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Windows 7 End of Life

September 5, 2019by Ibrahim MassriNo Comments

Mark the date.

As promised, Microsoft provided 10 years’ worth of support for Windows 7 when it launched the OS back in October 2009.

Windows 7 is due to reach the end of life (EOL) on 14 January 2020. What does this mean for the 40% computer users who still runs with Windows 7? 

Microsoft says, “Every Windows product has a lifecycle. The life cycle begins when a product is released and ends when it’s no longer supported. Knowing key dates in this lifecycle helps you make informed decisions about when to update, upgrade or make other changes to your software.” 

After EOL, Microsoft will stop supporting and servicing Windows 7 with security and feature updates. It will essentially become abandonware.

This affects Windows 7 users as  they will not get any updates, security patches, or any kind of support from Microsoft. 

 

Will you have to replace all of your devices running on the Windows 7 OS? Well, not technically.You can still continue to use your current computer with Windows 7 OS, but it won’t get the free security patches and updates. Your computer or quite possibly  your entire network will be very open to malware and other IT security threats. In the event of data theft, a business becomes liable if you are running Windows 7 OS.

You could also  may as well be violating regulations by using an OS that’s officially declared vulnerable to security threats. This shows that Windows 7 is not advisable to be used for businesses.

While volume license customers will still be able to pay for updates on Windows 7, most normal users will be out of luck. To remain secure, you’ll have to upgrade your OS to either Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 to continue receiving security updates from Microsoft every month. Failure to do so will put your PC at risk, especially if it’s one that connects to the internet. 

Microsoft advise purchasing a PC or laptop that is compatible with Windows 10. However, it is still a cheaper alternative to purchase Windows 10, so long as your computer is compatible with it. You can also purchase support for Windows. Although, this opens up a can of new problems for you, 

“Though Microsoft says it will support Windows 7 until January 2020, it began blocking older machines, such as those using Pentium III, in June 2018. Microsoft can block support for any machine at any time, so Windows 7 users should be prepared.”

Will your hardware be able to take it? How will you know if your computer is compatible with Windows 10 or if you should purchase a new set? 

Put your mind at ease and let us assist you. ICTechnology can assist you from installing new hardware, cable management all the way to migrating your files to the cloud. No need to worry! You have your contract free IT with ICTechnology!

 

  1. Resources

 

 https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3062341/microsoft-confirms-windows-7-support-can-be-extended-for-a-price

https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/4057281/windows-7-support-will-end-on-january-14-2020

 

IT Security, IT Services, IT Services Provider

Difference Between Backup  & Disaster Recovery

March 3, 2019by Ibrahim MassriNo Comments
Difference between backup & disaster recovery

As the need to protect IT systems and data is increasing, the terms backup and Disaster Recovery are being more and more used. However, they are more often used in the wrong context than in the right ones. It is very common for people to misunderstand the terms while discussing how one can better protect the data and the systems involved.

“Having a backup plan is not the same as having a DR strategy in place”

The above sentence is very important. If you don’t know the difference or if your company doesn’t use both of them, it could be a problem. Before we go ahead and discuss why they are both important, let’s take a step back and start from the beginning.

What is a backup?
A backup is basically a duplicate copy of all your data on another device. Some even store their backup on another location, for better protection.

He backup could be stored in a separate location in your data centre or on a tape drive or in any other form. They are usually copied and stored on a daily basis, usually away from the main data. This can either be done manually, such as in the cases of using tapes, or automatically, such as when you choose to store it in the cloud.

The simple benefit of having a backup is one would be able to restore the original form in case of trouble.

There are three things you need to think about when planning a backup routine:

– What do you need to back up?
– How long would you need to store it?
– How often would you need to back it up?

The type of solution you go for should ideally be based on multiple factors, some of them being the budget, the kind of data being backed up, and the amount of data.

It is more than likely that one solution will not be able to help you with all the factors that you have in mind. At this stage, you must sit and discuss with your team on which solution or platform is likely to be the best for you.

What is disaster recovery (DR)?
DR or disaster recovery is so much more than simply having a backup plan. It is about having a strategy in place that will keep your business functioning without taking a hit in case of a sudden disaster.

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While DR is the most important part, it is just one phase in the strategy. So, what does the DR plan or strategy entail?

The first thing you must do while developing a disaster recovery plan is to figure out the systems that are vital to keeping your business functions running when your infrastructure is down. The disaster could be a natural one, like a hurricane or a malicious one, like a Ransom-ware attack.

The best solutions are often the simplest ones. In this case, it would be to duplicate the infrastructure and back up the data in real-time. While this is very effective, it is not a cost-effective option.

Next, you need to decide how much your company can afford to lose with the crucial systems offline. You will also have to choose if you want the DR system to take over automatically or not. Budget constraint is a common problem in DR planning and most business uses different technologies for different issues.

It is very important to keep in mind that DR plans offer convenience and security not only in cases of a disaster but also during testing or in cases of human errors. Statistics tell us that more often than not, most DR situations are triggered due to human errors!

Key differences between backup and disaster recovery
Understanding the difference between a backup and a disaster recovery plan is the key to ensuring that your business never faces issues while the critical systems are down.

While a backup is simply a copy of your data, the DR plan is designed to ensure the data’s recovery in case something happens. Let’s take a look at some of the differences between them.

1. Data Retention
Backups are performed daily for data retention at a particular location and for the only purpose of replicating data. With DR, you will need the RTO or the Recovery Time Objective to understand how long the business can work without IT systems after the disaster.

2. Ability to recover the data
Backups are important when you need to restore data immediately. However, they are not of much use in case your infrastructure is down. It cannot also use the necessary physical resources needed to bring them online. The main aim of a Disaster Recovery program is to recover your data in case of an emergency. The process ensures that all your data is replicated and stored in an alternative environment, thereby ensuring your business will always run smoothly.

3. Additional Resources
A backup, in this case, is just a copy of the data that is taken in order to be restored to the original piece.

DR, on the other hand, needs a separate production environment where the data can be stored safely. When choosing the environment, one should consider all factors like software, security, physical resources, and connectivity.

