CMIT Solutions of South Nassau

Tools for Time Management

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:52:00 +0000

Take Charge of Your Productivity with These Time Management Tools

“Lost time is never found again.” – Benjamin Franklin

Often find yourself wondering where all the time goes? Much in the same way that keeping track of expenses reveals where your money goes, keeping tabs on your time can help you make more efficient use of it by identifying waste and opportunities for increased productivity.

But first, you need a way to track it. Take a look at this list of time management tools:

Remember the Milk – Probably the most ubiquitous time tracking tool out there, Remember the Milk is available as a Web app and on most popular smartphones. Remember the Milk seamlessly integrates with Outlook, Google Calendars, and Gmail. It even works with Siri, Apple’s digital assistant on the iPhone 4S.

GoodToDo – GoodToDo uses your email account as a task management tool. If you receive an email you need to follow up on tomorrow, you simply forward it to tomorrow@goodtodo.com, and the email will appear as a task on your GoodToDo portal.
Watch this demo to see it in action.

Timy – If you use Basecamp for project management, Timy is an excellent tool for tracking time, as it integrates nicely with Basecamp’s billing system. Available for many Smartphone platforms, Timy is a breeze for task-management on-the-go.

Microsoft Outlook – Yes, even Microsoft Outlook can be used as a time-tracking tool. You’ll just need to enable the “Journal” feature. In Outlook 2010, go to File --> Options --> Notes and Journal, then click the button that says “Journal Options.” Check which activities and applications you’d like Outlook to keep track of, and Outlook will record them in a convenient journal.

NAPO - NY Chapter Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:45:00 +0000

Mon, February 6, 2012 6:00 pm

Panel Discussion – Organizing in the Office Environment

6:00-8:30 PM Location: Cicatelli Associates, 505 Eighth Avenue at 35th Street, 20th floor

Join us on Monday, February 6 for a moderated panel discussion focusing on organizing issues that affect workers in the office environment. The discussion will touch on the varied solutions that can be offered by organizing, time management and other types of professionals who work in the office environment.

A variety of Hot Topics about the challenges that face today’s office environments
will be discussed including:

* Shared resources (space, files, etc)
* Team management/project management/delegation
* Personality conflicts
* Personal productivity (handling interruptions, distractions, focus, mental
* clutter)
* Scheduling and calendar sharing
* Policies and procedures

Our Moderator will be Nicole Chamblin, CPO®, a NAPO-NY member and productivity specialist.

The panel participants will include:

Lisa Zaslow, Gotham Organizers (a NAPO-NY member) – Office Organizer
Christine Ippolito, Compass Workforce Solutions, LLC – Human Resources Consultant
Karin Stewart, Daily Mastery - Time Management Consultant
Armando D'Accordo, CMIT Solutions of South Nassau – Business Technology Solutions Provider

NAPO members who do not belong to the NAPO-NY Chapter may attend meetings for a fee of $15.00; Other guests (no NAPO affiliation) may attend meetings for a fee of $25.00.

http://www.napo-ny.net/Chapter-Meeting-Feb62012

How to Create Secure Passwords

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:23:00 +0000

With just about every merchant and service on the Web requiring a password, it’s very tempting to use one, easy-to-remember word or phrase across all of them. Hackers know this, and it’s one of the reasons they’re able to hijack accounts so easily. If a hacker determines the password you use for, say, your Facebook login, he’ll likely try it on your bank account too. For this reason, among others, it’s vital to use different passwords for each service you use. Yes, it requires some extra work to keep track of them all, but it’s a far more pleasant experience than having your bank account drained.

However, using the above strategy won’t help you much if your individual passwords are easy to guess or crack. One common, simple-to-execute method for cracking passwords is what’s known as a “dictionary attack.” A dictionary attack is a type of brute force attack, whereby the hacker, using a computer program, tries all the words in the dictionary from A-Z in rapid succession until he finds the one that works. However, this isn’t your typical desktop reference dictionary. It also includes lists of proper nouns like common first names, names of celebrities, fictional characters, movie titles, sports teams, cities, common pet names, well-known quotes, and the like.

