On October 30th, 2014 eyeNET Security celebrated its 10th anniversary. Our gift to all our amazing clients, friends and family with to through a big bash in our office building at American Underground. And then we recorded all the shannigans as a way to showcase our customers because we believe that technology should be easy and work without the excuse of 'sometimes that happens'.
Regarding Upcoming Release of Windows 10...
On July 29th, 2015, Microsoft will release Windows 10. All versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8 are eligible to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. You may have probably already seen the little Windows icon show up in your system tray (the bottom right-side of your desktop). The icon allows you to "reserve" your free upgrade; feel free to do this – but be cautious before moving forward with the actual Windows 10 upgrade process.
Upgrading your operating system is not something that should be done without caution and proper testing. The new version of Windows brings with it a number of new features, and improved security already "baked-in." There are enough of these new features to make the upgrade a very good idea. But there are some reasons why waiting for a number of weeks/months is also a good idea. Your software may not be compatible with Windows 10. Your devices (printers, scanners, cameras, monitors, etc.) may have issues with Windows 10 drivers that Microsoft will need to work out as more people adopt the operating system, and have a chance to issue updates and fixes.
You have a full year to upgrade for free. Don't rush into it, and be sure to talk with a professional or expert about what steps you should take prior to upgrading. Many professionals will have tested the upgrade and will know what obstacles to be on the lookout for.
If you would like to discuss Windows 10 with a professional, we're here for you. Please give us a call at (919) 907-1560 and one of our support team members will contact you to discuss how we can help.
Thank you,
Your eyeNET Security Support Team
8 Years. A website. And some Thanks!
Yep, we have been in business for 8 years and we are only now just launching our first website. Kind of strange for a technology company to not have a website for 8 years. Let me share a few reasons why it has taken so long.
What to say?
I have struggled greatly with what to say and how to say it. You see, I really didn't (and don't) want our site to read like every other IT services provider out there. It isn't that the typical site is 'wrong', it is just 'wrong for us'. I wanted to avoid using jargon and marketing catch-phrases, and instead, write in plain language gives vistors to our site a sense of who we are and how we approach things. Could I load the site with a bunch of technical jargon, sure could (and we will probably add more technical information to the site in the coming weeks and months) but that doesn't encourage conversation.
My struggle with wanting the site to be perfect.
Admittedly, I wanted the site to be perfect the first time. And it also had to be complete (all the information we wanted to to provide HAD to be ready when the site launched).
That is just silly and I have decided that it is more important that the measure of success should be our "goal of being genuine" as opposed to perfect.
Time to say thanks!
So, on this our 8 year anniversary, I want to thank a few people:
Doug Hitchen
Co-Founded eyeNET Security with me back in 2004 and gave me the confidence to go into businesses knowing we had the "technical chops" to provide them with great service. I not only thank him for his professional friendship and his amazing technical talent (which I trust implicitly), I also truly appreciate the friendship and guidance he has provided since our first meeting in late 1997.
Our Clients
Lost of businesses and business owners say this, but I truly mean it. I am tremendously grateful for the amazing clients that we have had the opportunity to work with over the past 8 years. You have been patient with me as we have grown, generous with your feedback and encouragement and most importantly, you have inspired me to strive to be a better human being and business owner every single day.
My "Team" of Supporters
I won't mention you all by name but I hope you know who you are. You have spent hours talking with me about business and life, you have made me laugh until my stomach hurt, you have given me a sholder to lean on when things don't go as expected and you have continuiously reminded me that the best way to get to where you want to go is by taking it one step at a time.
Ronii Bartles of Bartles & Associates
I have to mention Ronii by name becuase we started this "website" project almost 4 years ago. She has patiently coached, cajoled, pushed, and pulled me through this process of getting a website together. It isn't perfect, but it is finally up.
So here is to the amazing 8 years that have passed and the next 8 years to come!
Warmest regards,
Brian
Time Warner Cable increases speeds for residential customers
Attn Triangle Road Runner Customers:
Unplug the electricity from your cable modem for 1-2 minutes and plug it back in to get MUCH faster speeds. They just recently announced new speeds (without additional cost) but the only way you'll get them is by power cycling your cable modem! Speed upgrade will depend on your current service level.
If you want to see how much faster things are go to http://www.speedtest.net/ run a test before and after the power cycle.
Should I open an attachment? Here are my rules
If you aren’t expecting it, don’t open it.
If you aren’t sure who is sending it, don’t open it.
If is an “unusual” communication from someone who you regularly communicate with, check with them BEFORE you open it. (I'll usually either call them or send them a "new" email to check with them)
If You Own a Verizon Mi-Fi, Change the Defaults
World famous - okay, so maybe he is only world famous in the computer security world- security researcher Joshua Wright discovered a vulnerability in the way Verizon (and I imagine other wireless carriers) configured the "default" settings on their popular MiFi device.
Let me summarize what he uncovered: (full article).
- the default password settings of the Verizon MiFi make it easy for someone to hack the device
- the default wireless encryption settings of the Verizon MiFi make it easy for someone to figure out what the encryption key is - which then enables them to to connect to the MiFi.
What are the implications of this hack?
- since the MiFi device is WiFi enabled, the hacker does NOT have to have physical access to your device - they could be sitting on the other side of the coffee house or even across the street.
- in "Verizon World" your "unlimited" service is actually capped out at 5GB - so a hacked MiFi could be used in such a way that you exceed your 5GB cap - which means overage charges
- a hacker who is able to connect to your MiFi WiFi network (can you say "MiFi WiFi" 5 times fast) could use that connection to capture the traffic which could expose passwords and other sensitive inforamtion.
So what do you need to do to keep your MiFi secure?
- Change the default password for administering the device. (I don't currently have access to a MiFi but if I can get my hands on one, I'll do a screencast on how to do this.)
- Change the default SSID and encryption key on the device. (Again, as soon as I can get my hands on a MiFi I'll do a screencast on how to make these changes)
While I wait to get my hands on a MiFi, if you have any questions about this issue, feel free drop me an email at eyenetsecurity-AT-gmail.com.
And so it begins...
I have spent the last several years trying to figure out what I am supposed to blog about. After much deliberation - two years worth - I think I am going to just start by answering questions my friends, family and clients ask about their computers and computer security. Sounds like fun eh? Well, I'll do my best to make it interesting!
If you are reading this and have questions about your computer or computer security, drop me a line at brian-AT-eyenetsecurity.com and I'll be happy to answer them!