Author name: Doug Adams

Protect Yourself from Outbound Spam

A recent report , released by Osterman Research and sponsored by software vendor Commtouch, reports that the incidents of outbound spam is getting worse. The research firm interviewed 266 end users of internet service providers and 100 web hosting companies. Almost 40% of respondents have had their IP addresses listed on Real Time Blackhole Lists (RBLs) in the past 12 months alone – and the number could be far greater considering those who may not be aware that they have been listed. RBLs tag machines or networks of machines as being sources of SPAM, causing their emails to be filtered out by many mail servers. This can result in legitimate emails not reaching their intended destination, and can victims’ reputations. In addition, having an infected machine or network of machines can waste bandwidth and slow down outbound connections. The cause of outbound spam varies, but can including everything from compromised email accounts to “zombie” machines – machines infected with malware sending out spam unbeknownst to the user. There are multiple ways of protecting computers and networks against the risk of outbound spam, and our Managed Services clients benefit from our proactive protection and filtering. Contact us to find out more.

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Dangerous Vulnerability in Windows XP Help Center

A critical vulnerability in Windows XP has been revealed that involves the Windows and Help support center, a Web-based feature providing technical support information to end users. The vulnerability can potentially allow a remote hacker to take complete control of a victim’s machine. Systems running Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 using many major browsers, including Internet Explorer 8, are affected. A few days after the advisory, security firm Sophos warned users of a website using the vulnerability to install malicious software on victims’ machines, and of possibly more exploits coming out soon. Users of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 are advised to disable features within Help Center that allow administrators to remotely log onto their machines. For individual users, Microsoft has released a patch for the flaw. Don’t know how to install the patch? Need help? Let us know! Of course our customers with Managed Services are automatically advised of these vulnerabilities, and patches are applied as soon as they are available. Contact us today to find our more.

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What You Need to Know About WiFi Security

The near ubiquity of WiFi hotspots nowadays has led to great advances in access and convenience for many. It’s also a great boon for “road warriors” who do most of their work from the field. However, few people understand the risks of using wireless hotspots. When you go online in open networks that don’t use a password or encryption, potentially everything you send out from your computer can be seen by anyone with adequate technical knowledge. Therefore, whenever possible it’s best to connect in places where some encryption—either WEP or WPA—is employed. If that’s not available, using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can help, which allows you to establish a secure channel of communication to your office network over the public Internet. How you use certain software is also something you should be aware of—some browsers, instant messengers, and email clients are more secure than others. Wireless hotspots can be great when travelling on business or working on the road. Being proactive about security issues will go a long way in ensuring your safety and privacy, and we’re here to help. We can set up your machines for secure access by implementing a network VPN, consulting on software security, and much more. Contact us today to learn more.

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Micro Doctor Interviewed for Business Journal

Check out our segment on the Daily Buzz and video production by the Business Journal. https://www.business-journal.com/clients/business-journal/friday-july-p16910.htm?twindow=Default&smenu=236&mad=No We are a little past halfway through the segment! Mark Richmond, MCSE, CSSA Microsoft Certified Small Business Specialist Micro Doctor Inc. 4195 Parkman Rd. NW Warren, OH 44481 330-898-2100 x105     No virus found in this outgoing message.

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Work from Any Place at Any Time

Work no longer has to be a place your employees go at a certain time. Learn what technologies can enable your employees to get more done from any location, any time. Lately there has been a trend among companies, no matter what size and maturity, toward the use of so-called “virtual” teams. Driven perhaps by rising office and energy costs, maturity of computing and network technologies, talent scarcity, or simply the opportunity to realize increased efficiency,  this has resulted in the adoption of flexible work arrangements for some employees including flexible time and working from home – or even from remote locations in different time zones. Along with this trend has come the need to support this new way of working. A wealth of options exists—from virtual team spaces and online collaborative tools to more advanced communication devices such as smartphones and tablets. Here are a few examples. For teams working at the same time but from different locations: Conferencing applications—via telephone or video Shared workspaces and whiteboards Instant messaging Wireless communication devices For teams working at different times but in the same place: Team rooms Intranets For teams working at different times and from different places: Extranets Virtual Private Networks E-mail/Groupware Message boards Blogs and knowledgebase tools With the right tools, work can happen any time and from any place. Interested? Get in touch with us and find out more.

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Could You Benefit From Managed Services?

Managed Services provide enterprise-level IT capabilities without a large initial capital investment for a predictable monthly fee—which can be appealing to small and medium-sized businesses such as yours. Are you a candidate for Managed Services? Take our quiz below. Managed Services checklist o   We’re having difficulty staffing qualified IT professionals. o   We’re concerned about the security of our data. o   We’re concerned about the security of our transactions. o   We’re concerned about the security of our communications. o   We aren’t always able to respond quickly to market demands. o   We need to reduce overhead costs o   Staying up to date with evolving technologies is difficult for us. o   Maintaining current hardware and software is time consuming. o   We need to operate in real time to meet 24-hour demand. o   We need to deliver services to remote offices or workers. o   Our growth depends on our implementation of new technology. o   We need to upgrade our infrastructure. o   We need to relocate our infrastructure. o   We’re undergoing a merger or acquisition. o   The scale of our operations is going to change. o   We want to expand into new markets. o   We’d like to focus our efforts on our core competencies. o   We need to focus only on mission-critical activities. o   We need to implement a global IT network, but we lack the resources. o   We’re concerned about our ability to keep up with the latest security threats. o   We’re affected by privacy or security regulations. o   We’re experiencing dynamic business growth but have a hiring freeze. o   We need to maintain our current IT capabilities but are downsizing. If any of the items apply to you, you may want to consider Managed Services. Bring your completed list to us today, and we’ll let you know how can help.

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