All things must come to an end . . . Even Windows Server 2003

All things end . . .

Some things seem to last forever.  The Rolling Stones, root canals, the wedding you wish you weren't attending, your first 5K, and the "opening band". 

Other things end too quickly.  Summer Vacations, a good nap, Almond Joy cupcakes and Venti lattes.

But, like the Roman Empire, K-swiss canvas shoes and the Mars bar, everything must eventually come to an end.

Such is the case with the established reign of Windows Server 2003 in the workplace.  On
July 14th, the entrenched on-premise operating systems will drop out of extended support by Microsoft.  

What does that mean exactly? 
Well, it means that Microsoft will not provide support or security updates for any version of Windows Server 2003.  This is essentially a death sentence for servers running 2003, because any new security vulnerabilities will, from July 14th, go unfixed by Microsoft.

For 15 years, many businesses have built their critical infrastructure on Server 2003. And believe it or not, a survey done in March of 2015 showed that 61% of businesses still use Server 2003!  This represents a massive opportunity for IT companies as the "Great Migration" takes place in the coming months, and a massive challenge to businesses that didn't see this coming early enough to craft their plan.

So what should you do if you find yourself to be one of the businesses that relies on this reliable but aged operating system? 

DON'T PANIC!  

We're here to help.

1. Scope it out
2. Get some help
3. Make a Plan

Scope it out:
First, the IT industry has changed beyond recognition since Server 2003 became popular and gained its foothold.  That means that right now, you have some choices to make. Your migrated infrastructure will likely look very different than the one you've had for the last 10+ years.

There are many cloud options that could change (for the better) the way you store and access your data.  You will be considering virtual servers, cloud storage, online backup systems, virtual desktop and many other factors before you decide on the final migration strategy.

But cloud isn't the best solution for everyone. The best thing for your business may be to keep your systems on site and deploy Windows Server 2012 to new or virtualized hardware.  How do you decide? Read on . . .

Get some help:
You wont be able to navigate the available options without a good consulting partner or your IT department.  Talk to someone who will take the time to learn about your business and select the course that is best for you, leading to higher productivity, lower costs, and overall better return on investment.


Make a Plan:
Regardless of which direction in which you decide to head, start making your migration plan.  This plan will include where your data is stored, how it is accessed by your users, how it is secured and backed up, and disaster recovery procedures.


In conclusion . . .

All of this may seem confusing.  Seek out help from your local IT professional, or if you want to talk to us contact us via dm @availabletech or http://available-tech.net.

So yes, change is inevitable.  However, in many cases, like VHS tapes and encyclopedias, you will find that the new way of doing things is better for you and your business. 

IT Security - Quick and Dirty Password Security

Quick and Dirty Password Security: Best Practices for Strong Passwords

 

 

Sometimes I feel like Noah.  I preach network and password security all day every day, and most of the time people don't believe a breach could really happen to them.  They are warned that rain is coming, but no one believes it until they hear thunder and start getting soaked.

I am a certified Payment Card Industry Professional, as well as an Apple Certified Support Professional and a CompTIA S+ certified security advisor. I work with small businesses and CEOs spend a lot of time talking to clients about security. We get calls from business owners and entrepreneurs on a daily basis with reports of being hacked, or having accounts compromised.  From business loans taken out fraudulently to faked documents that caused vendors to make payments to fraudulent offshore accounts, we have seen just about every variation of hack out there.  However, there are new trends in hacking of which to take notice, and I wanted to take a few minutes to answer the most common password-related questions we hear.

With the recent reports of public figures being hacked and their digital assets being sold on the black market, I have seen a lot of advice from folks as to how long your passwords should be, how often they should be changed, and whether or not to use a password manager.  This is all a bit confusing, and I feel that many users are receiving advice that may not necessarily be incorrect, but doesn't quite inform the user well enough to be able to decide for themselves and understand the reasons behind the suggestions.

So for this article I would like to give you real password and security best practices based on the leaders in the industry and the rules for compliance and safety generally observed in secure environments.

I advise clients based on principles that the leaders in the IT security industry have created to facilitate secure networks. The cues for our field are based on "compliance" requirements, usually HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and PCIC (Payment Card Industry Council) which have been determined to be most secure.  I say this so readers know that what we outline below isn't an opinion, but is based on the rules companies are required to follow in order to be considered secure. 

Ok, with the boring stuff over,  let's talk security!


What makes a good password?

• The standard for PCI is AT LEAST 7 characters long. 

• The password should contain 4 types of characters; uppercase, lowercase, punctuation, and numbers.

• The password SHOULD NOT contain a dictionary word.  If it contains a word found in the dictionary, even when combined with numbers or punctuation, the time taken to crack the password is drastically reduced.

• DO NOT repeat passwords you have used in the past. In general, do not repeat any of the last 6 passwords you have used. 

• You should change your password every 30 days. Now, this is the standard, and I am often asked "Does anyone actually do that?" The answer is yes, but most settle around changing the password every 90 days.  It's up to each user to determine the level of acceptable risk.

