So you have been cruising along at your business for years and all has been great, but now, out of the blue, people on your network are having trouble viewing websites.
You found that if you reboot that firewall (pull the plug on the thing since there is no power supply) that YOU get back online right away, but then later that day, someone else on the network is now having trouble accessing websites so you reboot the firewall and all is well, for a while.
What could it be? It MUST be the firewall going bad since that fixes it.
Before jumping to that conclusion and just replacing the device, think back. Has your company grown? Maybe you have added a few new employees, or, maybe you have added tablets or other connected devices.
What could be happening here is that you have added one too many devices to your network and exceeded the number of seats that your firewall appliance supports. When you originally purchased that device, a technician counted the number of computers, servers and connected devices and said “You need a 25 user firewall and it will cost $xxx.xx”, to which you agreed and promptly forgot about.
Now, flash forward to today and your 12 users and a server have grown to 15 users, two servers and many people have iPads or Android tablets or phones, taking you past the 25 user limit. The last person to connect once you go over the limit will generally be denied access to websites by the firewall, as a warning that you have exceeded the license terms, and it probably won’t “reset” just by turning that computer off, you will have to reboot the firewall to free unused seats up.
So what are you going to do about it? I guess you could tell the employees to stop connecting their personal phones to your network, or you could replace the firewall with a cheap router that has no limitations.
Both will work, but are bad ideas.
The real solution is to correct the licensing issue. Determine how many connected devices you have within your network, and estimate how many you will need for the next year, then talk to a vendor who can provide the proper licenses and apply those for you. Don’t forget to include VoIP and security systems, even copiers and connected printers, as they may require a seat too.
If you are experiencing rapid growth, consider upgrading to an unlimited license.
Just a note – If you have an old device, say 4-5 years old, now may be the time to consider upgrading the entire device to the latest technology at the same time you correct the user limitation!
Should you require help with this, Homeland Secure IT offers sales and support of most major brands of firewalls. We partner with Cisco, WatchGuard, SonicWALL, TrendNet, D-Link, NetGear and more! Call us for more information in the Greenville / Upstate SC area – 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com
Western Digital
It’s all over the news, Thailand has been affected by flooding in a treacherous monsoon season. Yeah yeah yeah, what does that mean?
Unfortunately, it appears that just shy of half of all hard drive parts are manufactured in Thailand, and the flooding has forced closures at those manufacturing facilities.
In one article, it states that Toshiba has halted hard drive production entirely, and Western Digital has closed their plants as well. Seagate remains open, but their suppliers are in question.
I’ve already been told by one of our suppliers to expect this shortage to raise prices considerably and referenced a 10 dollar hike in the cost of 250GB drives, probably driven by speculation alone. The same supplier told us that quotes for server, desktop and notebook computers would be valid for only 7 days, effective immediately.
Those in the know are estimating it could take as long as a year to recover from this situation and every manufacturer of computers is likely to be affected by this, causing the cost of your next computer to be considerably higher. A computer repair that requires a hard drive replacement will obviously be higher as well.
Hopefully it will not be like the Cisco ASA shortage of last year, where we had to WAIT for the units to become available.
Today could be the perfect time to get that 3TB hard drive you have been wanting, or to renew some desktops at your business! Call us today and lock it in if you are in the Greenville / Upstate, SC area. 864.990.4748 or info@homelandsecureit.com
I stole the picture at the right from this article.
IronKey D200 32GB USB secure device
I’m often asked which is the best USB flash drive you can buy. My answer varies with the requirements of the individual or business that will utilize the device.
The average person requires a fast and reliable storage device to shuttle files to/from work or school, and does not require security features at all, but for those who do require encryption, there are a number of options available.
One manufacturer stands out from the crowd and that is IronKey and their line of flash drives from “Basic” to “Enterprise”, touted as “The world’s most secure flash drive”.
IronKey has recently released the D200 32GB “Personal” flash drive which you can read more about on their website.
This is an excerpt: Your identity and personal data are too valuable to risk. IronKey Personal keeps you protected with military-grade encryption and easy-to-use identity management. The result of extensive R&D and the collaboration of some of the world’s leading experts in cryptography and the Internet, IronKey is the world’s most secure flash drive. IronKey Personal comes loaded with a secure private browser that lets you surf anonymously and protects your passwords whenever you go online. IronKey Personal simplifies your digital lifestyle while giving you added peace of mind.
