WARNING!
An official-looking graphic has been circulating around the Internet, soliciting users to download "Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2"--a release that is now quite outdated. Users who click on the ad are immediately prompted to download a file called "ie7.exe," which is in reality--you guessed it--a Trojan horse. Don't do it. The real IE7 update should be obtained by using Windows Updates.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wireless Network Security
Drive around your neighborhood sometime with your wireless enabled laptop and see just how many unsecured wireless networks are available to log onto. In most cases you'll find a lot. Why is this? Some people don't know any better, they're just thrilled that they were able to set up their wireless network themselves. Some don't care, they feel that its not a big deal. Others know that they should and intend to get around to it, but like most things we should do, never do it. Bottom line if you don't mind your neighbors using your connection and possibly slowing yours down and the idea of strangers accessing your computer and network doesn't bother you then enabling wireless security is just not a concern. For the rest of you though if you have a wireless network you need to take the time, read the instructions in your manual and get it done.
There are two main ways to go with wireless security, WEP and WPA.
WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol ) is "ok" for the average user. It keeps the neighbors out and most drive by stalkers looking for an unsecured connection. This protocol can be hacked though by hackers using free tools that are widely available if you know where to look.
WPA is a randomized pre-shared key of at least 10 characters and would take half-a-million years to crack. (Note: A random key means that it shouldn’t be a word that exists in any dictionary (hackers have extensive dictionaries that include all common passwords, English words, nicknames, and misspellings of words. This is called a “dictionary attack.”) A random key is a meaningless mix of lower- and uppercase letters and numbers, and sometimes special characters like punctuation, depending on whether your router supports it).
Never use words, birth dates or even misspelled common words or names.
Disable SSID broadcasting and set a password for accessing your router's configuration screens.
Encrypting your wireless network is not as complicated as it may seem on the surface and is an important step of your your wireless setup. If you just don't feel confident doing it yourself then you should call a knowledgeable installer to do the job for you.
Wireless network installations and securing is just one of the many services that we provide for our clients. Check us out at www.davtechsolutions.com and give us a call to set up your wireless network securely.
There are two main ways to go with wireless security, WEP and WPA.
WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol ) is "ok" for the average user. It keeps the neighbors out and most drive by stalkers looking for an unsecured connection. This protocol can be hacked though by hackers using free tools that are widely available if you know where to look.
WPA is a randomized pre-shared key of at least 10 characters and would take half-a-million years to crack. (Note: A random key means that it shouldn’t be a word that exists in any dictionary (hackers have extensive dictionaries that include all common passwords, English words, nicknames, and misspellings of words. This is called a “dictionary attack.”) A random key is a meaningless mix of lower- and uppercase letters and numbers, and sometimes special characters like punctuation, depending on whether your router supports it).
Never use words, birth dates or even misspelled common words or names.
Disable SSID broadcasting and set a password for accessing your router's configuration screens.
Encrypting your wireless network is not as complicated as it may seem on the surface and is an important step of your your wireless setup. If you just don't feel confident doing it yourself then you should call a knowledgeable installer to do the job for you.
Wireless network installations and securing is just one of the many services that we provide for our clients. Check us out at www.davtechsolutions.com and give us a call to set up your wireless network securely.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
New Vulnerability in IE6
If you haven't upgraded to IE6 or switched to Firefox here is another reason to get with the program. A new hole has been found in IE6 making it vulnerable to hackers. New software has been published on the Internet that could be used to exploit a known flaw in Internet Explorer.
The code exploits a recently patched flaw in Internet Explorer. The code could be used to run unauthorized software on a computer that was not updated with the latest Microsoft patches. A patch for this has been released, but now that hackers know where the weakness is there will be more attention to it.
IE7 has been out for a while now and is a decent browser go ahead and update to it or try Firefox which is even better and very secure. You can download the Firefox browser from our web site, www.davtechsolutions.com
The code exploits a recently patched flaw in Internet Explorer. The code could be used to run unauthorized software on a computer that was not updated with the latest Microsoft patches. A patch for this has been released, but now that hackers know where the weakness is there will be more attention to it.
IE7 has been out for a while now and is a decent browser go ahead and update to it or try Firefox which is even better and very secure. You can download the Firefox browser from our web site, www.davtechsolutions.com
Monday, March 19, 2007
Our New Website
Well, our new site is finally up - as opposed to our former one page site that just listed who we were and our services. This one is bigger and more detailed. However, as luck would have it already one of the pages is not coming up when clicked on, typical.
