Gonzalez may be behind bars, he is hardly the only hacker in the world who can exploit the same vulnerabilities in this manner.

GraVoc Associates, Inc. of Peabody, MA, is dedicated to ensuring its clients in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond are aware of the ever-changing environment of information security. The GraVoc News Blog will continue documenting four other “lessons learned” early next week. For more information regarding GraVoc’s services in information security, information systems, and technological and professional services, please visit http://www.gravoc.com.

GraVoc Adds Stefanie Marsh to IS Practice

2009-08-19T13:01:00.001-04:00

GraVoc Associates Inc. is proud to announce the hiring of Stefanie Marsh as a Senior Associate in their Information Systems practice. Stefanie will add her experience and strong work ethic to GraVoc’s information systems practice.

The hiring of Stefanie is to respond to the needs of a rapidly-growing customer base in ERP systems implementation. Last year, GraVoc was recognized as the second-largest Microsoft Business Solutions reseller in New England in terms of sales, up from fifteenth the year before.

Stefanie, a resident of Dover, NH, has fifteen years of experience in consulting and in operations experience in a diverse environment of manufacturing and distribution companies. Her previous work has spanned the medical manufacturing, high-technology, and retail fields. With Stefanie’s experience comes a high level of understanding of these business processes as well as the difficulties and challenges encountered by firms in the market for enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions.

A graduate of the University of Rhode Island and a mother of two, Stefanie enjoys spending time with her family, visiting Disney World, and outdoor recreation. She also devotes much of her free time to community service, as she is active in the JDRF Seacoast Committee to benefit juvenile diabetes research.

GraVoc Associates, Inc. extends a sincere welcome to Stefanie. As they celebrate fifteen years of business in the practices of information systems, information security, and technology and professional services, GraVoc has added three full-time staff members in the last year. GraVoc has maintained Microsoft’s Gold Certified Partner status for several years through their efforts in a challenging re-certification process and through their competence and ability to outfit enterprises in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond with appropriate and robust ERP, CRM, and other solutions. For more information about GraVoc’s offerings, including software products developed by GraVoc’s programmers, please visit GraVoc.com.

Vacation Over?

2009-08-14T09:23:00.001-04:00

As the summer begins to wind down and many executives and employees return from their well-deserved vacations, just over the horizon lies a great deal of challenges in the fields of information security. Perhaps two of the largest information security-related challenges facing almost every business in New England include the specter of a pandemic event taking full grasp of the entire world and the January 1st effective date of the Massachusetts Data Protection Law.

As far as the H1N1 (swine flu) virus goes, the effects of many people becoming ill, the potential of the flu becoming more potent, and public fear surrounding the outbreak will undoubtedly have a noticeable impact on virtually every business. This goes well beyond encouraging your employees to wash their hands for twenty seconds and putting hand sanitizer in places of business interaction. Executives will have to ask themselves: “What do I have to do if 40% of my staff—and 40% of everyone else’s staff—is out sick?” With employees sick or taking care of families if schools are closed for social distancing purposes, this is a distinct possibility. It presents a wide range of challenges regarding your ability to continue business operations.

The Massachusetts Data Protection Law, going into effect on January 1st, presents an equally-daunting challenge. This law requires an aggressive standard of logical and physical controls to protect every piece of personal identifiable information pertaining to a Massachusetts resident in an enterprise. The enterprise doesn’t have to be in Massachusetts to be subject to this regulation if it has a Massachusetts resident’s name with a social security number, government-issued ID number, financial account number, or credit/debit card number.

Both of these issues are bound to give businesses across all sectors a fair share of headaches. As evidenced by past posts on the GraVoc News Blog, GraVoc Associates has devoted time and effort to stay on top of both of these impending challenges. For many years, GraVoc has helped clients design pandemic event plans and has helped these plans remain effective through testing. The GraVoc information security practice is built on the foundations of achieving compliance with strict regulations and keeping clients’ information safe from both outsiders and malicious insiders.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, celebrating 15 years on the North Shore outside of Boston, is committed to helping clients in their three practices of information systems, information security, and professional and technological services. The information security practice historically has worked extensively in the highly-regulated financial industry. For more information on the products and services provided by GraVoc, please visit GraVoc.com.

Flip Flop Friends Complete Walk

2009-08-03T09:11:00.001-04:00

GraVoc Vice President Cathy Gravel and her “Flip Flop Friends” teammates successfully completed the Breast Cancer 3-Day event last weekend. This event included approximately sixty miles of walking throughout the greater Boston area over three days, and its proceeds went to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Thousands of walkers braved unfavorable conditions, including rain on Friday and heat on Saturday as they trekked from as far west as Framingham and as far north as Woburn before finishing at the University of Massachusetts-Boston. In addition to the physical challenge of the walk, each participant raised over $2300 for breast cancer research.

Cathy, as well as teammates Gina Braz-Rocha, Karen Braz, Terri Garofano, and Jean Hallinan, were extremely grateful to all their supporters, and the GraVoc organization is proud of the team’s accomplishments.

GraVoc Team Wins Softball Championship

2009-07-20T08:08:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to the GraVoc Associates girls’ softball team (pictured above). Last week, the GraVoc team reached the league championship for the second consecutive year. The GraVoc ladies went undefeated throughout the playoff run, so they had two chances to clinch the title. It only took one game, and the team was crowned champions of the 13-16 year old division of the Peabody Youth Girls Softball League.

Their sponsors at GraVoc Associates are proud of the team’s accomplishments all season long.

Massachusetts Data Protection Law: Encryption Standards

2009-07-16T10:39:00.001-04:00

As the deadline for compliance with the Massachusetts Data Protection Law (MGL 93H & 201 CMR 17.00) rapidly approaches, many companies will be looking for information on what they have to do in order to achieve compliance with the regulations that are more aggressive than the “game-chang[ing]” law passed in Nevada.

The part of the law that has garnered the most attention is its emphasis on encrypting personal information. For the sake of reference, the encryption-related requirements are printed below:

“To the extent technically feasible, encryption of all transmitted records and files containing personal information that will travel across public networks, and encryption of all data containing personal information to be transmitted wirelessly.”
“Encryption of all personal information stored on laptops or other portable devices.”

Source: Mass.gov

Simply stated, encryption is a technical provision that makes it very difficult for an unauthorized individual to access electronic information. Encryption is especially important with email transmission (in the case that the email is intercepted over a public network) and with portable devices such as laptops, PDAs, and flash drives (which are easily lost or stolen).

Peabody, MA-based GraVoc Associates, celebrating fifteen years of business in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond, understands that the encryption standard especially is an unusual burden for businesses that don’t typically have to concern themselves with detailed information security governance. GraVoc’s information security personnel have been following the evolution of the Massachusetts Data Protection Law for several months, demonstrating their commitment to help both new and existing clients comply with this challenging law with appropriate procedures and products. For more information about MGL-93H services, as well as more information about GraVoc’s services in their other practices of information systems and financial and professional consulting, please visit GraVoc.com.

Mass. Data Protection Deadline: Less than Six Months Away

2009-07-13T17:52:00.001-04:00

The Massachusetts Data Protection Law, sometimes referred to as Massachusetts General Law 93H & I or 201 CMR 17.00, goes into effect on January 1, 2010, and the general consensus is that the effective date is NOT going to be delayed for a third time. This law requires all companies with “personal information” pertaining to a Massachusetts resident to have a comprehensive written information security policy. It also requires companies with any personal information to undergo reasonably-daunting efforts to protect both paper and electronic files to prevent a data breach.

“Personal information” is defined as a person’s name or first initial and last name in conjunction with a social security number, a government issued ID number, a driver’s license number, or a financial account number (including credit and debit card number). This covers both customer information and employee information, so virtually every business in the state will have to comply with this law.

The many provisions required by this aggressive law include procedural controls, physical controls, and technological controls. Among the more challenging measures to be mandated under this law are the following:

A comprehensive, written information security policy regarding the protection of information both in physical and electronic forms.
A vendor management program that ensures that all vendors, service providers, and contractors with access to personal information are also taking adequate measures to curb identity theft and data breaches and to become compliant with this law.
Higher levels of physical information protection, such as the use of locked containers and the employment of locked facilities.
Challenging standards for electronic data protection, including the encryption of hard drives and portable devices like laptops, PDAs, and flash drives that contain personal information.

As this law sets very high standards and expectations and threatens to levy strict fines against noncompliant businesses, small and midsized businesses may not know where to turn. GraVoc’s information security team has been monitoring the law’s provisions and its evolution over the past year. GraVoc is committed to helping clients comply with this law and proactively quell the risk of data breaches and identity theft.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, a full-service consulting firm based in Peabody, MA, is celebrating 15 years of business in Greater Boston and throughout New England. GraVoc offers a wide range of services in the fields of information security, information systems, and technology and financial services, including Massachusetts Data Protection Law compliance services. For more information on GraVoc’s information security work in the highly-regulated financial industry or more information about 93H compliance services, please visit GraVoc.com.

