Stay Alert: Facebook Dangers

While it is very common for your friends to write on your wall, "You've got to see this!” - be aware that not all Facebook content is safe for your PC.  We have seen an increase in virus activity on Facebook in recent months.  Most of the viruses have similar characteristics including a pop up window that won't go away, advertising for pc repair, and locking up altogether.  

Here are a couple of items to watch for to try to prevent an infection:

• If you see: 
  
  • An external web address or link that you do not recognize...
    
    • What should you do?   
      
      • Don't Click!
      • Especially a very long cryptic looking web address (a.k.a URL)
• If you see: 
  
  • Not so tech savvy Great Aunt Myrtle has sent you some "awesome web cam shots"
    
    • What should you do? 
      
      • Do I have to say it? 
        
        • Don't Click!
        • Even if it is not a virus, Myrtle and a web cam does not sound like a good idea.

A cautious eye, always suspicious for malice and fraud, will save you from wasting time and money on PC repairs. 

Did you know...SIP Trunks?

A SIP trunk is a phone call routed over Internet Protocol using VoIP technology.  A SIP trunk can be thought of as a traditional phone line replacement.  However, it can be much more.  Only recently has the flexibility of SIP trunks started to gain momentum with small and medium size businesses.  The delivery of the call is the key to the quality of the call; see our previous article to learn more.  The flexibility inherently presents its own set of challenges as you, the business owner, set out to purchase a SIP trunk.  Why would you buy?  What would you buy?  A multifaceted buying process is required to take full advantage of all the features.  I utilize a checklist to view it from the following perspectives:

The central question is - How will the ___________ see, use, and benefit from this technology change?

• And then I fill in the blank:
• End User: receptionist, salesperson, call center, my customer...
• I.T. Staff
• Business Owner & CFO

As I view and listen to the different perspectives and wishes of each person(s) affected, a clear picture of the product and its feature set is provided.  If the vendor and the customer have the same vision for product design, the benefits typically are:

• Efficient Use of product, therefore moving towards a cost savings
• Overbuying is eliminated
• Features that aid in higher productivity are put in place
• Evaluations & Metrics are available to enable constant evaluation of needs and new requirements.
• Costly Forklift Upgrades are avoided 

 Of all the items you could have read today, I sincerely thank you for reading our blog.  We hope this adds value to your technology life and experiences.

Small Business Advice: Efficiency Tip of the Day

At every level of life and small business, the details can slow us down.  None of us have the time to dig into every aspect of our business to discover the advanced warning signals to prevent problems.  What if there was a quick litmus test that would send off early warning signals of business problems?  This recent article, by Dan and Chip Heath, tells the story of an unlikely character developing a litmus test for his business.  Your small business success story will one day be filled with the details that didn't slow you down.  Take time each day to figure out what the most important details are for your life and your business. 


Over the past year, I've enjoyed the Heath Brothers various columns and their best selling book.  If you would like to learn more about them, click here.  In a world full of massive amounts of information, they are standing out... which is the premise of their first book.

Influence: The Best the Internet has to Offer

My recent conversations with friends have centered around the "best" items on the Internet. Stating the obvious... we are truly in the Information Age.  Hey Mr. Huxley, it is a Brave New World, but not quite like the one you envisioned - not yet at least - not ever, I hope. We have so much to choose from. Who has time to sift through all of this information? Whether you acknowledge it or not, you have some influence among those close to you. My advice to you... Use your influence. Tell everyone about the best the Internet has to offer or the best customer service you have received in awhile. We are all dying to know about the best things in life. Why? So we can all find the good stuff quickly. Life's too short to be slowed down with the not-so-good stuff.

Technorati  has a list of the best blogs on the Internet based upon various statistics, but nothing beats a good friend's recommendation.  These mathematical rankings never quite work, just ask anyone that follows college football about the BCS standings.  I think only one blog that I read is in the Technorati 100.  For the record, I really appreciate the information received from the 10 or 20 less popular blogs that gain my regular attention.   
Here's to happier more efficient browsing.

1 Quick & Easy Security Tip for Today

A brief discussion about "Two-Step Authentication" and your small business network.