Now don't get me wrong, I don't harbor any delusions of granduer when it comes to web building. I would say our site right now is --ok, it gets the job done. You may be wondering, if we offer web site design and have professional designers who do this work why am I bothering to do something like this myself when its just, ok. The reasons are simple, I'm a small business just like my target clients and if I can do something myself, without having to pay my own people to do it I can save the money. Also, I like working at it and plan to grow in this area and make better and better versions as I go along.
Does it make good business sense from a marketing point of view, probably not, but I'm stubborn and I'm going to do it myself. So bare with us and keep coming back, it will get better and better. Also, if you're considering our web design services - don't judge us by our web site :-] let our professional designers provide a consultation, you'll be more impressed. On that thought, we don't just build web sites, we provide Internet marketing as well. Interested in getting your site to the top of the search engines or getting better qualified leads to click on your site? Give us a call for a free consultation.
Now don't get me wrong, I don't harbor any delusions of granduer when it comes to web building. I would say our site right now is --ok, it gets the job done. You may be wondering, if we offer web site design and have professional designers who do this work why am I bothering to do something like this myself when its just, ok. The reasons are simple, I'm a small business just like my target clients and if I can do something myself, without having to pay my own people to do it I can save the money. Also, I like working at it and plan to grow in this area and make better and better versions as I go along.
Does it make good business sense from a marketing point of view, probably not, but I'm stubborn and I'm going to do it myself. So bare with us and keep coming back, it will get better and better. Also, if you're considering our web design services - don't judge us by our web site :-] let our professional designers provide a consultation, you'll be more impressed. On that thought, we don't just build web sites, we provide Internet marketing as well. Interested in getting your site to the top of the search engines or getting better qualified leads to click on your site? Give us a call for a free consultation.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
ENIAC PATENT CONFISCATED
On this day in 1946, the Moore School at the University of Pennsylvania said engineers must relinquish their patents for equipment developed on school premises. The creators of ENIAC, J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, refused to sign the agreement. The researchers resigned from Moore shortly thereafter and filed an imdependant patent application later that year. In 1973, a district court judge voided the patent and made the controversial ruling that John Atanasoff - not Eckert and Mauchly - developed the first electronic computer.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Is VISTA the way to go?
The big question I hear now when it comes to purchasing a new computer is: Should I go with VISTA? Sometimes its simply "yes I need VISTA, because its the latest and greatest." Well, here is our two cents on the matter. You are the client, if you insist on having VISTA we'll install it, but we don't recomend it at this time.
Its too early, Microsoft needs at least 6 months to a year to get the bugs worked out and the major security holes patched. Yes, there are security holes and they have already begun to surface. It a great step forward for Microsoft and in time will be the definite OS of choice, but for now we are still building systems with XP and marketing them.
Some examples of problems:
Its too early, Microsoft needs at least 6 months to a year to get the bugs worked out and the major security holes patched. Yes, there are security holes and they have already begun to surface. It a great step forward for Microsoft and in time will be the definite OS of choice, but for now we are still building systems with XP and marketing them.
Some examples of problems:
- You need a powerful PC to handle this OS. Even the Home Basic version requires some serious hardware. Check out Windows VISTA Upgrade Advisor www.windowsvista.com/upgradeadvisor
- A serious lack of driver support. Check with the manufacturer for your printer, scanner, camera etc... in many cases they don't have drivers for VISTA and are not planning on develping any except for their newest models. This means your old equipment will not work. Bummer. Check this now before you shell out the money for the new OS.
- Application compatibilty - make sure your current programs will work with VISTA.
Windows XP is a great Operating System and with some downloads available now you can even get some VISTA like features. Try the downloads out and give your XP a new look and functionality.
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/collection/collid,1433-c,downloads/files.htmlMonday, March 12, 2007
Using External Drives for Backup?
Using External Drives for Backup?
You're still not protected!
External hard drives are cheap, and can store lots of files. But they only protect against one type of data loss risk: hard drive crash and nothing else. Viruses and data corruption can quickly spread to an attached portable drive and render all your backup files completely useless.
External drives are also vulnerable to the same types of risk as your main hard drive -- lightning strikes, power surges, fire, flood, theft, sabotage. So even if you need to use an external drive to store large volumes of files, it is best business practice to make sure you protect your most mission critical files offsite every night with Remote Data Backups.
