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Educate to Minimize Your Risk from Viruses

October 28, 2013 by webcare Leave a Comment

by Randy Johnston, Chairman – Network Management Group, Inc.

I have the pleasure of working with some really brilliant people, including technicians and accountants, in my NMGI and K2 businesses. Throughout this year, we have been warning people that virus attacks are more aggressive and invasive. These attacks are frequently delivered via email, social media such as Facebook and embedded in PDF files. The anti-virus companies are having more issues keeping their software ahead of the threats and the creators of viruses and malware are becoming smarter in their attacks. Even if your IT team or managed service provider is diligent in updating your firewalls and anti-virus signatures, your organization is still susceptible to attacks in the current environment.

Why are we so concerned about the attacks now? Haven’t viruses been around since the early 1980s? The first virus discovered in the wild was the Elk Cloner on the Apple II in 1981 and the first PC virus, Brain, was reported in 1986. Some key ideas about viruses are:

  • Viruses exploit weaknesses in operating system controls and human patterns of system use/misuse.
  • Destructive viruses are more likely to be eradicated.
  • An innovative virus may have a larger initial window to propagate before it is discovered and the “average” anti-viral product is modified to detect or eradicate it.

More important, systems can be infected and unusable during the recovery period. Viruses make attempts to hide intelligently and re-infect the systems where they have made initial entry. It may take 24, 48 or 72 hours to completely eradicate the viruses from your systems and to restore all of your files to a usable state. What will you have your team do while their computers are not working? How do teach them to be careful in the first place?

We suggest that end users attend regularly scheduled and ongoing prevention training and this training be recorded in human resources records so that there is a permanent record of training, accountability and liability. Such training should include customized basic training for your firm, especially since firms have unique virus protection strategies. An employee should sign an acknowledgment that training has been received and understood. This training record should be added to the employee’s permanent record and should occur at the completion of training. All team members of the firm should be required to attend from the janitor to the CEO/Owners.

What to do?

One of the best strategies is to schedule security training at least annually for your organization. The importance of compliance with your firm’s policies, and using your best efforts to make sure everyone has been exposed to the issues and has a chance of understanding the threats is a good use of time.

As a starting point, we are recommending teaching the following topics:

