Computer Support Network

As the holidays approach and festive online cards and games start to make their rounds it’s important to remember that not all email links and attachments spread cheer.  By certain standards, Conficker might well be the greatest piece of software ever created.  It’s fast and remarkably effective.  Too bad it’s also a Virus.

Conficker is very likely the biggest virus to ever hit the internet.  Estimates are tough, but most statistics point to the number being somewhere between nine and fifteen million infections at any given time.  Other estimates have found an infection rate of 6% of all computers, which would push the number of infections well past twenty million.

So how is this virus so dangerous?  Well, the first reason is that you don’t even need to make a mistake to get the virus.  Conficker is the equivalent of a phone autodialer; it just keeps calling random numbers until a vulnerable computer picks up and then gets infected.  This means that not only do you have to be careful while browsing the internet; you also have to make sure your computer is secure.

Conficker prevention is not an easy task but with care you can minimize your chances of infection.

1. Don’t open email attachments from people you don’t know and NEVER open an .exe file even if you do know the sender.
2. Have a good antivirus.  McAfee, Webroot and Norton are all confirmed to miss the virus, so if you have any of those you may want to look into an upgrade.
3. Have a Windows password on all your accounts.
4. Have a good Firewall.  This can either be in the form of a good Router, or a good software Firewall such as AVG + Firewall or Windows Vista/7 built-in Firewall.
5. Consider an OS upgrade from Windows XP.  While all versions of Windows are vulnerable Windows XP is at the highest risk and contains security holes that have been patched in Windows 7.

Now, let’s say you have gotten the virus.  How can you tell?  Well, here’s a few of the warning signs.  And please note that Conficker is highly variable, so you could have all, some or perhaps only a few of these symptoms.

1. Sometimes when trying to go to some websites, it takes you to completely different ones instead.  In particular, when you try to go to antivirus website it always sends you somewhere else.
2. Computer seems to have become unnaturally slow very recently, and you have not installed any new software.
3. Programs keep popping up saying that your computer is highly infected and you need to pay them money to get the full version and remove the infection.
4. When you press Ctrl-Alt-Del, it tells you that this has been disabled by the system administrator.

Now, if you do have Conficker, please shut down your computer ASAP.  Conficker continually downloads new pieces of itself the longer you let it run.  After 2 weeks full recovery is exceedingly unlikely with this virus.  If you run into these symptoms consult the experts as soon as possible and/or investigate a solution from a secondary computer.  Whatever you do don’t let Conficker be the gift that keeps on giving.

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

Business data archival is more than just good advice; it may determine whether or not your business survives.  A business can’t run without information and losing that data could result in extended downtime.   Because of this a secure and reliable backup solution should be a priority in any business.

The first step to prepare for your backup solution is to identify business critical data.  Email records, reports, financial data, transaction logs and text documents are all of great importance but program executables should also receive attention.  If applications and configurations are not part of your backup plan than your business will risk extended downtime while they are manually reinstalled.  Your company will risk disruption from the tedious task of reapplying individual patches on each system; which can take days or even weeks.

While many programs have built in archiving capabilities this is only the first step.  Once information is backed up it also needs to be moved to a secure location.  Depending on how your business network is set up will depend on how this is done but it is best if the process can be automated.

The use of CD-Rom disks to backup data is the still very common but it is also the least reliable.  Numerous problems can arise from CD media backup such as incompatibility from computer to computer or corrupted data.  To make maters worst CD’s have a limited shelf life and will degrade over time.  As such it is not advisable to depend on CD’s for any length of time.

Online backup solutions have become much more common in recent years but pose a number of dangers.  With online backup the ability to store and recover your data is dependent entirely on the bandwidth of the service and your company.   Online backup solutions also bring up a number of security concerns.    Since your data will be stored on someone else’s servers you need to be careful that it will be properly protected.  Because of these two concerns an online backup solution is very risky and should be avoided for critical data.

External hard drive backup solutions are an option but require diligence to be reliable.  With this solution data must be backed up daily and switched out regularly.  Some systems accommodate easily swappable hard drives which will allow you to quickly backup and store data.  The benefit of external hard drive backups is that they are highly mobile and allow you to store your backup data in a separate secure location.  Caution should be taken, however, as this solution requires a high amount of effort on the part of its users.

