They tried this last year with limited success, but this time, they are more serious about it and the chances are good that you are, in fact, infected if you receive the message, “Your computer appears to be infected. We believe that your computer is infected with malicious software. If you don’t take action, you might not be able to connect to the Internet in the future.”

What is this malware anyway?  DNSChanger affects DNS only, as the name applies, and redirects queries to other websites. Some of the affected DNS servers have been replaced with temporary servers, however, on July 9th a court order will expire and those DNS servers will be shutdown, causing potentially hundreds of thousands of computer users to be without internet connectivity.

For more information about DNSChanger, malware in general or any other computer security related issues that may affect your business, please call 864.990.4748 or use our handy CONTACT FORM.

A similar MEILINK fire safe

Do you need to get in a locked safe? Are you wanting a new career as a safecracker? Boy do I have news for you – It’s easier than you might think.

My wifey has a MEILINK fire safe that holds important documents like birth certificates, and the millions of dollars in spare change we have (bah!) which is rarely accessed, and never locked. It’s just for fire purposes, not really security.

Wellllll, long story short, somehow this safe got locked. I blame the cats. But either way, it was locked, and Pamela McAbee Hoyt could not remember the combination. She thought she knew it, but wasn’t sure. She came up with 5 or 6 numbers that she was pretty sure it could be, but questioned the order.

She wrote them down as she tried them. She spent HOURS trying to get into the thing, all the while getting more frustrated. Then she tore the house apart (literally, not figuratively), searching for the card that had the combination on it. Newp, nowhere to be found.

I called a locksmith and safe technician friend of mine, he said he would have to drill this safe that has been in her family for 30-40 years, which would leave it in an inoperable state without costly repairs, so that was not appealing.

I then tried to make contact with a man who claims he could “manipulate” the safe (crack it), but no response.

We called the manufacturer who could actually give you the default factory combination (for a fee) if you provide the serial number. There was no serial number anywhere on it (There is one INSIDE, but what good is that?!?!).

Sooooo, I googled for “how to open a meilink safe” and came upon several links, the most interesting of which was a fella with a very similar safe that he has lost the combination to. And in that article, he has further links to “How Mechanical Safes Work”, and one that was far more interesting to me, being a geek, entitled,  “Safecracking for the computer scientist”.

I followed that last link and read it, not once, but a couple parts a few times.  From the article, I knew that I could go buy myself a massive drill and a diamond bit, and be in that puppy, but I was really drawn to the “manipulation” part, and after I had absorbed what I could, I pulled this safe out of its cubby hole into the living room, where I had light and wasn’t cramped and started working the dial. This was around 2:00 or 2:15 this morning.

Luck was on my side! The first number was easy to determine, obviously, that wheel was where the fence was making contact first, unlike in the article. And when I looked at the attempted combinations that Pamela had tried, guess what? It was one of the ones she had guessed at, in fact, it was her 3rd guess.

I found the 2nd and 3rd numbers were also the numbers she knew them to be, and actually in the right order.  But why was I able to open it when she could not?

She had used the correct pattern for that safe, which is:

• Turn the dial to the right several times to “clear it”, stop on “0″
• Turn the dial to the left (ccw) 3 times past the first number and stop on that number on the 4th go-round
• Turn the dial to the right 2 times past the second number and stop on that number on the 3rd time around
• Turn the dial to the left 1 time past the third number and stop on the 2nd time around
• Turn the dial to the right until the dial stops
• Twist the handle and pull the door open

Easy, right?

Yeah, kinda.  You see, when a safe ages, and especially if the people opening it for years have been kinda quick with the dial, it becomes worn and what may have been 55, could “drift” and be several numbers off.  There are lots of articles on the web about that, and my locksmith friend had told me that from the start.

That is apparently the case with this safe…  It has probably never been serviced and my wife admits to twirling that dial back in the day as fast as she could, so we’ll go with that.

Bottom line – the safe is open, and I have verified the combination works, multiple times now, and before it ever gets locked again, we’ll probably verify it a few more times.

Lessons learned include:

• Put the combination in more than one location
• Make sure someone else knows how to operate the safe besides you
• Verify the combination works before locking the door closed
• If you want to use it as a fire box, and not actually lock it, remove or disable the combination lock components
• If the combination has never been changed, knowing the serial number could help – write it down
• The internet is not just for porn. You can find some great articles that will help you become a safecracker =)

Need help getting in your own safe? Read those articles, you might surprise yourself.

Now if only I could remember the password to the file where I stored the safe combination.

A man walked into a medical center, and apparently stole a hard drive that from a computer in a patient admitting area near the main lobby.

The quote that gets me was “The hospital does not believe any patient personal information is contained on the hard drive”….

