Don't be Spooked by Zombies, Viruses, and Bot Nets!

Every year hackers get smarter and sneakier about how to infiltrate people's computers, steal vital personal information, and spread mischief. A few years ago, all you had to worry about was malware spread by e-mail attachments. These days, you have to worry about mysterious links showing up in your instant messages, weird messages from Facebook friends you've never heard of, and malicious websites downloading who knows what to your computer as soon as you visit them.

So what's a safe Web surfer to do, short of unplugging the computer and conducting all correspondence by a carrier pigeon?

1. Stay vigilant, no matter what application you're using. Hackers are hip to new media and won't hesitate to use Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, or instant messaging to get to you. If you wouldn't click on a strange link in email, don't click on it in Facebook.

2. Expect spam and phishing to spike around holidays or major events. If a celebrity just died and you get an email containing an attachment purporting to be video of that celebrity's death -- some good advice is - DONT open it.

3. Read your email with a VERY skeptical eye. One of our clients was recently contacted by a service that said it was investigating another company's registration of a domain under our client's name. They were obviously phishing for information about our client. That email went straight to the trash, no response.

4. Know how to spot a zombie. If your computer sounds like it's running all the time but processing has slowed to a crawl, or you find returned messages in your inbox responding to emails you've never sent-- your computer might well be a part of a bot net.

5. Be wary of warnings. The last few years have seen a huge upswing in false alerts for spyware and virus infections. Users are prompted to install a "free anti-virus" or "spyware removal tool." Those who click "OK" to install the program instead install more spyware.

This Halloween, remember -- you'll probably get a few Halloween related spam, an invitation on Facebook, a suspicious inquiry from an overseas firm, and maybe even a pop-up or two. The best thing you can do is ignore all of this and run another back up of your files. Do a full system scan, and update your antivirus/anti-spyware protection with the latest definitions.

CMIT's marathon service automatically runs system scans and security updates, so you never have to worry about being up to date. To learn more about CMIT Marathon, go to cmitsolutions.com/marathon.

MORE Tips for the Google Search Box!

Last week we showed you some pretty cool features about the Google Search bar. Here are some more tips that you'll love!

Define a word -- Put that Oxford English Dictionary away. Look up definitions using Google by entering "define:word" in the search box (replace 'word' with the term you wish to define, and don't use quotes).
Track a package --
Simply enter a tracking number into the search box. This works with UPS, Fedex, DHL, and most other large shippers.
Get the weather--
Simply type "weather:nameofcity" and Google will return the forecast for the location in the search results. If you're looking for your local weather, just type "weather," and Google will determine your location based on your IP address.
Convert Measurements--
Can't recall how many gallons there are in a hogshead? Google has the answer. Also works with more conventional unit conversions, such as cups to ounces.
Search a website--
Google isn't just for searching the Web at large. You can use Google's search engine to dig into a specific URL. It's very handy for searching sites with large archives, such as news outlets. To do so, enter the keyword you wish to find, then "site:exampleurl.com" (without quotes), substituting the domain you wish to search for exampleurl.com. In this example, we're searching the New York Times for mentions of Mario Batali's Babbo restaurant.

Technician Position for CMIT Long Island

CMIT Solutions is growing.

Want to be a part of this growth?

CMIT Solutions of Long Island is looking for a Junior Technician with hands on experience in Windows Server environments. You'll gain experience through working with our varied clients across the Island.

If you're interested in growing with us and are enthusiastic send your resume to

jobsli@cmitsolutions.com

Use the Google Search Box for More than Searching!

Google is everywhere. Much to the chagrin of the company's trademark attorneys, the name has become synonymous with "search," but there's much more you can do with that little rectangle bar than just search for content.Check out a few of our favorite tricks:

Check flight status -- Enter the name of the airline, the word "flight," and the flight number, and Google will show you the latest status.

Convert currency -- Enter an amount and type of currency, the word "to," and th

e currency to which you wish to convert.

Find local time -- This search works using natural language. Simple type, "What time is it in X," with the X being the name of a city.

Make a calculation -- This one is interesting because Google again uses understanding of natural language to go beyond mere arithmetic.

Tips to Strengthen Your Email Marketing

Email's ubiquity and low cost make it a great tool for small-business owners to communicate with customers and potential customers. Unfortunately, the electronics arms race that has ensued between spammers and spam-filters requires entrepreneurs to think strategically about the design and content of such broadcasts.

However, even if your message has made it past the spam filter, there are still lots that can go wrong. Here are a few tips on getting the most out of your email marketing efforts.
1. Carefully consider the way you use images. In many email clients, the default settings automatically block embedded images, so don't rel solely on images to convey important information. Make sure any vital information that appears in the images (such as our phone number or other contact info) also appears elsewhere as text. Whatever you do, don't send emails that include only images or images with very little text.

