EdgeWave figured prominently in a recent article in Security Management Magazine about the importance of monitoring social media use.  The article was written by Holly Gilbert and in it she addresses the growth of social media use in the workplace and the risks this can present to organizations.  Gilbert writes that while half of businesses allow personal use of social media at work, only a third of them monitor what is being posted.  She goes on to discuss the technology available to organizations to automatically monitor social media interactions and was able to speak to our own Steve Brunetto about EdgeWave Social and the valuable tools it offers to mitigate the risks social media presents.

Read the entire article

Some of the major points touched on in this timely article include:

• A discussion of the risks unmonitored social media poses including policy breaches, regulatory violations, legal liability, cyberharrasment, employee productivity loss and others.
• Focus on EdgeWave Social features that provide granular controls so organizations can accurately enforce usage policies, choosing when, how and what employees can post to social media sites. “Organizations can add to or take away from the list of predefined detections depending on their specific needs and policies, and can even create new rules based on their own dictionary for text matching.”
• Coverage of Edgewave Social’s seamless integration that filters interactions while keeping the user within the application rather than booting him out,  “EdgeWave Social instead brings up a dialog box that appears to be coming from the site itself when someone attempts to post unauthorized content. ‘It’s totally integrated. It looks like it’s coming from Facebook, or it looks like it’s coming from Twitter, ” says Brunetto.
• The importance of legal considerations, “Companies must make sure to update their acceptable-use policies as needed to comport with any changes in privacy laws enacted by legislative bodies or any new privacy precedents that arise from decisions in the courts related to social media.”, Gilbert writes.

The article concludes with the admonition that enforcing social media policy is critical. As attorney David Adler, who was quoted in the article, said, “A company’s confidential information can be compromised in a mere second, and once posted to the Web, it can live forever…”

Link to the article:

http://securitymanagement.com/article/monitoring-social-media-use-0012384

Courtesy of EdgeWave: http://www.edgewave.com/ & http://blog.edgewave.com/

A new report from the APWG (the Anti-Phishing Working Group) shows a significant increase in targeted phishing attacks aimed at online gamers from Q3 to Q4 2012. According to the report, since cyber criminals have had years of experience honing their skills in attacks against online banking and commerce systems, they’ve decided to apply those skills to the rich arena of  online game systems,  where in-game commerce opportunities abound.

The goal of these attacks, according to the report, is to gain access to online gaming credentials, which can be sold on the black market. The items held in in-game accounts can actually be sold for cash and victims can even have their real-life identities stolen.

The report also shows that attacks against social media sites have doubled in the last quarter of 2012 with financial services being the most targeted sector and payment services running a close second. These growth vectors are not mutually exclusive.

The APWG report shows a monthly decline from April – December 2012 in the number of classic phishing sites, which are phishing sites that require pure social engineering tactics to exploit victims.

However, this decline has made room for attacks that focus on deploying crimeware, which is malware designed to automatically steal credentials and place them in the criminal’s control, and that 75% of this crimeware is comprised of Trojans.  The report cites the growth of malware as extreme during Q4 2012, with as many as 30% of personal computers worldwide becoming infected with malware. One security expert commented that this shift from social engineering phishing exploits to automated exploits is due to the growth of advanced phishing techniques such as geo-IP blocking and malware.  He said, “Phishers are also taking advantage of the availability of non-traditional platforms such as social media and mobile to launch newer types of targeted phishing attacks.”

Read the full report here:
http://docs.apwg.org/reports/apwg_trends_report_Q4_2012.pdf

Courtesy of EdgeWave: http://www.edgewave.com/ & http://blog.edgewave.com/

EdgeWave Web and Email Security has posted a new item, ‘Associated Press Twitter Account Hacked’

Following on the heels of high profile stories about some corporate Twitter accounts being hacked, the news broke today that the same fate has happened to the Associated Press (AP).

An alarming tweet went out today about explosions at the White House and President Obama being injured.  The fact that it went out under the AP [...]

You may view the latest post at

http://blog.edgewave.com/press-twitter-account-hacked/

Password Importance

I’ve been in the technology industry for quite some time and it never ceases to amaze me how people so easily give out their passwords and those passwords are weak and personal.  Access to your computer and online activities should be treated like your debit card’s PIN number or your wallet, both of which you don’t give out to just anyone.  Here are a few rules to live by when creating your passwords.

Rule 1. Never give out your password! It doesn’t matter if you trust your IT department, tech guy, or your friends or co-workers, just don’t do it. Relationships change and sometimes not always for the better. Think of it this way, if you wouldn’t give your wallet to a person, then don’t give them your password. If you must give out your password for a troubleshooting issue, change your password immediately after the work has been completed.