In order to thwart this known method, create passwords that don’t appear in such a dictionary by adding numbers and symbols to strings of characters. For example:

Weak password: Travolta

Stronger password: 3Trav#olta1547

Very strong password: 3pnle#r5th!po34

Generally speaking, the longer the password, the stronger it is, since each character is one more variable that the hacker must determine. But IT’S ONLY STRONG IF IT’S NOT EASY TO GUESS, so don’t choose something like “fourscoreandsevenyearsago” either.

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:02:00 +0000

CMIT Solutions is pleased to announce that it has won the top prize in the Computer Services category of the Best of Long Island 2012 Contest! We are also very proud to have placed second in the Green Business category. We care about the environment and we strive to give our clients excellent service, and the results show that we are achieving our goals. Over a million Long Islanders voted for their favorite businesses in a variety of categories, and the CMIT Solutions Long Island team would like to thank everyone who nominated us, and voted for us.

Window 7's Snipping Tool

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:21:00 +0000

The Snipping Tool Captures Screen Shots in a Snap

In the past, people who wanted to take screen shots had several options, none of them great: paid software like Techsmith's SnagIt, which works well but costs a pretty penny; or Alt+PrintScreen (which captures full screens) or Alt+Shift+PrintScreen (which captures the active window), but require remembering keyboard shortcuts and don’t give you much control.

In this week’s Video QuickTip, we show you how to use Windows 7’s “Snipping Tool” to capture screenshots in a variety of methods.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeRrGInbGtE&feature=youtu.be

Anti-virus Alone is Not Enough

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:01:00 +0000

Unfortunately, keeping your computers and network secure isn’t as simple as merely installing an anti-virus (A/V) program. Cyber criminals have multiple potential points of access, and they all need protection. At minimum, this is what you need:

Firewall – A firewall sits between your network and the Internet and is the “doorman” for your infrastructure. Everything that goes in or out of your network passes through the firewall. Properly configured, a firewall keeps your data and sensitive information safely within your network, while keeping unauthorized intruders out.

Spyware scanner and removal tool – Spyware are small applications or cookies that reside on your computer and report on your activities to a third party. Spyware may watch for which websites you visit or what you’re shopping for and may even redirect you to websites you don’t intend to visit. More nefarious versions may log your passwords. Spyware removal tools compare the files on your computer to a long list of known spyware, identify suspicious items, and wipe them from your computer. Like A/V programs, these tools work best only when updated to the most recent list spyware definitions.

Acceptable use policy – Acceptable use policies (AUPs) address the biggest security risk of all—the human sitting in front of the computer. An AUP consists of a set of guidelines and procedures that you and your employees must follow to avoid compromising your network’s security. AUPs may include rules about connecting personal devices such as cell phones or USB drives to the company’s network, protocols for choosing secure passwords, and/or reminders not to inadvertently reveal sensitive information to hackers using social engineering to gain access.
For in-depth advice on employing multiple layers of security to protect your business from hackers, malware, and even accidental disasters, contact CMIT Solutions.

Methods of Saving a Webpage for Later Viewing

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:37:00 +0000

Sometimes you need access to the contents of a webpage even when you don’t have an Internet connection. Or, perhaps you want to save something for later reading. Maybe you want to record the contents of a page before it gets taken down. Whatever the case may be, saving a copy of a webpage for later viewing is a snap.

Here are a few options:

The “Save As” method: While on the page you wish to save, press Ctrl+S to open the “Save As” dialog box. The drop-down menu gives you the option of saving “Web page, complete” or “Webpage, HTML only.” The former saves the HTML file as well as any images, links, and other elements on the page. The latter saves only the code, so for offline viewing, choose the “Web page, complete” option.
For advanced, browser-specific options, see Firefox Help or Microsoft’s Help & How-to page.

