January 2012 Newsletter

Securing Mobile Devices

The use of sound security policies and common sense when using mobile devices, coupled with data encryption protocols, centralized security management, and use of independently tested and proven security software can help mitigate the risk to data when using mobile devices.

For the purposes of this article, mobile devices are smartphones, tablets, laptop and netbook computers. The

networking and remote access features in these popular mobile devices enable us to stay in touch with others even when away. This convenient data access makes us more productive but not without risk to data (loss/corruption/unauthorized access) or device theft.

Common Security Risks

Wireless data access is typically less secure
Mobile devices are more prone to loss
Sensitive data can be stored on mobile devices
Mobile devices are commonly used on unsecured networks
Popularity of mobile devices and their powerful processors make them targets of malware
Integrated cameras and microphones in mobile devices give eavesdropping that can be activated by malicious software a whole new dimension

Common Strategies for Risk Mitigation

Inventory mobile device host-names and configure your network so it allows data access to only inventoried devices. Use wireless data encryption to protect against risk of data interception.

Use smartphones that can be remotely wiped clean by system administrators should the devices be lost or stolen.

Use drive encryption to protect sensitive information in case of device theft or loss. Automated data backup to cloud storage from mobile devices; utilization of passwords or PINs to access a mobile device after a period of inactivity; and the implementation of smartphone data protection services from carriers are common strategies used to mitigate risk of data loss.

Use anti-virus and anti-malware applications from reputable vendors to reduce the risk from malware attacks.

Use mobile app management tools that allow enterprises to manage which mobile applications will be allowed access to network data and resources.

Solutions for a New Economy

CORPORATE EMAIL

Shared calendars with permission-based access, centralized corporate address book, and policy-based email routing are just a few hallmarks of corporate email. With the advent of Microsoft Small Business Server that bundled affordable corporate email functionality, legions of small businesses began hosting email on-premise. But then email became mission-critical. Still hosting your corporate email on-premise? Don’t let power or Internet connection outages at your office disrupt email. Consider Microsoft Office365 or Google Apps. Need help in making your corporate email robust, reliable and secure?

Email us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Future Watch

Experimental Chips Mimic Brain Power!

In a riveting article by Agam Shah, published in Computer World, he examines chips that can make computers intelligent.

IBM has created prototype chips that could mimic brain-like functions—a development that the company called an “unprecedented” step toward creating intelligent computers that collect, process and understand data quickly.

Future applications include managing water supplies via real-time data analysis and generating tsunami warnings based on sensor data.

BEST WAYS TO SHARE PHOTOS

Top Sharing Sites & Cloud Services

Now that the holiday photography blitz is over, what to do with all those precious photos?

Flicker
500px
SmugMug
Zenfolio
Snapfish
Microsoft SkyDrive
Dropbox

Five Security Terms You Should Know!

Nick Mediati of PC World Magazine outlines five key security terms that everyone should know to stay aware of the threats around you.

Zero-day: The expression “zero-day” refers to any newly discovered software security flaw that has yet to be fixed by the software’s maker.

Remote code execution: Is a fancy way of saying that a cybercriminal could use a vulnerability to gain access to your computer from afar and run malware on it.

Sandboxing: One way to help protect against remote code execution is to employ sandboxing. Which, isolates apps and other software processes in such a way that, even if attackers figure out a security hole in a piece of software, they can’t exploit it to install malware on your computer.

SSL: SSL, which stands for Secure Socket Layer, is a way of securing the information being passed back and forth between you and the site you’re visiting. SSL encrypts the data as it passes from point to point on the Net, keeping it from prying eyes.

Certificates: A certificate is a digital document of sorts—an ID badge—that verifies a site’s identity.

How to Change the Font Size

Computer displays are growing bigger all the time, and that means they display graphics at much higher resolutions. Although you can view more things on screen in higher definition, a larger display also makes everything look smaller, and it may even make text too hard to read.

Michael King of PC World Magazine illustrates how to change the font size in this step-by-step guide.

Window 7

Click Start. Type Font Size in the search box, and press Enter.
In the Display window that appears, choose the Medium font size or the Larger font size. If you don't like those settings, you can fine-tune the text size to your liking by selecting the Set custom text size (DPI) option.
Click the Apply button. Click Log Off Now to apply your changes.

Mozilla Firefox

Press the Alt key to bring up the File menu.
Click the View menu, then Zoom, then Zoom Text Only.
Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard, and then press the plus (+) key to make on-screen text larger or the minus/hyphen (-) key to make on-screen text smaller.

