Groff NetWorks, LLC Everyday I.T.

Techie Terms Made Simple: What Is Cloud Computing?

2010-08-06T08:54:00.000-04:00

Cloud computing is simply a term used to describe internet-based applications that are stored and accessed via a web browser instead of a server or computer at your location. Over the last couple of years, there has been a HUGE movement towards companies using “cloud-based” applications because lost data is more easily recovered and remote workers can conveniently access information. As a result, costs for hardware and support are drastically lowered.
One “cloud” application we encourage our clients to consider is

Hosted Exchange. Not only does this give you a tremendous amount of flexibility in accessing your e-mail, but it also lowers the costs of hardware, software, installation, and support DRASTICALLY.
While there are still some fears around hosting critical apps and data off-site, those fears will become a thing of the past as business owners see the bottom-line cost savings of cloud-based computing.

16 Critical Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring Any IT Company

2010-05-30T20:52:00.000-04:00

16 Critical Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring Any IT Company

New Way To Eliminate Computer Hassles & Save Money!

2010-05-05T15:20:00.002-04:00

STOP! Don’t Upgrade Your Server Until You Read THIS
A new breakthrough in technology may change the way you think about traditional computer networks. It’s called “Cloud Computing” and could save your business quite a bit of money on software, hardware, upgrades and services. Here’s how it works…

Instead of purchasing hardware and software to be hosted at your office, cloud computing puts your programs and data on a highly secure “super server” (also called a data center) online. These servers have huge amounts of storage space and power that no small business could ever fully utilize. The data center then “rents” a portion of the space, power and software licenses to multiple businesses, giving you top-of- the-line resources at a fraction of the cost. All you need is an Internet connection, and you’re in business.

This is not a new concept and companies like SalesForce, Gmail, Google Apps, Constant Contact, and many other online applications have been offering their services this way for years – and because it’s so much more economical than installing, hosting and supporting a network in-house, the concept is catching on fast. Still skeptical?

Here are nine reasons why this concept is catching on FAST with small to medium business owners, and why you might consider it, too:

1. You have an INSTANT virtual office. Cloud computing allows you or your employees to access and work from any secure PC, laptop or device. If you have employees that travel, are in remote locations or who need or want to work from home, this is an ideal solution.

2. You’ll save hard dollars on software, hardware and support. First, you won’t have to purchase, install or maintain servers or other network equipment. You also won’t need “super computers” to run the software, allowing you to purchase lesser-expensive laptops and PCs. Second, the software will be cheaper, because you are renting it instead of purchasing it. Finally, IT maintenance and support costs will drop because the server is being maintained by the hosting company, not you.

3. Less Down-time and Problems. Software in the cloud runs on extremely fast and reliable systems that include some form of redundancy. What that means is if one server or component stops working, another server or component will instantly take over without you even realizing something happened. Compare that to your own server going down; until you get it fixed, you’re unable to work.

4. Automatic Disaster Recovery. If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it 100 times: make sure you back up your data! When your data is hosted in the cloud, the back-up is done automatically for you. Since your software and data reside on an off-site server in a data center, you already have a way to access it even if you couldn’t get into the office.

5. Less Expensive To Scale Your Network Up Or Down. If you start to run out of space on your local office computer or server, you’ll need to purchase an additional hard drive and pay for the installation. In a cloud computing environment, you just pay for the amount you need and increase your storage plan when necessary. And if you want to scale BACK, you can do that without penalty.

6. Hassle-Free Software. If you’ve ever had to search for software disks, you know what a pain it can be. With cloud computing, all your software is loaded on a server in a data center and then shared over the Internet. There are no software disks to manage, organize or file.

7. Environmentally Friendly. Because resources are shared, cloud computing uses significantly less power. You also won’t have to upgrade your hardware as often, which means fewer PCs, laptops and other components piling up in landfills.

8. No More Expensive Software Upgrades. Networks in the cloud benefit from automatic software upgrades; best of all, they are done FOR you. When a software upgrade is needed, only the server “in the cloud” gets loaded up with the most up-to-date software versions. Then each computer accesses this software via the Internet.

9. Reduced Maintenance. When your software is in the cloud, patches are automatically applied, meaning fewer re-boots and down-time for maintenance. It’s all taken care of for you.