The “Cut & Paste” method: Sometimes referred to as “copy pasta” in web-speak, this method works well when you’re only interested in saving the text of a website. Press Ctrl+A to select all the text on the page, press Ctrl+C to copy it to the clipboard, then open Word or another text editor and press Ctrl+V to paste the text. Save the Word document as you normally would.

The “Print as PDF” method: Google Chrome has this feature built in, as does just about any Mac application. For Firefox and Internet Explorer, you’ll need to download and install the free CutePDF Writer. Then, when you want to save a webpage as a PDF, simply choose “print” from the File menu, and select CutePDF Writer as your printer. The computer will “print” the webpage into a PDF document, which allows for easy offline viewing.

Most Popular Quick Tips

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:35:00 +0000

A Roundup of the Most Popular QuickTips from the Last Six Months

As we prepare ourselves for 2012, let’s take a look at the most popular QuickTips from the second half of 2011.

Take Control of Your Cellphone’s Camera with These Handy Apps
One of the biggest gripes about Smartphone cameras is the clunky (or complete lack of) controls over camera functions like zoom, shutter speed, and aperture size. Fortunately, an army of apps awaits, offering tools and options to give you better control over these variables.
http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/take-control-your-cellphone%E2%80%99s-camera-these-handy-apps

Happy That You’re Still Running Windows XP? So Are the Hackers.
Despite being two generations old (an eternity in software time), Windows XP continues to be the most popular operating system in the world. According to security guru Mikko Hypponen, lead researcher at Finland’s F-Secure, more than 50% of all machines connected to the Internet run XP.
http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/happy-you%E2%80%99re-still-running-windows-xp-so-are-hackers

Using Google Alerts to See What’s Said Online About You & Your Business
In this video, we’ll show you how to set up Google Alerts to receive real-time updates on whatever topics or news stories might be of interest to you. Google Alerts are a great way to keep tabs on what’s being said about your company, your competition, developments in your industry, or any topic you choose.
http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/video-using-google-alerts

Using the Google Search Box for More than Just Searching
Let’s face it: Google is everywhere. Much to the chagrin of the company’s trademark attorneys, the name has become synonymous with “search,” but there’s much more you can do with that little rectangle than just search for content. Here are a few of our favorite tricks.
Part I: http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/using-google-search-box-more-just-searching-part-i-ii
Part II: http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/using-google-search-box-more-just-searching-part-ii-ii
Part III: http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/google-search-tricks-bonus-edition

Keep Your Inbox Clean and Organized with Outlook Rules
Even if your spam filter does a great job of separating the wheat from the chaff, chances are the volume of legitimate emails you receive sometimes overwhelms your inbox. Fortunately, Outlook has a powerful “rules” filter to help keep your emails organized.
http://www.cmitsolutions.com/corporate/blog/keep-your-inbox-clean-and-organized-outlook-rules

Not seeing eye-to-eye?
Conflict is unfortunately an inevitable part of life and business. In this week’s CMIT Business Advisor Series, Lisa McLeod explains how to compromise without giving up what you want.
http://www.cmitsolutions.com/businessadvisor

Armando D'Accordo to speak at FEI

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:39:00 +0000

Financial Executives Internaional, Long Island Chapter

presents

"Technology Security in the Cloud"

Speakers:

Adam Jacobson, RedTree Software

Armando D'Accordo, CMIT Solutions

John Fodera, EisnerAmper

Thursday, January 26, 2012

68 South Service Road

Melville, NY 11747

8:00 AM: Registration, Breakfast & Networking

8:30 AM: Panel Discussion

Members: $10 in advance; $15 at the door

Non-Members: $15 in advance; $20 at the door

Advance Registration Recommended

RSVP to Adam Greenberg

(516) 328-2300 ext. 211

agreenberg@abramslaw.com

Happy Holidays from CMIT Solutions!

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:25:00 +0000

Our colleague Evan Stein, President of CMIT Solutions of Wall Street & Grand Central used this greeting in his holiday cards to clients. We loved it so much we just wanted to share it with you as well...