  1. Name the product being used: It is important for team members to know if your firm has GFI Vipre Antivirus, Trend Micro, AVG, Sophos, etc.  Next, train on the basics of that specific product to familiarize the end users with the protection they have been provided by their company such as:
    1. “Here is your Icon for VIPRE Antivirus” see it in the Windows tray (VIPRE is just an example – different products may be in use in your firm)
    2. Blue indicates that protection is on, active and up to date. Green indicates a scan in progress. Yellow means there is a problem with the program and to contact your IT support team immediately. Red means contact your IT support team immediately.
    3. If you do not have an icon, contact your IT support team immediately.
  2. Explain how your AV protection works: Examples of features to explain might be to explain what the firm has purchased and installed:
    1. Email gateway Antivirus
    2. Exchange Antivirus
    3. Firewall based Antivirus
    4. Desktop Antivirus products to help protect our computer network from email threats.
    5. However, this protection only works if it is enabled, up to date and employees follow these basic principles:
      1. Don’t click links in emails without determining where they go first
      2. Don’t open attachments unless you know the source of document AND were expecting to receive it
      3. When surfing websites and popup windows come up, (ALT-F4) is the proper way to close them
  3. Protect Outlook properly: Outlook has improved its virus protection and spam filtering with each version, but there are still fundamental features to consider and use:
    1. Turn off the reading pane for the Inbox
    2. Disable links for messages in the Junk Email Folder (Outlook). This should disable attachments too.Junk Email Options
  4. Ensure AV is on and current on your desktop at all times: AV is only as good as the most current signature file. Vendors frequently release updates to protection for the known threats in the world and these change hourly worldwide. Often, it can be several days or even weeks before some vendors have definitions, (the file that allows identification of the viruses) to protect from the newest threats. Our team has submitted samples to Avert Labs, ThreatTrack and Symantec for items that we could easily recognize as being a virus. It is not unusual for it to be several days, and on a couple of occasions, several weeks before the vendor released new specific definition protection for the new variant.
  5. Do not open emails that are not recognized: or any file that may have questionable business content, especially if the email has hyperlinks or attachments if you are not expecting this type of email from other sources. We frequently see spoofed emails from Intuit, Bank of America and Citibank, which I have personally seen recently as examples.
    1. These emails are very clever nowadays and often include spoofed senders (senders pretending to be someone they are not), content that seems to come from valid business senders, and my personal favorite from current times are emails from “spoofed” Intuit that contains a QuickBooks update that needs to be installed NOW to correct a program problem or improve performance. These emails have hyperlinks to an external virus payload and ZIP attachments that contain executable files which are email worms or Trojans, that is programs that hide and attach themselves to your systems causing infections. These emails actually contain images from Intuit’s website and appear very legitimate. We need users to ask themselves, did I contact Intuit support and speak with someone about a specific problem that I needed an update for? Should I be receiving unsolicited email notices from Intuit about updates when that process is managed by my IT Support team? Staff need to regularly communicate with their IT Support team before opening questionable emails or files.
    2. Even more recent, we have seen emails sent from spoofed Citibank containing valid images from Citibank’s website that linked to external virus code and included ZIP attachments containing executable files that appeared as PDF (payroll) files, but were actually executable files with subject line “Payroll processing received” and the body contained instructions to open the attached PDF file to verify the amounts of each employee’s payroll amounts. Needless to say, these emails were not sent to the Controller nor were they actually requested by anyone. However, these worms were opened because staff thought they might actually get a peek at what others in the company are getting paid. If they would have paused before opening the attachment or links and asked themselves, did I contact Citibank for payroll information or am I actually running payroll thru Citibank, then they would recognize they received a new worm email variant that their Antivirus was not protecting them from and the worm would not have been unleashed.
  6. Explain your procedures for recovery: Hopefully, you never have to recover, but if you do:
    1. Outline your reporting and shutdown procedure
    2. Have everyone stay off of their systems until given the all clear
    3. Unplug infected machines from the network.
    4. Explain how you intend to estimate the recovery time
    5. Explain what systems are likely to be made available first
  7. Consider other topics related to security: You probably don’t get your team together frequently enough. Take this opportunity to discuss other important security related matters such as:
    1. Review the firm’s acceptable use and other computer policies
    2. Encryption
    3. Protection of portable computers and removable media
    4. Properly handling USB devices from home or clients
    5. Password strength and changes
    6. Social networking site safety
    7. Security of smartphones and tablets
    8. Instant Messengers – AOL, MSN, Google Chat, ICQ
    9. Weather Bug – should not be used
    10. Personal email access from Gmail, Yahoo or Outlook.com
    11. Transferring documents to and from clients via your portal or secure email

Training is the best prevention

In summary, the best training is customized for each firm. Your staff should know how they are being protected and what the limitations of that protection are. Human Resources and IT should work together to deliver ongoing, regular training that is recorded into employee records. In between regular training sessions, IT should inform staff of high risk known threats via alerts whether that is through email, intranets or bulletin boards. There should also be training required for new employee onboarding since the next regular training might be months away and the new employee might put the entire training program at risk unless we educate them. Please use these ideas to schedule and hold a training session with your team to minimize your risk of virus infection.

Filed Under: Newsletter Tagged With: anti-virus software, Randy Johnston, security, virus protection, viruses

The perfect BYOD recipe:”Finding the balance between protecting corporate data and providing privacy”

