Sophos Ltd. today made a move into the network security space by announcing its intention to acquire Astaro GmbH & Co. KG. Traditionally an endpoint protection company, Sophos has branched out, via acquisitions during the past five years to offer a deeper portfolio of products that includes encryption, application control, data protection and network access control. Terms of the deal were not announced.
The security landscape is getting nastier too, and smaller companies realize having basic protection or none at all doesn’t cut it.
Arabella Hallawell, vice president of corporate strategy, Sophos Ltd.
Astaro specializes in network security hardware, software and virtual appliances for SMBs and midmarket organizations. Its Astaro Security Gateway products serve small shops of 10 or fewer employees, all the way up to 5,000, and provide integrated network security offerings including VPN, firewall and intrusion prevention technology.
Unified threat management, Astaro’s primary business, is attractive to the midmarket because of its form factor, ease of management and relative costs compared to buying individual best-of-breed products. IDC puts the UTM market at $2 billion worldwide for 2010.
According to a Sophos press release, Astaro did $56 million worth of business last year and had 30% year-over-year growth, making it the fourth largest UTM vendor. Astaro has more than 200 employees, and is based in Karlsruhe, Germany, and Wilmington, MA.
More on Sophos:
Sophos integrates encryption into endpoint, email security:
Sophos Endpoint Security and Data Protection is the first software to integrate encryption from its acquisition of Utimaco in 2008.
Sophos sells majority stake to private equity group:
Apax Partners, a private equity investment firm, buys a majority interest in computer security vendor Sophos. Sophos is valued at $830 million in the transaction.
Strategically, the acquisition gives Sophos visibility into endpoint and network activity, data that can be centrally managed and reported. Sophos sees an opportunity to close a market and portfolio gap with the acquisition by eventually integrating Web and application security controls with network security, according to vice president of corporate strategy Arabella Hallawell. She said there currently is no coordination between endpoint and network security that provides visibility for respective admins and analysts into what’s happening on either platform.
Astaro’s Security Gateway products are its principal offering. Its three form factors, including a virtual appliance, combine firewall, IPS, denial-of-service protection and remote office connectivity via IPsec- and SSL-based VPNs. Astaro also offers log management and mail archiving, as well as a management console.
“If you look at some current IT trends, there are many more distributed worksites, especially the rate SMBs are adding remote sites is increasing quickly,” Hallawell said. “It becomes untenable to add more devices and locations. The security landscape is getting nastier too, and smaller companies realize having basic protection or none at all doesn’t cut it. We looked closely at this area and it became clear there was unmet need for better integrated security that includes Web and application security controls and policy controls.”
In the short term, expect to see Sophos incorporate its threat prevention technology, including real-time lookups on malicious websites into the Astaro gateways. In addition, some initial coordination between the two product lines could include some policy setting and reporting for events on the Astaro line integrated with Web filtering and malicious site detection and enforcement on the Sophos endpoint.
Orange County Computer Consultant
- Orange County Computer Security Consultant
- Orange County Computer Consultant helps small businesses with networking, installations and small business software.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Orange County Computer Security | Small Business Security
Would you go out of business if your company was hacked? Think about this. Office Max, Discount Shoe Ware House and even TJ Max have been hacked in the past. The attackers got millions of credit card numbers and sold them on the Internet!
What are you doing to secure your corporate information? Can your clients trust your data security? Would you lose clients if you got hacked and it was printed in the papers that you have poor security?
Every day determined attackers and script kiddies are looking for vulnerable host's on the Internet. Do you have a firewall in place? Is it configured properly? Are you running a wireless network? Can people in your parking lot access it? Are they on your network right now? Dont wait until it is too late. Orange County Computer Consultant can test your security. We will install and configure the latest security appliances for your small business. Give us a call or email us today.
What are you doing to secure your corporate information? Can your clients trust your data security? Would you lose clients if you got hacked and it was printed in the papers that you have poor security?
Every day determined attackers and script kiddies are looking for vulnerable host's on the Internet. Do you have a firewall in place? Is it configured properly? Are you running a wireless network? Can people in your parking lot access it? Are they on your network right now? Dont wait until it is too late. Orange County Computer Consultant can test your security. We will install and configure the latest security appliances for your small business. Give us a call or email us today.
Orange County Computer Security PH. 714-589-9423
Solutions for small business in the Orange County Area.
Layered Network Security.
Secure Remote Access.
Web and Email Security.
Encryption Technologies.
Layered Network Security.
Secure Remote Access.
Web and Email Security.
Encryption Technologies.
Small Business Firewall | Orange County Computer Consultant
Orange County Computer Consultant recommends Sonicwall.
The TZ Series revolution continues with the all new TZ 100, the entry point of the TZ Series making high performance Unified Threat Management available and affordable for everyone. Combining a powerful Stateful Packet Inspection Firewall, real-time Reassembly-Free Deep Packet Inspection, state-of-the-art high-speed architecture, and five configurable 10/100 interfaces, the revolutionary TZ 100 delivers uncompromising protection at up to two-and-a-half times faster performance than previous TZ 180 and 150 models. By integrating SSL VPN support, a wireless switch controller, and ultra-fast 802.11n wireless technology (Wireless-N version), the TZ 100 future-proofs network security for distributed enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses.
• Flexibility - Fits into any distributed enterprise or small organization.
• Ease-of-Use - Easy to set up, operate and manage.
• Business Continuity - Failover, failback and more.
Protects your business
Deep Packet Inspection Engine - capable of configurable, high-performance scanning across all ports, including Web traffic, e-mail, file transfers, Windows services and DNS.
ICSA-Certified Stateful Packet Inspection Firewall (Pending) - ensuring industry-standard integrity and validity for each connection, packet, source and destination.
