As the worldwide use of Facebook continues to grow, more and more scams are appearing on the popular social networking website. Using promos, “interesting” links and all other sorts of strategies to trap you, a grain of salt is always needed when dealing with things outside of what Facebook offers.

As more and more people continue to use Facebook – both for personal and business purposes – it seems to follow that all sorts of unscrupulous individuals and groups will find ways to exploit this popularity for their own illicit benefit.

In the same way people are phished through email, hackers and scammers use similar techniques to fool Facebook users into falling for their tricks. The combination of curiosity and trust is what hackers rely on to make users fill in contact details for non-existent promotions, visit suspicious websites, or download fake software, all through Facebook. While Facebook has instituted some additional security measures to counter this threat, the consensus is that it is a generally lukewarm, or even cursory response to the issue.

What makes it worse is that you aren’t usually the first victim – those links and whatnot appear on your News Feed courtesy of a contact who has fallen into the same trap. So always be wary of events or promos your contacts invite you to join.

The most important thing is to have both the right knowledge and software to prevent getting scammed not only on Facebook, but anywhere else on the Web. Facebook is just a new medium for scammers and hackers to steal information and data – and they’ll do the same thing once the next big thing on the Web comes along.

If you want to know more about Facebook scams and how you can better protect yourself – both through training and the right software solutions – please feel free to give us a call so we can help you set up a more secure system for your business that’s custom-built to meet your specific needs.

Managing an effective network security solution is a demanding challenge for organizations of any size. IT departments are increasingly burdened by the need to manage independent point solutions such as anti-virus, content filtering and intrusion prevention, in the face of increasingly sophisticated online security threats.

At the same time, business managers are concerned with keeping costs low and optimizing their infrastructure investment in an uncertain economic climate, as well as fulfilling various regulation requirements and ensuring business continuity through properly configured, managed and maintained security.

Many businesses are also hampered by a lack of allocated resources and the high cost of hiring full-time security experts.

These challenges demand comprehensive, affordable and hassle-free managed security services that provide enterprise-class protection to set up an equivalent in-house system at a fraction of the cost.

The Managed Security Service Advantage for Business

To address these challenges, SonicWall Inc., the leading provider of integrated security, productivity and mobility solutions, offer proactive managed security services for Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) to enable your business to focus on its areas of core competence.

These outsourced security services provide your organization with:

• Onsite and remote management of security services
• 24/7 real-time monitoring, protection, escalation and response processes

Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) are trained to offer expert advice and affordable services related to network security management to organizations of all sizes. An MSSP can also handle system changes, modifications and upgrades.

Equipped to align your IT needs with your business objectives, the MSSP also brings specialized expertise in processes such as PCI compliance, human resources, finance and specific software applications relevant to your market sector.

Key features and benefits of SonicWall Managed Security Service

The SonicWall Managed Security Service enables your organization to gain access to leading IT infrastructure with no capital outlay and little operational expense, helping to attain rapid ROI.

The service reduces IT complexity and risks, improves operational efficiencies, employee productivity and complements your in-house IT skill sets. It provides:

1. Worry-free protection with access to security expertise and the latest technology (Next-Generation Firewall: NGFW). SonicWall network security experts help you define security policies that meet your business objectives and provide up-to-the minute protection against the latest threats.

Every NGFW solution starts with deep-packet-inspection firewall, providing a first level of defense for your network. Security modules for anti-virus, intrusion prevention, content filtering and SSL VPN add layers of protection to the NGFW under the single management console.

2. Pay- as- you-go, utility-based services
MSSP tailors service levels to suit your needs. This is based on the number of users supported, bandwidth supported with basic or advanced security, number of site-to-site VPN tunnels, frequency of reports on security incident, firewall, and network activities.