Jason Vlacich Celebrates 10 Years at GraVoc

2009-07-10T11:17:00.001-04:00

GraVoc Associates is pleased to announce a significant milestone for Director of Information Systems Jason Vlacich. This month, Jason will be celebrating ten years with the company. The former controller of Netsuite Development Corporation, Jason has brought knowledge in both the fields of information systems and finance to catalyze GraVoc’s rapid growth in the market of ERP system implementation as well as the growth of the GraVoc Software branch of the company.

““From the time he joined GraVoc in 1999, Jason has been the ‘go to’ guy for most of our new projects and new information systems,” said David Gravel, President and CEO of GraVoc Associates. “Jason truly sets the bar for commitment to both our customers and the company – I am proud to have him as both an employee and a friend.”

Thanks to the efforts of Jason and the rest of the GraVoc staff, the company has climbed from fifteenth to second in New England in terms of Microsoft Business Solutions resellers in New England, and the GraVoc Software branch has produced a vast line of products available, including the robust GraVoc Field Service application. For more information about the company, which is celebrating fifteen years of business in Greater Boston in the fields of information systems, information security, and technology and financial consulting, please visit GraVoc.com.

Cathy Gravel Receives Rotary Honors

2009-07-07T11:02:00.001-04:00

GraVoc vice president Cathy Gravel knew going into last week’s Rotary banquet that she would be named the club’s president for 2009-2010. What she did not know is that she would be named the club’s Rotarian of the Year, as well as awarded the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow distinction.

Cathy received this award undoubtedly as a result of her tremendous efforts on several of the Peabody Rotary’s project committees. Cathy served as the chairperson of the scholarship committee, which awarded $11,000 of scholarships to Peabody students. She also served as chairperson and grant writer of the Safe 2 Pedal Day program, which organized an event encouraging health and bicycle safety. During her one-year term as president, she will now oversee all of the club’s community involvement projects.

Rotary International’s slogan is “Service Above Self,” and they are recognized worldwide as an organization that undertakes local projects as well as international efforts, such as funding surgery for children with facial deformities in the third world and eradicating polio worldwide. Locally, the Peabody Rotary Club has received recognition for programs such as the Y It Matters program, which provides extended-day school activities for elementary school students.

The Paul Harris Fellow distinction is perhaps the highest distinction awarded to a Rotary member, as it rewards the recipient for “outstanding contributions to the ideals of Rotary.” The award also typically involves a contribution to the international Rotary Foundation in honor of the award recipient.

The entire GraVoc organization is proud of Cathy and her contributions to the community and her embodiment of Service Above Self.

Gartner: Dynamics AX a “Leader”

2009-06-23T12:31:00.001-04:00

In a twenty-page review released at the beginning of June, IT research firm Gartner evaluated thirteen different enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for “product-centric midmarket companies” between 100 and 1000 employees. The review, including many pros and cons of each system, is available here. The only solution that received the accolade of being in the “magic quadrant” of high “completeness of vision” and “ability to execute” was Microsoft Dynamics AX. Please refer to the image below to see a graphic layout of where Gartner evaluated each solution in respect to industry trends:

Dynamics AX was deemed a “leader” due to the product’s functionality, its wide network of partners and resellers around the world that makes global implementation less of a burden, its scalability and customizability to tailor the product to customer needs, and its ease of use, as it resembles the Microsoft Office products that are popular among the mid-market and it readily integrates with these Office programs.

The criteria for evaluating “ability to execute” included the product’s capabilities, the company’s financial viability and capacity to meet its commitments and continue a valuable relationship with a customer, and its ability to execute sales. The criteria for “completeness of vision” included the understanding of the industry’s needs, the company’s sales, marketing, and product development strategy, and a clear business model that outlined the product’s growth goals.

Notable from the Gartner review is that while many mid-market companies have recently moved towards Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, their findings indicated that the total cost of ownership of a SaaS option is “not necessarily” lower than that of an on-premise ERP option.

Epicor Vantage also received high marks due to its position as a “visionary” with defined plans of the product’s evolution, updates, and development. Vantage did, however, lose some points due to its financial viability and its perceived candidacy for being bought out.

GraVoc Associates, located in Greater Boston in Peabody, MA, is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner dedicated to implementing ERP solutions, including Microsoft Dynamics AX, to commercial clients. The Gartner report indicated a “concern” in the Dynamics AX evaluation is that much of the product’s effectiveness is contingent on the efforts and competence of the partner helping the customer with the system. A very small number of Microsoft partners have achieved the highest certification level. GraVoc, however, has reached the highest certification level, maintaining the Gold Certification for several years through competence and rigorous ongoing re-certification efforts. GraVoc is celebrating fifteen years of business in the fields of information systems, information technology, and technological and professional services. For more information about the wide range of services offered, as well as more information on whether Dynamics AX might be the right solution for you, please visit GraVoc.com.

GraVoc Brings Peabody Chamber Website Live

2009-06-18T13:09:00.001-04:00

Late last week, the Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce (PACC) website was re-launched with a new design and enhanced functionality. GraVoc, a member of the Chamber, undertook the project of designing the new website using a layout from Expressive Web Solutions. Features of this project included:

Designing the website’s content.
Allowing a visitor to access information provided to PACC by ChamberMaster without losing access to information on PACC’s website.
Creating an easy way for Chamber personnel to edit content without changing the entire website.
Streamlining the website’s front page with its Twitter feed.
Communicating with the web hosting company to bring the new website live and functional on Thursday, June 4th.

Below, you can see the old website on the left contrasted with the new one on the right.

The new peabodychamber.com is available here.

Among the web-related services offered by GraVoc are website design, development, and hosting. GraVoc can design the look and feel of your website, ensure that its links and features work correctly, and host it on GraVoc’s servers for World Wide Web availability.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, located outside of Boston in Peabody, MA, is celebrating fifteen years of providing services to Greater Boston, New England, and beyond in the fields of professional and technology services, information systems, and information technology. To learn more about how GraVoc can help your website accomplish your goals, or to see more information about the products and services offered, we encourage you to visit GraVoc.com and gravocsoftware.com, or to call the GraVoc offices at 978-538-9055.

Highlights from Presidential Cybersecurity Plan

2009-06-15T08:49:00.001-04:00

Much has been made of President Obama’s “ten-point” information security plan, some good, some bad. It gained front-page news last month as information compromises seem to be spiraling out of control. This initiative has largely been praised by those in the information security community, as the government is placing a high priority at keeping electronic information safe. A few observations from Obama’s plans:

Perhaps the most celebrated point of this plan is to appoint one person in charge of the national cybersecurity program. This way, there is one so-called “cyber-czar” with chief accountability to ensure that actions are being executed.
The ten-point plan describes cybersecurity as, in the words of GovInfoSecurity.com, a “key management priority” that will utilize performance metrics. It will be especially interesting to see how the success of this undertaking will be measured.
The plan prioritizes public awareness and education toward information security over the internet. Currently, many cybercriminals are realizing the easiest way to compromise data is not through the weakness in the technological infrastructure, but the weakness and ignorance by the people using the information systems through social engineering tactics.

An educated and aware populace will ideally be one of the keys to securing data online. For example, this week Australia promoted “Change Your Password Day” with a self-explanatory call to action. It is also notable to add that in a recent study, a high percentage of systems users had very simple passwords for them to remember—and for others to guess. Sixteen percent of users, according to a Cyber-Ark study had the user’s first name as their password.

The plan also emphasized the United States to reach out internationally for these initiatives, which is important. Several major cyber-fraud plots have been perpetrated overseas, and some Russian and Ukrainian hackers are hailed as heroes for usurping money from wealthy Westerners. This incentive to steal can be counteracted by harsher penalties by their own country. Though they certainly will not completely eliminate the problem, strong global measures against cyber-fraud will help create a disincentive to carry out intricate hacking and social engineering activities.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, celebrating fifteen years of business in Peabody, MA, is committed to serving clients in three areas: Information systems, technology and professional services, and information security. GraVoc occasionally uses the GraVoc News Blog to alert information security clients on certain items of interest. To learn more about GraVoc’s products and services, please visit GraVoc.com.

Phase 6

2009-06-11T12:29:00.002-04:00

Today it was announced that the World Health Organization (WHO) has assessed the current swine flu (H1N1 virus) situation and confirmed that it is the first full-blown pandemic in 41 years. The WHO has declared a pandemic Phase 6 for the first time since the advent of the alert system.

Now is a reasonable and prudent time for your business to evaluate its pandemic plans to ensure that operations will be able to continue as normally as possible in the case of a widespread pandemic. Organizations must plan to cope with public fear, people exercising social distancing instead of interacting in a normal face-to-face marketplace, and, perhaps most importantly, widespread absenteeism and illness.

It has been speculated that in the height of a pandemic event’s severity, up to 40% of employees at an organization may be absent due to illness, their family’s illnesses, or children staying home from school or day care as a result of social distancing measures. This does not only significantly impair your business internally, but vendors and service providers may also be working at 60% capacity. As Phase 6 is declared, your organization must ask itself what needs to be done?

It is also worth considering how public demand for goods and services may change upon the onset of a pandemic event. Many of GraVoc’s information security customers work in the banking industry, and it is safe to say that in times of public fear, members and customers may want to carry cash at a higher rate.

