Everyone wants to save a dollar or two, so they buy the new computer, monitor and printer, and skimp on some of the other components. One in particular is power protection.
By power protection, we mean surge protectors and uninterruptable power supplies (UPS) primarily.
The fact that a few dollars were saved on the front-end may end up costing big dollars in the long run.
Case in point: A friend and client recently had a lightning strike event at their home (again), and multiple devices were damaged. His brand new notebook computer was shipped off to the factory by the place he purchased it and was out of commission for two weeks. A high density USB hub was destroyed, as were several other components.
Had this fella purchased an inexpensive UPS, he could have possibly avoided the downtime, expense and frustration.
We are dealers for APC, Eaton and other companies that provide outstanding power protection products and highly recommend that individuals and businesses incorporate these units into their infrastructure.
Should you wish to discuss protecting your sensitive electronics, server rooms, computers, servers, networks or even your home electronics and avoid expensive computer repair or service or replacement, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com
Take Basic Connectivity to a New Level
The Cisco® RV 120W Wireless-N VPN Firewall combines highly secure connectivity – to the Internet as well as from other locations and remote workers – with a high-speed, 802.11n wireless access point, a 4-port switch, an intuitive, browser-based device manager, and support for the Cisco FindIT Network Discovery Utility, all at a very affordable price. Its combination of high performance, business-class features and top-quality user experience takes basic connectivity to a new level.
Cisco RV 120W Wireless-N VPN Firewall
Product Overview
• High-speed, standards-based 802.11n wireless connectivity to help employees stay productive while away from their desks
• Integrated 4-port 10/100 switch with quality of service (QoS) support for enhanced voice, video and data traffic
• Support for separate “virtual” networks enables you to control access to sensitive information and to set up highly secure wireless guest access
• IP Security (IPsec) VPN support with hardware acceleration to deliver highly secure, high-performance connections to multiple locations and traveling employees
• Support for static routing, Routing Information Protocol (RIP) versions 1 and 2, and inter-VLAN routing to enable flexible connection sharing
• Proven stateful packet inspection (SPI) firewall, plus advanced wireless security to help keep business assets safe
• Simplified configuration through an intuitive, browser-based device manager
• Support for the Cisco FindIT Network Discovery Utility
Figure 2. Back Panel of the Cisco RV 120W
Figure 3. Typical Configuration
Table 1. Product Specifications
Wireless LAN Specifications
Table 2. Wireless LAN Specifications
Table 3. Table 3 System Specifications
Table 4. Configuration Requirements
| Feature | Description |
| Network adapter | PC with network adapter and Ethernet cable |
| Web-based configuration | Web browser |
Homeland Secure IT Alert
Homeland Secure IT Alert for Thursday, February 23, 2011
Microsoft has released Security Advisory 967940, titled “Update for Windows Autorun”, and it covers an issue that has long plagued Microsoft Windows Operating Systems. When you insert a USB flash drive, or USB hard drive, Windows has attempted to treat them like CD/DVD material and perform an autorun on it. While most IT professionals and tech savvy individuals have disabled that feature, and anti-virus developers such as Trend Micro have provided an option to disable that function, as gaping hole has been there for everyone else.
How has it affected people? Many ways, from a person inserting their USB flash drive from home into a business computer and the autorun functionality automatically installing the malware that was on the home system directly onto a network computer, creating a huge network security issue, down to malicious people dropping a flash drive containing malicious software on it in the parking lot of a large company they wanted access to. This resulted in workers at said company picking up the flash drive and inserting it into a computer on the corporate network in an attempt to see what was on it or find the owner to return it, and unknowingly permit software that would allow remote access to the network.
So, finally, after years of this, Microsoft has addressed it!
Microsoft has also published MS10-077, a revision to a bulletin posted in 2010 for a change to the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 update package. And MS10-070, which is yet another revision to .NET Framework 4.0. These are labeled “Critical” and “Important”, respectively.
