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Happy Birthday to my Little Princess – Megan! @MegzCA

Megan Caroline Albertson Hoyt

Happy Birthday Megan!

Our daughter, Megan, turned 18 today, and deserves to be recognized for the awesome young lady she is!  Sure, I could have just scribbled something on a card, taken her out to dinner (yeah, we are doing that too) or something similar, but I figured I would go this route and force her to come read my rants and raves!

Megan you are the apple of my eye, whatever that means… You are the cat’s meow!!!!

For those of you who don’t know her yet, this year Megan will graduate high school and has already determined which college she will attend, and has been accepted to that college (Converse). She’s an interesting person with a multitude of talents and skills. One of which is playing piano, which she has been doing for over 10 years. She’s been involved with the Furman Pre-College Music Learning Program for most of those years, and intends on entering the field of music education herself.

What more can I say, other than I love you very much Megan, and can’t wait to see what you do with your adult life!

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Protect your SIP VoIP system (Asterisk, Trixbox, Digium, etc) from intrusion and abuse

Do you have a SIP Voice over IP system in use at your business? Then you may want to take a couple minutes to read this…Security Padlock

It seems that many of these systems are being setup without any consideration for security at all. Leaving the potential for a malicious person to do things such as attack your system by sending a DoS flood to it, or even to make phone calls from your VoIP system! (This is referred to as “Toll Fraud”)

So how do you protect yourself? The best thing to do is to cut off access to your VoIP server via a firewall. If you don’t need access to something, disable it.

Try not to put your VoIP system in the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) that offers no protection.

The most obvious way into your system is via the web configuration, usually on port 80. If that is wide open and default passwords are in use, a person could log into your box, add extensions, voice mail, etc. So be sure to change your default passwords and disable access to the machine from outside, unless you NEED access from outside, and then if that is the case, setup your firewall to allow connections ONLY from specific IP addresses you use.

The standard SIP port of 5060 is another gaping hole. If you must have SIP open to the outside world, consider changing the port from the default to something else so it doesn’t easily show up on the radar of people who might be doing port scans. You could also set your firewall to only allow connections from known outside IP addresses.

Either of those options can help prevent a SIP flood which could make your VoIP system unusable.

The SIP extensions probably have default passwords when you create those, depending upon which VoIP system you are using. Do not be tempted to use easy passwords…

One of the best ways to protect your SIP VoIP system is to use a VPN connection from any location that will be connecting to your main site. Cisco SPA 525g phones have the capability built-in to connect via VPN, making them a great phone to deploy to those who work out of their home.

If you would like further information, please call 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com. We sell Cisco, Polycom, Digium and other VoIP systems, phones and components, and offer consultation, installation and service in the Greenville / Upstate SC area.

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Remotely viewable network security cameras let you be two places at one time

Network Security Camera

Stranger lurks behind our office

I was reminded just how useful cameras can be after watching a segment on the news this morning where a young lady was using an inexpensive app on her iPhone that allowed her to check in on her dog by viewing the camera on her PC. She just happened to catch a burglar in the process! More on that HERE.

That story had a pretty happy ending. Through the use of the video captured, the police were able to apprehend the suspect, though I didn’t hear whether her iPod and chargers were recovered. If they have the right guy, thanks to a 5 dollar iPhone app, she helped get one more bad guy off the street.

Over the weekend here at our office, I received emails from our digital network video recorder (DVR / NVR) which alerted me to motion taking place around our building. Police cruisers driving behind the building are not uncommon, but the fella to the right who changed clothes, washed stuff off his boots and hands and left his clothing behind was pretty sketchy.

Thanks to the full motion recordings, we are able to offer law enforcement high quality photo stills and video, complete with time stamps, from several angles and cameras. (We have about 13 cameras around our office).

