Posted on Tue, Mar 09, 2010 @ 04:17 PM
Did you know that a Wi-Fi connection uses a radio link to connect to the Internet or other computers and the connection is not guaranteed to be secure?
What it boils down to is luck. If you are lucky, the Wi-Fi connection you find in a hotel or airport will be safe. If you are lucky, no hackers will be sitting around waiting for easy prey to pop on the Wi-Fi connection you found. Are you willing to risk the safety of your company and the data on your computer just to check in online while you are on the go?
Don’t compromise the security of your data for FREE Internet! It is all too easy to find a wireless hotspot these days. Coffee shops and restaurants even post signs in their front windows to advertise FREE Internet connections. Follow these 4 Wi-Fi safety tips and protect yourself against clever thieves.
1. Disable your wireless card’s ad-hoc (peer-to-peer) mode now! If you don’t know what an ad-hoc connection is, you probably don’t use it. Ad-hoc sometimes called computer-to-computer networking, allows two computers to be linked together. This type of connection may be used during a meeting to share documents or an Internet connection. Turning off this feature on your laptop will prevent hackers from connecting directly to your computer to steal data.
2. Assume you are being monitored by hackers on all free Wi-Fi connections. You can never really be sure if your connection is encrypted or secure when you do not have control over the connection. Turn on your firewall to protect yourself from computer-savvy hackers just waiting to break into your computer, browse your unprotected files or watch your online activity.
3. Don’t connect to your work computer without a Virtual Private Network (VPN). On an unencrypted connection, hackers can easily follow your actions and even hitch a ride with you right into your company’s system if you do not use a VPN. The worst part, businesses usually don’t know that their networks have been breached until it is too late. A VPN allows you to access your internal network or computer at the office using the Internet but through an encrypted tunnel so you don’t have to rely on the hotspot’s security to keep you safe.
What if you need to process a few payments online? While many companies, banks, and online shopping establishments now enforce stringent security policies, be aware that your email providers relaxed regulations could be dangerous. Even emailed financial information on a free Wi-Fi connection can be intercepted. Unfortunately, this kind of theft is difficult to track and even harder to prove. So, be careful out there!
4. Turn off your laptop’s wireless capabilities when you are not using them,
especially when traveling. Most laptops search for Wi-Fi signals automatically and the connection could stay open even when you store your laptop in your shoulder bag to eat a meal at the airport or board a plane. Hackers look for computers that are connected but show no activity so they can dive in and take advantage of the free data buffet. Don’t leave your computer open for hackers to stop in for a bite.
A friend in your corner… If you need help preparing your laptop for your next business trip, give us a call. We can help you turn off the ad-hoc connection, turn on your firewall, and determine if your connection to the office is secure. Don’t risk your company or personal data on a free Wi-Fi connection while you are away from the office.
Posted on Tue, Feb 23, 2010 @ 12:41 PM
The Apple iPad, released this quarter, is a fantastic advance in computing, not just an enlarged iPhone.
This new device is paving the way for future multitouch computing products. The iPad offers a handful of imbedded applications for users to navigate e-mail, contacts, calendars, photos, videos, books, music and more.
Physical features: The iPad comes equipped with a 9.56 x 7.47 inch LED-black lit IPS display. This screen offers remarkably crisp graphics for users to enjoy photos and videos. The iPad has a 1/2 inch depth and 1.5 to 1.6 pound weight, giving users the versatility they crave.
What’s inside: The iPad comes with a 16GB to 64GB flash drive and a built-in rechargeable lithium-polymer battery that lasts up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching videos, or listening to music.
Accessories: The iPad keyboard dock charges the iPad and offers a full-size keyboard just like a laptop. This slick docking station uses a USB power adapter and can sync to your computer or ther accessories like a camera or stereo.
The iPad case, not only protects the iPad, but can be used in various positions to view photos with friends, run a slideshow for meetings or even watch videos anytime anywhere.
Faults: The chief complaint about this new product is, the Internet browser doesn’t support Flash. OUCH! In addition, there is no camera, USB, or phone features so users will still be managing their laptop and cellular devices too.
Price tag: This new device comes in at a stunning $499 to $829 depending on the flash drive and data plan, if applicable. This is quite an affordable price for such a niche market product.
Posted on Thu, Feb 18, 2010 @ 12:07 AM
December 2009 a popular website named RockYou.com experienced a horrifying breach. A clever hacker managed to penetrate their systems stealing account information for 32 million users.
Social websites. A weakness for users?
RockYou and other social sites like FaceBook, MySpace, and LinkedIn, require personal information
like your e-mail address, your full name, and sometimes even your birthday or address to verify you are
a real human. While this information seems pretty generic to users, thieves gather this data to build profiles
on unsuspecting users. These profiles are ultimately used for identity theft or hacking personal accounts like for your bank.
