Phishing Scams Now Target Xbox Users

Not only do phishing scams affect Internet users, but a new scam targets Xbox Live users. (Similarly, there was a breach for Playstation last week.) The goal of the scam is to have users give their gaming tags and passwords. Just like any other phishing scam, this also contains malware and can harm the system. This scam affects users of the popular game Modern Warfare 2 by using “title specific messages”. It affects those participating in chats and although they look like real messages, they are actually faulty and can wrongfully capture your information. Remember to never give out your login credentials ingame, just as you wouldn’t through an email or an unsecure website.

Microsoft is aware of the problem and is working to solve the issue. To learn more, click here.

The Amazon Cloud Outage and Your Business

Last week Amazon’s Elastic Cloud Computing experienced an outage that affected not only themselves, but many websites that are dependent upon it (such as Foursquare and Hootsuite). Problems ensued for four days following the outage. Despite the interruptions, cloud computing will still remain a popular technology trend, as long as businesses use it properly.

Primarily, this outage serves as a reminder to stay prepared. It is crucial to have a business continuity procedure in place, which essentially means planning for failure. This includes setting up a backup plan in case of interruptions, such as the one experienced last week by many businesses and websites. These larger businesses have the funds and staff to handle such emergencies, but small businesses may seem a bit more hesitant.

Therefore, if you decide to use cloud based technologies, be sure to get a trusted advisor that knows the cloud and also your company. This will help limit your risks and plan accordingly, while strengthening your business.

Flagg Management Show

CMIT will be participating at Flagg Management's 2011 Accounting Technology NY Show and Conference. The event is the 3rd annual largest meeting of accounting professionals each year. CMIT franchises from NY and NJ will be present. CMIT Solutions of South Nassau owner will be speaking as well. We hope to see you there!

May 4-5, 2011

Penn Plaza Pavilion

Pennsylvania Hotel, NYC

Conference: 8a-5p

Free Show: 10a-4p

www.flaggmgmt.com

What is a QR Code? Why Would I Use One?

Have you seen one of these recently?
It's called a Quick Response (QR) Code.

You can scan this code with a QR reader application on your Smartphone and a number of things can happen. It may take you to a website, receive contact information (e.g., vCard), or be prompted to send an email. A single QR code is capable of storing over 4,000 alphanumeric characters.

This has been quite popular for a few years now in Japan. QR codes are quickly making their way into the United States as businesses attach them to advertisements, flyers, and other promotional materials. A QR code actually popped up during the recent Stephen Colbert/Roots/Jimmy Fallon performance that took viewers to a bonus video about the actual performance on Late Night's website).

Websites like qrstuff.com can help you generate, print and embed your own QR codes for FREE. Attach them to your business cards, advertising or marketing materials to sent potential customers your company's contact info or direct them to a website. For example, some realtors place QR odes on "For Sale" signs on their properties that take prospective buyers to the MLS listing. British band Pet Shop Boys recently used a QR code to direct their fans to a free download of their new single.

Other users have included QR codes in billboards, guerilla-marketing campaigns, event ticketing, coupons, direct mail campaigns, and more. A QR code's potential for your business is limited only by your imagination.

Cleaning Tips for Computers

Many people associate the onset of spring with spring cleaning. Not only will cleaning your computer, monitor, and accessories make them look nice, it could also help them last longer. Follow these tips to keep your system quiet, clean, and cool.

• DO NOT USE A VACUUM CLEANER! No matter how tempting it may be to vacuum the dust off of a clogged vent, resist. Read on for the proper method.

• Keep the area around your computer clean. Keep whatever surface upon which your computer sits as free from dust as possible. Ideally, don’t keep your machine on the floor at all. Set it up on top of your desk or some other piece of furniture.

• Dust the exterior of your hardware with a soft, lint-free cloth. Don’t use a feather duster or any liquid cleaning sprays. Fibers from the feathers might end up inside your machine, and liquids tend not to play nice with electrical equipment.

• Don’t neglect the interiors. Pick up a can of compressed air. If you have a desktop, consult the user manual for instructions on how to remove the side panel. Once it’s off, take your computer outside and use compressed air to blast any dust out. You should do this every six months or so. Laptops are a bit trickier to clean, so if you’re not comfortable opening up the case, take it to a technician for cleaning. Compressed air is also a great choice for cleaning a keyboard. Just invert the keyboard and spray a few bursts of air into the keys at an angle.

• Choose the right cleaning product for the right screen. CRTs have different needs than flat-panels, and matte screens have different needs than glossy ones. Check the product manual or the manufacturer’s website for information on which type of cleaner your screen requires.

Get the Most Out of Your Laptop Battery

Yes, there is a way to get the longest performance out of your laptop battery! Here are some tips that you can use to conserve battery power when your on the go...

