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Amerivest Realty Embraces Cloud Phone Systems


Today’s guest post is written by Joe Ballarino, President and Co-Founder of Amerivest Realty, a full service real estate brokerage. Amerivest switched to RingCentral service last year to address business challenges and improve business operations. Here Joe shares his thoughts about why he made the switch and its positive effects on Amerivest Realty.

Challenges with Our Old Phone System

Previous to RingCentral, we hosted an on-premise phone system. The system often had technical issues which required costly consultants to repair. More importantly, these issues were often total outages which were not only inconvenient, but also adversely affected our business, potentially causing loss of revenue for the brokerage and our associates.

Additionally, system configuration was always challenging. As real estate professionals, most of our associates work outside of the office, relying on their cell phones to properly conduct business. Our system could forward calls to cell phones, but this was an insufficient and inelegant solution because we had no way to monitor or manage calls from our office.

At Amerivest Realty we pride ourselves on the service we provide to our associates and their customers, and strive for an efficient office and business practices, and we knew the on premise system was woefully inadequate to meet these goals.

Why We Moved to RingCentral

The timing was right to make a decision on a new platform because we were about to open an additional office in a new area code. We wanted a single system to accommodate all offices, but the cost of expanding the on-premise system was exorbitant. As we researched the market, we were impressed with RingCentral’s service offering.

In addition to solving issues with hardware and remote associates, RingCentral also let us combine phone and fax services into a single number. We have less to manage, our associate have less to manage, their customers have simpler communication channels, and we could retire the old fax server.

Are We Happy with RingCentral? Yes!

Our switch to RingCentral reduced our telecommunications costs by almost 30 percent, and RingCentral’s cloud-based phone services have exceeded our expectations.

Our IT expense savings were greater than anticipated because RingCentral is configurable by non-technical people. In fact, RingCentral is so easy to use that I mostly set up the system myself. I needed assistance with number porting, but RingCentral’s support team made that process painless.

We were able to set up over 150 extensions and port 200 phone numbers in just a few weeks. Now adding or removing extensions is simple and handled by our administrative staff.

As Amerivest Realty grows, we trust RingCentral to provide for our telecommunication needs. We have confidence in the system to provide for our needs and control costs. As we expand our business, we feel confident in RingCentral’s service growing with us.

Fifth-Generation Wi-Fi Is Coming

We’re on the verge of the biggest change in wireless networking since 2007. Fifth-generation Wi-Fi technology promises to deliver faster-than-cable speed–without the cables.

If your business has kept pace with changes in wireless networking, you’ve deployed dual-band routers and client adapters that can stream encrypted data over the airwaves at speeds greater than 100 megabits per second at relatively close range.

But no good deed goes unpunished. New hardware based on the nearly finished 802.11ac standard is about to debut, and it will make your existing wireless infrastructure feel as though it’s mired in molasses.

Though the standards body responsible for defining 802.11ac hasn’t finished dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s yet, semiconductor manufacturers Broadcom and Qualcomm Atheros are already sampling 802.11ac chipsets (Broadcom has labeled its effort “5G Wi-Fi”). Both companies are closely involved in defining the standard, and they promise to deliver firmware updates to correct for any minor changes that may creep into the standard between now and the moment it is ratified (probably later this year or early in 2013).

Wondering how the IEEE moved from 802.11n to 802.11ac? The standards body uses a new letter suffix to identify each new technical paper related to the 802.11 project, so the logical follow-ons to 802.11z were 802.11aa, 802.11ab, and now 802.11ac. The standard is dubbed “fifth-generation Wi-Fi” because it’s the fifth generation of the technology that will be certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance marketing consortium. At the risk of muddying the waters, there is an 802.11ad standard in the works, but it’s not the next step in mainstream wireless networking. WiGig, as that standard is known, is a short-range, line-of-site technology that uses the 60GHz frequency band to stream media.

Unlike 802.11n networking hardware, which can use either the 2.4GHz or the 5GHz frequency bands, 802.11ac devices will operate exclusively on the 5GHz band. The 2.4GHz band delivers better range, but Wi-Fi data streams that use it must compete with a multitude of other devices that operate at the same frequency–everything from microwave ovens to Bluetooth headsets). The 5GHz band contains many more available channels; and in the 802.11ac standard, each of those channels is 80MHz wide, versus the 40MHz width specified for channels under the 802.11n standard.

Trendnet’s TEW-811DR router will support 802.11ac.What’s more, 802.11ac will use a modulation scheme that quadruples the amount of data that will fit on an encoded carrier signal. The maximum bandwidth per spatial stream in 802.11n is 150 mbps, which means that an 802.11n router outfitted with three transmit and three receive antennas can deliver maximum theoretical throughput of 450 mbps. In contrast, the maximum bandwidth in 802.11ac jumps to 433 mbps per spatial stream, and the maximum number of spatial streams increases from three to eight. So the theoretical maximum throughput on an 802.11ac network will eventually be several times that of gigabit ethernet. First-generation devices, however, will be limited to using either two or three transmit and receive antennas to deliver a theoretical throughput maximum of 866 mbps or 1.3 gbps).