Avoid paying for more than you need with SLAs that incorporate policy and configuration changes, emergency changes and URL access controls. Depending on your unique business needs, you can add:

• Per-case incident investigation
• Firewall policy management
• Anti-spam service
• Bandwidth management service
• Integrated and external 802.11n and 802.11a/b/g wireless access points
• Licensing options for high-availability firewall hardware failover; encrypted traffic inspection; high-speed SSL VPN access to home or offices from anywhere; and client anti-virus protection

Comprehensive reports provide insight into attack and intrusion attempts and the cost and type of traffic being generated on a per-VPN basis. With granular understanding of network usage, you can control bandwidth and costs effortlessly. As your business requirements change, the MSSP will work with you to fine-tune your service levels and security policies.

3. Improved staff efficiency and productivity
The MSSP alleviates your need to add IT headcount, so you not only reduce internal staffing costs, but also free-up existing staff to focus on key activities. MSSPs are available 24/7 to address your IT problems, add new security services and proactively monitor network traffic to prevent downtime.

With IT’s ever-changing and ever evolving demands, it’s important that businesses, especially those with fewer resources, be able to keep themselves up to date – and there’s no better, more efficient, and more cost-effective solution than Managed Services.

Many large businesses prefer the use of Managed Services to meet their IT needs, but many smaller organizations continue to be skeptical of this solution. Here are five reasons that will make you think twice about dismissing Managed Services:

Managed Services help control costs.
In any kind of business, it’s important to be as cost-effective as possible. Especially in IT, where unbridled or poorly managed systems cost way more that they’re worth, it’s essential to have a system that works with your budget but doesn’t compromise on quality. Managed Services is the most feasible and practical way to accomplish that, especially in the long term.

Managed Services help you deal with increasingly complex IT solutions.
With both hardware and software components of IT systems constantly evolving, businesses with limited resources may very well find themselves left behind after a while. But with Managed Services, you are able to enjoy the advantages of the latest IT solutions at a fraction of the cost – enabling you to provide the best possible service to your clients.

Managed Services give you a better, more dependable IT infrastructure.
Especially for smaller businesses, it can be tedious to maintain an in-house IT arm; and you run the risk of stretching resources too thinly, which can compromise the quality and output of your IT department. Managed Services allow you to have a stable and dependable IT arm that’s dedicated to meeting your specific needs in a cost-effective manner.

Managed Services offer more comprehensive and complete IT solutions.
More often than not, small and undermanned IT departments are more of a burden to the organization they belong to – errors are more likely to occur, response and problem solving is a slow process, and staff members are probably overworked and underpaid, making them both unhappy and less productive. Managed Services, on the other hand, are completely the opposite, allowing you to utilize efficient and comprehensive solutions that are tailor-made to fit your specific requirements.

Managed Services help you maintain compliance.
With the marketplace becoming more and more competitive, meeting different regulatory compliances has become a fundamental need. From Sarbanes-Oxley to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), smaller companies can often find themselves lost. It’s Managed Services that helps these companies not only fully understand the requirements of these regulations, but also comply with them.

If you want to know more about how Managed Services can directly benefit your day to day operations, please do not hesitate to give us a call – we’d be happy to sit down and discuss a custom solution that works for you.

With social networks like Facebook and Twitter on the rise, businesses must be able to utilize them to their advantage. One social network, LinkedIn, offers unique benefits since it is specifically targeted toward professionals and businesses.

Among the many social networks on the World Wide Web today, one stands out from the pack: LinkedIn. It stands out because it is one of the few (if there are any like it to begin with) that uses the principle behind social networking but adapts it to suit business and professional purposes.

If regular social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter can help a business, LinkedIn can do so even more since it is specifically targeted for businesses and professionals. With LinkedIn, you make contacts that are more relevant to your line of work – minus the clutter, noise, and nonsense compared to the more social feedback, comments, and discussions you are inevitably going to have from content you put out on Facebook and Twitter.

Another advantage to LinkedIn is that you are more likely to connect with people and businesses that help you move forward – be it additional staff, suppliers, or clients. The site’s recommendation feature and referrals from other contacts will help you find what you are looking for faster. Also, you are able to better connect to people who are in your own industry or are doing similar things, allowing you to better assess what else you can do to give your business an added edge.