Top 4 Threats Attacking Your Network And What To Do About Them

2010-02-10T10:00:00.002-05:00

Top 4 Threats Attacking Your Network

And What To Do About Them

#1 Overconfidence

User overconfidence in security products is the top threat to your network. Failure to “practice safe software” results in nuisance attacks like porn storms (unstoppable rapid fire pornographic pop-ups) and more subtle keyloggers that steal passwords. Surveys promising free stuff, result in theft of information like your mother’s maiden name, high school, etc. used to answer common security questions leading to theft of otherwise secure data. Think before you click!

#2 Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites like Facebook are exploding in popularity. Threats range from malware (eg. viruses, worms, spyware) to scammers trying to steal your identity, information and money. Many businesses and government agencies are using these sites to communicate with clients and constituents, so simply blocking access is no longer reasonable. Defending your company while allowing employee access requires social network education for your employees and the enforcement of strong acceptable use policies. We can help you develop a policy, then monitor compliance using a Unified Threat Management device that controls and reports on network access.

#3 Attacks On Mobile Devices

Everyone is going mobile these days not just the “road warriors.” Once limited to laptop computers, mobile network devices now include PDAs, handheld computers and smart phones, with new appliances appearing in the stores every month. Mobile devices often contain sensitive data yet they are easily lost or stolen. Be sure to password protect and encrypt data on all mobile devices whenever possible. Include mobile devices in your acceptable use policy.

#4 Cloud Computing

“The Cloud,” in its most simple form, involves using the Internet to access and store your data. When you access email using a web browser, you are working in “the cloud.” Using the cloud for automated off site backup is rapidly gaining popularity and is just the beginning. Companies like Microsoft, IBM and Google envision the day when we will use inexpensive terminals instead of computers to run programs and access data located somewhere on the Internet. You need to be sure that any data you store and access across the Internet is secure not just where it is stored, but during the trip to and from the Internet.

Network threats... and what to do about them

2010-01-11T20:39:00.001-05:00

Top 4 Threats Attacking Your Network... And What To Do About Them

#1 Overconfidence
User overconfidence in security products is the top threat to your network. Failure to “practice safe software” results in nuisance attacks like porn storms (unstoppable rapid fire pornographic pop-ups) and more subtle keyloggers that steal passwords. Surveys promising free stuff, result in theft of information like your mother’s maiden name, high school, etc. used to answer common security questions leading to theft of otherwise secure data. Think before you click!

#2 Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites like Facebook are exploding in popularity. Threats range from malware (eg. viruses, worms, spyware) to scammers trying to steal your identity, information and money. Many businesses and government agencies are using these sites to communicate with clients and constituents, so simply blocking access is no longer reasonable. Defending your company while allowing employee access requires social network education for your employees and the enforcement of strong acceptable use policies. We can help you develop a policy, then monitor compliance using a Unified Threat Management device that controls and reports on network access.

#3 Attacks On Mobile Devices
Everyone is going mobile these days, not just the “road warriors.” Once limited to laptop computers, mobile network devices now include PDAs, handheld computers and smart phones, with new appliances appearing in the stores every month. Mobile devices often contain sensitive data yet they are easily lost or stolen. Be sure to password protect and encrypt data on all mobile devices whenever possible. Include mobile devices in your acceptable use policy.

#4 Cloud Computing
“The Cloud,” in its most simple form, involves using the Internet to access and store your data. When you access email using a web browser, you are working in “the cloud.” Using the cloud for automated off site backup is rapidly gaining popularity and is just the beginning. Companies like Microsoft, IBM and Google envision the day when we will use inexpensive terminals instead of computers to run programs and access data located somewhere on the Internet. You need to be sure that any data you store and access across the Internet is secure not just where it is stored, but during the trip to and from the Internet.

Three Scariest Threats to Small Business Networks

2010-01-07T16:06:00.002-05:00

The 3 Scariest Threats To Small Business Networks

While spam, pop-ups, and hackers are a real threat to any small business network, there are three security measures that you should be focusing on FIRST before you do anything else...

Worry About E-mail Attachments, Not Spam

Sure, spam is annoying and wastes your time, but the REAL danger with spam is in the attachments. Viruses and worms are malicious programs that are spread primarily through cleverly disguised attachments to messages that trick you (or your employees) into opening them.