4. Planning
Planning a backup is not very hard. It should be designed such that it meets the RPO or the Recovery Point Objective along with the data retention requirements. A DR strategy needs in-detail planning, which could include details about the systems that are considered crucial, creating a communication process, and a testing plan.
Purpose of having backup plans Vs. a DR strategy
The purpose of having a backup of your data is to understand which solution will help with your business requirements. The reasons for having a disaster recovery plan in place is to reduce risk and downtime, prevent outages, and maintain compliance.
Why does an organization require both?
A combination of backup and disaster recovery will ensure that critical systems are brought back online as swiftly as possible while maintaining a backup of your data and application. Each of them has different benefits and helps with different issues. While backups are done on a weekly or daily basis as needed, the DR plan usually involves synchronous replication of data in an off-site platform. This ensures less data loss. Regarding backup, data retention period can be quite high since the backups are done at relatively low intervals

You can keep storing as long as your storage capacity is not full. With data being replicated synchronously, more storage space is required.

Conclusion
To put it simply, backups ensure that your everyday information is dutifully copied and stored in a safe place. In cases of human errors or natural disasters, the disaster recovery plan will kick into action to make sure that the key business functions keep working even while the infrastructure is down.

This is one of the reasons why data backups are stored in a separate geographic location.

While backup and disaster recovery are as different as day and night, they need to work in tandem to ensure that the business works smoothly and without any trouble at all times.
IT Security, IT Services, IT Services Provider

Cloud Backup Solutions for Small Business

February 20, 2019by Ibrahim MassriNo Comments
Cloud Backup Solutions for Small Business

Regardless of the industry, every business runs on data. Modern business houses recognise the importance of protecting their critical data, which is why they take appropriate measures to safeguard it.

One of the basic ways of protecting valuable data is backing it up. It is imperative to have regular backups even for a small business. Data loss happens, and if and when it does, it can result in a real disaster. It may take several days or months to generate lost data like the reports, contracts, documents, content and more again.

Moreover, with the availability of affordable, easy to use and flexible cloud backup solutions, why take the risk of losing your data?
Why is it a good idea to opt for cloud backup solutions?

Gone are the days when small businesses copied files to local drives and external hard drives to protect their essential data. This approach takes a lot of time and effort to complete. It is also vulnerable to many failures like theft, natural disasters like fire, and unexpected events like hardware malfunctions.

A report by Boston Computing suggests that around 60% of the organisations are prone to be shut down within 6 months of losing their data. After losing your valuable data, you will have to spend a lot of time and money to get your business back on track.

Therefore, it is much better to have a regular backup of your files; better still, to have an automated solution using a cloud backup service.

There are many cloud backup service providers in the market which can help you save yourself from losing data. However, choosing the best backup solution for your business can be tricky as you need to consider various parameters before finally selecting one of them.

How to choose ideal backup solution?
There are several things you need to consider before zeroing in on a cloud backup service provider. You need to answer many questions to come up with the perfect solution. Some of the important answers you should seek to include:

– Does the provider’s service meet your needs?
Any provider can offer the service that you’re looking for, but make sure you find out what measures it offers when there’s a disaster. The provider should have adequate bandwidth to facilitate rapid restoration.

– How is the data backed up?
Great service providers offer redundant backup services. So in case something happens in the provider’s premises, you have a backup of your backup. Always ensure to ask what kind of disaster recovery plan the provider has in place.

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What are the costs involved?
Make sure you find out if there are any hidden costs involved. Cloud service providers often have hidden costs attached to their overall fee structure.

How secure will your data be?
One of the most important criteria that you must consider is whether your data will be secure. Don’t be afraid to ask the cloud backup service provider the tough questions about how they plan to secure your data.

In addition to these basic questions, it might be good to consider:
– How much storage space will you need?
– Will multiple versions of the same file be supported?
– What is the security encryption offered by the service provider?
– Who will have access to the data and options to manage the privileges for different users on the same data?
Keeping in mind the answers for the above questions, we have compiled a list of 5 best cloud backup solutions for small businesses.

Best Small Business Backup Solutions

Barracuda Backup:
Barracuda Backup allows businesses to run flawlessly by minimizing downtime and preventing data loss. It has proven to be the industry’s easiest deployable and manageable all-in-one data protection solution. The solution is available in simple pricing options and offers backup software, local storage, de-duplication and offsite replication that can be deployed in under an hour. Barracuda backup offers cloud-based central management for seamless multisite administration.

Some of the best features of the backup solution include:
– Built-in offsite replication to Barracuda Cloud, or a remote physical appliance, or a remote virtual appliance, or public cloud to prevent data loss in case of disaster.
– Offsite vaulting to enable long-term retention.
– Compression and inline de-duplication providing up to 50X reduction in storage and bandwidth requirements.
– Cloud-to-cloud backup offering which protects MS Office 365 environments from data loss with point-in-time recovery.

Barracuda Backup is a single-point solution to protect physical servers as well as virtual machines with unified management for replication and retention. It can replicate data securely and efficiently from an on-premises physical or virtual backup appliance to Barracuda Cloud, a remote physical appliance, a remote virtual appliance, or Amazon Web Services (AWS). It is built on a hardened Linux OS with a lower threat profile and fewer threat vectors compared to Windows-based backup products. It even offers Ransomware Recovery.

Veeam Cloud Backup & DRaaS
Veeam Cloud Connect provides an easy way for you to enter the booming cloud market by getting your customers’ virtual machine (VM) backups and replicas offsite while providing a fully integrated, secure and fast way to backup and restore from the cloud. Veeam enables disaster recovery-as-a-service (DRaaS) as part of a comprehensive Availability strategy, embracing virtualization and storage investments in your customers’ data centres and extending them through the hybrid cloud.

Key features of the solution include:
– A cloud host for disaster recovery with CPU, RAM, storage and networking resource allocation from a DRaaS provider.
– Partial and complete failback to restore normal business operations.
– 1-click failover orchestration for quick execution and site failover testing for failover simulation — all without disrupting production workloads.
– Multiple traffic-reduction techniques including replica seeding and built-in WAN acceleration.
– Hosted offsite backups through a secure SSL connection with no additional Veeam licensing required.
– Complete visibility and control to access and recover data in hosted backup repositories directly from the backup console.
– A modern backup architecture.
– End-to-end encryption.