Comprehensive Security - including Comprehensive Anti-Spam Service, Gateway Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Intrusion and Prevention Service, Enforced Client Anti-Virus and Content Filtering Service (Premium Business Edition).
SonicWALL PortShield - provides the flexibility to configure port level security for the LAN, delivering protection not only from the WAN and DMZ, but also between devices inside the LAN.
Voice and Video over IP - offers high-performance standards-based security for voice (audio), streaming video and other latency-sensitive media over IP-based networks.
Protection that performs
High-performance Architecture - using advanced SonicWALL NSA technology, delivers throughput performance of 100 Mbps for Stateful Packet Inspection and up to 25 Mbps for UTM.
Wireless (802.11b/g/n) - supports 802.11n (up to 5X faster than status quo 802.11g) yet is still compatible with older wireless devices.
Delivers flexibility with control
Wireless Guest Services - permits wireless Internet connections for guest users such as consultants and contractors, without providing access to the corporate network.
Configurable Interfaces – are flexibly customizable as a second LAN, a second WAN, a WLAN, a DMZ or other network zone, using SonicWALL PortShield.
Multiple Zones for Different User Types - offers complete control without compromising network security.
Time-based and Group Policies - granularly enforceable by individual or group policy, pre-defined schedules, or start and end range, thus simplifying User Level Authentication for Internet and VPN access.
Virtual Private Networking (VPN) - offers SSL VPN and IPSec VPN for secure site-to-site and remote access, featuring gateway enforcement, centralized management and flexible configuration.
Easy to set up, and easy to use
Set-up and Management - is easily configured using a suite of wizards for common configurations such as public servers, VPNs and NAT.
Integrated 5-Port auto-MDIX Switch - automatically and transparently detects and corrects incorrectly wired cables such as cross-over cables, making network installation substantially simpler and less expensive.
SonicWALL Global Management System (GMS) - provides tools for simplified configuration, comprehensive enforcement and central management of multiple global security policies, VPNs and services for multiple systems.
Keeps your business continuous
Failover and Failback Technologies - ensures continuous uptime of IPSec VPN tunnels by failing over to a secondary WAN upon primary connection failure, automatically failing back when connection is re-established.
WAN Redundancy and Load Balancing – provides highly-efficient bandwidth maximization using a secondary WAN port in “active-active” load sharing or failover configuration.
ISP Failover – ensures highly reliable and continuous uptime for Internet and IPSec VPN connectivity by failing over to a second ISP link should the primary link fail.
The TZ Series revolution continues with the all new TZ 100, the entry point of the TZ Series making high performance Unified Threat Management available and affordable for everyone. Combining a powerful Stateful Packet Inspection Firewall, real-time Reassembly-Free Deep Packet Inspection, state-of-the-art high-speed architecture, and five configurable 10/100 interfaces, the revolutionary TZ 100 delivers uncompromising protection at up to two-and-a-half times faster performance than previous TZ 180 and 150 models. By integrating SSL VPN support, a wireless switch controller, and ultra-fast 802.11n wireless technology (Wireless-N version), the TZ 100 future-proofs network security for distributed enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses.
• Flexibility - Fits into any distributed enterprise or small organization.
• Ease-of-Use - Easy to set up, operate and manage.
• Business Continuity - Failover, failback and more.
Protects your business
Deep Packet Inspection Engine - capable of configurable, high-performance scanning across all ports, including Web traffic, e-mail, file transfers, Windows services and DNS.
ICSA-Certified Stateful Packet Inspection Firewall (Pending) - ensuring industry-standard integrity and validity for each connection, packet, source and destination.
Comprehensive Security - including Comprehensive Anti-Spam Service, Gateway Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Intrusion and Prevention Service, Enforced Client Anti-Virus and Content Filtering Service (Premium Business Edition).
SonicWALL PortShield - provides the flexibility to configure port level security for the LAN, delivering protection not only from the WAN and DMZ, but also between devices inside the LAN.
Voice and Video over IP - offers high-performance standards-based security for voice (audio), streaming video and other latency-sensitive media over IP-based networks.
Protection that performs
High-performance Architecture - using advanced SonicWALL NSA technology, delivers throughput performance of 100 Mbps for Stateful Packet Inspection and up to 25 Mbps for UTM.
Wireless (802.11b/g/n) - supports 802.11n (up to 5X faster than status quo 802.11g) yet is still compatible with older wireless devices.
Delivers flexibility with control
Wireless Guest Services - permits wireless Internet connections for guest users such as consultants and contractors, without providing access to the corporate network.
Configurable Interfaces – are flexibly customizable as a second LAN, a second WAN, a WLAN, a DMZ or other network zone, using SonicWALL PortShield.
Multiple Zones for Different User Types - offers complete control without compromising network security.
Time-based and Group Policies - granularly enforceable by individual or group policy, pre-defined schedules, or start and end range, thus simplifying User Level Authentication for Internet and VPN access.
Virtual Private Networking (VPN) - offers SSL VPN and IPSec VPN for secure site-to-site and remote access, featuring gateway enforcement, centralized management and flexible configuration.
Easy to set up, and easy to use
Set-up and Management - is easily configured using a suite of wizards for common configurations such as public servers, VPNs and NAT.
Integrated 5-Port auto-MDIX Switch - automatically and transparently detects and corrects incorrectly wired cables such as cross-over cables, making network installation substantially simpler and less expensive.
SonicWALL Global Management System (GMS) - provides tools for simplified configuration, comprehensive enforcement and central management of multiple global security policies, VPNs and services for multiple systems.
Keeps your business continuous
Failover and Failback Technologies - ensures continuous uptime of IPSec VPN tunnels by failing over to a secondary WAN upon primary connection failure, automatically failing back when connection is re-established.
WAN Redundancy and Load Balancing – provides highly-efficient bandwidth maximization using a secondary WAN port in “active-active” load sharing or failover configuration.