Twas the night of the deadline
The systems were choking
I had twelve programs open
My computer was smoking

Emails wouldn’t send
Excel wouldn’t add
My desktop had blue-screened
Someone stole my iPad

From down the hall “Just reboot it”
Someone shouted aloud
But there’s no server here
We had moved to the cloud

But then on my screen
The cursor did fly
A Log Me In session
It was the IT guy

He wiped out the virus
And patched Windows 7
Upgraded my iTunes
While Jobs smiled down from heaven

And I heard him tweet loudly
As he ended our call
“Whether Mac or PC
Happy Holidays to All”

CMIT Solutions would like to wish you a Happy & Healthy Holiday Season :)

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:35:00 +0000

Please vote for CMIT Solutions of South Nassau for Long Island Press' Best of L.I. 2012 Competition!! CMIT Solutions of South Nassau can be found under the "Computer Services" category as well as the "Green Company" category.

Click the link below to vote for us!

http://vote.longislandpress.com/engine/YourSubmission.aspx?contestid=40972

We appreciate your votes & support!!

Protect your Data from Phishing Scams

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:04:00 +0000

Phishing scams involve an official-looking email, supposedly sent by a bank or other company you do business with. The email may ask you to provide critical account information by replying to the email or clicking on embedded Web links which will take you to a Web site that may appear legitimate, but is actually a malicious Web site set up to steal your information.

Here is a recent example of a phishing attack associated with Verizon Wireless...

Remember:
Do not open suspicious emails. Look for misspellings, awkward requests or inconsistent grammar.
A Web site link included in an email can make getting to a Web site easy, but it can also be used to send you to a malicious Web site.
Never type sensitive personal information in a reply email.
Use spam filters to block suspicious emails.
Use anti-virus and anti-malware software to automatically detect and eliminate malicious software.

Always be cautious when opening and reading your e-mails. Most viruses and scams are covered up with names of companies you trust. Just be careful what you open and click!

Armando D'Accordo Speaking at CPA Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:07:00 +0000

Armando D'Accordo, the President of CMIT Solutions of South Nassau, will be speaking at the CPA Continuing Professional Educational Seminar. The topic of discussion is:

Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity Best Practices and Compliance Issues for the Financial Profession.

This is a must attend for CPA's and Private Accountants
Limited Seating Available
$20 fee per person
2 CPE Credits

Time & Location:
November 15th, 2011
8:00am - 10:00am

Crowne Plaza Hotel
1730 North Ocean Avenue
Holtsville, NY

For More Information or to Register - Click here

Google Search Tips: Bonus Edition!

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:13:00 +0000

We've received a good deal of positive feedback from our recent "Google Search Tricks" , Quicktips, so we thought we'd share a few more. View our previous tips on our last blog posts.

Get Stock Quotes

To view the most recent stock price for a company, simply enter "stocks" followed by a space and the ticker symbol.

Search by File Type

Google can return search results only of particular file formats by appending "file type:" and the desired extension after our keyword(s).

Search within a Numeric Range:

Don't be Spooked by Zombies, Viruses, and Bot Nets!

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Every year hackers get smarter and sneakier about how to infiltrate people's computers, steal vital personal information, and spread mischief. A few years ago, all you had to worry about was malware spread by e-mail attachments. These days, you have to worry about mysterious links showing up in your instant messages, weird messages from Facebook friends you've never heard of, and malicious websites downloading who knows what to your computer as soon as you visit them.

So what's a safe Web surfer to do, short of unplugging the computer and conducting all correspondence by a carrier pigeon?

1. Stay vigilant, no matter what application you're using. Hackers are hip to new media and won't hesitate to use Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, or instant messaging to get to you. If you wouldn't click on a strange link in email, don't click on it in Facebook.

2. Expect spam and phishing to spike around holidays or major events. If a celebrity just died and you get an email containing an attachment purporting to be video of that celebrity's death -- some good advice is - DONT open it.

