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7 Tips for Securing Your Wireless Network

sales.nospam@nospam.bespokecomputing.com (chris.pallett) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:35:00 +0000

Sometimes called Wi-Fi or 802.11 (after the standard), wireless networks are now very much part of our everyday lives. Used for laptops, security devices, games consoles and a whole multitude of other things – it makes communicating easy.

Wireless is based on a simple radio signal, intended to be easy to connect to company networks, email and the Internet. This also means it is easy for outsiders to do the same, anybody within radio range can, in theory, listen or transmit data on your network.

It is not technically difficult to secure your wireless network, however the procedure varies depending on what manufacturer you’re working with. Here are 7 simple tips for securing your wireless network.

Only use access points rather than ad-hoc or peer-to-peer networks.
Change the name of your wireless network to something other than the default setting, and for maximum value, to something that doesn’t identify your organisation.
If possible and if your equipment will let you, restrict wireless access to the times that it is likely to be used (i.e. office hours).
Every wireless network card has a unique code called a MAC address, not to be confused with a broadband migration code. If feasible, restrict wireless access to just the MAC addresses of your own wireless equipment.
Use wireless encryption to prevent eavesdropping.
Restrict the ability to setup ‘quick and dirty’ wireless networks within your organisation, even temporary ones. One rogue access point can undo all the good work you do on the others.
Make sure all of your other security measures – strong passwords etc – are in place, providing a second line of defence against intruders.

Bespoke Computing Ltd is pretty good with wireless networks; they have successfully delivered many networks to clients of varying sizes, the smallest being simple wireless broadband in the home and the largest being a school of 500 students.

If you would like to know more about wireless security, or would like our assistance securing your wireless network then why not give us a call on 0845 004 3025.

Still looking for an anti-spam solution that works?

sales.nospam@nospam.bespokecomputing.com (chris.pallett) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:44:00 +0000

Try GFI MailEssentials, proven to reduce the amount of spam in your inbox.

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Social Networking: Take Caution when Mixing Business with Pleasure

sales.nospam@nospam.bespokecomputing.com (chris.pallett) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:22:00 +0000

Over the last year both locally here in Shropshire and indeed globally, social networking has reached a new level. No longer is it just geeks in a darkened room but business leaders, celebrities and high profile corporations.

Locally businesses have had scores of workshops and presentations on social networking via the Shropshire Chamber of Commerce and other organisations. The local number of Twitter users has exploded, but are people being too social with their social network?

As the name rightly suggests, social networking is about being social and rolling up to shout about what you want to sell won’t work. You have to build relationships, engage with people and develop trust, respect and authority.

The problem arises when it gets a little too social, things get out of hand and suddenly your online world becomes a real nightmare. If only you could turn it on and off with your computer!

Uploading compromising photographs or inviting people to your Mafia Wars game will kill your credibility. What you post on the Internet defines who you are to the rest of the world, via photo, video, or simply 140 characters of text.

The message is simple. If you wouldn’t want it on the front page of the press, don’t post it on Twitter or Facebook. To control who can social network within your organisation, get a policy from your HR professional and then talk to your IT professional about some Internet filtering.

The Benefit of Microsoft Exchange Server to Small Businesses

sales.nospam@nospam.bespokecomputing.com (chris.pallett) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:38:00 +0000

Could you imagine having to run your business without email? It’s a tough ask, isn’t it?! For a lot of businesses email is a must and they could not exist without it. Sales enquires are processed by email and teams of people keep in touch with each other.

When companies turn to Information Technology to fuel business growth, business owners want more functionality or efficiencies and email is an easy place to start and make a big difference. Enter Microsoft Exchange Server.

Called Exchange for short, Microsoft Exchange Server belongs to Microsoft’s line of server products, designed to make emailing faster and more efficient. Many companies are using Exchange for increased email reliability and to make regular business activities easier.

There are tons of neat things you can do with Exchange to help you and your business. Everything you have in Outlook can be shared with your team, even when you are out of the office with your laptop.

Email, calendar and contacts can be accessed from anywhere in the world, you can work anywhere that has an Internet connection. Access this information on your mobile phone, not just on a Blackberry.