As we’ve seen with 802.11n networks, real-world throughput will likely be one-third to one-half as fast as the theoretical maximums. Still, even mobile devices outfitted with 802.11ac chipsets and just one transmit and one receive antenna–think smartphones and tablets–should be able to handle more than twice the bandwidth that today’s devices with 802.11n chipsets can manage. With bandwidth-intensive applications such as videoconferencing and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) moving from the desktop to smartphones and tablets, 802.11ac networks will become essential infrastructure elements for businesses large and small.

One means of overcoming the 5GHz band’s shorter range with 802.11ac chipsets will be to utilize transmit and receive beam-forming technology. Beam forming was an optional and non-standardized element of the 802.11n spec. In the 802.11ac standard, beam-forming will remain an optional feature, but its implementation will be standardized. Most of today’s 802.11n devices use omnidirectional signal transmission and reception. Signals propagate in a series of concentric rings, like the ripples you create by dropping a stone in a pond.
With beam forming, the router and its clients develop an awareness of each other’s relative location, so they can coherently focus their transmission streams at each other. Without beam forming, reflected signals may arrive out-of-phase and cancel each other out, reducing total bandwidth. A beam-forming chipset can adjust the signals’ phase to overcome that problem, thereby substantially increasing usable bandwidth.

The first generation of 802.11ac routers, such as the Trendnet TEW-811DR, will be concurrent dual-band models that support 802.11n clients on the 2.4GHz frequency band and 802.11ac clients on the 5GHz band. These devices are likely to reach the market in the third quarter of this year. Laptops with 802.11ac chipsets should arrive in time for the winter holiday season, with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets following in early 2013. The Wi-Fi Alliance, which has assumed responsibility for ensuring that wireless networking products interoperate properly, plans to begin its 802.11ac certification program in early 2013.

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Apples URGENT iPhone Software Update for CRITICAL Spyware Vulnerability

Apple has updated its software for iPhones to address a critical vulnerability that independent researchers say has been exploited by notorious surveillance software to spy on a Saudi activist.

Researchers from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab said the software exploit has been in use since February and has been used to deploy Pegasus, the spyware made by Israeli firm NSO Group that has allegedly been used to surveil journalists and human rights advocates in multiple countries.

The urgent update that Apple (AAPL) released Monday plugs a hole in the iMessage software that allowed hackers to infiltrate a user’s phone without the user clicking on any links, according to Citizen Lab. The Saudi activist chose to remain anonymous, Citizen Lab said.

Apple credited the Citizen Lab researchers for finding the vulnerability.

“Attacks like the ones described are highly sophisticated, cost millions of dollars to develop, often have a short shelf life, and are used to target specific individuals,” Ivan Krsti?, head of Apple Security Engineering and Architecture, said in a statement.

Krsti? said Apple rapidly addressed the issue with a software fix and that the vulnerability is “not a threat to the overwhelming majority of our users.”

Still, security experts encouraged users to update their mobile devices for protection.

In a statement, NSO Group did not address the allegations, only saying, “NSO Group will continue to provide intelligence and law enforcement agencies around the world with life saving technologies to fight terror and crime.”

The firm has previously said its software is only sold to vetted customers for counterterrorism and law enforcement purposes.

Researchers, however, say they have found multiple cases in which the spyware was deployed on dissidents or journalists. In 2019, Citizen Lab analysts alleged that Pegasus was used on the mobile phone of the wife of a slain Mexican journalist.

In a lawsuit filed in 2019, Facebook accused NSO Group of being complicit in a hack of 1,400 mobile devices using WhatsApp. (NSO Group disputed the allegations at the time.)

The proliferation of easy-to-use mobile hacking tools has given governments around the world a new and stealthy means of targeting adversaries. Sophisticated spyware made by NSO Group and other vendors has been reportedly used from Uzbekistan to Morocco.

The surge in spyware prompted a United Nations panel of human rights experts in August to call for a moratorium on the sale of such surveillance tools. The UN panel said the ban should remain in place until governments have “put in place robust regulations that guarantee its use in compliance with international human rights standards.”

Office 2010 is Retiring

The popular Microsoft Office 2010 is reaching end of support in a few months. To avoid security risks, it’s time to upgrade to a newer version of Office. The good news is that you have options.

drawing of a man holding a laptop in front of a very large laptop with "update" on the screen and a wrench in front

What Does End of Support Mean?

Microsoft Office 2010 has been a popular version of the application over the last decade. The unfortunate news is that support for it ends this fall — on October 13, 2020, to be exact. All of your Office 2010 apps will continue to function. However, using an unsupported version of any software exposes your computer to serious and potentially harmful security risks. Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, bug fixes, or security fixes for Office 2010 vulnerabilities that may be subsequently reported or discovered. This includes security updates that help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.

  • You’ll no longer receive Office 2010 software updates from Microsoft Update.
  • You’ll no longer receive phone or chat technical support.
  • No further updates to support content will be provided, and most online help content will be retired.
  • Another difficulty you may face is incompatibility with some of the newer programs and file formats.

If you’re using Office 2010, it’s probably a good time to upgrade your version of Microsoft Office.

Upgrade Options

The best way to protect yourself and your organization is to upgrade to a newer version of Office:

  • Cloud upgrade: Subscriptions to Microsoft 365
  • On-premises upgrade: Office Standard 2019

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is an all-in-one cloud solution with a number of different licensing options to fit your organization’s needs. The best part about cloud-based applications is that you no longer have to worry about retirements, patches, and end of support. Cloud licenses are automatically updated with new features, new applications, and security updates. Many cloud subscriptions also include installed (or desktop) versions of the application, so you can have the same look and feel of the Office applications you are accustomed to using, but built with more robust features and benefits.

