Daily Archives: April 18, 2011

Safe On the Internet

April 18, 2011 in Blog, Feature, Home Security by Joshua Liberman  |  No Comments

Now that you have your new computer and you’re ready to go flying the Internet, what
should you do first? In order to safely surf the unfriendly Internet, you’ll need to prepare in
three ways. You’ll need antivirus/antispyware software that updates itself automatically.
You will need a good software firewall. And you will need to be sure that you keep up with
the latest Microsoft Updates. And if you are running Windows but not using the latest
version (XP SP3, Vista SP2 or Windows 7 SP1), it is time to get that done!

Antivirus
It should go without saying nowadays; don’t even think of using your computer without
antivirus software installed. Antivirus software relies primarily on “pattern files” that are
basically fingerprints of all viruses out there. As there are literally thousands of new viruses
every month, these pattern files are constantly being updated. Unfortunately, viruses are
not released on a schedule and on any given day, the next big one could be lurking. Take
the time to find the setting for updating your AV software and set it to do so automatically.
While you are in there, set the software to scan outgoing as well as incoming email too.

Symantec’s Norton Antivirus is a perennial favorite here, and it works quite well nowadays,
and has an easy user interface. The newest version, NAV 2012 is really excellent. If you are
looking for freeware alternatives, by far the leading option is Microsoft’s own Security
Essentials product. MSE really stands head and shoulders above other freeware offerings
and performs nearly as well as most paid software, but it does not include a software
firewall, as do many of the security suites. As a standalone antivirus/antispyware product,
MSE protects as well as most, though it is a bit slower to perform scans than most.

Antispyware
Spyware (aka malware) installs itself without notice on your system. Spyware can capture
information and keystrokes, open your machine to others, and even turn your system into a
spam relaying robot (spambot). Spyware is the number one threat today. If you already
run Norton Antivirus 2011 or newer, you really don’t need a separate antispyware utility. If
you are looking for free alternatives, Microsoft’s Security Essentials is a good choice, and is
available to protect XP, Vista and Windows 7, in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions and is a real
step up from other freeware offerings such as AVG, Avira and ClamWin. It should go
without saying, but be sure NEVER to fall for bogus antispyware offered in spam or as a
popup on your PC. Remember, if you didn’t ask for it, do not install it!

Software Firewalls
A software firewall keeps the multitudes of the Internet out of your system, unless you very
specifically invite them in. Windows XP SP3 incorporates many security updates, and
perhaps the best known was the “Windows Firewall” that comes installed and active by
default now (also in Vista and Windows 7, in much improved versions). The integrated
firewall in both Windows Vista and Windows 7 does a pretty good job of protecting you,
but either one can be improved upon with third party products, such as Symantec’s.

Security Suites
It is always tempting to go with a single solution, rather than to shop around (or download
free utilities) for each of these issues. Currently, Norton Internet Security (NIS) 2011 is the
best suite going, and though there are no completely free suites out there, once again,
Microsoft Security Essentials comes pretty close to filling that bill. The problem of going
with a suite usually comes down to the weakness of a single component of the suite.
Selecting the right suite can save you time and the issues of dealing with multiple products.

Software Updates
It comes as a surprise to many people that there are constant updates to Windows, Internet
Explorer, Office, and others, but it is a fact of computing life. These updates should be
delivered automatically through Microsoft Update. Simply go into the properties of My
Computer, select the Automatic Update tab and set it to auto download and install them.
Of course, other software that does not come from Microsoft also needs frequent updating.
Fortunately, there is a simple, free option from Secunia that can handle that for you. Just
search for “Personal Software Inspector” or PSI and you’ll be able to install one product to
keep track of all your necessary updates and even install some of them for you!

Vista and Windows 7
Microsoft Windows Vista offered many security enhancements for home users and
businesses alike. Some are very subtle and “under the covers” and others are highly
intrusive and questionably useful (user access control, anyone)? Windows 7 builds on those
strengths and offers even better native security as well as a degree of control over the rather
annoying user access control (UAC) in Windows Vista. Overall, both are a big step forward
in terms of security and reliability. However, even Windows 7 requires antivirus, software
firewall and software updates to remain secure.