Using LinkedIn is a definite advantage, regardless of what business you are in. If you are interested in knowing more, please don’t hesitate to contact us so we can sit down with you and talk about various custom LinkedIn strategies that meet your specific needs.

Over the past decade or so, the Web has simplified our hectic social and working lives to a staggering degree. The possibilities of the Web seem limitless, and even the process of arranging a dinner with a friend has been revolutionized. We can easily search for a great restaurant on review sites, find directions on Google Maps and can even make appointments with friends through social networking sites, and not make a phone call as we may have in the past.

In the past, Web has been developed from Web1.0, which is only used to present information to people but doesn’t allow user interaction. However, many Websites are now using Web2.0 to simplify processes including payments, meeting online or E-commerce. Though it has certainly made life simpler, it is still vulnerable to intrusions and exploitation from hackers.

Normally Web attack patterns are made by a hacker to steal user’s data or to try to interrupt the services on a Website. Problems can arise if the user opts for the same username and password for authentication on several Websites, so even if a Website keeps a user’s information secure, when another credential is hacked, the hacker can use the information found and apply it to other Websites for credit card or banking information. It’s hard to restrict users to different usernames and passwords on every site, but it is important that Websites are protected and can detect potential attacks.

Currently, high-tech devices such as Firewall, Intrusion Detection System (IDS) or Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) cannot efficiently protect Websites from these threats. Just like sending a letter out to a Website, normally the Firewall will be visible only if the letter is sent to the legitimate destination. When a Website is accessed or attacked, it usually passes through port 80/TCP (HTTP) and 443/TCP (HTTPS), which makes it hard for a normal firewall to protect and block the usage of the Website. IDS/IPS has similar issues, as it is also only able to “send a letter”. However, both Firewall and IDS/IPS technologies have proven that they are not able to know if the letter contains an inappropriate message or malware attacks to the receiver (Web server) or not. That’s why Web Application Firewall (WAF) has been developed. It detects the information inside the letter, compares it to the letter sent out from the mailbox then opens the letter to check the information inside. When WAF has found there is no harmful information WAF will forward the letter to the Website securely. Additionally, WAF has the potential to help Websites manage these letters. When the amount of letters sent exceeds the limit, WAF has the ability to hold the letters or even discard them. This helps the receiver (Web server) to read the letters and to work on service processes more efficiently.

By blocking or receiving the workload from the user to Website, WAF can make Websites’ processes more comfortable and reduce the administrator’s concerns. Large companies have either a Web developer team, an independent Web server administrator team or they outsource someone to develop Websites as a one time job, but when the contract expires and attacks occur, the responsibility will turn to the system administrator to control, maintain and solve the problems themselves. If their knowledge of Web programming is limited, this can make protection and problem-solving hard and time-consuming. This costs not only the user’s data on the Website, but it will also cost the Website’s reputation in terms of confidentiality.

WAF works to protect and filter attacks from a hacker efficiently because it can be tuned to suit various Websites. Because WAF has the ability and awareness to identify attack patterns, it can also anticipate future threats and keep Website as secure as possible.

With more and more businesses using online banking for its convenience and ease, more and more hackers and cyber-thieves are also making it their mission to infiltrate and manipulate these transactions for their benefit. More than ever, it is important for businesses to ensure that they have the proper security protocols in place to prevent cyber-theft.

Online banking is a tool that many businesses utilize because of the ease, efficiency, and convenience it offers. Especially when it comes to small and medium-sized businesses, online banking is a great way to manage and track finances for day-to-day operations.

However, the increase in online banking also has the unfortunate effect of luring unsavoury parties such as cyber-thieves and hackers who target and steal from the businesses who use it. This is why security experts are urging companies to beef up their security systems to keep them safe from cyber and identity theft. The more companies rely on the internet, especially when it comes to managing finances through online banking, the more prudent it is to take steps to prevent that hard-earned money from being stolen.