IronKey secure 32GB USB devices provide higher speeds, managed and auditable encryption required to prevent data breaches with always-on encryption and achieve a safe harbor for compliance.
Who needs 32GB devices?
Uses for higher capacity drives include…
- Government: Military personnel needing to transport sensitive documentation.
- IT Department: Transporting patches, operating systems, applications and large files.
- Executives: Carrying company sensitive data including M&A, financials, strategy, and organizational data.
- Entertainment Industry: Digital Rights Management – studios can control the number of times trailers are viewed.
- Other Examples: High volume sensitive information that requires encryption outside a network include CAD files, Medical Imaging files, Financial, Legal and Mortgage Documents.
I think the only cool thing to do is give it away!
Anyone who buys a HOME / PERSONAL computer from us during the month of September will be entered into our little contest.
On Oct 3rd, 2011, we will draw a name and give that person a free copy of MS Office Home & Student 2010 to go with that computer you purchased!
This is normally a $120.oo value…
Need a computer for your home or business, or maybe dozens of computers??? We are resellers and partners with some of the biggest names in computer and server technology! HP, Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba, Nexlink and more! Call 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com for more information.
Our preferred vendor Nexlink, has an “Upgrade Ready” line of computers that makes perfect sense for businesses who may want to save some money when they initially purchase, but down the road, increase the “horsepower” of their computer without replacing the entire system, or changing out the processor.
For example, if you purchased a business computer system from us with the Intel Core i3 2102 processor, you can later purchase a “Processor Performance Upgrade” from us too, and it does not involve even opening the machine.
We would visit your business, or you could optionally bring the computer to us, and we would apply a product key from Intel that would accomplish the following:
- Increase frequency by 500 Mhz
- Improves performance when downloading, editing and viewing photos, videos and music so you can multitask more effectively
- Works more efficiently while running complex applications
Even the Intel Pentium C6x2 processor family can be upgraded with an increase of 600 Mhz!
The update is affordable and fast!
If you would like more information about the Intel Processor Performance Upgrade, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com
This may come as no surprise to those who have been around computer security for a while, but the BIOS viruses are making a comeback!
One of the first made its debut back in 1999 and was known as “CIH”. But Symantec is reporting a new killer on the block called “Trojan.Mebromi” that affects the Award BIOS and seizes control of a system even before you get to the MBR (Master Boot Record).
Expect this trend to continue….
Read more about it here:
http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/bios-threat-showing-again
As always, please insure your systems are using the latest anti-virus (We suggest and sell Trend Micro products such as the amazing Trend Micro Worry Free Business Security), that all updates are applied to your Microsoft Windows operating systems, all applications and support programs from Microsoft Office, to Adobe Reader, Flash and JAVA are at the latest patch levels. Obtain a quality firewall, and use common sense! And don’t forget to BACKUP!
If you suspect your system may be infected, or want to know how to better protect your computer or an entire business full of computers and servers, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com. We offer virus removal and cleanup in the Greenville / Upstate, SC area.
We provide sales, licensing, installation and support for Trend Micro and Symantec products. We can sell you one seat, or protect your business with 1000 users!
HP ProBook 4530s Notebook
Last week we had to cut the cord and let our baby girl go off to college… That was more difficult than I care to relate to you in a blog post!
One of the items on our task list was to secure a quality notebook that she could probably use for the four years she is in school.
Being obsessive-compulsive, I started comparing every notebook that was available to me that fit the specs I had determined (Keep in mind that Homeland Secure IT offers HP, Dell, Toshiba, Acer, Lenovo, Nexlink and more for sale). This was an overwhelming job!
Once I had narrowed it down to a handful of machines, with the proper specs and within the target price range, one notebook stood out.
It was the HP ProBook 4530s, and more specifically the XU015UT#ABA, based around the Intel Core i3, with 4 GB of RAM, 320GB HDD, DVD-Writer w/LightScribe, 802.11n wi-fi, gigabit network, Intel 3000 graphics, Bluetooth 3.0, built-in webcam & mic, Microsoft Windows Home Premium, memory card reader, even a biometric fingerprint reader, and more.
There’s lots of expansion available besides the card reader and connectivity, through the 4 USB ports (1 is USB 3.0), VGA and HDMI video outputs and an ExpressCard/34 port.
