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Quick review: why you need virtualization

With virtualization, you can make software see several separate computers where there is only one, or make several computers look like one supercomputer. That may sound simple, but it’s far from it. Of course the benefits are well worth it; here are just a few.

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04 Jul, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Security category
Quick review: why you need virtualization

With virtualization, you can make software see several separate computers where there is only one, or make several computers look like one supercomputer. That may sound simple, but it’s far from it. Of course the benefits are well worth it; here are just a few.

More technology uptime

Virtualization vendors use lots of fancy names for the features of their technology, but behind all the technobabble are a number of revolutionary concepts. Take “fault tolerance” for example. When you use virtualization to pool multiple servers in such a way that they can be used as a single supercomputer, you can drastically increase uptime. If one of those servers goes down, the others continue working uninterrupted.

Another example of this is “live migrations,” which is just a fancy way of saying that employee computers can be worked on by technicians while users are still using them. Say you’ve built a bare-bones workstation (as a virtual machine on the server), but you need to upgrade its storage capacity. Virtualization solutions of today can do that without the need to disconnect the user and restart their computer.

Better disaster recovery

Data backups are much simpler in a virtualized environment. In a traditional system, you could create an “image” backup of your server -- complete with operating system, applications and system settings. But it could be restored to a computer only with the exact same hardware specifications.

With virtualization, images of your servers and workstations are much more uniform and can be restored to a wider array of computer hardware setups. This is far more convenient and much faster to restore compared to more traditional backups.

More secure applications

In an effort to increase security, IT technicians usually advocate isolating software and applications from each other. If malware is able to find a way into your system through a software security gap, you want to do everything in your power to keep it from spreading.

Virtualization can put your applications into quarantined spaces that are allowed to use only minimum system resources and storage, reducing the opportunities they have to wreak havoc on other components of the system.

Longer technology lifespans

The same features that quarantine applications can also create customized virtual spaces for old software. If your business needs a piece of software that won’t work on modern operating systems, virtualization allows you to build a small-scale machine with everything the program needs to run. In that virtual space, the application will be more secure, use fewer resources, and remain quarantined from new programs.

In addition to software, virtualization also encourages longer life spans of old hardware components. With virtualization, the hardware an employee uses is little more than a window to the powerful virtual machine on the server. Employee computers need only the hardware required to run the virtualization window, and the majority of the processing takes place on the server. Hardware requirements are much lower for employees and equipment can be used for several years.

Easier cloud migrations

There are several ways virtualization and cloud technology overlap. Both help users separate processing power from local hardware and software, delivering computing power over a local network or the internet. Because of these similarities, migrating to the cloud from a virtualized environment is a much simpler task.

There is no debate about the benefits of this technology. The only thing standing between your business and more affordable, efficient computing is an IT provider that can manage it for you. For unlimited technology support, virtualization or otherwise, on a flat monthly fee -- get in touch with us today!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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MR to be removed from Google search

Google has recently made changes to its personal information policy, including a major one for the healthcare industry. The search giant has begun removing private medical records from its search results, preventing cybercriminals from taking advantage of these resources that were previously available after only a few keystrokes.

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03 Jul, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Security category
MR to be removed from Google search

Google has recently made changes to its personal information policy, including a major one for the healthcare industry. The search giant has begun removing private medical records from its search results, preventing cybercriminals from taking advantage of these resources that were previously available after only a few keystrokes.

If an individual's medical records were leaked, that could be both emotionally and financially damaging. For example, hackers that use ransomware to extort money from hospitals can gain access to private medical data and hold it for ransom. Whether the ransom is paid or not, they could still release it online, where Google’s search engine would pick it up.

Traditionally, Google had a hands-off policy to search results and rely on its algorithm to do the work instead. In the past, this policy was heavily scrutinized for releasing fake news and other forms of false information. All of this changed when Google combed through the search results and removed private medical information.

Before making potentially sensitive information available on search results, Google now assesses their level of sensitivity using this series of questions:

  • Is it a government-issued identification number?
  • Is it confidential, or is it publicly available information?
  • Can it be used for common financial transactions?
  • Can it be used to obtain more information about an individual that would result in financial harm or identity theft?
  • Is it a personally identifiable nude or sexually explicit photo or video shared without consent?

Ensuring the security of private data is paramount to the success of businesses operating in every industry. Whether it be on-site or online, if data were to fall into the wrong hands, not only could that cause financial and reputational ruin, it could even close down your business for good. If you want to know more about how to keep your data safe, feel free to call or email us!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Does the CIA have access to your router?

There are an exhausting number of cyber security threats to watch out for, and unfortunately you need to add another to the list. A recent leak from the CIA proves that routers are one of the weakest links in network security.

