News, Security, Small Business Networks

Are You Open to Wireless Attacks?

People have written books on security, and reading one is like slow torture. So let’s just talk in general terms and avoid getting bogged down in technical details.

Some people think leaving their wireless unsecured is no big deal, especially people in rural areas. Some people also think they can leave their wireless unsecured because they don’t care if someone else uses their Internet connection. There one MAJOR flaw with that thinking.

There is a practice called “war driving”, where a person drives around, using a wireless device with a boosted antenna, and looks for unsecured – or poorly secured – networks. When they find one, they can get onto the network and explore. This is illegal, by the way, so don’t try it.

The problem is not so much that this person is using your Internet connection… it’s that they also potentially have access to all the devices on your network. They could get access to your files, monitor traffic on the network, and get access to all sorts of information. If you have any employee data, like social security numbers, health records, or payroll, imagine your legal exposure.

Here’s an article about a group who were very successful stealing information (and $750,000) from businesses with poorly secured wireless: http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/attacks/231602047

Security to prevent wireless attacks

Ok – so we need security… what should we be doing? Your wireless access points, or wireless router is where you’ll find the settings for wireless security. You should be running WPA2 encryption. WEP encrypton is not adequate. Make the WPA2 shared key something difficult to guess, like a phrase.

Wireless security is continually changing. Hackers and their tools improve – so do encryption methods. What was “secure” five years ago might not be secure today. Periodically, we need to evaluate our systems and make sure they’re up to current standards.

This is NOT a complete guide to securing your wireless network! A number of the factory defaults should be changed as well. If you’re unsure about setting up wireless, please have someone do it who is familiar with the settings.

If you need help with any of this, call us at 262-720-3668.

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General Interest, Saving Money, Small Business Networks

What To NOT Spend Your Money On

As a technology provider, telling my clients to NOT buy something seems really dumb on my part! But, since I try to be a Pro-Partner to my clients, rather than just a vendor, this guidance is something I’m proud to provide.

What To NOT Spend Your Money On….

Here it is in a nutshell: Don’t buy technology for future needs.

As time passes, technology gets more and more powerful, and costs less and less.

The pace of technological improvement is obvious. At the same time, prices go down over time. In the consumer market, I remember Blu-Ray players priced at $600. Now you can get one for under $100. The same thing occurs in business-grade computer hardware.

Another factor at work is obsolescence. When you buy a server, even if it still works five years from now, you should be thinking about a replacement. Computers do NOT age as gracefully as we do!

For example, suppose Bob works at a manufacturer in Waukesha. He wants to buy a server right now for file storage. Bob knows that the company plans to move to an MRP system in the next three years. In anticipation of the MRP requirements, Bob buys a powerful server with large, high-speed hard drives, multiple processors, etc. As a result, Bob spends three times what a basic file server should cost, but he knows that now he’ll be ready for the new MRP system.

I’m sure you already see it coming. Bob just spent a ton of money on TODAY’s technology, at TODAY’s prices. In three years, when the company is ready to move forward, there will be better, faster hardware available at lower prices. Plus, the server will already be three years old! Not only that, but in three years, the MRP software may evolve. Maybe it will run “in the cloud”. Bob should have just bought a file server for today’s needs.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m NOT saying to “cheap-out” on your hardware! In this example, Bob should get a file server that can fill that role for several years. That means the server should have adequate hard drive space for data growth and enough processing speed to avoid bottlenecks.

If you need some help or advice, give me a call. Our initial meeting is no charge.

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