Remedium Systems

05/07/2024

Warning from NSA regarding N. Korean hackers exploiting weak/missing DMARC policies: while Microsoft/Gmail/Yahoo have been ramping up enforcement of DMARC policies in the last 6 months, many companies/people are not yet well protected and should update this very important DNS record and internal policies. In short - you must use a reject or quarantine policy with your DMARC record, you cannot have it set to 'none'. Remedium Systems can help you with this relatively simple process, and recommend ways to monitor going forward. Email security is more important than ever and is an important aspect of your business to reveiw a few times per year with guidance from professionals.

12/27/2021

Your Cybersecurity Insurance and MFA (multi-factor authentication) in 2022: what should you consider? As we begin the 2022 year, many insurance companies are reaching out to clients and letting them know they will need to have MFA enabled for their company in order to maintain compliance for their policy. While this may sound like a large task, Remedium Systems can assist you though the process to make it as easy and smooth as possible. Some companies are already well situated with only a few small changes necessary. Some companies will have to move to a more modern framework either with current providers, or move to new providers. These requirements pertain to both email and remote desktop types of services. Contacting us sooner rather than later will help us to plan the process with you: laying out clear steps, timeline, and budget requirements. Give us a call and begin the process!

08/12/2020

08/12 Storm Update: internet and cell services in Iowa City are still severely affected. This also means that our response to calls and emails is somewhat delayed until we are in locations with service. If you can, send an email even if you call our phone number and leave a message. We don't always see missed calls, and voicemails can take quite a while to register (if at all). Thank you for your patience as we all work through this.

09/27/2019

Need the Flu Shot? Today, the VNA is providing the immunization at the Senior Center in Iowa City. 11am-1pm. Take your insurance card with you and they will be directly billed. Follow the link for their complete Fall schedule as well as information about free vaccines for children. Revenue from the program is invested back into local home health care for the community. https://www.vnaic.org/annual-flu-shot-clinics

Visiting Nurse Association flu clinics help to ensure that our community is protected. The VNA provides flu and pneumonia vaccination clinics at local businesses, schools, places of worship, residential communities and public locations each fall.

09/25/2019

Server 2008 Upgrade/Migration Options

When your company has a server that runs well, gives you no trouble, and you practically forget it is there doing its job silently: you wonder, “why upgrade?”
And the answer has become simple, “you must, it’s time.” For any number of reasons (security foremost) it is time to upgrade before the January deadline.

Remedium Systems is available to give your company solid advice on your hardware, as well as the path to upgrade your software. Smaller companies have it easy in a way because their setup isn’t likely to be overly complicated. As a result, migrating to Server 2019 can come as a fresh install, running alongside the old server until the settings and roles are verified.

Medium to large size companies have a few more considerations to evaluate before the work actually starts. Upgrading Server 2008 all the way up to 2019 is a series of intermediate upgrades through 2012 and 2016. Each step along the way will require testing and validation before progressing to the next. And if you aren’t lucky enough to have new hardware, you may have to perform the upgrades in a production environment risking downtime at any stage.
But, with careful planning ahead of time, Remedium Systems can lead you through the whole process.

Contact Remedium Systems today for a no cost, no obligation, analysis.
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09/06/2019

“Air-Gap” your backups of Windows 7 and Server 2008 Data before End Of Life

Providing and “Air-Gap” for your backup storage is a simple procedure. All you do is physically isolate the medium/device from your network and internet access. Unplugging your network cable, or removing the media from the device is a simple procedure that gives you incredible protection from ransomware and other exploits.

In the next 3 months, as you plan your upgrades from Windows 7 and Server 2008, take a little extra time to make and test backups of all your data and system images.
Testing is a key aspect many do not take the time to implement. Accessing your backed-up data and extracting test files does not take that much time. The assurance from this simple process will give you confidence in your storage and methods.

