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Adam Bullock

Goldman Sachs recently implemented a policy forbidding employees from using profanity in electronic messages. This  comes hot on the heels of a particularly embarrassing Senate hearing when one  email in particular, featuring an expletive, was repeatedly quoted. Goldman has implemented screening software to electronically enforce the new policy.

 

While the situation in question refers to the usage of naughty words within an  organization, the enforcement software - a content filtering engine or data-leak  prevention solution (such as smarshDLP) - can provide significant additional value to an organization looking to mitigate risk. It can:

 

  • Delay or block the delivery of messages using objectionable language,
  • Block outbound delivery of emails intended for internal use only, and
  • Automatically encrypt intellectual property or private client data sent via  email.

 

Data leaks are often inadvertent - for instance, misaddressed recipient lines or an over-eager "auto-complete" in your email client - and these sorts of risks can also be addressed.

 

Having a solution in place is not fool-proof, but implementing a DLP solution as part of an overall data protection strategy is a sound investment. Have a policy in place; train employees; and enforce, evaluate and adjust your procedures as  necessary.

 

Whether it's enforcing a no-swearing policy, or protecting your organization from information leaks, the use of a data-leak prevention solution for monitoring and enforcing is a smart decision.

 

For more information on DLP, including why proactive implementation can save your company dollars and cents in addition to reputational damage, check out the Osterman Research white paper Why Your Organization Needs to  Implement DLP.

 

Adam Bullock is the digital media specialist for Smarsh and veteran blogger. In previous stops in his professional career, Adam has spent time with an Internet marketing firm as a project manager as well as a leading domain name registrar.

 

Smarsh was an OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Award Finalist for Working Capital Stage Company of the Year in 2009.

0 Comments Permalink Tags: data_leak_prevention
Sarena Regazzoni

Contact:          Jeff Fishburn

                       OnPR for Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

                       503-802-4408

                       jefff@onpr.com


 

Portland, Oregon—August 25, 2010 — Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) and Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest (EFNW) announced today that they will merge to create a single organization devoted to developing businesses and communities around the Northwest. In addition to connecting emerging businesses to expertise and valuable resources, OEN will now incorporate EFNW’s expertise in helping companies develop and implement strategies for community involvement.

 

“Becoming a part of OEN will allow EFNW to build on its strengths and to continue implementing community involvement programs that match the corporate culture and philanthropic interests of Oregon companies with the many needs in the local community,” said EFNW founding board chair, Hugh Mackworth.

 

EFNW brings a long history of corporate development and community involvement to the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network. Lisa Sloan, president of EFNW, reports that collectively, EFNW and its member companies have returned $4.5 million to the Portland community since its inception in 1991. EFNW is affiliated with 11 other Entrepreneurs Foundations worldwide and currently has 54 member companies in the northwest.

 

“We are pleased to welcome EFNW to the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network,” said Linda Weston, president and executive director of OEN. “Economic and job growth depend on a company’s ability to thrive on all levels, including giving back to the community.”

 

Recent EFNW success stories include a group of start-up companies who raised more than $27,000 to sponsor Portland elementary schools, and a downtown PR firm who donated office space to Community of Writers (COW), a non-profit teacher support program dedicated to improving the quality of writing instruction.

 

"EFNW and OEN both do great work for entrepreneurs, so the merger is completely natural. It creates a one-stop shop for the nurturing we need to get to the point where we can give back... and now helps us do the giving back, too!" said Ray King, CEO of AboutUs.org and OEN Advisory Board member.

 

The merger will benefit both organizations and coming at a time when small businesses are both searching for funding and recognizing the need to give back to the community. Since its founding in 1991, EFNW has partnered with companies who recognize that corporate philanthropy is not limited to big budgets or large volunteer forces. Using the same entrepreneurial thinking that makes businesses successful, EFNW will grow within OEN to better serve the community and expose its members to beneficial partnerships in the business and non-profit sectors across Oregon and Southwest Washington.