That’s great that they don’t believe there was anything important on it, but the thought that they COULD be wrong keeps haunting me.  If you have been following this blog for a while, you might remember the computer server that we recovered thousands of medical files from that was purchased on craigslist. I believe the previous owners also believed that server did not contain any patient personal information, but boy were they wrong.

Had the medical facility utilized free encryption that is included as part of the Microsoft Windows Professional operating system, not only could the hospital claim that they did not believe any data was contained on the hard drive, but they could also say that if, by chance, there is data on the hard drive, that thanks to encryption, it is highly unlikely that the data will be recoverable.

If you would like more information about how data encryption can be used for your mobile fleet of business laptops or even a desktop workstation that is in a publicly accessible area, please call us at 864.990.4748 or use our handy CONTACT FORM. We provide computer and network security to Greenville and Upstate SC!

The bar has been raised considerably, so Bovinova 3.0 next year is going to have to be exponentially cooler to top it!

What IS Bovinova you ask? It is a big (no, bigger than “big”) BBQ! They roast an entire cow over a fire, and goat, lamb, chicken, turkey, hotdogs, hamburger and a llama. Wait, did this guy just say llama? You bet I did!

Also, during the Friday before the event, there is live entertainment, including a band, which I was lucky enough to play with for the second year running, and a local entertainer known as Tim TV who has his “Secret Cirkus” and they twirl lighted hulahoops and play with fire! (Eating it, fire-hooping, etc).

You can keep up with the Bovinova happenings at www.Bovinova.com

In the video below, you will see a device that has the potential for erasing the data using the same method that was used to record that information, albeit much more powerful.

It remains to be seen whether data will be truly rendered unreadable using the “Data Killer”, but in theory it could work, and the fact that the hard drive itself would remain operable is quite attractive.

One thing is for sure, a “DOD wipe” is not enough to protect your data. We have successfully recovered data that was erased or wiped using 5 passes or more of common software.

If you have backup tapes or hard drives that you would like to securely dispose of, please contact us in the Upstate of SC, we can arrange for the secure shredding of those devices.  864.990.4748 or use our CONTACT form for more information

Most of you who follow this blog also know I am a musician and you may or may not know that I am “between bands”.

I’ve decided that starting a new, fun and funky band is what I really want to do. Not doing the average country rock, southern rock, classic rock or any one other genre, but instead, to do a variety of music that people want to hear at events, festivals, fairs, corporate grand openings, dances, parties, wedding receptions and the like.

We’re talking tunes from across all genres, from rock to reggae, disco to country, jazz to blues. So basically, anything with a great groove is fair game! No downer, “cry in your beer” type songs here, and just a sprinkling of the well loved, and maybe over-done songs. Maybe some originals thrown in for good measure.

And while it will be a “cover band”, these covers will not be performed exactly as the original. If people wanted to hear the original music, they wouldn’t book a band, they would hire a DJ!

The project is called “Hot As A Pepper”!

If this sounds like something you want to get involved in if you are a guitarist, vocalist, keyboard player or drummer, then let’s talk. Or maybe you know someone who might fit into a group like this… Please pass on my contact information to them…

There are a few requirements though…

• Must be reliable – this requires work, you will need to be there
• There will be at least one rehearsal per week, more if everyone is up for it
• This will be a gigging band – at least a gig per month, probably averaging 2 to 3 per month
• This will be PRIMARILY local to the Upstate – no touring here
• There WILL BE smoky bars/clubs with maybe intoxicated people around
• There WILL BE late night gigs (hopefully more events/festivals after a year or so though)
• You have to have a great personality – fun to be around.
• This is not ONLY for money… If you are driven ONLY by money, uhmmm you won’t be happy!

Let me know if you want more information about Hot As A Pepper! Venue owners and those needing a great band for events should reach out immediately to see how we can help each other!

You can find us on facebook at http://facebook.com/HotAsAPepper and at our website of www.HotAsAPepper.com

Over 35 security flaws are addressed in 19 different components that are part of OS X or OS X server including the Kernel, Bluetooth, Directory Service, QuickTime, Time Machine and others which could lead to elevation of privileges, DoS (Denial of Service) and code execution.

More information about these updates and vulnerabilities can be found in the security update bulletin

Apply these and all other updates to keep your Apple OS X computer as safe and secure as possible. If you require assistance with computer security or service  here in the Greenville or Upstate SC area, please call us at 864.990.4748 or use our CONTACT form.

