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How to Choose a Cloud Services and Cloud Hosting Provider?

Cloud Services and Cloud Hosting are rapidly transforming the IT landscape.  Enterprises are showing strong interest in outsourced cloud service offerings that can help them reduce costs and increase business agility.  These cloud services offer enormous economic benefits but they also pose significant potential risks for companies that must safeguard corporate information assets while complying with industry and government regulations.

 

Cloud Computing offers new Opportunities as well as new security challenges…

Most organizations consider cost savings as the biggest benefit to cloud computing services.  Cloud services offers lower IT capital expenditures and operating costs, on-demand capacity with self-service provisioning, and pay-per-use pricing models for greater flexibility and agility.  The cloud services provider achieves exponentially greater economies of scale by providing a standardized set of computing resources to a large base of customers.  Many cloud hosting providers are already well positioned in the market and have the core competencies to deliver cloud computing.

Despite the clear financial benefits of cloud services there are concerns about security, compliance and data privacy.  A recent survey of IT executives reveals that security is the #1 challenge facing IT cloud services. The report has identified seven specific areas of security risk associated with enterprise cloud computing, and recommends that organizations address several key issues when selecting a cloud hosting provider:

ü  Access Privileges – Cloud service providers should be able to demonstrate they enforce adequate hiring, oversight and access controls to enforce administrative delegation.

ü  Regulatory compliance – Enterprises are accountable for their own data even when it’s in a public cloud, and should ensure their providers are ready and willing to undergo audits.

ü  Data Provenance – When selecting a provider, ask where their datacenters are located and if they can commit to specific privacy requirements.

ü  Data Segregation – Most public clouds are shared environments, and it is critical to make sure hosting providers can guarantee complete data segregation for secure multi-tenancy.

ü  Data Recovery – Enterprises must make sure their hosting provider has the ability to do a complete restoration in the event of a disaster.

ü  Monitoring and Reporting – Monitoring and logging public cloud activity is hard to do, so enterprises should ask for proof that their hosting providers can support investigations.

ü  Business Continuity – Businesses come and go, and enterprises should ask hard questions about the portability of their data to avoid lock-in or potential loss if the business fails.

The benefits of cloud computing without increasing security and compliance risks, enterprises must ensure they work only with trusted service providers that can address these and other cloud security challenges. When enterprises move from using just one cloud-based service to using several from different providers, they must manage all these issues across multiple operators, each with different infrastructures, operational policies, and security skills. This complexity of trust requirements drives the need for a ubiquitous, highly reliable method to secure your data as it moves to, from and around the cloud.

 

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

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Canada’s New Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) Top 10 Things

Canada’s New Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) will be effective July 1, 2014.  Companies will not be able to use pre-checked boxes or other “opt-out” mechanisms as ways to collect express consent.  The law places restrictions on the sending of commercial electronic communications and dictates what information must be included in any electronic message.

The law may apply to the following communication tools: emails, text messages, instant messages, Facebook messages directed to a particular user, and other social media tools whose purpose is to encourage customers to purchase your goods or services.

  • Retailers must have consent from the consumer prior to sending certain electronic communications (referred to as “Commercial Electronic Messages” or “CEMS” in the legislation). The legislation sets out two forms of consent that are acceptable.
  • One form of consent is implied consent, which means the customer has not specifically agreed to receive emails or other electronic messages from your business, but you have an existing relationship with the customer. Consent may be implied where the customer has purchased a product or service from your store in the preceding two years or made an inquiry within the preceding six months.
  • Another form of consent is express consent, which means the customer has specifically agreed to receive electronic messages from your business.
  • Companies must keep records of their customers who have agreed to receive electronic messages and be able to prove that consent (whether express or implied) was received.
  • The law dictates what must be included in messages to customers. This includes clearly providing contact information for the entity sending the message and an easy to use no cost unsubscribe mechanism.
  • The law also applies to electronic messages originating outside Canada.
  • Businesses and individuals may be subject to significant fines of up to $1 million for individuals or $10 million for a corporation for non-compliance.

 

What should you do before July 1, 2014?

