DFW Cyber Tech

02/24/2020

Some before and after photos of a network upgrade done over the weekend at a client's office. This office houses three separate companies on two different VLANs running two different domain controllers. What complicates this network is that large plotters are shared between the two VLANs.

We replaced a 12 year old router with a Ubiquiti Security Gateway Pro and consolidated to two separate 24 ports switches into a managed Ubiquiti 48 port switch configured for separate VLANS (1-24 VLAN 1 and 25-48 VLAN 2). We also replaced all the patch cabling with 1' color-coded (based on VLAN) cables.

01/23/2020

If your Windows-base computer is running sluggish and it's a pretty clean installation (i.e. no malware on it), if you have an old mechanical hard drive, switching to a solid state drive can make a world of difference.

We just replaced a laptop's hard drive with a Samsung 860 QVO (1TB) drive and the difference was night and day. It literally is like a brand new computer. The really good thing about these Samsung drives is that they come with cloning software (download) so it's a pretty simple process that someone with a little tech experience can accomplish on their own.

If you want to try this, you'll need three things:

1. The new drive like this: https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Inch-Internal-MZ-76Q1T0B-AM/dp/B07L3D19MY/ref=sr_1_1
2. A SATA to USB adapter like this: https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-SATA-USB-Cable-USB3S2SAT3CB/dp/B00HJZJI84/ref=sr_1_2_sspa
3. And the Samsung data migration software located here: https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/download/tools/

02/11/2019

We recently received this feedback from one of our clients of 10+ years:

"The Service is the best in the DFW area with no lag time prompt and immediate response!! The level of knowledge and technical ability is the best I've ever seen in my 30+ years in the business!!" - Steve Hutchings, RLK Engineering

Thanks Steve!

04/15/2018

With the rise of ransomware, backing up your data is one of the most important things you can do to protect your business. If all your data is encrypted by malicious software, as long as it is regularly backed up, it's simply a matter of finding and cleaning the affected machine on the network and restoring your data.

Keep in mind that just installing some backup software, setting it to run automatically, and forgetting about it, is not the only thing that is involved in having a solid backup plan. You must make it a priority to regularly verify that backups are 1) running as scheduled, 2) all your data is covered, and 3) restoration produces reliable/readable files.

That last step is very important. The way we test restoration is to create a "test directory" where we periodically add files to the directory and update the contents of another file, and then do periodic restoration testing.

We use and recommend CrashPlan Pro to our clients. It's $10/month per machine--that includes servers--for unlimited space, *file versioning*, and it performs both remote and local backups. If you have a company policy in place that all company data is to be stored on the server, then you only have to cover the server.

File versioning is important because, in the event that you backup a bad, encrypted file, it won't overwrite the good, previous version of the file, and you should be able to restore a previous version of the file. When you choose a backup service provider, make sure that it includes this very important feature.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Here's a pretty good article on disaster recovery: https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/03/it-disaster-recovery-plan.html

If you want more information on CrashPlan Pro, check this out: https://www.crashplan.com/en-us/business/

An IT Disaster Recovery Plan is a clearly documented and structured process for responding to unforeseen events. And your small business needs one today.

04/13/2018

Patching your machine is no joke. Unfortunately, it could crash your machine.

https://www.facebook.com/Computerworld/posts/10156354314764680

Windows 7 and Server 2008R2 continue to get beaten into the ground, and the Win10 1709 patch prompts complaints, as the Windows security patching business gets even more complex.

04/11/2018

Some info on malicious software installed on websites: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/04/nasty-malware-campaign-using-thousands-of-hacked-sites-hid-for-months/

Also, here's a free little scanner/cleaner that we use for Windows machines that catches a lot of stuff that your antivirus software doesn't. It's fast and pretty effective in removal of malware. If you have any docs open, make sure to close them before running this as it will reboot if it finds/cleans anything: https://toolslib.net/downloads/viewdownload/1-adwcleaner/

Unusually advanced campaign infects people visiting a variety of poorly secured sites.

04/06/2018

One of the lesser known security features of Office 365 is multi-factor authentication. Considering the cyber threats that exist today, this is an important step you can take to secure your email, OneDrive, and Sharepoint data. You can read more about it here:

Learn how to set up multi-factor authentication in your OFfice 365 tenant.

03/31/2018

We recently installed a Watchguard T15-W at a customer's site. Very impressed with the integrated security features. One of the more impressive attributes is the ability to block any client machines on the LAN from downloading potentially malicious files, such as *.exe, *.zip. Considering the threats that exist today, such as ransomware, this capability is essential.

Call us for a free on-site assessment of your business' network security.

https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-products/tabletop/firebox-t15

With today's remote offices and distributed workforce, the concept of a distinct corporate network perimeter has all but disappeared. A security solution that can be seamlessly deployed everywhere that your network connects is now essential for securing modern organizations.

07/20/2017

Demolition day.

04/04/2017

This was a 105 line drop in new construction in Frisco, Texas for a law firm. They chose to keep their old, Nortel digital phone system, rather than switching to a newer VOIP system. Consequently, we ran voice, as well as data drops (52 voice, 53 data).

What complicated matters was the ISP's D-mark location was on another floor, so we had to run 4 CAT5e and Coax (for cable TV) between floors to the wiring closet. They also subleased 3 of their offices to offset the rent, so their tenant's equipment was also installed and configured.

For this installation, I used pass-through patch panels instead of the typical punch down type, but I'm not sure if I like this. Yes, in the future, it's easier to maintain, but it most certainly adds costs in both time and material. In my experience, there rarely is any 'maintenance' required after wires are terminated. Plus, the I don't think the cabling is as neat.

Finally, due to the number of voice lines (52), instead of using 66 blocks for the terminations in the wiring closet, I tried using patch panels (again, pass-through type). This, I liked.

02/12/2017

Some images of an office move done this weekend. 9 data, 7 voice drops, phone system and IT equipment move.