This comes from our friend and partner, WatchGuard’s blog (follow the links through for Adobe’s official explanation):

Adobe Patch Day: Shockwave, Flash Professional, Photoshop, and Illustrator Updates

by Corey Nachreiner

Severity: High

Summary:

• These vulnerabilities affect: Adobe Shockwave Player, Flash Professional, Photoshop, and Illustrator
• How an attacker exploits them: Multiple vectors of attack, including enticing your users to open malicious files or visit specially crafted web sites
• Impact: Various results; in the worst case, an attacker can gain complete control of your computer
• What to do: Install the appropriate Adobe patches immediately, or let Adobe’s updater do it for you.

Exposure:

Today, Adobe released four security bulletins describing vulnerabilities in many of their popular software packages, including Shockwave Player, Flash Professional, Photoshop, and Illustrator. A remote attacker could exploit the worst of these flaws to gain complete control of your computer. The summary below details some of the vulnerabilities in these popular software packages.

• APSB12-13: Five Shockwave Code Execution Vulnerabilities

Adobe Shockwave Player displays interactive, animated web content and movies called Shockwave. According to Adobe, the Shockwave Player is installed on some 450 million PCs.

Adobe’s bulletin warns of five security vulnerabilities that affect Shockwave Player 11.6.4.634 and earlier for Windows and Macintosh. Adobe’s bulletin doesn’t describe the flaws in technical detail, only characterizing them as memory corruption vulnerabilities. All five flaws share the same impact. If an attacker can entice one of your users into visiting a website containing some sort of malicious Shockwave content, he could exploit these vulnerabilities to execute code on that user’s computer, with that user’s privileges. If your Windows users have local administrator privileges, an attacker could exploit this flaw to gain full control of their PC.

Adobe Priority Rating: 2 (Patch within 30 days)

• APSB12-12: Flash Professional Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

Adobe Flash is a platform for creating interactive or animated web content and video. Flash Professional is the Adobe authoring environment used to create Flash content.

Flash Professional 11.5.1.348 and earlier for Windows and Mac suffers from a buffer overflow vulnerability. Adobe does not share any relevant detail about this flaw, nor how an attacker might exploit it. However, we assume that if you open specially crafted Flash content in Flash Professional, an attacker can leverage this flaw to execute code on your computer, with your privileges. As usual, if you have administrative or root privileges, the attacker would gain complete control of your machine.

Adobe Priority Rating: 3 (Patch at your discretion)

• APSB12-11: Photoshop TIFF Handling Vulnerability

Photoshop is a popular image editing program. Photoshop CS5.5 (for Windows and Mac) suffers from two vulnerabilities; a vulnerability involving its inability to properly handle specially crafted TIFF images, and an unspecified buffer overflow vulnerability. By tricking you into downloading and opening a malicious image in Photoshop, an attacker can exploit the TIFF flaw to execute code on your machine, with your privileges. If you have local admin privileges, the attacker gains complete control of your computer. Adobe doesn’t describe how an attacker might leverage the second buffer overflow vulnerability.

Adobe Priority Rating: 3 (Patch at your discretion)

• APSB12-10:  Five Illustrator Code Execution Vulnerabilities

Illustrator is Adobe’s vector drawing software. It suffers from five unspecified memory corruption vulnerabilities. Adobe doesn’t describe these flaws in any other detail, other than calling them code execution vulnerabilities. If forced to guess, we assume that if you handle specially crafted, Illustrator-compatible files (perhaps an image), an attacker could exploit this flaw to execute code on your computer with your privileges. Again, if you are an administrator, the attacker gains full control.

Adobe Priority Rating: 3 (Patch at your discretion)

While we’re on Adobe updates, if you haven’t installed the early Flash Player update that Adobe released last week, we recommend you do so immediately. That update is much more severe than the ones released today.

Solution Path:

Adobe has released updates for all their affected software. If you use any of the software below, we recommend you download and deploy the corresponding updates as soon as possible, or let Adobe’s automatic updater do it for you.

NOTE: Adobe has chosen to only release some of these fixes as paid updates (CS6). If you didn’t already plan to pay for these updates, you will have to decide if these security issues change your mind. On a positive note, attackers don’t often target the products in question (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash Professional). Nonetheless, it’s difficult for us not to recommend the latest security updates, and we wish that Adobe had extended these security updates to previous versions as well.

• APSB12-13: Upgrade to Shockwave 11.6.5.635
• APSB12-12: Your only recourse is upgrading to Flash Professional CS6, which is a paid update.
• APSB12-11: Your only recourse is upgrading to Photoshop CS6, which is a paid update.
• APSB12-10: Your only recourse is upgrading to Illustrator CS6, which is a paid update.

For All WatchGuard Users:

Attackers can exploit these flaws using diverse exploitation methods. A properly configured UTM device may mitigate the risk of some of these issues. That said, it cannot protect you from local attacks, nor can it prevent attacks that leverage normal HTTP traffic. Therefore, installing Adobe’s updates is your most secure course of action.