Every additional layer of security reduces the risk of unauthorized access, and adding a second method of authenticating business network users may be a great way to deter inappropriate activities. For very secure enterprise environments, this would require a key fob or some external hardware attached to a laptop in addition to a user-id and password. While this method is very secure, it is costly to implement and few businesses choose to do so. However, nothing is stopping us from being creative and implementing two sets of authentication methods for various aspects of business. Let's look at a simple wireless network in a small retail environment. A consumer grade wireless router & access-point can easily implement a form of two step authentication. Consider enabling the wireless encryption protocol. When encryption is enabled, not only is it harder to gain access to the network, scrambling part of your transmission path is now an added benefit. Many small businesses take advantage of this simple encryption method, but few take the second step of authentication to significantly reduce the probability of a network intrusion. Media Access Control (MAC) Address filtering is another deterrent method available on consumer grade routers. This will help restrict wireless access to only those users or devices you authorize. These addresses are uniquely assigned to each network device manufactured. If a MAC address isn't on your router's list, access is denied. We certainly don't claim that this method is 100% secure. If you are in a industry where security policies are regulated, we don't recommend consumer grade wireless routers as a solution. Consult a professional! Review your industry's requirements or recommendations, and if you have any questions - feel free to call our local support team for help. 706-823-2115.
At Georgia Business Net, we want to be your LAST Telephone & Internet Solution Provider. The Client Relationship means everything to us! We feature Local & Long Distance Telephone Service, High Speed Internet, Next Generation Phone Systems, a local Data Center, and much more.

Two Tips for Your Security Review

Spring is almost here! It is always a good time for a Network Security Review.

Here are a few questions to ask and some low cost tips that are quick to implement on the road to continuously improving your network's security.

1. Have you had any staffing changes in the last twelve months?

If you have had a staffing change recently, take a moment to change passwords, VPN or Wireless Keys, and the security system's code. We recommend this even if the staff left on good terms with you. Why? You never know when their password list was written on your letterhead which got thrown out with the garbage while cleaning their office.

2. Have you had problems with your wireless router recently?

When most small businesses buy a wireless router, they do a good job of making sure it is secure. Wireless Encryption, turning off the SSID Broadcast, and changing the default password are all on the agenda. And then one day recently, it stopped working. The quick fix was..? You hit the "reset" button to get it working again quickly. Now all those default passwords are back, and it is easier than ever to get access to your wireless network.

Changes in your office often result in potential gaps in your security policies.

Take a moment to review or give our Local Support Team a call if you have questions 706-823-2115.

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What You Need to Know: VoIP Lesson 1

VoIP's quality can be great! With proper planning, a needs assessment, and a network designed specifically for your business, VoIP's quality will always be superb. Without proper planning, your voice service quality could be diminished and tarnish your business's image. If your business is considering changing its telephone service, it is critical for the decision makers to understand the different classifications of VoIP.

Classification #1: Voice over the Internet

Voice over the Internet is often the cheapest product available, and it is advertised the most. Why? This type of service lacks the infrastructure to provide proper security or the quality of service business class customers have come to expect. A lack of infrastructure translates into the absence of expensive equipment that ensures quality service. There is a time and a place for the cheapest product available; I want your business to buy the product that meets your expectations and your budget. In some cases, that product turns out to be the lowest priced. If you can tolerate a few dropped calls and diminished quality during peak traffic hours, Voice over the Internet will be a good choice for you and your budget.

Classification #2: Business Class VoIP

Depending on how the service is designed, I've also heard this called Private Line VoIP. A low price is not paramount when a vendor designs this service. However, that does not mean this will be the highest priced product either. Typically this service has circuits (or private lines) dedicated to voice usage. Dedicated is the key design feature. When I dedicate resources to a single task, I typically get better results than if I were to share resources with multiple tasks. The same is true with VoIP. Another key design feature in some offerings is private transmission lines or "private lines." Dedicated and private can be interchanged in the telecommunications industry from time to time. Both words are clues to features that you should consider when choosing a VoIP service that offers quality and security. You will not find those words in the marketing literature of a Voice over the Internet provider. Why not? Your voice shares the Internet with a lot of other people and applications.

Thank you for reading our blog! Our ongoing mission is to keep you informed on technology and avoid any unforeseen difficulties.

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