Rule 2. Use a strong password. A strong password should have several components, upper and lower case letters, numbers, and if possible symbols. One of the best ways to create a strong and complex password that you will remember is the “Phrase Password” or passphrase. You create a phase like “Did you do it? Yes, one hour ago” which translates to Dudi?Y1ha. Not every website or online service allows the use of symbols in passwords, so make your passwords stronger and longer with more alphanumeric characters.

Rule 3. Separate yourself from your password.  Don’t use your spouse’s name or your child’s birthday. It’s easy to remember but if you talk about your spouse or your children online, then you are putting that information out there for the hackers to see and use.  No need to make things easy for the bad guy.

Rule 4. Make your passwords longer than eight characters. The longer and more complex the password is, the harder it is to hack. Often people will get lazy and use the shortest password possible, like 12345 or their favorite curse word. These passwords are easy to guess and hackers can brute-force or crack the code using software with little trouble at all.

Rule 5. Never use the same password for multiple online accounts. I’ve seen it many times; someone uses the same password for Facebook, Twitter, email, and a host of other online services, including their bank. Mix it up, have a few phrase passwords to use and change them often. If you forget the phrase or password, use a password managing software, such as KeePass which you can download for free. KeePass can generate strong, complex passwords. Another favorite of mine is LastPass, which is a free online password manager that can integrate with most popular browsers. It’s easy to use and allows you strong encryption for your passwords.

Rule 6. Change your password often. Set a schedule to change your passwords and hold to it. Yes, it’s a pain to change all your passwords, but it’s easier than rebuilding your credit after your identity has been stolen or trying to get control of your Facebook account while some hacker is posting porn to your Facebook friends. In most cases, you can get by with only having to change your passwords once every three months unless you are a heavy online services user then once a month might be better.

Computers and the Internet are wonderful tools and they can be fun but be smart.  Don’t make it easy for anyone to gain access to your files, online accounts, and your personal lives.

With cloud computing, you can work anytime, anywhere, as long as you have a browser and Internet connection. Imagine updating a sales presentation on the fly from any computer – or accessing and editing an important business document on your daughter’s netbook and a hotel Wi-Fi connection.

Cloud computing enables small businesses to “stay focused, be more collaborative, and bring products to market more quickly, because they’ve got access to the kind of infrastructure that only large companies used to have.”

Ready to get started? A simple return-on-investment (ROI) calculation can help determine just how cost-effective it can be for your company. Contact us today to schedule a Free Technology Assessment so we can help you determine which Cloud Computing solutions will serve your business most effectively.

Overview

For businesses trying to stay afloat in this economy, messaging tools that boost productivity by providing efficient access to email, calendars, contacts, and tasks are important.

Microsoft Exchange has become the most widely used business platform for this functionality, offering robust features that can be accessed in the office, from smart phones, and via a web browser on any Internet-enabled computer.

Until recently, this technology has only been accessible to larger businesses – not only because of the initial software licensing and equipment requirements, but also because of the I.T. expertise required for the ongoing administration and maintenance of the system.

But now, with Hosted Exchange, we have a cost-effective option for any size of business that wants to harness the power of the traditional Exchange server.

Email “In The Cloud”

The solution is Hosted Exchange.  Total Tech provides the latest version, Hosted Exchange 2010, as a service you can subscribe to for a very affordable monthly fee per user.

Hosted Microsoft Exchange 2010 means that we provide all server hardware and software on the back end, then run and maintain it for you in one of our Tier-4 data centers. You pay a low monthly fee, and can access your email, calendar and contacts using Outlook® or Entourage® on your desktop, Outlook Web Access (OWA) in any web browser, or wirelessly from a device like the BlackBerry® or iPhone.

You are able to take advantage of all the benefits Microsoft Exchange offers, without being concerned with server hardware, software licensing or system maintenance.

Now you can enjoy enjoy the benefits of business-class email in a pay-as-you-go model that enables you to scale up or down as needed, minimizing your financial risk.

Hosted Exchange Case Study

A case study by Osterman Research, Case for Hosted Exchange, shows that not only will small and medium-sized businesses realize great cost savings through Hosted Exchange; larger organizations are realizing the benefits of migrating to a Hosted Exchange model as well.  This is an especially interested case study when comparing the cost of In-House Exchange Servers to Hosted Exchange.

Hosted Exchange vs. In-House Exchange Servers

In addition to the cost savings you can realize by using Hosted Exchange 2010, you will also have other advantages with Hosted Exchange from Total Tech than you would in a traditional Exchange environment.

Exchange 2010 vs. POP3 or IMAP4 Email

Another option that some small businesses begin with is POP3 or IMAP4 email, which is most suited for home and personal use.  For a low monthly rate, you and your team can experience a quantum leap as you move to Hosted Exchange.  Your team can be much more productive through constant access to email, shared calendars and contacts.