3. Read your email with a VERY skeptical eye. One of our clients was recently contacted by a service that said it was investigating another company's registration of a domain under our client's name. They were obviously phishing for information about our client. That email went straight to the trash, no response.

4. Know how to spot a zombie. If your computer sounds like it's running all the time but processing has slowed to a crawl, or you find returned messages in your inbox responding to emails you've never sent-- your computer might well be a part of a bot net.

5. Be wary of warnings. The last few years have seen a huge upswing in false alerts for spyware and virus infections. Users are prompted to install a "free anti-virus" or "spyware removal tool." Those who click "OK" to install the program instead install more spyware.

This Halloween, remember -- you'll probably get a few Halloween related spam, an invitation on Facebook, a suspicious inquiry from an overseas firm, and maybe even a pop-up or two. The best thing you can do is ignore all of this and run another back up of your files. Do a full system scan, and update your antivirus/anti-spyware protection with the latest definitions.

CMIT's marathon service automatically runs system scans and security updates, so you never have to worry about being up to date. To learn more about CMIT Marathon, go to cmitsolutions.com/marathon.

MORE Tips for the Google Search Box!

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Last week we showed you some pretty cool features about the Google Search bar. Here are some more tips that you'll love!

Define a word -- Put that Oxford English Dictionary away. Look up definitions using Google by entering "define:word" in the search box (replace 'word' with the term you wish to define, and don't use quotes).
Track a package --
Simply enter a tracking number into the search box. This works with UPS, Fedex, DHL, and most other large shippers.
Get the weather--
Simply type "weather:nameofcity" and Google will return the forecast for the location in the search results. If you're looking for your local weather, just type "weather," and Google will determine your location based on your IP address.
Convert Measurements--
Can't recall how many gallons there are in a hogshead? Google has the answer. Also works with more conventional unit conversions, such as cups to ounces.
Search a website--
Google isn't just for searching the Web at large. You can use Google's search engine to dig into a specific URL. It's very handy for searching sites with large archives, such as news outlets. To do so, enter the keyword you wish to find, then "site:exampleurl.com" (without quotes), substituting the domain you wish to search for exampleurl.com. In this example, we're searching the New York Times for mentions of Mario Batali's Babbo restaurant.

Technician Position for CMIT Long Island

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 16:03:00 +0000

CMIT Solutions is growing.

Want to be a part of this growth?

CMIT Solutions of Long Island is looking for a Junior Technician with hands on experience in Windows Server environments. You'll gain experience through working with our varied clients across the Island.

If you're interested in growing with us and are enthusiastic send your resume to

jobsli@cmitsolutions.com

Use the Google Search Box for More than Searching!

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:29:00 +0000

Google is everywhere. Much to the chagrin of the company's trademark attorneys, the name has become synonymous with "search," but there's much more you can do with that little rectangle bar than just search for content.Check out a few of our favorite tricks:

Check flight status -- Enter the name of the airline, the word "flight," and the flight number, and Google will show you the latest status.

Convert currency -- Enter an amount and type of currency, the word "to," and th

e currency to which you wish to convert.

Find local time -- This search works using natural language. Simple type, "What time is it in X," with the X being the name of a city.

Make a calculation -- This one is interesting because Google again uses understanding of natural language to go beyond mere arithmetic.

Tips to Strengthen Your Email Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 15:28:00 +0000

Email's ubiquity and low cost make it a great tool for small-business owners to communicate with customers and potential customers. Unfortunately, the electronics arms race that has ensued between spammers and spam-filters requires entrepreneurs to think strategically about the design and content of such broadcasts.

However, even if your message has made it past the spam filter, there are still lots that can go wrong. Here are a few tips on getting the most out of your email marketing efforts.
1. Carefully consider the way you use images. In many email clients, the default settings automatically block embedded images, so don't rel solely on images to convey important information. Make sure any vital information that appears in the images (such as our phone number or other contact info) also appears elsewhere as text. Whatever you do, don't send emails that include only images or images with very little text.

