UniComData Blogs

It’s no news the world has changed. Business transactions are faster and reaching more people in more countries than ever before. And, from all this advancement comes explosive amounts of data in the form of email, customer information, and business transaction details.

Year after year, analysts project this massive data growth at 40 to 60 percent. However, while the volume of data grows, so do the threats. Avoiding cyber attacks and backing up critical systems and data are key to disaster recovery and business continuity.

At UniComData, we offer affordable, flexible, and cutting edge solutions tailored to meet your needs and protect your business. Don’t let your business fall victim to a security threat or system failure.

Keep your system and data safe with our
security, backup and recovery solutions.
CALL US TODAY!  972.993.8800

An ongoing study by the Center for Marketing Research at Dartmouth has been collecting data for more than three years from Inc. 500 companies on their use of social media.

The study found that 91% of the companies use at least one form of social media. Being able to adapt to change and implement innovations with a click of a mouse is especially valuable to the small businesses out of this group.

Our comprehensive social media approach leads with compelling content which optimizes the power of analytics to reach the right consumer, at the right time, and lead them right to your website or front door.

Feel like your not reaching your potential
with your current social media campaign?
Call Us Today!  972.993.8800

By 2014, mobile browsing is projected to exceed desktop browsing and currently 1/2 of all local searches are done on a mobile device.

• 43% of mobile searchers “walk through the door” of a local business discovered via mobile search.  Of those, 22% make a purchase.
• 63.2 million people in the U.S. own smartphones,  a 60% increase from the number of smartphone owners in 2009.
• 33% of Google’s mobile searches have local intent.
• 53% of Bing’s mobile searches are local.

The UniComData Team can create your mobile website to be easily accessible, user friendly and optimized for over 5,000 mobile devices.  With today’s technology, it’s the place to be.

The number one way hackers get into protected systems isn’t through a fancy technical exploit. It’s by guessing the password. And that’s not too hard when the most common password used on business systems is “Password1.”

There’s a technical reason for Password1’s popularity: It’s got an upper-case letter, a number and nine characters. That satisfies the complexity rules for many systems, including the default settings for Microsoft’s widely used Active Directory identity management software.

Security services firm Trustwave spotlighted the “Password1″ problem in its recently released “2012 Global Security Report,” which summarizes the firm’s findings from nearly 2 million network vulnerability scans and 300 recent security breach investigations.

• Around 5% of passwords involve a variation of the word “password,” the company’s researchers found. The runner-up, “welcome,” turns up in more than 1%.

• Easily guessable or entirely blank passwords were the most common vulnerability Trustwave’s SpiderLabs unit found in its penetration tests last year on clients’ systems. The firm set an assortment of widely available password-cracking tools loose on 2.5 million passwords, and successfully broke more than 200,000 of them.

Verizon came up with similar results in its 2012 Data Breach Investigations Report, one of the security industry’s most comprehensive annual studies. The full report will be released in several months, but Verizon previewed some of its findings at this week’s RSA conference in San Francisco.

• Exploiting weak or guessable passwords was the top method attackers used to gain access last year. It played a role in 29% of the security breaches Verizon’s response team investigated.

• Verizon’s scariest finding was that attackers are often inside victims’ networks for months or years before they’re discovered. Less than 20% of the intrusions Verizon studied were discovered within days, let alone hours.

• Even scarier: Few companies discovered the breach on their own. More than two-thirds learned they’d been attacked only after an external party, such as a law-enforcement agency, notified them. Trustwave’s findings were almost identical: Only 16% of the cases it investigated last year were internally detected.

So if your password is something guessable, what’s the best way to make it more secure? Make it longer.

Adding complexity to your password — swapping “password” for “p@S$w0rd” — protects against so-called “dictionary” attacks, which automatically check against a list of standard words.

But attackers are increasingly using brute-force tools that simply cycle through all possible character combinations. Length is the only effective guard against those. A seven-character password has 70 trillion possible combinations; an eight-character password takes that to more than 6 quadrillion.

Even a few quadrillion options isn’t a big deal for modern machines, though. Using a $1,500 computer built with off-the-shelf parts, it took Trustwave just 10 hours to harvest its 200,000 broken passwords.

“We’ve got to get ourselves using stuff larger than human memory capacity,” independent security researcher Dan Kaminsky said during an RSA presentation on why passwords don’t work. He acknowledged that it’s an uphill fight. Biometric authentication, smartcards, one-time key generators and other solutions can increase security, but at the cost of adding complexity.

“The fundamental win of the password over every other authentication technology is its utter simplicity on every device,” Kaminsky said. “This is, of course, also the fundamental failing.”