Other items to consider as pandemic fears escalate can be found in past posts on the GraVoc News Blog by clicking here.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, is celebrating fifteen years of business serving greater Boston, New England, and beyond in the fields of information security, information systems, and technological and professional services. One of the services offered by GraVoc’s information security practice is helping organizations design business continuity plans so that a business can continue operations in the event of a disaster. Pandemic planning is a keystone element of business continuity planning. If you believe your business needs planning or training on how to cope with the onset of a pandemic, please feel free to explore the GraVoc.com website or to call GraVoc’s offices at 978-538-9055.

Insiders Play Role in Major Fraud

2009-06-08T10:08:00.001-04:00

A highly-sophisticated bank fraud plot was discovered in New York City last month, leading to eighteen indictments. This plot, which involved some bank employees conspiring with the alleged ringleaders, further indicates that even if a company’s computer systems and technological infrastructure are 100% hacker-proof, information can still be compromised.

An earlier post in the GraVoc News Blog illustrated the rising “insider threat” predicted while the recession continues. Companies’ employees, with slumping bank accounts and fear for their job security, have less to lose by defrauding the organization for which they work for their own monetary gain. The insiders at several New York banks who decided to become co-conspirators in this crime were likely in this situation. Due to their jobs and their access to copious information, they were an indispensible part of the puzzle, and the crime would not have been possible without their roles.

While insiders turning on their own business is never fully preventable, some measures that could be taken for a financial institution would be to implement a rigorous evaluation process in hiring new employees, tightly restricting access to sensitive information only to those who have a specific business reason to use or even see it, and take measures to curtail the possibility of any of this information to be duplicated either in paper form or electronically.

GraVoc Associates, Inc. is committed to offering advice to its information security clients on how to protect their information from both internal and external threats. Located in Peabody, MA, GraVoc is celebrating fifteen years of business in the practices of information security, information systems, and technology and professional services. GraVoc works with several dozen regional banks and credit unions thoughout Greater Boston and New England in the realm of information security. For more information about services being offered, please visit GraVoc.com or contact the GraVoc offices at 978-538-9055.

Budgeting Your ERP Project (Part 2)

2009-06-04T11:37:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week, the GraVoc News Blog documented the challenges that make it difficult to gauge the price of implementing an ERP solution. The previous post was based off of an informative whitepaper available here.

Many of the challenges illustrate why GraVoc may be the best company to implement an ERP solution for your business, both in terms of receiving top-quality products and consulting services, but also in terms of avoiding unnecessary costs.

The diversity of the services offered by GraVoc is clearly an asset when it comes to ERP projects, as an ERP client only needs to work with one firm for a great deal of these services. GraVoc’s professionals have several years’ experience implementing the right ERP solution that meets a client’s needs. GraVoc also offers blocks of pre-paid hours at a lower rate for implementation services, project management capacities, training, and later support.

GraVoc’s ERP clients don’t need to go elsewhere if they need specific integration with other programs, as GraVoc has developed a large handful of custom utilities linking ERP products to other applications. The GraVoc Software website will illustrate that GraVoc’s programmers have a prolific history in enhancing the functionality of ERP solutions.

What may differentiate GraVoc the most, however, is the firm’s hardware and technological infrastructure services. GraVoc handles technological infrastructure design and hardware procurement for several commercial clients as well as banks and credit unions, where the integrity and the security of data is an urgent priority.

A way to cut down on the costs associated with implementing an ERP solution is through vertical integration. By engaging GraVoc, your project manager, your trainer, and, perhaps most importantly, your technology consultant will already be very familiar with your company’s processes because they are the very same people who are implementing the solution. This would cut down on miscommunication, possible errors, and lost time. Cutting down on lost time is another way to reduce costs on what is already a daunting project.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, is a Microsoft Gold Certified partner specializing in the practices of information systems, professional and technology services, and information security. GraVoc is celebrating fifteen years of business serving Greater Boston, New England, and beyond in this wide range of consulting services. For more information regarding how GraVoc can help your business achieve its goals in operational efficiency, please visit www.gravoc.com or www.gravocsoftware.com.

Budgeting Your ERP Project (Part 1)

2009-06-02T12:42:00.001-04:00

Investing in an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, while it is proven to help businesses streamline processes and become more efficient and profitable, is a very lofty and complicated undertaking. Unlike basic accounting software, there is not a specific price for ERP solutions. CAL Business Solutions, a Connecticut-based Microsoft Dynamics GP partner, wrote a detailed and helpful whitepaper explaining the elements of formulating a price for an ERP implementation. This whitepaper is available at the CAL website.

Over two blog posts this week, the GraVoc News Blog will examine the elements that go into the price of an ERP project and why, as the CAL whitepaper explained, choosing an appropriate vendor may be even more important than choosing the right software.

You cannot find a specific price for any kind of ERP software, and that is just the nature of the business. Launching an ERP solution is more similar, in terms of pricing, to building an addition to your house than it is to buying QuickBooks or Microsoft Office. The following elements, as described in the 28-page document, can all drive up—or drive down—the price of an ERP project:

Software Licenses: As the CAL whitepaper described, the price of software licenses is variable depending on the number of licenses, the amount of modules being used, and the scope of maintenance plans, that typically include upgrades, support, and access to a searchable knowledge base. A good way to minimize costs is to ensure that you are not paying for things that aren’t necessary, such as too many licenses or access to modules that will not be used.
Consulting Services: The whitepaper asserted that for every dollar you spend on software licenses, you will spend another $1.00-1.50 on consulting services. These services include implementation, setup, and data conversion, if necessary. Consulting services also could include custom development, tailoring the ERP solution so that it integrates with other programs, or project management tasks so that the efforts being put forward have a clear goal and direction. Here especially, it is necessary to ensure that the prospective partner/reseller has the requisite expertise to help guide your business through this project.
Training: A massive ERP project’s value is greatly diminished if the users do not know how to use the software. A central theme throughout the CAL whitepaper is finding a partner who can handle the appropriate procurement, perform the necessary services to make the system work, and train users how to use it. Needing to work with different third-party service providers is more difficult logistically, and the right vendor would be able to handle this.
Hardware: ERP systems, including Microsoft Dynamics ERP systems, typically run best on a server dedicated specifically to running the solution’s processes. This often involves selection of the correct server and installing licenses to server operating systems for each license of the ERP purchased.
Support: Inevitably, challenges may arise with the use of a new system. Therefore, a business should consider some quantity of support services as part of its ERP project. The CAL whitepaper outlines eight questions that should be taken into consideration in regards to support and whether a vendor being considered provides the necessary care and support.

Later this week, the GraVoc News Blog will analyze these elements, choosing the right vendor, and why we hope your business seriously considers GraVoc as a candidate for implementing your ERP project. GraVoc, based in Peabody, MA, is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in implementing a wide variety of ERP products and business solutions, including Microsoft Dynamics AX, GP, and CRM. This year, they are celebrating fifteen years of business serving Greater Boston, New England, and beyond for consulting services in the areas of information systems, information security, and technological and professional services. For more information about GraVoc and its diversity of services, please visit www.gravoc.com and www.gravocsoftware.com.

GFS Web-Ex Wednesday

2009-05-19T10:01:00.001-04:00

GraVoc is demonstrating the use of the GFS field service management system in a Web-Ex Wednesday morning. Several businesses are already participating in the event, which begins promptly at 9:00 AM and will last for about an hour.

GFS is a powerful, easy-to-use business process management system built specifically for the service industry, as it manages the entire lifespan of a service call from entry and dispatch to billing and history. Due to GFS’s ease of use and rapid accessibility of information, clients are wasting less time tracking hours and inventory, increasing customer service capacity, financial transparency, and profitability.

Jason Vlacich and Michael Roma from GraVoc Associates will demonstrate the use of the software, its features, and most importantly, what problems it can potentially solve for your business. There is still availability for this free informational webinar. You can register for this event online at the following link: http://www.gravocsoftware.com/gfswebinar.html. On the form, you have input on what questions you would like answered in Wednesday’s event.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, celebrating fifteen years of business, is a full-service consulting firm located in Peabody, Massachusetts. GraVoc prides itself on its ability to outfit clients in the Greater Boston area, New England, and beyond with quality software solutions that result in better business decisions, more productivity, and a prompt ROI. For more information about the GFS application, please visit gravocsoftware.com, and for more information about GraVoc, please visit GraVoc.com.

The “Year of the Insider Threat?”

2009-05-07T10:55:00.001-04:00

What typically comes to mind when a person thinks of information security breaches is a sophisticated hacker maliciously using his or her technological manipulation skills to gain access to an organization’s information systems. For the banking industry, this is similar to someone putting a mask on and robbing the bank.

However, perhaps partially due to the weakened economy and widespread concerns about job security, the threat of insiders—i.e. employees, vendors, or consultants—is a threat that is growing at an alarming rate. This is similar to an employee pocketing money from a vault or from a cash register.