Strategies for Minimizing Computer Headaches!

Small businesses have unique needs and constraints that they must consider when planning and operating their business – one of the most important of which is their budget. From our experience in managing the technology of small businesses in a wide variety of industries, we have developed a number of best practices that can help you save money without sacrificing performance.

Our belief is that technology doesn’t have to be complicated, and that thoughtful management practices and a focus on keeping things simple will result in lower costs. In fact, the recommendations themselves are simple; so simple that most businesses tend to neglect them.

Practice these fundamentals and lower your information technology costs this year!

The Ten Fundamentals:

Standardize your hardware, software, and policies
Keep business computers for business use only
Keep current spam, virus, and spyware protection on all machines
Buy slightly ahead of the curve when purchasing hardware
Buy slightly behind the curve when purchasing software
Use industry-leading products
Use cloud or hosted services
Have a good backup plan
Perform regular maintenance on your network and computers
Choose the right technology

Would a Server Crash DISRUPT Business?

BDR To The Rescue

If your business CANNOT continue to deliver services to its clients when your network server is down, your server is mission critical and can benefit from being cloned. Examples of mission critical servers are those hosting e-commerce sites, those running line-of-business applications, and those running functions critical to business needs. BDR Appliances replicate servers in real-time and allow a business to bring them up in an hour or less to take over all the functions of the failed server. They ensure business continuity in case of a disaster. We can help you assess if a BDR (Backup & Disaster Recovery) Appliance makes sense for your business.

FREE BDR ASSESSMENT!

Interested in discovering whether a BDR Applicnace might benefit your business?
Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 703-766-2820 for details and to request a no-obligation assessment.

Ace This Month’s Quiz and Win $20!

What can one expect to receive by outsourcing their IT services?

A: Cost savings
B: Technology planning & budgeting help
C: Computer support When needed
D: All of the above

Yes, you could win a $20 gift card to Chipotle! Submit the correct answer to Amanda Tevis at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by January 31, 2012. One winner will be randomly drawn from all correct entries received. We will announce the winner in this space next month.

Customer Profile

1504 Joh Avenue, Suite 160 | Baltimore, Maryland 21227
Ph: 410-737-6564 | Fax: 410-737-1774 | www.sabra-wang.com

Sabra, Wang & Associates, Inc. (SWA) is a leading multi-disciplinary engineering firm with offices in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. SWA offers professional consulting services ranging from Traffic Engineering, Transportation Planning & Data Collection, Intelligent Transportation Systems and Lighting Design to Structures, Civil and Highway Engineering, Municipal Infrastructure and Utilities Engineering, and Construction Management and Inspection. Over the past 15 years, SWA has delivered remarkable cost-effective, efficient, and cutting-edge solutions to clients in the Mid-Atlantic region on the federal, state, and local level as well as in the private sector. SWA life-long mission is to provide quality professional engineering and planning services that exceed their clients’ expectations. SWA’s core goal is to work on meaningful, challenging, and rewarding projects that improve the quality of life by developing solutions that improve transportation and utility infrastructure and enhance public safety and the safety of all public infrastructure facilities.

Testimonial

“Growth at SWA has resulted in a large network that currently support 90+ users. In 2009, we had engaged RCare Solutions to help us replace an aging server with a cutting-edge system. RCare’s methodical approach to the upgrade effort minimized the downtime for our existing IT system during the transition phase so that we could continue to maintain our on-going work and meet project deadlines. Over the past two years, we have also engaged RCare to manage and maintain our server system’s daily backup remotely, while also continuing to perform preventive maintenance and maximize system performance. RCare’s remote support has been very responsive; they have never hesitated undertaking work after hours to support maintenance functions that are best done when users are off the network. If you need a reliable and responsive computer and network support provider, I encourage you to get in touch with RCare Solutions.”

Greg Pearson CAD Manager
Sabra, Wang & Associates, Inc.

RCare™ Solutions Referral Program

How the Program Works

- Call or Fill out our E-form with your referral information

- We will call your referral to schedule an appointment

- When the referral accepts the appointment, we will send you a check for $25

- If your referral becomes a client, we will send you a check for $50

- We will also give your referral a true $100 discount off our services.

Call 703-766-2820 or CLICK HERE to submit your referral information.

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RAM Consulting Corp - 21525 Ridgetop Circle, Suite 270 Dulles, VA 20166-6510. ph +1 703-766-2820