  • The most important step is to consider asking all of the customers in your database to provide their express consent to continue to receive emails and other messages from your business.
  • Ensure you have a system in place to record express consents received from your customers.
  • If your business intends to rely on implied consent, ensure that you can track customer activity e.g. purchases or inquiries that will allow your business to demonstrate that you have implied consent.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

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Corporate Mobile Secure, is Your Company Secure?

Many organizations do not realize how unprepared they are when it comes to keeping data safe and secure.  Motorola surveyed people that use their smartphones for both work and personal.  Most admit to engaging in risky behaviors despite knowing the threats.

Why do you need comprehensive corporate mobile secure policies?

Companies must address mobile productivity as it presents risks to corporate mobile devices and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).  You are at risk including data, malware, loss, theft and unauthorized access.  This is achieved through policy-based security and is managed by your it support services provider.

Here are some interesting key findings from the survey regarding Corporate Mobile Secure:

  • 66% of people know the responsibility falls on them to keep mobile data private and secure.
  • 73% of respondents said they are concerned about smartphone security.
  • 34% store sensitive data such as their bank account information or work email passwords on their phones.
  • 55% admit they’ve sent work email or documents to their personal email accounts on their phones.
  • 48% have used their devices to log into an unsecure wireless network.
  • 77% can name at least one thing they’re more familiar with than their company’s IT security policies

So is your corporate mobile secure?

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

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What is Hybrid Cloud and Colocation?

Cloud is the future of IT however many businesses face the issue that certain elements cannot be put in the cloud.  Organizations have to select the right technology when considering Hybrid Cloud and Colocation.

Cloud computing services are engineered to increase capacity and capability without the need for investments in additional infrastructure. Every solution is custom based on each individual company needs assessment.  It may not be necessary to virtualize all aspects of your network and servers.  It is possible to collocate any number of physical servers, appliances, firewalls and have them share any of the same VLANs as your cloud servers.

Here are some advantages of the Hybrid Cloud solutions:

  • Centralized management: Both existing hardware and cloud solutions remain centralized under one roof.
  • Scale as you grow: As the IT infrastructure changes, you can migrate to the cloud environment over time.
  • Security: All systems, cloud servers and hardware are housed within the walls of an enterprise class data center.

Hybrid Cloud allows the integration of cloud virtual servers with collocated, customer-owned physical hardware in the data center.  When moving your infrastructure to the cloud, it is not always possible to virtualize all the physical devices.  Some companies prefer to have a physical firewall, appliance, custom server, or other physical device integrated with the cloud environment.

Always ensure you know where it will be physically located and if they are an ISO 27001:2005 certified secure data center.   By choosing the right IT consulting partner, the process of integration can be simplified and your organization can immediately start seeing the cost savings offered by the cloud.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

Please visit us on Google+LinkedInFacebookTwitter and YouTube.

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IT Support Security News: Twitter Flood with Spam and Malicious Tweets.

For all the Twitter users, have you noticed that over the last 24 hours, Twitter has been flooded with spam tweets?  All these tweets have been coming from compromised accounts which are using third party apps and services.

So why is Twitter flooded with Spam and Malicious Tweets?

As a trusted IT Support partner to our clients, we have put multiple measures in place to control email spam and as of July 1, 2014, the new Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) comes into force. Once the law is in force, it will help to protect Canadians while ensuring that businesses can continue to compete in the global marketplace. However, now there is new spam threats on social media outlets.

Industry experts have noticed that social media spam has been replacing email spam and now Twitter has been hit by a wave of spam tweets, again.  The tweets initially seemed to be coming from accounts linked to social image sharing site however the same tweets started appearing from “Twitter for iPhone” which isn’t necessarily a reliable source.

All the tweets which have been observed by Twitter users contain the same message: “If I didn’t try this my life wouldn’t have changed” and also a shortened URL.  It has not been determined whether the spam URL links to spyware but users are recommended not to click on these links nonetheless.