Veeam Cloud Connect provides fully integrated, fast and secure cloud-based disaster recovery through a service provider.

So these were some of the best cloud backup solutions for small businesses. Keep the considerations we mentioned in mind before setting your heart on a cloud backup solution provider and don’t forget to compare the services offered by different providers. So, what are your views on this? Do let us know!

IT Security, IT Services, IT Services Provider

21st Century Network Security

January 28, 2019by Ibrahim MassriNo Comments
21st Century Network Security

“Digital freedom stops where that of users begins… Nowadays, digital evolution must no longer be a customer trade-off between privacy and security. Privacy is not to sell; it’s a valuable asset to protect.”
– Stephane Nappo

Everything related to computers and the Internet has grown tremendously in the 21st Century. The Internet is today’s largest platform that brings nations and communities together in the same light. This development in computer networks and the Internet at large has benefitted mankind. But all good things do have a shadow, and the down point of this network is its uncertainty.

In 1995, only 1% of the world’s population had access to the Internet, compared to today’s 40%. This is an enormous growth, which calls for us to pay closer attention to network security threats that result from this growth.

Network security breaches are extremely common these days and several occur around the world almost every day. Some of these cases are considered minor, with little loss of data or resources, but many of them are considered catastrophic and are disastrous in many aspects. For example, the security breach which we’re all quite familiar with – the 2016 U.S. presidential elections where Russian hackers came into play.

Lest such events happen more often, all of us need to understand network security challenges and their solutions. Therefore, in this article, let’s talk about what Network
security really is.

What is “Network Security”?
According to theSANS Institute, network security is the process of taking preventative measures to protect our network system and personal data from unauthorised access, misuse, malfunction, modification, destruction or improper disclosure. Implementing these measures allows your device programs to perform their permitted functions to their full potential.

Securing a network requires a vital yet quite complex combination of hardware devices, such as routers, firewalls and anti-malware software applications. Government agencies and businesses employ highly skilled information security analysts to implement security plans and constantly monitor the efficiency of these plans.

Why is “Network Security” important?
Network security is one of the most important aspects to consider when working on the Internet. While there is no network immune to attacks, a stable and efficient network security system always attempts to protect your data. A good network security system helps users by reducing the risk of falling victim to data theft and sabotage. Network security helps protect your computer from harmful viruses. It also ensures that shared data is safe. Network security promotes the reliability of your network by preventing possible overlooks through continuous monitoring of suspicious transactions that can sabotage the system.

The past has witnessed many events in which important information of Government and large multinational corporations has been stolen; for example, the famous hacking of Sony Pictures’ system, the hacking of Yahoo.com which compromised the data of 3 billion users, and so on. The most recent was Russian hackers meddling in US presidential elections which were held in 2016.

Hackers are ceaselessly searching for new vulnerabilities to abuse. In this age when systems are not anchored, data about associations and people, and even our legislature is in danger of being uncovered or utilized against us. So, data security experts create and execute safety efforts to ensure computer networks are safe and secure.

As technology advances, it has paved the way for serious network security threats. This has made the whole digital world to be more vulnerable. A lot of new security threats have emerged; it is important to keep yourself up to date with such network security threats to be on the safe side.

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Network Security Threats of the 21st Century
1. Worms and Viruses
Though these have been around for quite a while now, viruses are nowadays advanced and hard to deal with. Every day, new virus threats are emerging. These malicious programs can cause serious damage to essential network system data, making it unusable. Viruses and worms serve as the starting point for sophisticated cyber-attacks.

2. Drive-by Download
This is an attack wherein malicious codes are downloaded from an Internet site using an app or a web browser. If your network or system security is weak, these malicious codes can compromise your data. It is therefore important to make sure that in addition to not visiting un-trusted sites, you should keep your browsers updated all the time to avoid drive-by download attacks.cyber-attacks.

3. Phishing Attacks
This is a form of social engineering attack wherein an attacker aims at getting crucial information such as credit card details, login passwords, etc. from several users. A phishing attack seems to come from a trusted source but the fact is that the attackers usually impersonate a reputable site, banking institutions or other sources to gain user trust and then perform the stealing.

You should be vigilant in order to deal with phishing attacks. Though some of these attacks are sophisticated and it becomes hard for most people to avoid, it is important for you to ensure that you are cautious of what you click on the web.

4. APT Threats
APT or “Advanced Persistent Threats” is a kind of attack where an attacker places code on a target system and allows it to remain there undetected for quite a while. The APT sits quietly into that system stealing information. Such an attack can compromise all the information in a system as well as the data from the connected network systems.

System administrators should ensure that theyclosely monitor the network system for any suspicious activity such as data loss. They should also ensure that they use special network security software to trap internal attacks.

Some methods to protect the network:
There are various methods to enforce network security including access control, anti-virus and anti-malware software, application security, data loss prevention, VPN, intrusion prevention systems, and so on. However, daily maintenance of computer network is a crucial part of having your systems secured.

The network security threat is a cat and mouse race; new threats are emerging every now and then and therefore IT specialists must keep up to combat these threats. The first step is to remain educated about emerging threats like the ones we have looked at above. The other thing is to make sure that all the network systems and network security tools are kept up to date. In order to prevent the breach of confidentiality and integrity, theft of service, and denial of service you must have reliable network security.

1. Firewall: Firewalls effectively stop any attempt of unauthorized access to a computer.
2. Anti-virus: Detects and defuses a virus.
3. Encryption: Encryption renders data useless without the use of a proper key to unlock it.
4. Authentication: This technique intends to verify the identity of a user based on the credentials stored in his system.
5. Engagement of IT Specialist: By engaging a specialist you can have a security plan built specifically for you business. This plan will put in place risk mitigation and disaster recovery.

Hackers are continuously looking for new vulnerable networks to exploit for personal gains. When networks are vulnerable, information about organizations and individuals and even the government is at risk of being exposed to harmful elements. Therefore, it is important to have proper security measures in place to protect your network. 
To Conclude:
Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and in cyber security the more systems we secure – the more secure we are. 