With its 15.6″ LED display, it is easy on the eyes, and uses a minimal amount of power. It is also fairly light for such a big notebook at 5.5lbs. The finish is “pretty” and the build is sturdy.
The outstanding 6+ hour battery life was what sealed the deal. And I tested it several times over after we got it to see just what the battery life was, and as advertised, it was on the nose, and better when using battery saving technologies like letting the screen darken when on battery.
This model is available at Staples currently for $579.oo, and amazingly enough, Homeland Secure IT can match their price, which is surprising since they buy in large quantities.
It comes with Microsoft Office Starter 2010, so all you need to purchase is a product key card (PKC) to enable the full versions of Microsoft Office, available at a minimal additional cost.
Whether you get the HP 4530s from us, or someone else, I don’t believe you can go wrong. Check one out!
For more information about notebook computers in the Greenville / Upstate SC area, either for yourself or your business, please call 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com
Coming this October 22nd, is the official death of Microsoft Windows Vista… At least from the perspective of anyone wanting to buy it from a Microsoft dealer.
Us dealers have been told that we can sell Vista until our stock is depleted. Which brings up one questions? WHO has stocks of Windows Vista?
Seriously though, this is just the standard life cycle of Microsoft products. Here’s the rundown:
Windows Vista was released January 30th, 2007, and October 22nd, 2011 is the “End Of Sales” for retail packages. That data also marks the end of sales for PCs with Windows preinstalled.
Sooo, if you are dying to have Windows Vista, you better rush out and get it now! Other people may be wanting to dance on Windows Vista’s grave.
Trend Micro Titanium 2012
Trend Micro has unveiled their Titanium update for 2012!
Keep your identity, data and social network protected from a new generation of threats. Staying safe online these days is about more than just avoiding malware. You have to protect your device, your privacy, your personal data, your social network, and your family against an army of new threats. Given that abandoning the Internet completely isn’t really an option, how do you accomplish all these goals at once? The new Trend Micro Titanium 2012 is packed with powerful new and enhanced features to help you protect the many aspects of your digital life-and can do it in a way that’s fast, simple, and easy to manage.
Nobody wants security software that hogs disk space, presents constant pop-ups and alerts, or that’s complicated to install—so Titanium 2012 provides automated security with a small footprint that anyone can use. Titanium 2012 offers the strong, fast security that gave Titanium its name—but this new version includes powerful features and enhancements to keep you protected from the next generation of threats:
• New social networking protection
• New easy to customize console
• New fake AV cleaner
• New proactive botnet protection
• New proactive PE virus protection
• New method to detect packer-encrypted malware
• Enhanced virus and spyware detection and cleaning
• Enhanced behavioral monitoring
• Enhanced rootkit detection and removal
The new Titanium 2012 is still powered by the Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™ infrastructure, our cloud security infrastructure that stops threats in cyberspace or “the cloud.” Smart Protection Network monitors the Internet 24/7, worldwide. It gathers and analyzes threat data, blocking viruses and other malware before they can reach your PC. And because processing is done in the cloud, Titanium 2012 uses less of your PC’s memory and disk space.
If you would like more information about Trend Micro’s Titanium 2012 Maximum Security product or any of the other Trend Micro products, from endpoint to server, from home to enterprise, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com.
We specialize in providing Trend Micro licensing, sales, consultation, installation and support to Greenville / Upstate SC small, medium and enterprise business clients. We offer and recommend Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security as the primary line of defense for small/medium businesses! From one computer to 1000!
It’s that time of year again… School is starting up as I write this…
This means many people are buying notebook and desktop computers for their school-bound children and many are paying full retail price for Microsoft Office 2010.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Microsoft has a special that lets students who purchase Microsoft Office 2010 Home & Student download Outlook, Publisher and Access free of charge, so basically, you get everything that is in the higher dollar version without the added expense.
But there are still other programs available. There is the Microsoft Academic Program that lets you purchase a steeply discounted version of Microsoft Office 2010 Academic, or Microsoft Windows 7.
Knowing about these opportunities can save you some big money, which is a blessing when sending your child off to college. (Our daughter Megan starts college in about a week! EEEP!).
If you would like more information, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com – We have computer and software sales & specials for Greenville & Upstate SC students all the time, but Microsoft’s current special for free downloads are avilable only through September 25th, 2011.