This type of protection is available for your home and office for an amazingly small investment. We have CCTV and network camera systems to fit every possible scenario and budget. From a single camera at your home, to 4, 8 or 16 at a small business, or even dozens of cameras with pan, tilt and zoom capability at your corporate office. We have cameras available that see in complete darkness, and even cameras that are so small you can’t see them (or may be disguised as a smoke detector, sprinkler head, exit sign, etc).

You can view the cameras in real-time from your iPhone, Android or even Blackberry smartphone, or any web browser, from anywhere in the world! You can be alerted when motion occurs in a particular area via an email. Recordings can be accessed days, weeks or even months after an event occurs.

For a free consultation about how security cameras can help protect your Greenville / Upstate SC property, loved ones, and even reduce your insurance costs, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com.

Secure IT Alert: Vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer

 Homeland Secure IT Alert for Friday, December 31, 2010

An advisory from Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/2488013.mspx) released today that reveals a new potentially dangerous vulnerability in Internet Explorer….

Here is an excerpt from that site:

Microsoft Security Advisory (2488013)

Vulnerability in Internet Explorer Could Allow Remote Code Execution

Published: December 22, 2010 | Updated: December 31, 2010

Version: 1.1

General Information

Executive Summary

Microsoft is investigating new, public reports of targeted attacks attempting to exploit a vulnerability in all supported versions of Internet Explorer. The main impact of the vulnerability is remote code execution. This advisory contains workarounds and mitigations for this issue.

The vulnerability exists due to the creation of uninitialized memory during a CSS function within Internet Explorer. It is possible under certain conditions for the memory to be leveraged by an attacker using a specially crafted Web page to gain remote code execution.

On completion of this investigation, Microsoft will take the appropriate action to protect our customers, which may include providing a solution through our monthly security update release process, or an out-of-cycle security update, depending on customer needs.

We are actively working with partners in our Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) and our Microsoft Security Response Alliance (MSRA) programs to provide information that they can use to provide broader protections to customers. In addition, we are actively working with partners to monitor the threat landscape and take action against malicious sites that attempt to exploit this vulnerability.

Microsoft continues to encourage customers to follow the “Protect Your Computer” guidance of enabling a firewall, applying all software updates and installing anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Additional information can be found at Security at home.

Mitigating Factors:

Protected Mode in Internet Explorer on Windows Vista and later Windows operating systems helps to limit the impact of currently known exploits. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability would have very limited rights on the system.
By default, Internet Explorer on Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 runs in a restricted mode that is known as Enhanced Security Configuration. This mode sets the security level for the Internet zone to High. This is a mitigating factor for Web sites that you have not added to the Internet Explorer Trusted sites zone. See also Managing Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration.
By default, all supported versions of Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, and Windows Mail open HTML e-mail messages in the Restricted sites zone, which disables script and ActiveX controls, reducing the risk of an attacker being able to use this vulnerability to execute malicious code. If a user clicks a link in an e-mail message, the user could still be vulnerable to exploitation of this vulnerability through the Web-based attack scenario.
An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less affected than users who operate with administrative user rights.
In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised Web sites and Web sites that accept or host user-provided content or advertisements could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. In all cases, however, an attacker would have no way to force users to visit these Web sites. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link in an e-mail message or Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker’s Web site.

This SHOULD be the last security advisory for the rest of the  year!!!  Happy New Year!

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John M. Hoyt’s IT Predictions for 2011

2011 predictionsEveryone else has been making their predictions for the coming year, so I thought I might do the same…

These predictions are based upon industry news, social media and blog rambling as well as some personal wishes.

Will any of it come to fruition? I guess at the end of 2011 you can remind me how wrong I was.