So, what are your views on this? Do let us know!

IT Security, IT Services, IT Services Provider

Business Continuity Plan vs Disaster Recovery Plan

January 9, 2019by Ibrahim MassriNo Comments

Nowadays, we cannot even think of a day without technology. For a business operation point of view, technology is a lot more critical. The functional area of any business relies heavily on the IT infrastructure, i.e. Data storage, networks, hardware, software and so on. Therefore, entrepreneurs or business executives want to craft an effective strategic plan to be successful in every significant event. Usually, two terms confrontthem at the initial stage
– Business Continuity Planning
– Disaster Recovery Planning

What is a business continuity plan?
A business continuity plan is a strategic, purposeful method of ensuring that a business does not collapse in the long run. So it is more or less making surethat everything is currently in place to avoid future disaster.

An unplanned occurrence can present itself at any time. It may include a fire incident or any other thing that affects the normal functioning of the organization. These occurrences also have everything to do with the staff of the organisation and the operating process of the organization.

While scouting the Internet for research on this topic, we came across an instance that sparked some questions in our mind. A big store or supermarket had lost its data due to the presence of a virus. Since viruses are nothing new and are very easy to penetrate systems, the supermarket should have had proper measures in place to combat such an occurrence. Before this happened, there should have been a local backup, an offsite backup or something similar to contain a duplicate of everything on the primary storage. This way, any loss of vital data would not have felt as such.

This kind of ahead thinking forms part of a business continuity plan (BCP). Business continuity planning reflects the strategy that ensures a business to be operational with minimal or no downtime or service outage. In other words, BCP provides a competitive edge to the organisation over their competitors for the best chance of survival.

Before a company arrives at a successful continuity plan, it should consider a few factors. It includes carrying out a critical analysis of the business to ensure that the best continuity strategy has been put in place. Everything that is needed to get the business back on track after a crisis would become a part of the BCP.

What is a disaster recovery plan?
A disaster recovery plan (DRP) details all the measures required to recover the data, information and applications in the unlikely event of a disaster hitting your business. A good disaster recovery plan must cover all the potential catastrophes. You might not be able to prevent disasters, but an efficient disaster recovery plan minimises its effects. Reviewing, testing and continually updating a disaster recovery plan is critical for an organisation’s efficient functioning.

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Disaster recovery plan refers to the process and procedures, which are adapted to restore the data and applications if the total or partial IT infrastructure of an organisation gets damaged. It is more technical. The prime focus is to recover the data as well as applications as quickly as possible to continue the service during and after a disaster.

RPO (Recovery Point Objective) and RTO (Recovery Time Objective) are two essential parameters for an effective disaster recovery plan. However, these parameters are defined according to the needs of a company. RPO is a metric which indicates how much data an organisation can afford to lose. It is indicative of the time which passes between the last system replication and the occurrence of a disaster. It is linked to the replication frequency of systems, more frequent means fewer data lost.

On the other hand, RTO refers to the time which passes between a disaster and the complete recovery of systems. So the time that is requested to go back online after a catastrophe is RTO. If a business cannot afford even a single minute of downtime, its RTO will be set to zero.

Performing business impact analysis (BIA) and risk analysis (RA) is recommended before designing a DRP. It helps in focusing the critical resources at the appropriate place at any given time in the entire disaster recovery planning process.

The strategies to implement a disaster recovery plan must be aligned with the objectives of a company. Disaster recovery planning is a component of the broader business continuity considerations.Therefore, the primary objective of a disaster recovery plan is to reduce the risk associated with a company in a disaster or after a disaster by responding to an emergency.   Time is a significant factor while designing such plans. Data and information systems should be quickly recovered and restored.

Importance of both these plans:
Business Continuity Plans and Disaster Recovery Plans are created for almost the same purpose, which is why a misconception has spread that they’re synonymous. That’s not the case. Even though they’re used in close association and are supposed to fulfil the same objectives, they’re still different based on when and why they are applied. They are interconnected solutions, yet distinct from one another.

Difference between Business Continuity Plan and Disaster Recovery Plan
Let’s look at brief descriptions of both of these plans to have a better fundamental understanding of their nature and differences:

Disaster Recovery Plan
– As the name suggests, this plan takes into account all probable occurrences (or more accurately, disasters) that could strike the business operations or its information systems.

– It is a service that signifies the best technical measures and practices to perform in case of such an event. These disasters could stem from any source; it could be an earthquake, flood, a catastrophic human error, robbery, system hack, fire, or any other abnormal loss.

– A ‘Disaster Recovery Plan’ initially states each core process that is critical to the company’s functionality, clarifying which ones need the highest level of protection and monitoring.

– It lists down the best possible actions the management can take for the speediest recovery of these processes in case of any damage to them due to a potential disaster.

– Disaster recovery plans are all about restoration.

Business Continuity Plan
– Business Continuity Plans are solutions that revolve around ensuring consistency in smooth business operations.

– They have nothing to do with recovery, but they’re all about the continuity of all of the core systems of an organisation.

– They prevent a ton of interruptions that can be caused for innumerable reasons, some of which may be due to network downtimes, IT issues, legal matters or obstructions, or merely a lack of present staff.

– A business can gain the best possible outcome if both of these critical plans are used in coordination, to keep each essential element of the business running consistently while securing its re-storability against potential disasters.

– It is mainly about defining the needs & requirements to have a DRP for the business.

To wrap it up
Most often, the two terms BCP and DRP are mistakenly used interchangeably. Therefore, you need a clear understanding of the differences to formulate effective planning. So, what are your views on this?

IT Security, IT Services, IT Services Provider, Uncategorized

How To Permanently Stop Spam Emails

December 12, 2018by Ibrahim MassriNo Comments

No matter what age group we belong to, we all have become so used to keeping up-to-date with technology that we cannot live without having a glance at our emails or IMs several times each day. Right from important official emails to messages about subscribed services, the first thing most of us do in the morning is to check our emails. So much so that for many, staying online has become like an addiction. However, that’s a point we may discuss sometimes late. 