2. Use a table of contents in lengthy message. If the content of the email comprises more that a few short paragraphs (for example, in an eNewsletter), include a Table of Contents so the recipient can easily locate topics of interest.

3. Test, test, test. The best way to avoid formatting errors is to view the message in as many email clients as possible, including Outlook, Outlook Express, iOS (iPhone, iPad, etc.) Thunderbird, Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, and Windows Live. Set up your own unique email accounts in as many of these as possible, and send a test version of your email before releasing it to the masses. For an automated method of doing this, consider using a tool like Campaign Monitor.

4. Don't forget to include a Call to Action. You don't want your recipient merely to contemplate the content of your message. You want them to DO SOMETHING! Whether that action is to call you, email you, or visit your website, now is not the time for modesty. Ask and you shall receive!

Rethinking the "Never Reply to Spam" Rule

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:45:00 +0000

As the story goes, we've been saying for years that the way to handle spam emails was to never reply to anything, even if there was an unsubscribe link or instructions at the end of the message. After all, spammers dont really care that you don't want them sending you emails, or they wouldn't have sent them in the first place. Furthermore, by replying in any manner, you're confirming that your email account is an active one and therefore a valuable commodity to sell to other spammers.

The best practice is to have a robust spam filter in place like CMIT's Anti-spam to keep unwanted messages from clogging your inbox. However, for those message that sneak through, you may wish to consider an alternative course of action, so long as the spam messages meet certain criteria.

The main question to ask is, "Is the message from a legitimate company?" Sometimes the answer is difficult to ascertain, but if it's trying to sell you diet pills or any kind of "enhancements," just ignore it. Companies that send mass emails are required, as part of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, to include an opt-out link in every message, and to comply with such requests from recipients. Some companies even go as far as to use a third-party service, such as Safe Unsubscribe, to handle opt-out requests without revealing the requestor's email address to the message's sender.

So, if you find your inbox cluttered with newsletters that you no longer wish to receive or special offers from companies with which you have done business, following the unsubscribe instructions probably won't do you any harm. It's a less drastic step than blocking the sender's domain, which might prevent you from receiving legitimate emails such as order confirmations or recall notices.

Watch Out for PayPal E-mail Scam

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:24:00 +0000

It has been confirmed by PayPal that there are scam e-mails associated with their company circulating the internet.

The image below is a screen shot of the most recent e-mail scam that you need to be aware of. Especially for those of you who are frequent PayPal users, this can be easily confused with your trusted emails that you receive from PayPal all the time.

Remember:
Do Not click on any links
Check for incorrect spelling as this is a common sign that it is an e-mail scam
Delete the e-mail so you dont accidently open any links or attachments

Always be cautious when opening and reading your e-mails. Most viruses and scams are covered up with names of companies you trust. Just be careful what you open and what you click!

5 Most Glaring Holes in Small Business IT Security

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:32:00 +0000

As an IT service provider to small businesses, we see a few common problems among new clients. Whether it's because of oversight, lack of knowledge, neglect, or user error, the following five issues keep many small businesses from achieving their full potential or even worse, jeopardize a company's very existence.

1. Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) - A company's electronic data is one of its most valuable and fragile assets. A shocking number of small businesses either rely on manual backups or just keep their fingers crossed. For maximum protection, a business needs not only an automated backup system (to minimize human error), but also a thoroughly tested and simple-to-implement disaster recovery plan in order to get the business back up and running.

2. Adherence to Security Protocols - Your car alarm won't give you much protection if you leave your keys on the hood. As with many security systems, the human factor is often one of the weakest links. Poor login management, shared passwords, and other shortcuts leave your computers and network open to threats. Educating your staff about the importance of adhering to security measures (and making sure they do) is of utmost importance.

