ProVision IT - Orlando IT Support

FBI MoneyPak Ransomeware Virus

josh — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:46:11 +0000

You’ve probably heard about the FBI MoneyPak Ransomeware Virus. This thing has been terrorizing folks everywhere, tricking them into thinking that if they don’t pay the FBI money to resolve, they will be fine. If you get a message from the FBI on your computer, don’t worry. You visited a website that was infected or tried to open an email attachment with the virus, but not all hope is lost. To learn more about the virus, click here. You can also click here to learn how to remove it.

DNS Changer Malware

Passwords Stored in Web Browser

josh — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 19:59:12 +0000

Is it a good idea to store you passwords in your web browser? This video shows you may not want to do that anymore.

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DNS Changer Malware

josh — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 01:45:37 +0000

As you have undoubtedly heard by now, the temporary fix for the DNS Changer Malware comes to an end on Monday, July 9th, 2012. This issue as been well documented, so instead of rehashing the issue and the fix, I will provide brief summary and some helpful links.

The FBI has warned that millions could lose internet access on July 9th 2012 if their machines are infected with the DNS Changer Malware, a computer virus that changes the DNS servers your computer uses to point to fraudulent servers on the Internet. More information is available here.

For another helpful site with information about the DNS Changer Malware, click here .

Fortunately, there is a quick and easy way to tell if your computer is infected. Simply click here, and if you get to a page with a big green logo informing you that you are safe, then no worries! Carry on with your normal, blissful use of technology. If you don’t get the big green logo informing you that you are safe, then you need to make sure your anti-virus software is up-to-date and run a full scan.

If you have any question, don’t hesitate to call our Helpdesk at 407.608.6700 option 1, or send an email to support@provisionit.com

Thanks.
–
Josh Phillips
Chief Executive Officer
ProVision IT

Windstream Outage-Update: Windstream Online

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:16:42 +0000

Windstream is experiencing a statewide network issue that is causing outage issues for both voice and internet services. They are aware of the issue and we do not have an ETA on resolution yet.

UPDATE [5/14/2012 12:50PM]:

Windstream is back online. Voice and internet services have been restored. Please contact support if you experience any further issues.

Is it SPAM?

josh — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:32:23 +0000

Tired of getting emails that look real and turn out to be a hoax? Here is a tip on how to tell if you’ve got a real problem is simply a smart SPAMer:

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(Update) Windstream Outage in Downtown Orlando

josh — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:29:12 +0000

Service disruptions to Windstream VoxIP customers in downtown Orlando has been resolved. Related posts:Windstream Outage in Downtown OrlandoWindstream Outage-Update: Windstream Online Related posts:

Windstream Outage in Downtown Orlando

josh — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:43:14 +0000

Windstream is currently experiencing an outage that is effecting voice services for multiple downtown Orlando customers. There is no timetable as to when the issue will be resolved at this time. Related posts:(Update) Windstream Outage in Downtown OrlandoWindstream Outage-Update: Windstream OnlineWelcome Related posts:

Welcome

josh — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:06:50 +0000

Over the last two days, one of the local telecom carriers that many of the ProVisionIT™ customers use has experienced an outage that has effected service reliability. This outage has also caused the ProVisionIT™ phone system to become useless, creating a very frustrating situation for our Helpdesk and our customers.

For this reason, we have decided to create Network Operations Center Update Page, where we can provide real-time alerts to our customers. This page will also be linked to a Twitter feed that we have created at www.twitter.com/pvnoc. Please check back often for alerts.

Thanks.

Josh Phillips
President
ProVisionIT™

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Remote Access: Should I allow it?

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:49:10 +0000

It seems that recently, one question I’ve been asked fairly frequently is regarding the use of remote access tools to provide remote technical support. With the popularity of GoToMeeting, LogMeIn, GoToMyPC, and other similar tools we have the ability to conduct staff meetings, make sales presentations, and provide technical support, all from the comfort of our (insert most relaxing place you can think of here). Single requirement: an Internet connection. While this is a great convenience, making decisions on and then regulating the use of remote access tools is becoming an increasing challenge for business owners, compliance managers, and IT decision makers. Whether you’ve got a home office or a large corporation, this a question that you have either already considered or should have already considered.

There are a lot of factors that go into deciding how much remote control to give to employees and vendors. Depending on your line of business, some governing body most likely has already given guidance regarding remote access. For example, HIPPA, Sarbanes-Oxley, Gramm Leach Bliley all have their own requirements regarding data security and accessibility.