ISP Failover – ensures highly reliable and continuous uptime for Internet and IPSec VPN connectivity by failing over to a second ISP link should the primary link fail.
Orange County Computer Security
I often get asked by clients "Why would a hacker attack my computer?". Hackers do not necessarily care about what you store on your computer. They can use your computer and turn it into a zombie to attack other computers. They can use your computer to store stolen information. They can store their tools on your computer. I have read stories of attackers putting child porn on a victims computer! The worst part is that they then called the authorities and told them that the person was a pedophile and should check his computer. Can you imagine that being published in the newspaper?
I help small businesses secure their computers. I can help protect you. Give me a call or email me today. I stay on top of the latest vulnerabilities in this industry. I often get alerts to security holes before they go public.
Orange County Computer Consultant provides small businesses with installation, repairs and upgrades of networks, servers and desktops. We specialize in computer security.
I help small businesses secure their computers. I can help protect you. Give me a call or email me today. I stay on top of the latest vulnerabilities in this industry. I often get alerts to security holes before they go public.
Orange County Computer Consultant provides small businesses with installation, repairs and upgrades of networks, servers and desktops. We specialize in computer security.
Orange County Computer Security
Are you a small business owner in Orange County? Do you have a wireless network? Is it secure?
The reason I ask is some can be on your network right now! What are they looking at? Do they have access to your internal data? Are your clients credit cards at risk? Their social security numbers? It is not difficult to hack wireless networks with tools. WEP can easily be cracked. I can help secure your 802.11 network. Dont leave your network open to a attack. Give me a call or email me today.
The reason I ask is some can be on your network right now! What are they looking at? Do they have access to your internal data? Are your clients credit cards at risk? Their social security numbers? It is not difficult to hack wireless networks with tools. WEP can easily be cracked. I can help secure your 802.11 network. Dont leave your network open to a attack. Give me a call or email me today.
Netgear ProSafe FVG318 8 Wireless VPN/Firewall - 8 x 10/100Base-TX LAN, 1 x 10/100Base-TX WAN
Give Orange County Computer Consultant today for all of your computer security needs. We will install, configure and monitor your security devices. We also can test the security of your network and make recommendations. Dont wait until its to late.
This comprehensive and affordable solution offers wired and wireless connectivity and business class protection for small office and remote/branch office users. It combines five functions in a single, compact package, Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall, 802.11g wireless access point, IPSec Virtual Private Network (VPN) appliance, NAT router, and eight-port Fast Ethernet switch. Powerful and standards-based, it delivers both 10 and 100 Mbps connections for wired devices, plus 802.11b/g devices at speeds up to 108 Mbps. This complete solution offers high-performance features in a space-saving, easy-to-use design.
This comprehensive and affordable solution offers wired and wireless connectivity and business class protection for small office and remote/branch office users. It combines five functions in a single, compact package, Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall, 802.11g wireless access point, IPSec Virtual Private Network (VPN) appliance, NAT router, and eight-port Fast Ethernet switch. Powerful and standards-based, it delivers both 10 and 100 Mbps connections for wired devices, plus 802.11b/g devices at speeds up to 108 Mbps. This complete solution offers high-performance features in a space-saving, easy-to-use design.
Orange County Computer Security | Orange County Computer Consultant
Orange County Computer Consultant follows a security methodology for testing your security.
Orange County Computer Security helps secure small business servers and networks in the Orange County area.
The first step we do is gather information. We want to know your IP address ranges, employee names, DNS information, emails. We look on wesbites such as Facebook, we look on forums, job boards. We look at your company from a attackers view. We use the same tools attackers use to test your defenses.
Target Discovery. At this stage we check to see what type of operating systems you are running. How is the network setup? What type of applications are you running? What versions? This is also known as operating system fingerprinting. Once we have this information we will see if you are vulnerable.
Enumerating the target- We will check to see what ports are open. We use various scanning techniques to avoid intrusion detection systems or bypass your firewalls. We see what applications are listening and check to see if they are exploitable.
At this point we can attempt to gain access to your system. We require written permission for all of the following testing. Give us a call today if you are concerned about the security of your network.
Orange County Computer Security helps secure small business servers and networks in the Orange County area.
The first step we do is gather information. We want to know your IP address ranges, employee names, DNS information, emails. We look on wesbites such as Facebook, we look on forums, job boards. We look at your company from a attackers view. We use the same tools attackers use to test your defenses.
Target Discovery. At this stage we check to see what type of operating systems you are running. How is the network setup? What type of applications are you running? What versions? This is also known as operating system fingerprinting. Once we have this information we will see if you are vulnerable.
Enumerating the target- We will check to see what ports are open. We use various scanning techniques to avoid intrusion detection systems or bypass your firewalls. We see what applications are listening and check to see if they are exploitable.
At this point we can attempt to gain access to your system. We require written permission for all of the following testing. Give us a call today if you are concerned about the security of your network.
Orange County Computer Security
Do you currently have internal documents on your servers that can be accesses through Google? Attackers can use Google to search your web servers for documents. I can currently pull back thousands of internal documents online!
Attackers use social networks like Facebook, Linkedin and Myspace to gain data about employees at companies. Information on these sites include birthdays, interests and even schools that you graduated from. Attackers can use this information to guess passwords. Some sites even ask this information for password resets.
What websites are your employees browsing at work? Have you heard of XSS? This stands for Cross Site scripting. It basically tricks your employees in thinking that they are on a trusted website. In the background the code is grabbing information off your desktop. It can also be used to trick the user into entering their password information on a website that looks like Bank Of America.
Orange County Computer Consultant can test the security of your network.
Attackers use social networks like Facebook, Linkedin and Myspace to gain data about employees at companies. Information on these sites include birthdays, interests and even schools that you graduated from. Attackers can use this information to guess passwords. Some sites even ask this information for password resets.
