Firewall Computer Service’s Blog

The average user has at least five passwords for computer and online accounts.  When there are no weak password restrictions, people tend to choose easy to remember phrases.  This makes it easier for users but is a security risk for IT departments.  Strong passwords should be company policy and configured within the software they use.   Passwords should contain at least 6 letters, numbers, and special characters (ie. !@#$%^&*.)  The following passwords are the most common and should not be used.

1. password
2. 123456
3. qwerty
4. abc123
5. letmein
6. monkey
7. myspace1
8. monkey
9. password1
10. blink182

Other than the liability of sharing copyrighted material over the internet there are other sometimes more damaging risks.  When installing P2P programs like BearShare, Kazaa, Morpheus and LimeWire users are asked where to store downloaded files.  Users often chose the “My Documents” folder since it is used often.

What most people don’t realize is that the P2P software allows all files in this folder to be available to all other P2P users like personal files, pictures, tax returns or other financial documents.  Other P2P users can search for the keyword “taxes” and possibly find your tax records.  If you use P2P software make sure no sensitive files are stored in the downloaded files folder.

The operating system “OSX” on MACs is already a great OS but Leopard adds some great features.  Here are three of the best: “Cover Flow” allows you to look through documents, photos, music, videos and other files without actually opening them. It launches a full screen window and shows a preview of each file so if you are looking for a file and don’t remember the name you can visually find it. 

“Time Machine” creates hourly backups of everything on your computer.  When an external hard drive is connected to the computer Leopard asks if you want to use it as the backup disk.  This feature is great if files are modified often and a user needs to revert back to a previous version of the file. 

New E-mail Features can automatically configure the correct settings for some of the most popular email programs.  It also comes pre-loaded with more than 30 e-mail templates like stationary that can make your e-mails much more attractive then the plain text people are used to.

The majority of current users have Office 2003 loaded on their computers.  As more computers are pre-loaded with Office 2007, 2003 users are receiving Office 2007 files in which they cannot open. For instance Word 2007 has a new default file format called DOCX that is incompatible with older versions which use the DOC format. 

However users with Office 2003 can install a free “Compatibility Pack” from Microsoft that will open and modify Office 2007 files.  If the file to be opened has new options introduced with 2007 the features will be removed.  Installing this small piece of software is a great way of opening and using Office 2007 files. 

Smartphone users typically run a device issued to them by their employer.  When they have a problem or a question they contact their companies.  Calls to support mobile phones can be long and complex due to the end users unfamiliarity with the device; the employees essentially have little PCs in their hands. A company based in Woburn, Mass., LogMeIn has a program that allows mobile phones to be taken over remotely just like a support session on desktop PCs.  By pressing an icon on the Smartphone it connects back to the IT department allowing a technician to view the screen of the device and interact with it.  This way of troubleshooting greatly reduces the amount of time to fix the problem or answer a question.

Like real-world theft, the hijacking of an Internet address can happen quickly and with little warning. Theft of Internet domain names occurs every day. The thieves take advantage of companies that let their web domains expire or have not taken the correct steps to secure unauthorized domain transfers.  Web addresses are increasingly important and thieves or disgruntled employees take advantage of this and transfer or modify domain settings so that the website and email is disrupted. 

The solution to this problem is to use an enhanced domain lock that is usually available for $8-$10 a year.  This service requires a password and additional steps to verify the owner of the domain before a transfer can happen.  Renewal of a domain name so it doesn’t expire is also an important step in securing your domain name.

Small businesses have proven ill-prepared for the complexities of safeguarding credit-card information. Since 2005, more than 80% of unauthorized access to card data has involved small merchants according to VISA Inc. All merchants are required to follow security standards to prevent sensitive data from being compromised.

Many merchants are unaware of these rules or how to properly handle credit card data.  Starting October 1, fines can reach $25,000 per month for larger companies.  The biggest problem is when merchants don’t realize that customer’s credit card information is being stored on their computer systems for an extended period without any security.

The growing popularity of fast always-on internet connections for residential and commercial users have led to more data being backed up online.  In the past most backups have been to floppy disks, CDs, and second hard drives.  These methods work but usually require manual operation to start and verify everything is correct.  The concept of online storage is simple.  A piece of software is installed on a computer or server, you tell the software what you want backed up, you set a time to start the backup, and you are finished.  At the specified time the software will backup your data onto a secured server located somewhere in the U.S.  The advantages of online storage are that it is automatic, the data is kept off-site in a secured facility, and you can access the data from anywhere with an internet connection using your username and password.  There are many companies who offer online storage and prices range from $5 to $40 a month. 

Due to the declining cost of LCD computer screens, dual monitors are one of the easiest and affordable ways to increase productivity.  Weather an employee works only with E-Mail or viewing financial records all day, having two monitors will always help.  With an additional screen you can have E-Mail open on one monitor and Internet Explorer open on the other.  The biggest gain will be for employees reading over financial records and comparing data.  Instead of having to switch between programs or print out many pages just to be throw out, with an investment of a second video card (~$50) and the cost of a LCD monitor (~$180) dual monitors can pay for themselves quickly.

When a broadband connection fails it is usually only for a short period of time, but for businesses it is critical to have 100% uptime.  Whether the businesses process credit cards or employees have to check e-mail, a backup connection needs to be in place.  The solution to this is easy, most broadband companies provide free dial-up internet access.  A voice modem should be installed and a new network connection added to the server.  When the broadband fails the dial-up will start and take over the internet connection.  This connection will be slow but at least the critical portions of the business can take place.