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Top 4 Threats Attacking Your Network And What To Do About Them

5 February 2010, 7:52 am
Top 4 Threats Attacking Your Network
And What To Do About Them
#1 Overconfidence
User overconfidence in security products is the top threat to your network.  Failure to “practice safe software” results in nuisance attacks like porn storms (unstoppable rapid fire pornographic pop-ups) and more subtle keyloggers that steal passwords.  Surveys promising free stuff, result in theft of information like your mother’s maiden name, high school, etc. used to answer common security questions leading to theft of otherwise secure data.  Think before you click!
#2 Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites like Facebook are exploding in popularity.  Threats range from malware (eg. viruses, worms, spyware) to scammers trying to steal your identity, information and money.  Many businesses and government agencies are using these sites to communicate with clients and constituents, so simply blocking access is no longer reasonable.  Defending your company while allowing employee access requires social network education for your employees and the enforcement of strong acceptable use policies.  We can help you develop a policy, then monitor compliance using a Unified Threat Management device that controls and reports on network access.
#3 Attacks On Mobile Devices
Everyone is going mobile these days not just the “road warriors.”  Once limited to laptop computers, mobile network devices now include PDAs, handheld computers and smart phones, with new appliances appearing in the stores every month.  Mobile devices often contain sensitive data yet they are easily lost or stolen.  Be sure to password protect and encrypt data on all mobile devices whenever possible.  Include mobile devices in your acceptable use policy.
#4 Cloud Computing
“The Cloud,” in its most simple form, involves using the Internet to access and store your data.  When you access email using a web browser, you are working in “the cloud.”  Using the cloud for automated off site backup is rapidly gaining popularity and is just the beginning.  Companies like Microsoft, IBM and Google envision the day when we will use inexpensive terminals instead of computers to run programs and access data located somewhere on the Internet.  You need to be sure that any data you store and access across the Internet is secure not just where it is stored, but during the trip to and from the Internet.

#1 Overconfidence

User overconfidence in security products is the top threat to your network.  Failure to “practice safe software” results in nuisance attacks like porn storms (unstoppable rapid fire pornographic pop-ups) and more subtle keyloggers that steal passwords.  Surveys promising free stuff, result in theft of information like your mother’s maiden name, high school, etc. used to answer common security questions leading to theft of otherwise secure data.  Think before you click!

#2 Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites like Facebook are exploding in popularity.  Threats range from malware (eg. viruses, worms, spyware) to scammers trying to steal your identity, information and money.  Many businesses and government agencies are using these sites to communicate with clients and constituents, so simply blocking access is no longer reasonable.  Defending your company while allowing employee access requires social network education for your employees and the enforcement of strong acceptable use policies.  We can help you develop a policy, then monitor compliance using a Unified Threat Management device that controls and reports on network access.

#3 Attacks On Mobile Devices

Everyone is going mobile these days not just the “road warriors.”  Once limited to laptop computers, mobile network devices now include PDAs, handheld computers and smart phones, with new appliances appearing in the stores every month.  Mobile devices often contain sensitive data yet they are easily lost or stolen.  Be sure to password protect and encrypt data on all mobile devices whenever possible.  Include mobile devices in your acceptable use policy.

#4 Cloud Computing

“The Cloud,” in its most simple form, involves using the Internet to access and store your data.  When you access email using a web browser, you are working in “the cloud.”  Using the cloud for automated off site backup is rapidly gaining popularity and is just the beginning.  Companies like Microsoft, IBM and Google envision the day when we will use inexpensive terminals instead of computers to run programs and access data located somewhere on the Internet.  You need to be sure that any data you store and access across the Internet is secure not just where it is stored, but during the trip to and from the Internet.

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How to Keep Your E-mail off the “Naughty” List