A few IT Predictions for 2011:

  • Google Android based devices will continue to dominate the market in smartphones, pads, and everything else from alarm clocks and personal weather stations to set top boxes.
  • Wireless carriers will discover that loading their own “value added” bundled software on top of the phones they sell is really a turn off and that keeping the smartphone just as the manufacturer and OS provider intended it to be will enable a faster rollout of updates and make for happier customers.
  • Dish, DirecTV & cable TV providers have a fight on their hands… Services like Netflix and a whole slew of streaming providers will fight to bring first run movies, and streaming of networks via the internet. We will see many new set top boxes, TVs with built-in streaming capability. The most exciting thing will be an the legal battles around this, not really the technology itself.
  • Tablet and pad wars will continue. Apple’s iPad II will provide some stiff competition for the Android pads, but be prepared for Android based pads to spring up everywhere as more are cleared for import to the USA.
  • Internet Tax? Yep, 2011 is the year. So much revenue is being lost that I predict we will see taxes placed on our online purchases. I believe it will be both good and bad. Some online retailers may no longer be able to beat out the local brick and mortar prices, so that could be good for us smaller guys, but it may slow down the injection of money into the economy. Either way, it’s coming.
  • Cloud Computing: Over half of all businesses will look into using cloud based services, whether it is online storage, online backup, online applications like Microsoft BPOS or Google Apps, hosted anti-virus, hosted anti-spam or even hosted VoIP solutions. Of these, 10% will actually make the switch, and half who do make the switch will be totally happy, with the other dissatisfied due to bandwidth or network reliabilty. The number of fully satisfied people will go up as the technology matures.
  • Malicious software will affect more Macs and Linux based machines in 2011. We’ve already seen a sharp increase in the number of exploited machines, expect this trend to continue. Add to this smartphones as a target.
  • Network Connectivity: Charter Business has just come out with a 75×5 meg Pro75 package. This is great, but I expect this to reach 100×10 by the end of 2011, possibly as a free upgrade like they upgraded the 20meg to 30meg…

What do you think the very near future has in store for us? More solid state storage devices? Hard Drives reaching 5TB?

Either way, we hope you have a very Happy New Year!

Homeland Secure IT Computer Service Holiday Hours Update

Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year 2011

Out with the old, in with the new!  2011 is almost here!

Since so many of our clients are closed on Friday the 31st, Homeland Secure IT’s office will follow suit and spend the day at home.

Should you require computer service or repair, we will be available via phone at 864.990.4748 (Messages left for a technician or in the general voice mailbox are forwarded to our smartphones), or via email to an individual technician or the generic address of info@homelandsecureit.com.

Do not hesitate to call us with emergencies!

We would like to thank you for your friendship and support over the last year. 2010 was good, but I have a feeling 2011 will be even better for Greenville and the Upstate!

Happy New Year!

The best resolution for 2011: Backup your computer and server regularly!

Yes, I keep beating this horse, but not a week goes by that we are not reminded how important backups are for businesses and individuals!

Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year 2011

This week, a gentleman sent us his Lexar 16 GB memory stick, which had been purchased in order to backup his data to it. Normally I would be cheering for this, but, apparently this memory stick actually became his main storage location and there was no backup of the data on his hard drive or other media.

As you have probably guessed, this story does not have a happy ending. The memory stick has malfunctioned and no data can be read off of it. It is a hardware issue, and the memory stick is damaged and overheating.

So, what could this gentleman have done to protect himself? He could have had more than one copy of his data. Storing it on one memory stick is the equivalent to putting all your eggs in one basket. (Or all your investments in one company).

A simple solution would have been to have kept the data on his computer, then copied it regularly to the flash drive, or multiple flash drives, external USB hard drives, or even DVD media.

A more elegant solution would be to use an online backup service like our Servosity offering. Servosity is a fully automated application that runs during a particular time window to upload files from your desktop or notebook computer, and/or your company server. The storage is in-the-cloud (located on remote servers), completely encrypted, so you have no need to worry about the security of the data.

You get a daily email that explains that your data was indeed backed up and you don’t have to give it another thought. In the event you delete a file, or lose a folder, or something becomes corrupted on your end, you can log into a web based interface and download the data, or you can even restore an entire drive.