Status:

Adobe has released patches correcting these issues.

References:

• Adobe Security Update APSB12-10
• Adobe Security Update APSB12-11
• Adobe Security Update APSB12-12
• Adobe Security Update APSB12-13

This alert was researched and written by Corey Nachreiner, CISSP.

Corey Nachreiner | May 8, 2012 at 4:35 pm | Tags: adobe, Flash Player, patch, Photoshop, shockwave, updates | Categories: Security Updates | URL: http://wp.me/pVP8E-xd

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Should you require assistance with these Adobe security updates or any security or network updates for your business here in the Greenville / Upstate area, please do not hesitate to call upon us at 864.990.4748 or use our handy CONTACT form!

Did you know that for just a few dollars an app can be  purchased, and even installed remotely in some cases on a smart phone that will allow the phone itself to be used as a spy tool?

One of the “best” apps available (and most expensive to purchase) for Android and (jailbroken) Apple phones allows:

• Remote installation (you don’t have to have access to the phone to install it)
• Remotely wake up a phone that is “off”
• Auto-reinstall upon reload of OS
• Complete stealthing (almost impervious to detection)
• Turn on the camera (front or rear facing)
• Turn on the microphone (monitor anything said in a room)
• Access GPS (see where the phone is)
• Eavesdrop on phone conversations (both sides)
• Eavesdrop on Skype and other video conferencing (both sides)
• Enable keystroke logging (everything typed is viewable)
• URL logging (where the phone owner has browsed to is viewable

In addition to those features it can do some other interesting things….

• If a phone wanders outside of a defined area, alert the person watching
• If the phone exceeds a set maximum mile-per-hour, alert the person watching
• If the phone is called or texts a particular number/s, alert the person watching
• If the phone is used to call or text a particular number/s, alert the person watching
• Record conversations and upload (non-real-time access and archiving)
• Record random camera shots (time-lapse of what phone sees)
• Full remote access, to allow browsing files and installing additional apps

The same tools are available for computers and can be used on tablets, notebooks and even desktops.

What are some signs that your phone or computer may have monitoring software installed on it?

• Slow internet access
• Random reboots
• Camera doesn’t respond when you want it to
• GPS may indicate it is in use and tools like Waze may not be able to access it
• WiFi may turn on and off randomly
• GPS may turn on and off randomly
• Echos on your phone conversations
• Phone turns on automatically, even if turn it off or on timed shutdown
• Emails and text messages may show as being read
• After reinstallation of phone OS, issues begin again
• Data usage seems higher than it should (maxing out your data plan)

What can you do about this? How can you remove smart phone spy software?

This can be a tough one! Many people have reported having their phone wiped and reloaded only gave them a short period of time before the software was reinstalled (remember, it can do it automatically and can be pushed to the phone remotely in some cases).

Can you buy a new phone and get away from it? In some cases, yes… But in others, if the person applying the software still has access to the phone physically, or knows the number, they could reinstall the software.

A good option might be to change platforms (If you are on IOS, go to Android, or vice-versa) so the person at least has to buy a new version of the software.

Changing your phone number can help. But only if the person doing the spying does not know your phone number. There are other ways for them to find you too, but I won’t get into that here.

Installing quality mobile anti-virus can help keep you from getting the software installed in the first place.

Worst case scenario?  Turn off the data plan on your phone.  How inconvenient!

How does it get installed remotely?

The person who wishes to monitor you can send you a text message, picture message, or an HTML link and once you visit that link, it can install the software and you will not even be alerted to that fact. Some anti-virus like Trend Micro’s mobile security product can detect that attempt and alert you.

How does it get installed locally?

Anyone who can access your phone for just a minute can visit the download link of the spy software and install it on your phone. After it is active, there are no traces for you to see (other than the potential for the symptoms listed above).

Use of a PIN or locking code that only you know can reduce the likelihood of that happening.

Isn’t this illegal?

Of course it is, but the majority of people would never suspect it, and if they do and actually FIND the spy software, tracing it back to the person who is doing the spying could prove extremely difficult, especially if they use proxies and other means for hiding their activities.

If you need help in your Upstate or Greenville, SC business regarding mobile computing or smart phone security, Homeland Secure IT may be able to help. Call us today at 864.990.4748 or use our CONTACT form…   You might want to do it from a land line, far away from the suspicious cell phone if you wish to avoid alerting them.

The updates for May 2012 will include three critical bulletins aimed at plugging holes which allow remote code execution in Microsoft Windows, Office, .NET Framework and Silverlight.

There are four additional security bulletins rated as “important” and a total of 23 security issues to be addressed.

Read the full story here.