One tip experts give is to establish proper protocols for transacting with the bank, such as requiring two people to verify a transaction before it is approved. This helps create a checks-and-balance system that hackers will be hard-pressed to get around. Having a dedicated workstation used for only online financial transactions is also recommended, as this lessens the likelihood of it being infiltrated by Trojans, viruses, spyware, and other malware that may come from the machine being used for other purposes. Having the right anti-virus and anti-malware software – as well as regularly updating it – can also go a long way in keeping your online banking transactions safe from unfriendly eyes.

Your finances are the lifeblood of your business, so if you are interested in how you can make your online banking experience safe and secure, we’d be happy to sit down with you to discuss security solutions that are tailor-fit to your specific requirements and needs.

The knee-jerk reaction to Facebook of most businesses is to throw it out the door. But many companies also need to realize the value of using a massive social networking platform like Facebook to help the business grow and put itself out in the market more.

When it comes to Facebook, the usual default attitude of businesses is to shun it completely. And while there is merit to the argument that social networks, Facebook especially, can hamper and derail productivity in an organization, there is also a lot Facebook can do to help your business grow.

Reports cite that as many as 800 million people around the world are on Facebook – that’s a larger-than-life audience that makes marketing experts giddy with excitement. When you think about it, Facebook presents a huge marketing opportunity for you and your business to connect with a lot of people who may become potential clients in the future. Think of having a Facebook page as a mini-website of sorts, one that supplements and complements your main website.

Since it’s a medium to establish rapport with potential clients, experts suggest that a business Facebook page must contain more interesting content – related to your business, of course – designed to attract readers and visitors, rather than hard-sell information about your products and services. Your Facebook page serves as a complement to your website, not a duplicate of it. If you consistently serve up interesting and useful information, people will then go to your website to see what you’re all about.

Also, don’t hesitate to establish more personal relationships with people who visit your Facebook page – the ‘likers’ and the people who comment and ask questions. Answer queries promptly and make yourself visible. One of the points of having a Facebook page is so people won’t feel intimidated by a stiff corporate front – a Facebook page tells them that you’re a company that’s willing to hear them out and listen to what they want.

If you want to know more about how to use Facebook pages to help your business grow, please give us a call and we’ll be happy to sit down with you to draw up potential strategies to increase your online presence and potential client base.

Studies and news reports are showing a marked increase in the number of small and medium-sized businesses that are being targeted by hackers. One major reason for this is their general lack of security systems, making them very vulnerable to theft.

In physics, there’s a concept called ‘the path of least resistance’. The meaning is plain enough – objects that move in a system take the path where they will encounter the least challenges and hurdles in order to quickly move to wherever they are going.

Apparently, the same principle applies to hackers nowadays. Instead of targeting larger firms for that big ‘score’, hackers are now considering it more feasible and much easier to victimize smaller firms and companies, even for a much smaller amount of money.

Why is that? First, smaller companies generally have much more vulnerable IT systems. Security is minimal or average at best, and the hackers don’t get as much heat or attention when compared to trying to breach the much more complicated, state-of-the-art security systems of bigger firms and businesses. Take a small newsstand business in Chicago: cyberthieves were able to install a Trojan in the cash registers which sent swiped credit card numbers to Russia. When the jig was discovered, Mastercard subsequently demanded an investigation – at the expense of the business owner – and the proprietor had to shell out a hefty $22,000.⁽ⁱ⁾

A survey in the United States reveals that more than half of small or medium-sized businesses believed that they ran no risk of being victimized by hackers, and less than half of the respondents had security systems in place.⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ That looks like a path of least resistance, as far as hackers are concerned.

The loss of a few thousand bucks may not be much for a big business, but it can make a significant dent on the profits and sustainability of smaller organizations. And in the case of implanted viruses that steal credit card information, your reputation can also take a big hit. So if you want your business to stay truly safe before it’s too late, please contact us so we can discuss options and blueprints to make your business secure.