Remedium Systems can help your business with all of these tasks. We can help you plan and execute your backups. We can help you test and verify those backups. And we can help you diversify the media and locations you use to store your backups. (Surprisingly, tape still has a place in businesses and backups.)

Contact Remedium Systems today for a no cost, no obligation analysis.
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08/28/2019

Security Benefits of Windows 10 vs Windows 7

Remedium Systems is often asked why Windows 10 is better. It is a very broad question to deal with effectively, but what it comes down to for most: better security and protection. The last thing we want to worry about is malware on our computers. Many avoid even thinking about it as much as possible, "I don't see a problem, there must not be a problem."

Calculating percentages is never an easy task, but if we were to share one: 65% of malware found is on Windows 7 machines alone. Which leaves about 15% on Windows 10.
And finally this summer, Windows 10 installations have slightly edged ahead of Windows 7 installations.

So it is time to heed Microsoft's advice, and upgrade to Windows 10. Remedium Systems can assist any business, small to large, with this task. We are always available to give a no cost, no obligation analysis. Contact us today!
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08/22/2019

As many of our readers know, Microsoft has released several security related patches these last 2 months. These patches address a wide range of exploits that are often targeted by ransomware attacks. Some of the most vulnerable systems are still running Windows 7 and Server 2008.
If you find yourself in the position of running these versions of the operating systems you should begin exploring your options as soon as possible.

Updating to Windows 10 and Server 2019 would be a great first step. These systems are less vulnerable to the typical attempts made to get access, and infiltrate your network. Our company, Remedium Systems, can help you assess the steps necessary to move your environment to these far more modern, and secure, systems.

A more immediate step for some users would be to get reliable and effective protection on all of your connected devices. There are two forms of this protection and many people only know about the first, antivirus. Back-in-the-day, all we had were viruses and trojans, so that protection was the best (and nearly only) defense for a computer. But today, we also have antiransomware software which is a totally different method of protection. This software watches for odd behaviors in your file system. Something that your antivirus software does not do. It runs alongside your antivirus software, no matter the vendor.

When deployed throughout your network, antiransomware can often stop the actions within seconds. Preserving the vast majority of your files, and restoring the few encrypted files to their original state. There are several types of ransomware which work in different ways. Only by watching the behavior of your systems can you stop its action.

And finally, getting your data and systems properly backed up is important for any number of reasons. Some legacy systems should be backed up to an image which can be restored to the machine. These backups would then be stored both onsite, as well as offsite. Several copies to protect against any number of problems. Surprisingly to many, this is not an expensive process in materials or time. Storage has become far cheaper in the last 2 years, enabling you to store more data at very reasonable prices.

Contact Remedium Systems today for a no cost, no obligation analysis.
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08/13/2019

Should you use Microsoft FastTrack for your Windows 7 Migration?
After a recent conversation it was brought to our attention that Microsoft is advertising their FastTrack migration plan as a free method to help companies move on from Windows 7 by the end of the year deadline.
For small-to-medium businesses this plan isn’t free unfortunately. If you are buying less than 150 licenses, you will have to pay for the migration ‘guidance’. And the service they offer is guidance through written and phone support. Out-of-Scope advice cannot be given, either.

Remedium Systems can help you with that planning, as well as aftercare once the migration has occurred. There is no Out-of-Scope work when it comes to our assistance.

Contact Remedium Systems today for a no cost, no obligation analysis.
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Remedium Systems in Iowa City uses your existing information to reduce costs and increase your return on investment through data analysis and automated workflows. Schedule your free data analysis and consultation today.

08/02/2019

Not only is Windows 7 support coming to an end in January, but Server 2008 is also reaching the end of Extended Support.
Many companies still have installations of Server 2008 onsite. Running applications and hosting databases, as well as the typical roles of print server and file server.

It is now time to assess those roles and plan a migration over the next few months. Chances are you haven’t virtualized many (or all) of those roles. Or if you have, you have missed out on meaningful virtualization improvements in Server 2012 and 2016 along the way.