As always, please install these updates to insure your systems remain as secure as possible, and while you are at it, make sure your Adobe Flash, Reader, Acrobat and your Java are up to date too.

Should you need assistance with these or any other security issues that might affect your Greenville or Upstate business or corporate network, do not hesitate to call us at 864.990.4748 or use our handy CONTACT form.

The person I am telling will usually walk away thinking that we fix computers, or that we sell servers. All of which are correct, but by no means is that ALL we do. I can’t very well tell you, “Hi, I’m John and my company does everything related to IT”. Actually, I *have* said that, and that results in a tilt of the head and total confusion.

It is very hard to convey what we do, when in fact, we do so much!

So just what do we do? Welllllllllllll, taking a deep breath…

We DO provide service, repair, consultation and support of computers, servers, networks, mobile computers, and the like.  That means, we fix stuff! We go to a client’s location and fix a malfunctioning server, we repair a computer or replace it, we put updates on firewalls, and consult with IT and facility administrators about needs. We also perform repairs of personal home computers in our Greenville office.

But, it’s so much more than just that. A vast array of technologies are included in there, here are a few:

• Voice over IP phone systems
• IP Surveillance Cameras (Security cameras, CCTV, DVR)
• Time & Attendance systems (Time clocks and time tracking hardware and software)
• Mobile computers (Notebook, netbook, laptop, tablet, smartphone)
• VPN and remote access to your business (secure access to files and machines)
• Wireless / Wi-Fi systems (both small business, and much larger, for schools, campus, college, enterprise)
• Licensing – We are licensing experts for Microsoft, Symantec, Trend Micro, Cisco and more!
• Email – Microsoft Exchange servers, cloud based email like Google Apps / Gmail, Office 365

That’s the tip of the iceberg! We also offer full sales of these products!  We partner with the biggest names in technology and provide hardware, software and license sales!  Whether you need one or a thousand of these items here in our area, we can help.

Here’s a partial list of the manufacturers who’s products we offer:

• Microsoft (Windows, Server, Exchange, SQL)
• Cisco (firewall, router, switch, VoIP, camera, security, wireless)
• Symantec (Backup Exec, endpoint virus protection)
• WatchGuard (Firewall, security)
• SonicWall (firewall, security)
• TrendNet (Switch, firewall, router, camera, wireless)
• D-Link (Switch, firewall, router, storage, camera, wireless)
• LinkSys (Switch, router, wireless)
• Trend Micro (WFBS, anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-spam)
• Acer (computer, netbook, notebook, tablet, laptop, monitor)
• Samsung (computers, monitors and much more)
• Toshiba (computers and more)
• Lenovo (computer, server, tablet and more)
• NexLink (business computer, server & tablet solutions)
• AcroPrint (Time and attendance systems)
• AVTECH (Server room monitoring)
• Jabra (headsets of all styles from wireless to corded)
• HP (computer, server, printer, network and more)
• DELL (computer, server, backup network and more)
• Servosity On Demand Backup (Remote backup solution)
• Audio-technica (headphones, microphones)
• Sennheiser (audio – headphone, microphone)
• Asus (computer, display)
• Panasonic (high speed scanner, printer and security)
• Ricoh (printer, scanner, copier, etc)
• Brother (printer, scanner, copier, etc)
• DA-LITE (projection screens, projector mounts)
• SNOM (IP phones)
• SMC Networks (network switches and more)
• LG Erricson (switches, VoIP)
• Intuit (Quicken, Quickbooks)
• Eaton (power supplies, UPS, power conditioning products)
• Quantum (Backup tape drives, RDX)
• Tandberg (Backup, tape, RDX drives)
• Adaptec (Controllers for SCSI, RAID, SAS, tape)
• Digium (VoIP systems)
• MSI (motherboard, notebook)
• MozyPro (remote online backup)
• Adobe (Photoshop, dreamweaver, creative suite, CS)

Sorry about that, had to cut myself off again. The list goes on and on. We are able to provide products from these manufacturers AND the expertise to install and support them!

I sometimes think it would be easier to answer the question of, “What do you guys do?” with if it were rephrased to be, “What DON’T you guys do?”…   Then I would answer, “We don’t windows”.  Oh but we do!

If we can assist you or your business with anything technology related, please give us a call at 864.990.4748 or use our handy CONTACT form. Whatever you need – We do IT!

Thirty-six percent of the estimated $12.5 billion in ill-gotten gains by cybercriminals in 2012 can be attributed Russian-speaking hackers through various online criminal tactics according to an article over on ComputerWorld’s site.

How can you help protect your business from becoming a victim? The only 100% effective way is to not be connected to the internet, however that would make conducting business very difficult in this day and age.