Microsoft Office Standard 2019

Microsoft Office Standard 2019 is the latest version of the on-premises version of the office suite and is a good option for you if you are not ready for the cloud version at this time. This version of Office includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Publisher.

If you have any questions, please email us at support@sjtechies.com or call us at (856) 745-9990.

Cyber Security Awareness

As school, socializing, and many aspects of life have moved online this year, it’s more important than ever that you protect your digital devices and steer clear of cybercriminals. Computer security threats are relentlessly inventive. Masters of disguise and manipulation, these threats constantly evolve to find new ways to annoy, steal and harm. Arm yourself with information and resources to safeguard against complex and growing computer security threats and stay safe online.

Examples of Online Cybersecurity Threats

Computer Viruses

Probably the most eminent computer security threat, a computer virus is a program written to alter the way a computer operates, without the permission or knowledge of the user. A virus replicates and executes itself, usually doing damage to your computer in the process.

What can you do to avoid computer viruses? Carefully evaluate free software, downloads from peer-to-peer file sharing sites, and emails from unknown senders. These things are critical to avoiding viruses. Most web browsers have security settings which can be configured for top defense against online threats. But, as we’ll say again and again, the single most-effective way of fending off viruses is up-to-date antivirus software and monitoring agent, like we include in our Managed Service Plans.

Spyware Threats

A serious computer security threat, spyware is any program that monitors your online activities or installs programs without your consent for profit or to capture personal information.

While many users won’t want to hear it, reading terms and conditions is a good way to build an understanding of how your activity is tracked online. As always, if a company you do not recognize is advertising for a deal that seems too good to be true, be sure you have an internet security solution in place and click with caution.

Hackers and Predators

People, not computers, create computer security threats and malware. Hackers and predators are programmers who victimize others for their own gain by breaking into computer systems to steal, change, or destroy information as a form of cyber-terrorism. These online predators can compromise credit card information, lock you out of your data, and steal your identity. As you may have guessed, online security tools with identity theft protection are one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from this brand of cybercriminal.

Phishing

Masquerading as a trustworthy person or business, phishers attempt to steal sensitive financial or personal information through fraudulent email or instant messages. Phishing attacks are some of the most successful methods for cybercriminals looking to pull off a data breach. Antivirus solutions with identity theft protection can be taught to recognize phishing threats in fractions of a second.

Cyber Safety Tips

  • Keep software systems up to date and use a good anti-virus program.
  • Examine the email address and URLs in all correspondence. Scammers often mimic a legitimate site or email address by using a slight variation in spelling.
  • If an unsolicited text message, email, or phone call asks you to update, check, or verify your account information, do not follow the link provided in the message itself or call the phone numbers provided in the message. Go to the company’s website to log into your account or call the phone number listed on the official website to see if something does in fact need your attention.
  • Do not open any attachments unless you are expecting the file, document, or invoice and have verified the sender’s email address.
  • Scrutinize all electronic requests for a payment or transfer of funds.
  • Be extra suspicious of any message that urges immediate action.
  • Confirm requests for wire transfers or payment in person or over the phone as part of a two-factor authentication process. Do not verify these requests using the phone number listed in the request for payment.

 

If you have any questions, please email us at support@sjtechies.com or call us at (856) 745-9990.

Cyber-attack hits world’s largest meat supplier

The breach is the latest targeting of a crucial supply chain and comes three weeks after the Colonial Pipeline hack disrupted fuel operations in the U.S.

Here’s what we know:

What is JBS?
JBS USA is part of JBS Foods, one of the world’s largest food companies. It has operations in 15 countries and has customers in about 100 countries, according to its website. Its customers include supermarkets and fast food outlet McDonald’s and in the US, JBS processes nearly one quarter of the county’s beef and one-fifth of its pork. JBS’s five biggest beef plants are in the US, and the shutdowns have halted a fifth of meat production there, according to Bloomberg.

Its brands include Pilgrim’s, Great Southern and Aberdeen Black. The US headquarters is based in Greeley, Colorado, and it employs more than 66,000 people.

What happened?
Hackers attacked the company’s IT system last weekend, prompting shutdowns at company plants in North America and Australia. IT systems are essential in modern meat processing plants, with computers used at multiple stages including billing and shipping.
JBS hack shuttered nine US beef plants but normal operations to resume Wednesday
The hack, which the White House described Tuesday as ransomware, affected all of JBS’s US meatpacking facilities, according to an official at the United Food and Commercial Workers union that represents JBS employees. The cyberattack resulted in the closure of all nine of the company’s US beef plants, which are located in states including Arizona, Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wisconsin, Utah, Michigan and Pennsylvania, the union official said. The company said on Monday that it suspended all affected IT systems as soon as the attack was detected, and that its backup servers were not hacked.

The White House has said that the ransomware attack was likely carried out by a Russia-based criminal organization, and that it is dealing with the Russian government on the matter.
JBS’ operations in Australia were also affected. The Australian Meat Industry Council, a major trade group, said in a statement that “there is no indication whatsoever that this cyberattack will cause a major impact on Australian domestic red meat and pork products supply.”

