Subscribe to our blog for info, updates, and contests too… Thanks FeedBlitz for coming through…

Goodbye FeedBurner - Hello FeedBlitz

Receive this blog – in your inbox – thanks to FeedBlitz

We did it, we got hooked up with FeedBlitz!

Here’s the general plan…

Step One – Cut a hole in the box… No wait, that’s another project….   Step One: Ditch our newsletter…  It’s boring and random anyway.

Step Two – Attempt to get our mailing list subscribers to subscribe to switch over to our blog, either in email or RSS.

Step Three – Profit.  Okay, maybe not, but at least have a better interaction with our customers, friends and the general public.

Why the blog? I post SOMETHING there every day.  Something good, sometimes.  Something timely.  Reviews of gadgets, announcements of security vulnerabilities and patches for those things, information about some new computer toy that is coming out, general IT news, and on the other end of the spectrum, I might post an article about my band, or our children.

Contests are not out of the question either. We have given away some cool things, from an X-Box, to a tablet computer! In the future, we may only give these away via our blog, I’m not sure yet.

If you are reading this, you are either already subscribed and reading it in your inbox, or maybe through an RSS feed reader, however, if you followed a Twitter or Facebook post over, would you might subscribing? It’s free. It might even save you some money. Tell your friends.

And please, for the love of all that is holy, interact here! I would love to see your responses, and love to have a discussion about why I am wrong, or how whatever I was talking about saved your life, or your business.

Thanks for the support!

1

Bye bye FeedBurner, we will miss you… Well, maybe not, we replaced you with FeedBlitz

Goodbye FeedBurner - Hello FeedBlitz

Goodbye FeedBurner – Hello FeedBlitz

We’re setting up FeedBlitz on our blogs and waving goodbye to Google’s FeedBurner.

FeedBurner was great back in the day, allowing us to have the reach we wanted, and our group of subscribers to get our blog in their inbox. However, Google has made it clear that FeedBurner is not a product they want to support, and just like several of their past projects, it appears it is destined to go away at some point.

Wanting to provide the best service to the readership, we’ve settled on FeedBlitz, which offers everything we had before, but at a cost. Actually, that’s not true, it offers more. Better RSS feeds, ability to share content easier.

I spent a few minutes today moving the subscribers over and doing a quick configuration it, so I guess we will see in the morning if it works properly.

To those of you who might get our email TWICE, I apologize in advance and will have this corrected quickly, so no need to unsubscribe, I promise.

On another note, we are probably going to replace our sporadic newsletter with ONLY the blog posts. We will likely be running our giveaways only from the blog too.

Thanks for your patience, support and understanding!!!!

Constant wireless network connection dropping got you down?

Wireless woes got you down? Tired of Wi-Fi connection issues?

Here are a couple of common complains we hear, maybe one of these applies to you:

You have a wireless tablet (iPad, Android, Windows, etc), notebook / laptop, point of sale system, Voice over IP phone system, etc, and as you move around your business, you lose your wireless connection, momentarily bringing whatever you were doing to a complete stop until you connect again. Even the notifications about the loss of connection and connecting status drives you bonkers.

Your business is in a large complex, and has a number of wireless access points throughout the facility, but as you roam through the building or campus, your connection is momentarily lost and your device has to reconnect. During this reconnection or reassociation time, your phone call on a wireless VoIP phone is lost, or your connection from your iPad back to a hosted application is severed.

There is great coverage in certain areas of your building, but very poor in others, causing you to have to stand in just the right spot to keep your connection active. You might even have mental notes telling you not to walk into the break room while on the phone or you will lose your call.

The wireless network at your company is comprised of several access points, potentially from different manufacturers, each with different SSIDs and encryption keys, maybe one for each area of a campus, causing you to have several configurations in your wireless device and switch between them when you are in different areas.

Sometimes the problems are not as severe as outlined above, and sometimes there are not even considered a “problem”, because you are used to working around them, but if this sounds like something that affects you, causing you frustration in addition to lost productivity, then you will be happy to know, we can help with that situation!

