Open Wi-Fi networks are indispensable, especially for people who need to work on the go. But without the proper security, you may find that they can prove to be troublesome as well.

These days, more and more people are on the go, and many of them bring their work with them. And in this day and age, it’s ideal if you’re working – or playing for that matter – while connected to the internet, which is often through public Wi-Fi hotspots.

While connecting to public and open-access Wi-Fi hotspots is indeed convenient, using open networks also poses risks that endanger your security. The open nature that allows anyone to use the connection also enables unscrupulous people to gain access to your private information. The whole act of stealing information from people who are using public Wi-Fi networks is called ‘sidejacking’.

There are applications such as Firesheep, for example, that provide an easy-to-use platform that others can exploit to spy and harvest personal, sensitive information from you. And since Firesheep is a Mozilla Firefox plug in, virtually anyone can download and use it to sidejack people on the same network.

You can’t be too cautious with your personal and business data these days, so you always need to have the proper laptop configuration and security infrastructure to protect your system, especially when you frequently avail of open and public networks. To know more about this, please feel free to give us a call and we’ll be happy to draw up some security options that meet your specific needs.

Applied Tech is proud to announce that we are now a ShoreTel Authorized Reseller. Our trained engineers can install and support ShoreTel systems which provide small businesses with enterprise-level features of VoIP and Unified Communications. With ShoreTel, organizations with 10 to 10,000 employees can seamlessly integrate voice, video, messaging and data with their business processes. Contact us for more information!

 

ShoreTel delivers breakthrough unified communications solutions that can help you untangle complexity and increase productivity. Their market-leading Pure IP solutions redefine the traditional phone system by offering:

• Extremely high levels of scalability, reliability and availability that meet the needs of small, medium and enterprise businesses
• Exceptional ease of installation, management and use
• Accessibility by mobile users, transferring the full productivity of their office environment to their mobile phones
• Lower total cost of ownership

”ShoreTel has been named the Best Overall VoIP Provider for the sixth year in a row.”

Learn how a Unified Communications solution from Applied Tech can help your business work smarter, faster. Contact us today!

Wisconsin’s electronics recycling law, commonly called E-Cycle Wisconsin, went into effect on September 1, 2010. Under the state law, items such as televisions, computers, printers, computer accessories, DVD players, fax machines and cell phones must be recycled rather than disposed of in landfills or incinerators.

The law covers everyone in Wisconsin, including schools, businesses and households.
According to the statute, any person who violates the recycling requirement is subject to a $50 fine, a $200 fine for a second offense, and a $2,000 fine for third and subsequent violations.

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Wisconsin’s electronics recycling law, commonly called E-Cycle Wisconsin, goes into effect today. Under the state law, items such as televisions, computers, printers, computer accessories, DVD players, fax machines and cell phones must be recycled rather than disposed of in landfills or incinerators.

The law covers everyone in Wisconsin, including schools, businesses and households.

According to the statute, any person who violates the recycling requirement is subject to a $50 fine, a $200 fine for a second offense, and a $2,000 fine for third and subsequent violations.

So, what to do with your old equipment?  Applied Tech accepts e-waste for recycling by partnering with BAN-Certified recycler, File 13 out of Verona, WI.  You can drop your items at our Madison office (203 S. Paterson Street, Ste 500 – Madison, WI  53703) or contact File 13 at 608.848.0013 to arrange pick up or delivery.  For just $0.35/ pound, you can rest assured that your e-waste is being properly handled.

Check out this month’s BrainBank for the latest tips and tricks in IT!

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Jon Stielstra

Business Solutions Support

Jon began in June 2010 in our Business Solutions division. Jon provides support for Dynamics GP and assists with project work. Jon, a graduate of UW-Madison with a Master’s degree in Accounting, has worked as a Dynamics GP professional since 1998 and most recently worked with Wick Building Systems supporting their internal GP and business solutions deployment.