Another huge threat is phishing e-mails that trick the user by appearing to be legitimate e-mails from your bank, eBay, or other password-protected entity.

Here are two things you must have in place to avoid this nightmare:

Keep your anti-virus up to date and enabled. Okay, this sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s not uncommon for an employee to disable their anti-virus software unbeknownst to you. Which brings us to...

Train employees on what they are (and aren’t) permitted to do with the company’s computer, e-mail, Internet access, etc. One thing that should be on the list is that they should NEVER open suspicious attachments or respond to phishing e-mails. We highly recommend creating an AUP (acceptable use policy) to teach your staff what NOT to do.

Put monitoring software in place to not only maintain the health of employees’ desktops, but also to automatically “police” employees from accidentally (or intentionally) visiting a phishing web site, downloading a virus, or visiting questionable web sites and content online.
Fear Downloads Before Pop-Ups

***Did you know that most computers and networks get infected with viruses because the user actually invited the threat in by downloading a file (screen saver, music file, PDF document, pictures, etc.).?***

Again, this comes down to training the staff on what they can and cannot do with your computer network, but the best way to avoid this from happening is to remove the temptation by installing monitoring software that will prevent employees from downloading unsavory items to YOUR network. We also recommend installing and maintaining a good firewall, which will block Internet traffic to and from dangerous sites.

Lose Sleep Over Backups Before Hackers

You are more likely to lose data from hardware failure, accidental deletion (human error), flood, fire, natural disaster or software corruption than a hacker. Sure, you should do everything to keep hackers out of your network, but not backing up your data to a remote location is crazy. At a minimum, you should have an on-site AND off-site copy of your data, and you should be testing your data back-ups regularly to make sure your data CAN be restored in the event of an emergency.

What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You

Since we are on the subject of protecting your network, can I talk straight? 99% of the business owners I work with wait FAR too long to have us check and update their computer network’s health and security. Because they are not performing regular maintenance, almost every single network we review is completely overlooking these 3 security risks!

At some point, disaster will strike and they find themselves in a real mess with a network that is completely down (that’s when they call us in a panic). By then, the damage is done and it often costs thousands of dollars to restore their network back to normal. Even then, it’s not uncommon for them to permanently lose irreplaceable accounting, client, and business data – not to mention hours of down-time.

What saddens me even more is the fact that almost every one of these costly disasters could have easily been prevented if someone had checked their network’s security and health to remove these threats on a regular basis. Which brings me to the reason I’m writing you today…

No More Excuses!

Call Groff NetWorks now -- 518.320.8906 -- to have us:
-Check your backup to see if it’s working properly and accurately.
-Verify that you have the most up-to-date security patches installed properly; miss one critical update and you’re a “sitting duck.”
-Diagnose slow, unstable PCs.
-Perform a quick network “tune-up” to make programs and files load faster.

Why Should You Care About This?

Because your computer network is the core of running your business. Try to imagine what it would be like if you walked into your office one day to discover all of your data was lost or corrupt. That’s why this check-up and regular maintenance is so important.

REMEMBER: Keeping your network safe is a moving target; the security updates you installed today may be rendered useless tomorrow because new threats are emerging daily.

There are numerous system checks and updates that should be done on a daily basis to ensure maximum speed, performance, and security. Ignore them and your system will get progressively slower, unstable, and susceptible to viruses, spyware, and hackers.

When you say “Yes!” to our Network Health Check, you are in no way obligated to do or buy anything, and you have our promise to NOT lay on the heavy sales pressure.

Here’s What You Need To Do Now: Call my office at 518.320.8906. After we receive your request, we’ll schedule a convenient time for one of our technicians to come onsite and conduct a complete health check of your network. When we’re done, we’ll give you a comprehensive, easy-to-read report that will show any problems, threats, or vulnerable areas that need to be addressed.

If we discover a problem, we’ll also provide you with a recommended action plan and fixed-fee quote on what it will cost for us to resolve it and continue to maintain your network. No hidden fees, no bait and switch.

Should you decide to hire us to do the repair (you’re under no obligation), we’ll get to work on it immediately. If we find out everything is safe and secure, you’ll breathe a big sigh of relief knowing the true state of your network’s health and security—and then we’ll show you the fastest and easiest way to make sure it stays that way.