We can put an end to lost and dropped wireless connections. No more delays as your device is handed off between one access point to the other.

We can consolidate your wireless network into one easy to manage unit, where configurations between access points are instantly updated (no need to log into 2, 3, or a dozen individual access points just to change a password).

We can increase your security by segmenting your work network from a GUEST network, allowing your visitors to have access to the internet, but not to your company files, keeping your data isolated, and you in compliance!

Wide area coverage? NO problem, we have a system  that is perfect for your business, larger corporation, hospital or health care facility and even school / college / university campus solutions!

We are partners with the biggest wireless equipment manufacturers in the business, including Aruba & Cisco!

Call us today at 864.990.4748 and put an end to your wireless troubles!

A personal request….

If we have ever helped you out in any way, saved you time, or maybe money, or possibly your data, or just put a smile on your face, could I ask you to help us?

We would appreciate it dearly if you could be so kind as to refer your friends or business contacts to us, and if you have time, leave us a review on Google or even just keep us in your thoughts and prayers!

Ideal connections for us are small and medium businesses, from just a handful of people, to dozens of computers and even companies with multiple locations. Businesses who we work best with are law and medical offices, churches & non-profit organizations, manufacturing, and just about anyone with computers, servers, networks, voice over IP phone systems. We are even a great match for home based offices who rely heavily on their computers.

Know of a particular need?  A business considering a new server, phone system or maybe replacing a single computer or even a dozen of them? We’re perfect for that!

I know your time is valuable, but if you could help us out with a referral, I would appreciate it more than you know. Referrals and reviews help keep us busy and out of trouble.

Speaking of reviews…  When someone searches Google for “Greenville Computer Service” it doesn’t matter so much, but if they go to Google Places or search from something like “Greenville Computer Repair Shop”, they are presented with the local search listing, which DOES show reviews. A person who needs help will likely call the business with the highest number of reviews and the highest score.   Please help us by leaving a positive review for us.

You can find our reviews here:

https://plus.google.com/112683747267029712129/about?hl=en

In order to leave a review, you will have to convert your regular old Gmail account over to a Google Plus account (if you have not already), which is free, simple to do, and gives you a number of new networking tools to use yourself.  Once you have done so, you can leave a review.  Please consider marking us a “3”, if you have been happy with us!

If you already have helped with a referral or a review, you have my deepest gratitude!  THANK YOU!

John

You need a second pair of eyes on your business computer, server & network

If you maintain your own company computer, server & network or do you have someone in-house that does, it might be a good idea to get a second pair of eyes to give your business infrastructure a once-0ver.

If you are like most people, when everything is running well, you get comfortable and begin to do the job you were hired to do, so if you are the accounts manager and pull double duty as company IT administrator, chances are, you get back to doing what you do best – taking care of the accounts.  That is, until something comes along and throws a wrench in the works and your networking is not working.

But what about all those updates? Do you back-burner those until there is a good time to reboot the server? After all, rebooting the server takes everyone down, and causes your phone to light up with questions like, “When will I be able to access the X drive again?”.

During the time between updates, your server and other systems are vulnerable. It honestly may not be a matter of IF your network is compromised, but rather, WHEN.

Many non-dedicated IT admins will apply the updates but not reboot the server, or will wait until there are so many updates it may take 2 or three reboots to get everything applied. This is a very bad practice. Especially for servers facing the internet (Mail, SQL, Web).

What about backups?  You ARE backing up, and it does work properly, right?

Don’t get caught with your pants down.  Bring in an IT support company who can help you determine where you stand. Are you overworked and just unable to do it all? Consider an IT company who will provide you with a statement to that affect which you can provide to your manager or superior to document that there is additional work to be done.  Sure, you’ve told them time and time again, but maybe, just maybe, they might listen to an outside source.