Many people use weak passwords or the same passwords for multiple websites.
This is like leaving your car door open when you go o a baseball game. While there are many cars in the lot, a thief will steal the one that is easiest to access. If your password is easy to guess or is the same on your social sites and your e-mail or even your banking website, hackers will simply plug in the password over and over to see what they can compromise. In this digital age of instant gratification, even hackers are automating their processes to increase efficiency.
Hackers love password checkers.
Did you now that password checking software programs can run all 308 million possible letter combinations for a six letter password (using all upper or all lower case letters) in under 3 minutes
(www.hq.nasa.gov)? Quite impressive, but also startling.
You can protect yourself with these three golden
rules of creating strong passwords:
1. Make sure your password is 8 or more characters
in length.
2. Use a mix of the three basic mediums available:
letters (both upper and lower), numbers,
and special characters like !@#$%^?* or &.
3. Don't use only names or words from the dictionary,
they are easily identified by hackers.
Following these three simple criteria is easy, but
sometimes the password you come up with is difficult
to remember, right?
Try using first letter mnemonics to fool those evil hackers.
Think up a short sentence
you can easily remember like, "My daughter, Joy,
has 500 Barbies!" Then take the first letter of each word and the special characters in the sentence to create a impenetrable password you can chuckle about each time you use it,"Md,J,h500B!" Now that is a password hackers won't find in the dictionary. Keep in mind, the more bizarre your
sentence is, the more likely you are to remember it.
Let's take a look at password trends.
Just reviewing statistics pulled from the 32 million folks unfortunately entangled in the RockYou hack, we can clearly see a poor password trend on this social site.
Roughly 30% of users chose passwords whose
length is equal or less than six characters.
Almost 60% of users chose their passwords
from a limited set of alpha-numeric characters,
meaning letters or numbers next to each other
on a standard keyboard.
Nearly 50% of users used names, slang words,
dictionary words or trivial passwords they
could easily remember.
The most common password among the 32
million RockYou users compromised was
"123456".
(Impervia.com white paper titled Consumer Password Worst Practices)
What does this mean for users?
Wimpy,simple, weak passwords won't keep your private
information safe. If you have to, write more complex passwords and keep them in your wallet or purse. Better yet, jot down reminders of what your passwords are just in case someone gets hold of your cheat sheet.
Posted on Tue, Jan 26, 2010 @ 04:30 PM
- All threats in a disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BC) plan should be highlighted as part of the risk assessment phase of the BC plan. The risk assessment should incorporate all sites, which includes the disaster recovery site. And if the risk assessment is completed correctly, and an objective view of all threats are identified, there should not be any hidden threats in an organization. However, unanticipated threats can still occur, which are issues that can come up during or part of an unforeseen incident. For example, damage to the infrastructure (road closures) can cause delays in reaching your disaster recovery site, which will affect the recovery time.
Also, if the BC plan is not reviewed properly it may contain incorrect information which can threaten the disaster recovery process. If the business focus has been modified since the BC plan was compiled and these changes have not been incorporated within the BC plan, the recovery process will not go smoothly. Similarly, if hardware in your company has been modified and you have not updated your DR plan, you may have issues with the recovery. Both the disaster recovery and business continuity plans need to be current to reduce unanticipated surprises.
Lastly, hidden threats may exist if the business continuity plan does not reflect reality. That is, if the business impact analysis (BIA) does not reflect the true impact on the organization, issues may arise. For this reason it is important to be accurate in the BIA looking at dependencies up and down the line to ensure the recovery time objectives (RTOs) are correct.
Written by Harvey Betan
Posted on Thu, Jan 07, 2010 @ 04:47 PM
Take a look at these 7 reasons why an SBS solution may be a great fit for your company's needs.
There never seems to be enough time or resources when you're running a business, you feel married to your work. Fortunately, a Windows Small Business Server can help.
Windows Small Business Server 2008 (SBS) is an award-winning server solution designed for businesses to help protect their data and connect with customers like never before.
SBS provides small businesses with many of the features used by large companies like company e-mail, Internet, internal websites, remote access, support for mobile devices, file and print sharing, as well as backup and restore functions-all in one affordable, integrated solution.
7 reasons SBS could be a perfect match for your business.
Let it be known, a SBS is a commitment, not a one night stand. You cannot just test it for a few days and accurately gauge the impact of such a change on your company. Take a look at these seven reasons why you may find a SBS to be a perfect fit for your needs and what to expect when you purchase one of these fantastic servers.
1. Two heads are better than one! SBS takes the guesswork out of e-mail, calendaring, and software. Everyone in your company will have what they need, at their fingertips, when they need it. So, there is no excuse not to work as one cohesive unit.