The Nut that Holds the Wheel
You are the single most important part of your computer security plan. No software can
protect your computer against your own actions. So remember the three simple rules of
Internet security. Everyone is anonymous, so you can never tell where a mail message
actually came from. The Internet has not turned humanity into altruists, and therefore,
nothing is really free. Finally, if it seems too good to be true, it is too good to be true!

The Final Word on Passwords
Many people resist the idea of using passwords at all. Unfortunately, even for those of you
that live in wonderful areas where you can leave your front door unlocked, you cannot do
the same with your computer on the Internet. At worst, a few people might have occasion
to try your front door to see if it is locked on any given day. On the Internet, literally
millions will check to see if you have locked your system “doors” each and every single day.
Assuming you’ve done your homework and implemented the above set of precautions,
good passwords are your next line of defense. Good passwords are not names, contain
numbers and/or punctuation marks and are not the same for every site you visit!

Net Sciences, Inc.
To learn more about security, visit netsciences.com or call NSI at (505) 266-7887. Net
Sciences builds secure computers, secures those that are not, and helps you learn to stay
secure in your computing. NSI is your home computing security expert.

Wireless Security Basics

April 18, 2011 in Blog, Feature, Wireless Home Security by Joshua Liberman  |  No Comments

Securing your home wireless network is easier than ever before. Improving the
security of your home or office wireless network is a relatively painless three-step
process. You will learn to change the SSID of your wireless device (alter), use MAC
address lock down (filter) and enable WPA2 encryption to (protect) your connection.
This entire process can be accomplished in 15 minutes.

SSID (Alter)
All wireless access points come with a default device name (or SSID). Nearly all
manufacturers use simple, obvious SSIDs for their devices. For example, every
Linksys is shipped with “Linksys” as the default SSID making it simple to find your
device in its default configuration. Change it now! Use something obscure and be
creative. At the very least, you’ll keep people from guessing the name of your
access point. The SSID is usually found in the admin area of your device.

MAC Address (Filter)
Every networked device (wired or wireless) has its MAC address assigned during
manufacturing; this is essentially a unique serial number. It is very useful, as you
can setup MAC filtering in your wireless network. That way, only your devices can
access your wireless network. The downside is that you must update this when
you get new gear, but that is even easier. MAC filtering is generally found
under the security portion of your wireless access point or router.

WPA2 (Protect)
Wireless Protected Access (WPA) and WPA2 are the newest security standards for
protecting your wireless connection. They use a passphrase to encrypt (scramble)
your data and are not easy to crack. Using this sort of protection for your wireless
connection is very important. Without it, anyone can do whatever they want with
your connection, legal or not. These options are usually found in the wireless
security area of your device. When possible, use “AES” and “WPA2” options.

The Weakest Link
The weakest link is always the “nut that holds the wheel” and that is you. So use
common security sense, and don’t hand out your passphrase or put it on your
router for all to see. Consider using more complex passphrases. And change that
admin password! It is good to know that many of the latest wireless devices
include wizards that will step you through the above steps, making secure setup
even easier. Just do your part and you can have a secure wireless network.

Net Sciences, Inc.
If you are protecting either critical personal or business assets, or a remote
connection to your office, or just want a higher level of security, call on Net
Sciences at (505) 266-7887. With ten years of secure wireless experience, offering
a full line of wireless solutions, Net Sciences can provide you all the functionality
and security you need for your wireless network.

Eight Steps You Must Take To Secure Your Network

April 18, 2011 in Blog, Feature, Network Security by Joshua Liberman  |  No Comments

Introduction
Have you just gotten a network survey done and found that your Fort Knox is more
of an Open House? Did you already know that you are playing fast and loose but
had no idea how fast and how loose? Well, you can make your network reliable and
secure, starting at the perimeter (firewall) and working your way inwards. And you
can resolve your worst networking problems, the same way they built the pyramids,
one brick at a time. And remember, if it is not automated, it simply will not happen.

1. Secure the perimeter
Securing the perimeter with a good, deep packet inspection firewall is the easiest
and most broadly effective step you can take. Just a few years ago, firewalls were
very simple devices that simply scanned the headers of data packets (well under one
percent by “volume” of data). They simply verified that a request for a certain page
was valid and that the response to that request came from the intended target. No
attention was paid to the 99 percent of each packet that was the actual data stream.