Servosity Online Backup is the primary cloud computing backup solution that we use here and highly recommend to all of our customers. It works on Microsoft Windows desktop & notebook operating systems, Apple Mac OS X desktops and laptops, Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft Exchange Mail Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Linux/Unix/*nix, Solaris and more!

With offerings like Servosity there is really no excuse for not backing up, so we are offering a free 30 day trial to give you a chance to check it out!

If you would like more information about Servosity or physical backup solutions like LTO & DAT tape, RDX (Removable Disk Storage), tape autoloaders, NAS or SAN solutions, Symantec Backup Exec, or continuous backup systems, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com. We offer complete sales, service & consultation in Greenville and Upstate SC!

Free Servosity Online Backup Trial! Click Here...

Click here to check out our free Servosity Online Backup trial!

Don’t miss this great deal on Nexlink Computer Systems for Greenville / Upstate Businesses

Nexlink Express Business Computer

Time to replace some computers at your company? We have a great deal for you on a high quality business computer for only $599.oo through December 30th.

Please do not confuse these with consumer grade computers available at office supply stores and big box stores. Nexlink Express 1000 computers are designed with business in mind. Featuring Genuine Microsoft Windows 7 Professional, Intel motherboard, Intel processor and a 1 year warranty. We can upgrade the warranty to a 3 year warranty if required for a few extra dollars.

Seneca Data manufacturers these computers right here in the USA, and should support be required, you speak with technicians who are also here in the USA!

  • Intel Dual-Core E5700 @ 3.0 Ghz
  • Intel D41WV Mainboard
  • 2 GB DDR3 1333 Mhz RAM
  • 22x SATA DVD-RW
  • 250 GB 7200RPM SATA-II
  • 80 Plus 350 Watt Power Supply
  • Genuine Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
  • Nexlink USB Keyboard, USB Optical Mouse
  • 1 Year Depot Warranty (3 year warranty is available)
  • Energy Star 5.0 Compliant

$599.oo

Add Microsoft Office 2010 Home and Business for only $149.oo!

If you would like more information about this special, or have any questions related to business computers, please call 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com.

Sorry, but this special is only valid in Greenville and the Upstate of SC and expires December 30th.

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Nexlink 4000SP notebook computer only 599.oo for a limited time

Looking for a quality notebook at an affordable price? The Nexlink 4000SP series notebook which I have written about before is available in a model more suited to the home or mobile business user at a great price of only 599.oo.

4000SP Notebook from Nexlink

4000SP Notebook from Nexlink

This version features a 15.6″ LCD display, Intel Pentium P6100 2.0 Ghz 3MB processor, 2GB of RAM, 160GB HD, 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless network, and Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium. It also has a 1 year warranty which covers the LCD and AC Port (1 instance).

Why would you buy the Nexlink product over brand X? The quality is outstanding, the customer support, should you need it, from the AMERICAN manufacturer is unparalleled (you actually speak to someone in the USA, who speaks English as their primary language!), and the customer satisfaction has been much higher than with many other brands!

A docking station is a suggested option which allows you to connect a keyboard, mouse, larger LCD display, etc to the docking station, and drop your notebook into that station when at home, and then grab just the notebook and slip that into your travel bag without plugging and unplugging lots of accessories.

If you would like more information about this 4000SP designed with the home or mobile business user in mind, or one decked out specifically for your business use with an Intel i7 processor and Microsoft Windows 7 Professional  for instance, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com.

This offer is available for a limited time, and quantities are limited. We cannot ship this item out of the Greenville / Upstate SC area.

Homeland Secure IT Christmas Holiday Hours

Merry Christmas

Our office will be closed on Christmas Eve so we can spend time with our families, however, if you have an emergency and require computer service or repair, do not hesitate to email or call! Messages left on our voice mail system will automatically forward to us within seconds in email…

Everyone here at Homeland Secure IT would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Thank you for entrusting your Greenville / Upstate business to us in 2010, we look forward to 2011!