September 16, 2013 by webcare Leave a Comment

used with permission from HP Technology at Work
by Mike Jennett, Senior Program Manager, HP Enterprise Mobility

byod recipeI was just listening to Jon Stewart interview NY Times writer Michael Moss about his new book Salt Sugar Fat and he said something that struck a chord with me. He was talking about the science of creating food and something called the “Bliss factor.” That perfect balance that will ensure that the products are a smash hit with consumers. That’s where I want to go with BYOD policy. I’ve been searching for that perfect mix of hardware, software and education that will protect my IP—yet give my consumers that rush they get when eating a Twinkie. OK, I know it’s a bit of flight-o-fancy to think that a BYOD policy can compare to a Twinkie (they are coming back!), but why not, why not venture out on that quest, at least for a little bit.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Newsletter Tagged With: BYOD, mobile, privacy, security, smartphones, tablets

Safely Using Airport Wi-Fi

September 16, 2013 by webcare Leave a Comment

airportwifiHeading out of town to visit relatives during the Holidays is as traditional as turkey dinners, electronic gifts, mistletoe, and snowmen. But what many people do not look forward to is the hustle, bustle, and time-consuming activity of actually heading into, through, and out of airports. This year, more than ever, millions of travelers will be using the public Wi-Fi systems available at municipal and International airports around the world. You may be one of them. With your handheld device, your laptop, or your tablet computer, you’ll be checking on your flights, sending out email, or maybe even working on that report that you promised your boss by January 3rd. But how safe is the airport’s wireless security?  How do you protect yourself – and your private information – from identity theft, fraud, and other cybercrimes?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Newsletter Tagged With: mobile, security, travel, Wi-Fi, wireless

Patch right and keep hackers out

September 16, 2013 by webcare Leave a Comment

isitsafeIn the arms race between network administrators and hackers, battles are fought over the security holes in enterprise software. Your best defence is the patches that vendors release to plug those holes.

Vendors are working to make patching easier and more trustworthy – like Microsoft and its monthly Patch Tuesday release – but you shouldn’t necessarily deploy every patch to every system in your enterprise the day it’s released. To best protect your network, you should develop a plan for patching that is based on best practices and tailored to your unique enterprise.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Newsletter Tagged With: networking, security

Benefits and Risks of the Cloud

September 16, 2013 by webcare Leave a Comment

We have the privilege of seeing a lot of new and exciting technology that can give strategic benefits. Our team also has the opportunity to help clients evaluate, select and implement those strategic technologies. There is much buzz and hype around cloud technologies. Like any technology, there are benefits and there are risks.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Newsletter Tagged With: cloud, SaaS

Small Businesses Going to the Cloud: Three Top Considerations

April 18, 2013 by webcare Leave a Comment

cloud

A look at the issues small companies need to make sure they address before jumping into cloud computing. Small businesses, of course, can save a ton of money and gain a lot of efficiencies by going to the cloud. But getting there isn’t necessarily that simple. Fact is, one size does not fit all. “A startup marketing company, for example, may take a very different path from an established medical practice,” says Igal Rabinovich, CEO of IT Help Central, a White Plains, NY consulting firm. Here are some key considerations to take into account before making the move.

Used with the permission of http://thenetwork.cisco.com

Create a migration plan.

Best is not to make the change willy-nilly, particularly if you think you’ll be moving many applications to the cloud. That means having a roadmap for how you’ll proceed, introducing applications one at a time and testing each one before deciding to go ahead with it and then moving onto the next. You also need to include a training period for employees to learn how to use each application. The length and complexity of your plan, of course, depends on the number of applications you have, the size of your business and how distributed your workforce is, according to Ron Braatz, president of LiftOff Learning, an IT consulting firm. Introducing, say, an e-mail system to a highly distributed workforce would take longer than it would for a company where everyone works in the same office. A plan can do more than help your move to the cloud go smoothly, however. It can also provide a larger strategic boost. Jill Billhorn, vice president, small business at CDW, a Vernon Hills, Ill., IT consulting firm recalls a fast-growing client, an exercise business that was opening up locations at a rapid pace. At first, the approach was to launch new venues and bring IT staff in on the plan only shortly before opening. “It ended up that IT had to spend much of their time putting out fires as a result,” says Billhorn. Eventually, the IT group decided to start scrutinizing the expansion plan for the following year and form a blueprint for introducing appropriate applications. As a result, as the business grew, they were able to operate more judiciously and effectively, and that helped overall expansion, according to Billhorn. Using a plan also puts you ahead of the pack. Only 35% of small businesses have developed a written strategic roadmap for the adoption of cloud computing, according to a survey, recently conducted by CDW.