2. Businesses rely on crystal clear communications. With a Windows Small Business Server, you have access to contacts, appointments, and files from any computer with Internet or even your mobile device. That way, you can communicate clearly with the facts you need to respond in a timely and accurate fashion.
3. A SBS is by your side like a shield of protection. Your business is a valuable asset. As a matter of fact 77% of people use their own money or family assets for business startup funding (US Census Bureau, 2006.) A Small Business Server can help you protect your business from data loss by backing up your information on your network and enabling you to retrieve files with ease even if they are accidently deleted.
4. Windows SBS 2008 offers the latest in update technology. Minimize owntime and ensure your network's health by keeping your computers and server current. In combination with our all inclusive service contract, a Small Business Server gives your company the support you need to keep your systems up-to-date and running smoothly 24/7/365.
5. A blanket of security you will cherish. Windows Small Business Server (2008) also offers anti-spam and anti-virus technologies to protect your company formation and intellectual property from hungry attackers.
6. SBS is with you through sickness and health. Inevitably, your company will all victim to an infection or compromise at some point. With a SBS and a managed ervice agreement, our technicians can remote into your server or computers to combat the infection immediately. You can rest assured the assistance you need is available when you need it most.
7. Ready, set, grow! Think about it for a second, if your company was able to treamline the day-to-day business processes and improve efficiency, could you grow your business? Yes! Even in our depressed economy, many businesses are still stable, even thriving. Simplify communications and share information with one easy tool, a Small Business Server.
Doesn't your business deserve the best? Give your company the upper hand in this cutthroat economy, virtually eliminate downtime, and increase efficiency with just one purchase. A SBS could be just the solution you have been waiting for. Many businesses thrive on cuttingedge software solutions that just aren't fully compatible with other types of servers. The Windows Small Business Server design gives you the flexibility and scalability you need to grow and thrive.
The icing on the cake... Couple your SBS purchase with one of our hassle-free ervice agreements and you could be riding on easy street. We will take the helm with regards to your server installation, configuration, monitoring, and updates. This service also includes technical support for your business that is invaluable when disaster strikes.
In addition, our managed service contracts are structured with a fixed monthly fee you can budget for just like an insurance policy, instead of nickel and diming you in your hour of need. We focus on preventative measures to protect your business from costly downtime and head off dangers before it surfaces, negatively impacting your business.
Do you have questions about a SBS or our managed service agreements? Give us a call today! 626-737-2966
Posted on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 @ 06:01 PM
As many of you know and some of you may not know former telecom giant Nortel Networks Filed for Bankruptcy protection in early January this year. on september 11th through the 13th there was an auction for Nortel Networks Enterprise division, the winner of the 3 day auction was Avaya Inc. who will $900 Million in cash to buy the business, which is almost double the $475 million Avaya initially offered in July.
So what happens to all of those existing customers on Nortel Equipment? No one except the executives at Avaya Really know but the perception is that Avay will continue to support them and honor their Nortel support contracts. After that year Avaya wil more than likley stop supporting or maintaining these clients and will push them to the Avaya platform.
With many Nortel customers nervous about teh future with Nortel equipment, our Partner CallTower Inc. (www.calltower.com) The leading provider of Unified Communications as a Service (UcaaS) Based in Henderson, NV has announced that they will give any new CallTower customer with Nortel equipment free set up and installation by trading in their Nortel equipment. If you currently have Nortel or are just interested in finding out more about CallTower Please contact TMS @ 626-737-2970 to get more info.
written By Tom Hill
Posted on Fri, Sep 25, 2009 @ 12:01 PM
Convincing management that something's needed to mitigate business risks and prevent potential disasters can be like telling our government leaders to stop spending our money -- it's next to impossible. However, even if management doesn't initially listen to you, this doesn't mean you can't make an impact. A lot of disaster recovery (DR) procedures and information security is handled the wrong way by cramming fear, uncertainty, and doubt down managements' throats. That doesn't work long-term.
In order to convince management of the necessity of a disaster recovery plan in your company, you need to do three things:
- Establish your credibility to get them on your side.
- Get (and stay) involved with the business to show that you understand where they're coming from and what they're up against.
- Show that your effort and their money are adding ongoing value to the business. Building relationships and learning to communicate effectively will do wonders for getting management on your side with disaster recovery.
Also, keep in mind that not everything related to DR is expensive. Once you gain the trust and assurance of the management team, everything else should eventually fall into place.
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Posted on Mon, Jul 20, 2009 @ 04:33 PM
Forrester's Research Chairman and Chief Executive Officer George Colony talks about how Information technology should really be treated as Business Technology. He points out 7 specific items that he talks about with any CEO or business owner he meets with.