If you believe servers are expensive then you’re probably right, Exchange is no exception. Staying non-specific there are two ways you get put Exchange into your organisation; buy both hardware and software up front and outright, or look at options for hosted Exchange with a monthly rental.

Here are two simple scenarios where our own customers have benefitted from Microsoft Exchange Server in their organisation.

Company A is a small team of three providing financial advice. All of the advisers are regularly on the road with one being home based, making appointments can be tiresome. With Exchange in a hosted manner (our Shared Outlook product), Company A has complete access to email and calendars from anywhere and booking meetings is a 2 minute thing.

Company B has their own in-house Exchange server supporting a team of 25 staff. The marketing team is regularly out meeting suppliers and accesses email using Blackberry devices. The remainder of the business has complete visibility over their calendars to book future appointments.

Microsoft Exchange Server might not be the right email solution for your business, but from £10 per month for a hosted solution it might be worth the friendly chat to find out. Why not give us a call on 0845 004 3025.

Also don’t forget to revisit our article on 7 tips for better email, it is a part of everyday life and it makes sense to take a minute to think about that you’re sending out to people.

A Guide to Social Networking for Service Providers

sales.nospam@nospam.bespokecomputing.com (guest.blogger) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:37:00 +0000

As a marketing consultant specialising in advising law firms, my opinion of social networking sites was best described as ‘sceptical but curious’. Now having joined and got involved with Linked In, Twitter and other associated sites - plus set up a couple of blogs - I am starting to see how it all joins up and how it is blurring traditional boundaries of communication.

This guide provides an introduction to the opportunities arising from online developments that are rapidly changing how the Internet is used. It sets out to cut through the hype and understand how these tools can be used to real effect by service providers.

Please note that this guide is not definitive - it is put together as a guide from my experience/research so far. Secondly, do consider the risk issues surrounding the use of social networking in a legal context.

About the Author

Jon Hepburn is founder of The Fedora Consultancy, a Shrewsbury-based firm providing a common-sense, cost-effective approach to marketing and business development projects for a range of clients, particularly smaller businesses and law firms. They develop marketing plans, web/e-marketing initiatives, customer research projects, event management and promotional campaigns.

Fedora offer a free initial consultation – to arrange call Jon on 01743 366288 or email jon@fedoraconsultancy.co.uk.

What does 802.11n wireless mean to the non-techie?

sales.nospam@nospam.bespokecomputing.com (chris.pallett) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:45:00 +0000

Finally after being two years late, the IEEE ratifies the 802.11n wireless specification. Despite only being ratified now, more than 700 products have already been certified as being 802.11n compatible.

So what exactly is 802.11n?

Put in simple terms for the non-techie, 802.11 is simply the proper name for a standard that says how wireless is meant to work. The ‘N’ refers to the version of the standard and you may already have come across 802.11a, 802.11b or 802.11g.

802.11n was conceived seven years ago to drive wireless technology faster over longer distances, increasing speeds by a factor of six and doubling the range. The main principle is straight forward, rather than sending one wireless transmission you send a number of transmissions and join them up.

Even with the extra speed and range of 802.11n, the technology can still be affected and the performance reduced. Walls, doors, floors and obstacles will still get in the way and reduce the effectiveness of your coverage.

According to an article at The Register, of the 700 bits of equipment certified for 802.11n, only 15 of per cent were aimed at the business marketplace. The majority are laptop computers (45 per cent) followed by home-networking products (30 per cent).

Wireless ‘N’ has over the last couple of years had had a lot of talk, all of the big names in home networking have been pushing their next generation ‘N’ equipment. You may have already seen labels for “pre-N”, or “802.11n draft” on new equipment.

To decide whether Wireless ‘N’ is the thing for you, look at how you use wireless. 802.11g wireless has useable throughout of 20meg, if you just look at web pages this is plenty. If your requirements are more specialised then 802.11n with 100meg throughput could be a consideration.

In summary 802.11n is just a technical name for wireless. Is it worth rushing out there and buying 802.11n equipment? Unless you are watching high quality video or doing something specialist, it is probably not worth it.

