Best Investment

Iran’s beleaguered president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is facing a powerful challenge from his fiercest political rival for control of the country’s nuclear and economic policies.

Hashemi Rafsanjani, a pragmatic conservative defeated by Mr Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election, believes Iran may have to yield to western demands to suspend uranium enrichment to save the country’s Islamic system from collapse.

He is trying to persuade the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in state matters, that further negotiations are essential to avoid a potentially disastrous conflict with the US or Israel.

Mr Rafsanjani demonstrated his growing influence over the nuclear issue in a meeting yesterday with Britain’s ambassador to Tehran, Geoffrey Adams. He told Mr Adams that Iran was willing to submit to “any verifying measures by the responsible authorities” to prove the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme, which many in the west suspect is aimed at making atomic bombs.

Diplomatic sources said Mr Rafsanjani appeared to be offering full verification only as part of a negotiated future deal, rather than immediate access. Iran said this week it had denied access to 38 inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

Mr Rafsanjani’s conciliatory stance contrasts with Mr Ahmadinejad’s defiant opposition to suspending uranium enrichment. Many have blamed the president’s rhetoric for a recent UN security resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for its nuclear activities.

Mr Ahmadinejad faced down his critics this week by vowing to continue his policies and declaring that 10 more UN resolutions would not deny Iran its nuclear rights. He told state television that “wise voices” in America would prevent the Bush administration from launching a military strike against Iran.

Mr Rafsanjani, a former president and pillar of Iran’s political establishment, disagrees and is understood to have formed a committee overseeing the nuclear negotiations. The committee will assess whether the country’s international standing has been damaged by Mr Ahmadinejad’s radical statements.

“Before the sanctions, Rafsanjani hoped Iran could obtain its enrichment objectives through mutual understanding with the west. But now he thinks we have reached a dangerous point and that a step should be taken backwards in the hope that two forward can be taken later,” said Mohammad Atrianfar, a respected political commentator and associate of Mr Rafsanjani.

“He doesn’t see negotiation as a sign of weakness. He wants to limit the impact of the sanctions and get Mr Khamenei and the government to accept that if Iran faces mounting sanctions or a military attack or any crisis which damages the economic life of the people, then there is a possibility of the whole system collapsing.”

The Guardian reported last week that Mr Ahmadinejad’s authority was under pressure from critical MPs and an increasingly concerned Mr Khamenei. The re-emergence of Mr Rafsanjani contradicts widely held assumptions that his presidential defeat had diminished his influence. His increasing prominence comes after he won the most votes in elections to the experts’ assembly, an important clerical body.

Mr Rafsanjani this week criticised Mr Ahmadinejad’s government for failing to privatise state enterprises, a policy agreed under Iran’s constitution and supported by Mr Khamenei. He said Iran’s economy would be overtaken by poorer neighbouring countries if prized national assets remained under state control. Mr Ahmadinejad, who has promised to redistribute wealth and alleviate poverty, favours a bigger government role in the economy.

Mr Rafsanjani’s comments added to widespread anger over Mr Ahmadinejad’s economic policies, which have been widely denounced for stoking inflation and failing to halt unemployment.

Supposedly like-minded MPs in the fundamentalist-dominated parliament have launched a petition summoning the president to answer questions. It has gathered 63 signatures and needs nine more to be effective. Meanwhile, proceedings are underway to impeach four of his ministers accused of incompetence. Insiders say there is enough anger at Mr Ahmadinejad for a majority of MPs to want to impeach him and remove him from office.

Treasury prices were slightly higher late Thursday, with the 10-year note posting the biggest gain.

The note was up nearly 4/32 in price to 100 17/32, yielding 4.55%, and the 30-year bond was adding almost 2/32 to 101 4/32, yielding 4.68%. Yields and prices move in opposite directions.

Shorter maturities also rose. The two-year was up 2/32 to 100 8/32, yielding 4.61%, and the three-year added 2/32 to 100 19/32, yielding 4.54%. The five-year was up 3/32 to 100 17/32 and was yielding 4.50%.

In the currency market, the dollar was stronger, edging higher against the yen, the euro and the pound.

Most small-business owners understand that complete, end-to-end network security is something they should have — but it’s something they probably don’t. And how can they? With security threats coming from a multitude of sources and no end in sight to the new attacks that are frequently launched on both networks and PCs, keeping up with all these threats and figuring out just what to do about them is challenging enough for big companies with dedicated IT staffs. For small businesses, it can be completely overwhelming.

The risks of not adequately securing your business network and PCs are huge, however. Remember: It’s not just your data that’s at risk from attacks from viruses, spyware, hackers and others. Any customer data stored on your computers — including Social Security numbers, bank account information and confidential data, such as key sales and marketing data — is at risk as well.

Here are the facts, according to consumer product research organization Consumer Reports:

During a recent 24-hour monitoring period, computer security software firm Symantec recorded 59 million attempts by hackers to gain unauthorized entry into business and home computers.

One out of four computer users said they had experienced a major, costly problem due to a computer virus, according to a fall 2006 survey. The average cost per incident was $109. In addition, one out of every 115 people was the victim of a scam email attack, which cost victims an average of $850 apiece.

To combat viruses and spyware, American consumers spent at least $7.8 billion for computer repairs, parts and replacement over the past two years. The Threats Since security threats continue to evolve, business owners must not only continue to protect themselves from existing threats such as viruses, spyware and scam emails, but must also keep abreast of new threats and understand how hackers will be targeting computers in the future. So what will the newest threats be in 2007?