Think about reliability.

Whatever you’re using the cloud for, chances are it’s important to the functioning of your business. So you want to make sure you have access you can rely on. Take Roper DeGarmo, president of Signature Personal Insurance, an insurance brokerage in Mission, Mo., who started using cloud applications eight years ago and now employs everything from e-mail to client data storage systems. According to DeGarmo, who, until recently ran his business from home, his cable connection worked well until later on in the day when more people started using the Internet after returning from work. He ended up adding a DSL connection for Internet access at those times. “Having a fast connection is obviously great, but if the connection has stability problems it can wreak havoc with file uploads and online services,” says DeGarmo. You also need to make sure your service providers have adequate backup precautions. For example, if you’re using a phone system, make sure the service automatically will be rerouted to another telephone line if the servers are down. “Always ask the question, what happens if you go down, how will it impact me,” says Rabinovich. Rabinovich, in fact, suggests small businesses think twice before putting certain mission-critical functions in the cloud. ” I always ask clients, if the capability is down for a couple of hours or couple of days, what will that mean for your business,” he says. “If the answer is, you won’t be able to function, you might not move that application to the cloud.”

Look at the legal issues.

For starters, scrutinize the fine print. Example: A cloud provider may waive liability in case of lost data. Depending on your industry, you also may need to make sure you’re compliant with regulations governing data. If, say, you operate in Europe or have European customers, you’ll need to consider the EU’s Data Protection Directive, which regulates the processing of personal data, according to Keith Broyles, a partner and specialist in intellectual property at Alston & Bird, a law firm in Atlanta. You also need to be aware of where your data will be hosted. The reason: If it will be on a server outside of the U.S. and there’s a problem, depending on your contractual provisions, you could wind up ” not getting the benefit of U.S. laws,” says Broyles. Then there’s the matter of your exit strategy. “You want to be mindful that there’s going to become a point when the relationship between you and your cloud vendor ends,” says Todd McClelland, who also is a partner at Alston & Bird. For that reason, you negotiate your exit strategy upfront, rather than dealing with it when you’re about to pull the plug. The upshot: going to the cloud has many benefits. For best success, however, you need to arm yourself with as much information as possible before jumping in.

Filed Under: Newsletter Tagged With: cloud, small businesses

Get smart about security

April 18, 2013 by webcare Leave a Comment

used with permission from HP Technology at Work

security

Congratulations, you’ve taken every step to secure data on your networks and PCs against increasingly malicious worms, Trojans and viruses. But don’t rest easy. All infrastructure elements, including printers, servers, storage, Wi-Fi networks and cloud computing are just as susceptible to surprising security threats. Forget them and your sense of security is nothing but a dream. Whether they’re criminals looking to blackmail your business, technically savvy vandals getting their kicks, revenge-minded former employees or even competitors, hackers all have one thing in common: they want to disrupt your business operations for money, other gain—or simply for fun. So, what can you do? Read on for some valuable tips to bolster your overall IT defense. Combined with regular and diligent employee training and education, these pointers can help you better spot and prevent disruptive security attacks.

Mobile dos and don’ts

More than large companies, small businesses are issuing or implementing bring-your-own device (BYOD) policies regarding smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. The ubiquitous nature of such products can cause companies to assume that their business information safely resides on them. Wrong. Your IT department is responsible for protecting company data, regardless of where it’s housed. What to do? For one thing, businesses must set firm policies about what data are allowed on employee-owned devices. It’s also wise to weigh the relative safety of available smartphone operating systems and perhaps require data to be stored on an approved server or in the cloud.

Safe and secure storage

Servers and storage devices also present a unique set of security challenges. Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, for example, can overload those running web applications and compromise network bandwidth, memory, CPU use and hard-disk space. Solutions like the HP ProLiant G8 servers deliver comprehensive data and client protection and security.