2010-01-07T16:02:00.001-05:00

10 Easy Ways To Eliminate E-mail Overload

E-mail driving you crazy? Every time you delete one, do five more show up? Are you finding it impossible to answer every e-mail you receive? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’re not alone!

Some people are even declaring e-mail bankruptcy — they dump every e-mail in their inbox and start over. If that’s not an option for you, then here are 10 tips to reduce e-mail overload.

1. Get a good spam filter. Even if it saves you just 10 minutes a day, that adds up to over 59 hours a year.

2. Cancel subscriptions to unwanted mailing lists, and opt-out of LEGITIMATE e-zines. But be careful! Trying to opt-out of spam e-mails will only alert the sender that they have a LIVE address. Also, make sure you are careful to check the “unsubscribe” or “opt-out” box when purchasing items online.

3. Ask your friends to remove you from joke groups or chain messages. Simply explain your situation and, if they are good friends, they’ll take you out of their message group.

4. Don’t post or publish your e-mail on web sites. Spammers will steal it and put it on their lists.

5. Don’t respond to every e-mail you receive. Yes, it’s okay NOT to respond to some e-mails. If it’s a group e-mail, don’t respond with “okay” or “:)” — it’s not necessary unless the sender is specifically asking you a question or requesting a response.

6. Be succinct. Restrict your messages to a few sentences. If you can’t, pick up the phone or talk in person. This will avoid the back-and-forth of e-mail conversation.

7. Take advantage of subject lines. If possible, put your question in the subject line, or your message. If that’s not possible, make your subject line very descriptive so the recipient knows what your message is about. Here’s another tip: create a set of codes with your co-workers and place them in the subject line to help them process and prioritize messages. For example, use “FYI” for informational messages. Use “AR” for action required and “URG” for urgent messages.

8. Block time to answer your e-mail and fight the temptation to check your e-mail every few minutes. You will save yourself a lot of time and be far more productive.

9. Respond to messages when you open them so you only read them once. If the e-mail requires an action step, schedule the action step and delete it from your inbox.

10. Set time aside in the morning and the evening to process your inbox. Shoot for a completely empty inbox. File messages you need to keep and set reminders for messages that require you to follow up.

Now, here are some tips to keep from adding to the e-mail overload of others…

1. Be courteous when forwarding an e-mail: summarize the thread and why you are sending it at the top of the e-mail.

2. Don’t copy someone on a message unless it is necessary. And explain why you’re copying them. Recipients won’t need to guess your intentions. This means less back and forth messages.

google takes on cell phones

2009-12-30T14:19:00.001-05:00

Next week, there's a big press conference, perhaps for the unveiling of a new phone by Google. Here's the story:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/29/is-googles-nexus-one-phone-to-land-next-week/?em

ready for a new laptop? dell vs. hewlett-packard

2009-12-04T17:07:00.003-05:00

If you think Hewlett-Packard is the computer source for laptops, think again. At least, that's what Dell is hoping as they release a new laptop for business professionals: The Latitude Z. Read this article for more info: http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/1005/outfront-technology-computers-dell-new-laptop.html

By the way, you can order Dell computers directly from Groff NetWorks. For more information, call: 518-320-8906.

Attention Business Owners and Decision Makers: Leveraging your IT in a downturn economy

2009-11-10T15:18:00.005-05:00

There is a great (and brief! about 13 minutes!) podcast up at Harvard Business School's website right now. It's an interview with Ann Livermore, executive vice president, Technology Solutions Group, Hewlett-Packard. She talks about aligning your business strategy with your IT planning.

In the interview she underscores the importance of investing in IT to create more efficiencies in your business. Studies from the previous recession showed that 40% of all companies in the top quartile lost their leadership position during the recession. She goes on to say that how a business approaches the leveraging of their IT can affect potential losses in a major way.

Just another piece of evidence illustrating that:

Technology is not going away.
In fact, it's only going to become more vital to running your business.
You need to align your IT growth with your strategic business growth. Their successes are not mutually exclusive.

Enter the My NetWorks managed service plans at Groff NetWorks. Our strategy is to become the driving force behind this alignment. We work with you, as your experts for IT management, to drive your IT growth in lock-step with your business strategy and daily operations.

Our approach to IT support services is different than any other managed serivce provider in the Capital Distrcit. Our clients receive the advice and guidance of a dedicated CIO, who works along side of your CEO to ensure the success of the tech/business marriage. We help you control your current IT capital expeditures and thoughtfully plan for the future of your business. How awesome is that?

