Computer Support Network

In the last two weeks there have been outbreaks of two Mac Trojans. That might seem fairly common place in the Windows world but Mac has a long history of being relatively immune to virus threats. This actually brings up an interesting issue as well. Apple has been trying to position themselves as a direct competitor to Microsoft for years and the tools they have marketed themselves on are ease of use and security. Now that they finally built a strong niche it looks like their increased user base could damage one of their largest selling points.

This is of course speculative giving the nature of the Trojans distribution. The two most recent attacks have been spread primarily through file sharing networks such as Limewire and Torrents. Neither of which should be used without extreme care given vulnerability as well as legality issues. Despite this, if one group of distributers found it worthwhile to propagate malware it is very likely that they will again in the future. As with all escalation the attacks will become more sophisticated and attempt to target a larger user base.

Does this mean the end of the worry free days of Mac users? Possibly; but it’s unlikely to happen at the scale that plagues PC users. Apple has positioned itself for the casual audience. Design firms aside, Macs are very rarely used as a corporate platform. Ultimately, this brings into question the return on investment for virus and malware distributers. Most Trojans target big business for the amount of information that can be attained and for the amount of damage that can be done. Neither of which has much value from targeting home users and their iTunes libraries.

Regardless, there has been threats and whether they continue or not there is no better time to learn from your PC counterparts. Back up your data and keep a watchful eye.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department

ITCSNY started construction on their new iSCSI SAN Virtual Storage Solutions Website some time ago and we have been working to build up the programs to support it. The final step for us has been to issue a formal press release, which went out earlier this week.

“New York, NY (PRWEB) January 14, 2009 — IT Computer Support of New York is proud to announce the launch of their iSCSI SAN Virtual Storage Solutions website. ITCSNY has partnered with Dell and EqualLogic to become a certified provider of iSCSI SAN (iSAN ™) Virtual Storage Technology. iSAN™ Architecture is a new technology that will protect your past and future IT investments.”

iSCSI SAN architecture is something we believe strongly about as both a money saving asset and as a productivity enhancer. Deferred IT resources can cause serious problems for a business in the long run and that’s where the technology can help you most. The one time investment in iSAN hardware will save your business money each month in manpower and utilities. As a long term investment you will also save money down the road when it comes time to upgrade. The modular design makes upgrades and further upkeep simple and efficient.

The feedback we have received so far is very reassuring, with interest in our new partnerships. This technology can offer you new possibilities regardless of the size of your business. We are glad that so far this message has been accepted by many and hope that it continues to grow as time goes on.
If there is anything you would like to know about iSAN Storage Solutions please ask and be sure to check out our new website.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department

Earlier this week Microsoft revealed that in preparation for the release of Internet Explorer 8 they have taken steps to make the transition as easy as possible. Internet Explorer 8 has a planned release as part of the auto update functionally of all Windows Operating Systems.

“We believe IE8 helps make browsing the web faster, easier, safer and more reliable. To help our users be more secure and up-to-date, we will distribute IE8 via Automatic Update (AU) and the Windows Update (WU) and Microsoft Update (MU) sites much like we did for IE7.”

Along with this preparation Microsoft has released an upgrade blocker with businesses in mind. For security and compatibility reasons it is wise for corporate IT departments to test new internet browsers before they commit fully to them. The IE8 Blocker Toolkit does just that; stalls the auto update process and allows for internal application tests with the new browser.

The official release date for IE8 has not yet been announced but it is known that Microsoft plans to release one final test release during the first quarter of 2009. It is expected that the IE8 release will be coincide with Windows 7, which is also scheduled for release later this year.

The upgrade to IE8 is targeted as a “high priority” for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003; both of which suffer from security vulnerabilities. For windows Vista the upgrade is not as crucial because of tighter security but is still listed as “important”.

If you are in charge of your businesses IT deployment and would like to learn more about the Internet Explorer 8 Blocker Toolkit you can read more about here.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department

With Windows 7 planned for launch later this year it’s a good time to take a look at some of the changes you can expect from the new operating system. The first thing most people are interested in is whether or not Windows 7 is faster than the resource wasteful Vista. From early test the results are very positive with Windows 7 10%-15% faster than Windows Vista on similar hardware configuration. Less has been reported about the interface changes but as the user interface of Vista sparked debate so too will Windows 7.

First of all the basic user interface of Windows 7 shares much in common with Windows Vista. So much so that many people have labeled the OS Vista 2.0. The first change that will be apparent to anyone weaned on Windows 98 or XP is that the menu system is fundamentally different. Gone are the shortcuts that have adorned Windows desktops for over a decade. While I can understand the change people who have looked on at numerous icons on my desktop with horror will not be surprised that it fails to impress. I am happy to report that as with most of the changes in Windows 7 it is possible set to this to the old standard.

The next change that is sure to throw off long time users is the complete removal of the “Run” box from the start menu. This is actually a step that began with windows Vista and its one I have come to appreciate. While disruptive at first the general Search window is more useful and far more intelligent. A quick test reveals that typing in the first three letters of a program will typically bring up a listing with the program you were looking for. This change goes hand in hand with the removal of the desktop shortcuts for finding programs quickly.

The last major change is one that while good for casual users will infuriate techs. The control panel from XP and Windows 98 has always been an area that you are either completely proficient with or scared to death of. In many ways this has been a good thing as casual users shouldn’t be accessing their control panel and techs rarely have a problem understanding it. The new system imposed by Windows 7 changes this but breaking the panel down into easy to understand sections. Tabs such as System and Security, Network and Internet, Programs, etc, make it easy for general users to find the settings they after. For people who use the control panel daily this will be a slow reeducation process as instead of an icon interface the display is now tabular.

None of the changes to Windows 7 should be deal breakers but they are things to consider if your office is ready to take on the OS. On the whole, Windows 7 has shaped up to be what Vista had promised to be. A user friendly and reliable OS with hardware upgrade potential. Until the OS officially launches it is hard to say if the promise will be fulfilled but so far the outlook is good.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department

Email correspondence is used in place of direct and phone communication hundreds of times every day by businesses all around the world. In spite of this the messages that get sent out rarely imbue the qualities that businesses would want to be associated with. All too often email messages are written in shorthand which is both difficult to comprehend and damages the credibility of the business.

In a world of internet IM’s many people try to take the same approach to email communication. For personal correspondence this is fine but it becomes easy for the practices to flow over into your work environment. The worst offense I have seen is the simplification of words into single letter characters. The use of words like “u” for “you” and its ilk look crude and on the whole don’t save you much time. In one on one personal conversation this might not be critical but as work emails tend to be forwarded from person to person this takes a chance of damaging credibility. Once your email leaves its inbox you have no control over where it might end up. As for communication with clients this should be considered completely unacceptable.

Other faults I have seen with email communication are equally harmful. Omitting the subject line is a common practice that is a personal annoyance of mine. When you receive a large volume of email everyday it is an annoyance to search each email for the information you require. Even worse people tend to read email in order of importance, without a subject line your message may be ignored entirely. Failure to personalize your message to a recipient also leads to confusion and may slow down the flow of information. This is especially important if the email message is being forwarded to more than one recipient. Lastly, don’t leave off your email signature. Whether a client or an interoffice contact your email signature should include your name and a full list of contact information. Not everyone has access to a contact directory or will go through the trouble to locate up your phone number.

These are just a few pointers for an improved office communication but as it’s a new year let’s start it off right.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department