• Whatever system you are connecting to (social media, server, service, etc) should lock the user out after 5 attempts.  Many services do not comply with this yet, but we are starting to see a shift to better lockout policies.

• Each service such as Facebook, Dropbox, iCloud, etc should have a unique password.  This means no using the same password for everything you sign into!

• You should not allow your device or browser to "keep you logged in"

• ALWAYS use two-factor authentication if it is available. Two-factor authentication is logging in with more than one challenge, such as, one password dialogue followed by a security question.  This type of authentication is exponentially more secure.

In addition, contrary to many opinions, a password CAN be too long.  If the password is so long that you can't remember it, it is not a good password.  A secure password should only exist only in your head. If you have to write it down, it is a bad password.

An executive once told me that his password was impossible to hack. 24 characters long, 4 types of characters, unbreakable. I took a quick look at his desk calendar and saw a 24 digit string with 4 types of characters. I asked "Is that your password?"  He grinned and admitted it was.

Any stored or written password is a bad password.


What about password managers?

This is a topic that invites many different opinions.

A password manager program is an app which encrypts and stores all your individual passwords in a digital lockbox protected by a single password or two-factor master password.

Some people, including IT security experts and CIOs, swear by password manager programs, and others would never consider using one. So with opinions so firmly divided, let's look at the reasoning.

Many well respected IT leaders say that there is "no viable reason" not to trust a password manager application.  Many apps use two-factor authentication for the master password to access other stored passwords.  This is great, but for every person in the industry that advises the use of password managers, there are at least as many professionals who can't make that recommendation.

Regardless of encryption used, or multiple factors protecting the password program master password, there is still a single password protecting the rest of your passwords.

Think of it like this: if your kids are in your house and danger is outside, would you rather have a different key for each room in the house, or two keys for the front door with all other doors unlocked?  To many security professionals, password managers represent exposure to unnecessary risk.

In general, the prevalent opinion is that storing or saving a password in a password manager program is the same as writing it down. Written passwords are considered insecure, so most IT professionals will not consider password managers as an option.

Let's go to compliance standards for the tiebreaker.

Based on PCI and HIPAA compliance standards, password managers are not allowed.

I asked my two boys, 15 and 13, which they would rather have: 5 treasure chests locked with a key for each, or one chest containing the loot from all the others, with that chest being locked with 2 keys. The youngest said, "It sounds like with one chest we are saving the thieves a lot of work. It's easier to find 2 keys than 5."  This makes sense to me, and that's one of the reasons why I don't recommend password managers to any of our clients.


Please feel free to shoot any security related questions to @availabletech on twitter and pick up my Small Business Security book next month from Amazon or http://available-tech.net.

Entrepreneurs: How to be the Leader of You

Be The Leader of YOU

In a small business, YOU may be the only representative of your company that your contacts ever see. (YOU may be the only one there is!) You may not have a staff to inspire and lead, but YOU are always the leader of you.  

As a business owner or freelancer, you have lots of challenges.  But when YOU are prioritizing, these should be at the top of our list:

• Keeping yourself motivated
• Maximizing every client interaction, every networking opportunity, every conversation and closed deal to make them PROFITABLE, not just PRODUCTIVE

So what are the most impactful ways YOU can maximize YOUR business behaviors to build a following and not only satisfy your clients, but recruit them to actively bring you more business?

Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk:

YOU may be the only person in your organization, but you can still be a leader . . . a leader of YOU!

Deliver the goods: There’s no one to pass the buck to, so YOU must deliver!

Stop listening to yourself. Start talking to yourself.  Plenty of meetings have ended with my inner self saying "They aren't the ideal client. Don't bother following up with them." or "Take it easy this afternoon. Don't make that new client contact. It can wait."  That's when you say "self, shut up!" Carry through with the behaviors you have identified as necessary to make or break your success.

Constantly improve:  Are you better at your job today than you were a month ago?  If not, you may be stagnating.

Treat Yourself Like a Brand:

Big companies develop loyalty and brand recognition by strategically promoting the features and benefits of the brand. Since you are the brand, promote yourself!

Ask yourself:

What sets YOU apart from competitors or colleagues?  Not what sets your product or company apart, but what sets YOU apart?

What have YOU done lately that is outstanding? Personal service? Extra mile? Unique product or delivery? Nothing? Then ask yourself why.

Would you want to be your own customer?  Put yourself in the shoes of your most recent client.  Would YOU give yourself repeat business?

What would you like to be known for? I like to think of it this way:  What habit, or unique character aspect would you like to be Famous for?  Do something well enough that, if the world knew, YOU would be on the news tonight.

Be Selfish!

You may have noticed that in this post I have emphasized "YOU." That's exactly what I want YOU to do!

Develop your skills - Personal development is important. Read books, meet with other business people, find a mentor.  Work on yourself every day. Assess and adjust to what you find.

Focus on YOU! talk about you, establish yourself as an expert in your field through a youtube channel or blog. Become a guest blogger for an industry publication or group, write a whitepaper. Teach a class or do a local radio show.  Tell people what you know.