Keep your systems up to date, and be sure you have current anti-virus… We recommend and sell Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security and Titanium. In Greenville / Upstate, SC please call 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com for more information…
Homeland Secure IT Alert
- Homeland Secure IT Alert
Homeland Secure IT Alert for Wednesday, October 6, 2010
I realize I am sounding like a broken record (remember those?), however, Adobe has addressed vulnerabilities in their Adobe Reader, Adobe Acrobat, and also Adobe Air products which you should be aware of.
Skipping to the chase, please, for the love of God, update your Adobe products when prompted, or if NOT prompted, open each Adobe product and go to the Update option and do so… If you are running really old versions, you could just visit the Adobe.com website and download the latest versions, but be sure you update those too!
These vulnerabilities affect Apple Macintosh OS X, Microsoft Windows and even UNIX operating systems. Nobody is left out here.
Should you require assistance with this or any other computer / network security or support issue in the Greenville / Upstate SC area, feel free to call upon us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com
Original CERT alert follows…
—
—–BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE—–
Hash: SHA1
National Cyber Alert System
Technical Cyber Security Alert TA10-279A
Adobe Reader and Acrobat Affected by Multiple Vulnerabilities
Original release date: October 06, 2010
Last revised: –
Source: US-CERT
Systems Affected
* Adobe Reader 9.3.4 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX
* Adobe Acrobat 9.3.4 and earlier versions for Windows and Macintosh
* Adobe Reader 8.2.4 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX
* Adobe Acrobat 8.2.4 and earlier versions for Windows and Macintosh
Overview
Adobe has released Security Bulletin APSB10-21, which describes
multiple vulnerabilities affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat.
I. Description
Adobe Security Bulletin APSB10-21 describes a number of
vulnerabilities affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat. These
vulnerabilities affect Reader and Acrobat 9.3.4, earlier 9.x
versions, 8.2.4, and earlier 8.x versions.
An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by convincing a
user to open a specially crafted PDF file. The Adobe Reader browser
plug-in, which can automatically open PDF documents hosted on a
website, is available for multiple web browsers and operating
systems.
Additional information is available in US-CERT Vulnerability Note
VU#491991.
II. Impact
These vulnerabilities could allow a remote attacker to execute
arbitrary code, write arbitrary files or folders to the file
system, escalate local privileges, or cause a denial of service on
an affected system as the result of a user opening a malicious PDF
file.
III. Solution
Update
Adobe has released updates to address this issue. Users are
encouraged to read Adobe Security Bulletin APSB10-21 and update
vulnerable versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat.
Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader and Acrobat
Disabling JavaScript may prevent some exploits from resulting in
code execution. Acrobat JavaScript can be disabled using the
Preferences menu (Edit -> Preferences -> JavaScript; uncheck Enable
Acrobat JavaScript).
Adobe provides a framework to blacklist specific JavaScipt APIs. If
JavaScript must be enabled, this feature may be useful when
specific APIs are known to be vulnerable or used in attacks.
Prevent Internet Explorer from automatically opening PDF files
The installer for Adobe Reader and Acrobat configures Internet
Explorer to automatically open PDF files without any user
interaction. This behavior can be reverted to a safer option that
prompts the user by importing the following as a .REG file:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AcroExch.Document.7]
“EditFlags”=hex:00,00,00,00
Disable the display of PDF files in the web browser
Preventing PDF files from opening inside a web browser will
partially mitigate this vulnerability. If this workaround is
applied, it may also mitigate future vulnerabilities.
To prevent PDF files from automatically being opened in a web
browser, do the following:
1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader.
2. Open the Edit menu.
3. Choose the Preferences option.
4. Choose the Internet section.
5. Uncheck the “Display PDF in browser” checkbox.
Do not access PDF files from untrusted sources
Do not open unfamiliar or unexpected PDF files, particularly those
hosted on websites or delivered as email attachments. Please see
Cyber Security Tip ST04-010.
IV. References
* Security update available for Adobe Reader and Acrobat -
<http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb10-21.html>
* US-CERT Vulnerability Note VU#491991 -
<http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/491991>
* Adobe Reader and Acrobat JavaScript Blacklist Framework -
<http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/504/cpsid_50431.html>
____________________________________________________________________
The most recent version of this document can be found at:
<http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA10-279A.html>
—
Homeland Secure IT Alert
If you have issues with your business computer systems, who do you call?