With everything from viruses to attacks against browser flaws in that data stream,
you need more from your firewall these days. You need a device that does deep
packet inspection, a device that has the ability to recognize and control specific
traffic (i.e., instant messaging or streaming video). You need a “unified threat
management” or UTM device, one that can also provide secure remote access and
wireless capabilities. Ask NSI about easy and affordable UTM Firewall products.

2. Setup Network Antivirus
The need for reliable network antivirus software is not news. But antivirus threats
have grown tremendously in sophistication over the past few years. We still very
commonly see sites running a mix of three or four different, unmanaged products on
their desktops (or worse, nothing at all). That which you cannot automate does not
get done. And that which you cannot get reports on, you will not even know is not
getting done. Ask NSI about managed network antivirus for your business.

3. Setup Software Patching/Updating
How many patches did Microsoft release for Windows XP? Thousands. How about
Windows Server 2003? Hundreds. What things need patching? Servers, desktops,
operating systems, browsers, MS Office, Dot Net Framework, Flash, Java, Adobe
Reader, and more. Why do you care? Because every major attack you have heard of
for years takes advantage of vulnerabilities that have already been patched (or should
have been). Ask NSI about how to automate your network patch management.

4. Setup Reliable Data Backups
Nearly everyone has heard of (or experienced) the hardships of getting tape backups
to work properly. So why do so many still use tape backup? Because it’s fast (LTO
is faster than USB hard drives or NAS), reliable (with the right equipment), and
cheap (a $50 tape holds 1000G of data). Finally, tapes can easily be stored locally in
a fire safe and go home with you for off-site storage as well. But tape is not the only
answer you need. Ask NSI about a data backup solution tailored to your needs.

5. Setup Local Disaster Recovery
Think that your data backup is all you need to recover from a loss or theft? What if
you had a theft that left you with no servers? Your data is safe on tape somewhere,
but what does it take to get back to work: New hardware first, then the installation
of your server, email/and or database servers, your backup software and then the
recovery from tape of your data. That’s two to five days without a network, after
you get hardware. What if you could do it one afternoon? How much could that
save you? Ask NSI about imaging and virtualized solutions for disaster recovery.

6. True Disaster Recovery (DR) Planning
Want to fall asleep every night knowing your data backup and disaster recovery
solutions are truly bulletproof? What if you had actually had a plan for a stolen
server, a damaged building or other disaster? Perhaps you had never considered
this all before. If so, let’s get you sleeping well again. Most of this planning is
strategic not technical, and not costly. Ask NSI about true DR planning and devices
for your business.

7. Setup Reliable Power Protection
Maybe you know that your UPS can support your servers for no more than about
half an hour during a power outage. Maybe you have wondered . . . what happens
then? And are all the really important pieces of your network protected from power
fluctuation, contamination and loss? Did you know that you can connect all of your
networking gear to one monitored device that can handle all your power needs?
Ask NSI about power backup and monitoring solutions for your business.

8. Educate and Train
No matter how diligently you protect the perimeter, maintain network antivirus and
software patching, plan and execute backups and DR planning, all it takes is one
piece of seriously bad judgment to bring it all down. Ask NSI about training your
staff in the basics of reliable and secure computing.

Net Sciences, Inc.
Since 1996, Net Sciences has been building reliable, secure networks for our New
Mexico customers. On networks of three to 300 computers, supporting law firms,
architects, engineers, scientists, accountants and nearly every other profession, Net
Sciences is the complete solution to your business network equation. Net Sciences
designs, builds and supports networks, keeping them running smoothly, and
protecting your data so that you can focus on taking care of business!

Eight Top Small Business Computing Mistakes

April 18, 2011 in Blog, Building a Better Network, Feature by Joshua Liberman  |  No Comments

Introduction
Your entire business runs on its computer network. With this in mind, it is vitally
important to make wise decisions regarding your computers and networking. Many
small businesses make serious mistakes in their computing decisions. Here are the
top eight mistakes we see small businesses making on a regular basis.

1. Buying Low
There are real differences in quality and manageability between the superstore
bargain boxes and business grade computers. You get what you pay for and
computing is no exception to that rule. Better machines are faster, more stable, and
can be managed remotely, allowing your service provider to respond quickly to
your needs, often simply by connecting remotely to resolve your problems the same
day. Ask NSI about Intel VPro®
systems and what they can do for your business.