Statistics indicate that in 2008, the number of insider threats being realized skyrocketed. Endpoint Security reports that out of all data breaches in 2008, insiders were responsible for 15.7% of them. This is more than double the 2007 figure. Logic would indicate that employees or consultants, fearing layoffs or due to other conditions of economic uncertainty, have more of a motive to compromise their own company’s systems and data. BankInfoSecurity wonders if 2009 is the “Year of the Insider Threat” while offering advice on how to prevent insider threats from being realized. In a whitepaper by Kevin Prince of Perimeter eSecurity, malicious insiders are identified as a “rising threat” and the biggest “network security threat of 2009.”

The threats are there and are largely unavoidable. Every organization will have trusted insiders who have access to information and therefore have the capabilities to compromise that information. However, there are many ways to control the risks associated with malicious insiders.

Limiting access to information to those with a clear need-to-know is a generally-accepted best practice, and making sure insiders are following this “need-to-know” as well as information security policies is also a simple but crucial mitigating control. It may be worth considering software that inhibits a user’s ability to use data storage devices such as PDAs, flash drives, or CD-ROMs. But constant attention and diligence towards information systems, including upgrading technologies in a timely manner and monitoring access logs for suspicious activity is necessary.

Preventing insider threats must be an enterprise-wide effort. Background checks should be considered before hiring a person with access to sensitive information, and procedures regarding issuing and removing access should be written and followed. Policies should be drafted about responding to an insider threat. With information more portable than ever, enterprise-wide decisions should consider the feasibility of a data breach caused by a malicious insider, and trying to minimize the likelihood and impact of such an event happening should be a consideration in these decisions.

GraVoc Associates, Inc., based outside of Boston in Peabody, MA, is celebrating fifteen years of providing consulting services in the practices of information security, information systems, and professional and technical services. GraVoc is committed to informing clients about the latest information security threats, and their information security team is willing to help your business achieve your compliance with regulations and keep your information safe. For more information about the company, please visit www.gravoc.com or call the GraVoc offices at 978-538-9055.

If It Blows Over…

2009-05-04T12:02:00.001-04:00

The latest reports of the swine flu outbreak indicate that the virus is not as bad as first feared, and it is starting to wane in its epicenter of Mexico. Of course, this is very good news, but it is important to note that the world is certainly not “out of the woods.” The WHO has not downgraded the alert phase from 5, and it is unlikely they will do so anytime soon.

This is partially because historically, many flu pandemics do indeed start in the spring, then wane, but come back even stronger during the traditional flu season that starts around December. The H1N1 virus may follow that trend. Luckily, that gives scientists time to develop a vaccine for the virus so that the impact of it will more closely resemble the impact of the seasonal flu instead of a catastrophic event. It also gives businesses that may have been panicking about swine flu more time to plan for a pandemic event.

If the crisis does indeed blow over, it serves as a very relevant wake-up call. If you saw your business start to panic due to lack of preparedness for a pandemic, GraVoc continues to be here to help.

GraVoc Associates, based just outside of Boston in Peabody, Massachusetts, is celebrating fifteen years of business in information security, information systems, and technology and professional services. With years of experience in business continuity and pandemic event planning, GraVoc is committed to minimizing the impact of any flu outbreak on its clients’ business operations. For more information, please visit the new GraVoc.com or call the GraVoc offices at 978-538-9055.

CNN: Companies Preparing For Worst

2009-05-01T11:22:00.001-04:00

There is a useful article available currently on CNN.com regarding some of the largest companies in the country preparing for the worst by starting to implement their pandemic contingency plans. This is a good sign, as these businesses represent a significant portion of the economy. A disruption in business operations for firms and institutions of all sizes significantly decreases the affected business’s income. Therefore, it is important for businesses of all sizes to begin instituting pandemic plans similar to the ones being activated by these large companies.

The article relies on analysis by the Gartner research firm, including vice president Ken McGee. From the article:

For companies that already have contingency plans in place, he says that they need to halt all other activities and direct all their resources to activating their plans. He suggests testing home networks of critical employees to make sure they are working. He also suggests talking with vendors to see their level of preparedness.

"This is not a snow day," he said. "Companies need to review their plans and find their weaknesses and gaps readiness. And then they need to fill them immediately."

For companies that do not have a plan in place already, McGee says they need to be aware of hotspots where the virus is already infecting people, and they should be preparing to set up home networks and possibly shut down their offices in those regions.

The CNN article also refers to the blog of Gartner analyst Nick Jones, where Jones outlines how companies must consider exploiting technology to minimize business disruption while keeping employees safe from a pandemic. Thanks to technology like telecommuting/remote access from employees’ homes, wireless broadband, and high-capacity mobile devices, it is certainly possible to keep people working while closing an office location. It is, however, essential that your organization would not be technologically overwhelmed by a significant increase of telecommuting.

GraVoc Associates, based in Peabody, MA, is willing to help your business design contingency plans for pandemic events and other disasters that put business continuity in jeopardy. As GraVoc celebrates fifteen years of business in greater Boston, the GraVoc information security team has many years’ experience in business continuity and pandemic planning. Please don’t hesitate to browse past posts regarding the swine flu outbreak in the GraVoc news blog. For more information about the company, please visit the website at www.gravoc.com. Also feel free to call GraVoc at 978-538-9055 if you need assistance in planning and preparing for a pandemic.

Swine Flu Update – April 29

2009-04-29T17:31:00.001-04:00

For the first time since the advent of the rating system, the World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the pandemic alert phase to Phase 5.

According to the WHO, Phase 5 is characterized by “widespread human infection” and is described as a “strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.”

With worldwide travel significantly more common than it was in 1968, the date of the last worldwide influenza pandemic, this pandemic may spread across the globe more quickly than ever before. However, as the WHO’s director-general pointed out, the world is more prepared for a flu pandemic than ever before due to medical technology and rapid electronic communication so that more information is readily available about the pandemic situation.

In the last two days, GraVoc has made an attempt to reach out to customers and the public to alert them about taking appropriate measures in accordance to pandemic event response policies. With the alert level raised to Phase 5, the urgency of pandemic planning becomes more critical.

Organizations must plan very quickly how to cope with public fear, how to assist customers prevent the spread of influenza by offering services and products in locations, and means of communication without face-to-face contact. Plans should be in place for communication with public officials, service providers, the media, employees, and customers so that business can continue interrupted despite a crisis that could result in a significant economic impact.

Furthermore, organizations should be in the process of finalizing their pandemic response plans, because the threats are no longer theoretical, but very real. Avenues should be in place for immediate activation of a pandemic response procedure, and organizations should consider the costs and benefits of whether the procedures should indeed be activated.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based in Peabody, MA, has substantial experience in helping organizations design business continuity and pandemic event response planning. In this time of crisis, we are frequently updating the GraVoc News Blog (http://gravoc.blogspot.com) as we aim to help. If you would like further assistance in preventing business disruption in the event of a disaster or a pandemic event, we strongly encourage you to contact GraVoc’s information security team at 978-538-9055. We are committed to helping our customers’ bottom lines, and making sure businesses continue their processes as normally as possible is a crucial part of enhancing long-term profitability.

Swine Flu Blog

2009-04-28T13:16:00.001-04:00

Regina Phelps of Emergency Management and Safety Solutions, has set up a blog specifically addressing the current swine flu crisis and how companies should plan accordingly to maintain business continuity.

The blog is available at http://emssolutionsinc.wordpress.com.

Swine Flu Update – April 28

2009-04-28T10:02:00.001-04:00

In an emergency meeting Monday, the World Health Organization upgraded the influenza pandemic alert phase to a Phase 4. Phase 4 is defined as a phase of sustained human-to-human transmission that can cause “community-level outbreaks,” so after the last few days, this came as no surprise. Though a full-blown pandemic is not yet inevitable, the upgrade from Phase 3 to Phase 4 represents a significantly heightened likelihood of such an event.

As addressed in emails to be sent out to GraVoc business continuity and information security customers, it is recommended that organizations such as banks and credit unions start taking significant precautions immediately in response to the upgrade from Phase 3 to Phase 4. As many cases of the pandemic event have already taken place in North America and specifically the United States, taking the following actions is a high priority:

Amid employees’ pandemic fears, your organization should take appropriate measures to cope with employee absenteeism, such as considering a skeleton crew roster and changes to telecommuting and sick leave policy.
Provide customers and employees with flu prevention/hygiene-related products in each location.
Consider the consequences of public panic, such as increased demand for products and services and potential interrupted service from vendors, and make plans accordingly.
Review plans and procedures for closing a location should the pandemic event strike the workplace.
Remain aware of the current developments of swine flu through news sources or other organizations.
Inform customers about ways they can conduct business with the organization electronically.

For more information or advice on how to maintain business continuity, please do not hesitate to contact the GraVoc Associates Information Security team at 978-538-9055. GraVoc, based in Peabody, MA is celebrating fifteen years of business in the Boston area, and has many years’ experience helping clients design business continuity plans and pandemic event policies that have gained the strong approval of regulatory agencies such as the FDIC and NCUA. For more information on the company, please visit www.gravoc.com, and for continued updates on the swine flu situation with specific attention to business continuity efforts, please consult the GraVoc News Blog at http://gravoc.blogspot.com.