Let me focus on the primary aim of this article. One of the most annoying aspects of using email services these days is to receive an infinite number of spam emails flooding our inbox almost every day. Most of the times, such spam emails come from unauthorised senders whom we don’t even recognise. The constant disruptions caused by such spam emails tend to have a negative impact on our overall mental acuity as well as productivity. 

One of the most straightforward solutions to put an end to these disruptions is to stop the inflow of spam emails permanently. Cutting ourselves from using the internet and its services might seem like the ultimate solution. However, we know that it is just not a practical solution. The ideal solution that we can try out is filtering these emails to our best possible efforts. Almost all email clients (including Gmail) aim at filtering out most unauthorised emails and moving suspicious emails to a separate folder; however, this trick is not entirely foolproof. 

Most of the times, even legitimate messages referred to as “false positives,” end up going in the separate spam folder too. As such, you must look out for a permanent solution to put an end to receiving such spam emails in your inbox on a daily basis. However, to implement such a solution, you must first know how to differentiate spam emails from legitimate promotional emails.

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Spam Vs. Promotional Emails

There are times when most of us might get confused between spam emails and promotional emails. Spam messages are typically referred to as UBEs (Unsolicited Bulk Emails). You can consider the following points in understanding the difference between spam messages and promotional emails:

– Suppose that you have provided your email address to some company towards downloading some information or a piece of content. That particular company would then start sending you emails in the form of updates or notifications about their new products or blog posts. This cannot be considered spam. This is because while such emails might be unwanted, they are technically solicited by you once you give the company your email address.

– At the same time, if the original company sends your email address to some third-party or other company, then this could lead to the inflow of spam messages. This is because the emails that you receive from the other company are both unsolicited and unwanted because you have never provided your email address to the other company.

Ways to Reduce Receiving Spam Emails

Before moving on to the permanent method of stopping spam emails, you can also try out some of the remedial steps that can help in reducing the overall inflow. Here are some points to consider:

 

– Train the Email Filter: When you come across any spam email in your email inbox, do not delete it right away. Select the email, and make the email client know about the fact that the particular email or message is spam. How you would be doing the reporting would typically depend on the respective email client. For instance, when you are using Gmail for email services, you can click on the icon saying “Report Spam” in the toolbar section. You can also let the email client know about the possible false positives in your email account. By doing so, the trusted email client might come across a way of filtering only the spam messages.

– Never Respond to Spam Messages: This could be one of the biggest mistakes you might be doing when it comes to handling spam messages in your inbox. If you find some email or message as suspicious, experts recommend that you should never open it in the first place. If you do open it and realise that it is a spam message, you should close it. Do not click on any link or button prompting you to do so. You should also make it a point not to download any file from the message that you suspect is spam. Never try responding to spam emails at any cost.

– Make Use of a Third-Party Filter for Anti-Spam: Most of the useful Internet security packages come with a specialised anti-spam filter that is aimed at reducing the number of spam messages in your email inbox on a daily basis.
– Remember to Unsubscribe: Many items we think spams are subscription emails to services we don’t remember signing up for. Thus, once you stop finding a use for a particular service, remember to unsubscribe from it so that you don’t receive any more messages from them.
– Hide your Email Address: The higher number of people who have our email address usually has a direct correlation with the number of spams we receive. Do not make your email address public unless there is an absolute need for it. Even when you need to, try providing a different email address than the one that is your primary email address. You can try making use of disposable email IDs when you are not comfortable sharing the primary one.
– Change your Email Address: hough this might appear to be a drastic step on your part, if you have been flooded with spam messages from all over, you might as well consider renouncing your current email address and switching to a better one. While changing the email address, make it a point to inform all the legitimate contacts about the switch. You might have to consider keeping both email addresses functional for some time. However, once you get rid of the old email address, the number of spam messages will automatically get reduced. With the all-new email address, you can try remaining cautious when & where to share the same to prevent it from getting filled with spam emails.

How to Stop Spam Emails Permanently?

If you are looking for a permanent solution to stop the incoming spam messages to your inbox, you can take the help of third-party apps and extensions. Such apps and services capture spam messages as they travel between an email server and an email client. A few of the best spam blocking third-party services are mentioned below:

– Mailwasher – This is an effective and easy-to-use free spam blocking application. All you need to do is supply your email address, and this service applies a series of intelligent filters to identify unwanted messages. You can review the emails captured as spam online before they show up in your inbox.
– SpamSieve – This is what most macOS users recommend to be the best spam blocker app. It relies on a smart email filtering system that gains intelligence over time by recognising the messages you agree are spam or mark as safe. It will adjust to your preferences to only let genuine messages through.

– SpamCop – This free service works a bit differently. It lets you report spam senders to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) so that they can block such messages at their source. While it requires more effort, you can find help on the SpamCop websitebelow:

Conclusion:

Make sure that you do not receive additional spam messages or emails to remain safe from unauthorised access and cyber threats. Spam might be simply observed as nothing more than a simple nuisance. However, it is considered best to regard it as a distraction. By implementing effective steps, you can reduce the overall number of spam and promotional emails that you receive on a daily basis. You will not only protect yourself from the scammers around the world, but it will also help in protecting everyone’s overall productivity and valuable time.

Be safe!

IT Services, IT Services Provider, Managed Service, Managed Service Provider, Technology

Network Outages – All there is to know

November 25, 2018by Ibrahim MassriNo Comments

There’s nothing more frustrating than sitting in front of a computer and waiting for a webpage to finish loading. While there might be browser issues, one of the most common reasons behind the endless spinning wheel or beachball is a network outage.

The term “network outage” or “downtime” is used to refer to time durations when a system is unavailable owing to technical or mechanical issues. Outage duration or downtime refers to a period of time in which a system fails to provide or perform its primary function. This term is commonly applied to servers and networks. There are numerous kinds of outages and several possible reasons behind each outage.

In this article, we’ll discuss

  • about network outages,
  • how they can impact your business,
  • and how you can bounce back when needed.

What is a network outage?