What is ransomware?
In a ransomware attack, hackers steal an organization’s data and lock its computers. Victims must pay to regain access to their network and prevent the release of sensitive information.
Some sophisticated ransomware hackers, such as the Russian hacker group Darkside, sell their ransomware technology and take a cut of any ransoms paid to their customers.

Experts generally encourage ransomware victims not to pay any ransom. But a company’s ability to get back online without paying hackers may depend on whether it has protected backups of its data. In some cases, hackers can delete their target’s backups before locking its files, leaving the victim organization with no recourse.

JBS did not comment to CNN about details of the ransomware attack, including whether it paid the ransom.

This kind of cyberattack sounds familiar. Where have I heard that?
The hack comes a few weeks after a ransomware attack targeted Colonial Pipeline, which forced a six-day shutdown of one of the United States’ largest fuel pipelines. That May attack resulted in gas shortages, spiking prices and consumer panic. Colonial Pipeline has confirmed it paid a $4.4m (£3.1m) ransom to the cyber-criminal gang responsible.

Similar to JBS, Colonial Pipeline’s systems were hit with ransomware. Once a company has been hit by ransomware, its first course of action is usually to take much or all of its systems offline to isolate the hackers’ access and make sure they can’t move into other parts of the network.
That may be among the reasons why JBS shut down its operations and Colonial shut down its pipeline — to disconnect the companies’ operations from the IT systems that hackers breached. People briefed on the Colonial attack have said that the company halted operations because its billing system was also compromised and feared they wouldn’t be able to determine how much to bill customers for fuel they received.
The pipeline has since returned to normal operations.

Don’t be the next victim of a ransomware attack. Contact South Jersey Techies to discuss how your critical information can be secure.

If you have any questions, please email us at support@sjtechies.com or call us at (856) 745-9990.

 

 

Teams Vs. Zoom

6 Microsoft Teams features Zoom doesn’t have

One of the major news in March 2016 was that Microsoft was considering bidding $8 billion to purchase Slack. However, Bill Gates and the team decided that instead of buying Slack, they would develop their own chat app tool. Teams is mostly a Slack alternative, but it’s also meant to replace Skype for Business, which up until recently was Microsoft’s corporate video conferencing service. The app’s main functionality is the group chat that comes with plenty of features. Some of these features include editing, deleting, pinning messages, as well as starting a new thread and sharing files. You can even send .gif images, as well as emojis. Possibly due to Skype’s legacy, Teams includes a bunch of video features that Zoom doesn’t. There are real-time captions, built-in meeting notes, and a bizarre feature where you can pretend you’re in the same room as your coworkers!

To be clear: Zoom is a perfectly capable and liked solution. That doesn’t mean other apps are not offering anything interesting, and Microsoft in particular is trying a bunch of new things in the space. Here are a few highlights.

  1. Built-in meeting notes
  2. Persistent chat with rich formatting
  3. Blurred background
  4. Virtual classroom with your coworkers
  5. Live captions
  6. Included with Microsoft subscription

1. Built-in meeting notes

Zoom is a video conferencing app—and that’s about it. What happens if you’re in the middle of an important meeting, but need a way to take some notes? You think you’d have to use Microsoft Word or another program, but did you know that Teams has its own meeting notes feature, too? Microsoft Teams is built around the idea that it will be the all in one tool you use for all collaboration: team chat, video calls, and even internal documentation.

Meeting Notes in Microsoft Teams

Click Meeting notes, and a new tab for meeting minutes will be created in the current channel.

Notes get saved as part of the meeting itself, and can go anywhere with you, and will be saved for later or for sharing with your coworkers.

Meeting notes link in the Teams channel

This is a quick way to ensure there’s a written record of the meeting in a place where everyone can access it, which is very slick.

Meeting Notes in Teams is a great way to capture every detail about your meetings on the platform. You can take and access notes before, during, and after a meeting in Teams. So, keep all your notes in one place while sharing them with your colleagues.

2. Persistent chat with rich formatting 

Zoom chat is very simple. Microsoft Teams’ chat for meetings, on the other hand, has more formatting features than AIM.

Formatting in Teams' meeting chat

We’re not sure if you have the multitasking skills to format text during a meeting, but it’s there if you want it. And this is just the beginning—there’s a large sticker collection and, for some reason, a meme creator. Imagine how much fun this can make your meetings!

Meme generator in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams also keeps a record of the chat from every meeting and posts all comments in the channel.

Meeting chat record in Microsoft Teams

Have you ever lost track of helpful links and information during a Zoom meeting? With Teams, you can review the comments after the meeting, and any points made there can be found using search alongside the rest of your chats. It’s easy to see why this is useful.

3. Blur your background

Zoom backgrounds are, at this point, an important part of our collective human culture—the ultimate form of self-expression. With this best practice, you can have your meeting almost anywhere, and disguise whatever happens in the background around you. Naturally, Microsoft Teams offers custom backgrounds for meetings.

4. Pretend you’re in the same room as your coworkers

Zoom  has two views that you can switch between. Speaker View and Gallery View: essentially, you can see the person talking right now or see everyone at once. Microsoft Teams adds another: Together Mode. Everyone on the call is shown as though they’re sitting next to each other in some kind of classroom, or sporting event like we’ve seen on TV with the NBA,MLB, NHS and NFL.