Posted at: http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/01/technology/password_security/?source=cnn_bin

Office 365 is becoming more and more popular with smaller businesses, which has prompted Microsoft to release more than 30 updates that enable better and more efficient connectivity between users belonging to the same organization, as well as support a number of new platforms.

For many businesses nowadays, working while on the go is a necessity. This is why there are also growing needs for services and applications that allow people to work and continue to be productive even while they are mobile.

One of these services is Office 365, which is a package offering Microsoft Office, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and Lync Online. Office 365 is cloud-based, which enables people to access files and applications in a much more seamless and efficient manner. This kind of system is especially suitable for small businesses, not only because of its cost efficiency, but also its flexibility of use – which in turn helps members of smaller firms handle multiple tasks more effectively with no loss to productivity, even when they are out of the office.

Office 365 has also recently launched its first major service update, which makes it a more versatile tool for better communication and collaboration. The more than 30 new updates include support for Windows Phone 7, which allows people to access and edit their SharePoint documents from their Windows Phone 7 mobile device; new SharePoint Business Connectivity Services, which enable people within an organization to use SharePoint interface to connect to customer relationship management (CRM) or SAP software, which are common critical line-of-business applications; as well as new support for Lync for Mac, giving users the ability to use instant messaging, presence, and videoconferencing.

If applied and implemented properly, Office 365 can prove to be a very efficient tool for small businesses who want to be more cost efficient without compromising the quality of their output or their productivity. If you want to know more about how Office 365 will impact your business, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Cloud computing is changing the way businesses operate. By accessing software and services through the internet, instead of on internal hardware, companies can save capital and respond to opportunities quickly.

With cloud computing, businesses can tap into software and services, as they need them, using an Internet connection and a web browser. Cloud services can help you manage growth and connect with your staff across town or the world.

Manage Growth
One of the toughest aspects of running a small business is predicting what resources are needed to support future demand. If the company grows quickly, more people and equipment need to be added to fulfill the work. Too much investment for the future is risky.

Cloud computing allows companies to quickly access the applications needed to increase capacity, support growth and handle busy periods. If a customer or project demands increase, software in the cloud scales without a big outlay of cash. The flexibility of the organization increases with cloud computing because it is easy to adjust and scale.

Improve Collaboration
Companies with remote employees can particularly benefit from cloud computing. More and more small and medium-sized businesses support home workers and employees that aren’t in the main office every day.
No matter where they’re located, employees can use cloud applications to have meetings, talk to one another, share files, and collaborate on materials in real time. With cloud computing, you can build a team that works together seamlessly. Improved productivity and better communication allows businesses to capitalize on new opportunities quickly.

To find out more about the benefits of cloud computing, contact us. We’ll help you find the solutions that fit your business and your budget.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

There are times when you may want to capture what is currently being shown on your iPad’s screen. That’s easy to do on an iPad.
Simply press the Home button and then the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously. When you hear a click, the screenshot has been taken. You can then go to the photos gallery to see all your captured screenshots.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Is your staff bringing their own devices and gadgets to the workplace? There are pros and cons that you need to know before you decide to adopt this practice for your business.

You may have noticed more and more of your employees or colleagues bringing their own computing devices to work, such as their mobile phone, tablet, or laptop. Or perhaps in your company or in other companies you may have seen, they have let people decide which device they prefer because they are used to it at home. You may not realize it, but this is all part of a large trend called the “consumerization” of IT, in which the influence of consumer technology is being increasingly felt in the workplace. With the wide availability of cheap but powerful mobile devices and online services, a growing number of people are being exposed to the latest technology at home first—adopting them at a rate faster than most businesses are able to manage. This flips on its head the old paradigm in which traditionally new technologies would be rolled out to businesses first, before they would find their way to consumers.

This trend, plus the increasing sophistication of young workers today and their frustration with the tools available to them at the office, is pushing some companies to adopt a “bring your own device” or BYOD policy at work. They are not alone. According to research by technology analyst group Gartner end users, not the IT department, will soon be responsible for 50 percent of business IT procurement decisions—ultimately bringing and running their own systems on company networks. Meanwhile, according to management consultants Accenture, around one-third of today’s younger generation of workers (a group called “millenials”) not only wants to use the computer of their choice at work, but also wants control of the applications they use too.

The benefits companies cite to adopting a BYOD policy are many, among them:
• Savings on capital expenses and training costs in using company equipment—compensating employees instead via other means such as flexible work hours, subsidized purchases, insurance, and other benefits.
• Less management headache—effectively letting employees decide what to use releases the company from some overhead and management responsibilities.
• Improved employee satisfaction—by giving employees the freedom to use devices and applications that they prefer.