A network outage is an issue where there is no actual defect with your server, however, there is an issue with the internet connection somewhere between your computer and the server itself. Such outages are commonly caused by routing problems that are out of control of most service providers. In such cases, even though the servers are running fine, website monitoring services report your website as being offline, and no points for guessing how that impacts your business! A few seconds of website downtime and you could witness the loss of traffic, loss of potential deals, and a decline in online reputation. Thus, the smartest move is to find out as much as you can about such issues and do whatever you can to steer clear of them.

Types of Network Outages

There are several ways of dealing with network outages, which largely depend upon the kind of outage it is. As per industry standards, the below-mentioned classification should be used to avoid conflicts in contract execution:

  1. Maintenance and Upgrades

Regardless of the Operating System running on the server, a certain amount of downtime for maintenance and upgrades is unavoidable so as to maintain security and provide you with the current technology. Such outages are usually planned but occasionally, unplanned maintenances also can take users offline. Such unplanned maintenance routines are generally carried out when service providers are trying to fix an immediate issue.

  1. Server-specific problems

Usually, for any service provider, all servers are consistent but the users on each server are obviously different. Also, the number of users per server varies. Thus, even if the servers have similar configurations, they can experience different problems. Additionally, all servers run on hardware, and all hardware is susceptible to component failure. Server-specific problems are bound to happen occasionally. While that is true, every service provider takes some steps to prevent unnecessary issues:

  • Extensive monitoring of the live servers
  • Controlling and balancing density
  • Retiring all hardware that is past a certain age

All these steps are taken to ensure that your data runs on a server, which has a life expectancy of many years and doesn’t fail except in extreme situations.

  1. Malicious attacks

When we talk about malicious attacks, the first thing that springs to the mind is DDoS or Distributed Denial of Service attack. Under this kind of attack, extensive amounts of data are sent to a site or server such that they are effectively knocked off line. Traditionally, large DDoS attacks would throw MBs of data at a site every second and that would be sufficient to bring it down. But now, with higher bandwidth botnets in the picture, the situation is worse. So much so that in some cases it is impossible to measure how much traffic the DDoS is sending.

As important it is to understand the different types of network outages, it is equally critical to nail down what causes such technical disasters.

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Known causes of network outages

According to a survey sponsored by Veriflow, a California based network startup, network outages are reported hours after they actually happen and they take even longer to resolve. Most resolutions are manmade and thus error-prone, but none-the-less, they are resolutions that get things up and running. The same survey points out that a majority of network outages are caused by:

  • Human Errors – 97% of people agree that human errors are the cause of network outages. Whether it is accidentally turning off a switch or inadvertently causing a short-circuit in the wires, the human element cannot be undermined in this situation.
  • Network Changes – Every network undergoes frequent changes for the sake of maintenance and upkeep. However, changes that are not properly evaluated and accounted for can cause outages that can hurt. Such outages since are not anticipated cause a huge impact on the business.

 
  • Standard Compliance Problems – Although most business houses have standards in place to ensure that the network policies are followed, most employees remain doubtful that they are actually followed the way they should be.
  • Hardware Failures – This is the number one reason for a network outage. There are so many interconnected components in a network that even if one fails it can cause an outage. And it can originate anywhere, router, gateway, controller, etc.
  • Incompatibilities – Though it happens rarely, incompatibilities between firmware and hardware devices can also be the source of a network outage. Add to that failed software patches and firmware updates and you can be sure that it will lead to a disaster sooner or later.
  • Natural Disasters – If you though fire, flood, etc were the only disasters you couldn’t predict, think again. Sometimes even though you have all the necessary measures in place to protect your network from natural disasters, things you never thought of, like rodents chewing on cables can cause network outages. What to do!

 

Highest Impact Industries

While some corporations may be able to afford the few hours of downtime resulting from a network outage and subsequent resolution, there are many mission-critical industries which absolutely cannot let such an event pass by without causing a havoc first.

  • Medical informatics
  • Nuclear power and other infrastructure
  • Banks and other financial institutions
  • Aeronautics, airlines
  • News reporting
  • E-commerce and online transaction processing
  • Persistent online games

In these industries, outages can have a  serious impact on the business and users of such systems. Corporations can lose business due to network outages or they may default on a contract, resulting in financial losses. Those people or organizations that are affected by downtime can be more sensitive to particular aspects:

  • some are more affected by the length of an outage – it matters to them how much time it takes to recover from a problem
  • others are sensitive to the timing of an outage – outages during peak hours affect them the most

The most demanding users are those that require high availability.

Dealing with network outages

There are several techniques of preventing network outages or at least minimizing their effects by resolving them quickly. Here are a few:

  • Manual Hit-and-trials – After each network change, ensure your IT team performs several manual checks to verify that the network is functioning properly. Inspecting devices via the command line interface, inspecting configurations, and performing manual traceroutes or pings are all good methods.

 
  • Continuous Network Monitoring – This is by far the most effective method of keeping tabs on network issues. Network monitoring helps you gather data about the status of a network by polling network devices for availability and performance statistics. Once polled, you can use the data to infer what caused the downtime, which device, in which location, and when.
  • Automated Network Monitoring Services – There are a ton of automated software available online that can help companies detect outages and send quick alerts and notifications if things aren’t working the way they should. Some even let you know where the problem lies so that you don’t have to worry about figuring it out and can just concentrate on fixing it.
  • Risk Management – If an organization invests some time in putting some practices in place to determine the impact of network outages and what actions must be taken if that happens, they can minimize their risks and impact by a large measure. Having contingency plans never hurts. So does having redundant systems, regular upgrades, and reliable components.

How network outages impact your business

Most network outages take 1-5 hours to resolve, and that loss of time can mean a lot of things to a lot of businesses:

The cost of an hour of downtime

If your systems are down even for an hour, your business is going to suffer unless you have a disaster recovery plan in place. How much impact it has on a business’ profits can only be estimated roughly:

  • $8,000 to a small business
  • $74,000 for a mid-size company
  • $700,000 for large enterprises

These amounts are rough estimates of the loss of 1 hour of downtime! Imagine what the numbers will be if the durations were longer.