Let Homeland Secure IT be that source of information. We’ll come in and take a look at the state of your network, provide suggested course of action, and can even quote the labor or upgrade of components (if required). Simply don’t have time to maintain all this gear and want to source it to someone who will be on top of it?  Then we’re on IT! Give us a call at 864-990-4748 or use the contact link above.

We provide complete IT service, sales and consultation to the entire Upstate of South Carolina. We’re your Microsoft, Cisco, Symantec, Trend Micro, Lenovo, HP partner, specializing in small and medium businesses (SMBs) just like yours!

 

Want to connect outside of IT service and your work or business?

This is about a different kind of connectivity…  I really enjoy talking on the phone, emailing, texting, and communicating on social media with you every day about work and IT related issues, and I love it when we can help you or your business resolve a computer or server problem and get you back to work. But what I would like even more, is to connect with you on a more personal level! Some opportunities for us to interact might be:

September 29th, 6:00 PM – “Sippin’ In Simpsonville” – a beer tasting event, combined with Oktoberfest.  It starts at 6pm, downtown Simpsonville near the clock tower.  A number of local places are participating there, then at 7:30, my band, Hot As A Pepper, will play while people mingle and enjoy bratwurst and libations.   Of course, we won’t have a lot of time to talk between sets, but hey, I would love you to come, if you are into that sort of silliness.

Our band also opens rehearsals up for a few people to come visit. If you would like to do that, let me know! Space is limited, so we ask everyone who wants to come to make arrangements at least a day in advance. It can get kind of intense. We play music for a couple hours and whine, uhmm no, we critique the songs, yeah, that sounds better.

Do you smoke cigars? (Even if you don’t, but that wouldn’t make sense) I hang out with some pretty cool people on Thursday afternoons at a place over near Haywood Mall (Outman Cigar and Martini Bar). It’s not just a bunch of men, there’s a contingent of women who grace us with their presence too. It’s all about connections, talking to friends about whatever the subject of the day is. The crowd consists of people of all walks of life from business professionals to entrepreneurs, hard workers and non-workers. Anywhere from half a dozen to two dozen people show up. Talk to me about it, let’s meet there.

Into technology, want to hang out with people who are either into it themselves or looking for others who are it?  Tech After Five (TA5) is an event that takes place once a month in Greenville at Carolina Ale House, oddly enough, after five PM.  I try to make them to meet up with over a hundred interesting people.  It’s free for tech people. Free is good.

You could join my family at church on Sundays at Powdersville’s Marathon Church. We go to the 11AM service and almost always go out to lunch afterward.

Want to enjoy the sights, sounds and the smells of high school football?  There’s lots of the season left and our son plays center for Easley High School.  Come out and sit with us. We get catty and talk about people, and I snap pictures of everyone within focal distance.

Coffee? Lunch? Let’s do that too!   Especially if you are buying, but even if you are not, that’s okay! I’m up for just about anything.  Sushi? Mexican? Taco Truck? You name it!

Interest piqued?  Email…   Call me, maybe? Let’s get to know each other…

 

Seneca Data 2000UP Ultrabook offers big power in a little package!

Seneca Data 2000UP Ultrabook computer

Seneca Data 2000UP Ultrabook computer

Been looking for a powerful, yet compact notebook? Seneca Data has introduced the new 2000UP Ultrabook computer and it looks like a winner!

Why go with Seneca Data’s product over another brand? Let me give you one good reason – SUPPORT! In the last week we have had two computers with issues that required a massive amount of time communicating with the manufacturer. One was from HP and one from Lenovo. When I say “massive”, I mean just that. Over half an hour was spent with HP in order for them to determine that we (we’re some tech savvy IT dudes) knew how to plug it in, before they determined it needed replacing. Same story with Lenovo, but even worse, as they had the warranty information wrong, and we were bounced from person to person.

With Seneca Data, when we call them, we are treated with respect, and we don’t get bounced from person to person. The technician we speak with is able to determine that what we are telling them is indeed a problem, and they arrange for the replacement parts to be sent to us right then and there. No delays.

They also have awesome warranties! Most of our desktops and servers are now sold with a minimum of 3 year warranty, and many with FIVE YEARS for just a few dollars extra.