• If you're not using the Internet, turn off Wi-Fi. Your laptop constantly searches for new networks when Wi-Fi is on, resulting in unnecessary power usage.


• Dim your screen a notch or two. The display and hard drive are two of the most power-hungry components of your laptop, and dimming the screen even a little bit can have a dramatic affect on power consumption.


• Make sure your power management settings ( Control Panel, All Control Panel Options, Power Options, Select a power plan, in Windows 7) are set to "Power Saver" mode. You can customize the settings to auto-dimyour screen or put the machine to sleep even sooner than the default time.

Laptop batteries are often pricey and have a limited lifespan. Proper maintenance will help extend its useful life.

• Periodically remove the battery from your laptop and clean the contact terminals (both the ones of the battery and the ones on the computer) with a cotton swap moistened with rubbing alcohol.


• If you have a fairly new laptop, it most likely uses a lithium ion (Li-ion) battery. Li-ion batteries do not suffer from performance degradation due to partial dischargse (i.e., before the battery's power indicator goes all the way down), so charge the battery every chance you get, even if you've only used a little bit of its power. Never let a Li-ion battery fully discharge.


• If you have an older computer (3+ years), it might run on a nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery. These batteries need to be fully discharged and recharged every few months. To discharge your battery, simply unplug the machine, adjust the power management settings (see above) so that it won't go to sleep, hibernate, or otherwise power down, and let it run. Play a DVD from the optical drive to hasten the process, if you wish. After its completely drained, charge it fully.


• Keep your machine properly ventilated. Don't let clothing, dust, or other debris block the cooling vents on the chassis. A hot machine runs less-efficiently, demanding more from the battery and shortening its operational lifespan.

Windows Aero

Windows Aero is a graphical interface that is available with the following Windows systems: 7 Home Premium, 7 Professional, 7 Ultimate, Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, Vista Ultimate, and Vista Enterprise. We want to inform you about some the features available with Aero.

• Peek: This rectangle is located by the clock of your toolbar and displays your desktop when you right click on it. When you mouse over, you can preview thumbnails of other windows.

• Flip 3D: This function lets you scroll through your open windows so you can find wha t you are looking for quickly. In order to activate it, press CTRL + Windows logo key + TAB. Press the TAB key to flip through all the open windows.

• Shake: Select the top of the window pane you would like to view and shake your mouse to make all other windows go away. If you shake the mouse again, they will reappear.

• Snap: This feature allows you to resize open windows by clicking and dragging a window to the edge of the screen.

To learn more about Windows Aero, visit the CMIT blog.

Epsilon Data Breach

In the past week, you may have received emails from various companies informing you about a recent data breach. The companies include financial organizations like Chase, as well as retail vendors like Target. The company Epsilon specializes in email marketing and has reported that only names and email addresses have been captured. They are confident that no personal or sensitive information has been stolen. Approximately fifty companies were affected by the data breach. Due to this leak, it is important to be extra wary of spam and phishing scams. Phishing emails essentially want the user to voluntarily give up information, so we want to take this time to remind you of simple ways to keep your computer and data safe.

Beware of…

• An email that requires you to send information through a reply or by clicking a link


• Email addresses that look reputable, but when you mouse over them, a suspicious address or website is shown


• Logos may appear genuine, but upon clicking, redirect you to a fraudulent website


• Emails that include generic greetings such as "Dear Account Holder”


• Recurring emails, even if you provided your information already

We also want to remind you to keep your passwords strong by including letters (both uppercase and lowercase) and numbers. For a full list of companies affected by the Epsilon breach, click here.

Upcoming Events

CMIT Solutions is participating in several different events over the next two weeks. The events cater to various audiences, so mark your calendars and we hope to see you there! Click on the event name for more information!

PMP Workshop

Workplace Privacy – Policies, Procedures, and IT Security

*Armando D’Accordo will be speaking*

Thursday, April 7, 2011

8:30am - 11:30am

The Conference Center, North Shore Atrium

6800 Jericho Turnpike, Syosset, NY 11791

$30 per person includes breakfast

Nassau Trade Show

The largest business expo for LI and the Greater Metropolitan Area

*Armando D'Accordo will be speaking*

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

9am - 3pm

Crest Hollow Country Club

8325 Jericho Turnpike

Woodbury, NY 11797

AIA Long Island Chapter Annual Product Fair

Expo and continuing education classes for architects

Thursday, April 14, 2011

3pm – 8pm

Marriott Hotel and Conference Center

101 James Doolittle Boulevard

Uniondale, NY 11552

Merrick KidsFest 2011

CMIT is a proud sponsor of the event featuring American Idol’s Robbie Rosen

April 15 - 17, 2011

Merrick Train Station