The reliance the modern business has on its IT cannot be understated. As a result, to keep their computing network and infrastructure running efficiently, companies need to have a network and cybersecurity policy in place. With the development and use of organizational computer networks with multiple endpoints, understanding the basics of network security is helpful when implementing and employing network security systems. Today, we take a look at the parts of your network, their functions, and what you need to do to protect them. Network Hardware Your business? computing network consists of, at the very least, two connected machines set up to share resources. Most of the time, a business network consists of centralized computers called servers, and endpoints called workstations. Major networking components (working backward from the endpoint) include, network switches (that allow multiple workstations to be connected in packets); a router (that allows for wired or wireless connection to the network); and the modem (that connects the network to the Internet). On your network can be all types of other accessories (printers, scanners, copiers, and more). Today, wireless networks have been deployed to provide additional mobility. In this case the router, which would have to have Wi-Fi capabilities, allows mobile endpoints (laptops, smartphones, tablets, and IoT devices) to connect to, and share the files on, an organization?s network. This promotes mobility by allowing the sharing and use of files without being physically connected to the network. Network Protocol The network protocol is a set of rules that work to control communications between devices connected to the same network. They make connections and set rules for data packaging for both sent and received messages. Popular protocols include: Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) Domain Name System (DNS) Secure Shell (SSH) File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) Internet Group Management Protocol (IMAP4) Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3) Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) There are many more, and every protocol is basically the building blocks of a deliberate interaction. Each protocol works to connect one part of a computer to another. Much like a bank has procedures in place to help keep your money safe, protocols are the procedures at work to keep your data safe. Securing TCP/IP is especially important. TCP/IP communications are made up of four layers that work together. When a user wants to send information across networks, the information is passed through each layer, each adding data. Each layer features a header and a payload. The header contains layer-specific information, while the payload consists of the information that has come from the layer above it. To illustrate this a little better, we?ll describe the four layers in TCP/IP communications: Application Layer: This layer sends and receives the information for particular applications, with protocols such as DNS, HTTP, HTTPS, and SMTP. Each application has to have its own specific protocol. Transport Layer: This layer of connected (or connectionless) services are for transporting application layer services between networks and works to assure that connections are reliable. TCP and User Datagram Protocol are commonly used in the transport layer. Internet Layer: This layer routes the data packets across networks. Internet Protocol (IP) is at the heart of this layer. IP specifically allows […]

To change the default apps for files in Windows 10, follow the steps below: Click on the Start menu in the bottom-left corner of the screen. Click on Settings. It?s the option with a gear-like icon next to it. Select the System option. Click on Default apps next. Next, you?ll see options to select an app from the categories. These categories include Email, Maps, Music Player, Video Player, Photo Viewer, and Web Browser. Once you?ve selected the category, you?ll be directed to choose a default app for it. Alternatively, you can right-click the file you are opening, go to Open with, and choose the app that you want, or select Choose another app. This will let you choose a different app just this one time, and you can tell Windows to always use that app for that type of file. You can also reset your default apps, just in case you?ve selected the wrong ones or need to restore them to the Windows default applications. Follow these steps to do so: Click on the Start menu. Select Settings. Navigate to System. Click Default apps. Click the Reset button at the bottom. It?s as simple as that. Once you?ve done this, Windows 10 will reset your default applications to whatever they were prior to you changing them up. For more great tips and tricks, be sure to subscribe to our blog.

The Issues of Non-Unified Communications Let?s say that your organization has twenty employees and they all conduct business using their own personal email addresses. Not only does this look unprofessional, it also means that you have little to no control over how they use these email addresses and the information contained within them. If they are using their personal email addresses to make contact with prospective clients, your reputation will surely suffer as a result. Furthermore, sending sensitive information from accounts that your organization can?t control puts that information at risk–something which is simply not acceptable for any self-respecting business owner. Furthermore, it?s just confusing for clients to work with any company that doesn?t have all of their email accounts or phone numbers under the same umbrella. It would be easy for a hacker to claim they work for your organization simply because there isn?t a way for the clients to know that they actually don?t work for you. Any businesses that don?t have a unified email domain name or phone number make this reality more likely, creating a problematic situation. Plus, what happens when employees leave your organization? While we would all love employees to stick around forever, this isn?t the reality of the business world. If you?re not using a unified communications solution where you have control over all contacts and accounts for that user, they could up and leave your organization tomorrow and take all of their communications with your clients with them. Hopefully, these are all good reasons for your business to consider unified communications. But what?s included with this? The Main Points of Unified Communications Unified communications includes a plethora of services that allow your organization to communicate more efficiently, but more importantly, it provides your organization with a sort of identity that helps it communicate with potential or current clients. Here are some of the main points of using a unified communications solution: Unified email hosted by White Mountain IT Services, complete with email archiving for later access. Unified phone system accessible through the cloud, making it available for use on laptops, desktops, and mobile devices. Instant messaging and other apps that let your organization stay connected at all times. Don?t waste any more time–implement unified communications today. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

