5Why CompTIA Mobile App Security+ for Android Is The Right Choice?

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Competition in the field of information technology is very rampant and it is still very difficult to find an employment even if you have the right skills and abilities. To get a spot, it is very imperative to obtain a certification that will support your capabilities. Obtaining a certification is one of the best things to do. Receiving a certification from CompTIA is proven to be an effective way to boost your resume. This is because CompTIA is one of the well-recognized certification. CompTIA Mobile App Security+ is one of the newest certification applicable for professionals who wish to become part of the growing community of CompTIA. This is intended for professionals who want to validate their knowledge and skills in Mobile App Security.

A Disaster Recovery Plan That Works

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A Managed Service Provider (MSP) with a well-prepared disaster recovery plan gives their clients the advantage of remaining operational in the wake of a disaster. Every MSP ought to have a detailed plan documenting procedures to prevent downtime or loss of data due to a disaster and how to recover from one. A simple system glitch or larger-scale power failure can wreak havoc on a business. Mother Nature can have devastating effects as well. Severe rain and snow might result in power outages or flooding and some regions are susceptible to tornado and earthquake damage. A MSP proactive in putting a procedure in place to avoid such a crippling situation is better prepared in keeping client business operations functioning and critical data safe.

Top Level Definitions of IP And IP Related Technologies

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There is no question that we are finally heading towards a deeper period of the technology age. As we move forward into the world of IP Telephony, VOIP and Unified Communications, it is time to be clear on what we are getting into. Here are definitions of some of the broad concepts.

What is IP?

IP stands for Internet Protocol. This is the protocol, or method used in which data is transferred from one computer to another via the Internet. Each workstation is referred to as the host. It has its own IP address used to uniquely identify that specific workstation/computer from the rest of the computers running in the Internet.

Managed Services, IT Teams, And Multi-Vendor Workplaces

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Not many employees outside the IT office really know what goes on in there. Oftentimes, members of the IT team are encumbered with creating and deploying a new project, which, due to the complexity of technology and the rate at which it is advancing, could sometimes take up to a year. Then, before you know it, that brand new technology becomes outdated.

You want your business to run as efficiently as possible. This means putting the brainpower and resources where they are needed, not creating headaches by trying to stay on top of an ever-changing game. That's why so many companies are looking to managed services to align their IT team with their business and all their clients.

Mobile Security Challenges For Enterprise Companies

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The latest wave in the tide of internet revolution has been the amazing spread of mobile devices and the gradual closing of the gap between the personal computer and mobile telecommunications. Thanks to the global proliferation of smartphones and their associated networks, mobile devices are now ubiquitous in developed countries and elsewhere as personal information resources. We are now witnessing the inevitable movement of mobile devices from personal uses to work and business applications as mobile information technology gradually supplants the old wired model and the division between voice communication and the internet. With this change comes an inevitable rise in the security risks that businesses must face.

How Can IT Training Save My Business Money And Increase Productivity?

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IT training is a crucial factor in having a successful business in the modern world. In order for business managers to choose the right technology for their business, it is crucial to have a thorough understanding of modern technologies and which programmes would be most productive and cost effective.


Many business leaders recognise that ongoing IT training is an important part to any IT team’s success. As IT is constantly evolving and advancing, staff members can become overwhelmed by the influx of new technologies when adequate training is not put in place. Additionally, managers need to keep on top of technological change in order to adapt their business strategies.

The Essentials Of Database High Availability

Sites classified as highly available are designed to be ultra-resilient and offer the best protection from single failure points and underlying platform errors. The umbrella of availability incorporates failure, recovery and site resilience. Availability is commonly measured based on the time percentage that any system is working and active.

In order to improve availability it is necessary to put in place comprehensively engineered solutions. Since prediction of when or how a system will fail is notoriously difficult to predict, the best method of planning improved reliability is to engender shorter recovery times. If a given system is able to recover from a failure within 86.4 seconds then it’s possible to have a failure on a daily basis and still provide an availability of 99.9% to users.

How To Use Your Smartphone To Improve Your Credit

Have you had the chance to look at your credit lately? Chances are if you have you might have noticed it is not as good as it can be. This is going to be a problem because you not having the credit you need is going to really cripple you in a society that is very dependent on access to credit. Your credit score is more than just a number. It can affect you in the following ways.