3. Outdated Equipment - This especially applies to network infrastructure such as routers, switches, and firewalls. Just because a device still works, doesn't mean it is working securely. As security protocols have progressed, especially in the wireless space, manufacturers have had to increase performance to keep up with increasingly complicated encryption schemes. Running older hardware makes you an easier target (and therefore more attractive) for hackers.

4. Unsecured Mobile Devices - Yes employees love the convenience of accessing their email via a smartphone, but smartphones are also easy to lose (as are laptops and USB drives). What if that device held sensitive information? Or provided a direct path into your corporate server? Again, adherence to proper security protocols is a paramount. All devices need to be protected with robust, regularly changing passwords, and all employees need to understand and adhere to a written "acceptable use" policy.

5. Lack of Cohesive IT Strategy - Most companies expand their IT infrastructure as their business grows. As such, they often find themselves with a patchwork system. Smart business owners see IT as a strategic business asset, not just a necessary evil. Investing in a coherent, well-designed IT infrastructure not only provides security and increased performance, but also does good things for your bottom line.

Armando D'Accordo Inducted to Merrick Kiwanis!

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:31:00 +0000

Armando D'Accordo will be inducted to the Board of Directors of the Merrick Kiwanis Club next thursday September 22, 2011.

Armando is honored to accept this induction and is proud to participate in helping Kiwanis achieve it's vision. It is an organization dedicated to changing the world, one small step at a time. They do so by educating their children, supporting their community and involving themselves in all kinds of community services.

For more information about the Merrick Kiwanis, visit their website!

Happy that you still have Windows XP? So are the Hackers.

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:08:00 +0000

Despite being two generations old (an eternity in software time), Windows XP continues to be the most popular operating system in the world. According to security guru Mikko Hypponen, lead researcher at Finland's F-Secure, more than 50% of all machines connected to the Internet run XP.

Why so popular? Its successor Windows Vista, was an utter flop. As grumblings from users and tech media grew, the business community dug in their collective heels and stuck with the tried and true XP ( it didnt help that several popular business apps initially didn't run well or at all on Vista, either). Many of those that had already switched to Vista sough to return to XP (in fact, a Google search for "downgrade from Vista to XP" still returns about 130,000 hits). So, when Windows 7 finally rolled out a few years later, many users viewed it with health skepticism, even though it has since proven itself a worthy successor to XP.

Whatever the reasons for not upgrading, if you're still running XP, you may want to consider the following:

Hackers tend to write Malware with the intent of getting it onto the most computers possible. Because of its large installed user base and less-than-cutting-edge technology, machines running XP are a prime target.

Microsoft has a habit of outing its own security exploits. Hackers pay close attention to security fixes released by Microsoft and note what holes the patches are intended to fix, many of which are not widely known. This makes any machine that is not immediately patched and updated very vulnerable.

Windows 7 was built with multiple, robust layers of security. It will run on all but the most outdated of machines.

Even Microsoft thinks you'd be a fool to keep running XP. Though they've caved to users demands to continue extended support (i.e., patching) for XP through 2014, they went through the trouble to produce an hour-long video with some of their top engineers discussing the pitfalls of continuing to use XP. See the video via our home blog.

Surviving After the Storm...

noreply@blogger.com (CMIT Solutions of South Nassau) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:46:00 +0000

Hopefully everyone has made it through Hurricane Irene. A lot of damage and power outages has occurred. We want to make sure you are still safe even after the storm.

Use a flashlight for emergency lighting. Never use candles or open flames indoors.

When cutting up fallen trees, use caution, especially if you use a chain saw. Serious injuries can occur with these powerful machines, they may snap or break.

Assess damage to home and contents. Photograph all damage.

Make temporary repairs to protect the building and contents.

Remove and discard all porous organic materials that have become visibly wet or contaminated.

When using a generator, be sure that the main circuit breaker is off and locked out prior to starting the generator.

Do not attempt to drive across flowing water. As little as six inches of water may cause you to lose control and two feet of water will carry away most cars.

Read more on the after the storm checklist at abc.com