2. Until Death Do You Part
Technology has a “useful” lifetime, and a “useable” lifetime. The fact that a PC will
boot up does not necessarily make it suitable for continued business use. There are
other factors to consider, such as the responsiveness, reliability, and security of the
PC. If you waste one hour per week on a slow PC, you’ve easily spent over $1,000 in
a year. Once you consider the ROI and costs of maintenance, security risks and lost
productivity, you can really see how much it costs you to save money this way.

3. Cutting Too Many Corners
Can you put off the larger flat panels until next year? Of course you can. Can you
skip buying a real server that is reliable, manageable and secure? Well, does your
business need to stay up and running? Can you put off buying a fully capable
firewall to protect your network, your data and your business? You can always find
something to pare down, but your servers and your network security are the wrong
places to cut. Lee Iacocca said “people want economy and they will pay any price to
get it.” Do your best to make him wrong.

4. Failing the Planning Test
Your network is a complex system, not just an assembly of random parts. While
many different products can be mixed and matched together, you need to work with
a plan. It is extremely common to see businesses running computers built on ten
different platforms, three different versions of Microsoft Office, and sharing ten
different printers. Plan, standardize, and build your network logically. Work with a
local vendor that you can trust to this for you. And then trust them to do so.
Eight Top Small Business
Computing Mistakes

5. Failing the Security Test
Security simply cannot be short changed any longer. And security is not the frosting
on your network cake. It is the cake. You need to employ a true DPI (deep packet
inspection) firewall to fully scan your Internet traffic. You need to deal with email
security threats, protect your remote access. You need to protect your wireless
access. You need to maintain networked antivirus software and perform regular
software updates. You need to develop security policies and procedures, implement
and enforce them. And you need to document these policies and procedures and
your efforts to enforce them. It is pretty daunting to do all of this on your own.
Find a firm that can guide you through this maze or do the work for you.

6. Failing to Keep Track
Who exactly is in charge of changing backup tapes there? Where are your physical
copies of Microsoft Office, or how do you maintain your licensing information?
Who knows the WPA key for your wireless access? How many copies of Office,
AutoCAD, etc. do you actually have licensing for? Who has the password for your
server/firewall/local desktop admin (fill in the blank on your own)? It is
surprisingly hard to keep track of all these details, so it is probably not getting done.
Work with a good support company that can get you up to speed here.

7. Failing to Keep Current
Designing and implementing a secure network is only the first step. You will need
to maintain your network. You will need alerting of failures, software patching and
updating, antivirus scans and reporting, security training, firewall monitoring and
more, to keep your network running and secure. Not doing these things is simply
not an option. If you have the expertise to execute all of this in-house, use it. If you
do not have this resident expertise, find a qualified vendor and contract with them.

8. Having Lucky Boy Cater Your Wedding
Few business people would have their contracts written by “a guy that my cousin
knows who once went to law school.” And who would have their corporate tax
return done by the cafeteria lady at the middle school that took a couple of
accounting courses. And yet how many businesses out there have their business
network, setup and “managed” by the son/daughter/nephew/niece (fill in the
blank on your own)? There is virtually nothing more important to your business
than your computer network, so take care of it.

Net Sciences, Inc.
Since 1996, Net Sciences has been building reliable, secure networks for our New
Mexico customers. On networks of three to 300 computers, supporting law firms,
architects, engineers, scientists, accountants and nearly every other profession, Net
Sciences is the complete solution to your business network equation. Net Sciences
designs, builds and supports networks, keeping them running smoothly, and
protecting your data so that you can focus on taking care of business!

Eight Ways Data Leaks From Your Network

April 18, 2011 in Blog, Feature, Network Security by Joshua Liberman  |  No Comments

Introduction
What is the single most important component of your business network? Is it your
servers, desktops, laptops or phones? They are all important, and some are costly.
But if you stop to think about it, the only truly valuable “item” is your data.
Everything else can be replaced and if you are well insured, with no more cost than
the downtime and aggravation of putting it all back together. Data is not like that.
Data is precious, irreplaceable and as you will see, very hard to control.