Here’s a short list to help lower chances of becoming a victim:

• Keep desktop and notebook computer operating systems up to date
• Keep server operating systems up to date
• Update all software applications including Java, Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader, Microsoft Office
• Use modern operating systems (Windows 7 has proven less vulnerable than XP time and time again)
• Update your Macs (yes, they are becoming a bigger target)
• Utilize hardware firewalls at your network perimeter
• Lock down incoming ports, allow only what is absolutely necessary
• Use reliable and trusted anti-virus (we recommend Trend Micro Worry-Free)
• Add a mail scrubbing gateway appliance or Trend Micro product on Exchange mail server
• Consider locking down particular websites (Again, Trend Micro WFBS can do this)
• Use strong passwords
• Use HTTPS, SSL and encryption whenever possible
• Physically secure your computers
• Secure your wireless network
• Use VPNs between sites
• Get computers under control of your domain controller, including smartphones for email (remote wipe)
• Implement a backup solution, whether hardware (tape, RDX, SAN) or cloud / remote (Servosity, MozyPro)
• Train your staff to not open suspicious emails, visit sketchy websites, and to report oddities immediately
• Hire an outside resource to occasionally look over your security plans. Two sets of eyes are better than one!

Obviously, there is a LOT more to keeping your network secure, but that’s a great start, and one that over half of the businesses have not even considered!

If you would like to discuss the current state of security of your network in the Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Clemson, Simpsonville, Upstate area, please give us a call at 864.990.4748 or use our CONTACT form.

We work with the biggest names in IT Security! From Cisco to WatchGuard.

This time it is for real…

Get ready for a slew of IPv6 news topics because World IPv6 Launch is right around the corner (June 6th, 2012).

This means that a boat-load of ISPs will be flipping the switch and enabling IPv6 permanently on or before this magic date. A quick google search for IPv6 news will turn up lots of articles posted in the last few days alone, such as:

• Apple’s IPv6 misstep is a sign of the times
• IPv6: It’s the end of the Internet as you know it, and I feel fine
• Facebook enabling IPv6 on beta site next month
• Tripp Lite Adds Support for IPv6 and RADIUS to Networked PDUs and SNMPWEBCARD UPS Accessory
• IPv6 now deployed across entire T-Mobile US network

These types of posts are growing in numbers rapidly.

But really, what does it mean for you?

Not to tell you that the sky is falling, but, hey, the sky is falling.  Not today, not next week, not in June, but yes, soon, your IPv4 technology will be outdated, and the smart IT administrator is currently working on a plan to migrate to IPv6.

Here’s the bad news for you:  Your old firewall or router may need to be ditched and new one purchased in order to have proper network routing. Some current firewalls and security routers that are sold today are not even compatible. And some computers and operating systems are not ready.

The good news is that many manufacturers such as Cisco, Linksys, WatchGuard, Sonicwall, Jupiter, and Zyxel have been preparing for this change-over for a while now. Microsoft has supported IPv6 for several years.

You are not without options.

If you would like to discuss how you can prepare for the inevitable, please give us a call at 864.990.4748 and arrange a consultation. You can also use our CONTACT form. We cover the Upstate and Greenville, SC area and are authorized dealers for more network and network security products and appliances.

For individuals, Jabra also provides wireless solutions for Mobile Phones, Music / MP3 players, Computers and Gaming. Products include mono and strereo (A2DP) Bluetooth headsets for music and calls, wireless speakerphone solutions for in-car handsfree use and corded headsets for non-Bluetooth compatible devices.

As a registered Jabra partner, Homeland Secure IT, we are more than just a reseller, we are able to assist you or your business with all your Jabra headset needs. We offer sales, support and consultation here in the Greenville and Upstate area, with knowledge provided by the manufacturer and backed with their full technical support.

Please call us today at 864.990.4748 or use our handy CONTACT form for more information.

Purchase Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 volume licensing through May 6th, 2012, and receive CS6 at no additional cost.

If your institution has been waiting to make the move, this offer is for you. You can leverage CS5.5 right now to enrich the teaching and learning experience while helping ensure your students are college and career ready.

• Be among the first to take advantage of the newest Creative Suite software. When CS6 is released, your institution will be at the front of the line to access the most cutting-edge, feature-rich creative software available.
• Standardize and save. Let’s face it, managing a mix of software versions with different operating systems and hardware requirements is costly and time consuming. Distributing the latest creative software across your institution gives you the opportunity to significantly reduce deployment and support costs.

CS6 is coming soon. Don’t miss this limited-time offer!