Listen here! Really interesting subject matter, I promise.

Free "no-tricks-all-treats network assessment" ($397 value)

2009-10-09T11:17:00.001-04:00

For the Halloween season, we’ve decided to give away FREE chocolate to any new clients who sign up for our 27-Point Problem Prevention Network Assessment in the month of October. This Assessment will “exorcise the demons” from your network and make sure:

- Your firewall settings are secure and protecting you from hacker invasion.

- The backup is working properly and your important company information is safe.

- Your files and programs are loading up as fast as they can be…plus 24 other critical check points.

Book your assessment before October 31 and receive a delicious solid chocolate witch FREE! Call (518) 320-8906.

Service Tip: You have a virus, scan now.

2009-09-25T12:13:00.003-04:00

If you are surfing the Internet and get a pop-up that states, "You have a virus, scan now", X out the box. Do not click yes, and do not click no. Do not click anything inside the message box.

A number of clients have told us that they believed they were averting crisis by choosing "No" to the pop-up scan. In actuality, by clicking on any option in the message you are still installing the latest bane of your computer's existence, 'extortion'-ware.

Instead, click on the red X in the upper corner to completely close the pop-up, or better yet close the window by holding down your Ctrl key and F4 simultaneously. On a Mac hold down Command and the W key.

If you want to double check to make sure you don't have a virus, use your real anti-virus to do a scan.

What's a netbook and why, if at all, do you need one?

2009-09-24T15:29:00.010-04:00

Netbooks, sometimes called tablet PCs, seem to be all the rage lately. Not completely sure why? Me either. Let's go over a super simplistic and watered down version of what they are, what they are not, and what they could be--and mostly likely will be, one day--if the universes align.

They Are:

Small devices that appear to be laptops.
Quite inexpensive, or can be with many running under $500.
Cheap.
Did I mention they cost less than some of the high-end iPods?
The hip new gadget to give away as a prize or incentive.

They Are Not:

A replacement for a laptop.
A "real" laptop, don't be fooled.
(very) Pretty.

They Could Be:

Your ultimate on-the-go-multimedia connection. Think souped-down laptop, or souped-up phone.

I read an article on Slate.com a while back that really changed my view of these quirky and seeming useless little guys. The author made a good point about our needs when it comes to computing on-the-go. He argues that when we need to do work--real work--we usually sit down at a "real" laptop or computer, one with enough computing power to do the complex tasks like word processing, design, coding, etc. And when we're not doing work we're usually surfing the web or communicating via email, chat, facebook, etc. He calls this lightweight network computing, I call it leisure computing.

The good news is that there are a few specific requirements to create the ultimate leisure entertainment machine, and only a few. It needs to be portable and lightweight, so we can take it out wherever and surf/share at a moments notice. It needs to have wireless capability and run on a pervasive and low-cost network, i.e. the cellular network. And it needs to run on a zippy, efficient operating system (OS) that doesn't hog processing power.

In his words, "I'm suggesting that the thing we think of as a netbook should really be something else—a flat-panel, touch-screen tablet that can do photos, music, movies, e-mail, games, and full-function Web browsing. The device would include a small amount of onboard storage but would depend on the Internet cloud for most of its resources. Why no keyboard? Because then the device would be conceived as an appliance. You'd use it mainly for passive computing—for reading e-mail and Web pages, for looking at photos, for sharing documents in a meeting. You'd keep it on your lap to scan Facebook as you watch TV or bring it to bed to read the news before you go to sleep. You'd catch up on your e-mail as you ride the bus to work; you could respond to that e-mail using the on-screen keyboard, and when you get to the office, you could connect a USB keyboard."

Sounds pretty awesome and spot-on to me. So I'd suggest you think about this before running out to buy a netbook that's on a super sale deal. A laptop for $400 seems to good to be true, and unfortunately it probably is. Really think about what you'd use your netbook for, and then talk with someone who knows something about technology to make sure the device will actually perform in the manner you expect it to. I'm not saying that every netbook is inferior, rather that the "want" they are currently positioned to fill doesn't necessarily address our true needs from a stripped-down, super-portable computer.