Swine Flu and Business Continuity

2009-04-27T09:48:00.001-04:00

In the wake of the swine flu outbreak in the Mexico City area and the scattered cases of human swine flu infections in the United States, pandemic fears are certainly on the forefront of many people’s minds.

While the World Health Organization (WHO) has called this a “public health emergency of national concern,” they have not yet upgraded the situation from Pandemic Phase 3. The definition of each phase is available here.

This news is extremely relevant to many GraVoc business continuity clients. In a response to a FFIEC guideline from December 2007, GraVoc developed a pandemic event policy to add to business continuity plans. Many bank and credit union clients have engaged GraVoc for pandemic planning procedures, and these efforts have gained approval from our clients’ regulatory examiners, including the NCUA and FDIC.

Pandemic readiness involves an organization taking the proper precautions to make sure that business can continue as close as possible to normal, likely through the use of telecommunication. The pandemic procedures prepare organizations for responding to public fear, preventing the spread of illness throughout the workplace, and coping with widespread employee absenteeism.

It is also notable to add that the WHO commended the efforts of the last five years by the world community regarding pandemic preparedness in response to the potential of an avian flu outbreak. According to the WHO’s Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the world is “much, much better prepared than we've ever been” for a pandemic event.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based outside of Boston in Peabody, MA, is strongly committed to its business continuity customers, and looks to ensure that business continuity efforts continue to work for the client beyond the point of sale. For existing clients and new clients alike, we strongly urge you to contact us at 978-538-9055 if you need any assistance with business continuity and pandemic planning efforts.

Microsoft Offers Business Ready Flexible Pay

2009-04-23T10:46:00.001-04:00

To respond to a high volume of potential customers balking at the up-front investment of an enterprise resource planning system, Microsoft has announced the Business Ready Flexible Pay offer, which enables ERP customers to purchase a Microsoft Dynamics ERP system without the daunting up-front costs and to drive a rapid ROI.

The software giant has begun marketing this attractive offer in several publications, and briefed Microsoft partners (including GraVoc) on the details of the plan during a Wednesday afternoon webinar. More details regarding this offer are available on this Microsoft Dynamics blog.

The highlights of the offer include the following:

U.S. firms with capital constraints or firms who want to “wait and see” what will happen in the economy before undertaking a large investment in an ERP project will be able to pay for Microsoft Dynamics ERP licenses, including Dynamics CRM, in three annual installments over the next three years.
Companies taking advantage of this payment plan will have more cash ready up-front so that they can keep it aside for financial emergencies or for implementation and customization services.
This is NOT a financing offer. Unlike competitors offering 0% financing for ERP solutions only to certain qualified customers working with certain partners, Microsoft is just offering a different payment plan, more similar to buying a product on an infomercial for “two easy payments of $19.99.” There is no lending involved, and there is no interest involved.
The licenses will be considered temporary licenses with full functionality for the three-year payment period. They will become perpetual licenses once the payment is complete.
The Business Ready Flexible Pay plan is available until December 23, 2009.

The Microsoft representatives presenting at the Wednesday webinar said that there is an overwhelming trend of prospective ERP customers deferring the decision of whether to invest in an ERP solution. Citing a poor economy, a large number of potential customers industry-wide want to hold on to their capital until finding out what is going to happen with the U.S. and global economy. While Microsoft is relieved that they are not losing these customers to competing ERP providers, they are willing to soften the blow so that customers will indeed make the decision (and, of course, make it in Microsoft’s favor).

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based near Boston in Peabody, MA, is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner with several years’ experience outfitting clients in New England and beyond with the most appropriate ERP solutions. Celebrating 15 years of business, GraVoc recently climbed from the 15th to the 2nd best-selling Microsoft Business Solutions re-seller in New England. If your business has been considering an enterprise resource planning solution and the Business Ready Flexible Pay option fits well into your financial plans, you are encouraged to visit GraVoc.com to learn more information about the GraVoc business or to contact GraVoc at 978-538-9055 to see what the company can do to help your business ultimately save time and money.

Curious About Field Service Software?

2009-04-22T15:45:00.001-04:00

Today, GraVoc Associates, Inc. is proud to release a video about the GraVoc Field Service Application. This versatile application, one of GraVoc’s biggest projects over the past year, enables service companies to manage their service process, including call dispatching, equipment, labor management, and billing, with ease. Much has been written about GFS on this blog, and GraVoc’s first GFS customer has very recently written a generous letter of gratitude emphasizing its rapid return on investment.

In its entirety, the video is about nine minutes long and provides a brief walk-through of a handful of GFS’s features. By clicking each thumbnail on the bottom of the player, a viewer can specifically view “chapters” addressing specific modules in this user-friendly field service solution. Chapters in the video include call entry, call dispatch, service calendar, the Windows Mobile service client, the review process, and integration with Microsoft Dynamics GP. (GFS can also be integrated into other ERP and accounting solutions.) Taking a few minutes out of the day to view this DivergingSoul production is strongly encouraged for those annoyed with double entry, lost parts, wasted hours, and inefficient service management processes.

The GFS field service solution sets itself apart from other field service software through its ease of use, as the video exhibits. The best way to gather more information about GFS and how it can fit to your specific business needs is to contact a GraVoc representative and schedule a demonstration. This can be accomplished through the GraVoc Software website or by contacting GraVoc at 978-538-9055 or at info@gravoc.com.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, based just outside of Boston in Peabody, MA, is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary in the service industry. GraVoc is a full-service consulting firm serving New England and beyond in the fields of information systems, information security, technological service, and financial consulting. As a result of their dedication to customers’ needs, GraVoc has developed a wide range of software solutions, and more details about the company as well as its products and services, can be found at gravoc.com and gravocsoftware.com.

GraVoc Field Service Receives Accolades

2009-04-20T21:54:00.002-04:00

GraVoc Associates, Inc’s pilot project for the GraVoc Field Service application (GFS) was deemed worthy of high praise by the Frank I. Rounds Company. Rounds engaged GraVoc in the comprehensive project that included the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics GP and the development of a new software application to streamline the management of field service calls and projects. This custom application later became GFS and is being offered as a versatile but extremely user-friendly and transparent application.

“The highlights of this system include more detailed and better understanding of our finances, better control and communication with our field personnel, much higher employee efficiency rates, faster and easier invoicing, better cash flow, and fewer lost parts,” writes Lee Ehrenzeller, President of the Frank I. Rounds Company.

According to Ehrenzeller, the return on investment for the software licenses and GraVoc’s consulting services will ultimately be one year due to higher efficiency and the savings resulting from the implementation of Dynamics GP and GFS. “We have…employees doing more volume at less cost,” Ehrenzeller said.

Dynamics GP (formerly Great Plains) is highly touted as Microsoft’s best-selling enterprise resource planning solution. GFS, which can be integrated into GP, Dynamics AX, and other accounting systems, is an easy-to-learn and easy-to-use field service management application without cumbersome bells and whistles characteristic of other field service solutions.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, celebrating fifteen years of business, is a full-service consulting firm located in Peabody, Massachusetts. GraVoc prides itself on its ability to outfit clients in the Greater Boston area, New England, and beyond with quality software solutions that result in better business decisions, more productivity, and a prompt ROI. For more information about the GFS application, please visit the new GraVoc.com, and for more information on Microsoft Dynamics GP, please visit the Microsoft website. To speak to a GraVoc representative about these innovative solutions and how they can help your business, please contact the GraVoc offices at 978-538-9055.

Second Line Saves GraVoc a Day of Business

2009-03-25T12:12:00.002-04:00

As described in the last GraVoc news item, the company’s website was temporarily out of service, as a car hit a utility pole a few blocks from GraVoc’s Peabody, MA offices. The accident resulted in GraVoc’s T1 line going out of service thirty minutes into what was scheduled to be a busy day of business, including Microsoft Dynamics AX training for a client.

GraVoc was able to continue business largely interrupted, however, as the business also utilizes a broadband connection that did not run through the affected utility pole. GraVoc’s systems were switched from the T1 connection to the broadband connection, and instead of delaying the training and being unable to access the Internet, GraVoc was able to continue with minimal interruption and very little lost time.

The GraVoc.com website was dependent on the T1 line and was therefore out of commission for slightly longer.

In terms of business continuity planning, GraVoc was prepared to deal with the event of the traffic accident and had workaround procedures in place to continue operations while the T1 line was disabled. While many businesses focus more on blizzards, hurricanes, fires, or earthquakes in business continuity planning, smaller and more likely events such as this accident can disrupt business just as much. A similar incident took place at a client business less than two weeks ago.

This event also reinforces the importance of having a secondary line of communication between a business’s offices and the outside world. Without the broadband line, GraVoc would have sacrificed almost a full day of business operations. Like its clients, GraVoc does not have time available to fret about communication systems being out of commission. Thanks to business continuity preparedness, GraVoc was able to salvage a productive day without a main communication line.

Among a wide range of services, GraVoc Associates, Inc. specializes in helping clients design business continuity plans so that procedures are in place to resume business as quickly as possible following a disaster. Based in Peabody, MA, GraVoc is celebrating fifteen years of serving small businesses in the Boston area and beyond with information system implementation, technological services, information security, and financial consulting. For more information, please visit GraVoc.com (which is back up and running) or call the GraVoc offices at 978-538-9055.