Together Mode in Microsoft Teams

This is optional, and turning it on only changes things on your screen. 

Is this useful? No. Will it make you feel slightly less alone during a year in which in-person interaction is rare? No. Is it somewhat amusing? Yes.

5. Live captions

Teams can detect what’s said in a meeting and present real-time captions. And, if you’ve turned on the new meeting experience, your captions will include speaker attribution—so you’ll see not only what’s being said, but who’s saying it. 

Zoom offers a closed captioning feature, but someone has to manually type them out. Microsoft’s system recognizes speech automatically. Live captions can make your meeting more inclusive to participants who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, people with different levels of language proficiency, and participants in loud places by giving them another way to follow along.

6. There’s a good chance you’re already paying for it

Zoom is free, but the free version limits meetings to 40 minutes. Microsoft Teams’ free version has no such restrictions for video meetings.

There’s also a good chance you’re already paying for the full version. Microsoft Teams is included with every version of Microsoft 365 for business. This means that, if your company pays for a Microsoft Office subscription, you already have access to Teams. You should probably give it a chance and consider not paying for Zoom and/or Slack on top of it.

Features

  • Group and private chat.
  • Video calling, audio calling, and screen sharing.
  • Schedule video calling.
  • Thread messaging.
  • Works seamlessly with any other Office app.
  • Up to 250 people per video call.
  • Over 270 integrations.
  • Available in 53 languages.

Best for

  • Microsoft-centric teams.
  • Organizations that want to keep ideas organized and compartmentalized.

If you have any questions, please email us at support@sjtechies.com or call us at (856) 745-9990.

 

Seven ways to sort and view Outlook email by accounts

Outlook

 

Most users manage more than one e-mail account. Outlook 2010 and 2013 automatically create individual folders for each account. If you’re still using Outlook 2007 or earlier, you can simulate this convenience, but you’ll have to set it up yourself. In this article, I’ll show you seven ways to sort or view email messages by their accounts. I’ll include instructions for 2010 and 2013; even if you need to sort by accounts, you might want to use these methods to sort by other criteria.

1. Create account-specific folders

You can simulate the account-specific Inbox configuration in Outlook 2010 and 2013 by creating new download folders for each account. Doing so is easy, and it’s probably the best way to manage multiple accounts in Outlook 2007 and earlier. You’ll create an account-specific folder as follows:

  1. Choose Account Settings from the Tools menu in Outlook 2007. (In Outlook 2010 and 2013, Account Settings are on the File tab.)
  2. Select the POP3 account you want to reconfigure.
  3. Click the Change Folder button. (This button isn’t available for IMAP accounts.)
  4. Use the resulting dialog to identify the folder you want to download your POP3 account mail to (Figure A) or create a new folder if it doesn’t already exist.
    Figure A

    Figure A

  5. Click OK and then Close.

After making this change, Outlook will download that account’s mail into the specified folder. You can create specific folders for every POP3 account you have.

Unlike the 2010/2013 configuration, all of your messages download into the same .pst file. In addition, Outlook will save copies of all sent messages in the default account, not in the account-specific folder.

2. Use a rule

Rules have been around for a long time. They’re commonly used to manipulate mail as it arrives. You can also use a rule to manipulate mail received from a specific account as follows:

  1. Select the Inbox.
  2. In Outlook 2003 and 2007, choose Rules and Alerts from the Tools menu. In Outlook 2010 and 2013, click the File tab and click Manage Rules & Alerts in the Account Information section. (Outlook 2010 and 2013 users won’t need this rule unless they choose to combine all accounts into the same Inbox. Although this is unlikely, I’m including the instructions to be as comprehensive as possible.)
  3. Click New Rule on the E-Mail Rules tab.
  4. In Outlook 2003 and 2007, use Check messages when they arrive. Outlook 2010 and 2013 users, select Apply rule on message I receive.
  5. Click Next.
  6. Check the through the specified account option.
  7. Click the specified link in the bottom pane (Figure B).
    Figure B

    Figure B

  8. Choose the account from the resulting drop-down, click OK, and then click Next.
  9. Check move it to the specified folder.
  10. Click the specified folder link in the bottom pane. Then, identify the folder to which you want to download mail from the specified account (Figure C), and click OK. You can create a folder at this point, if necessary.
    Figure C

    Figure C

  11. Click Next twice (you won’t want to include any exceptions to the rule most likely).
  12. Give the rule a name. I recommend a name that includes the account’s name, such as “Move message for account name.”
  13. Turn the message on if necessary.
  14. Select Run this rule now on messages already in “Inbox” (Figure D) if you want Outlook to move existing messages into the folder. Doing so can save a lot of time.
    Figure D

    Figure D

  15. Click Finish, and then click OK.

This rule works similarly to the account-specific folder tip in #1. If you’re not familiar with rules, take a minute to review the many conditions and actions; you can do a lot with rules.

3. Use the Account view option

You can use a view property to sort message by their accounts. In Outlook 2003 and 2007, choose Arrange By from the View menu and then select E-mail Account. The change is immediate, but its helpfulness in a busy Inbox is limited. You’ll probably find it more useful to combine this setting with other sorting methods, such as search folders and filters. After creating the main sort, apply this setting to further define the results by account. In addition, you can quickly apply this setting to all folders by modifying the default Messages view and then copying it. (For more complete instructions on applying this setting to all folders, read “Pro tip: Use standard and custom views to personalize an Outlook folder.”)