Loss of productivity

If you want to take an honest look at how much an IT system outage will impact your business, just factor in how much you are paying idle employees each hour that goes by.

Diminished Reputation

If you are a company that allows a faulty network to cause a halt in normal operations, in addition to losing out on employee morale, what you’re losing out on is your hard-earned reputation. Numerous surveys point out that the number one workplace frustration is a slow internet as it leads to a spike in customer complaints, lost productivity and low morale.

Thus, always keep yourself afloat

In order to keep your business protected from the risks of network outages, you need a technology partner who can monitor your network from time to time and ensure everything is running as it should be. Even better would be a firm that can offer disaster recovery plans so that you can bounce back quickly even if caught in the midst of a mishap.

Cloud Computing, IT Services, IT Services Provider, Kaspersky Cloud Security, Managed Service, Managed Service Provider, Mobile Protection, Technology

4 Ways A Managed Service Provider Can Grow Your Business Like Never Before

October 16, 2018by Ibrahim MassriNo Comments

Your business actually needs an expert hand!

Probably you are not looking for a change right now and you are happy with the way things are with your IT. But can you keep up with your competitors and stay ahead without making adjustments in your infrastructure? With an increasing influx of disruptive technologies, businesses are emerging and accelerating the adoption and deployment of futuristic IT solutions. The ongoing digitalization, adoption of Cloud, secure networking practices, and seamless running of global businesses require a holistic review of the current networking setups and constant changes to keep the business running up-to-speed, have the capability to scale up and compete in their industry.

All these multi-faceted tasks can put a lot of pressure on your in-house IT department. Getting a specialized managed service provider can streamline the overall growth process and increase business efficiencies to scale up. Listed below are some key benefits that come when you partner with managed services provider:

Streamline your business operations with managed service providers

  • Business-first Perspective:

From end-user services to data centre services and everything in between, managed service providers take care of all the challenging issues in today’s tech-driven operations so that businesses are free to focus on innovation, product development, and their growth strategies. In short, they allow you to completely focus on your growing your business while the smooth running of your operations is taken card by MSPs.

  • Security Outlook:

Businesses are aware of the growing IT security breaches and are keener than ever, especially after recent cyber attacks like  WannaCry and NotPetya, to protect their data and systems from any unforeseen intrusions. When a business enterprise becomes a victim of cybersecurity breaches like malware, ransomware, and virus attacks, immediate help is required not just to restore daily operations but to also recover lost data and improve the vulnerability. With a proactive approach, years of experience and group of expert hands, managed service providers are abreast with the ever-changing and challenging security landscape and work more like a cybersecurity service provider for you.

  • Operational Efficiency:

Your IT staff can now focus on strategic initiatives and technological planning while offloading the operational aspects to managed service providers. This is especially true if you are a growing business with a small IT team. You can leverage the expertise and benefits of extending your IT team by seeking out seasoned Managed Services Provider.

  • Infrastructure Optimisation:

Infrastructure can be optimized only if a business has a thorough assessment of everything that’s already in place. This creates the requirement of regular security assessment, complete business assessment like audit of the existing IT infrastructure, and network assessment, which is a complex process, but extremely valuable. An expert hand of managed service provider can make it possible for you without wasting your time.

Bottom Line – Focus On Growth With The Help Of ICTechnology

With a complete range of advanced IT support, proactive monitoring, and managed services in Sydney, we ensure you peace of mind while working towards safeguarding your operations.

Our IT management and computer network maintenance solutions deliver everything your business needs to function smoothly, scale up efficiently and keep the cybercriminals away, keeping it protected at all times.

Our Trustworthy Managed Services allows you:

  • Enjoy peace of mind – trusting your technology with our expert team of IT professionals.
  • Seize more opportunities – with user-friendly technology that works
  • Increase billable hours – consistent IT support yields more uptime
  • Take the guesswork out of budgeting – with the convenience of our IT flat-rate plan

So are you ready to streamline your business operation and plan your next business growth? Contact us to speak with our ICT consultants to plan your managed service requirement or to know how managed service can help in your business growth.

Stay tuned to our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google My Business Page for more updates.

 

 

 

IT Security, IT Services, IT Services Provider, Kaspersky Internet Security, Kaspersky Security, Mobile Protection

Why Mobile Protection is So Necessary and How to do It?

October 4, 2018by Ibrahim MassriNo Comments

In our last couple of blogs, we’ve discussed how to protect your network, Cloud, and your organization’s ICT system. But we missed out Mobile security completely. We need to seriously consider security of the most important digital device—mobile phone that remains with us 24/7 and holds most of our sensitive information. In recent years, cybercriminals have been increasingly looking for ways to attack our phone devices. After all, we never part away with our smartphones; they are our primary means of storing personal and professional docs, photos, emails, bank, wallets, security pins, contacts, and even more than what we can think. Don’t you think we should consider a strong mobile security solution to protect our valuable data? In this article, we’ll discuss about possible mobile threats, where to find them and how to do Mobile Protection with Kaspersky Internet Security for Android.

According to Kaspersky Lab, they caught 42.7 million pieces of malware on smartphones and tablets in 2017. Mobile threats can come in all sizes and shapes; you need to be aware of all possible attack methods so that you can take timely actions and protect your data from any kind of information or data loss.

Let’s walk through couple of dangerous mobile beasts that are much more likely to leave you out of pocket or phoneless.