To help you understand the productivity-boosting options that Hosted Exchange 2010 offers, here is a comparison of Outlook/Exchange 2010 versus basic email options:

Next Step

Ready to get started?  Contact us today to discuss Hosted Exchange as a solution for your business email needs.

More and more of our customers are moving to a Hosted Exchange solution because of the benefits.

Following is a great article, courtesy of Ray Hagen | January 06, 2011

Email is the bedrock of B2B and B2C communications. That’s why every business from the small start-up to the corporate giant needs a secure, reliable, flexible, and integrated email service.

For companies with fewer than 100 email accounts, hosted exchange is an excellent choice. Why?

1. No worries. IT professionals maintain the server and the email program 24/7/365. No one in the company has to worry about the email going down.

2. Better security. Hosted exchange servers are equipped with the latest anti-spam and anti-virus software, and regular updates from hosting company keep users ahead of the constantly evolving e-threats. Servers are also housed in highly secure buildings, and they provide constant backups for all data.

3. Easy start-up. New email accounts – with all data transferred – are usually up and running within 24 hours. And there’s no need to change addresses, so there’s no worry about disrupting communications with the switch in servers.

4. Easy to grow. Adding e-mail boxes is easy. The hosting company also manages user licensing, allowing companies to focus on their core business and not running down Exchange licenses for a new hire.

5. Mobile compatibility. Hosted exchange accounts are accessible from mobile devices, helping employees be plugged in and more productive wherever they are.

6. Email marketing compatible. A provider can help accommodate large influxes of email that result from an email marketing campaign.

7. Significant cost savings. Companies that use hosted exchange typically spend 50% less on email management than they would if they maintained their own software on their own server.

What happens when a company goes over 100 email accounts?

At that point, a company is usually ready to either to own or rent their own server, making it more cost-effective to switch to an email program combined with a managed hosting or colocation service.  Read more about Microsoft Hosted Exchange.

Contact us for a price quote – you’ll be surprised at how cost effective it is.  We do a high volume of Hosted Exchange accounts, so we are able to pass on the best prices to you.  Or learn more by contacting us about comparing about the Total Cost of Ownership for in-house versus Microsoft Exchange.

Check out this radio spot featuring Total Tech!  TotalTechSanDiego Radio Spot – 60 sec

The radio spot describes the IT Outsourcing services Total Tech offers, and also features ESET, the best antivirus solution we’ve found.

This is playing on Jack FM and KFMB 760 (sister KFMB radio stations).  The Jack spots run during the #1 rated DSC show 6-10am, and throughout the day and evening.  The KFMB spots run during a few popular talk shows on 760 and then periodically throughout the day/evening.

Drop us a note if you hear the radio spot on the air – it’d be great to know what you think.

Ken Hamilton, founder, CEO and President of Total Tech, was honored by the San Diego Business Journal for receiving the ESET Technology Innovation Award.

The 10th annual Family-Owned & Closely Held Business Awards event took place on Tuesday, December 7, 2010, at Paradise Point Resort & Spa.  More than 400 attendees enjoyed networking, delicious hors d’oeuvres and the awards program, which featured remarks by William Kellogg, president and great-grandson of the founder of La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club. The event was presented by the San Diego Business Journal, University of San Diego’s Family Business Forum and the Entrepreneurial Management Center at San Diego State University.

Hamilton had been invited to attend this event, with Chris Metcalf, Total Tech VP of Sales and Marketing, but had no idea that he would be presented with an award.   His name was called, and he was asked to come up to the podium and give a speech.  Imagine his surprise!

He feels very honored to have Total Tech receive this award, and sends his appreciation to colleagues who nominated us.  Below is an article written by the San Diego Business Journal about Total Tech in their feature on the awards event:

Total Tech was founded in 2004 to better serve the IT needs of small and mid-sized businesses in San Diego. The company provides clients with the same level of IT support that Fortune 500 companies depend on. Based on a flat rate, Total Tech provides monthly service which includes all the software, services and support required to keep businesses running smoothly. The company provides around-the-clock monitoring of its clients’ computers and networks to prevent downtime, outages and technical problems.

Total Tech began as a value-added reseller, focusing on Internet security solutions. The executives at Total Tech quickly recognized the great need for enterprise class IT services for the underserved small and mid-size business markets.

Today, Total Tech has expanded to provide a broad range of managed IT services, including full outsourced and supplementary IT support to help San Diego companies become more efficient and maintain focus on their core business. Total Tech’s products include antivirus, data security, e-mail security, Web security and filtering, and voice over IP solutions.

To read about all of the companies honored that evening, including Total Tech, click here for the San Diego Business Journal article.

Chris Metcalf, Total Tech VP of Marketing and Sales, is featured in Business Solutions Magazine in July 2011, in an article entitled Don’t Fear The Cloud Article.  Metcalf discusses how to leverage the cloud for communications solutions and more, as well as how mobility is driving the push for hosted solutions.  Click here to read the article.