Working without wires

Wi-Fi networks aren’t immune from sabotage-minded attackers, either. Consider these dangers:

  • Weak personal identification numbers (PINs) allow the ability of any user to access any wireless network at will. A laptop-equipped troublemaker sitting in your parking lot might be able to hack into your important data this way.
  • Security gaps allow wireless users to snoop on each other’s networks.
  • Operating system flaws provide easy backdoor access to a single computer—or even up to an entire network.

Easy first steps to securing your network include simplifying network management, implementing clearly defined BYOD security policies and making rogue Wi-Fi access more difficult with services like HP TippingPoint networking security solutions.

Consider the cloud

True, the cloud improves server, storage and network access and is less expensive than physical systems. But with easy data-access comes serious confidentiality concerns. Careful monitoring, strict access control and encrypted data are among the best security measures, along with the use of a private, rather than a public enterprise cloud. IT infrastructure aside, simple password security is surprisingly often overlooked in developing an overall security plan. Increased password complexity, and the use of single sign-on and other technologies, is essential. Staying one step ahead of cyber criminals demands detailed development of security policies and processes. Proactive businesses that develop comprehensive security plans better ensure their own safety, integrity, reputations and bottom-line profitability.

Filed Under: Newsletter Tagged With: mobile, security, wireless

Data growing pains?

April 18, 2013 by webcare Leave a Comment

used with permission from HP Technology at Work Virtualization.

data-center

Like other technology buzzwords, some users work this term into business conversations without really understanding its meaning or how its strategic application can streamline operational efficiencies, improve resource allocation, enhance network security and reduce costs. It’s worth learning. Careful evaluation of existing non-virtualized environments is the most vital first step toward choosing the best virtual server and storage solutions for any given environment. This evaluation should be done with an eye on present and anticipated computing and power requirements, as well as the number of existing and future users. Growing data storage requirements are always a major concern of large corporations and institutions. But “big data” has become an issue for small businesses, too. Varying operating systems, a growing number of applications and the increased use of mobile, BYOD and other technologies threaten to overwhelm existing physical server and storage solution capacities. Rather than allocating resources toward upgrading aging servers or buying new ones—the ‘ol “throwing good money after bad”—more IT and other administrators see the benefits of “going virtual.” Indeed, Acronis’ Global Disaster Recovery Index found that 21 percent of surveyed small businesses planned to adopt virtualization last year, a number most likely to increase in 2013. Additional virtualization benefits include enhanced network performance, lower maintenance costs, streamlined and centralized management capabilities, improved disaster recovery, and the flexibility to easily accommodate additional users and applications. The buzz surrounding virtualization is well deserved. But what does that aforementioned network evaluation consist of? How do you get from Point A (physical storage environment) to Point B (virtualization)? Ask yourself the most pertinent questions:

  • How many physical servers do you have? What functions do they perform? How many do you need?
  • How many users do they serve? Are you experiencing any issues with your current servers? Are you looking to streamline any business processes?
  • What percentage of your resources is underutilized? By how much?
  • What are your present and anticipated storage requirements? How much of your existing infrastructure can you virtualize?

