Email is a crucial part of any modern business, but it’s not always the most fun topic to cover. It’s more of a necessity than something super exciting, like machine learning or automation. Still, this does not make it any less important, so why don’t we discuss some of the ways you can make sure your organization’s email server is as secure as possible?
When it comes to network security, there are a lot of complex solutions that solve multi-faceted issues, some so mind-boggling in scope that it is simply overwhelming. Then there are the small-scale solutions that you can implement on a day-to-day basis that can make significant changes over time. Locking your computer is one of these tactics, and it should not be overlooked in your security strategy.
IT solutions have the potential to be major problem-solvers for your organization, but they are only as effective as the team members using them. This means that all employees must not only be trained on the solutions, but also must embrace them as the efficient solutions they are. Here are some ways that you can train your employees to make sure that your team is efficiently using new technology solutions.
Despite Microsoft’s comments several years back, Windows 10 is indeed not the final iteration of Windows. Microsoft has officially let the cat out of the bag with Windows 11, the latest in its line of PC operating systems. We urge your business to consider the minimum requirements for upgrading to Windows 11 now while Windows 10 is still supported. Let’s take a look at the system specifications and requirements for Windows 11.
The ransomware attack against Kaseya’s VSA servers for approximately 1,500 organizations was yet another major challenge for businesses to overcome, and while most of the affected companies did not give in to the hackers’ demands, others felt forced to pay the ransom. The problem, however, is that some of those who did pay the ransom are now having trouble decrypting their data, and with REvil MIA, they do not have the support needed to decrypt their data.
There is no greater tool for your business’ success than the technology it uses, at least in theory. If you want to maximize the value you get from your technology, you need to make the correct decisions, which is easier said than done. Let’s go over some of the things to not do with your business technology.
Researchers in Israel have developed a technology that extracts information from a machine using radio frequencies and wireless communications. This might not sound intimidating at first, but what if we mention that these attacks can target isolated machines that have no connection to the Internet or your network at all? These types of disconnected devices are often in such high-security locations that employees aren’t even allowed to bring their mobile phones anywhere near the machine. Such powerful security measures should be enough to protect this data from just about anything–everything except radio signals. The researchers in question have proven that these methods can be, and already have been, used to siphon data from disconnected devices. Cyber Security Labs at Ben Gurion University have dubbed this technique “AirHopper.” By using radio frequencies, the researchers succeeded in leaking information from isolated machines via their transceiver. This is one of the methods the NSA used to spy on foreign countries. While the researchers haven’t explicitly stated that they use the same method as the NSA, it’s still very similar in nature. They created a malware that can be sent by a mobile phone’s FM transmitter; from there, in theory, it can infect other devices in range. Infected devices then proceed to generate more radio frequencies to infect other devices in range. According to WIRED magazine: The data can be picked up by a mobile phone up to 23 feet away and then transmitted over Wi-Fi or a cellular network to an attacker’s command-and-control server. The victim’s own mobile phone can be used to receive and transmit the stolen data, or an attacker lurking outside an office or lab can use his own phone to pick up the transmission. This kind of technique is, without a doubt, complex. Only the most skilled hackers have any hopes of pulling something like this off. However, it should be noted that it’s not as unlikely as any other advanced hacking attack from being exploited. The most likely way this kind of threat can attack a disconnected system is through a USB device or flash drive, which significantly limits the potential for attacks. Only those who have physical access to the machine would have any chance to infect it, even unknowingly, but this doesn’t mean you should let your guard down. In fact, the importance of monitoring your IT infrastructure for discrepancies can’t be emphasized enough. Limiting who has access to mission-critical disconnected and connected technology is the first step toward protecting any information stored on it. Using secure USB devices is another necessary step which can prevent potential hacking attacks from occurring. Data leakage is a primary concern for all businesses, and your business could be held liable if sensitive information is stolen. In order to prevent these catastrophes, your business should be prepared to maximize security. SRS Networks’s remote monitoring solution is specifically designed so that we keep an eye out for suspicious activity. We’ll take the necessary precautions and neutralize threats before they cause irreparable damage. Give us a call at (831) 758-3636 to learn more.
Top-level Domains We’ve all seen the endings of URLs such as .com, .net, and .org. These are the highest levels of domain names, and they end most website domains out there. The role of the top-level domain is to designate where in the DNS root zone the URL is located in the hierarchical namespace of the Domain Name System (DNS). For example, the domain name www.example.com would belong to the top-level domain, .com. Traditionally, the three aforementioned top-level domains are the most common, and they used to have specific roles: .com was primarily used by commercial, or for-profit websites and organizations. .net was preferred by websites that concentrated on building networks. .org represented non-profit organizations. The distinction between these three generic top-level domains has largely disappeared. There are other top-level domains that are frequently used as well, such as .edu, .gov, and .mil, but these aren’t nearly as common; probably because they’re much more difficult to acquire. Second-level/Lower-level Domains If you are looking at a URL, whatever is directly to the left of the top-level domain is the second-level domain. The way that a URL is structured is that the higher the domain, the further right it will be. These are generally the names of products, services, or companies, and are used to distinguish themselves from others in the industry. For instance, the co in example.co.com would be the second-level domain, and example would be the third-level domain, and so on. These can also be used to designate particular servers that are specific to one particular function, such as an email server. Specialized Top-level Domains As you can imagine, some people have a problem with registering domain names for their websites due to the domain name already being owned. You might even have run into this yourself when buying a new domain, and you might have had to use a half-baked domain instead of a specific URL that tells visitors what exactly your website is. Several new domains become available for purchase from various domain vendors. Using these new, specific domains, you may be able to use a domain that isn’t abbreviated or altered from your original plan. For example, specialty domain extensions like .restaurant will give businesses more flexibility when choosing their domain name. Do you have a story behind why you picked your business’s domain name? Let us know in the comments.