In this video he make some very good points but the one that stood out to me the most was "Stop Being Clueless"he goes on to say that all executives and business owners know about financials, marketing and all the other aspects of their business but have NO CLUE about technology, the one thing everyone use to make their business more productive, efficient and profitable. I personally have found this statement to be very true, i would even go as far as saying that 95% or more of the executives and business owners i have meet with are in this category.
Lastly i would like to thanks to Sean Green who 1st brought this video to my attention via his Magic Software Blog
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Posted on Wed, Jul 08, 2009 @ 01:45 PM
The good news is that every email message contains unique information (like a fingerprint), making it possible to trace it...with a little research. Here's how to do it:
1) Get The Header Information
Virtually all email programs provide access to the header showing exactly where and when the email originated. Ignore the "From" and "Return-Path" lines - they can be very easily forged.
1) Identify The Last "Received" Address
The "Received" line closest to the email body in the header reflects the first leg of the email journey with the source IP address (looking something like this - 131.247.112.23)
2) Research The Source IP Address
Find the "owner" of the IP address through the American Registry for Internet Numbers at http://www.arin.net/. The "Tech Name and Number" will provide you with the administrator's contact information.
3) Query the Global Domain Name Network (DNS)
A DNS "nslookup search" will provide specific information about the IP address and can be performed through one of many private firms (Google "DNS search firms").
4) Contact The Appropriate Authority
Depending on the nature of the message, you should consider contacting your attorney or the appropriate enforcement agency to handle the situation. It could also be helpful to contact the network administrator to discuss your situation.
Tracing e-mail can be done; it just requires some knowledge and the means to apply it. For help on tracing an e-mail, contact us today at 626-737-2976
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Posted on Mon, Jul 06, 2009 @ 02:09 PM
David Silverman Words at work - Harvard Business review
"People think that the first draft is the big event and that revision is cleaning up afterward. But the first draft is really setting up the chairs, tables, and cups, and revision isn't cleaning up after the party, it is the party."
"All first drafts are terrible. I don't care if you're Hemingway."
"What comes out unfiltered from anyone's mind is mud."
The first two quotations come from writing professors whose names I've since forgotten (and they were quoting other people whom they'd forgotten). The last one is one I just made up myself. But regardless of the source, the advice is sound: no email should be clicked-to-send without revision.
I've found that for your average email, the number of revisions largely depends on the number of recipients. Here's my experience:
1 to 5 recipients = 2 to 4 revisions
5 to 10 recipients = 8 to 12 revisions
Company-wide or to Executive Committee = 30 to 50 revisions
Even the simplest missive to one person benefits from a couple of extra passes, and if it's going to the management committee, expect everyone to have changes (and changes to those changes).
Here's a checklist to consider when revising:
1. Delete redundancies. Say it once. That's enough. If you're repetitive, the reader will stop reading and start skimming. (Like you probably just did.)
2. Use numbers and specifics instead of adverbs and adjectives. "The project is currently way behind schedule on major tasks," is not as clear as "The project is 3 weeks late delivering hamburger buns to Des Moines." (If you don't have numbers, still get rid of the adverbs and adjectives.)
3. Add missing context. Does your reader know that hamburger buns in Iowa are required for the company to collect $37 million? If you're not sure, remind them.
4. Focus on the strongest argument. Should those hamburger buns get shipped because the delay is embarrassing for the company, because it's costing children their lunch, or because it's costing the company tens of millions of dollars? Maybe all three, but one of those reasons (and it depends on your reader) will be enough to get buns on the road.
5. Delete off-topic material. The best emails say one thing and say it clearly. One-subject emails also make it easier for the recipient to file the message once they've taken action, something anyone who uses Outlook to manage tasks appreciates.
6. Seek out equivocation and remove it. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" works for Dickens, not status reports.
7. Kill your favorites. Is something in your text particularly pithy, amusing, or clever? Chances are, it's not. If it sticks out, it's probably a tap-dancing gorilla in boxer shorts - hilarious when you thought of it, embarrassing when it gets in your manager's inbox.
8. Delete anything written in the heat of emotion. Will this sentence show them who's been right about the hamburger buns since the beginning? Yes? Cut it.
9. Shorten. Remember the reader struggling to digest your message on the run - a BlackBerry or an iPhone gets about 40 words per screen. What looks short on your desktop monitor is an epic epistle on their mobile device.
10. Give it a day. With time, what seemed so urgent may no longer need to be said. And one less email is something everyone will thank you for.
Do you agree that even late-night emails sent from the bar should be revised before sending? (Have you ever seen one the next day?) Have you bravely sent something unrevised only to have it come flying back at you? What's your best advice for revising?
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