As server hardware and storage solutions become increasingly clogged with users accessing a growing number of applications to perform business processes, system responsiveness can lag on various days at different times. Asking these questions while conducting component inventory and performance metrics helps determine the amount of virtualization needed. Virtualization improves application and process access through pooling, sharing and clustering on an as-needed basis. It also reduces the need for physical solutions and their related operational and ownership costs. Generally speaking, the best candidates for the virtualization of hardware and storage solutions are older servers requiring frequent upgrade costs, infrequently used servers, and multiprocessor servers dedicated to single-processor applications. Applications such as those in a development or test environment, those using a single processor and those with low use rates/frequent idle times are best offloaded onto virtual storage solutions. Ever-increasing storage requirements, irrespective of business or industry, call for migration to a virtualized infrastructure. Massive file sharing, increasingly sophisticated applications and the ever present danger of costly downtime from technician mistakes or cyber attacks further underscore the need. HP’s Converged Infrastructure systems bolster network performance, decrease maintenance and save money. These systems comprise a wide variety of server and storage solutions in addition to delivering the virtual bandwidth required to handle massive amounts of data. HP ProLiant servers, running VMware and Microsoft® Hyper-V® virtualization software, help optimize performance, simplify management, speed deployment and reduce risk. HP Converged Storage virtual solutions bolster ROI by eliminating physical, logical and management boundaries, leveraging such technologies as deduplication, compression, metadata search and object APIs for cloud applications. Similarly, HP Storage for Server and Client Virtualization utilizes scale-out designs with clustered architectures for optimal performance under unpredictable mixed and heavy VM workloads. Hardware-assisted thinning converts legacy storage and cuts capacity requirements by 50 percent, while enabling the deployment of new VMs in seconds. These innovations are able to cut management overhead by as much as 90 percent. Simply stated, before the introduction of virtualization technologies, businesses had to operate separate servers for incompatible, platform-specific applications. The result? Massive hardware investments and maintenance costs. In a virtualized environment, a single server can run multiple operating systems while supporting a variety of business applications. The question is no longer whether to virtualize, but rather when.

Filed Under: Newsletter Tagged With: BYOD, mobile, virtualization

Windows 8: Is it right for you?

February 13, 2013 by webcare Leave a Comment

windows8

Sanchez Williams, Systems Engineer – Network Management Group, Inc.

Ever since Windows 8 was released in October of last year I have been asked several times when I believe companies should consider upgrading to Windows 8.  Is it faster, better, and most importantly will it increase production are the most common questions I receive. Let’s start off with the most important one; will it increase production out of my current staff?  Like all things technology this is best answered with “it depends.”  For most users my experience with the product would lead me to answer no.  In fact I would expect production to reduce and user frustration to increase substantially for the first few months of use while users get used to the new Metro Interface.  The Metro Interface completely changes how users access their applications by placing a series of tiles on the main screen in lieu of a Start Button.  The Metro Interface can be extremely frustrating and downright confusing to use.  Even after forcing myself to use Windows 8 for several weeks I still didn’t have navigating through the Metro Interface down and would commonly bypass it to get my work done more quickly. Many people wonder why Microsoft switched to this interface and the short answer is they wanted the same Interface/feel through all devices (ie. Smartphone, tablet, laptop, PC) so that users can seamlessly move between them.  There is an obvious emphasis on mobile devices which is what makes using it as an everyday workstation so awkward. The flip side to this design is that it works incredibly well with touchscreen devices, and not just tablets and smart phones.  If you work in a factory that uses touch screens instead of a mouse and keyboard Windows 8 is spectacular.  It is easy to navigate the Metro Interface with a touchscreen device and is quick and responsive.  Internet Explorer is available in the Metro Interface as an “application” instead of just a web browser, making it easier to use and overall better looking when using a touchscreen. So did these major changes translate into a faster experience?  Boot times are noticeably increased along with login times.  During my testing it took about half the time to get from CTRL+ATL+DEL to a usable Desktop than it did in Windows 7.  As far as the experience once logged in there wasn’t really a notable difference in speed or performance. This brings us to the final question and a great way to conclude, is it better?  If you are a company that heavily uses touchscreens throughout your company that I would give it a solid yes.  Windows 8 was clearly designed for use on a touch screen and both the feel and appearance confirm this.  However, if you are using it for everyday office use I can’t say I would recommend it just yet, at least not on a large scale.  I would get a test workstation or a Virtual Machine setup for users to play with and get comfortable before expecting solid production out of them.

Filed Under: Newsletter Tagged With: Microsoft, Windows 8

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anniversary anti-virus software awards BYOD cloud Doug Elliot Ingram Micro leadership Microsoft mobile networking partners press release privacy Randy Johnston SaaS security small businesses smartphones soni mcclelland Steven Harper tablets travel virtualization viruses virus protection website Wi-Fi Windows 8 wireless

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