What websites are your employees browsing at work? Have you heard of XSS? This stands for Cross Site scripting. It basically tricks your employees in thinking that they are on a trusted website. In the background the code is grabbing information off your desktop. It can also be used to trick the user into entering their password information on a website that looks like Bank Of America.
Orange County Computer Consultant can test the security of your network.
Orange County Computer Security
Orange County Computer Consultant provides the following security services:
Vulnerability Identification.
Server Hardening
Scan your network for open ports.
Firewall configurations.
Anti-Virus solutions.
If you are a small business with under 25 users we can provide you with a custom security solution. There are stories daily about companies being hacked. How confident are you about the security of your infrastructure? Is your clients data secured? Are your leads secured? Are employees sending out confidential data through email? Is any company information being posted on Facebook?
Orange County Computer Consultant can work with you to secure your network, servers and desktops. Dont wait for a hacker to gain valuable information from you. Give us a call or email us today.
Vulnerability Identification.
Server Hardening
Scan your network for open ports.
Firewall configurations.
Anti-Virus solutions.
If you are a small business with under 25 users we can provide you with a custom security solution. There are stories daily about companies being hacked. How confident are you about the security of your infrastructure? Is your clients data secured? Are your leads secured? Are employees sending out confidential data through email? Is any company information being posted on Facebook?
Orange County Computer Consultant can work with you to secure your network, servers and desktops. Dont wait for a hacker to gain valuable information from you. Give us a call or email us today.
Orange County Computer Security
Are you a small business owner? Are you concerned about the security of your network or servers? If you are on the Internet chances are attackers are testing your defenses. Do you have anti-virus in place? Do you have a firewall? Is it configured correctly? Do you have laptops that are used in your business? Is the data on those laptops secure? Is it encrypted?
I can help with all of these issues. I can install security software on your business servers. I can cut down the amount of SPAM you receive. I will have your email servers scan for viruses, trojans and other malware. I can install and configure encryption software on your laptops to protect confidential information.
If you have security needs. Give me a call or email me today.
I can help with all of these issues. I can install security software on your business servers. I can cut down the amount of SPAM you receive. I will have your email servers scan for viruses, trojans and other malware. I can install and configure encryption software on your laptops to protect confidential information.
If you have security needs. Give me a call or email me today.
Monday, May 09, 2011
Why Use Small Business Internet Security Software?
Today, few businesses have the option of not having their computers connected to the rest of the world via the internet. Small business owners often think that large enterprises are more vulnerable to attack by hackers interested in stealing priceless information. In reality, small and medium size businesses are often more desirable targets simply because they don’t have the elaborate network protection protocols that are typically employed by major corporations.
Business owners and IT professionals must be proactive in preventing threats that can compromise the information heart of a business. Here are some of the prevalent threats to your priceless information:
Malware – Short for malicious software, includes any software that is intended to cause problems. It includes viruses, spyware, worms and Trojan Horses.
Viruses – Computer viruses can copy themselves and infect your computer when you least expect it. In the days before widespread network and internet use, viruses were generally spread by removable media like floppy disks. Now, every connection, intranet or internet is another potential vector for a virus.
Viruses can simply be a nuisance causing inconveniences but the worst of them can destroy or corrupt your data or cause damage to your computer system. A common characteristic of viruses that differentiates it from other malware is that it must attach itself to existing programming.
Spyware – Spyware is a type of malware that is specifically designed to access private information illegitimately. Spyware is one of the most dangerous weapons in the identity thief's arsenal.
Worms – Another sort of self-replicating malware, worms differ from viruses in that they don’t have to attach themselves to other programs. Worms seek to copy themselves and proliferate whether through local or wide area networks. At minimum, they do damage to your computer assets by consuming bandwidth. At their worst, they destroy or corrupt data.
Trojan Horses – A Trojan Horse is software that appears to perform a valuable task when in fact it is hiding its true malicious identity. That very deception in the prime danger of Trojans: people frequently download a program, even as harmless seeming as a game, and unwittingly invite the malware to do its worst. Trojans can give the hacker access to the infected computer allowing for the theft of files or even control the computer and legitimate users screen image.
To help prevent these dangerous threats, we recommend BitDefender Business Security, Kaspersky Enterprise Space Security and G Data ClientSecurity Enterprise.
What to Look for in a Small Business Internet Security Software Suite
Just as there are many dangers lurking around the online world, a small business internet security suite offers several layers of protection to keep hackers out of your computers and your data, the lifeblood of any business, safe. Generally categorized, these are the critical protection features of a comprehensive Small Business Internet Security Suite:
Firewall
Firewalls are designed to block unauthorized access to a computer system while allowing authorized user and programs to access the internet or other parts of a network. The essential role of a firewall is to distinguish between authorized use and unauthorized, potentially malicious users and programs. Just as a firewall can prevent unauthorized outside users from accessing your systems, they can also be used to prevent authorized users from accessing prohibited web sites.
Antivirus protection
If a virus happens to penetrate the first level of defense, Virus detection programs are designed to detect them and prevent them from operating and causing damage. Though an effective virus scan program can often detect a virus at introduction, a backup feature of antivirus software is to detect and remove or disable a virus after it has been implemented.
Antispyware
Similar to antivirus software, antispyware programming aims to detect spyware at introduction and prevent its installation. Barring that, routine scanning with an antispyware program should find spyware that has slipped through and remove it.
Security software
There are several additional features that are components of many Small Business Internet Security Software Suites. One of the most useful is the blocking of spam email. At minimum, spam wastes your time by imposing the task of deleting from your inbox. Phishing is a sort of spam specifically designed to trick users out of personal information. Phishing attempts are becoming ever more sophisticated and there are few frequent computer users who haven’t at least been tempted to a provide information based on a clever scam. Most Small Business Internet Security Software has an email scanning feature which does a good job of detecting and blocking spam email and phishing attempts.