Promote yourself – network more and do it on purpose.  Find a local peer networking group that is serious and selective about membership, like I Got a Lead For You.  It will be the best money and time you spend for your business.

Speak with authority – Be powerful in speech and actions. If you get a chance to tell others about what YOU do, don't hold back.  Let them see your passion and make them feel how sincere you are in the belief that there is no one better at this than YOU.   And if you don't believe it, don't say it.

Finally, start focusing on YOU with this exercise:

Write your best feature / benefits in 25 words or less. Read it out loud. Ask others to read it and see if they agree. Have someone else write it for YOU.  Do this every few months to take your motivational pulse.

Start the focus on YOU today. Let me know how it goes @availabletech. If I don't get back with  you right away, its because I am busy working on ME!

Small Business Technology Concerns for 2015. What Should you be doing this year?

Available Technology Inc consults with clients, provide hardware and software, and delivering support so our clients can reach the specific goals they have set for themselves and their businesses.

I am a small business owner and I work primarily with small business owners. Every day my team of technology professionals talks to entrepreneurs about technology and how it relates to their businesses.  We spend most of our time addressing the concerns and questions of business men and women who have no idea what they can or should be doing with the technology direction in their business. It's my job to help them make those decisions.

We have many clients, and each year we look back at each client’s history and assess new trends, new products and new services that we feel would help clients have better control over your environment, gain more productivity, or allow us to provide better service.  In 2015 there are several new developments of which every small business owner should be uniquely aware.  Here are the top technical concerns and opportunities of our clients for 2015.

 

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Firewall Security

 

Security is a major concern for small businesses this year.  Once upon a time, a small company could stay "under the radar" and feel reasonably confident that they would not be a hacking target.  With recent breaches, however, we have seen that hackers have changed tactics to attempting to breach smaller companies in order to access larger companies through the less secure networks of smaller businesses. 

 

These new threats have caused us to raise the bar on our minimum security recommendations to include a business class firewall that provides active intrusion detection and prevention.  Active Intrusion Detection, a requirement for HIPAA and PCI compliance, allows the firewall to monitor all traffic coming into or going out of your network.  It identifies traffic that looks malicious, and notifies your IT personnel as well as actively blocks the attacker from continued attempts to cause mischief

 

If you have a router that is off-the-shelf, then you do not have the minimum recommended security level for businesses.   No matter your size or revenue, a business class firewall is the best baseline for network security.

 

Workstation Real-time monitoring and asset tracking

 

Downtime continues to be less tolerable with every year that passes. Small business owners demand, and can expect, nearly 100% uptime if certain systems and measures are in place.  One of these measures is real-time monitoring.

 

For years, we have provided real-time monitoring for servers.  If certain key parameters go out of spec (temperatures run too high, hard drive failures are imminent, antivirus fails to load or update) your IT team is notified immediately.

 

But now, the same type of proactive service is becoming standard on every computer and device in the modern office.  Business owners want each user to have the benefits of real-time monitoring and proactive error correction that come from having an IT professional with their finger on the pulse of each piece of important computer hardware.

 

 

PCI Compliance

 

If you take credit cards in your business, your merchant services provider will probably be sending you a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ.)  Starting in June of this year, several IT security recommendations that were suggestions in previous years will become mandatory.  Non-compliance will result in additional fees from your merchant services provider or bank. 

 

Make sure you have an acceptable level of IT security precautions in place before you receive the questionnaire!   Available Technology is certified to facilitate secure environments by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council.  We can come in and do an audit of or business to provide recommendations for passing your self-assessment the first time.  Providing the hardware, software and training you need to be secure is also part of our service.  We also provide SAQs that are pre-filled out and can be put on file for when you need them.

 

Windows XP Migration

 

Windows XP has been out of support with Microsoft for over a year now, although we still have many clients who still have at least one XP machine in their company.  If you are still on Windows XP in your office, it's time to migrate over to a faster and more reliable operating system.  With every day that passes, XP is becoming less secure.  You'll get better security, time saving features and greater compatibility with newer systems.  Make the jump to newer technology now, before a problem arises.

 

Mobile Device Management

 

This is one of the most important and relevant concerns for smaller businesses.  While big business has been forced by users to allow "BYOD" (Bring Your Own Device) access to their networks and data, smaller businesses are increasingly seeing the need to make all types of devices, whether they are mobile or stationary, fit seamlessly into their corporate infrastructure. 

With more businesses deploying mobile devices, it has become important to have a system in place for controlling and securing those devices.  We implement mobile device management systems which allow for password and access control, antivirus enforcement, remote location and remote wipe / lock for just about any phone, tablet or mobile computer.

Microsoft Office refresh

Still running Office 2007 or 2010? Consider upgrading to Office 365 or Office 2013.  There are major changes going on in the software industry right now, and we can help you navigate those changes and choose the licensing model that works best for your business and your budget.