What to do? Users whose accounts have been compromised should revoke access to the third-party services linked to their accounts and change their passwords to prevent further spam.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading iT consulting firm offering industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support, IT Outsourcing, Cloud Services and VoIP services in the Toronto and surrounding GTA areas.

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How can I tell if i have a computer virus?

On a daily basis, there are new viruses and threats launched to attack systems worldwide.  Here are a couple of items to consider.  If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, your computer might have a virus.

So here are some clear signs if you have a computer virus?

  • Is your computer running slow? Viruses tend to slow computer performance.  There can be other reasons for slow performance including a hard disk requiring defragmentation, lack of memory or spyware/ad ware.
  • Unexpected messages or programs starting automatically? Viruses can cause damage to Windows and/or some of your programs. The results of this damage might include messages appearing unexpectedly, programs starting or closing automatically, or Windows shutting down suddenly.
  • Is computer working overtime? An email virus works by sending many copies of itself by e‑mail. One indicator of this is your workstation working overtime even when you are not using it. These are not always symptoms of a computer virus, but when combined with other problems, can indicate a virus infection.

To check for your workstation for viruses, scan your computer with an antivirus program. New viruses appear every day, so keeping your antivirus program updated is important.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONSis a leading iT consulting firm offering industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support, IT Outsourcing, Cloud Services and VoIP services in the Toronto and surrounding GTA areas.

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How Do I Secure My Wireless Network?

Technology is safe as long as your follow simple safe browsing and of course industry best practices.

So how can you secure your wireless network?

  1. Control your broadcast area. Many wireless APs (access points) let you adjust the signal strength; some even let you adjust signal direction. Begin by placing your APs as far away from exterior walls and windows as possible, then play around with signal strength so you can just barely get connections near exterior walls. This isn’t enough, though. Sensitive snooping equipment can pick up wireless signals from an AP at distances of several hundred feet or more. So even with optimal AP placement, the signal may leak.
  2. Lock each AP. A lot of people don’t bother changing the defaults on their APs, and maintaining the default administrator password makes your system a good target. Use a strong password to protect each AP.                                                                              
  3. Ban rogue access points. If an AP is connected to your home or office network, make sure you or the network administrator put it there.                                                                                                                                                                                                           
  4. Use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). Passively cracking the WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) security protocol is merely a nuisance to a skilled hacker using Linux freeware like AirSnort. The protocol does add a layer of difficulty.                  
  5. Use SSIDS wisely. Change the default Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs) for your APs, and don’t use anything obvious like your address or company name. For corporate setups, buy APs that let you disable broadcast SSID.                                                   
  6. Limit access rights. Chances are, not everyone in your building needs a wireless card. Once you determine who should take to the airwaves, set your APs to allow access by wireless cards with authorized MAC addresses only.                                         
  7. Limit the number of user addresses. If you don’t have too many users, consider limiting the maximum number of DHCP addresses the network can assign, allowing just enough to cover the users you have. Then if everyone in the group tries to connect but some can’t, you know there are unauthorized log-ons.                                                                                                         
  8. Authenticate users. Install a firewall that supports VPN connectivity, and require users to log on as if they were dialing in remotely. Tweak the settings to allow only the types of permissions that wireless users need.                                                             
  9. Use RADIUS. Installing a RADIUS server provides another authentication method. The servers tend to be expensive, but there are open-source options, such as Free RADIUS (www.freeradius.org), for UNIX-savvy administrators.                                  
  10. Call in the big boys. If you have secrets to protect, you should have wireless-dedicated hardware security in place. Call in an expert that can protect your network.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

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What Website Were Compromised by Heartbleed Threat? But Not These Ones!

Facebook
It is unclear if it was affected however the site has implemented a patch so you can go and change your password.

Twitter
It is unclear if it was affected however the company has yet to comment.

Google
It was affected but Google said users do not need to change passwords however best practice is to change it, period.

Tumblr and Flickr
It was affected however Tumblr has fixed the problem. You should change the password immediately.

Yahoo
It was affected and Yahoo has deployed patches on all major services. You must change your passwords only once Yahoo announces all have been secured.