Business owners and IT professionals must be proactive in preventing threats that can compromise the information heart of a business. Here are some of the prevalent threats to your priceless information:
Malware – Short for malicious software, includes any software that is intended to cause problems. It includes viruses, spyware, worms and Trojan Horses.
Viruses – Computer viruses can copy themselves and infect your computer when you least expect it. In the days before widespread network and internet use, viruses were generally spread by removable media like floppy disks. Now, every connection, intranet or internet is another potential vector for a virus.
Viruses can simply be a nuisance causing inconveniences but the worst of them can destroy or corrupt your data or cause damage to your computer system. A common characteristic of viruses that differentiates it from other malware is that it must attach itself to existing programming.
Spyware – Spyware is a type of malware that is specifically designed to access private information illegitimately. Spyware is one of the most dangerous weapons in the identity thief's arsenal.
Worms – Another sort of self-replicating malware, worms differ from viruses in that they don’t have to attach themselves to other programs. Worms seek to copy themselves and proliferate whether through local or wide area networks. At minimum, they do damage to your computer assets by consuming bandwidth. At their worst, they destroy or corrupt data.
Trojan Horses – A Trojan Horse is software that appears to perform a valuable task when in fact it is hiding its true malicious identity. That very deception in the prime danger of Trojans: people frequently download a program, even as harmless seeming as a game, and unwittingly invite the malware to do its worst. Trojans can give the hacker access to the infected computer allowing for the theft of files or even control the computer and legitimate users screen image.
To help prevent these dangerous threats, we recommend BitDefender Business Security, Kaspersky Enterprise Space Security and G Data ClientSecurity Enterprise.
What to Look for in a Small Business Internet Security Software Suite
Just as there are many dangers lurking around the online world, a small business internet security suite offers several layers of protection to keep hackers out of your computers and your data, the lifeblood of any business, safe. Generally categorized, these are the critical protection features of a comprehensive Small Business Internet Security Suite:
Firewall
Firewalls are designed to block unauthorized access to a computer system while allowing authorized user and programs to access the internet or other parts of a network. The essential role of a firewall is to distinguish between authorized use and unauthorized, potentially malicious users and programs. Just as a firewall can prevent unauthorized outside users from accessing your systems, they can also be used to prevent authorized users from accessing prohibited web sites.
Antivirus protection
If a virus happens to penetrate the first level of defense, Virus detection programs are designed to detect them and prevent them from operating and causing damage. Though an effective virus scan program can often detect a virus at introduction, a backup feature of antivirus software is to detect and remove or disable a virus after it has been implemented.
Antispyware
Similar to antivirus software, antispyware programming aims to detect spyware at introduction and prevent its installation. Barring that, routine scanning with an antispyware program should find spyware that has slipped through and remove it.
Security software
There are several additional features that are components of many Small Business Internet Security Software Suites. One of the most useful is the blocking of spam email. At minimum, spam wastes your time by imposing the task of deleting from your inbox. Phishing is a sort of spam specifically designed to trick users out of personal information. Phishing attempts are becoming ever more sophisticated and there are few frequent computer users who haven’t at least been tempted to a provide information based on a clever scam. Most Small Business Internet Security Software has an email scanning feature which does a good job of detecting and blocking spam email and phishing attempts.
Kaspersky Business Space Security
Kaspersky Business Space Security is more than adequately equipped to protect your important business resources from modern threats, including spyware, hackers, spam, viruses, and even rootkits. With comprehensive control over all incoming and outgoing data, Kaspersky can easily monitor and defend each PC in the company.
Kaspersky Business Space Security also takes advantage of heuristic detection technology to proactively protect your resources from unknown threats. The Proactive defense analyzes file behavior to detect, deter, and defend from malicious files that aren’t recognized (yet) by virus signatures.
Speaking of virus signature, the Kaspersky antivirus kernel and supporting signatures are constantly being updated to provide the most up-to-date protection. Updates are automatically delivered to your central management system, where they can be immediately deployed to the entire network. Updates are performed incrementally so they don’t take as long.
The Kaspersky Virus scanner has displayed proven effectiveness throughout the years, earning certifications from ICSA Labs, West Coast Labs, and Virus Bulletin 100%.
Kaspersky Business Space Security also takes advantage of heuristic detection technology to proactively protect your resources from unknown threats. The Proactive defense analyzes file behavior to detect, deter, and defend from malicious files that aren’t recognized (yet) by virus signatures.
Speaking of virus signature, the Kaspersky antivirus kernel and supporting signatures are constantly being updated to provide the most up-to-date protection. Updates are automatically delivered to your central management system, where they can be immediately deployed to the entire network. Updates are performed incrementally so they don’t take as long.
The Kaspersky Virus scanner has displayed proven effectiveness throughout the years, earning certifications from ICSA Labs, West Coast Labs, and Virus Bulletin 100%.
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Orange County Computer Consultant
Hello. My name is Benjamin Hargis. I'm the owner of Orange County Computer Consulting. I have been in the IT industry for over 15 years. I specialize in helping small to medium size businesses with network and security projects. I can help you set up and secure your wireless network. I can install security appliances such as Cisco ASA. I can help with encryption solutions to protect your clients date from attackers. I work in the Orange County area. If you have more than five PC's give me a call or email me today.
Friday, May 06, 2011
Website Design $150
I will custom design a five page website for your company. The cost will be $150 for the design of the website and $120 for the hosting for the year. Give me a call or email me to talk about your business requirements.
Orange County IT Managed Services
Orange County Computer Consultant is now offering managed services. We can watch your network, servers and workstations remotely. We will alert you to any issues before they become problems. We monitor the amount of disk space on your machines. We watch any server alerts, and make sure your anti-virus is up to date.