Cloud Integration:

Over 70% of small businesses use some sort of cloud service in their business infrastructure.  It's hard for business owners, without the aid of a CIO, to decide which is the right direction to make a commitment to.  Google Docs, Office 365, Dropbox and many other solutions have advantages and disadvantages that many businesses realize only after committing to a product and migrating data.  And the truth is, a cloud solution IS NOT right for the majority of businesses.  Talk to a professional integrator like Available Technology Inc before forging ahead with a cloud integration plan.


Apple Integration

Apple is gaining market share in certain markets, and employees want to use iphones and Macbooks on your network to access your company files.   Apple devices have a whole different set of security and usage concerns than Windows based systems do, so it is critical to know how to keep your data safe while allowing access to this new breed of devices.

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While 2014 was referred to as "The Year of the Cloud", 2015 will be characterized by a return to ground level security changes for smaller businesses as they find themselves needing to be as secure as much larger enterprises.  With businesses allowing users to work from remote locations and fast internet access nearly everywhere, mobility will be a major trend this year.  Newer types of devices, like Macs and Chromebooks, will of necessity be allowed to connect to corporate data that they never had access in the past.

2015 will be a fantastic year, full of changes and improvements to small business IT.  Make sure you are embracing the change and not hiding from it!  It is this constant climate of change that gives you opportunities to increase profitability and address old concerns in exciting new ways.  If you need help, please contact us at http://www.available-tech.net.

 

 

 

Upgrade in a Tough Economy? Part 1 - Ideas to maximize productivity when business is slow. Available Technology Inc

Upgrade in a Tough Economy? Part 1 - Ideas to maximize productivity when business is slow.


"Go get something else." That's what my friend Kristen said to me as stepped up to the register. For a second or two, I was confused. Was I not allowed to purchase this item? Was I ,in fact, finally blacklisted at the Gap for some gross fashion infraction? After searching my memory banks for an appropriately witty retort to this unexpected comment, the most eloquent response I could muster was . . . "huh?"


Kristen then explained to me that if I spent $5 more, I would get $25 off my purchase. I mopped my brow, sighed with relief, and then, of course, I went and grabbed a pair of socks.


We hear this so often that we don't even notice it anymore. Buy an electronics item and you will be asked to add on the extended service plan. Super-size, Biggie-size, or Bucket-size your order for a few cents more. We instantly size up the value proposition, and determine whether the investment will yield an acceptable ROI for the purchase price paid. Well, maybe you don't think quite that far into it, unless you happen to be a financial analyst or a college economics professor.


But the premise is the same. In some cases, it really does make sense to spend a little more to receive a significant benefit. That money spent might give you piece of mind, a longer lasting product, or just more fries, but if you perceive the value you are receiving as more significant than the cash you are letting go of, then it makes sense.


Apply this concept to your computer. Between home and work, adult Americans use their computers approximately 8.4 hours per day. If you were able to increase productivity by 10%, either by speeding up or replacing your equipment or by learning more efficient use of your software programs, each adult could save nearly an hour per day. That means going home an hour earlier, adding one extra hour of productivity to your day, increasing employee output, decreasing overtime expenses, and improving morale.



There are many inexpensive or free steps you can take that will give you a real and significant increase in productivity from your current technology. This is part 1 of a 2 part series on taking small steps to gain big increases in computer peformance. Next month we look at software, but here are some hardware ideas that will make your computer use more fulfilling (or less painful) both at home and at work.


Don't get me wrong: if your computer is too old and slow, you're going to have to replace it. But if your equipment is only a couple of years old, there are plenty of things you can do to help it along.

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- Add Memory

The single most impactful action you can take is to add more memory to your computer. Study after study has been done, and this has been proven without exception. Want to be more productive and speed up your computer? Add More RAM !!



RAM, or Random Access Memory, is like desk space, while hard drive storage, what some people refer to as memory, is more like a filing cabinet. When you buy a new program and install it, the files get copied into the "filing cabinet" or hard drive storage. The bigger your hard drive, or filing cabinet, the more programs, music and pictures you can store. When you double-click the icon and start the program, it loads into RAM and operates there pretty much the whole time you use the program until you close it.



Starting a program is like opening a folder and placing it on your desk. you have a limited amount of desk space, and once the desk is full, you have to start putting things away so you can open new items. This extra activity slows you down, as the data is SWAPPED or PAGED into and out of RAM to a special area of the hard disk called the "paging file." This area of hard drive space emulates RAM, and allows program data to be taken from memory temporarily so other programs can take advantage of the RAM while the paged application is not needed.



For Windows XP you should have a minimum of 2 Gigabyte of RAM, and for Windows Vista, you need at least 4 Gigabytes. If you have less than this, you are wasting computer performance.



Memory upgrades can cost from $35 to $100, but at twice this cost it would be still worth the upgrade.



To find out how much ram you currently have, open Windows and go to the control panel. Find and open "System" and the amount of RAM should be listed. This area also lists processor speed, both rated and actual, which we will talk about later.