15 December 2009, 10:05 am
Someone’s making a list and checking it twice, but it isn’t Santa. Due to rising e-mail abuse and spam, hundreds of servers at various companies now monitor e-mail accounts to make sure those accounts are not sending out mass e-mails. If that e-mail account is assumed to be sending spam it is put on the “blacklist”. Once on the blacklist, your e-mail account is virtually SHUT DOWN because your e-mail is blocked by hundreds or thousands of servers and your message can’t be delivered.  Big companies who give out e-mail addresses like AOL, Google, and Comcast, for example, will cut off e-mail service to anyone who sends an e-mail to a large number of people at once.  Because of this, even if you or your employees innocently send a message to 100 of your clients, you could be without e-mail for days or weeks. So, how do you avoid this costly & frustrating downtime to happen to you? Read these tips to find out:
Protect Your Server. Spammers LOVE to find e-mail servers that don’t have a proper firewall anti-virus and intrusion protection. They get a high from hacking into these servers and then using them to send out thousands of e-mails. Plus, with no protection in place, tracking and catching these spammers is nearly impossible.  The right protection will also prevent malware from being installed on your server, which can automatically send spam without human interaction.
Don’t Allow Employees To Forward Messages.  Unless it is for work-only related purposes, make a policy that no one is to forward messages like jokes, photos or videos outside the company. If just 4 of your employees send out this kind of an e-mail to 30 of their contacts,  that’s well over 100 people receiving junk mail on the same day from the same e-mail server.  This puts you at high risk of being blacklisted.
Have Your Clients and Prospects “Opt-In”. Sometimes companies end up on the blacklist because someone on your list complained and reported your message as spam. If you have your clients and prospects agree via an opt-in form that they want to receive communication from you and confirm their permission, then you’ll have better protection against that. Also make sure you keep good records of these opt-ins. That way, even if you do get blacklisted, you should be backing up and running fairly quickly.
Make Sure Your E-mail Is Set-Up Properly. In addition to protecting yourself from hackers and invasions with software and firewalls, you also need to be sure that your e-mail is configured correctly and is set-up to block outside relays. If you’ve got the wrong settings in your e-mail account, you could wind up blacklisted, without any e-mail for days or weeks,
Keep Your E-mail List Up-To-Date. If someone asks to be removed from your list and you continue to send messages to him, the chances of him reporting your company as a spammer is pretty high. Avoid this by using in-house lists (instead of purchasing one) and contacting your list to verify the information.
Someone’s making a list and checking it twice, but it isn’t Santa.
Due to rising e-mail abuse and spam, hundreds of servers at various companies now monitor e-mail accounts to make sure those accounts are not sending out mass e-mails. If that e-mail account is assumed to be sending spam it is put on the “blacklist”. Once on the blacklist, your e-mail account is virtually SHUT DOWN because your e-mail is blocked by hundreds or thousands of servers and your message can’t be delivered.  Big companies who give out e-mail addresses like AOL, Google, and Comcast, for example, will cut off e-mail service to anyone who sends an e-mail to a large number of people at once.  Because of this, even if you or your employees innocently send a message to 100 of your clients, you could be without e-mail for days or weeks. So, how do you avoid this costly & frustrating downtime to happen to you? Read these tips to find out:
  • Protect Your Server. Spammers LOVE to find e-mail servers that don’t have a proper firewall anti-virus and intrusion protection. They get a high from hacking into these servers and then using them to send out thousands of e-mails. Plus, with no protection in place, tracking and catching these spammers is nearly impossible.  The right protection will also prevent malware from being installed on your server, which can automatically send spam without human interaction.
  • Don’t Allow Employees To Forward Messages.  Unless it is for work-only related purposes, make a policy that no one is to forward messages like jokes, photos or videos outside the company. If just 4 of your employees send out this kind of an e-mail to 30 of their contacts,  that’s well over 100 people receiving junk mail on the same day from the same e-mail server.  This puts you at high risk of being blacklisted.
  • Have Your Clients and Prospects “Opt-In”. Sometimes companies end up on the blacklist because someone on your list complained and reported your message as spam. If you have your clients and prospects agree via an opt-in form that they want to receive communication from you and confirm their permission, then you’ll have better protection against that. Also make sure you keep good records of these opt-ins. That way, even if you do get blacklisted, you should be backing up and running fairly quickly.
  • Make Sure Your E-mail Is Set-Up Properly. In addition to protecting yourself from hackers and invasions with software and firewalls, you also need to be sure that your e-mail is configured correctly and is set-up to block outside relays. If you’ve got the wrong settings in your e-mail account, you could wind up blacklisted, without any e-mail for days or weeks,
  • Keep Your E-mail List Up-To-Date. If someone asks to be removed from your list and you continue to send messages to him, the chance of him reporting your company as a spammer is pretty high. Avoid this by using in-house lists (instead of purchasing one) and contacting your list to verify the information.
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Win 7 or Lose 7

13 October 2009, 9:00 pm

Win 7 or Lose 7:

Once again, we are faced with a new operating system by Microsoft that promises many of the technical enhancements that have been promised but not quite delivered in the past.

Windows version 7 will be officially released to the public for sale on Oct 22, 2009.  The promise is that it will deliver many of the enhancements that was promised by Vista, but without the bugs and the bloated operating system core that crippled Vista to a failed operating system.

At eGuard Tech, we have a best practice approach to identifying technology that should be implemented in the small to medium business networks.  Our main objective for recommending a specific software, hardware or technology, is always based on whether or not it will increase efficiency in the workplace or will it cause more troubleshooting headaches.  With regards to software, we usually recommend to wait until the first patch is released.   With Microsoft software technologies, we recommend to wait until the first SP1 is released.  What does SP1 really mean?  It is based on patches that are written to fix the major bugs of the initial release of the software.

Since we are a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner, we have received a copy of Windows 7 for some time now and have been testing it in different network environments.  We have been reviewing Windows 7 stability in our labs as well as on our technician computers for a few months now.   Surprisingly, we have been very impressed with the current performance of the software as well as how compatible it has been with the older versions of software packages.   I believe one of the main reasons why Win 7 is so much more reliable compared to Vista is based on the core technology of Win 7.   The core software is built from Vista, with the modification being designed around the weaknesses of Vista.   So, in essence, the latest version of Windows operating system is basically a very solid and efficient SP1 version of Vista.

There are many good features that make Win 7 a very enticing upgrade for the small and medium business network.   One of the most important enhancements is the additional security that is built into the operating system that will allow for a more secure environment that will reduce the possibility of Malware and Virus infections on the desktop.   One of the major challenges faced by small business networks is the constant fight to keep the network safe of intrusion by hackers and Malware.  Windows 7 will give the small business network an upper hand in this fight.

The infamous “Blue Screen” on Windows XP machines has been addressed in Win 7 with better memory and program management.  It also provides technicians that work on your PCs and network more information for troubleshooting.

As of today, we are VERY  optimistic about the new release of the operating system.  We are still not recommending the OS for businesses until the latest Service Pack (SP1) is released.

Filed under Tech Advice for Small Businesses.
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Hello world!

4 September 2009, 7:37 pm

Welcome to my BLOG;

Today, we are officially launching our BLOG to help our clients understand the need for technology in their business.   My focus, through our BLOG, will be to inform the small business owner how to utilize technology to better run their business.  As a Microsoft Gold Partner and a dedicated trusted advisor for the past 20 years, I will combine my expertise and knowledge of best practices in technology to the small business environment and guide our readers through the best solutions.

I look forward to hearing from you.
Khaled Farhang

eGuard Technology Services, Inc.

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