Fandotech IT Business Solutions

Managed Firewalls, The Smart Choice

Current firewall technology can look "inside the packets" of data as it travels into your network and intelligently filter services within services. For instance, need your employees to be able to access Facebook, but don't want them playing Farmville? No problem. This 15-minute webinar explains the benefits of managed firewalls.

February 2012 Hardware Update

In this month's hardware update, Aaron discusses the foll0wing:

• Intel has put out a new chip. And there’s a new chip set for the new chip—socket 2011. Looks like it’s going to be a desktop and server chip with 8 slots of memory, which means you can put a ton more memory on the board—doubled from the historical standard of four slots.
• Aaron recently purchased the Transformer Prime. Shortcomings? They took away a few things from the original, going more for aesthetics over function. For instance, the solid aluminum case makes it sleek and durable, but also makes it difficult to get a wi-fi signal. They’ve also eliminated one of the original USB ports: the original had two, the new model has only one on the keyboard dock that comes with the device.?Pluses? The new Transformer has the ability to read any SD card and mount it as media, which most portable devices are not capable of doing. Aaron has had success plugging external hard drives into his new device and it just works—no special formatting needed. This new Android also boasts a file manager. The speed upgrade has not gone unnoticed either!?Also, this is the first portable device that provides users the ability to manage power settings in a manner similar to a laptop. Performance mode gives you the juice you need to render high quality graphics and increase your speed, eco mode gives your battery life more longevity, and there’s a balance mode to give you something in between. If more portable devices adopt this level of management users will be better equipped to have the power they need on-demand.
• Hardware advancement in general is slowing down. Companies are not going to make giant leaps in their new releases if they’re only competing against themselves. This new trend has both Intel and AMD releasing new products with smaller increments of advancements such as the newest AMD video card—the 7000 series.
• Windows 8 is on the horizon. The same interface was planned from?Smartphone-to-server, but word is that Microsoft has scaled back their original grandiose plans to be more practical for the specific needs of the individual environments.
• The new Galaxy Note tablet was advertised during the Super Bowl, although it’s not out yet, but it is promising big things!
• Solid-state drives are dropping in price as production ramps back up after the flooding in Thailand and other factors affecting our global economy. Standard hard drives and spinning storage on the other hand is seeing an uptick in pricing.

Benefits of Virtualization

Michael Archick, Fandotech's Director of Virtual Infrastructure,?discusses the benefits of virtualization from the data center to the desktop. Topics include the differences between traditional vs. virtual infrastructure, cost savings benefits, server consolidation solutions, and time management improvement strategies.

WordPress in 15 Minutes

Craig Samson shows us how to use WordPress to set up a website in 15 minutes. WordPress isn't just for blogs anymore, it's capable of managing just about any type of website.

5 IT Considerations When Planning an Office Move

Moving? Don't forget to plan for moving your technology infrastructure. A mistake here could cost you days of business (or even longer!). This month we present five things to consider when planning an office move.

1. Take inventory. Make a list of all your IT assets. This list can be supplemented with additional notations about where the equipment is coming from and going to. Also, use the list to purge the "junk" you're not taking with you. Set up an eBay account to sell off the equipment you don't need and donate or discard the rest.
2. Diagram your network. Know how your current network fits together. Use this to plan your new infrastructure, taking care to note the differences between the old and new. Make sure you have all new equipment on-hand for the move so there are no hold-ups.
3. Make backups. You know this already, but it's worth reiterating. Make a Business Continuity plan, which should include backing up your current data before the move. Plan what to do if your technology doesn't work right away after the move (gnashing of the teeth isn't good enough for most businesses).
4. Consider fire suppression and cooling systems for your server room. You shouldn't use sprinklers in a server room, so make sure there's an alternate fire suppression method in place. A new office building may not receive it's Certificate of Occupancy if fire suppression of some kind isn't in place. Also, plan adequate cooling for the room. A server room running numerous servers can get quite warm and overwhelm the building's general air conditioning system.
5. Hire a professional IT firm to assist with the move. Sometimes you need help getting all these pieces in place. Bring in a professional organization that can help you plan your move and support you throughout the process, even if you already have an internal IT team.

Do you have any office move horror stories? We'd love to hear about it! We can all learn from others' mistakes. Comment below.

Email Encryption for Secure Messages

Joe Bucceri explains what email encryption is, how it benefits its users, and demonstration one system in action.

Password Management with KeePass

Guest Blogger Paul Kenny shares his enthusiasm for the password manager called KeePass:

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We all know the importance of network and data security. No matter what industry we work in, whether it be medical, financial, retail or other, we maintain data that is sensitive and must be protected. This became most apparent to me when I moved into the financial industry.