- Swap Bad Disk Performance for Good

Speaking of swap files, the wrong sized swap file can rob your system of performance and bring you to a crawl.


The formula should be the amount of ram you have installed, times 1.5. So, if you have 1GB total RAM, your swap file should be 1.5GB in size.


To check this, go to the control panel, then System, then Advanced. Then choose Settings under the Performance section and click Advanced and Change under Virtual Memory.


The maximum size should be 1.5 times your RAM. If not, set it to system managed size or type in the desired maximum size.



- Defrag your Hard Drive

The term "fragmentation" stirs up images of hand grenades or cracks on a parched desert floor. Although there are no physical fragments on the disk surface, those images aren't very far from what actually happens to your hard drive over time.


Fragmentation concerns the way files, from programs and data, are laid down on the hard disk.


As you open programs and read and write data onto the hard disk, that data doesn't always get put back in the same place. Back to the filing cabinet analogy . . . it's like taking the pages out of a file folder and distributing them among all the other folders in the cabinet. So to open the entire file, your hard drive has to go back and forth across the disk platters until it gathers all of the parts of the files you need before it can begin.When you hard disk becomes fragmented it makes the hard disk work harder.



Luckily, Windows comes with a built in defragmenter. If you have Windows 7 or Higher, defragmentation happens automatically.

On a Mac, files are written to the drive in a different way, and they almost never need defragging.

Using an SSD? Defragmentation isn't necessary.



- Watch Your Hard Disk Space

A full drive can cause major slowdowns. Keep at least 10% of the drive's total capacity free. Empty your recycle bin, uninstall unnecessary programs, and move Johnny's 50GB of music onto an external drive to keep your drive humming along.



You can also use great programs like CCleaner to remove temporary files an folders.



- Install Multiple Monitors (or just get a bigger one)

This is one of my favorite upgrades because everyone that does it has a great testimonial about how their computing lives have changed since the addition of the second monitor.



Researchers at the University of Utah tested how quickly people performed tasks like editing a document and copying numbers between spreadsheets while using different computer configurations: one with an 18-inch monitor, one with a 24-inch monitor and with two 20-inch monitors. Their finding: People using the 24-inch screen completed the tasks 52% faster than people who used the 18-inch monitor; people who used the two 20-inch monitors were 44% faster than those with the 18-inch ones.



This study says that if you frequently compare spreadsheets or copy info from one application to another, then you could save up to 2 hours per day by avoiding task switching or "minimize / maximixe" to see the screens.



To add a new screen you need a second video card, which is inexpensive, and, of course, a new screen. LCD prices have plummeted, so even getting a new widescreen 19" or 20" display will cost less that $200. That investment is definitely worth a gain of up to 2 hours per day.



- Dump Your Bloated Antivirus

Many of the most popular antivirus programs, the ones that always receive the highest ratings when compared to other AV programs tax your system with a major performance hit. These applications are great at catching malignant programs and viruses, but this comes at a cost; if you have one of these programs, removing it will reclaim 15% of system performance.



Is there an Antivirus that is both good and fast? Yes. It's called ESET and we have been recommending and supporting it for all of our clients for the last 8 years. It's $39 per year per user and is nimble enough that it won't slow your system down.



Want to know the names of those slow antivirus programs? Contact me and I'll fill you in!



- Streamline Your Startup

Go to start, then "run" or in Vista type in "msconfig" in the search bar and press enter. This brings up the System Configuration Utility. under the startup tab, look at all the programs that are starting when the computer comes on. I gurantee there will be at least 20% that can be removed. Not sure what to remove from this list? Give us a call!



- Scan Your Drive for Errors

Run Scandisk or Check Disk to check your hard drive for errors

Scandisk is a Windows utility which you can use to scan your hard disk for errors caused by improper shut-downs, viruses, and other problems. It can also clean your hard drive of the miscellaneous errors caused by software conflicts. Using Scandisk will help you check the integrity of a computer hard drive drive to help prevent issues with your computer data. It can also help isolate and correct errors that slow down your computer.



How to run Scandisk:

Close all applications and programs and turn off your screensaver

Click Start  then Run . type in: scandisk

You will have an option of choosing a "standard" or a "thorough" scandisk.

If you have never done a scandisk before, choose the "thorough" option.

Be prepared to wait... this may take awhile!



- Turn off the Sidebar

The sidebar is a cool feature of Vista, but if you don't use its applets, you can save some resources by disabling it. First, right-click it and select Properties. Next, deselect the check box to start the sidebar when Windows starts. Then, close the sidebar by right-clicking it and selecting Close.



- Get Trained

Invest in training for yourself or your employees to maximize the efficiency of the time they spend in front of their workstations. Even after only 2 hours of instruction on an office application, studies have shown that employees experience an average of 20% higher output, and 68% of those trained said they felt more positive about their work and more confident with the application. Tips learned in training WILL save your business money.



In addition, there are plenty of good books you can pick up at Barnes and Noble or Amazon to help you with whatever specific application you need assistance with. My favorite series is the "Teach Yourself Visually" series of books. they allow a user to view pictures of what their screen should looklike while they perform the desired function. I try to give one of these away with every new PC we sell.