However, before I jump into the details, it should be pointed out that the ability to remotely access computers is nothing new (in relative terms, anyway). Microsoft first introduced the ability to remotely control its computers in the Windows NT 4.0 Operating System with Terminal Services Client, released in July of 1996. This was later renamed Remote Desktop Connection, and was expanded to include desktops with the release of Windows XP in October of 2001. The point? Your “IT Guy” has had the ability to remotely access your computer for quite a while.

So, the first question is “should I allow remote access at all”? The benefits of answering “yes” are many, and the following is not an exhaustive list:

Employee productivity since employees can access their work computers from anywhere
Reduced support time since vendors can provide technical support easily and quickly
Reduced travel expenses since training, sales presentations, and support can be provided remotely

And if you answer “no”? Here is a short list of benefits:

More sleep at night since you know that your data isn’t accessible remotely (though this may be a false sense of security)
Don’t have to spend any more time considering this topic… “no” is an easy answer!

Another thing to consider if you decide that you aren’t comfortable with allowing remote access into your network is whether or not you are prepared to spend the money to ensure that this decision implemented. In other words, do you have a firewall and/or proxy in place that can block remote access software? It’s advisable to have as good a firewall as you can afford. Your $100 router from BestBuy isn’t going to do the job.

Assuming you’ve gone with “yes” or at the very least “I’ll think about it”, here are some other things to consider:

You should start with determining what your compliance requirements are. For example, are you required to be compliant with HIPPA/HITECH (healthcare industry), Sarbanes-Oxley and/or Gramm Leach Bliley (financial industry). If you are bound by one of these acts (or others), you should then research the remote access softwares that are in use to determine if they are compliant. Most of these companies (like LogMeIn, for example) write whitepapers regarding why their solutions is compliant.

In my opinion, this ultimately boils down to trust. There are two people (or groups of people) that you must absolutely trust. Your financial guy (CPA, bookkeeper, etc.) and your IT Guy. Note: For the ladies out there, please excuse the use of the work “Guy”. I am using the term to mean “person” or “people”, not “male” or “men”. =)

References:

https://secure.logmein.com/LogMeInITReach_Benefits_for_OutsourcedIT.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_Desktop_Services
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIPPA

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Are you monitoring your exchange database?

admin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:27:03 +0000

Today, I’m going to talk about the importance of monitoring your Microsoft Exchange database. For those who may not know what Exchange is, here is a very brief description:

If you are using Outlook as your email client, and you are able to share your calendar, contacts, to-dos, etc. with colleagues, chances are you are using Exchange, the most popular email server application available (McCreath, 2007).

Now that we’ve got that over-simplified explanation out of the way, on to a couple of reasons why you should be monitoring this database. First, Exchange keeps a log of every single event that occurs on its database, in what are called Transaction Logs (Buike, 2006). These logs can become quite large, and if not maintained, can easily bring the operating system to a screeching halt, especially if Exchange is stored on the OS partition. Second, the Exchange database can become fragmented over time, appearing to be much larger than it actually is. This is a natural occurrence because of the way the database works. Depending on who you talk to, offline defragmentation of the database should be performed when the database reaches somewhere around 15% whitespace.

These were two in a long list of reasons why it is very important to not only perform preventative maintenance tasks on your exchange database, but to also monitor your Exchange database for potential problems. There are many things to watch for on your Exchange database, much more than I am willing to go into in this article. For a relatively detailed list of things to look for, check out Brett Johnson’s presentation (Johnson, 2004).

In conclusion, here are a few questions to ask of yourself, or to ask of whoever is maintaining your Exchange system:

Are Exchange event logs being monitored?
Is disk space on the Exchange server(s) being monitored?
Are preventative maintenance tasks being performed?
Is your Exchange database being regularly backed up, are backup logs being verified, and are test restores being conducted?
Is mail flow being monitored?
Are database (information store) counters being monitored?

Approximately 90% of Exchange administrators never attempt maintenance until a disaster hits (Johnson, 2004). Don’t allow your company to lose valuable working time while your IT guy tries to figure out what went wrong with Exchange database.

Bibliography

McCreath, M. S. (2007, Dec 1). Inferring Relative Popularity of SMTP Servers. Retrieved from Stillhq.com: Mikai, a geek from Canberra: http://www.stillhq.com/research/smtp/survey/poster-lisa2007.html

Buike, R. (2006, May 30). Transaction Logs, The Lifeblood of Exchange. Retrieved from MSExchange.org: http://www.msexchange.org/articles/Transaction-Logs-Lifeblood-Exchange.html

Johnson, B. (2004). Microsoft Downloads. Retrieved from Microsoft: http://download.microsoft.com/documents/uk/technet/learning/downloads/evenings/TechNet_Event_Exchange_Server_9th_Feb_Brett_Johnson.ppt

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