GraVoc.com Unexpected Outage

2009-03-23T13:04:00.003-04:00

Due to a traffic accident down the street from the GraVoc offices, GraVoc.com is currently experiencing an unexpected outage. Business is continuing as usual, however, and customers should still be able to reach GraVoc through the telephone at 978-538-9055.

The issues with the GraVoc website should be resolved by the end of the day today (Monday). Thank you for your patience.

New MGL 93-H Deadline: January 1, 2010

2009-03-04T10:38:00.002-05:00

The Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) has again pushed back the date at which the new Massachusetts General Law 93-H goes into effect. The new date is January 1, 2010.

MGL 93-H is better known as the "Massachusetts Data Protection Law."

A press release from the OCABR is available here.

Massachusetts General Laws 93-H and 93-I are generally considered the toughest laws in the nation regarding identity theft prevention. This law requires businesses containing either paper or electronic files with personal identifiable information to have a comprehensive information security policy. The specification of the information security policy are available in PDF format here.

Governor Deval Patrick announced the impending enforcement of this law last fall and GraVoc Associates, Inc. was one of the first firms to address the law’s tough standards. Starting in November, GraVoc began offering services to help small businesses safeguard its customers’ and employees’ personal information and comply with MGL 93-H. Since, the OCABR has given businesses more time to undertake 93-H compliance efforts, pushing back the January 1, 2009 deadline to May 1, 2009, and now to January 1, 2010.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, a full-service consulting firm based in Peabody, MA, is celebrating 15 years of business in Greater Boston and throughout New England. A versatile business, GraVoc offers a wide range of services in the fields of information systems, information technology, financial services, and information security. For more information on GraVoc, please visit GraVoc.com or call GraVoc’s offices at 978-538-9055.

GraVoc Software Website Unveiled

2009-03-03T15:27:00.001-05:00

In an effort to make customers and potential customers aware of what GraVoc can do for them, GraVoc has taken tremendous strides to increase their online presence. In the last few months, GraVoc.com got a complete makeover, the company has launched this news blog, and now the company is proud to unveil the NEW GraVocSoftware.com.

The new GraVoc Software.com has a comprehensive selection of GraVoc Software products which range from streamlining field service operations, to property management for landlords, to fourteen different add-ons to the Microsoft Dynamics GP enterprise resource planning solution. This is by no means an all-inclusive list, as the full spectrum of GraVoc Software offerings is available on the new GraVocSoftware.com.

From the website, a visitor is able to see screen shots of various products and view the features that separate GraVoc’s software solutions from others in the market. The website can also direct a user to contact GraVoc’s Peabody, MA-based offices to gather more information or to schedule live demonstrations.

A special thanks to DivergingSoul Media Production for spearheading the GraVoc.com and GraVocSoftware.com projects.

GraVoc Associates, Inc. is a full-service consulting firm located just outside of Boston in Peabody, MA, and is celebrating fifteen years of providing innovative solutions to clients in the fields of information systems, information technology, information security, and financial consulting. For more information regarding GraVoc, please visit the new GraVoc.com and GraVocSoftware.com, or call the GraVoc offices at 978-538-9055.

GFS 2009: More Powerful, Still Easy to Use

2009-02-27T12:43:00.001-05:00

GraVoc Field Service, the newest product released from GraVoc Software, is a powerful, easy-to-use business process management system built specifically for the service industry. The entire service process can be managed in one program throughout the lifespan of a service call. Thanks to this software, clients are wasting less time tracking hours and inventory, increasing customer service capacity with more information readily available, and most importantly, increasing their profitability.

Illustrating their continued desire to maintain GraVoc’s company backbone of service and support for their high-powered solutions, GraVoc’s programmers have worked tirelessly on the latest version of GFS according to the needs of our customers.

GraVoc released GFS 2009 Thursday, introducing the following added capabilities:

Call history capabilities, making the entire call history for a customer available within seconds on both the management console and the Windows client.
A searchable knowledge base, where GFS 2009 can search the entire database of service calls, including notes and descriptions, for desired criteria. Users can also narrow their knowledge base search by client or by project.
New custom reporting functionality, giving a GFS 2009 user the flexibility to create, store and launch their own custom reports from within the application.
Increased Service Calendar capabilities on the management console.
Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. GFS is now able to be integrated with Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, Microsoft Dynamics GP, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. GFS 2009 can be your service company’s missing link between your accounting or ERP software to your customer relationship management system.

GraVoc is extremely excited with the development of such a powerful and practical product in GFS 2009, and GraVoc’s technicians would be more than willing to schedule a live demonstration of this solution that streamlines a company’s service processes. More details about how GFS can streamline a service company’s processes are available here on the new GraVoc Software website, and a story about how GFS has revolutionized GraVoc’s internal service operation is available here.

GraVoc Associates, Inc. is a full-service consulting firm located just outside of Boston in Peabody, MA, and is celebrating fifteen years of providing innovative solutions to clients. Unlike most software companies, GraVoc’s business is centered not around distribution of software, but by providing the services that turn this software into a solution. GraVoc’s Microsoft Gold Certified professionals have experience implementing internally-developed solutions as well as Microsoft Dynamics ERP software. For more information regarding GraVoc or GFS 2009, please visit the new GraVoc.com and GraVocSoftware.com, or call the GraVoc offices at 978-538-9055.

Updates Set GCMS 2009 Apart

2009-02-26T17:05:00.001-05:00

It has been a busy month for the software division of GraVoc, as in the coming week, the company is proud to announce several changes and updates to our existing software products. As GCMS is not the only software product offered by GraVoc, we encourage you to visit the NEW GraVocSoftware.com to learn more about the software products GraVoc offers. We also invite you to continue reading the GraVoc News Blog over the next week to learn about more software updates.

GraVoc Cemetery Management System (GCMS) is a comprehensive cemetery and crematory management system that was developed several years ago in conjunction with our clients. GCMS separates itself from its competition with its familiar, user-friendly interface and short learning curve. Screenshots and features of GCMS are available here on the new GraVoc Software website.

Some new features to the GCMS 2009 product include the following:

GCMS now is capable of integrating with Microsoft Dynamics GP. The software is capable of seamlessly integrating its accounting features into Peachtree, QuickBooks, and now Dynamics GP.
There are several new reporting capabilities available within the GCMS 2009.

GraVoc’s programmers continue to make strides to have the GCMS program keep pace with the growing needs of our cemetery and crematory customers and to keep it the best management system in the industry. In addition to these two updates, GraVoc has further increased the software’s functionality, adding (among other things) a mapping module and increased crematory functions in the past year.

GraVoc Associates, Inc. is a full-service consulting firm located just outside of Boston in Peabody, MA, and is celebrating fifteen years of providing innovative solutions to clients. Unlike most software companies, GraVoc’s business is centered around providing quality service, and GraVoc Software’s products not only reflect their commitment to helping their customers, but also come with the support of a group of dedicated and competent Microsoft Gold Certified professionals. For more information regarding GCMS, including scheduling a demo, please visit the new GraVoc.com, the new GraVocSoftware.com, or call the GraVoc offices at 978-538-9055.

Personal Identifiable Information Defined

2009-02-18T10:39:00.005-05:00

A hot-button issue in information security right now is "personal identifiable information," especially as the May 1st deadline for Massachusetts General Law 93-H (also known as the Massachusetts Data Protection Law) approaches. The law states that any business possessing "personal information" of any Massachusetts resident, including customers, employees, and the like, is required to have a comprehensive information security program, among other provisions outlined in GraVoc's MGL 93-H quick link.

Personal identifiable information, as defined in MGL 93-H is a resident's first name and last name or first initial and last name along with:

The person's social security number.
The person's driver's license or state-issued identification card number.
The person's financial account number, with or without any access codes or passwords that provide access to the person's financial account.

In other fields, including forensics, personal identifiable information is defined with a broader scope; this definition is strictly for the purposes of MGL 93-H governance.

The quick link available above describes the range of services GraVoc can provide to help your business comply with MGL 93-H. However, the most popular service as of this point is the personal identifiable information (PII) inventory, where GraVoc professionals conduct interviews with your business's personnel, determining where PII is collected and how it is stored both electronically and physically.

Based in Peabody, Massachusetts, GraVoc Associates, Inc. is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary helping small businesses and financial institutions find solutions in the fields of information security information technology, and beyond. To learn more about GraVoc's services regarding MGL 93-H compliance, please consult the new http://www.gravoc.com/ or call GraVoc's office at 978-538-9055.

Miliefsky Presentation Postponed

2009-02-18T10:35:00.003-05:00

The Gary Miliefsky presentation scheduled for this afternoon has been postponed to Wednesday, March 4th at the same location at the same time. We apologize for any inconvenience and we hope to see you at the free event!

More information about the event is available at www.gravoc.com/lunchandlearn.html.

All are welcome to this free event, which provides lunch as well. To RSVP, please call the GraVoc offices at 978-538-9055.