- Replace it!

If you try the above tips and still find yourself waiting for your computer to catch up with you, then it's probably time to replace it. The good news is that PC prices are continually falling while software requirements are staying basically the same. This means that a middle-of-the-road computer will perform fine for most users, unless you have specific needs such as advanced photo or video editing or AutoCAD or high-end gaming.



Upgrading to a new PC provides you with a more secure, more energy efficient, faster and more reliable computer. PCs over 1 year old are 50% more likely to experience a major system failure. This triples for systems over 2 years in age. Older software is more susceptible to viruses and other malignant software.



A Special Note for Businesses -



"Good Enough" - If that's how you characterize the oldest computers deployed throughout your infrastructure, those systems may be costing more than you think. When you factor in security risks, high maintenance costs and reduced productivity, refreshing your aging PC base will actually save you time and money.


Even in times of tight budgets, replacing your desktop PCs every three years can simplify management, reduce security risk, and meet business demands for increased productivity. It's a sound investment that pays immediate-and potentially significant-dividends across your home or business.

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They say that during an economic slump, the companies that find ways to cut costs, while increasing or maintaining advertising and investing in technology that positively impacts their businesses come out of a recession with up to 150% of the business they had going in. Now is probably not the time to put in that indoor pool or bowling alley, but improving your technology infrastructure can't do anything but help in the short and long runs.



Free is good, but in almost all cases, you do get what you pay for. Spending a little on technology can make a big difference in the quality of your computer time and the productivity of your business.



Investing in technology isn't quite like "Super-Sizing" your productivity, but when you get to see companies benefit dramatically from it every day like we do, it makes us think it's not far off.


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For information on any of the information in this month's newsletter, please call Available Technology at 864.232.1234  or visit http://www.available-tech.net

Protecting Your Digital Identity - Available Technology Inc

Protecting Your Digital Identity

 

We get used to technology changing at a rapid pace, and sometimes you don't notice how things have changed until you step back and realize how dependent we are on our computers. The prolific use of the Internet is probably the most significant change in technology we have experienced (or will experience) in our lifetime.

We use the internet for everything. It is used to pay bills, reconcile our bank accounts, pay quarterly taxes and do our Christmas shopping. Cell phones deliver messages to us at the moment they are sent. There can be no disputing that email use has revolutionized communications in business. We are truly a "connected" society.

The problem is that we are all indeed connected. Those of us who would normally not come into contact with certain less-desirable elements of society are now thrown into the collective melting pot that is "the internet." And just like all societal groups, that by their nature largely follow the rules and mean no harm, there are predators there.

Everytime you pay a bill or sign up for a coupon or newsletter, a piece of your information is being submitted to a potentially unsafe source. Online banking and shopping put credit card numbers and vital security info on a database server that could be hacked by electronic criminals. Even our medical information is kept in a digital format, with the possibility of dissemination to the wrong element in our collective internet community.

To exclude ourselves from the internet and it's advantages, both personal and professional, is to some degree an irresponsible squandering of opportunities to enrich your own life and the lives of others.

Fortunately, you can take steps to protect yourself and become a less likely target for identity theft.

How Big of A Problem is It?

Everyone is taking notice, and most are concerned. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that up to 9 million Americans were victimized in this way last year. Identity theft costs victims hundreds if not thousands of dollars, and months or years of agonizing struggle to sort out the instances of fraud.

One of our own clients had their company's information used to take out a business loan. When the loan was defaulted on, the company began receiving calls to collect the bad debt. The company is still spending time and money to straighten out the aftermath of the identity theft.

How Does it Happen?

Identity thieves are looking for such information as your name, social security number, credit card numbers, birth date and so on. Once found, this information is used to make purchases or commit crimes, or the information is sold to others who will do so.

These attacks occur primarily in two forms: Phishing and Keylogging.

Phishing

Keyloggers or other viruses

"Phishing" is a term coined by computer hackers, who use email to fish the Internet hoping to hook you into giving them your logins, passwords and/or credit card information. In all these scams, the phisher first impersonates a legitimate company such as your own internet service provider, or your auction site or a financial institution. In the typical scam, you'll get an email that appears to be from a reputable company. You'll be asked to go to a special site to update your account information. This is usually a "red flag" because a reputable business should NEVER ask you to update personal account information in an email!

 

If you get one of these messages, don't panic - and don't respond. Remember this advice: Don't give your personal information to anyone you don't know. If you are concerned that the message might be genuine, call your ISP (or bank or other organization being spoofed) at a telephone number you obtain from your billing statement or through an email address the legitimate company provides.

 

Keyloggers

do not search for your personal information on your computer but literally do what the name suggests - log the keys that you press on the keyboard. Once the virus makes a record of every keystroke you enter, the information can be used to find out login names, sites you have visited, credit card numbers and passwords. Keyloggers are normally spread by viruses in downloads or emails and can also be added as attachments in advertising or spam. Howver, they could also be planted by someone with physical access to your computer. Since they are designed for stealth, keyloggers are typically hard to detect. Updated virus protection like ESET NOD32 will catch these programs before they can set up shop on your PC.