On my first day I received entry codes and keys, registered my fingerprint scanner for easier access to my desktop, and received a pile of about a dozen logins and passwords. By the end of my first week I had accumulated more than 40 different passwords that I needed to remember. Some allowed access to internal servers, others allowed me to gain access to various financial websites—which also required a physical device such as an RSA token or an encrypted Flash drive or a...well you get the idea. My head was spinning by the end of the week! How was I going to remember all of these logins and passwords? How did anyone else here remember their logins and passwords?

It turned out that the most important tool used to remember all of these security measures (and ensure they didn’t become sticky notes on the computer monitor) was a simple, free and easy to use piece of software called KeePass. (There are other similar password managers or password safes available, but we’ll examine KeePass in this article.) KeePass like other password managers helps you to manage your passwords in a secure way. You can put all your passwords in one database, which is locked with one master key (password) or a key file. So you only have to remember one single master password.

KeePass offers some unique and useful features in addition to storing passwords. For example, if you wanted to store your home or business banking account you can store your login and password as well as the URL to the website. After opening KeePass with your master password you can click on the URL link which will open your browser to your banks login page. Then you can can copy/paste your username and password into the login page...and you're connected.

Keepass, like other Password Managers, encrypts the password database so that all data is secure, not just the passwords. KeePass addresses other security concerns, for example after 15 seconds the login and password are automatically deleted from the clipboard which prevents someone else, a fellow employee or the kids at home from accessing the computer later on and pasting the password back into the website through the browser history.

This Password Manager has become a vital piece of our internal security measures for our financial institution, in fact it is now a requirement because it offers employees a safe and secure way to store their dozens of passwords without being tempted to write them down and leave them on their desks or keep them on their person where such sensitive information could be easily compromised. In a business environment, it’s recommended that employees store their unique and encrypted database files on a file server rather then on their local hard drives. If their computer itself is compromised or suffers from a hard drive failure the data is safely maintained. It also becomes very useful in cases where employees must be moved to a disaster recovery site where they may be setup on a redundant system. The KeePass application can be quickly installed and their database can be accessed through a server or restored through backups.

So, with all of the various and expensive methods that are used to require users to enter logins and passwords and other physical security devices, those methods are only as safe as the security of the logins and passwords themselves. Encrypted password managers like KeePass add that additional layer of security to your business. It’s simple and free. Why would any business not want that?

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Want to learn more about how to set up a comprehensive security plan for your company? Watch this 15 minute webinar with Fandotech’s “Security Guru,” Dan Kaupp.

 

Microsoft Outlook Tips & Tricks

We review automating your inbox by creating rules in Microsoft Outlook 2010.

Asus Ultrabook Pros and Cons; January 2012 Hardware Update

January’s buzz worthy hardware update is the Asus Ultrabook. Aaron “Hardware is my Hobby” Brenkus runs down the specs and the pros and cons of ownership.

The Ultrabook is a thinner, lighter, smaller laptop that packs a lot of juice. Inspired by the MacBook Air, this “laptop light” concept meets the demands of an Enterprise business world being Windows 7 capable.

Built with either a Core i5 Intel chip (base model) or the ?Core i7 (the latest, fastest chip from Intel chip), this ?-inch thick laptop sports a processor traditionally only found in a desktop. “Tons of power in little teeny, tiny space.”

The solid-state drive (SSD), as opposed to a hard drive, along with an LED/LCD paper-thin screen contributes to its portability. Although the SSD is vibration resistance but Aaron warns that something this thin has “ “fragile” written all over it.

How much do they cost? The Ultrabook starts at around $1000 but the can run you more than $2K for the 15-inch screen device. What do you get for your money? Well first off you get a full keyboard (compared to a tablet). Battery life is extended drastically in this device because it doesn’t take as much juice to push the device. New mobile chips released need half the wattage as traditional chips. No spinning storage means you can run an average of 10 to 12 hours on a single battery charge.

Additionally having the SSD en lieu of spinning storage means your device responds and retrieves data faster than a traditional laptop. Word of caution though – SSDs are not proving themselves 100% reliable in the long term.

Who’s developing this technology? All the mainstream tech companies have a version of the Ultrabook in the works. Asus released a week ago but HP and Dell shouldn't be too far behind with a similar release answering the traveler's call for an ultra thin, large screen laptop that boasts battery life and portability.

Microsoft Word Tips & Tricks

Craig Samson walks us through Microsoft Word 2010 page breaks, section breaks, and header & footer options in this 15-minute webinar.