2. Use a table of contents in lengthy message. If the content of the email comprises more that a few short paragraphs (for example, in an eNewsletter), include a Table of Contents so the recipient can easily locate topics of interest.

3. Test, test, test. The best way to avoid formatting errors is to view the message in as many email clients as possible, including Outlook, Outlook Express, iOS (iPhone, iPad, etc.) Thunderbird, Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, and Windows Live. Set up your own unique email accounts in as many of these as possible, and send a test version of your email before releasing it to the masses. For an automated method of doing this, consider using a tool like Campaign Monitor.

4. Don't forget to include a Call to Action. You don't want your recipient merely to contemplate the content of your message. You want them to DO SOMETHING! Whether that action is to call you, email you, or visit your website, now is not the time for modesty. Ask and you shall receive!

Rethinking the "Never Reply to Spam" Rule

As the story goes, we've been saying for years that the way to handle spam emails was to never reply to anything, even if there was an unsubscribe link or instructions at the end of the message. After all, spammers dont really care that you don't want them sending you emails, or they wouldn't have sent them in the first place. Furthermore, by replying in any manner, you're confirming that your email account is an active one and therefore a valuable commodity to sell to other spammers.

The best practice is to have a robust spam filter in place like CMIT's Anti-spam to keep unwanted messages from clogging your inbox. However, for those message that sneak through, you may wish to consider an alternative course of action, so long as the spam messages meet certain criteria.

The main question to ask is, "Is the message from a legitimate company?" Sometimes the answer is difficult to ascertain, but if it's trying to sell you diet pills or any kind of "enhancements," just ignore it. Companies that send mass emails are required, as part of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, to include an opt-out link in every message, and to comply with such requests from recipients. Some companies even go as far as to use a third-party service, such as Safe Unsubscribe, to handle opt-out requests without revealing the requestor's email address to the message's sender.

So, if you find your inbox cluttered with newsletters that you no longer wish to receive or special offers from companies with which you have done business, following the unsubscribe instructions probably won't do you any harm. It's a less drastic step than blocking the sender's domain, which might prevent you from receiving legitimate emails such as order confirmations or recall notices.

Watch Out for PayPal E-mail Scam

It has been confirmed by PayPal that there are scam e-mails associated with their company circulating the internet.

The image below is a screen shot of the most recent e-mail scam that you need to be aware of. Especially for those of you who are frequent PayPal users, this can be easily confused with your trusted emails that you receive from PayPal all the time.

Remember:
Do Not click on any links
Check for incorrect spelling as this is a common sign that it is an e-mail scam
Delete the e-mail so you dont accidently open any links or attachments

Always be cautious when opening and reading your e-mails. Most viruses and scams are covered up with names of companies you trust. Just be careful what you open and what you click!

5 Most Glaring Holes in Small Business IT Security

As an IT service provider to small businesses, we see a few common problems among new clients. Whether it's because of oversight, lack of knowledge, neglect, or user error, the following five issues keep many small businesses from achieving their full potential or even worse, jeopardize a company's very existence.

1. Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) - A company's electronic data is one of its most valuable and fragile assets. A shocking number of small businesses either rely on manual backups or just keep their fingers crossed. For maximum protection, a business needs not only an automated backup system (to minimize human error), but also a thoroughly tested and simple-to-implement disaster recovery plan in order to get the business back up and running.

2. Adherence to Security Protocols - Your car alarm won't give you much protection if you leave your keys on the hood. As with many security systems, the human factor is often one of the weakest links. Poor login management, shared passwords, and other shortcuts leave your computers and network open to threats. Educating your staff about the importance of adhering to security measures (and making sure they do) is of utmost importance.

3. Outdated Equipment - This especially applies to network infrastructure such as routers, switches, and firewalls. Just because a device still works, doesn't mean it is working securely. As security protocols have progressed, especially in the wireless space, manufacturers have had to increase performance to keep up with increasingly complicated encryption schemes. Running older hardware makes you an easier target (and therefore more attractive) for hackers.

4. Unsecured Mobile Devices - Yes employees love the convenience of accessing their email via a smartphone, but smartphones are also easy to lose (as are laptops and USB drives). What if that device held sensitive information? Or provided a direct path into your corporate server? Again, adherence to proper security protocols is a paramount. All devices need to be protected with robust, regularly changing passwords, and all employees need to understand and adhere to a written "acceptable use" policy.

5. Lack of Cohesive IT Strategy - Most companies expand their IT infrastructure as their business grows. As such, they often find themselves with a patchwork system. Smart business owners see IT as a strategic business asset, not just a necessary evil. Investing in a coherent, well-designed IT infrastructure not only provides security and increased performance, but also does good things for your bottom line.