 

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Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft

 

For both Keyloggers and Phishing scams, follow these tips:

 Consider using a keyscrambler. The most popular of these is called - you guessed it - Keyscrambler. The free version of Keyscrambler encrypts each keystroke you enter to feed false information to any keyloggers that may be on your system. Google "keyscrambler" to find out more.
 Look for the Lock. Be sure that any transaction which requires you to enter sensitive information is done so in a secure environment. The lock icon on the status bar at the bottom of your browser indicates that the site you are currently viewing is encrypted, meaning that the site publisher has been verified to be who they say they are and that communication is secure.
Also, don't enter credit cards or other information in to a site unless the site address is shown as "HTTPS" rather than "HTTP" in the address bar. This ensures that data can't be read if it is intercepted.

 Updates and Antivirus. Be sure you have a good (i.e. not free) antivirus program and keep it updated. We Recommend ESET NOD32 Antivirus and have used it for years.
In addition, virus writers typically look for security flaws in your computer's operating system and exploit them. Microsoft and others are constantly looking to repair those flaws so that hackers and virus writers are not able to get through. They do this by providing security updates that you can download and install from the Internet. Update your operating system to close these security holes.

 

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General Internet Security Tips

 

Use unique passwords and keep them in memory, not on paper. Believe it or not, "passsword" or "secret" are not good passwords. A strong password has capital letters, numbers, and non standard characters like punctuation to makeit much more difficult to guess.

Be careful on wireless networks. Even if password protected, they are not bulletproof. it is a good idea to do your online transactions on a wired computer and leave the instant mesaging and facebooking for the wireless.

Don't enter passwords or other sensitive info in an email. Email is sent as clear text, and is the easiest of data to intercept, especially over a wireless network.

P2P programs like torrent downloaders and some music sharing software are a great way to get infected with a keylogger. Don't use this type of software if you can help it (and you can.)

Take extra care when accessing the internet through a public computer or kiosk. In one recent case, a man successfully installed "keylogging" software in 14 Kinko stores in the New York City area, without Kinko's knowledge or permission. Using the software, he was able to capture customers' usernames and passwords.

Follow these tips and use common sense to protect yourself on the internet. We all belong to the same collective pond, but with a little caution and responsibility we don't have to end up as prey for the barracudas.

 

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For information on any of the information in this month's newsletter, please call Available Technology at 864.232.1234 http://available-tech.net

Virus 101 -or- Malware for Beginners - Available Technology Inc.

Virus 101 -or- Malware for Beginners

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Being a computer technician isn't an entirely thankless job. Every one of us with a job to do, including garbagemen and politicians, occasionally experience intense moments of satisfaction from the faithful performance of our daily grind. That's why we keep on doing what we do.

But IT Guys (yours truly excluded) have, as time passes, developed fragile egos from the constant flip-flop from hero to scapegoat 10 times per day. In the morning it's "Hey, the computer guy's here!" and in the afternoon it's "Everything worked until YOU showed up!??"

But it's those brief realizations of childish fulfillment that keep us going. I am having a great day if someone chooses to call me a "genius" or "guru", which I quickly downplay by insisting that I am merely "digitally dominant." And yes, at the end of those kinds of days, we IT folks feel a bit like brightly-costumed defenders of the innocent with the theatrical stage-wind throwing our fluttering capes out behind us. We then stand tall and proud, and remark, "All in a day's work, Mrs. Jones, all in a day's work."

According to the SuperHero Name Generator, my super hero name is "The Elastic Sapphire Locomotive", a moniker that I hope I can live up to. This isn't easy, because all heroes of Super proportions have dark and dangerous enemies that stay up late at night coming up with new ways to expel us from our Industry Certified thrones.

Similar to comic book super heroes, computer guys and gals have not only normal, boring, annoying enemies (like Green Goblin, Sandman, the Phantom, and Penguin) but also that one foe that predictably keeps popping up, knows your weaknesses, and is always defeated, but never destroyed - our "Arch-Nemesis." For computer techs, our arch-nemesis is the computer virus.

Comic book villains come in 2 varieties, not unlike politicians. The first type works toward the ultimate goal of attaining power while advancing chaos and destroying order. The second type commits crime strictly for monetary gain. Ironically, computer viruses fall into the same 2 categories.

This month, I'll present the important info about viruses that you need to know, in a format that should be easy to comprehend even for the avid "Dick and Jane" reader.

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Types of Viruses

When your computer starts throwing up error messages, blue screens or just starts acting plain-old "weird", most people say "Must be a virus!" But do you really know the difference between a virus, a trojan, a worm or any of 10 other kinds of malicious software waiting to attack your poor innocent computer? Well, read on, and in the next 10 minutes, you will!