GraVoc to Host Gary Miliefsky Speech

2009-01-29T16:43:00.005-05:00

GraVoc Associates, Inc. and NetClarity, Inc. announced Thursday afternoon that they will be holding a special information security lunch & learn event on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.

Gary Miliefsky, founder and CEO of NetClarity and founding member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will be speaking at this event, which is free of charge upon RSVP and includes a buffet lunch. He will be addressing the "nine best network security practices of 2009." This speech will surely cover a wide variety of topics that are relevant to the banking industry and beyond, including identity theft and the new stringent laws, such as Massachusetts General Law (MGL) 93H, which have significant implications to businesses throughout the country.

This event, which will take place at the Bay Colony Corporate Center in Waltham, MA, is designed so that attendees from the Greater Boston area will learn about the new information security trends and challenges that will face small businesses and especially financial institutions. GraVoc and NetClarity plan to host similar events, including one in southwestern New England, in the coming weeks.

If you are interested in attending this event or would like more information, please view the Lunch & Learn invitation on the new GraVoc.com.

GraVoc Associates, Inc. is a full-service consulting firm celebrating its fifteenth anniversary in 2009. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner based in Peabody, MA, GraVoc has been dedicated to providing software solutions, information security, technological services, and professional services to clients in a wide range of industries. Late in 2008, GraVoc partnered with Bedford, MA-based NetClarity, Inc., the developer of the innovative NACWall product that has earned the respect and admiration of many information security professionals and publications.

To learn more about GraVoc visit http://www.gravoc.com/.
To learn more about NetClarity visit http://www.netclarity.net/.

GraVoc Launches Quarterly Newsletter

2009-01-26T22:23:00.003-05:00

Monday afternoon, with the help of many staff members, GraVoc launched the inaugural issue of its quarterly newsletter, the GraVoc Quarterly. The GQ newsletter was distributed via email to GraVoc clients. If you did not receive the email and you would like to know what is new at 81 Main Street in Peabody, a copy of the newsletter is available here at the GraVoc website.

It is very easy to subscribe to future issues of GQ. Simply send an email to the GraVoc Quarterly at gravocgq@gravoc.com and you will be added to the mailing list.

Thanks to the entire GraVoc staff for their commitment to the content and production of the newsletter. A special thanks to Nate Gravel, Brian Gravel, and Matt Wilkins for dedicating time to compiling content, formatting the layout, and configuring Microsoft Dynamics CRM to meet GraVoc's internal needs with the same enthusiasm that characterizes GraVoc's commitment to make Microsoft Dynamics products work towards clients' needs.

Microsoft Wants to Recession-Proof Your Business

2009-01-12T13:09:00.001-05:00

GraVoc Associates has been a Microsoft partner in Greater Boston and New England for several years, and has just recently claimed the #2 spot of Microsoft re-sellers in New England. In all of our years as a Microsoft Dynamics re-seller, we have never seen Microsoft so aggressively offer deals and price breaks to sell Dynamics solutions. We see this as Microsoft recognizing the fact that the ongoing historic recession is taking its toll on small businesses and while they previously would be strongly considering comprehensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, they might now be balking.

Among many others, here are a few of the very aggressive deals Microsoft is offering:

Qualified new customers for Microsoft Dynamics AX, GP, SL, NAV, and Dynamics CRM have the option to enjoy 0% financing on user licenses. Customers will not have to pay interest, and customers will experience the rapid return on investment that characterizes implementing Microsoft Dynamics ERP software even sooner. Depending on the length of the recession, new customers will have the opportunity to become recession-proof by saving money by streamlining processes and cutting unnecessary administrative costs!
New and existing customers also have the option to pay nothing for the Dynamics ERP software licenses for six months! Customers can start upgrading their information technology infrastructure and potentially recession-proofing themselves while still having cash on hand for addressing whatever unforeseen challenges may come at them.
Similar to trading in a used car for a new one, businesses “outgrowing” Quickbooks can “trade in” their Quickbooks licenses for a significant price deduction on Dynamics ERP software. In most cases, the discount could exceed several thousand dollars.
Microsoft is offering a 20% discount for existing customers who want to take advantage of a license model transition (such as switching Modular-Based Licensing software to Business-Ready Licensing software) and customers who want to add Business Ready User or Business Ready Module licenses to their pre-existing Microsoft Dynamics solution.

More information on these specific offers can be obtained by contacting a representative from GraVoc at 978-538-9055 or by visiting the Microsoft Business Solutions website. For more information about GraVoc’s role in implementing Dynamics ERP solutions, please visit the Solutions section of the GraVoc website.

GraVoc is proud to be a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner because Microsoft’s drastic measures to help small businesses become more profitable and recession-resistant through these market-leading solutions aligns perfectly with GraVoc’s philosophy of helping small businesses help their bottom lines with strong IT infrastructure. GraVoc has years of experience installing Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions for businesses in many different industries.

We certainly understand how in the last few months your business may have become more hesitant to make an investment in ERP software. However, Microsoft has identified this fear and has taken large measures to introduce unprecedented offers.

We hope Microsoft’s industry-leading business solutions coupled with GraVoc’s tremendous expertise and competitive implementation prices lead you to consider Microsoft Dynamics and GraVoc to help your business gain a competitive advantage, even during tough economic times.

GraVoc Partners with NetClarity

2009-01-08T15:41:00.001-05:00

Peabody, MA-based GraVoc Associates, Inc. has teamed up with Bedford, MA-based NetClarity as part of their continuing dedication to proving the best information security solutions to their clients. NetClarity’s NACWall takes network access control to a new level.

The innovative NACWall product provides an unprecedented layer of security to your network that firewalls, anti-virus software, and the like do not protect against. In one piece of hardware, the NACWall has the abilities to secure your network in a way that has never previously been possible with one machine, thereby reducing your cost of compliance auditing.

The NACWall:

Continuously scans your networks for CVEs (“Vulnerabilities” or “Holes”) and reports each hole for prompt rectification.
Monitors your network for unauthorized devices, such as laptops, wireless devices, or PDAs, and blocks unauthorized devices if desired.
Runs reports that can prove your compliance to regulations, such as GLBA, Sarbanes-Oxley, and the new Massachusetts General Law (MGL) 93H.
Is an agent-free, non-invasive solution.

NetClarity prides themselves on their innovative NACWall product and its ability to protect, speed up, and lengthen the life of your company’s tremendous IT investment. Their solutions have been heralded as some of the best in the business, as they have accomplished the following accolades:

CRN Test Center Product of the Year.
“One of the top three most innovative network security companies in the world” according to the RSA Conference Innovation Showdown.
SC Magazine’s perfect 5-star rating and “Best Buy” certification.
2009 SC Magazine Award Finalist.

GraVoc Associates’ trusted information technology and information security professionals are in the process of being trained to implement and support this versatile piece of hardware. GraVoc, an IT and information security consulting firm celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, is proud to team up with NetClarity. GraVoc feels that the NACWall product perfectly aligns itself with the company’s commitment to providing clients with long-lasting solutions that boost the security of their IT infrastructure.

Information security customers in the Greater Boston area and throughout New England and the Northeast can now use the NACWall and GraVoc’s services in tandem to cement their confidence in their network, improve their regulatory compliance, and increase their profitability.

iPhone Exchange Certificate Error Problem Solved!

2009-01-06T11:03:00.001-05:00

Apple’s iPhone is emerging as one of the most popular cellular phones/PDAs on the market, and a capability that is becoming more crucial for PDA users is synching their email account with their phone or PDA.

The iPhone has had a few problems synching with the widely-used Microsoft Exchange email software, as users are informed of an “Exchange Certificate Error.” After much troubleshooting for a client, GraVoc Associates has discovered a simple way to solve this problem. The steps are outlined below:

Set up a personal Web-based email account on your iPhone (AOL, GMail, Yahoo! Mail, etc.). You must use an account that does not block “potentially harmful files” (most corporate Exchange servers do block potentially harmful files).
On your computer, export your Exchange Server Certificate by following the steps below:
- Open Microsoft Internet Explorer and navigate to your “Outlook Web Access” website. The website will tell you “There is a problem with this website’s security certificate.” If you do not get the security certificate screen, use “https://” instead of “http://” in your address. If this does not solve this problem, contact your system administrator to obtain the certificate.
- Click the “Continue to this website” link.
- Click on the “Certificate Error” notification. This should look like a red shield with an X in the middle, pictured here.
- Click the “View Certificates” link.
- Go to the “Details” tab.
- Click the “Copy to File” button.
- Keep the default format (DER encoded binary x.509 (.cer)) and click the “Next” button.
- Click the “Browse” button. Select your desktop and type “Mail” in the filename. Click the “Save” button.
- Click the “Next” button.
- Click the “Finish” button.
- A box will appear that informs you that the certificate was exported. Click “OK.”
On your computer, open your personal email account from Step 1 (AOL, GMail, Yahoo, etc.). Send yourself an email with the “mail.cer” file as an attachment. (The sender should be your personal account, and the recipient should also be your personal account). This is so you can receive this email via your iPhone.
On your iPhone, go to the mail icon and access the inbox. Open the message with the “mail.cer” attachment.
On your iPhone, scroll to the bottom of the email and click on the “mail.cer” file to download the attachment.
On the iPhone’s Install Profile screen, click the “Install” button to install the certificate.