If you are calling a one-man-shop, you may be getting a great deal in terms of hourly rates, however, you may find that the wait for this one person to finally get around to you could lead to inconvenient downtime. Unfortunately, the better the technician, the more likely this will become reality as they will pick up new clients, and have to service them. Obviously, there is only so much of one person to go around.
Some independent technicians have built-in a set number of clients to avoid this, as they realize they cannot be in two places at one time. The average tech will operate on a first come, first served basis, and still others will prioritize their calls, placing downed servers higher in the queue than a workstation with a virus.
Before opening Homeland Secure IT, many years ago, I ran a business like that, and though I had plenty of clients, I was run ragged with a call in Easley, then a call in Greer, then a call in Clemson. I am glad those days are over!
Homeland Secure IT is fortunate enough to have multiple technicians who CAN be in more than one place at one time! What about when we can’t? Yes that happens, when we are deploying a new server or network where all technicians are tied up on that job, sometimes we have to pull a man off that job to handle a call. Still other times we will have a heavy workload, such as in the case of when a new virus or updates are released and everyone is calling at one time. Using remote access tools, in many cases, we can service more than one client at a time. Again, these are tools that the average one-man-shop does not have at his/her disposal.
What is YOUR response time?
Generally, in the Greenville area, we are on location within 30 minutes, longer if we are dealing with Seneca due to drive time. Our average response time is difficult to measure due to a large number of our calls being handled by remote access, email or phone, which equates to INSTANT response time! When averaged in with our typical on-site response time of 30 minutes, it brings us closer to 5 minutes for response time! Just remember “on-site” where we go to you, will generally take us 30 minutes from the time you call.
What about these free estimates? How does that work?
Computers which are brought to our office qualify for a free estimate. We never charge to determine what is wrong with your computer, if it is brought to us. The same goes for an onsite consultation regarding performing service for your company. We will come to you and talk with you about how our services or products may or may not be right for you at no charge. That being said, we do not offer free estimates for a computer repair if we must dispatch a person to your location. We still generate a charge for the visit.
What services does Homeland Secure IT provide?
It may be easier to ask, “What services doesn’t Homeland Secure IT provide?” than to ask what we do. We specialize in small business computer and network support. We have offices with a single person in them that we provide total IT support for, and we have clients with 50+ users, with multiple locations, requiring VPNs between their sites and many servers. There really is no client “too small” for us, and we have yet to find one too large, but I am sure there is one out there! We do everything from desktop and laptop repairs, to network security, Voice over IP, CCTV and server deployment and maintenance.
If you are dealing with the one-man-operation and you are happy, then by all means, please continue! If you are growing tired of waiting hours and hours, or even days for a technician to show up, or return a call, then please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com. We serve the entire Upstate of South Carolina!
Microsoft BPOS
Are you tired of dealing with POP3 or IMAP mail from your ISP? Tired of SLOW email? Do you want to share calendars between coworkers? Do you want to see the same contacts, calendar entries and emails on your phone as you do in your Outlook on your desktop and also via a web interface? Do you want your mobile workforce to have access to the same resources you do, including public / shared calendars & contacts? Want support for your Mac, Apple iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry?
Then Microsoft Exchange is the way to go, however, there are costs associated with hosting your own Exchange server that are unattractive to many smaller businesses.
Fortunately there are Hosted / In-The-Cloud alternatives, such as Microsoft’s Own BPOS, the Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite which features a Hosted Exchange server, SharePoint, Office Live Meeting and Office Communications Online. Using BPOS can eliminate the need to purchase, deploy, maintain, backup and eventually upgrade a Microsoft Windows Server with Microsoft Exchange Server. The services are hosted “in the cloud”, in a data center, where all maintenance and upgrades are maintained FOR you. No need to worry with backups either.
This solution isn’t right for everybody, but it could be the answer to your problems if you have a smaller office, a large mobile workforce, a small budget or possibly no central location to place a server at. Would you like more information? Please call us at 864-990-4748 ext 201 or email info@homelandsecureit.com to arrange for a free, no obligation consultation.