The best part is, it's easy, inexpensive and completely automatic, so you never have to burn your valuable time to back up, or take it offsite, again. When you consider the time you save, the convenience, rock-solid security and reliability, Remote Data Backups just makes sense.
Don't rely on USB drives to back up your critical data files. They are easily lost, stolen and damaged.
Take our FREE 30-Day Trial today!
You're still not protected!
External hard drives are cheap, and can store lots of files. But they only protect against one type of data loss risk: hard drive crash and nothing else. Viruses and data corruption can quickly spread to an attached portable drive and render all your backup files completely useless.
External drives are also vulnerable to the same types of risk as your main hard drive -- lightning strikes, power surges, fire, flood, theft, sabotage. So even if you need to use an external drive to store large volumes of files, it is best business practice to make sure you protect your most mission critical files offsite every night with Remote Data Backups.
The best part is, it's easy, inexpensive and completely automatic, so you never have to burn your valuable time to back up, or take it offsite, again. When you consider the time you save, the convenience, rock-solid security and reliability, Remote Data Backups just makes sense.
Don't rely on USB drives to back up your critical data files. They are easily lost, stolen and damaged.
Take our FREE 30-Day Trial today!
Friday, March 9, 2007
Tip to Protect Against Identity Theft
When you stay at a hotel or resort have you ever wondered what was on the magnetic key card? Probably not, but I'll tell you anyway.
Answer:
a. Customer's name
b. Customer's partial home address
c. Hotel room number
d. Check-in date and out dates
e. Customer's credit card number and expiration date!
When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is there
for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner.
An employee can take a hand full of cards home and using a scanning device,
access the information onto a laptop computer and go shopping at your
expense.
Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until an
employee re-issues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new
guest's information is electronically "overwritten" on the card and the
previous guest's information is erased in the overwriting process.
But until the card is rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a
drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!
The bottom line is:
Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy them.
NEVER leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER turn them
in to the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not charge you
for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not leaving a lot of
valuable personal information on it that could be easily lifted off with any
simple scanning device card reader.
For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you still have
the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash basket. Take
it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially through the electronic
information strip!
Answer:
a. Customer's name
b. Customer's partial home address
c. Hotel room number
d. Check-in date and out dates
e. Customer's credit card number and expiration date!
When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is there
for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner.
An employee can take a hand full of cards home and using a scanning device,
access the information onto a laptop computer and go shopping at your
expense.
Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until an
employee re-issues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new
guest's information is electronically "overwritten" on the card and the
previous guest's information is erased in the overwriting process.
But until the card is rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a
drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!
The bottom line is:
Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy them.
NEVER leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER turn them
in to the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not charge you
for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not leaving a lot of
valuable personal information on it that could be easily lifted off with any
simple scanning device card reader.
For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you still have
the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash basket. Take
it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially through the electronic
information strip!
A Guide to Cutting Coaxial Cable
Do you have long lengths coaxial cable sticking out of the back of your cable modem or behind the TV? Thanks to this simple guide, you'll soon be able to cut down any coaxial cable to a more manageable size, just like the pros do.
New Day Light Savings Time - Panic?
The new Daylight Savings Time changes mandated this year seems to be creating an air of panic. However, just like the year 2000 bug, its not a big deal. For most users running Windows XP if you have automatic updates scheduled you should already have Microsoft's fix installed.
This article explains the problem in boring detail and provides links to the updates.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931836
What happens if you don't have the fix? You will be off on your system time by one hour.
Here is an easy solution. Disable the Automatic Daylight Savings Time feature in your system clock that runs in Windows. Double click the clock in your system tray. Then, click the "Time Zone" tab and at the bottom of the window. UN-Check the box that says "Automatically Adjust Clock for Daylight Savings Changes". Select "OK" to close the window. When the time comes just manually reset your system clock and all should be OK.
This article explains the problem in boring detail and provides links to the updates.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931836
What happens if you don't have the fix? You will be off on your system time by one hour.
Here is an easy solution. Disable the Automatic Daylight Savings Time feature in your system clock that runs in Windows. Double click the clock in your system tray. Then, click the "Time Zone" tab and at the bottom of the window. UN-Check the box that says "Automatically Adjust Clock for Daylight Savings Changes". Select "OK" to close the window. When the time comes just manually reset your system clock and all should be OK.
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