But don't completely discount the netbook. Keep it tucked away in the recesses of your brain and wait until some more of the particulars above are addressed, specifically the ease-of-net-connectivity. This is key to any portable device. These mini-computers are on the right track and I'd bet you a fountain Coke that we'll see their reincarnates having a pretty important place in all of our lives.

Next stop, stream the content directly to our eyeballs. Just kidding (not really).

New iPhone OS 3.1 released

2009-09-10T11:43:00.005-04:00

For all of you iPhone and iPod Touch users out there, Apple released a new OS yesterday, 3.1. The upgrade is available free for download for current iPhone users, and $4.95 for iPod Touch users (free when you purchase a new ipod Touch). Get it in the iTunes store.

New Features (via brightsideofnews.com):

Overall much better synchronization and stability.
Genius function to recommend apps, much like the current Genius Playlist function in iTunes. In a nutshell, Genius will recommend apps you might like to download, based on your current selection of downloaded apps.
Download ring tones wirelessly.
Better organization of your desktop and apps. Overall user interface improvements--truly one of Apple's greatest strengths.
You can save video attachments into your CameraRoll from email and messages.
Better Wi-Fi performance when Bluetooth is turned on.
Remote lock your iPhone with a pass code using MobileMe.
Voice control with Bluetooth headphones.
Paste phone numbers directly into the keypad.

The Hierarchy of Digital Distractions

2009-09-10T11:33:00.004-04:00

via informationisbeautiful.net

What do you think? About on target with your own digital usage patterns? Amusing, at least.

Homeland Security Changes Laptop Search Policy

2009-08-28T16:22:00.004-04:00

via slashdot.org

"The US Government has updated its policy on the search and seizure of laptops at border crossing. 'The long-criticized practice of searching travelers' electronic devices will continue, but a supervisor now would need to approve holding a device for more than five days. Any copies of information taken from travelers' machines would be destroyed within days if there were no legal reason to hold the information."

Shortcut Keys: Solving a probelm you didn't even know you had

2009-08-18T16:07:00.004-04:00

I'm never quite sure why people don't learn to use shortcut keys. Taking 10 seconds to learn one will save you endless amounts of time and headache. You'll put far less energy and thought into simple commands, and I promise that you'll enjoy your computing experience a lot more. Plus you can impress your boss, kids and friends as you zip through onscreen navigation!

Here are some of the most basic and useful shortcut commands that every user should know. At the end of the post I've included a link to a more extensive list of shortcut keys. Have fun!

*Note that "+" means "and". So hold down the Ctrl key and the S key simultaneously to save a document.

*Note to replace the Ctrl key with the Command key on a Mac.

Save: Ctrl + S
Close a window: Ctrl + W
Quit a program: Ctrl + Q
Copy highlighted text: Ctrl + C
Cut highlighted text: Ctrl + X
Paste highlighted text: Ctrl + V
Undo last action: Ctrl + Z
Select all: Ctrl + A
Bold text: Ctrl + B
Italicize text: Ctrl + I
Underline text: Ctrl + U
Open a new browser tab: Ctrl + T
Open a new browser window (or almost anything, like a word doc, excel sheet, etc): Ctrl + N
Scroll down a page: space bar

Link to a great reference page of shortcut keys for numerous operating systems.

Fix your terrible, insecure passwords in five minutes

2009-08-13T13:44:00.005-04:00

via slate.com

"Everyone knows it's bad to use the same password for different sites. People do it anyway because remembering different passwords is annoying. Remembering different difficult passwords is even more annoying. ...I found a foolproof technique to create passwords that are near-impossible to crack yet easy to remember. Even better, it'll take just five minutes of your time."

Read on to get the entire article.

Here is the short version:

Start with a memorable yet random phrase. Something you don't have to write down and will remember on your own. ex: Mom's pork chops are always dry.
Turn it into an acronym ex: mpcaad
Substitute some capital letters, symbols and numbers ex: Mpc@Ad

And you're done.

Use a unique phrase for every important account, like banks and emails and credit cards. You can use one phrase for similar, non-sensitive accounts like all your online cooking website memberships.

The expert in this article recommends changing your main email account's password on a monthly basis, because more likely than not it has info on every online account you've ever signed up for. He gives a specific trick on how to approach this in the article.