Jon and his wife, JoAnn, have three grown children and currently live in Madison. Jon can often be found enjoying a run on Madison’s “Southwest Path”, gardening, practicing backyard silviculture, and making firewood to efficiently wood-heat their home. With Jon’s journey to make the world a better place, it is no surprise that he appreciates and finds personal reward in service to others.

Garrett Krueger

Systems Specialist

Garrett, a Microsoft Certified Specialist, came to Applied Tech in June 2010 as a Systems Specialist. Previously, Garrett was employed by Sundial Software as a Network Specialist and attended both Madison College and Herzing College where he received an Associates of Science in Computer Network Technology.

A Green Bay native, Garrett originally came to Madison to go to school and has stayed because of the rich and diverse culture Madison has to offer. He also enjoys the many bike paths as well as the friendly people that make up Madison.

It seems that even the most innocuous machines in the workplace can serve as a security threat to companies. According to this report from CBS News, many office copiers save the images they copy on a dedicated hard disk installed inside them. This means that everything from mundane memos to your most sensitive information such as financial statements and contracts are stored – and could potentially extracted.

So the next time you dispose of a copy machine, if you’re not sure what’s stored on it and how to get it off – give us a call to help out.

To see the news report, watch this video.

Users beware of ransomware: malicious software that extorts money from users in exchange for freeing the user’s computer or data. One particularly nasty version was recently discovered by researchers at CA which came bundled with a software download called uFast Download Manager. The malware blocks Internet access for users until they pay the publisher a fee via SMS. Users who download the software are immediately infected, seeing a message posted in Russian demanding a ransom under the guise of activating the uFast Download Manager application. To keep your computer environment safe, always be wary of downloading suspicious free software on the Internet. If you need help or are unsure, please contact us first so we can help!

Spanish authorities report that they have arrested the masterminds behind a string of online criminal activities using the botnet dubbed Mariposa. Mariposa is the original name of a commercially distributed Do-it-Yourself malware kit, sold online for 800/1000 EUR for “wannabe” hackers.  Along with the arrest, authorities seized sensitive data belonging to about 800,000 users in 190 countries, gathered from an estimated 12M+ infected host computers on the Internet.

What’s particularly interesting is that the cybercriminals arrested were not themselves the author of the malware, nor were they any more techincally adept than many ordinary users. They simply had access to malware widely available on the Internet, and were able to conduct a crime of such a wide scale and reach.

This illustrates that it’s become easier for many cybercriminals to conduct their nefarious deeds online, and highlights the need for more vigilance on the part of law-abiding netizens in keeping their network secure from hackers and malware.

Is your network safe? Contact us to find out.

Related articles:

• How FBI, police busted massive botnet (go.theregister.com)
• Botnet takedowns ‘don’t hurt crooks enough’ (go.theregister.com)
• Vodafone distributes Mariposa Bot, Conficker and Lineage in HTC Magic (techie-buzz.com)

Microsoft recently released a number of security bulletins and patches addressing vulnerabilities in Windows and Office that are of high risk to users. It’s widely believed that many will be exploited by hackers within the next 30 days. One of them could potentially allow hackers or malware authors to easily compromise systems by tricking users to download malicious AVI-formatted files. Others require nothing more than just visiting a website. Another specifically targets Powerpoint Viewer 2003, and opening a malicious .ppt file could affect your system.

This latest round of patches and vulnerability updates is really nothing new – although the sheer number made public in one day is notable. This highlights the need for a comprehensive security policy, because vulnerabilities do exist in even the most mundane or old versions of software. Customers under our Managed Services plan can rest easy since we monitor and update their computers as soon as these patches and advisories are released. Find out more about what we do to make your systems safe and secure. Contact us today.

Related links:

• Patch Tuesday: Microsoft plugs critical Windows worm holes (zdnet)
• Researchers warn of likely attacks against Windows, PowerPoint (computerworld)
• Microsoft delivers huge Windows security update (computerworld)