But first, let?s talk about why tape backup isn?t good enough in today?s business environment. Storing data backups on magnetic tape reels has long been a standard procedure, but compared to more modern data backup practices, tape has fallen short of today?s expectations. Tape backups are resource-intensive, and as such, they need to be performed at the end of the workday to avoid slowing down the network. Furthermore, due to how resource-intensive tape backups are, they can only be taken once–meaning that you could potentially lose up to a day?s worth of productivity and accumulated data. The DifferenceImage-based backup is vastly more efficient and more manageable than traditional tape backup. Image-based backup lets your business take a ?snapshot? of your organization?s data, which is then sent to several locations either on or off-site for safe, secure storage. These snapshots record data that?s been changed recently rather than take a whole backup like how tape would work; these smaller backup sessions are less resource-intensive and can be performed more frequently during the day–even as often as every 15 minutes. Perhaps the greatest boon of using an image-based backup system is the fact that it?s automatic and relies less on users to be effective. Your team doesn?t need to set and run the backup at the end of each workday; you can set them to run automatically. Of course, you still have to check the backups and make sure that they work properly, but the fact remains that you have backups taken and ready to go. When it comes to backup and disaster recovery, your business can?t cut any corners, and doing so could become a problem down the road. Even the slightest disaster like a power outage could lead to major data loss. That?s not to mention other common disasters that could cost your business capital in more ways than just data loss. Hardware failure, floods, and fires could lead to not just data loss, but expensive hardware replacements and damage to your IT budget. The damage caused by the resulting downtime is also a major problem, and one which absolutely cannot be ignored. White Mountain IT Services can equip your business with a backup and disaster recovery solution that?s specifically designed to work for your organization. Depending on your needs, you can back up your data to several off-site locations, including a secure data center and in the cloud for rapid data recovery. Furthermore, in the event of a disaster, you can restore your backups directly to the BDR device, and it can act as a temporary server while you work out the finer details of replacing your hardware. All in all, it?s the ideal solution for a small business that relies on data to keep operations going. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

The Ultra-Annoying Copy/Paste DilemmaA situation like this is more common than you may realize. For example, let?s say that you copy some important content to your clipboard and then close the app that you copied it from, with every good intention of pasting it to another app. However, the Internet being the Internet, you?re then met with a distraction like a tantalizing website. You then copy the URL so you can share the website over social media, completely forgetting about your sensitive data already on your clipboard. This move effectively erases the data previously saved on the clipboard. Now you must go back and reopen the app that you copied the original data from, or worse, rewrite the social media post that you ever-so-diligently authored. Given the situation, it can be a frustration akin to not saving the progress of a video game and then having the electricity go out. Unfortunately, it?s not like you can access some ?secret? files in Windows and get back your copied content. If, however, you had installed a clipboard manager tool like ClipDiary, you would be all set to easily retrieve your copied-over content. ClipDiary Saves the DayIf this copy/paste problem is one that you?ve experienced or a mistake that you can see yourself making, one solution is to install ClipDiary from their website: http://clipdiary.com/ Now, if you have ClipDiary installed and you run into this problem again, all you would have to do is hit Ctrl+D to open ClipDiary. You would then be able to view the clipboard history and copy previous items back to the clipboard that you can use to paste wherever you need it. The problem we described is just one common copy/paste problem that you may run into that ClipDiary can take care of. To learn about additional copy/paste blunders, check out a blog from ClipDiary?s website: http://clipdiary.com/clipboard-articles/using-clipboard-history-and-clipboard-manager.php ClipDiary also comes with some pretty useful features: Insert saved data directly into any application Fast copy data back to the clipboard Paste text without formatting (as plain text) Find data you once copied to the clipboard View the list of clips in the clipboard history viewer window Recover data accidentally replaced in the clipboard Improve your productivity and save lots of time with the clipboard manager If you?d like, check out ClipDiary and let us know what you think. It might end up being the most useful tool that you?ve never heard of.