The price for this service is $200 month with one server plus $49.99 for each workstation. Each additional server is $99.
The price for this service is $200 month with one server plus $49.99 for each workstation. Each additional server is $99.
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Some Firewalls are not doing there job correctly.
NSS Labs Inc., an independent testing firm, has found that some firewalls are failing stability tests and contain a flaw that enables attackers to easily bypass them
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Microsoft Updates for Multiple Vulnerabilities
Original release date: April 12, 2011
Last revised: --
Source: US-CERT
Systems Affected
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Microsoft Visual Studio
Overview
There are multiple vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, and Visual Studio. Microsoft has released updates to address these vulnerabilities.
I. Description
The Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for April 2011 describes multiple vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, and Visual Studio. Microsoft has released updates to address the vulnerabilities.
Last revised: --
Source: US-CERT
Systems Affected
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Microsoft Visual Studio
Overview
There are multiple vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, and Visual Studio. Microsoft has released updates to address these vulnerabilities.
I. Description
The Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for April 2011 describes multiple vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, and Visual Studio. Microsoft has released updates to address the vulnerabilities.
April 2011: two Cisco vulnerabilities
The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) has published two important vulnerability advisories:
Multiple Vulnerabilities in Cisco Unified Communications Manager
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers Denial of Service Vulnerability
Multiple Vulnerabilities in Cisco Unified Communications Manager
Cisco Unified Communications Manager (previously known as Cisco CallManager) contains the following vulnerabilities:
Three denial of service (DoS) vulnerabilities that affect Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) services
Directory transversal vulnerability
Two SQL injection vulnerabilities
Vulnerable Products
The following products are affected by at least one of the vulnerabilities that are described in this advisory:
Cisco Unified Communications Manager 6.x
Cisco Unified Communications Manager 7.x
Cisco Unified Communications Manager 8.x
Details
DoS Vulnerabilities in SIP: Cisco Unified Communications Manager contains three DoS vulnerabilities that involve the processing of SIP messages. Each vulnerability is triggered by a malformed SIP message that could cause a critical process to fail, resulting in the disruption of voice services. All SIP ports (TCP ports 5060 and 5061 and UDP ports 5060 and 5061) are affected.
Cisco Unified Communications Manager contains a vulnerability that involves the processing of POST requests. An authenticated, remote attacker with the ability to intercept a packet to the affected device could specify a different location or filename, which may result in the upload of a malicious file.
SQL Injection Vulnerabilities: Cisco Unified Communications Manager is affected by the following vulnerabilities:
It allow an authenticated, remote attacker to modify the system configuration; create, modify and delete users; or modify the configuration of Cisco Unified Communications Manager.
It allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to modify system configuration; create, modify, and delete users; or modify the configuration of Cisco Unified Communications Manager.
Impact
Successful exploitation of the vulnerabilities that are described in this advisory could result in the interruption of voice services, privilege escalation and possible data modification. In the case of DoS attacks, the affect Cisco Unified Communications Manager processes will restart, but repeated attacks may result in a sustained DoS condition.
Link: http://www.cisco.com…/products_security_advisory09186a0080b79904.shtml
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers Denial of Service Vulnerability
The Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) product family is affected by a denial of service (DoS) vulnerability where an unauthenticated attacker could cause a device reload by sending a series of ICMP packets.
Vulnerable Products
This vulnerability affects Cisco WLC software versions 6.0 and later. The following products are affected by the vulnerability described in this Security Advisory:
Cisco 2100 Series Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco WLC526 Mobility Express Controller (AIR-WLC526-K9)
Cisco NME-AIR-WLC Modules for Integrated Services Routers (ISRs)
Cisco NM-AIR-WLC Modules for Integrated Services Routers (ISRs)
Details
Cisco WLCs and Cisco WiSMs are responsible for system-wide wireless LAN functions, such as security policies, intrusion prevention, RF management, quality of service (QoS), and mobility. The Cisco WLC family of devices is affected by a DoS vulnerability that can allow an unauthenticated attacker to cause the device to reload by sending a series of ICMP packets. This vulnerability can be exploited from both wired and wireless segments.
Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could cause an affected device to reload. Repeated exploitation could result in a sustained DoS condition.
Link: http://www.cisco.com/…/products_security_advisory09186a0080b7950e.shtml
Multiple Vulnerabilities in Cisco Unified Communications Manager
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers Denial of Service Vulnerability
Multiple Vulnerabilities in Cisco Unified Communications Manager
Cisco Unified Communications Manager (previously known as Cisco CallManager) contains the following vulnerabilities:
Three denial of service (DoS) vulnerabilities that affect Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) services
Directory transversal vulnerability
Two SQL injection vulnerabilities
Vulnerable Products
The following products are affected by at least one of the vulnerabilities that are described in this advisory:
Cisco Unified Communications Manager 6.x
Cisco Unified Communications Manager 7.x
Cisco Unified Communications Manager 8.x
Details
DoS Vulnerabilities in SIP: Cisco Unified Communications Manager contains three DoS vulnerabilities that involve the processing of SIP messages. Each vulnerability is triggered by a malformed SIP message that could cause a critical process to fail, resulting in the disruption of voice services. All SIP ports (TCP ports 5060 and 5061 and UDP ports 5060 and 5061) are affected.
Cisco Unified Communications Manager contains a vulnerability that involves the processing of POST requests. An authenticated, remote attacker with the ability to intercept a packet to the affected device could specify a different location or filename, which may result in the upload of a malicious file.
SQL Injection Vulnerabilities: Cisco Unified Communications Manager is affected by the following vulnerabilities:
It allow an authenticated, remote attacker to modify the system configuration; create, modify and delete users; or modify the configuration of Cisco Unified Communications Manager.
It allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to modify system configuration; create, modify, and delete users; or modify the configuration of Cisco Unified Communications Manager.
Impact
Successful exploitation of the vulnerabilities that are described in this advisory could result in the interruption of voice services, privilege escalation and possible data modification. In the case of DoS attacks, the affect Cisco Unified Communications Manager processes will restart, but repeated attacks may result in a sustained DoS condition.
Link: http://www.cisco.com…/products_security_advisory09186a0080b79904.shtml
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers Denial of Service Vulnerability
The Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) product family is affected by a denial of service (DoS) vulnerability where an unauthenticated attacker could cause a device reload by sending a series of ICMP packets.
Vulnerable Products
This vulnerability affects Cisco WLC software versions 6.0 and later. The following products are affected by the vulnerability described in this Security Advisory:
Cisco 2100 Series Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco WLC526 Mobility Express Controller (AIR-WLC526-K9)
Cisco NME-AIR-WLC Modules for Integrated Services Routers (ISRs)
Cisco NM-AIR-WLC Modules for Integrated Services Routers (ISRs)
Details
Cisco WLCs and Cisco WiSMs are responsible for system-wide wireless LAN functions, such as security policies, intrusion prevention, RF management, quality of service (QoS), and mobility. The Cisco WLC family of devices is affected by a DoS vulnerability that can allow an unauthenticated attacker to cause the device to reload by sending a series of ICMP packets. This vulnerability can be exploited from both wired and wireless segments.
Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could cause an affected device to reload. Repeated exploitation could result in a sustained DoS condition.
Link: http://www.cisco.com/…/products_security_advisory09186a0080b7950e.shtml
10 Make or Break Questions to Ask Your Cloud Computing Vendor
by Renee Bergeron
There’s no doubt that high energy and excitement surround the promise of cloud computing. As a transformational technology, cloud computing is a catalyst for change within the IT landscape because it helps companies of all sizes more efficiently use their hardware and software investments, while also fostering innovation. Subscription-based cloud platforms can save business owners money on initial IT outlays, enabling them to reinvest in improving customer service. It can be an all around win-win. Still, the cloud is not without its perils, potholes and pitfalls. As a customer considering the cloud, your first priority is to focus on finding the right solution to meet your business needs.
Because many vendors look good on paper, you’ll want to cover the most important selection criteria to minimize your risks and increase your comfort level. How do you know which cloud vendor will match its headlines? Ask the following 10 make-or-break questions before you sign on the dotted line:
1. The Basics: Right out of the gate, you’ll want to learn as much as you can about the cloud vendor. Determine if they’re operating out of their basement or if they have the kind of credibility that can only be gained from experience and success. If your chosen cloud vendor waffles when you ask detailed questions about their 24×7 support service, their industry, the advantages of their solution or the difference between a tier 3 or tier 4 datacenter, then you might want to simply walk away from a nightmare ready to happen.
2. Security and Availability: Learn about how they deal with and monitor security issues, install patches and perform maintenance updates. Does it match your company’s expected level of security or service? Ask where they host data and if it’s a shared or a dedicated environment, and find out how many servers they have and if those servers are set in a cluster. It’s also critical to know if the infrastructure is mirrored and 100 percent redundant. While you’re at it, investigate their disaster recovery processes and determine if they operate out of a Tier 1 or Tier 4 data center.
3. Migration Services: Migration can be a nightmare. Make sure your cloud vendor has a dedicated, allocated resource for migration and a proven track record of migrating similar IT solutions to the cloud. Ask if their migration processes are automated or done manually. Ask for a commitment from the vendor on the migration ETC (estimated time of completion). Finally, find out if you can perform and manage the whole process from an intuitive, easy-to-use control panel.
4. Integration: This is a deal breaker. Be sure to ask how their solution integrates with your current IT environment and other solutions. What’s their track record and game plan when it comes to integrating with other, on-premise solutions you already have installed? If halfway down the road they realize it does not integrate, what is their contingency plan and what kind of guarantees are they willing to offer?
5. Support Professionals: You can never ask too many questions about support. For example, you’ll want to know how many support agents your cloud vendor deploys and if they are Level 1, 2 or 3 in terms of training, certification and capability. Also, find out about your vendor’s escalation process if a problem arises. Learn as much as you can about the location of the vendor’s support center, whether it’s housed offshore, available 24x7x365, and other pertinent criteria.
6. Uptime Metrics and Reports: Find out how your vendor measures uptime and how that’s communicated to clients, such as what part of the hosting infrastructure (hosting, server reliability, service delivery, etc.) the uptime calculation takes into account. Ask about processes in place for handling major outages: do they have a SWOT team in place, how do they typically communicate with the client (phone, email, RSS Feed, Twitter, SMS), and at what speed and with what level of details. Determine if they are proactive or proactively reactive when a problem occurs.
7. Assess the Vendor’s Sales Process: Does the rep take the time to understand your company’s needs or is he or she just selling for sales’ sake? If the rep spends time to assess your business requirements, it’s likely that same attitude permeates the entire company. Industry studies show that many applications sold out of the box fail to meet the customer’s requirements because they’re not customized to the client’s needs. Make sure that the vendor pays attention to what you need and not just what they want to sell. Finally, after-sale support can tell you a lot about the seriousness, professional nature and quality of the internal processes of an organization.
8. How is Pricing Set Up?: Obviously, pricing is an important question to ask. You’ll want to learn about the vendor’s billing and pricing structure. Most set up billing as a recurring, monthly item, but it’s always good to do your homework. Are you being asked to sign a contract, or does your deal automatically renew, as with an evergreen agreement? If the vendor’s price is unusually low compared to others, it should raise a red flag. Find out why. Can you cancel at any time without hidden fees? Do you have a minimum of users required in order to get the most attractive price?