The Wikileaks CIA documents

For several months, the notorious website famous for leaking government data has been rolling out information it obtained from the Central Intelligence Agency.

The post Does the CIA have access to your router? appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

27 Jun, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Security category
Does the CIA have access to your router?

There are an exhausting number of cyber security threats to watch out for, and unfortunately you need to add another to the list. A recent leak from the CIA proves that routers are one of the weakest links in network security.

The Wikileaks CIA documents

For several months, the notorious website famous for leaking government data has been rolling out information it obtained from the Central Intelligence Agency. The documents detail top-secret surveillance projects from 2013 to 2016 and mainly cover cyber espionage.

In the most recent release, documents describe government-sponsored methods and programs used to exploit home, office, and public wireless routers for both tracking internet browsing habits and remotely accessing files stored on devices that connect to compromised networks.

Is my router one of them?

According to the documents, 25 models of wireless routers from 10 different manufacturers were being exploited by the CIA. They weren’t off-brand budget devices either; the list includes devices from some of the biggest names in wireless networking:

  • Netgear
  • Linksys
  • Belkin
  • D-Link
  • Asus

Those brands account for over a third of wireless routers on the market, which means there’s a good chance you’re at risk.

After WannaCry used a previous CIA leak to fuel its global spread, you need to worry about more than just being a target of government espionage too. Over the past few years, almost all of these leaks have quickly made their way into criminal hands.

Patching vulnerabilities

Fixing security gaps in hardware is tricky business, especially when they’re mainly used to monitor rather than corrupt. In most cases, there will be no visual cues or performance problems to indicate your hardware has been infected. As such, you should plan on regularly updating the software on your hardware devices whenever possible.

Accessing your router's software interface isn’t a user-friendly experience for non-IT folks. Usually, to access it, you need to visit the manufacturer’s website and log in with the administrator username and password. If these are still set to the default “admin” and “password” make sure to change them.

Once logged in, navigate through the settings menus until you find the Firmware Update page. Follow the instructions and confirm that the firmware has been properly installed.

The CIA’s router leaks were vague, so we’re not even sure how recent they are. We are fairly certain, however, that all of the manufacturers have since patched the vulnerabilities. Regardless, updating your router’s firmware will protect from a number of cyber security risks. If you’re unable to finish the task on your own, one of our technicians can fix it, as well as any other firmware vulnerabilities, in a matter hours. All you need to do is call!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Gmail gets anti-phishing enhancements

Although hackers continue to develop new viruses and bug exploits, the most effective weapon in their arsenal is a simple email. All a would-be cybercriminal has to do is write a convincing message (or pretend to be a trustworthy entity) to persuade a victim to download a malware-ridden file or surrender their personal information.

The post Gmail gets anti-phishing enhancements appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

19 Jun, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Security category
Gmail gets anti-phishing enhancements

Although hackers continue to develop new viruses and bug exploits, the most effective weapon in their arsenal is a simple email. All a would-be cybercriminal has to do is write a convincing message (or pretend to be a trustworthy entity) to persuade a victim to download a malware-ridden file or surrender their personal information. This ruse is known by many as a phishing scam. To protect users from these attacks, Google recently released some new anti-phishing features for Gmail. Read on below to find out more.

Machine learning
Google is approaching email security the same way they’ve been developing their products, with machine learning technology. Phishing scams usually follow a predictable pattern when you analyze them. Knowing this, Gmail experts developed an algorithm that analyzes phishing and spam patterns and updates Google’s security database in real time.

When the same phishing attempt is made, Gmail flags potentially dangerous messages and sends them through Google’s Safe Browsing feature, where message links and file attachments are tested for malicious activity. According to Google, around 50 to 70 percent of emails that get sent to Gmail accounts are spam and phishing emails, but with the new detection algorithm, Gmail can block 99.9% of them.

Click-time warnings
Google has also added precautions for suspicious links. When you accidentally click on an unsolicited link in a message, Gmail will redirect you to a security page titled: “Warning -- phishing (web forgery) suspected.”

Although Google does not completely block access to the link (in case of false positives), it advises you to be extremely careful if you do decide to proceed.

External reply warnings
Another enhancement focuses on securing reply messages. The Gmail feature warns users when they are about to send a reply to an address that is not in their contact list or company domain. This small improvement is designed to prevent users from giving away sensitive information to third-parties.

Every Gmail user can take advantage of these new security controls today, but it’s important to keep in mind that these can’t replace security awareness. Even Google has mentioned that these features are complements to existing security systems and best practices. Being able to identify what is or isn’t a scam can go a long way in protecting your business.

Google is adding machine learning technology in almost all of their products. To find out where they’ll apply it to next, get in touch with our experts and stay tuned for more Google-related posts.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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