References: (i) and (ii)

With Microsoft’s move to transition users to the newer Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2 platforms through XP support discontinuation announcements, it may be high time to start thinking of an upgrade – and how you can execute it efficiently and cost effectively.

One of the standard expectations when using technology is the inevitable need to change and upgrade. Technology moves forward on the principle that things that already seem great can be made even better – and more often than not, the improvements are worth the change.

This principle applies to the operating system and SMB platform you may be using now. While it may have served you well so far (after all, if it ain’t broke, why fix it, right?), that doesn’t mean that things can’t get any better – and in a measureable way that improves your productivity. With systems like Windows 7 (which isn’t exactly ‘new’, since it’s been around for a good while) and Windows 2008 R2 gaining ground in the market and proving their worth, it may be time to start thinking about moving up and upgrading your current software.

Here are some thoughts to start the ball rolling: studies and tests have shown that Windows 7 and 2008 R2 outperform their predecessors in almost every conceivable situation. And considering Microsoft’s recent announcement that they will discontinue support for Windows XP by 2014, the possibility of needing to upgrade becomes more pressing. Like it or not, you will eventually get left behind as technology marches on.

Of course, we realize that it’s not as simple as waving a magic upgrade wand and that’s that. It’s important to understand the way you do business in order to accurately assess how an upgrade will affect your operations. So please contact us and we’ll be happy to sit down with you and find ways to implement an upgrade in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible.

Will the Windows Desktop PC become extinct? Is it going the way of the dinosaur? Are we seeing the beginning of an era in which a new wave of devices and operating systems will dominate the computing world? Read on and weigh in with your thoughts.

Last year, Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, proclaimed the beginning of what he called the “post-PC” era. This, just after news of stellar numbers for Apple, surpassing Microsoft in market valuation for the first time in recent history—largely on the back of strong sales from its iPhone and iPad computing devices, threatening to displace the market for traditional desktop PCs according to many analysts. In some ways this is an ironic turn of events, considering that it was this same CEO and company that ushered in the PC era to begin with, more than thirty years ago.

But in that era, it was really the IBM PC that was the iconic symbol of that period. In August of this year, the IBM PC celebrated its 30th anniversary, which was introduced nearly five years after the arrival of Apple’s own desktop devices. But again in an interesting turn events, for nearly twenty of those thirty years, it was actually Microsoft and Intel, and not IBM, that reaped the benefits of the success of the PC device. It was Microsoft’s Operating System and Intel’s chips which earned the lion’s share of profits from the rise of the Desktop PC, not the manufacturers and assemblers. And as PCs decline as Steve Jobs predicted they will, this has prompted even the largest PC manufacturers such as HP to reassess their future.

But is the PC truly dead, if not dying? Even one of the IBM PC’s original inventors thinks so. In an interview with IBM Executive Mark Dean, who was one of the IBM PC’s original engineers, he predicts a day when the desktop PC will go the way typewriters did when desktop PCs came along. They will still be around for several years, he says, but in the future people will primarily use handheld or mobile PCs for work and play.

That may be true, but the future is not here yet. Earlier, Microsoft gave a statement that it still expects over 400 million desktop PCs running its operating system to ship this year—a business well worth over $19 billion dollars for the company. There are still several things that a Desktop PC, in particular those running Windows, can do better than handheld or mobile devices today, such as:

1. Running business applications. Although many applications may be moving to the cloud, many business-critical applications such as accounting and financials, operations, project management, and customer management still require a Windows PC.
2. Content creation. Have you ever tried to create a blog post, edit a photo, or animate or render a movie from a tablet? It may be possible but it’s still not easy—even for the pros. Most will still be doing their work on desktop workstations for still several years in the foreseeable future.

Do you agree? Are we in the beginning of a post-PC era or do you think it will be a PC-plus era as Microsoft believes? Weigh in and let us know!