The Importance Of Java Training For IT Professionals

Anyone in the field of IT in any industry must always be updating and learning new skills if they are to do their job effectively.  The world of technology is constantly moving and never stays still, so anyone that works within that world must also never stop the learning process to stay on top of all the latest developments.  If you fall behind in even one area, you could end up costing your company a lot of money or worse.  Most people outside of the IT industry get a little dazed and confused when it comes to trying to decipher all of the codes and formulas, but that’s why IT is an industry unto itself and IT professionals are so valuable. 

Understanding Tiered Data Storage For Faster Retreival

In this digital world, data is a highly valuable commodity. For this reason, every business must make use of a data storage solution which is able to accommodate the tonnes of information you have and still ensure a high level of security. If you’re in the market for a data storage solution, it’s always a good idea for you to know more about tiered storage.

How Branding is impacted by Social Media

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Social media has become an integral tool in marketing these days. All kinds of businesses are now turning to the Internet to promote their products and services. Even social networks welcome the idea, offering services that allow companies to promote their brands. This article will talk about the kind of effects social media has on branding.

The Cost Of Letting A Server Get Old

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Servers are the technological heart of any modern business. A company server provides a central storage point for their data and hosts their corporate applications. Servers are relied upon to establish remote connections into the corporate network, allowing users to work on the same projects from remote locations.

A small-business owner may see the desktop computer in front of each employee and rationalize that as long as it keeps running it puts money in their pocket. In the case of a desktop computer, they may be able to justify the down time of a single employee while they run to an office store or order a replacement computer online. With a server, the matter is much more critical. 

Servers are often “out of sight, out of mind,” but no other piece of office equipment is as mission-critical. A server performs many functions in any office. The server can house data, manage print functions or allow employees access to critical applications. Without these services, the business comes to a grinding halt.

Here are some key costs that can be associated with letting a server get old and possibly fail –

• Employee downtime
• Data corruption or loss of data
• Productivity loss due to poor performance or outdated technology


Employee downtime costs a business in many ways. The most obvious is the direct cost of paying a worker for their time while they sit idle. If a server goes down and the employee is unable to perform the function they are being paid to perform the loss is easier to see. However, the reality is far worse than just the lost labour cost. The impact the lost labour has on customer service is far greater. When a company fails to meet deadlines, there are real consequences that often include customers finding new providers. The thousands it will cost you to replace equipment is cheap by comparison.


Even worse than having employees sitting is the potential for lost data. Many businesses never reopen after a catastrophic data loss. A business owner who assumes that it is ok to run this type of risk, even if they have a backup, is fooling themselves. The fact is most small businesses don’t have a dedicated IT staff, and they wind up trusting a secretary or other employee to maintain backups. Do you really want to leave the fate of your business up to that person?

As time marches on, databases grow, hard drives fill up and computers slow down. Think about all the stuff that gets dumped on your corporate server. Where your desktop computer probably has a few types of information that get stored to it, the server in the back gets everything stored on it from every department. If the server in question is an application server with a database performance degradation becomes even more apparent.

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Finally, we run into a topic many business owners want to ignore altogether, new technology. New operating systems and new applications seem to be coming to market at ever faster rates. Technologies such as tablet computers or employees wanting to work from home or on the road are becoming today's new normal. When a business fails to invest in updating their server, they are leaving these opportunities on the table.

In many cases business owners are just trying to save a buck. In reality, they wind up stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.

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•  License: Creative Commons image source 

The article was supplied by Josh Hervall, a technology and IT enthusiast and keen blogger. He writes for www.consosco.com; experts in IT Solutions.

Providing Support Services For The SMB

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It’s undeniable that every business needs the support of an IT service no matter how big or small their company is. It is the size of their business as well as the industry that they are in that determines the level of IT support they not only need, but also can afford. As a Managed Service Provider (MSP), by providing affordable coverage and support for small and medium businesses (SMB’s), you can create a peace of mind for your clients. If you have any SMB’s for clients, be sure to provide a customized service plan that will provide them with responsive, proactive services and products that will keep their business running smoothly.