Free 30 Day BPOS Trial
Optionally, you can sign up for a FREE 30 day trial of BPOS - Business Productivity Online Standard Suite - This trial includes 20 user licenses for Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Live Meeting, and Office Communications Online.
Homeland Secure IT offers Hosted Microsoft Online Services including the full BPOS / Business Productivity Online Standard Suite (Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Live Meeting & Office Communications Online) as well as the Business Productivity Online Deskless Worker Suite (Exchange Online & SharePoint Online), and each service individually.
If you are in the Upstate / Greenville SC area, we can assist you with configuring your Outlook to work with the Hosted Exchange Online service at your location or ours.
We also offer full remote support and phone support to clients anywhere in the United States.
Tanya Thompson / @thompsontanya commented about a device on Twitter this morning that caught my eye… It is the Withings / @Withings Wi-Fi connected scale, which uses network connectivity to log and track your weight loss (or gain) among other things.
You can view your trends with a web interface, and access the data with your iPhone. I believe something like this really could encourage you to lose some weight. Recently there have been news stories which cite studies about weight loss and the results indicate that those who use internet weight tracking actually do lose more weight and manage to maintain that loss better than those who do not.
The thing that bothers me is that it will Tweet out your weight once a week to Twitter. All I could think was exactly what it would be tweeting when I stepped on it… Something like, “HELP ME! This fat guy is smushing me!” is probably what it would have to say about me! Still, it is an interesting gadget and I would love to have it. Who knows, maybe I will order one. Follow me on Twitter to see what this thing has to say!
Trend Micro Internet Security is great for business or personal use!
In previous posts I have primarily focused on Trend Micro Worry Free Business Security products which is a perfect solution for a small, medium or even larger company who has a server to host it on and five computers or more. (With WFBS Hosted, you do not need a server to host it on, it is hosted in the cloud). The reason for that is because we service a lot of companies and organizations who have 5 or more computers.
But what about those of you who have only one or two computers at home, your small business or a non-profit? Fortunately, Trend Micro has a product especially for you! It is called Trend Micro Internet Security, and its big brother Trend Micro Internet Security Pro!
Trend Micro Internet Security is an outstanding product which has never let us down. We have hundreds of seats of Trend Micro in use currently without a single unhappy client! The “footprint” of this anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-spyware, anti-spam product is much smaller than some of the other packages that are available, meaning that it uses less resources, leaving more for your important applications (and even gaming).
Here are some of the features direct from the Trend Micro website:
Surf the web with confidence
With easy-to-use security features, Trend Micro Internet Security protects your personal information when you email or surf the web:
- 20% smaller file size, 20% faster scan time
- Detects and removes viruses, spyware, and other malicious threats from your computer, email, instant messages, and downloads
- Proven leadership in anti-spam technology, including email and image spam
- Finds and blocks untrustworthy links in email and instant messages
- Stops websites from installing dangerous downloads on your computer
- Quick Scan allows you to quickly find and remove most malware when you are running short on time.
Protect your children online
Enhanced parental controls help you to protect your children from inappropriate content when they go online.
- Block websites with inappropriate content based on specific categories
- Choose when and for how long your children are allowed to go online
- Monitor online activity reports to fine-tune your controls if necessary
Enjoy smart features tailored to your activities
Trend Micro Internet Security safeguards your computer and personal information against the latest threats:
- Prevent unauthorized software from changing your critical applications, without impacting your PC performance
- Pause security updates or scans when you give presentations, watch movies, or play games
- Automatically prevent suspicious software on USB devices from opening.
- Helps you to easily manage all the devices connected to your home network
Security made easy.
Protect your personal information with easy-to-use Trend Micro Internet Security. Surf the Internet without slowing down your computer.
Keep your personal information safe — order today!
Protect up to 3 PCs per household for $49.95 per year.
100% Money-Back Guarantee
All Trend Micro consumer software purchased through the Trend Micro online store have an unconditional 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee. For purchases made elsewhere, the retailer’s terms and conditions apply.