Here’s some information about the Seneca 2000UP Ultrabook computer:

Seneca Data 2000UP Ultrabook

Seneca Data 2000UP Ultrabook

Ultra responsive, Ultra sleek, Ultrabook.  Inspired by Intel.

Business-class performance comes in the Nexlink® 2000UP Series Ultrabook™ with the 3rd generation Intel® Core™ processor.

Discover the new business-class device that gives you the best of everything  you want for your company. The ultra responsive, ultra sleek Nexlink® 2000UP  Series Ultrabook™ is less than an inch thick, wakes up in a flash, and runs for hours.

Get the power your business demands, effortless multitasking, and incredible performance that adapts to your needs with this solution. With performance like this, the only thing more amazing than a new Nexlink 2000UP
Series Ultrabook™ is what you will do with it.

Processor:
3rd generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processor
3rd generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processor

Operating System: Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64- or 32-bit option*

Chipset: Intel® HM77

Memory: Support for up to 8GB

Storage:
Up to 256GB Solid State Drive or
Up to 500GB SATA3 Hard Disk Drive

Graphics: Intel® HD 4000

Communications:
10/100/1000 LAN
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
Bluetooth® 3.0

Expandability:
2 x USB 3.0
1 x USB 2.0
1 x RJ45
1 x Audio Jacks
1 x HDMI
1 x DC in

Devices:
Integrated 1.3/HD Web Camera
4-in-1 Card Reader

LCD Display: 14.1″ LED Backlit; 1920 x 1080 Resolution

Battery: 6-Cell Li-Ion

Special Features:
Intel® Anti-Theft Technology Support
Kensington® Lock Supported

Dimensions: (w x h x d) 13.5 x .7 x 9.25 inches / 344 x 17.9 x 235 millimeters
Weight: 4lbs. / 1.8kg with battery

* 32-bit operating system will not use beyond 4GB of memory

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If you need mobile computing without the weight or the wait associated with some compact computers, then this Ultrabook is for you….  Call 864-990-4748 and let us tell you more about why Seneca Data computers are perfect for your home or business. We offer sales of single units or multiples. We can deploy them at your Greenville, Anderson, Simpsonville, Spartanburg SC area business and we can also provide leasing!

 

Reveton Ransomware Removal – You have been violating copyright and related rights law FBI warning

Here’s a few calls we have received in the last couple weeks:

“My computer is locked and a screen is displaying a message from the FBI saying I have to pay a fine in order to use it again”

“A window says I am in violation of the law for downloading media or port and says it is from the FBI”

One user in the know says, “I am infected with the Reveton FBI virus, can you remove it?”

Without question, this has been one of the more popular exploits we have seen so far this year.  It is called the Reveton virus, and is part of a Citadel malware payload that distributes a number of malicious software.

This is so popular that the FBI has had a “new internet scam” page up since August and this is an excerpt from that page that goes back to May 2012. (This is not new by any means):

The IC3 suggests the following if you become a victim of the Reveton virus:

  • Do not pay any money or provide any personal information.
  • Contact a computer professional to remove Reveton and Citadel from your computer.
  • Be aware that even if you are able to unfreeze your computer on your own, the malware may still operate in the background. Certain types of malware have been known to capture personal information such as user names, passwords, and credit card numbers through embedded keystroke logging programs.
  • File a complaint and look for updates about the Reveton virus on the IC3 website.
Pay close attention to that third bullet point. Some tools and anti-virus appear to clean Reveton, however it is possible that the malicious software it is still running in the background. Some of the features of the Citadel malware package are keyloggers, remote monitoring (ability to turn on webcams) and more!
A fresh install of the operating system is always the most sure-fire way to fix a virus infection, but after a reinstall, you will have to reload all of your applications, then patch the OS, Adobe, Office, Java, in order to insure you do not get re-infected!
You can avoid becoming infected by keeping your Microsoft Windows operating system up to date, applying the latest patches and updates for Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, iTunes, Adobe (Flash, Shockwave, Acrobat, Reader) and Java, and keeping a quality anti-virus product current.  Combine those simple things with regular backups and a little common sense when visiting websites and opening emails and you will reduce your chances many times over.
Anyone in the Upstate (Greenville, Easley, Clemson, Simpsonville, Spartanburg, Anderson) SC area who needs help removing this or any other virus, trojan, malware, ransomware of malicious software should call us at 864-990-4748, we have affordable rates and quick turn-around. We specialize in business computer, server and network system sales, security and service, but provide repair for individuals in our office.