As a MSP, you have a lot to offer SMB’s. You are responsible for keeping their employees connected (both onsite and off), you can help them consolidate business when it comes to phone and data usage and costs, and offer protection against information theft, which is a major concern with businesses. MSP’s are essential to small-and-medium sized businesses because MSP’s are the ones who purchase and maintain equipment so that clients don’t have to worry about it. As a result, this helps businesses avoid any upfront costs in maintaining and buying equipment like servers, they don’t have an immediate need for their own full-time IT staff, technology risks are not as big of a concern, and they can expect a more reliable service at a more predictable cost, which means that their money can be funneled into business projects instead.

As a small-or medium-business, growth can be slow or it is a decision to remain small. A small business allows for internal employees (if businesses even have the staffing to do so) to do most of the work, but that isn’t always the most efficient or profitable for the company. Businesses want to be careful about overloading their internal IT staff and when businesses grow, a company’s IT needs sometimes exceeds what the business can handle.

When providing support for SMB’s, there are different things to take into consideration in order to determine what type of services to offer them. Determine the type of business your clients run, where they are located, and the number of employees they have. Once you have determined that, look at their technology. How many computers do they have and what programs are they running? Will they also need support for fax and copy machines?

Next, you need to gain an understanding for why those businesses have a need for a MSP and other ways that you can provide support for them that they might not realize. Some SMB’s already have a small IT department and need them to handle the more important business issues while having someone else free them from the lower task issues such as login help that a MSP can handle. Or maybe they have a need for a MSP because they don’t have any IT personnel at all.

From here, you can work with SMB’s to determine who their current providers are, the amount of onsite services they have versus remote services, determine the amount of satisfaction they currently experience with their technology environment, etc. SMB’s might need help with deploying servers or troubleshoot server problems and other technology and programs. It’s important for SMB’s to remain productive and not lose time and employees to have to recover these issues.

Depending on who your clients are, consider offering services such as unlimited phone and online chat support. You never want your clients to feel like they can’t get help when they need it. Provide next business day repairs or replacements when necessary. Downtime can hurt your clients, and the longer they are without working technology, the more their business is hurting. Offer advanced configuration and deployment support when it comes to major projects. See what type of remote and onsite services they will need. 

Give clients regular assessments so that you both know where you need to make changes in order to keep providing for efficient running of programs and systems.  SMB’s can greatly benefit from the IT services that MSP’s can offer. It takes a lot of the worry out of their hands so they can focus more on business initiatives while still being able to get top-of-the-line support.

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Josh Campbell wrote this article on behalf of GMS Live Expert.

The 4 Most Common Advantages of Managed Server Services

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In order to adequately determine whether or not managed servers are the best solution for a business, it is essential for that business to approach the issue first from a cost-benefit analysis perspective.  This allows businesses to identify any opportunity costs it gains or losses, as well as considering the financial side as well.  Only by taking a holistic perspective of how managed server services can be utilized by a company can the driving forces behind it be identified.

Security

Security is an overriding issue for every business looking into IT related solutions.  When it comes to servers, both physical and digital security must be considered.  By taking advantage of managed servers, businesses gain the ability to leverage state-of-the-art data centers to provide the physical security for the server.  This is a notable benefit because a league data centers are purpose built which allows for an integrated, layered approach to preventing physical threats.  The same approach is nearly impossible to duplicate when a room or building is retrofitted to accomplish this goal.

When discussing digital security, managed server providers take a multitude of steps to ensure the businesses data is secure.  Not only is data proactively secured from potential threats, but it is also backed up so if data is lost it can be recovered quickly.  For a business to replicate this in house, it would require significant resources to train and maintain the necessary IT staff.

Expert Support

Closely tied to security is support.  Managed server providers go to great lengths to provide businesses with expert support.  Support can include everything from strategic planning and expansion to fixing any hardware or software related issues which arise.  Not only do managed server providers offer support around the clock, but the staff is expertly trained to remedy the situation as quickly as possible.  For a business to create this same opportunity in house, it would not only require an expertly trained IT staff but the staff must be available 24x7.  Overall, this is an extremely resource intensive challenge many businesses cannot overcome without taking away from office efficiency and profitability.