 

About Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest

Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest (EFNW) helps small and mid-sized companies develop and implement strategies for community involvement that jointly meet the goals of the company, the passions of the employees and the needs of the community. EFNW is affiliated with 11 other Entrepreneurs Foundations worldwide and currently has 54 member companies in the northwest. For more information, visit www.efnw.org.

 

About Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

Founded in 1991, the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing opportunities for Oregon entrepreneurs and to improving the business climate for emerging companies statewide. The organization has members throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. For more information about OEN, visit www.oen.org.

0 Comments Permalink Tags: oen, oregon_entrepreneurs_network, efnw, entrepreneurs_foundation_northwest
Sarena Regazzoni

By Ben Jacklet  - Thursday, 19 August 2010

 

There aren’t a lot of counties in Oregon with unemployment rates lower than the national average, but there are three of them in the Columbia River Gorge. Even as the state's economy has stagnated, the awesome rise of the robot plane pioneer Insitu as an aerospace powerhouse and other positive developments have done wonders for communities on both sides of the river, especially in the vicinity of Hood River.

 

To read a more about what is going on in the Gorge read the rest of the article.

0 Comments Permalink Tags: gorge
Sarena Regazzoni

Congratulations to Angela Jackson and Jim Huston for being selected as the Portland Seed Fund Managers by the Portland Development Commission. It is great to see the city investing in the future of start ups and taking proactive steps such as this to support economic development.

 

The Portland Development Commission has chosen a veteran venture capitalist and Portland business consultant to manage the Portland Seed Fund, an investment pool deploying $500,000 of city money to help launch startups.

 

Read the article Portland Seed Fund names managers by Mike Rogoway,The Oregonian.

0 Comments Permalink Tags: business, investment, pdc, seed_funding
Adam Bullock

One of the latest white paper offerings from Smarsh is a very interesting look at the dynamic of social media use within organizations. The white paper is titled Why You Need to Focus on Social Networking in Your Company and was written by Osterman Research. The report includes an analysis of social networking benefits and risks, suggested steps moving forward and practical considerations when seeking to protect organizations like yours from the unfettered use of social networking.

 

If that’s not compelling enough for you, here are five more reasons you should read Why You Need to Focus on Social Networking in Your Company:

 

1) According to research by Nielsen Co., the time Americans spent on social media has grown 43% this past year.

 

2) An Osterman Research study finds that corporate users spend an average of 18 minutes of a typical workday using social networking tools.

 

3) Facebook has 500 million users. Willing to bet your employees aren’t a part of this massive figure?

 

4) In a social media study from Investor Relations Global Rankings, company use of Web 2.0 (social media) in the United States has grown from 13% in 2009 to 27% in 2010, more than double in just a year.

 

5) Any white paper with the tweet “I love to see when my boss is drunk and its 8:30 pm (@ [COMPANY NAME REMOVED]) [MAP TO COMPANY LOCATION REMOVED]” is a white paper worth reading, in this blogger’s opinion.

 

Convinced? Head on over to Smarsh.com/WhitePapers to download this report today!

 

Adam Bullock is the digital media specialist for Smarsh and veteran blogger. In previous stops in his professional career, Adam has spent time with an Internet marketing firm as a project manager as well as a leading domain name registrar.

 

Smarsh was an OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship Award Finalist for Working Capital Stage Company of the Year in 2009.

0 Comments Permalink Tags: social_media, social_networking_compliance

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OEN Blog

Aug 25, 2010 Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest and Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Merge
Contact:           Jeff Fishburn                        OnPR for Oregon Entrepreneurs Network                        503-802-4408                        jefff@onpr.com   Portland, Oregon—August 25, 2010 — Oregon Entrepreneurs Network...
Aug 20, 2010 Jobs Watch: Fresh breezes in the Gorge
By Ben Jacklet   - Thursday, 19 August 2010   There aren’t a lot of counties in Oregon with unemployment rates lower than the national average, but there are three of them in the Columbia River Gorge . Even as the state's economy has stagnated,...
Aug 19, 2010 Portland Seed Fund names managers
Congratulations to Angela Jackson and Jim Huston for being selected as the Portland Seed Fund Managers by the Portland Development Commission . It is great to see the city investing in the future of start ups and taking proactive steps such as this...