Hotmail, Outlook and LinkedIn
It was not affected however if you use the same password as the affected services, it is better to change them as a precautionary measure.

So what can I do to protect myself?
Easy, change your passwords! Also do not use the same password on every website. It is very inconvenient however it goes a long way to helping protect your online presence.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading iT consulting firm offering industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support, IT OutsourcingCloud Services and VoIP services in the Toronto and surrounding GTA areas.

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Canada Revenue Agency Shuts Down Online Tax Returns thanks to Heartbleed Threat

The security flaw allows potential attackers to get passwords, credit card information, and other information that’s usually encrypted.  This flaw makes it possible to snoop on Internet traffic even if the padlock had been closed. Interlopers could also grab the keys for deciphering encrypted data without the website owners knowing the theft had occurred, according to security researchers.

Some popular sites that may have been affected include The CRA, Yahoo, Flickr, OkCupid, Eventbrite, Indiegogo and Imgur. For a full list, please click here.

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has halted online filing of tax returns by the country’s citizens following the disclosure of the Heartbleed security vulnerability that rocked the Internet this week.  Until this issue can be fixed, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will not be apply penalties to those filing 2013 tax returns after April 30 for a period equal to the length of the service disruption.  Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has also suspended public access to its online services while it investigates the potential impact on tax payer information.

The services affected include EFILE, a Web service that permits filing of income tax returns by third parties directly from tax preparation software, and NETFILE, a personal tax returns program.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States is still continuing to accept tax returns ahead of an April 15 deadline. IRS said it continued to monitor the situation.

Canada Revenue Agency anticipates restoring services by weekend.

Industry experts are recommending that users change all online passwords as a precautionary measure.

365 iT SOLUTIONS provides industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support, IT OutsourcingRemote IT Support, Cloud Services and VoIP services in the Toronto, Mississauga, Markham, Concord, Richmond Hill and surrounding GTA areas.

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Windows XP is DEAD and Google is on the Attack

April 8th 2014 was the end for Microsoft support.  There is no need to panic as your computer will not immediately shut itself down or self-destruct.  Most users will not even notice besides the pop ups that Microsoft has been pushing to Windows XP users to notify them of the end of support date.

Now Google is making an attempt at business users with Chromebooks.   In the past, Microsoft has tried to make the case that Chromebooks with Google’s Chrome OS are not real laptops.  Google is using Microsoft’s tactics by using the end of Windows XP support to make the case for Chromebooks for businesses.

For some businesses, they are scrambling out there and the natural thing to do is to go with Windows 7 or 8, but Google wants folks to consider another option.  Google claims that Chromebooks are ready for enterprise thanks to the advent of offline office apps, virtual machine emulation and more however most IT Support would rather stick to more familiar footing.

Most IT professionals feel that Chromebook’s are not ready for business.

What is a Chromebook?

A Chromebook is a Google invention that pairs hardware manufacturers with software from Google that essentially creates on OS based off of the Chrome browser. The idea is the cloud is your storage and you are always connected to the internet. Google is theoretically claiming businesses can save resources and lower costs.

What is the Chromebook used for?

Google wants it to replace your computer however it is more like a smartphone or tablet. The Chromebook you will allow you to access websites for financing, accounting marketing tools, etc.

How well does a Chromebook work?

The idea is that you can do everything you need on a computer with Chrome as it builds localized storage and caching that essentially buffers your online work so as a network comes and goes temporarily you can continue to work seamlessly but there are many other systems that already do this in a business class industry.

Why Chromebook is flawed for Business?

Every IT professional will agree that nothing out there is 100%.   It is a great upcoming tool but still needs a bit more maturing for business class use.  As for costs, most Chromebooks start around $200-$250 whereas a notebook with Windows Professional operating system starts around approximately $400.  The notebook is a bit pricier however their capabilities far exceed the Chromebooks for business use.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading iT consulting firm by offering industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support, IT OutsourcingRemote IT Support, Cloud Services and VoIP services in the Toronto, Mississauga, Markham, Concord, Richmond Hill and surrounding GTA areas.

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