January 11, 2011

Setting up a Business Network

Filed under: Data Doctors, E-mail, Internet, PC, Passwords, Tips, Wireless Internet — admin @ 3:32 pm

Setting up a small business network allows you to get more out of your systems and components, you’ll be able to access the internet on any computer, as well as share files on computers within the network.

The first thing you need to do is make sure you have the correct equipment for your needs, If you want your business wired, Ethernet cables will be needed, if you choose to go wireless, a wireless router will be required. You are also able to use a combination of the two.

There are two ways you can set up your network:

PEER TO PEER

When using a peer-to-peer setup, each computer acts as both the client and server, and is able to communicate directly with the other computers on the network. You will only need a router, and have the computers on the same work or homegroup, and enable print and file sharing. Windows offers a Network Setup Wizard that you can access to walk you through your setup.

CLIENT-SERVER

A client-server setup allows several computers to connect to a single sever where public data can be stored. This is more typical in a larger office setting. For this set up a server is needed, a computer with a ‘server-friendly operating system’ can be used. (For little companies, Windows XP, Vista or 7 Professional will work just fine.) Making sure everything is hooked up properly is the main thing, as well as making sure all of your client computers have separate names.

Setting up a business network is all a matter of preference and layout, call your local IT Company with any questions or concerns!

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-set-up-a-small-business-computer-network/

March 31, 2010

Picking Better Passwords Is Key to Security

Filed under: Internet, Online Safety, Passwords — Tags: choosing a password, computer, computer security, computers, online security, password, password security, password use, Passwords, security, security expert, security experts, symantec, symantec report, symantec survey — admin @ 10:31 am

Security firm Symantec heard from 400 customers in a just-completed survey about password use.

Turns out far fewer of them (a mere 3%) admit to using the old favorite ‘password’ for their password.  The name of a pet is the top category of passwords in the survey, with 10% of respondents reporting that they tap in ‘Tigger’ or somesuch name when logging into secure accounts.

Security experts frown on using the name of a pet, a significant other, a child’s name, a middle name or a birth date when choosing a password. All of these passwords could be ascertained from information readily available or easily guessed, especially with the information now available on social networking sites.

Choosing and using effective passwords is considered an efficient and effective way to keep your online accounts secure and lower your risk with online scammers.

A whopping 59% of those who responded to the Symantec survey reported that they relied on their memory for recalling a password.

Here are some suggestions on how to choose passwords that will be memory-stickers for you, but will be tricky enough to thwart a thief:

• A longer password is more secure than a shorter one
• Alter passwords with numbers or symbols at the beginning or end
• Mix up letters and numbers. Toss in punctuation symbols as well. For example, if “Billie Jean” has always been your favorite song, replace each ‘e’ with a number, and toss in an exclamation point at the end, so now you have Billi9J9an! which is both memorable and difficult to crack.

You can view the full responses to the Symantec survey.