1. Physical Theft
This is the simplest concept. We all understand theft. That is why we have locks,
security systems, cameras, insurance policies and more. These are all “physical”
issues and we can protect against them in various ways, from simply placing the
server in a locked room to using full-blown access control (card key or biometric)
systems. But what if, somehow, these are breached and you find one day that your
server is gone? Ask NSI about data encryption for your server and backups.

2. Physical Loss
This is another simple concept with serious ramifications. According to insurance
companies, nearly one million laptops are lost or stolen each year in the United
States. As incredible as that sounds, nearly 30 percent of cell phones are lost or
stolen each year, that’s tens of millions! Remember that phones nowadays are often
simply small computers that provide data and voice communications and, carry
your data. Ask NSI about remote wipe, encryption and other phone security issues.

3. Hacking (Outside Attacks)
This is also a well known, if not well understood, concept. Most of you know that
there lurks out there somewhere, millions of frustratingly skillful and determined
miscreants just itching for your data. Well, to be precise, not your data per se, but
someone’s personal information. While it is true that there are few targeted attacks
(true industrial espionage), it doesn’t take much targeting when you have the
numbers these guys have. Ask NSI about truly effective firewall solutions.

4. USB Keys & Portable Devices
Are you wondering about how things like Wikileaks happen? Think of what it takes
to move all that data out of a location clandestinely. Chances are it is easier than
you think. A single, cheap USB key (drive) can move 32 to 64G of data nowadays.
And what about iPods? Did you know they can transport even more than that?
USB hard drives – some can hold more than your server! Ask NSI about endpoint
control solutions to monitor USB and other ports on your network.

5. Its in the Email
Nearly all of us “live” in our email programs these days. Outlook is open all day
long on my desktop, and I rarely go half a day without using it for communications.
Of course, we are all very thoughtful about our email communications, never
inadvertently sending out sensitive information, attaching a sensitive document or
violating any other company policy or regulation in our constant use of our email.
Ask NSI about email security (antispam) and compliance services and devices.

6. Instant Messaging (IM)
What is faster than email and twice as hard to control? What can work just like
email but leave no traces behind (so much for your compliance issues)? Yes, it is the
miracle of instant messaging, whether it be AIM, ICQ, MSN Messenger, or Yahoo.
While IM can provide real productivity gains, it can bring danger and wasted time
to your office. Did you know that Microsoft offers a managed, reportable, business
grade IM solution? Ask NSI about controlling and tracking Instant Messaging.

7. Social Media
What can fritter away more time that YouTube and Solitaire combined? Yes, it is
Social Media (aka Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.). There is simply no denying the
power and importance of these emerging technologies. Like IM above, these
technologies threaten both the security and productivity of your business, but very
few business can afford to forbid (or worse, ignore) their use. But monitoring and
tracking is key. Ask NSI about solutions for controlling and tracking Social Media.

8. Lack of Education
Finally, we have been assuming all along that the first response to each of these
issues is technological. But this is putting the cart before the horse. Data leaks from
many businesses simply because employees don’t know any better. The key here is
to put in place procedures, educate your employees and reinforce that training on a
regular basis. The very best security system in the world is of little use if the
employees leave the doors unlocked.

So put together a real security/data protection plan. Formulate simple acceptable
usage policies (AUPs) for your employees, and make sure they understand them
(and sign off on them). Train users not to fall for tricks like providing passwords
over the phone to strangers, or picking up stray USB keys in the parking lot and
putting them in their systems to “see what’s on them.” Security means vigilance.
Ask NSI about training your staff in security and data leakage prevention.

Net Sciences, Inc.
Since 1996, Net Sciences has been building reliable, secure networks for our New
Mexico customers. On networks of three to 300 computers, supporting law firms,
architects, engineers, scientists, accountants and nearly every other profession, Net
Sciences is the complete solution to your business network equation. Net Sciences
designs, builds and supports networks, keeping them running smoothly, and
protecting your data so that you can focus on taking care of business!

  • About Joshua

    Joshua LibermanJoshua Liberman is the President and founder of Net Sciences, Inc. Joshua began working in the computer field in 1982, setting up one of the first IBM PCs in Bakersfield, California. Moving into the the networking field in 1988, Joshua started PC Services ...more..

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