HOW TO TRY:
You can get a 30 day trial of Trend Micro Internet Security or Internet Security Pro for FREE by visiting HERE. Simply click the “Free Trial” link, and fill out a little information and you can download the product and see for yourself how well it works on your system before committing to purchase. During the trial, if you decide to purchase, you can purchase direct from Trend Micro or through your favorite reseller (I hope that is us!).
HOW TO BUY:
You can buy from Homeland Secure IT, LLC by calling 864-990-4748 ext 201 or emailing info@homelandsecureit.com. We offer sales of this product for one computer, 3 computers, dozens or even thousands at reasonable prices. We can provide it as a retail package, or licensing (for 5 computers or more) which helps cut down on packaging and shipping costs because the licenses are delivered electronically.
In addition to offering sales of Trend Micro Anti-Virus, we also perform installations, upgrades, virus cleanup & removal, as well as the full range of computer repair / service in Greenville and Upstate SC!
If you are reading this blog post, you probably know that I am pretty involved in Social Media. Some may say I am addicted to it!
I am active on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FourSquare, Plaxo, and still have a MySpace account, though I don’t really use it that much. I haved tried out Google Buzz, FriendFeed, and several business only SM sites. (Heck, I have even checked out Chat Roulette and Omegle – but that is an entirely different story)
Out of all of these, one that I fail to see the value in for a computer service, repair and sales business like Homeland Secure IT is FourSquare. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. I use it constantly, and get very frustrated when it isn’t working like I think it should. But I use it for personal purposes. If you have not played with FourSquare, it is a geolocation based social media “tool” that lets you “check-in” to a venue or location when you get there using your GPS equiped smartphone. Assume you go to Starbucks for a quick Dark Cherry Mocha Frapp – you “check-in” and now the whole world can see what you are doing. You can brag to Twitter & Facebook that you have disposable income you can spend on yummy coffee.
Same thing goes for attractions like amusement parks, ball games, and stores like say, “Target”. If you check-in enough times, you become the “Mayor” of that venue!
Here is where the value of FourSquare comes in… Assume you check-in and become mayor of XYZ Sandwich Shop. You have been announcing this for a while, everytime you visit there. The whole world has seen you were there, giving free advertisement to XYZ! But, if XYZ is smart, they will reward you for your loyalty and offer a free sandwich when someone becomes Mayor, and maybe a free drink every time the Mayor visits after that. A very cheap price to pay for this type of advertising.
Many places, especially restaurants, will offer specials that popup when you check-in near their venue. These will show up as a “SPECIAL NEARBY – Check out the great ribs at ABC BBQ”, which can help bring new business into these places. And still other places will offer you a free entree when you visit several of their location. FourSquare itself offers “Badges” for accomplishing certain feats, such as checking into three Starbucks locations.
All that said, our business does not have foot traffic nor visitors, so offering a “Free Virus Cleanup” to a mayor would be silly. I believe I am the only person to check-in to our location in the months that I have been using it. But it does bring up a pet peeve of mine. Today I was ousted as Mayor of a local coffee shop – BY THE OWNER OF THE PLACE. Wow, that doesn’t do anything to help with loyalty. My suggestion to places that want to check-in themselves, create a second venue, call it XYZ Sandwich Shop STAFF, and let the staff go crazy checking in!
I would further suggest that business owners who can benefit from FourSquare’s power of (free) advertising, take advantage of it the way it was meant to be used. Offer Mayors a treat, some recognition, and encourage them to remain the mayor and others to try and oust the current mayor. 4sq is both a FUN, and a very useful business tool, when used properly.
BTW: If you can think of a way 4sq can be used to promote our computer repair business here in Greenville, and increase loyalty, well I’m all ears, but until that happens, I will be trying to take my place as mayor of every great business in the Upstate! Watch out Mayors, I’m coming for you…
BTW: Have fun, it is only a game! (But seriously, I’m coming for you)… Also check out other geolocational based SM tools / toys like Gowalla, Gypsii, BrightKite, Loopt, etc…
Only a few days left until we giveaway the Wireless IP / Network Security Camera so be sure to get signed up to win….. Visit this URL for more information or hit the “follow me” link over on the right hand side of this page.
Next month, we will probably give away some awesome Trend Micro Anti-Virus product!!!!!
Thanks for playing…