To preface this scam, we need to first appreciate the scope of another Internet vice: pornography. Explicit adult material makes up a full 30 percent of the content on the Internet, and pornographic websites see more traffic than the combined totals for Amazon, Twitter, and Netflix. In short, there?s a lot of porn out there, which may be why this particular scam has been somewhat successful. How this Scam Plays Out The majority of scams are run in order to steal money from a victim, and this one is no exception. Also like many others, this scam features some extortion–give us what we want, or we?ll share your dirty little secret with the world. This time, the secret is particularly dirty, according to the email that kicks off the scam (which starts, by the way, by identifying one of the target?s passwords in the subject line): ?You don?t know me and you?re thinking why you received this email, right? Well, I actually placed a malware on the porn website and guess what, you visited this web site to have fun (you know what I mean). While you were watching the video, your web browser acted as a RDP (Remote Desktop) and a keylogger which provided me access to your display screen and webcam. Right after that, my software gathered all your contacts from your Messenger, Facebook account, and email account. What exactly did I do? I made a split-screen video. First part recorded the video you were viewing (you?ve got a fine taste haha), and next part recorded your webcam (Yep! It?s you doing nasty things!). What should you do? Well, I believe, $1400 is a fair price for our little secret. You?ll make the payment via Bitcoin to the below address (if you don?t know this, search ?how to buy bitcoin? in Google).? At this point, the email provides the user with the means to deposit a ransom of $1400 worth of Bitcoin. The email even advises them to copy and paste the required alphanumeric code so there are no mistakes made. The email then ends with a blood-chilling ultimatum: ?Important: You have 24 hours in order to make the payment. (I have an unique pixel within this email message, and right now I know that you have read this email). If I don?t get the payment, I will send your video to all of your contacts including relatives, coworkers, and so forth. Nonetheless, if I do get paid, I will erase the video immidiately [sic]. If you want evidence, reply with ?Yes!? and I will send your video recording to your 5 friends. This is a non-negotiable offer, so don?t waste my time and yours by replying to this email.? Clearly, this is not the kind of news that anyone wants to hear. A few versions of this threat have been circulating, but all share the same essential message: cough up the dough, or your private activities will be made very public. No Need to Panic? Yet First, you need to know that this threat is an empty one, as gut-wrenching as it is. The biggest clue? The fact that the passwords this threat shared come from a decade-or-so-old hack of some database. Ideally, you would be able to see the password and think, ?Wow, it?s been a […]

Today the facility operates as a subsidiary to Google?s parent company, Alphabet. Project Loon, however, has broken out of X and is now its own subsidiary of Alphabet. Its goal is to provide Internet to places that don?t have it with the use of high-altitude balloons. Some of the speeds are said to be up to 4G-LTE. Here?s how it works: The high-altitude balloons are launched and are remotely moved into place about 18 km (11 miles) above the ground. Experts have determined that, at this height in the atmosphere, relatively low wind speeds create minimal turbulence; and, since the company can model approximate wind speeds for all seasons, they can keep the balloons between 18-to-25 km above the ground over a specific area. They do this by adjusting the volume of gas inside the balloon. Reasons for Development The main reason this technology was to be developed was simply that people in certain areas either don?t have access to Internet service or the service that is available is so expensive that it was basically unaffordable. For example, the first person to ever connect to Project Loon was a farmer from New Zealand who did have Internet available to him, but the cost (over $1,000 per month) was untenable for that farmer. Project Loon would give people like this–and there are billions of them–the affordable Internet they don?t have access to today. The Benefits of Internet Access Most of us take this for granted since most of us have access to some pretty incredible Internet speeds, but for the people who don?t, it can really put them behind. Think about how you use the Internet daily for work, for your personal life, your home life, and for something as simple as driving directions. Then realize that half of the world?s population doesn?t have access to any of that. The Internet brings access to information, enhanced communications, financial flexibility, productivity options that simply aren?t possible without it, and much, much more. Delivering Internet today is like delivering electricity and clean water. Today?s society requires a degree of Internet accessibility. As a result, Project Loon could really be viewed as a humanitarian effort; and could be just the thing these developing regions need to get the opportunity to join the world community. If you would like more information about Project Loon, you can check out their website at http://loon.co, and be sure to check back to White Mountain IT Services?s blog for more great technology information.