In Outlook 2010 and 2013, you can combine individual .pst files into one and download all mail into the same Inbox. You’ll find this setting in the Arrangement gallery on the View tab. (Click the More button to see all of the settings.)

4. Sort by the E-mail Account column

Similar to changing a view’s configuration, you can sort multi-account folders by accounts. You might find this alternative easier or preferable to creating or modifying a view. To add this column, do the following:

  1. Right-click the title bar (in the Mail window).
  2. Select Field Chooser from the resulting dialog.
  3. Choose All Mail Fields from the drop-down.
  4. Drag E-mail Account to the title bar (Figure E) and release it. If it’s not where you want it, drag it accordingly.
    Figure E

After adding the E-mail Account column, you can click it to sort all mail in the folder by their accounts.

5. Use a view

Both the Account view and adding the E-mail Account column will sort messages by accounts, but you’ll still see mail for all of your accounts. If you want to view mail from a single account, create a view. Then you can apply views to filter messages accordingly. To view messages from a single account using a filtered view, do the following:

  1. In Outlook 2003, choose Arrange By from the View menu. In Outlook 2007, choose Current View from the View menu. In Outlook 2010 and 2013, click the View tab and choose Manage Views from the Change View drop-down in the Current View group.
  2. Click New.
  3. Give the view a name. I recommend naming the view for the account.
  4. Select Table and All Mail and Post Folders (the default).
  5. Click OK.
  6. Click Filter.
  7. Click the Advanced tab in the resulting dialog.
  8. Choose All Mail fields from the Field drop-down, and then choose E-mail Account (Figure F).
    Figure F

  9. Choose is (exactly) from the Condition drop-down.
  10. Set the Value using the account’s name (Figure G).
    Figure G

  11. Click Add to List.
  12. Press OK twice.
  13. Click OK to close the Manage All Views dialog and return to the Mail window.

Repeat the above steps to create a custom view for each account. To view all the messages for only one account, choose the appropriate view from the Change View drop-down (in the Current View group).

6. Sort into search folders       billionphotos-1647683

Similar to filtering with a view, you can display account-specific mail in a search folder. The difference, of course, is the difference between a view and a folder. The view merely filters mail to determine what you see, but all of the messages are still there. A search folder contains links to only those messages that meet the folder’s search criteria. To create a search folder for this purpose, do the following:

  1. In Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007, choose New from the File menu, and then select Search folder. In Outlook 2010 and 2013, click the Folder tab and then click New Search Folder in the New group.
  2. In the resulting dialog, choose Create a custom Search Folder (in the Custom section at the bottom of the list).
  3. Click Choose, and then name the new folder. I recommend that you name the folder for the account.
  4. Click Browse, exclude folders and subfolders you don’t want to search, and click OK. Doing so will speed up your search.
  5. Click Criteria, and then click the Advanced tab.
  6. Choose All Mail Fields from the Field drop-down and then choose E-mail Account.
  7. Choose is (exactly) from the Condition drop-down.
  8. Set the Value using the account’s name.
  9. Click Add to List.
  10. Click OK four times.

Create a folder for each of your accounts. To read the mail for an account, open that account’s search folder.

7. Format by account

Sometimes, a visual clue is all you need. When this is the case, apply a format to distinguish accounts as follows:

  1. In Outlook 2003 and 2007, choose Arrange By from the View menu. Choose Custom, and then select Automatic Formatting. In Outlook 2010 and Outlook 2013, click the View tab. Then, click View Settings in the Current View group. In the resulting dialog, click Conditional Formatting.
  2. Click Add and name the new View. I recommend that you name the view after the account.
  3. Click Condition.
  4. Click the Advanced tab.
  5. Choose All Mail Fields from the Field drop-down and then choose E-mail Account.
  6. Choose is (exactly) from the Condition drop-down.
  7. Set the Value using the account’s name.
  8. Click Add to List, and then click OK.
  9. In the Conditional Formatting dialog, click Font and change the formats accordingly. Changing the font’s color is a common choice.
  10. Click OK three times to return to the Mail window.

Outlook will update the folder immediately by applying the formats for the specified account.

About the .pst files

It might never matter to you, but should .pst management become an issue, keep the following in mind:

  • Outlook 2010 and 2013 download POP3 mail into separate (dedicated) .pst files. For each account, you’ll have a dedicated Inbox.
  • Outlook 2007 and earlier download all mail into the same .pst file, regardless of the changes you make for viewing the mail via the interface.

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Changes to SSL Certificates Industry Wide

SSL Certificate Industry Change

There’s a pretty big change coming for SSL Certificates. And, we think it’s really important to keep you in the loop on these changes.

The biggest change you need to be aware of: if you have an active SSL certificate with an intranet name (e.g.’server1?, ‘mail’, ‘www’, ‘server2.local’, etc.), or a reserved IP address, it’s going to be revoked by October 1, 2016.

Also, on July 1, 2012, customers will no longer be able to purchase, renew, rekey, or manage their SSLs with intranet names or IP addresses that expire past November 1, 2015.

This is an industry-wide decision, not one specific to our company.