 

Secure IT Alert: Patch your Microsoft Internet Explorer – Now….

This alert comes courtesy of the US-CERT National Cyber Awareness System and we highly recommend you apply the patches provided by Microsoft to protect your Internet Explorer browser immediately. Hackers are currently using the browser vulnerability to exploit systems.

In addition to patching your systems, we recommend a bit of common sense, such as not visiting links which are sent to you in email that look suspicious. If it looks strange, it probably is.

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National Cyber Awareness System
US-CERT Alert TA12-265A
Microsoft Releases Patch for Internet Explorer Exploit

Original release date: September 21, 2012 Last revised: —

Systems Affected 

* Microsoft Internet Explorer 6
* Microsoft Internet Explorer 7
* Microsoft Internet Explorer 8
* Microsoft Internet Explorer 9

Overview

Microsoft has released Security Bulletin MS12-063 to address the  use-after-free vulnerability that has been actively exploited this  past week.

Description

Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 6, 7, 8, and 9 are susceptible  to a use-after-free vulnerability. This vulnerability is being  actively exploited in the wild. Microsoft has released Security Bulletin MS12-063 to patch this vulnerability and four others.

This vulnerability was previously mentioned in US-CERT Alert  TA12-262A. Additional information is available in US-CERT  Vulnerability Note VU#480095.

Impact

A remote, unauthenticated attacker could execute arbitrary code,  cause a denial of service, or gain unauthorized access to your files or system.

Solution

US-CERT recommends that Internet Explorer users run Windows Update  as soon as possible to apply the MS12-063 patch.

References

* Microsoft Security Bulletin MS12-063
<http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/Bulletin/MS12-063>

* US-CERT Alert: Microsoft Security Advisory for Internet Explorer Exploit
<http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA12-262A.html>

* Microsoft Windows Update
<http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=40747>

* US-CERT Vulnerability Note VU#480095
<http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/480095>

 

Revision History

September 21, 2012: Initial release

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As always, if you require assistance applying these security patches or have questions about your Greenville / Upstate, SC business computer and network security, please call us at 864.990.4748 or use the contact link in the menu above.

SECURE IT ALERT: About that Apple iTunes 10.7 update – yeah, it fixes more than *160* different vulnerabilities!

Lately I’ve had a lot going on between our son, Brett Albertson (Easley High School football center #75) and his slew of activities, our daughter Megan in college, my band (Hot As A Pepper) and work. Because of these distractions I almost missed an important security update.

A few days back, Apple released the 10.7 update of iTunes. While you should update ALL your software regularly, many people wouldn’t really pay much attention to iTunes because it’s not an operating system or supporting application like a browser that you think of as being vulnerable to exploitation.  It’s just a music/video player, right? It just plays what it downloads from the iTunes store, right?

No, not at all.  It has the ability to play external media, hosted elsewhere besides the safety of the Apple servers, along with files stored on your computer that you didn’t purchase.

According to this security bulletin, it looks like over 160 vulnerabilities are addressed in this update and here is the key takeaway, “Impact: Visiting a maliciously crafted website may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution”.

Since Apple is intentionally vague about what the vulnerabilities and gives  us only that one tidbit, I would recommend that you do not delay installing this update to your machines.   This includes Mac owners in addition to Microsoft Windows users.

If you have questions or need assistance, call us at 864.990.4748… If you’ve got computers or servers – we patch ’em!