However, before you consider letting employees bring their own personal technology to the work place, be aware that there are also disadvantages, and sometimes very real dangers in doing so. These include:

• Non-standardization of hardware, operating systems, and applications. If your business operations require that some equipment is integrated with others, then BYOD can, in the long run, actually increase IT management costs and decrease efficiency.
• Exposing your network to malware or security vulnerabilities and breaches. When your employees bring their own devices to work, you lose important control over their security. Consumer devices often don’t employ comparable bullet-proof security technologies mandated by businesses.
• Leakage of confidential or proprietary information. Employees will naturally do what they want with the data on their devices, even if it doesn’t belong to them, or it’s against company policies. Employees can also lose precious company data when they misplace or damage their personal devices.
• Lower economies of scale in procurement. Essentially because everyone is buying devices on their own, you miss out on the chance to consolidate purchases and lower purchase costs for everybody.

Have you adopted a BYOD policy at work? Thinking about it? Worried about this trend? If you need to understand BYOD better so you can define a policy for your staff, contact us and see how we can help.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

While professional social networking site LinkedIn is much used by many businesses, many organizations only skim the top of the potential benefits. These tips will help you improve the way you utilize this unique social networking tool.

With a still-growing user base of at least 120 million, LinkedIn has become THE professional social networking tool of many businesses. While Facebook is still the major network on the personal side, LinkedIn’s importance in the business-to-business world is growing.

With LinkedIn, your social networking strategy doesn’t have to be complex, and smaller companies, in particular, can quickly see results with just a little effort. Here are a few pointers to help you maximize the positive effect of your LinkedIn connections.

Be comprehensive. “Short and sweet” may be the rule of thumb in any other kind of forum, but for professional purposes it’s always best to include as many credentials about you and your business as possible. It’s helpful to give potential clients and connections the full story on your strengths – which means listing past employment and work experience, academic backgrounds, pertinent skills, competencies and certifications, and even educational backgrounds. It’s important to understand that many of the people who will enlist your services will only have your online credentials to go on, so give them a complete picture of what you’ve done and can do.

Customize your URL. When you create a LinkedIn profile, the site auto-generates a URL for that profile. But did you know that you can customize and change that URL? By changing it to reflect your business, it makes you much easier to remember and find.

Be involved. Much like in Facebook, a LinkedIn profile is useless if you simply post and forget. It’s essential to keep your info up to date, and interact with people by posting questions and comments. Proactive, educational input into the groups that serve your potential clients will build a good impression with professionals who are looking for the services or products that your company supplies.

We are always ready to help you build your business, so let us help you build your customer connections.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

VoIP is certainly a technology that has come of age. It’s ubiquitous, and easy-to-use and any business should have VoIP in their toolset. Any business, no matter the size, should be using VoIP to increase productivity, efficiency, and cost effectiveness.

If you are running a business, then there is no reason you shouldn’t be using Voice-over-IP, or VoIP, to reduce telecommunications cost, streamline operations, and improve the flexibility for your organization today.

VoIP, simply put, allows telephone communications to run over your data network or the Internet. The benefits of this setup are many, and the following are just a few.

1. VoIP allows companies to maximize investments already made in their network infrastructure. The same network which handles the flow of data such as web access and email can now accommodate voice as well—no need to add and maintain additional wires and devices.

2. VoIP can allow you to dramatically reduce the cost of communications, especially for interstate or international communications—everything can go through the Internet instead of incurring expensive long distance toll charges.

3. VoIP allows your employees to be more productive and efficient by giving them the ability to receive and make calls anywhere with a data connection, using their laptop, mobile phone, tablet, or virtually any device connected to the Internet.

4. VoIP increases the number of features you can use with your phone system. For example, it’s easier to add extensions to your phone. You can provide a local number or extension for all your staff without additional costs or cabling. You can also set up sophisticated auto answering routines and call routing. You can join voice messages with email and faxes all in one inbox.

5. You can use VoIP as a tool for real-time collaboration—along with video conferencing and screen sharing. You can employ presence technologies that come standard with VoIP phones and VoIP communication systems. Communicate with colleagues about your presence or receive info on the status and whereabouts of your staff.

Previously, all these benefits were only available with a big price tag and a critical limitation—the unavailability or unreliability of the company’s Internet connection—but not anymore. With the great strides made in technology and the wide availability and affordability of broadband connections over the last few years, VoIP is now readily within reach for many businesses—large or small.

If you are interested in learning more about how VoIP can help your business, contact us today to find out more!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.