Tape backup systems are much more reliable than CD’s and online backup solutions but are considerably more expensive.  Note that tape systems require their own maintenance routines. Tape machines need to have their heads cleaned regularly and will need annual replacement to ensure reliability.   Tapes when not in use should also be stored externally in a safe secure location.

If your company is large enough to benefit from it, a Virtual Storage solution adds the ultimate in performance and reliability.  For added security you should consider combining your backup solutions with off-site storage.  An off-site storage location should provide a fireproof and disaster proof solution for the storage of your data.

Choosing the right backup solution for your business can be a difficult task but no matter how large or small it should be a priority.  If your system backup has not been tested regularly it should be assumed that your business is in danger.  An untested backup solution is as bad as no backup solution.  Not only does it have a high chance of failure but it also gives a false sense of security.  If you need assistance with your choice contact IT Computer Support of New York and our business network technicians will walk you through the steps your business will need for a proper backup storage solution.

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

The start of a New Year means new business opportunities and the potential for new problems. January is the perfect time to have a thorough assessment of your company’s network infrastructure. As businesses look for ways to cut costs many have found their resources lacking when it comes to crucial business components. Proper assessment of your computer hardware and software will prepare your financial department for the expenses your business will incur throughout the year.

A level 20 assessment takes into consideration business necessities that are often neglected during typical budget creation. It is critical to take into consideration big ticket items such as data storage and workstations but it is also important to make sure that secondary necessary requirements are also addressed. To keep productivity high a business needs to budget for increased storage requirements, recurring update costs, upgrades, support, maintenance and licensure. Government and industry specific regulations may impose new requirements as well. New software and systems may require mandatory upgrades.

IT Computer Support of New York provides level 20 assessments that cover 7 key areas of business operation along with an in-depth analysis of findings and recommendations. A level 20 assessment with IT Computer Support of New York covers:

• Configuration of Firewall
• Configuration of Switches
• Physical and logical configuration of representative workstations
• Storage utilization and needs
• UPS recommendations
• Backup
• Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware capabilities and more.

IT Computer Support of New York will go through your current business hardware and software configurations and provide you with a detailed checklist of all your subsystems. After you receive your level 20 assessment IT Computer Support of New York will be happy to consult with you on a proper course of action for all possible concerns. By planning your budget around the current necessities of your business you will be better prepared to make intelligent investments throughout the year.

If you would like to schedule a level 20 assessment or learn more about the covered services contact Maureen McHugh at (212) 242-2949.

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

Enjoy a festive short as you enjoy your winter festivities.

Wishing you a fun and safe holiday.

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

Wishing you a week filled with family, friends and laughter.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at
IT Computer Support of New York

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

IT Computer Support of New York has experienced a high level of growth in recent months and we have recently moved to a new space to accommodate. We have taken advantage of the economic times, and have moved to a space that is triple the size with a beautiful view of the High Line and the Hudson River in the lovely Meat Packing District. With an efficient new air conditioning system that is able to use outside air the move has proven cost efficient and environment friendly. We have adopted a new telephone system called Fonality, which offers us all the useful features of the highest value in phone systems at a fraction of the cost. Our data center is up to date and organized, and is a perfect example of what we typically offer to our clients.

The move has been a long time coming and eagerly awaited by all employees. Due to an increase in clientele, ITCSNY has been able to hire more employees and need more space to accommodate them. We feel very fortunate to grow and continue to provide exemplary computer support services. As our clients, each of you is a part of our ITCSNY family and we hope that you will be interested in celebrating with us.

In honor of this new move we will be celebrating with an after work hours party on Thursday, November the 19th. Come join us and enjoy some refreshments while we celebrate this change in our company’s history. Please give us a call at 212-242-2949 or contact Maureen McHugh at mmchugh@itcsny.com. Hope to see you there!

-Donna Hawkins
IT Computer Support of New York
Sales Administrative Assistant

When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
‘tis near Halloween.

Happy Halloween from all of us here at
IT Computer Support of New York

- 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

Happy Holidays from all of us at IT Computer Support of New York.

Some Holiday Cheer

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

For those that support the holiday I wish you and your families a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

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