  1. Bank and Card Details: Our smartphones and tablets know everything (almost) about us — from our contact details to bankcard numbers and current location. This information is a goldmine for cybercriminals. As a result, the Web is full of all kinds of pests out to grab anything lying around (or carelessly typed).
  2. Spywares: As the name implies, spyware are programs to spy on people like hidden cyptominers. Below is some target areas where they affect most:
  • Stealing your e-mails and text messages (both SMS and IM) and forwarding them to cybercriminals.
  • Recording phone conversations,
  • Sending your device’s GPS coordinates to scammers,
  • Revealing your browser history and clipboard contents,
  • Stealing personal or work documents, or any files from your phone,
  • Turning on the microphone and/or camera and sending out secretly recorded photos, audio, and video,
  • Stealing social media and online bank account details,
  • Collecting system information.
  1. Banking Trojans: Banking Trojans steal data linked to bank cards and apps. As they provide direct route into people’s account, these are highly popular among hackers. Banking Trojans come in a variety of flavors, and in many cases they combine an array of functions. For example, The Trojan Faketoken, uses windows imitating apps to steal card data, including the CVV code, and expiry date. All this looks entirely legitimate. The program then intercepts the SMS duly sent by the bank and forwarded it to the cybercriminals, whereupon it can perform transactions in the name of the device owner.
  2. Mobile Ransomware: Malicious developers create mobile ransomware Trojans to block victims’ devices and demand money to restore access. According to a 2017 report by Kaspesky Labs, 83% of detected ransomware came from the Congur family of Trojans, which locked victims’ devices with a PIN. And to restore back of your device, you have to pay the heavy ransom amount to criminals.
  3. Mobile Wipers: As the name implies, mobile wipers wipe out all the files and information from victim’s device. For ordinary scammers trying to make money by collecting ransom, wiping user data makes no business sense. Instead, wipers are commonly used in corporate or political knife fights.
  4. Mobile Miners: If your smartphone suddenly starts to heat up, slow down, and drain battery quickly, the most likely culprit is a hidden cryptocurrency miner — these pests secretly mine cryptocurrency for someone else at your expense.

How to stay protected from these unknown mobile threats?

To protect yourself from all such mobile beasts, it’s worth following some simple security rules.

  • Install apps only from official stores, such as Google Play or the Apple App Store: It’s not a guarantee, but it considerably lowers your risk of permitting cyberthreats onto your device.
  • Block the installation of software from all third-party sources in the device settings. This eliminates the randomly downloaded threats that attempt to mimic system updates and the like.
  • Don’t forget to install system and application updates — they patch vulnerabilities that criminals can e
  • Think hard before clicking on dubious links in e-mail or text messages.
  • Pay attention to the permissions requested by apps during installation. Don’t just blindly agree to permissions and T&C before reading them.
  • Protect all mobile devices with a reliable antivirus utility. For example, the award winning tried and tested security programs like Kaspersky Internet Security for Android performs real-time analysis of apps, links, and Web pages, and blocks anything that looks suspicious or dangerous.

Implement security that is truly yours with ICTechnology

At ICTechnology, we deliver a perfectly balanced combination of agile, continuous security and superior efficiency, protecting your data against the most advanced current and future threats without compromising your mobile performance. Kaspersky Internet Security for Android would be a perfect fit.

Contact us now to implement Kaspersky Internet Security for Android for you or your business.

 

 

Cloud Computing, IT Security, IT Services Provider, Kaspersky Cloud Security, Kaspersky Security, Technology

How Kaspersky Cloud Security Acts As An Iron Shield For All Your Data?

September 26, 2018by Ibrahim MassriNo Comments

To secure your organization from cybercriminals, you must be able to protect your data. And to protect your data at all times, you should know when it’s under potential or actual attack, and by what. Right from APTs (Advanced Persistent Threats), ransom ware, data theft and financial fraud, cyber threats can enter to your data in all shapes and sizes and cause critical damage to your network. So your IT security system must be able to spot, block and remediate all potential threats before they actually reach your data and start harming your network and operations. Your IT security system must do it without compromising the performance and most importantly without generating ‘false positives’, causing disruption and wasting resources with false alarms.

But before going in further details about Cloud Security protection, let’s discuss about current security of Data over Cloud.

How Secure is Your Data in Clouds?

The answer to this question is not as straightforward as it seems. People may think that their data is safe once they have it on the Cloud, especially private setups. However, it’s not completely true. For total protection and to prevent outside threats that may reach you while data is travelling over web, you need advanced security programs launched for Cloud protection. Similarly public Clouds that are commonly used by large organizations require greater attention on how data is stored and shared across the network, minimizing any leak.

Kaspersky Cloud Security Data Protection

Image Credit: Kaspersky Lab

However, data leakage is just one aspect of security, it may be exposed to ransom ware while travelling to one place to another (when a communication takes place). Hosted cloud service providers are responsible for the security of the environment they provide, but responsibility for the internal security of each workload, wherever it sits still remains with you. This is where you need an advanced security program for complete protection and you can get it done through an expert managed service provider like ICTechnology.

For advanced Cloud security, you can get Kaspersky Cloud Security for your organization.

Kaspersky Cloud Security for Your Public, Private, and Hybrid Cloud Protection

Kaspersky Cloud Security is a solution engineered to deliver next generation cyber security for enterprise grade hybrid cloud environments. Kaspersky believes that cyber security is there to maintain business sustainability, protecting corporate evolution and digital transformation. Security must partner with infrastructure, rather than building barriers.

Right security at right time: Kaspersky Cloud security provides outstanding multi-layered protection to multi-cloud environments. It will detect that you are connected to an insecure network and offer to turn on a VPN and encrypt the data you transmit so that no one on the local network can see or steal it.

The other popular features you can get with Kaspersky Cloud Security

  1. For secure network: Accelerate visibility across cloud environments for superior edge-to-edge protection.
  2. One Product, Any Cloud: Proven security for physical and virtual servers, VDI, storage, AWS, Azure and even data channels.
  3. Seamless security experience: A seamless enterprise-level automated security provisioning, for secure and uncompromised cloud migration.
  4. Protection for you & your business: Kaspersky Security Cloud protects you on every device you have — PC, Mac, phone or Android.

Implement security that is truly yours with ICTechnology

At ICTechnology, we deliver a solution that is agile, continuously secure and has superior efficiency, protecting your data against the most advanced current and future threats without compromising on system performance and Kaspersky Cloud security is a perfect fit to match this requirement. Contact us now to implement Kaspersky Cloud security for your business/organization.

Ask for a FREE security assessment of your existing network and identify what is missing in your technology environment. To do a security assessment or get started with our free and no-risk security assessment, please fill out this form to send your query and we will get in touch with you very soon.

Stay tuned to our Facebook, LinkedIn page for more updates.

 

 

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