Here are some trends to watch:

More narrowly defined threats, or “targeted threats,” are becoming common. These attacks tend to focus on sensitive information from a single company or individual rather than indiscriminately letting a worm loose to find victims randomly wherever they can.

The “malware” capable of these attacks is being delivered to users in increasingly sophisticated ways such as in email attachments, embedded in video files or hyperlinks, and even through social engineering tactics that lure, fool or trick the user to make what seems like a benign action that automatically installs the malware without user help.

Malicious bots — short for robots, or software applications that run automated tasks over the Internet — are expected to increase. Bots are sometimes used to create automated attacks on networks, such as DoS attacks.

Rootkits are increasingly becoming a concern. Rootkits are a set of software tools whose purpose is to conceal processes, files or system data from a computer’s operating system. Rootkits can enable hackers to maintain access to a computer system. Because they can burrow deeply, are capable of modifying parts of an operating system, and can go undetected, rootkits can be particularly challenging to remove.

Zero-day attacks are also on the rise. A zero-day (also called zero hour) attack takes advantage of computer security holes for which no solution is yet available. They’re called “zero day” because they attack between the time a security hole becomes known and the time when a patch to plug the hole is available. As a result, zero-day attacks can spread at an alarming rate.

Identity theft will continue to be a growing concern. The FTC estimates that 10 million Americans are victims of identity fraud each year. Hackers who gain unauthorized access to computers are often in search of personal identity data they can exploit or sell. The Solutions Now that you’ve got some idea what you’re up against, is there anything you can really do to protect your business? Absolutely. First, you need to develop a plan that addresses both education and technology. It’s critical that you educate your users on what they can do to make sure they’re not potentially compromising security (safe user habits for reading and acting upon emails can prevent many virus attacks). And make sure unauthorized users (for instance, family or friends) don’t use your business’ computers.

Next, develop a comprehensive technology plan to address all aspects of security. Talk to your trusted IT adviser. Make a complete list of the security you already have in place, with an eye toward sniffing out vulnerabilities.

Develop a plan for complete, end-to-end network protection, and make sure there are steps in place to regularly update your security. Then revisit your plan several times a year to ensure it continues to meet your needs and addresses new security threats that continue to evolve.

Your plan should include the following security essentials:

- Antivirus protection. Every PC on your network should have antivirus protection. There are plenty of inexpensive, effective antivirus programs on the market for small and home offices.

- Antispyware protection. Spyware has become increasingly malicious, difficult to detect and difficult to remove. An antispyware program that frequently downloads updated definitions and monitors activity in the background is important, given the insidious nature of spyware.

- Firewall. A firewall is designed to block unauthorized access to computers and networks. Firewalls are available in hardware (as standalone network security devices or integrated into network routers) or as software. A software firewall is particularly important for laptop users who travel. Firewall software is usually included in Internet security suites, which also offer antivirus, antispyware, and other tools. Some software firewalls are even available in free, basic versions.

- Virtual private network. A VPN creates a secure “tunnel” between a computer and an unsecured, public network, such as the Internet. VPN technology offers an important layer of protection for your business’ weakest security link — mobile users. VPN security can be integrated into some network devices, such as intelligent routers, and turned on or off as needed.

- Wireless security. If your business uses a wireless network, at a minimum, you should use a password, WEP key or some other method to block unauthorized users from gaining access.

- Secure network hardware. Ideally, your company’s network should be protected by routers with comprehensive, built-in security, including integrated firewall, VPN and an intrusion prevention system.

- Data protection. Implementing regular backup procedures is a simple way to safeguard critical business and customer data. Setting permissions and encryption will also help.

As I mentioned earlier, maintaining proper security throughout your network is a big job. If it feels overwhelming, consider hiring an IT person to handle the job. Or outsource network security to an independent contractor or managed service provider.

The bottom line is, would you like to be in charge of your computers, your network and your data — or would you rather leave that up to a hacker?

Today we are thrilled to debut ‘Open Book,’ a new column where we will have authors of new business and investing books write about their books.

‘Open Book’ is very unusual in that most media outlets review books. With this new column, readers get to read the author’s prose and decide for themselves whether they believe the book is worth a read. ‘Open Book’ is also a great educational tool, since the column with feature a variety of authors who discuss a wide range of subjects.

TheStreet.com is working with large publishers of business and financial books to line up authors and their works, often in advance of publication. One requirement for the “Open Book” column is that the book be available for purchase or advance order on the day the column runs, so you’ll find a link to the book in every story.

Let’s stay interactive.

Dave Morrow
Editor-in-Chief

The Little Chef chain, famous for its chubby chef logo and full-English breakfasts, began life nearly half a century ago.

Its first restaurant opened inReading.

Founder Sam Alper, a caravan manufacturer, had intended to model the restaurant on roadside diners in the US.

The opening of the first restaurant,with only 11 seats, coincided with Britain’s first motorway.

The chain was well established throughout the country by the 1980s with its famous red and white logo acting as a beaconfor a range of hungry motorists.

The company in 2004 tried tomove onto the healthy eating bandwagonvia aslimmed down Fat Charlie logo.

That produced an outcry among customers - 15,000 complaints were logged with the group’s then owner, Travelodge.

It ended up backing down and leaving Charlie in his fat state.

Among high-profile fans isformer PM John Major, who famously stopped for breakfast at a Happy Eater, then the sister chain of Little Chef, in 1991.

But the restaurants have also attracted their critics in recent times -they say there is no place for fat-ladened meals any more.