These steps should solve the certificate error problem.

Based in Peabody, MA, GraVoc Associates, Inc is celebrating fifteen years of solving problems like this one for our clients and others. GraVoc strongly encourages clients and the general public to frequently visit GraVoc.com and the GraVoc News Blog for tips and tricks like the one above.

Microsoft Dynamics ERP: What’s The Hype About?

2008-12-26T15:05:00.002-05:00

If you happen to be on the Internet for any amount of time, you’ve seen Microsoft’s almost-ubiquitous ad campaign promoting Dynamics enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. You’ve seen them on MLB.com, Nytimes.com, Bostonherald.com, and even on Facebook.com.

The ads primarily promote the interface of the Microsoft Dynamics software and how similar it is to the universally-used Microsoft Office products, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Outlook. And as you can see in the image below (a screenshot of Dynamics CRM), the advertisements don’t lie.

Microsoft is excited about its line of ERP software (Dynamics AX, GP, SL, NAV, and CRM) not only because it’s a cutting-edge solution to manage the processes of a business from one console, but also because Dynamics users enjoy a quick learning curve. Due to the familiarity of the software’s interface, customers realize a rapid positive return on investment that is not likely with other ERP solutions.

Based in Peabody, Massachusetts, GraVoc Associates, Inc. has been outfitting satisfied clients with Microsoft Dynamics ERP software customized to their needs for years, and GraVoc is proud to have earned the title of Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. Clients in the Boston Area and throughout New England have trusted Microsoft’s reputation in business solutions and GraVoc’s reputation in prompt implementation and customization of business solutions.

If the “everyone gets it” ads have caught your eye and your business could use powerful software to cut down on wasted time, inefficient communication, and disjointed business processes, we strongly recommend that you do some exploration on the Microsoft Dynamics website as well as GraVoc.com to see if this powerful yet familiar software is the right solution for you.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-24T13:05:00.002-05:00

Wishing all of our customers, vendors and friends a very happy holiday and a prosperous, safe New Year.

Dave

GraVoc Helps Their Own Cause with New Product

2008-12-18T14:52:00.002-05:00

GraVoc’s Field Service (GFS) Application was designed to streamline the processes of dispatching, mobile communication to technicians doing field service, tracking time, billing customers quickly and correctly, and developing a comprehensive service history for each client. As the development of this application progressed throughout 2008, GraVoc’s personnel wasted several hours every week with a convoluted, inefficient billing procedure.

Up until December 8, service calls, time sheets, customer time tracking, and customer billing were all handled by different applications at GraVoc. Each employee had differently-formatted time sheets, and staff members needed to enter the same information into different programs. This process cost GraVoc’s staff time that could have been spent on other projects.

After months of development and the successful implementation of GraVoc Field Service software for a client, GraVoc implemented the system internally on December 8th. Almost immediately, the staff saw benefits of a new, streamlined process:

Each time sheet is now in the same format.
Technicians can enter notes regarding service calls immediately—even while still on-site—and the time sheets are automatically entered.
Management is three clicks away from viewing how many hours and which supplies were used in the service call.
There is no longer a need for wading through time sheets to formulate a service history for each customer, as each call is saved on a server through GFS.
One program is used by the dispatcher, the technicians, and the accounting staff, providing less confusion and a quicker billing process.
Within a week, the entire staff is capable of using the software, as it is extremely easy to learn and use immediately.

GraVoc is confident that GFS is capable of doing the same with your service-based business. Originally designed for a boiler service business, GraVoc Field Service Application’s scalability and versatility resulted in an instant solution for GraVoc’s own business. No matter the industry, if you provide top-flight services to your customers and want to eliminate constant headaches and lost time, GFS might be the solution for you.

Please visit the GraVoc.com homepage or contact a representative at GraVoc Associates, Inc. at 978-538-9055 or at info@gravoc.com for more information on this very powerful solution or a demonstration.

GraVoc in Puerto Rico

2008-12-17T07:40:00.004-05:00

On Friday, December 5th, a representative from GraVoc attended the 7th Annual Symposium of ISACA’s Puerto Rican Chapter in San Juan. The event featured a wide variety of speakers who addressed a number of issues pertinent to information security and information security consulting today. Attendance at the symposium was just the first step in an ongoing effort to extend our consulting services to the island.

The Importance of Vendor Management

2008-12-10T16:13:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month, electronic bill paying service provider CheckFree, who controls a majority of the market in online bill paying services, incurred a security breach. Though Checkfee was diligent about the problem, rectifying the issue in a matter of hours, it again raises the subject of how important an effective vendor management program is, especially for financial institutions.

What Happened:

An external hacker somehow stole the credentials of a CheckFree administrator and edited the CheckFree site.
Instead of coming to the expected web page, CheckFree end users were redirected to a Ukranian web page that automatically attempted to install malware on end user computers.
If the computers did not have up-to-date antivirus provisions, a Trojan may have been installed to gather usernames and passwords from the infected computers.

Within five hours, CheckFree fixed the problem and was already well underway toward investigating what happened and how many users were affected and reversing the effects of the hijacking. The firm is a third-party service provider for a very large share of the financial industry.

The CheckFree incident is a perfect reminder of how important a vendor management program is. Banks and credit unions are among the most strongly-regulated businesses in the world, as it is crucial that they keep customers’ and members’ information safe from malicious outsiders.

In addition to banks and credit unions taking the security of their systems seriously, third-party vendors and service providers must be held to the same tough standards. It does not matter whether information is compromised in the hands of the financial institution or the hands of the service provider—if a customer or member has his information stolen, the financial institution will inevitably take the blame. This hurts the reputation of both the service provider and of the financial institution, and ultimately costs both a tremendous amount of money.

A vendor management program is a crucial program to have, as it enables financial institutions to make sure their vendors, like CheckFree, are doing their business with as much attention to security detail as they are. This kind of program is in the best interests of the customer/member, the financial institution’s bottom line, and the financial institution’s regulatory compliance.

GraVoc Associates, located 18 miles from Boston in Peabody, MA, is very much willing to help both existing and new information security customers develop and maintain their vendor management programs. As the new year approaches, many experts predict a 2009 characterized by attacks such as the ones incurred at the beginning of December. It is up to financial institutions to safeguard their information, and GraVoc can help them ensure that third-party vendors and service providers are holding themselves to the same standards.

Cracking Down: GraVoc Information Security Practice launches the latest version of its identity theft risk assessment

2008-12-05T12:46:00.003-05:00

Since the introduction of the FACT Act Red Flags Rule in November 2007, our Information Security consultants have been hard at work developing risk assessment tools and solutions to help our clients comply with the regulatory standards and ultimately develop an Identity Theft Prevention Program. We have continued to update our identity theft risk assessment methodology according to our latest research of risk mitigation tactics and, more importantly, our experience from prior assessments. For more information on how to keep your information and business secure visit our Information Security page.

Moving On Up! GraVoc moves from #15 to #2 for Microsoft Resellers in New England

2008-12-04T13:34:00.003-05:00

At a recent Microsoft Partners conference in Waltham, MA, GraVoc was informed that the company had moved from fifteenth to second on the list of Microsoft Business Solution reseller’s in New England. Much of this development is the result of our ability to successfully customize and implement Microsoft’s most recent line of integrated business management solutions—Dynamics AX—for clients in a variety of business sectors. GraVoc has been doing business in the greater Boston area and throughout New England for 15 years and is proud to be a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.

MGL 93H Deadline Extended

2008-11-18T11:19:00.004-05:00

On Friday November 14th, the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulations announced that the compliance deadlines for Massachusetts General Law 93H (Massachusetts Data Protection Law) would be extended. Under the former provisions, businesses had to adhere to new identity theft prevention regulations by January 1, 2009. The deadline has now been extended to May 1, 2009. For more information on MGL 93H and how GraVoc can help your business stay compliant, please click on the MGL 93H Quick Link.

GraVoc’s Role in the Creative Economy

2008-11-13T15:31:00.002-05:00

Thursday morning November 13, GraVoc sent three staff members to Peabody City Hall for a breakfast round-table discussion regarding the North Shore’s “Creative Economy.”

Creativity has always been the backbone of GraVoc’s development. Since the very beginning, GraVoc’s hard-working staff has had an ability to stay on the cutting-edge of innovation so the company can suit the needs of its customers. GraVoc has used creativity to write or customize powerful software, find the right high-tech tools, or create policies rapidly so that customers could make the best out of their business.

GraVoc’s range of services, now made clear on the NEW GraVoc.com, is a dynamic list. GraVoc’s consultants are experts in the fields of information technology, information security, and software development, and their expertise combined with their flexibility has resulted in a constantly growing catalogue of services, making GraVoc a market leader. Six months ago, GraVoc’s Field Service Automation software was a work in progress. A month and a half ago, the MGL 93H compliance program was just an idea.

If your company needs a creative solution to make your job or the jobs of your employees easier, we encourage you to explore what GraVoc has to offer. We are willing to meet your challenges and get creative to make your business run the way you want it to.