For more information on the Certification Authorities Browser Forum guidelines, go here.

For more information on which IPv4 Addresses are reserved, go here. We do not support any certificates using IPv6.

Our highly trained, courteous support staff is waiting to take your call. Whatever time it takes to assist you, that’s the time you’ll receive. We’ll resolve any issue to your complete satisfaction.

Call (888) 505-1532 to get started now

10 Commandments of Windows Security

With the introduction of Windows 7, many PC and notebook users may feel more secure than they did using older versions of the Microsoft operating system. Newer OSs have more security features, offer better out-of-the-box security settings and have closed many of the historical security holes. Windows 7, for example, has changed the default User Account Control level so that it’s harder for rogue programs to run without first explicitly gaining the user’s permission.

[Also read 3 steps to protect your personal data]

However, feeling too secure can be dangerous. With that in mind, here are 10 tips–commandments, if you will–for ensuring your desktop or notebook computer can be used productively as well as safely. Many of the recommended tools are free, and all are affordable–and certainly less expensive than the potential problems of an unsecured computer. Similarly, many will take you only a minute or two to perform–again, far less time than you’d spend recovering from a security problem.

Yes, Windows 8 is on the way; it’ll be many years before that version runs on a majority of the installed base. So these tips are focused at the computers you are actually using today–especially Windows 7 computers, though most of the advice also applies to Windows Vista or XP machines.

1st commandment: Start with new hardware

Today’s new hardware–motherboards, BIOS, CPUs, hard drives, and the system as a whole–includes more security “baked in,” even before the operating system is installed. Examples include Trusted Platform Modules (TPM), which embed cryptographic security directly into the hard drive or other component, Unified Extensible Hardware Interface (UEFI) firmware instead of the traditional BIOS, and Intel’s vPro security and management technologies. For example, machines with UEFI and TPM will, as part of each boot-up, check the computer’s firmware and boot-up binaries to confirm they have not been infected with malware.

If you are working with an existing machine, consider doing a fresh install of the operating system, after completing one (or several) full backup. Ideally, the operating system would be the newest version rather than what was previously installed. (Products like LapLink’s PC-Mover can reduce the effort of saving and migrating settings and even application software–although applications should be freshly installed if possible, as well.)

Even if you’re working with an existing machine, consider swapping in new hard drives that include built-in encryption. Drives that support the OPAL Storage Specification standard enable companies to manage encrypted drives from multiple vendors–and have also helped reduce the extra cost for an encrypted drive from $100 to nearly zero. After-market drives often include migration tools to speed and simplify a drive swap.

If a self-encrypted drive isn’t an option, look at using full-disk encryption software, such as Windows’ BitLocker (available only on Enterprise or Ultimate Windows Vista, 7 or 8 ) or a third-party tool.

2nd commandment: Use current OS versions and automatically get OS and application updates

If you aren’t using the most current commercial version of the operating system, it’s time to upgrade. Additionally, make sure you set the software to automatically apply updates (not just the OS, but all applications) and periodically turn off the computer, which is when many updates are auto-applied. An appalling number of security breaches occur because applications lack important security fixes that have been available for a year or more.

The computer vendor may also include helpful update tools. For example, Lenovo includes an update process that is designed to show all BIOS and driver updates available for that particular model. You can also manually start the update-check apps process. This may take several cycles, particularly for the first time around, if some updates require other updates.

“Third-party software is usually the vector that security intrusions come through, not the operating system,” says Ed Bott, a Windows expert and ZDNet blogger. Flash, Adobe Reader and Java are three of the biggest targets, Bott says. While many programs include their own automatic update checker, Bott urges using a tool like Ninite orSecunia Personal Software Inspector, which automate update checking for all the applications on your computer.

3rd commandment: Use Windows’ new security tools (and/or third party software)

Windows 7 includes a number of security controls and tools through its Actions Center (which replaces the Security Center), and other tools are available via the Control Panel, including:

  • Windows Firewall: With its basic settings, this wards off basic attacks, and you can use its advanced settings for more specific control. There are also third-party firewall programs available.
  • Microsoft’s Microsoft Security Essentials and Windows Defender. These tools secure your computer against viruses, spyware
    and other malware.

Obviously another option is to invest in third-party security software, like individual anti-virus, anti-spam and other programs, or a security suite, such as Symantec’s.

4th commandment: Set up (or remove) user accounts

Historically in Windows, the default account had administrator privileges–meaning that programs capable of taking unwanted insecure actions wouldn’t have to first ask the user if they could run. Starting with Vista, Microsoft added User Account Control (UAC), which asked non-administrator users for permission to run certain programs or actions. With Windows 7, UAC still protects systems but less intrusively.

Even so, managing which user accounts are–and aren’t–available contributes to security in the following ways:

  • Establishes non-administrative user account(s) for each user.
  • Disables or removes user accounts that aren’t used or shouldn’t be there.
  • Disables the “guest” account, unless it’s needed. If it is needed, a password should be required for elevating privileges, to prevent unauthorized changes to the system.

Consider renaming the administrator account so that it’s not obvious to an intruder. Since this account can’t be “locked out,” password attacks can be performed indefinitely; changing the name makes the account less of a target.

5th commandment: Set passwords

Set the main Windows password, as well as the Power/Time to lock the system, with a screen saver, and require a password to resume activity.