If you are having problems with your wireless network or want to install a new wireless network that doesn’t give you any problems, it might be worth calling the experts. Try 0845 004 3025 as a starting point.

7 Tips for Better Social Networking

sales.nospam@nospam.bespokecomputing.com (chris.pallett) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:42:00 +0000

If you’re just finding your feet with social networking it is easy to become quickly disorientated. If you’re a seasoned networker then maybe it’s becomes a chore to keep track of groups of friends spread on different networks.

Don’t lose heart if this sounds familiar, here are 7 simple tips for better social networking.

Pick the right networks and plan. If you’re clued up with the Internet you will be aware of the massive number of social networks out there; Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and so on. It is difficult to participate actively on all social networks out there, be effective, and get your day to day work done. Plan your social networking crusade and join the ones that are most relevant for what you want to achieve.
Make time, but not all day. It is very easy to let it take over your life, be regular with your social networking. Update your profile and status regularly and engage with your friends and follows, even on the weekends.
Consistency is king. Use the same photographs and account names on all of your profiles, it is your brand. Friends and followers will learn to recognise your brand, exposing your words of wisdom through different channels.
Be yourself. Just like on the telephone, people love dealing with a real person at the end of the line. There are many ways of keeping it personal with your friends and followers, but make the effort to be yourself and remember point 3.
Top-up your toolbox. Social networking can be streamlined into something easy to manage with the right tools. Use software to save time and automate content between networks.
Who likes spammers? There is only a minority that is buying stuff from spammers, so try not to overload your friends or followers with excessive content. Even if you mean well, people will soon block you if you start bombarding them.
Keep it real. The Internet and social networking is meant to be a positive experience. Interact with people and share ideas and experiences via the computer, but also remember that real life does exist as do real people.

If you would like to find out more about how we use social networking within Bespoke Computing Ltd, why not give us a call on 0845 004 3025. Alternative, try twitter/@bespoke_comp.

Could you be using IT to save thousands?

sales.nospam@nospam.bespokecomputing.com (chris.pallett) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:06:00 +0000

A customer popped into the office recently to settle a bill. “I never wanted to use the computer,” he told us forlornly. “It’s too complicated and does far more than I need. I only wanted a typewriter. My wife made me use the computer.”

Every day there are people suffering the trauma of trying to use a computer they do not understand or do not want to use? Why is a modern tool, built to make our lives easier, causing pain and despair?

Information Technology (IT) is an extremely broad industry that covers many professional disciplines such as software testing, database administration or engineering computer hardware.

Yet all the time the term is being misrepresented as simply the computer under your desk. Is it hardly surprising that IT is misunderstood and is the cause of so much grief?

So how can you save thousands using IT? This of course depends on who you ask. I would suggest you concentrate simply time and money, before making your IT investment and look at it again afterwards.

Invest time to your advantage beforehand and allow plenty of it: look at options, meet with experts and use your time to discover the best solution. Afterwards you should look for what time your investment has saved or created for you - if something takes longer to do, then is it really an investment?

Money is a bit trickier. Whilst you have to speculate to accumulate, you should avoid paying more than you need to, although remember “if you buy cheap then you pay twice”. Understand what problem you are trying to resolve, then consider your options and get expert advice.

A client of ours is a good example of this time and money principle. They operate their business from two sites that are 25 miles apart. The sales receipts from the second location were being re-entered into their Sage accounts at the first location by the business owner - essentially book keeping twice.

This client made the time to consult us and after an investment of £500 to cut down the data entry by half, the first year savings in time were valued at over £15,000.

Before spending anything on IT, take the time to clearly understand exactly what you are trying to do. Investing in IT isn’t about getting the cheapest deal, so get advice from your IT provider or a professional.

If you want my advice, ring me, 0845 004 3025.

Are you Microsoft Office Genuine?

sales.nospam@nospam.bespokecomputing.com (chris.pallett) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:52:00 +0000

On August 25th, Microsoft will be launching its new initiative called Office Genuine Advantage or OGA for short. Similar to Windows Genuine Advantage, OGA will require people to validate their copy of Microsoft Office software before being allowed to download non-critical updates and other downloads.