Teach your Child to Program with XBox Game

2009-07-29T14:37:00.010-04:00

The new video game Kodu will teach you (or your kid) about programming. It's also actually fun.

via Slate.com

Kodu, a newly released video game from Microsoft...aimed at the 9-and-over crowd. The mission: to place kids in an open-ended environment and arm them with a simple language that lets them build things. It's...a reminder that the mission of games like these is not actually to teach kids how to write code. It's to teach them how to think like programmers.... What are kids who play with Kodu actually learning? Kodu deliberately keeps out any mention of variables, functions, recursion, or any other programming argot. In fact, the interface is so friendly that players can be forgiven if they don't realize that they're learning anything at all. There is not currently any obvious bridge between the game and traditional coding—you aren't taught how to write out commands, and there's no way to look under the hood to see your rules translated into traditional code. What you are learning is how to build an environment. (read entire article here)

Neat! We wish this existed when we were kids.

Service Tip: Hiring and firing can cost you an arm and a leg. Avoid the emergency rate on your next IT service call.

2009-07-29T14:18:00.004-04:00

Here's a great tip to remember the next time you plan on hiring a new employee or laying someone off--let your IT service provider know ahead of time. You'll save yourself headache, stress and money by putting in a regular service call about a week in advance to let your provider know the planned date you'll want to implement the changes. Remember, most IT providers charge time-and-a-half for same-day emergency response if you're not on a managed service plan.

If it's a new hire, your provider will open a service ticket with a tech to create a new user account on your system. The work for this can be done several days in advance of the new hire's first day.

If you're in the more uncomfortable and time-sensitive position of letting an employee go, we strongly suggest you call your IT provider at least a week in advance. You don't want to take any chances that a disgruntled ex-employee might steal or corrupt your sensitive company data. Let your provider know the planned date and time of the termination. Your provider will schedule a tech to close the user's account and change all associated company passwords within that time frame. This appointment will need to occur on the day that the employee is given notice of termination. If you're not sure of the exact time you'll be giving notice, at least give the tech a preferred window of time. For instance, late morning, mid afternoon, or at the end of the business day. If you are particularly concerned about an employee's reaction and the possibility of data manipulation, make sure you let your tech know this and get an exact time squared away.

Keeping open lines of communication with your IT provider is key to providing efficient service and keeping your costs down.

Possible iPhone Hack Slated to be revealed 7/30/09: owners take note

2009-07-29T13:17:00.011-04:00

On Thursday, two researchers plan to reveal an unpatched iPhone bug that could virally infect phones via SMS.
From Forbes.com

If you receive a text message on your iPhone any time after Thursday afternoon containing only a single square character, Charlie Miller would suggest you turn the device off. Quickly.

That small cipher will likely be your only warning that someone has taken advantage of a bug that Miller and his fellow cybersecurity researcher Collin Mulliner plan to publicize Thursday at the Black Hat cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas. Using a flaw they've found in the iPhone's handling of text messages, the researchers say they'll demonstrate how to send a series of mostly invisible SMS bursts that can give a hacker complete power over any of the smart phone's functions. That includes dialing the phone, visiting Web sites, turning on the device's camera and microphone and, most importantly, sending more text messages to further propagate a mass-gadget hijacking. (read entire article here)

OK, don't panic. Things to make note of:

This is a bug that is being revealed by researches, not hackers--don't hate the messengers. The people who are (responsibly) exploiting these vulnerabilities play an important role in software development quality control. It's akin to a whistle blower revealing a faulty tire scandal. What the manufacturer chooses to do with this information is up to them, but we as the consumer should welcome such discourse instead of sweeping it under the rug.

It remains to be seen what, if anything, will become of revealing this information. In other words, who knows if an actual "attack" will even come into fruition. Just be aware, OK?

While hacks for mobile devices are not incredibly numerous (as of yet), they certainly do exist. Google your phone name and the word "virus" and see what comes up. Be a conscious consumer and stay on top of alerts like this one.

All software, even Macs, have potential security holes to exploit. It's just up to the hacker to choose what (s)he wants to exploit. Again, with the informed consuming on all of our parts.

If you ever have concerns about the security of your network or phones or what-have-you, please don't hesitate to contact us. Though we applaud personal empowerment and conscious consuming, we do understand that it's still a Wild, Wild West when it comes to the digital world.

We've got a special purpose!

2009-07-20T14:56:00.004-04:00

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