Moore’s Law is an observation made in a 1965 paper by the co-founder of Intel, Gordon Moore. Moore’s Law suggests the number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits will double every year since they were invented and would continue to do so. This theory has seen some difficulty entering its fifth decade. That’s not to say that this “law,” that has held up well for decades, has been proven false, but eventually, it will inevitably fail. In an interview for Time magazine, renowned theoretical physicist Michio Kaku said: …we will see the collapse of Moore’s Law. In fact, already, we see a slowing down of Moore’s Law. Computer power simply cannot maintain its rapid exponential rise using standard silicon technology. Intel Corporation has admitted this. To counteract this prediction, the scientists at IBM, Intel, AMG and other research facilities, have begun using alternative materials to produce a density that allows for billions of transistors to be built into a single chip. This presents a challenge for these manufacturers to consistently produce chips that pushes computing capabilities forward. IBM’s new chips are made from a silicon-germanium alloy that produces the necessary semiconducting material needed to successfully produce integrated circuits for transistors. Currently, the most advanced commercially available chip, Intel’s i7-5960X processor has 2.6 billion transistors, and is built with a 22-nanometer process with their Tri-Gate 3D design. IBM’s newest chips have 20 million transistors and are built with a 7-nanometer process. To put that in perspective, the width of a human hair is between 80,000 and 100,000 nanometers. This comparison explains how these manufacturers are producing so many transistors in such a small space, as the average computer chip is the size of a postage stamp. As computing systems have become more predominant in the 21st century, the progress of computing, and the sustained viability of Moore’s Law, relies on these nano technicians’ ability to find materials that will facilitate tens of billions of transistors. As of now, they have been able to do so, but eventually, we may need to look elsewhere to get more from our technology. Do you think this technology will be developed to sustain Moore’s Law into the next decade, or will it fail? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
So what is the next “big” thing? What’s the next consumer technology to revolutionize our lives? Is it another piece of hardware? Software? Practice? To find what’s next, many experts are focusing on the information; and it’s becoming evident that very information is actually the next “big” thing. The “Big” Data In this new age of individualism that is largely fueled by mobility, the average person uses (and creates) an enormous amount of data; well more than the two-to-five gigabytes that you get with your standard data plan. As of May of 2015 global IP traffic has increased 500 percent over the past five years and is at nearly one billion gigabytes per year. This number is expected to increase by 100 percent over the next five years to about 2 zettabytes per year. To put that in perspective, a zettabyte can hold 36,000,000 years of HD video… yes, that’s years. This shift has all happened in a relatively short period of time, too. The ramifications of such a huge cultural move are still developing. Mobile devices, once looked at as “cool” gadgets, are now the predominant form of computing in the world (having just passed PC computing in worldwide data usage). People that use smartphones don’t just lug it around to make calls, they are constantly accessing the Internet, social media, and other applications. This creates a situation where businesses are building significant revenue streams by mining, packaging, and selling your user data to advertisers and other information-seeking organizations, including governments. Everything Will Be Connected The information systems your business uses are able to compute a fair amount of data, and by analyzing the data you collect, you can find out a lot about your business. If you think that is a lot of data to analyze, what will happen when everything you come into contact with is connected to the Internet? The concept of the Internet of Things isn’t a new one. The first network-connected device was a Coca-Cola machine on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University in 1982. The machine could report when beverage containers were empty and it could measure the temperature of imported cans. According to Gartner, nearly 26 billion separate devices will be on the Internet of Things by 2020. Every device that is connected to the IoT will produce data. Whether it is a refrigerator that can automate grocery delivery or a dog collar that measures the health and activity of your pet, the underlying theme inherent in every Internet-connected device will be that relevant data will be reported for analysis. This data can go a long way to teach humans that many of the preexisting beliefs people have about humanity aren’t necessarily right; producing a world where, unlike the pop culture aspect of modern humanity, facts supersede opinions, and change will be the result of data analysis, not an emotional outcry from the fringes of society. Where Does This Leave Users? According to Mckinsey Global Institute, data brokers like Acxiom, fuel an industry worth $300 billion a year by selling off the data they collect. This information can include users’ name, gender, age, ethnicity, and more. In a profile of the company by The New York Times, Acxiom claimed to have information on some 500 million people including, “nearly every U.S. consumer”. […]