Homeland Secure IT is happy to be an authorized reseller of Adobe Creative Suite and the entire line of Adobe products such as Flash, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat, Dreamweaver, After Effects and Audition. Whether you need to buy one retail version of the software, or one thousand licenses for your corporation, we can handle that. We also offer installation and support assistance in the Greenville / Upstate, SC area.

Call 864.990.4748 or use our handy CONTACT form for more information.

Homeland Secure IT is proud to be a partner offering sales, support and installation in Greenville / Upstate SC. We can offer you a single license for your home, or hundreds of seats of Worry-Free Business Security or ScanMail for your business.

Don’t risk your security, don’t rely on “free” products which may be worse than having no protection at all. Protect your server, computer, network, and your mobile workforce from trojan, worm, malware infection and reduce spam to a trickle using Trend Micro products!

For more information about Trend Micro products, please use our CONTACT form, or call 864.990.4748

From the versions of the story I have read, it appears that individual working there transferred these records to a private email account and then to another email account. The information includes names, Medicaid ID numbers (which are also Social Security numbers).

The story claims that new security measures are in place and that those who had data stolen will be offered identity theft help.

If your business or organization retains personal, private, financial and/or medical information, you owe it to your clients to do everything in your power to protect them. This applies to law, medical, dental, and accounting businesses, but also to other types of organizations you might not think of, such as a churches, which retain personal & financial information, including social security numbers.

Fortunately, protection does not have to expensive or difficult to work around.

Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Advanced (WFBS) offers the ability to lock down all computers running the software so an employee cannot insert a USB memory stick and transfer information from a workstation, while also giving the ability to forbid employees to surf to defined categories of websites, like personal or outside email providers (gmail for instance).

Additionally, Trend Micro WFBS Advanced can be configured to disallow sending of attached files, or even emails that contain social security numbers.

These are not add-on services, they are built into the software.

Homeland Secure IT is your partner for Trend Micro products in the Greenville / Upstate area, offering sales, support and consultation. Whether your business needs five licenses to protect 5 computers, or five thousand licenses to protect multiple servers, computers and even roaming notebooks, we can help!

Call us at 864.990.4748 for information or use our handy CONTACT form.

Servosity has set the new standard in On Demand BackUp and Recovery services. Our solution is engineered for businesses that know the value of their data and more importantly the cost of losing it. Our team consists of a talented mix of developers, researchers, market analysts, and client support specialists who all have a desire to serve. Servosity was formed to provide you, our valued client with the best in On Demand BackUp and Recovery services. We left no stone unturned in our efforts to provide an On Demand BackUp and Recovery service that is secure, dependable, and easy to use. We knew that if we could accomplish this goal that the only question left would be “How much is your data worth” to you? To most businesses the answer to that question is “PRICELESS”.

The Team at Servosity has positioned itself to be the industry leader of On Demand BackUp and Recovery services. Our BackUp on Demand and Recovery solution allows our clients to rest easy knowing that their data is secure and there when they need it. With Servosity your data will be protected and you can focus on growing your business.

Homeland Secure IT is your Greenville / Upstate SC provider of Servosity’s On Demand, online backup solution. Whether you need to protect one roaming notebook computer, a fleet of laptops, or just about any type of server, from a simple Microsoft Windows file server, to a Microsoft Exchange, SQL or even Linux machines, Servosity can work for you!

It works with Apple Mac and Linux too!

Call us today at 864.990.4748 for a free trial or use our CONTACT form.

Homeland Secure IT is your Greenville / Upstate SC source for Da-Lite conference room screens, projector and monitor stands and much more.

Whether you need automatic and ultra-quite drop down screens for your church, conference center, or permanently fixed screens for a smaller conference or board room, or projector mounts that retract and hide in the ceiling, we can assist with that.

Call us with any questions or needs you may have at 864.990.4748 or use our CONTACT form.

Homeland Secure IT Alert

Homeland Secure IT Alert for Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Flashback was so last month. The new hotness is SabPub, which actually has been around for a while now, but only recently making its appearance in the headlines. Even though SabPub has been around for around two months, it was not discovered in the wild until a few days ago.

Not unlike Flashback, one source of entry to your beloved Mac for this trojan is through Java, in fact, the very same vulnerability as leveraged by Flashback. Another SabPub variant uses a well known and publicized vulnerability in Microsoft Office’s Word.

What should you do? Insure updates are in place for your operating system, and that Java is up to date, as well as any Adobe software/plugins like Flash Player, Reader, Acrobat, etc.

Also, purchase a reliable anti-virus software package immediately.

What if you are already infected? Find a reputable and reliable computer repair / service shop in your area and let them check it out. Some service centers like Homeland Secure IT offer a free evaluation of your machine.  You can call us at 864.990.4748 for more information.