Unfortunately, there is no convenient migration button to click. And the process of migration will involve several intermediary steps if you try and avoid building from scratch. Before you put this off for a few more months, you should start as soon as possible. Time will fly quickly during the planning phase.

Small businesses: is there a reason to move to ‘the cloud’ for hosting?

While attractive, you may not want everything up there.
Monthly costs will be the new norm, though easy to budget.
Reliable connectivity will be absolutely important.
However, having a server onsite is very convenient and still appropriate for a small company. Building a new server from the ground up will not be too complex, and will give you a significant boost in performance.

Medium and Large businesses: migration will often occur in multiple phases over a period of time.

If you have virtualized servers already, the process will be somewhat easier.
Planning will still take time and cannot be avoided.
Likely you may have put off recommended improvements to the architecture. This will be an excellent time to implement those improvements as a part of the process.
Remedium Systems can work hand-in-hand with your I.T. staff to design and orchestrate this migration. Allowing your staff to continue their daily work, your company will see no impact on productivity.

Contact Remedium Systems today for a no cost, no obligation analyses.
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07/31/2019

Chances are your computer has already warned you, "After 10 years, support for Windows 7 is nearing the end."
And then, you checked the tiny little box, "Do not remind me again."

What does the end of support mean? It means that Microsoft will no longer provide security and software updates, leaving your operating system at an increasingly greater risk from malware after January 14, 2020. Even with your antivirus software being faithfully updated.
Bad-actors (those who use exploits to gain access to our computers) will begin to dip into their secret lists of exploits that have remained unpatched over the years.

Small Business Owners: What can you do to prepare?
Backup your documents, photos, and important files.
Honestly assess the age and condition of your computers.
Then decide if you are better off getting new computers with Windows 10 and a 3-year factory warranty rather than individual Windows 10 licenses for your aged computers.

Medium-sized Businesses: You likely have another option.
Businesses with 50-250 computers likely have volume licensing in place.
You will need to assess software requirements for all of your 3rd party applications.
If you don't have a Volume Licensing purchasing partner, Remedium Systems will be happy to work with you to find the best solutions for your new Volume Licensing needs.

Larger Companies: with their own dedicated I.T. staff
Remedium Systems often works in parternship with company staff to help find solutions quickly and effectively.
This lifts the burden from your staff and allows them to focus on the daily work necessary to keep all your employees productive.

Contact Remedium Systems today for a no cost, no obligation analysis!
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01/08/2019

5G Networks - Is It Too Early to Hop On?
This last weekend saw a flurry of early-bird announcements ahead of CES 2019 (Jan 8-11) in Las Vegas. And the incoming 5G cellular network is certainly catching a fair share of attention. One question we are asked more-and-more often is: “Should I get a new 5G phone this year?”

We are fairly comfortable in recommending that people not get too excited about the 5G rollout in our area. Why? Because the technology will start in just a handful of the biggest Metro areas, and it will not be “full fledged” 5G anyway.

From all the marketing we have seen during the last year this advice may seem conservative, but the reality of the situation is quite different from the marketing.

5G is a very short-range technology and will require many, many more towers than are currently in place to give coverage to the same geographic area.

5G is actually a “suite” of technologies, which will not be fully rolled out in the beginning. Some areas will see services sooner than others, and service will suffer as a result. (not just the perception of service)

5G will be expensive to implement, and that cost will be passed on to the consumer. As with any advance in service, it is always hoped the consumer will be willing to pay “a little more” for the improvement. That, coupled with the extra cost for the electronics in the mobile phone (maybe $200 over the equivalent 4G LTE capable phone), will mean more than just getting a new phone to enjoy the benefit of the new service.

So our advice is to sit 2019 out unless you are spending a lot of your time in the prime locations for the initial rollout. And if you are going to bite the bullet, be sure to do a little research on interoperability between carriers in your area. It looks as if each carrier is implementing their own flavor of 5G, which will limit your service even further.