Most people use the terms virus, worm, and trojan as synonyms, but these terms are not the same. They all can do damage, but in different ways. And just like Spiderman always says, "Knowing your enemy is the only way to defeat him."

- A computer virus attaches itself to a program or file so it can spread from one computer to another, leaving infections as it travels. Much like human viruses, computer viruses can range in severity: Some viruses cause only mildly annoying effects while others can damage your hardware, software or files. Almost all viruses are attached to an executable file, which means the virus may exist on your computer but it cannot infect your computer unless you run or open the malicious program. It is important to note that a virus cannot be spread without a human action, (such as running an infected program) to keep it going. People continue the spread of a computer virus, mostly unknowingly, by sharing infecting files or sending e-mails with viruses as attachments in the e-mail.

- A worm is similar to a virus by its design, and is considered to be a sub-class of a virus. Worms spread from computer to computer, but unlike a virus, worms have the capability to travel without any help from a person. The biggest danger with a worm is its capability to replicate itself on your system, so rather than your computer sending out a single worm, it could send out hundreds or thousands of copies of itself, creating a huge devastating effect. For example, a worm can replicate and send itself out to everyone listed in your address book, and then to everyone in each of your contacts address books, and the manifest continues on down the line. Due to the copying nature of a worm and its capability to travel across networks the end result in most cases is that the worm consumes too much bandwidth, causing servers and individual computers to stop responding. Some worms are designed to allow a user to control your computer remotely without your knowledge or permission. This is scary stuff!

- A Trojan Horse (or Trojan) is a malicious program (Malware) that looks like something helpful but is actually out to destroy your computer. Trojans can look like coupon printing programs, music downloading software, free games or even antivirus programs, like the infamous "fakealert" trojans. Some are just annoying, doing things like changing your background or redirecting your web browser to a random search site or site with (ahem) objectionable content. Others can cause serious damage by deleting files and destroying information on your system.

A type of Trojan known as a "backdoor" trojan creates a backdoor on your computer that gives malicious users access to your system, possibly allowing confidential or personal information to be compromised. Unlike viruses and worms, Trojans do not reproduce by infecting other files nor do they self-replicate.

A subset of these 3 types of malicious software is called a blended threat. A blended threat is an attack that combines characteristics of 2 or more of the 3 types of ifections to produce a hybrid attack that can be especially hard to detect and remove. Many attacks that we remove on a daily basis fall into this category and require special tools to clean from your system.

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Who Writes These Things?

The typical virus author is male, from 14 to 24 years old. He has an intermediate knowledge of programming, since most viruses are remarkably easy to write. You can think of the guys who write malicious code as vandals, who are either trying to make money or show off to their friends. In some subcultures, whoever does the most damage gets the most credibility.

These days, though, most of the viruses are written to cause just enough trouble get you to put in a credit card number in order to make the problems go away. This is electronic extortion, and is a worldwide epidemic.

Where do these people live? According to Symantec research nearly 46 percent of all malicious attacks come from China. London comes in second place at 14.8 percent. 13% or so originate from the US.

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How do you stay clean?

Now that we know more about the threat, there are a few things that need your attention in order for your computer to stay clean and virus free.

Do your Windows Updates - Microsoft releases critical updates to plug holes that let viruses do their dirty work. Do your updates to stay secure. We reocommend doing only the critical updates, not the optional ones.

Click only on trusted sites - this can be tough to do, but with so many infections spreading through infected sites, if you can get by going to well known sites, rather than clicking on anything you find on Google, you will stay virus free longer.

Install an Antivirus and keep it updated

Use a firewall - a hardware router or a software firewall program, like ESET Smart Security will keep many intrusion attacks out, and will keep your computer from allowing malicious communication attempts to go out on the network if your computer gets infected
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Upcoming Virus Trends:
What changes can we expect in the next year?

Internet users will continue to suffer increased attacks by virus writes who want you to download their malware. Look for increased attacks through social networking sites like facebook and twitter.

Also, as the popularity of Apple products continue to grow, Mac and iPhone users--two of the most popular products by Apple--should look to protect the content they place on their devices as more attackers will devote time to create malware to exploit these devices.

With the increased use of smartphones, mobile security will also be an area of concern.

"Scareware" or fake antivirus software are also expected to make a bigger presence next year. Computers may even be "hijacked" or rendered useless by cybercriminals, who control the machines until the owners pay a ransom fee.

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Armed with an understanding of the dark nature of the forces that oppose you, go out and combat evil. With courage and fortitude you and your fearless computer companion can face and defeat any sinister digital foe.

You can even come up with your own cyber-superhero names and create an alternate identity for yourself. Choose a sidekick and start brainstorming. Here are some names to get you started:

GigaRanger and Bitboy

Mistress Vira and Technolad

The Immutable Technemesis

Digidefender and Virulad

Dr. Disinfector and the Human Viradicator

As for me, I am the "Elastic Sapphire Locomotive." And in the words of Batman, "I chose this life. I know what I'm doing. And on any given day, I could stop doing it. Today, however isn't that day. And tomorrow won't be either."


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