Software piracy is illegal and carries heavy penalties - and that includes exceeding your permitted number of installations of the software or sharing it with friends. Globally, the cost of counterfeit software is an estimated $40 billion (US), in 2008 the cost to the UK economy was £1.5 billion.

According to a study from May 2007, reducing the global rate of software piracy by 10% per year could generate 2.4 million new jobs, $400 billion in economic growth and $67 billion in tax revenue for the world economy.

Using pirated software can potentially pose a security threat to your business. Counterfeit software is frequently bundled with malicious and unwanted software; this can lead to a corrupted computer or data loss, even worse it might lead to identity theft.

More often than not, small business owners are too busy to worry about the threat of identity theft. Sadly when you’ve just had thousands of pounds lifted from your bank account or credit card – which we have seen happen – it’s too late, and you have the embarrassment of dealing with the bank.

To compound matters further, it can sometimes be difficult to purchase the right software for your business. The “Home and Student” edition of Microsoft Office as available from most reputable high street stores for example, is not meant to be used for commercial use.

The official licensing partner guide from Microsoft is a staggering 80 pages !

To find out more about Windows Genuine Advantage and Office Genuine Advantage, Microsoft have published an in-depth list of frequently asked questions available here and have a dedicated mini site about genuine Microsoft software.

If you would like advice and assistance with the software licensing in your business starting with a comprehensive audit of what you actually have installed, drop us a line or give us a call on 0845 004 3025.

Protect your business with a web use policy

sales.nospam@nospam.bespokecomputing.com (guest.blogger) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:17:00 +0000

In this tough economic climate you would not be blamed for being totally focussed on running your business and not really thinking about how your employees (at all levels in the company) are using their office computers, or the consequences of how they are using their computers.

Whilst many companies will have listed ‘downloading of pornographic material’ among their examples of gross misconduct, accessing such sites and downloading material from them is still all too common. One of the hidden risks is that computer viruses are often deliberately attached to files containing such images. Once a dangerous file has been downloaded it can easily be transferred between computers.

If your computers are networked, a virus can quickly spread between them and depending on its nature, there’s a risk that your IT system could crash. Without suitable protection this could cost your business dearly, not only in terms of lost orders and reduced productivity but also in putting it right.

A less obvious, but equally important, risk is the actions of mobile staff. Research by web security company ScanSafe has shown that mobile workers are more likely to ignore their employer’s Internet usage policies. They are also five times more likely to look at extreme pornographic or illegal websites than their office based colleagues.

Internet and email usage is traceable

Everyone should be aware that sites visited on the Internet are traceable, nor is e-mail the informal form of communication that many people think it is. Deleting a message or clearing your Internet history does not mean it is unrecoverable.

Binding contracts can be made just as easily via e-mail as by letter or orally, so employees need to be aware of the danger of inadvertently making contracts on behalf of their employers or even varying the terms of existing contracts.

With all these risks in mind it is paramount that every employer has a detailed policy in place. It must be made clear that where your computers are concerned, its terms apply irrespective of whether the employee is “at work”, or is using the equipment in their own time for leisure purposes.

It is important for companies and their employees to understand the potential for making the most of their IT systems but by having a sound policy in place a company can help protect itself against liability for the actions of its workers (vicarious liability).

They can prevent damage to their systems and their company image, and like any other company policy its purpose is to ensure everyone understands what they can and can’t do and what the consequences are if the rules are abused.

There is a raft of laws that cover electronic communications, employer monitoring of e-mails and Internet use by workers and it could be an expensive lesson to be caught out. Ignorance is never a valid excuse.

If you are still asking yourself whether your company needs an internet and email usage policy ponder no more as the answer is ‘Yes’.

About the Author

Joanna Davies is the founder of Shropshire based HR consultancy ProActiveHR. Check out her website – http://www.proactivehr.org/ - and see that you need look no further for your HR requirements.

Alternatively you can call Joanna on 01630 684093.