Homeland Secure IT Alert

The Association of Computer Repair Business Owners is dedicated to promoting industry education and improving consumer relations with professionalism and integrity. The Association members have skill sets ranging from computer repair, network installations, network security data recovery, web design and more.

The Association of Computer Repair Business Owners is an Association of professionals, who are dedicated, trained and complies with a Code of Conduct.

The Association of Computer Repair Business Owners
primary mission is:

• To advance professionalism and ethics throughout the Computer Repair Business;
• To enable customers to identify trust worthy businesses they can transact with safely;
• To provide verification of members’ status of good standing within the Association and a record of past feedback;
• To give members an opportunity to network with fellow members in a safe environment;
• To offer its members practical information, discounts and tools to assist them in developing and conducting their business;
• To show that they are part of an association of professionals with the highest standards;
• To foster public understanding of the Computer Repair Business industry;

The following chart represents the current makeup of the Association members
in terms of experience

The goal of the Association is to increase public awareness of computer businesses in their community as well as educating them as to trends in the industry. There is a “Company Lookup” that consumers can locate and contact any member of the Association.

The Association started a scholarship fund in 2010 and awarded two scholarships that year to students in Ohio and South Carolina.

Membership is free to all members even though there is a “Premium Membership”, and those members receive Association Certificates and Membership Cards, as well as advance notification of all Preferred Vendors that become part of the Association.

All Association members receive a monthly newsletter that they can customize and distribute to their own customer list. The Association portal contains a blog, forums, chat, marketing material, a Preferred Vendor section as well as other ways for members to network among themselves.

Please check out our Lenovo offerings or our Lenovo Showcase.

If you would like to find out more about which Lenovo products may be right for your Greenville / Upstate, SC business, call us at 864.990.4748 or use our CONTACT form.

Homeland Secure IT is happy to be able to provide your Greenville or Upstate SC area business with SonicWALL firewalls, security appliances and services! As a registered partner, we can offer sales of the full line of SonicWALL products, in addition to service, support and consultation.

If your company would like more information, please call us at 864.990.4748 or use our handy CONTACT form.

HP / Hewlett-Packard, a renown manufacturer of computers, servers, switches, printers and more. By partnering with HP, we are able to provide the highest level of support possible to our clients as well as providing sales of HP products at reasonable prices.

HP offers a large assortment of IT components and services, which we are able to provide at reasonable rates.

A few offerings:

Computer – Notebook, laptop, mini netbook, ultra portable, desktop, all-in-one, graphic workstation, tablet, mobile

Server – File server, blade server, micro server

Network – Switch, router, storage, backup

Other – Printer, all-in-one, monitor

Whatever your need for business or even small home office, HP probably has the product.

We are happy to offer sales, support, service & repair of HP products and services in Greenville / Upstate SC.  Please call 864.990.4748 or use our handy CONTACT form for more information!

We are your Greenville / Upstate AVTECH partner offering consultation, sales and support of server room temperature, humidity, intrusion detection monitoring systems.

Environment Monitoring in computer rooms, data centers and other facilities has become a critical part of ‘Disaster Prevention’ for professional managers everywhere. The reason is that a typical IT infrastructure supports the entire organization. Without continued operation of IT resources, an organization may have no access to information, databases, email or the internet. Even worse, an organization may appear ‘out of business’, ‘unstable’ or simply ‘irrelevant’.

The most common environment problems encountered in today’s IT facilities are air conditioning and power failure. Air conditioning failure can lead to high temperatures, high or low humidity, water flooding and more. Power failure can lead to costly network, server, and website downtime – nevermind the cost to replace or fix expensive systems. Extreme temperature changes due to heating or cooling equipment failure and even seasonal changes can damage hardware, threaten uptime, block network access and destroy data. During downtime, ongoing costs continue to accrue while more and more profits are lost. Thankfully, there are easy, inexpensive and proven solutions available from AVTECH to prevent environment caused disasters.

Consider The Facts:

Failure of a primary or backup air conditioner is a major threat in any data center. It is the #1 cause of overheating and environment related downtime.

AVTECH offers Room Alert and TemPageR solutions for IT & facilities temperature and environment monitoring. These solutions save billions of dollars each year for organizations worldwide by allowing them to monitor temperature, humidity, power, flood, smoke, room entry, air flow and more in their computer rooms, data centers and/or other facilities where expensive equipment is housed. Users can log and graph data, send alerts when conditions change, take automatic action to shutdown servers or start back up systems when issues occur; all managed through a web interface via a single IP address. All monitors include a FREE license for AVTECH’s powerful Device ManageR software for advanced discovery, management, monitoring, logging, alerting, automatic corrective and more.
Protect Your IT Facility… Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late!

Call us at 864.990.4748 or use our handy CONTACT form to get more information!