Also, depending on the sensitivity of information on your system (did someone say “online banking”?), consider password alternatives, such as:

  • Smartcard reader (contact or contactless)
  • Biometric facial recognition
  • RSA software and external token
  • Password “gesture” (e.g., Android tablets)

Another option is two-factor authentication, such as requiring both a fingerprint and a password.

6th commandment: Add/activate anti-theft tools

Invest in, install and activate anti-theft tools that can either lock the system; conduct an IP trace; report, take and send pictures; and even wipe the computer when a lost or stolen computer reconnects to the Internet. An example is Absolute Software’s Lojack for Laptops.

Vendors like Lenovo are embedding Absolute’s CompuTrace Agent into the BIOS, so even if somebody erases or replaces the hard drive, the agent is automatically re-installed.

Computers that include Intel Anti-Theft technology in their hardware let you add additional security services, such as automatically locking the main board until it receives the “unlock” password, lock or wipe if a machine goes too long without connecting to the Internet or if a user fails the login process too many times. Intel Anti-Theft is typically part of third-party security products like CompuTrace, adding perhaps $3/year, and as the anti-theft option on WinMagic’s full disk encryption product.

7th commandment: Turn off sharing and other unneeded services

Windows allows you to share resources that are on your computer, like file-sharing (Shared Folders) and print sharing. Your computer’s Internet connection management utility (Windows includes one, but many systems have their own) lets you define each network as either Public, Home or Work. If you mis-set a connection, your Shared Folders will be visible to other computers on the network.

Suggested Desktop Security Reading

  • Windows 7: Explore New and Improved Security Features (Microsoft)
  • Security checklist for Windows 7 (Microsoft)
  • “Enhancing Endpoint Security for Windows Desktops,” Derek Melber, President and CTO of BrainCore.Net
  • Best Practices: Windows Desktop, IT Security for the University of Missouri

If you are behind a firewall, when your computer’s Internet connection manager tool asks you what kind of location/connect it is, you can call it either a Home or Work network, Bott says. But specify Public network if you are connecting directly to the Internet (e.g., at home or in the office), if you don’t have a hardware router but instead are directly connected to the cable modem, or if you are connecting to a public network like a Wi-Fi hotspot or a hotel or conference Ethernet. This will ensure that no local sharing is allowed.

In general, disable any services and remove programs you don’t need. For example, if you’re sure your applications won’t need it, you may want to uninstall Java. If your machine has Internet Information Services (IIS) running but doesn’t need it, disable that, as well.

8th commandment: Secure your Web browser and other applications

Web browsers access Web sites that neither you nor your company control (and these sites, in turn, may have ads or link to other content that they don’t control). Any of these may try to inject malware onto your computer.

[Also read 10 ways to secure browsing in the enterprise]

Today’s browsers include more security, like “private browsing” session modes that prevent any personal information from being stored, or don’t save cookies or history for a session. However, this may interfere with productivity.

Check each browser’s security options and select the ones that look useful, like Firefox’s “Warn me when sites try to install add-ons” and “Block reported attack sites.”

Set Microsoft Internet Explorer to have the highest security setting you can tolerate (since higher security often means you have to click more often), suggests Tom Henderson, Managing Director of ExtremeLabs.com, an Indianapolis, Indiana technology testing lab.

Additionally, look for browser “extensions” and add-ons that increase your browser’s security, in a more per-tab, per-site or per-tab-session way. For example, the popular NoScript Firefox add-on allows JavaScript, Java, Flash and other plug-ins to be executed only by trusted Web sites of your choice.

PDF readers may also be vulnerable to JavaScript attacks within the documents they’re rendering. Make sure your PDF reader is secure; consider disabling JavaScript within it.

9th commandment: Rope in Autorun

AutoRun is a major threat vector for viruses and other malware in Windows XP and Windows Vista. [Editor’s note: Simson Garfinkel called Autorun an “OS design flaw” all the way back in 2006.] With this function, the operating systems automatically begins executing a program when it sees an autorun.inf file in the root directory of a new drive, such as a network drive, a CD or a flash drive. So, if you haven’t yet moved to Windows 7, make sure you’ve got all the security updates for the OS version you are running. (See MS Security Advisory: Update for Windows Autorun.

With Windows 7, all the security settings are “No Autorun.” When you attach external media like CDs, DVDs, SD cards and USB flash drives, they will give you a dialog box offering to run a program, but by default, nothing happens automatically.

10th commandment: Consider application whitelisting and other controls “Whitelisting” refers to a list of everything you allow on your computer, including e-mail addresses your mail program can accept, Web sites your browser is allowed to connect to and applications the operating system is allowed to run. Whitelisting may not be a match for e-mail or Web browsing, but for preventing unwanted applications from running–such as malware or zero-day attacks–it may be a good additional tool.

Windows 7 includes AppLocker, a whitelisting utility, or you can buy third-party white-listing products for either individual computers or groups of networked computers. For home users, Windows 7 has fairly robust parental controls that can restrict access by time-of-day or by site, and log Web access, Bott says.

Conclusion: It’s easy to become more secure

As you can see, there is a lot you can do affordably, even to existing Windows systems, to increase their security. It shouldn’t take a lot of time or money to do; however, it may take a lot of both if you don’t do anything and something avoidable goes wrong.

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