While ownership and investments made by each party have not been made public, the mission of Cymotive–as the new entity is called–is perfectly clear. As Yuval Duskin, who formerly sat at the helm of the Israeli Security Services and now serves as Cymotive chairman, said: “Together with Volkswagen we are building a top-notch team of cyber security experts. We are aware of the significant technological challenges that will face us in the next years in dealing with the cyber security threats facing the connected car and the development of the autonomous car.” These cyber security threats are far too real. Features like Bluetooth connectivity and computerized dashboards have made modern automobiles tempting targets for tech-savvy criminals. Quite recently researchers discovered that an attacker armed with an inexpensive radio kit could clone their way into any wireless-entry-equipped Volkswagen, potentially opening any of the automobiles equipped with this feature sold since 2000–the number of potential cars at risk reaching into the millions. Volkswagen, of course, is not the only car maker whose systems are under threat of attack. A few seasoned car hackers recently proved that–by attaching a laptop to the controller area network (or CAN bus) of a Jeep Cherokee–they could take full control of the vehicle?s brakes. Posting proof of their method in a YouTube video, the duo used a local attack but stated that with some more effort, a similar attack could be executed remotely. However, after submitting their findings to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (producer of the Jeep brand) the automotive manufacturer waved away the findings, questioning their validity and how appropriate it was for the hacking duo to share ?how-to information? that could potentially put public safety in jeopardy. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles also declared that such an attack takes ?extensive technical knowledge? and that any security flaws present in the demonstration had since been patched. However, hackers of a more malicious nature are always seeking out new vulnerabilities that the manufacturers and programmers of whatever system (automotive, computing, or otherwise) may have overlooked. As a result, there is an ongoing (and most likely never ending) race between hackers and developers to come out on top? At least until the next revolutionary technology emerges and starts the race over. Does the ability of computer hackers to infiltrate your car make you consider downgrading during your next automotive purchase? Let us know in the comments.

As it turns out, two-factor authentication may provide an answer. MasterCard wants to implement biometric-based two-factor authentication to improve security and cut down on false-positive transactions. The system in question utilizes a ?selfie? taken by the user through a mobile application. The image is then compared to an image that?s stored, and if it?s similar enough, it will authenticate your identity. There are also other methods of biometric technology that are being used to help prevent credit card fraud, such as fingerprint scanning. However, security isn?t the only way that this biometric authentication improves the user experience. MasterCard wants to cut down on the number of legitimate transactions that are being declined while users are traveling abroad. This is a problem larger than even credit card fraud. As reported by The Financial Times, there?s roughly $118 billion worth of false declines every year, which is considerably more money lost than is the case with credit card fraud–13 times more, to be specific. It?s thought that biometrics can be implemented to cut down on the amount of false declines and credit card fraud. Granted, the question that needs to be answered is whether or not these technologies can be trusted to secure personal devices. Phones, tablets, and other mobile devices are known to get hacked just like any ordinary desktop computer. ITProPortal offers some insight into what will be necessary for mobile payment systems to take off: ?User devices are notoriously prone to penetration by cyber criminals ? whether that?s as a result of users adapting their devices or overriding device security parameters, or using non-secure public WiFi when transacting online. Which means biometric data will need to be encrypted to ensure it cannot be stolen ? otherwise we open a whole new vector for identity theft. What?s more, rigorous PCI standards already exist to protect users and merchants, especially where liability is concerned should things go wrong. What?s not clear in this scenario is whether liability will shift ? and to whom. Quite simply, we?re in new territory here.? One of the more interesting parts of this quote is the liability aspect. If a user isn?t securing their mobile device and is using it for payment, are they at fault if their financial information is stolen or lost? If so, this could change the way that financial institutions and payment compliance functions. In particular, biometric hacking could become a major problem, and you can?t issue a new face or fingerprint like you would a new credit card number. Therefore, it?s crucial that you take measures to ensure the safety of your mobile devices, especially if you plan on using them for two-factor authentication. What are your thoughts on mobile payment authorization using a selfie-based system? Let us know in the comments.