9. Multiple Services: With the cloud, it’s particularly important to pick a vendor with a large breadth of offerings because the likelihood is that, at some point, you might want to consolidate all of your IT under one hood. Find out if your cloud vendor is capable of something like that.
10. Ask for References: There’s comfort in knowing you’re not their first customer, and seeing their successes lined up on the wall will bring you added confidence in your decision. Ask for examples of real-world success and ROI measurements. Better yet, try to get outside confirmation of their success such as industry recognition, peer reviews and awards.
By thoroughly covering this ground, you’re most likely to find not only the right cloud vendor, but also the best solutions for your company and your clients.
Renee Bergeron is VP of managed services and cloud computing at Ingram Micro, overseeing such efforts as Ingram Micro Cloud. Monthly guest blogs such as this one are part of MSPmentor’s annual sponsorship program. Read all of Bergeron’s guest blogs here.
There’s no doubt that high energy and excitement surround the promise of cloud computing. As a transformational technology, cloud computing is a catalyst for change within the IT landscape because it helps companies of all sizes more efficiently use their hardware and software investments, while also fostering innovation. Subscription-based cloud platforms can save business owners money on initial IT outlays, enabling them to reinvest in improving customer service. It can be an all around win-win. Still, the cloud is not without its perils, potholes and pitfalls. As a customer considering the cloud, your first priority is to focus on finding the right solution to meet your business needs.
Because many vendors look good on paper, you’ll want to cover the most important selection criteria to minimize your risks and increase your comfort level. How do you know which cloud vendor will match its headlines? Ask the following 10 make-or-break questions before you sign on the dotted line:
1. The Basics: Right out of the gate, you’ll want to learn as much as you can about the cloud vendor. Determine if they’re operating out of their basement or if they have the kind of credibility that can only be gained from experience and success. If your chosen cloud vendor waffles when you ask detailed questions about their 24×7 support service, their industry, the advantages of their solution or the difference between a tier 3 or tier 4 datacenter, then you might want to simply walk away from a nightmare ready to happen.
2. Security and Availability: Learn about how they deal with and monitor security issues, install patches and perform maintenance updates. Does it match your company’s expected level of security or service? Ask where they host data and if it’s a shared or a dedicated environment, and find out how many servers they have and if those servers are set in a cluster. It’s also critical to know if the infrastructure is mirrored and 100 percent redundant. While you’re at it, investigate their disaster recovery processes and determine if they operate out of a Tier 1 or Tier 4 data center.
3. Migration Services: Migration can be a nightmare. Make sure your cloud vendor has a dedicated, allocated resource for migration and a proven track record of migrating similar IT solutions to the cloud. Ask if their migration processes are automated or done manually. Ask for a commitment from the vendor on the migration ETC (estimated time of completion). Finally, find out if you can perform and manage the whole process from an intuitive, easy-to-use control panel.
4. Integration: This is a deal breaker. Be sure to ask how their solution integrates with your current IT environment and other solutions. What’s their track record and game plan when it comes to integrating with other, on-premise solutions you already have installed? If halfway down the road they realize it does not integrate, what is their contingency plan and what kind of guarantees are they willing to offer?
5. Support Professionals: You can never ask too many questions about support. For example, you’ll want to know how many support agents your cloud vendor deploys and if they are Level 1, 2 or 3 in terms of training, certification and capability. Also, find out about your vendor’s escalation process if a problem arises. Learn as much as you can about the location of the vendor’s support center, whether it’s housed offshore, available 24x7x365, and other pertinent criteria.
6. Uptime Metrics and Reports: Find out how your vendor measures uptime and how that’s communicated to clients, such as what part of the hosting infrastructure (hosting, server reliability, service delivery, etc.) the uptime calculation takes into account. Ask about processes in place for handling major outages: do they have a SWOT team in place, how do they typically communicate with the client (phone, email, RSS Feed, Twitter, SMS), and at what speed and with what level of details. Determine if they are proactive or proactively reactive when a problem occurs.
7. Assess the Vendor’s Sales Process: Does the rep take the time to understand your company’s needs or is he or she just selling for sales’ sake? If the rep spends time to assess your business requirements, it’s likely that same attitude permeates the entire company. Industry studies show that many applications sold out of the box fail to meet the customer’s requirements because they’re not customized to the client’s needs. Make sure that the vendor pays attention to what you need and not just what they want to sell. Finally, after-sale support can tell you a lot about the seriousness, professional nature and quality of the internal processes of an organization.
8. How is Pricing Set Up?: Obviously, pricing is an important question to ask. You’ll want to learn about the vendor’s billing and pricing structure. Most set up billing as a recurring, monthly item, but it’s always good to do your homework. Are you being asked to sign a contract, or does your deal automatically renew, as with an evergreen agreement? If the vendor’s price is unusually low compared to others, it should raise a red flag. Find out why. Can you cancel at any time without hidden fees? Do you have a minimum of users required in order to get the most attractive price?
9. Multiple Services: With the cloud, it’s particularly important to pick a vendor with a large breadth of offerings because the likelihood is that, at some point, you might want to consolidate all of your IT under one hood. Find out if your cloud vendor is capable of something like that.
10. Ask for References: There’s comfort in knowing you’re not their first customer, and seeing their successes lined up on the wall will bring you added confidence in your decision. Ask for examples of real-world success and ROI measurements. Better yet, try to get outside confirmation of their success such as industry recognition, peer reviews and awards.
By thoroughly covering this ground, you’re most likely to find not only the right cloud vendor, but also the best solutions for your company and your clients.
Renee Bergeron is VP of managed services and cloud computing at Ingram Micro, overseeing such efforts as Ingram Micro Cloud. Monthly guest blogs such as this one are part of MSPmentor’s annual sponsorship program. Read all of Bergeron’s guest blogs here.