Infrastructure Reliability

The infrastructure related benefits stem from the same premise as the physical security benefits.  By housing the managed servers in a purpose built data center, businesses gain access to unparalleled infrastructure.  This includes a fully redundant system, multiple connectivity options, and an up-time guarantee.  Creating the same benefits in house is extremely cost prohibitive which is why more businesses turn to third-party data center facilities rather than trying to create their own.

Scalability

The final benefit of using managed servers is scalability.  Managed server providers give businesses the opportunity to quickly expand the number of servers they utilize on an as needed basis.  This makes manage servers and infinitely scalable option.  On the other hand, it in-house scalability requires businesses to invest significant capital in additional hardware, software, and personnel.  Additionally, setting everything up takes time which means while scalability does exist, it takes time to implement.

When identifying the benefits driving the use of managed servers among businesses of all sizes, the benefits far outweigh the costs in four distinct areas.  They are security (physical and digital), support availability, infrastructure reliability, and scalability.

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•  License: Image author owned 
•  License: Image author owned 

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Ron Brown discusses colocation opportunities in the Houston Area.  He believes that co-location services should be considered by any company that wants to keep data safe. Ron helps educate readers about the benefits of co-location and data centers for companies of all sizes.

Can cloud computers be easily hacked?

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Getting a new storage device to store our data – these days are gradually fading out. Thanks to Cloud services, people have discovered a new way to store their data and information at a much cheaper price. No additional expense, no extra physical space and best of all, no tension! That is the convenience of Cloud services. This technology has come out as a blessing in disguise for most of us and has indeed eliminated storage space concerns. But, have we ever thought of how safe actually cloud services are? Well, not most of us! We think, by just a simple drag-drop process our data are safe. But, are they really safe? 

No is the answer:

 

Well, we now have understood that cloud computers can be easily hacked. The recent security breaches of popular websites like Gmail and Sony PlayStation network clearly indicate that the clouds are truly vulnerable to attacks and threats. We are now at a point where cloud computing has become more of a fashionable statement used for product promotion than convenience. We have witnessed many tech giants and corporate integrating their products with cloud services. A new cloud service means a new platform to show off their hacking skills. It is believed that it is the hackers who get rejoiced first when a firm or a company announces a new cloud service followed by the users. 

What do hackers look for in a cloud?

 

1. Password:

 

It is claimed that most of the individual hacks occur due to poor password structuring. Hackers mostly use their password dictionary or use brute force attack techniques to decode the password and start their work. Thus, if your cloud service requires you to have a password, make sure that you generate a proper one with lots of symbols and codes. 

2. Mother cloud:

 

It is the general tendency of hackers to put in very little effort and retrieve the data. So, they usually avoid hacking individual spaces and preferably go for the heart of the cloud service. This gives them a better chance to invade on the ample number of individual spaces with minimal efforts. 

3. HTTPS or HTTP:

 

The ‘S’ stands for a Secured connection in HTTPS. This ensures that whenever a data is being sent to the website or the service, it is properly encrypted and is invulnerable to attacks. Though many services provide HTTPS connection, there are some that intentionally or unintentionally remove the secured connection, making your data less secured and creating a larger space for hacks. 

Can this be stopped?

 

Cloud services are a new concept in the IT industry. They have not yet been fully understood by many. Moreover there are no standard procedural rules or conventions for the operation. So, stopping it will indeed take some time. Few things that companies can do to minimize the attacks can be, appointing or consulting White Hat hackers to find the possible loopholes in hacking and come up with patches to resolve them. Moreover, biggies who offer cloud services should ensure their domain is safe and secure. Even the smallest bit of storage space is OK, but it should be a secured one, because there is no point in offering several GBs of storage space without any data security. And, it is also up to the users who use the cloud service to be safe from their perception. Frequent change of passwords, proper data encryption and use of security suites will be helpful. So, let’s hope the day comes when hackers tiresomely ask “God! Can the Cloud computers be hacked? 

This is a guest post by Travis Ramsy of Buycharter.com, a site that offers savings and current information on charter communications, as well as charter.com services

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Top Tips for Breaking into the Competitive IT Industry

Due to the state of the economy, the IT industry is now more competitive than ever. People with careers in this field are constantly improving and gaining new skills and pushing their creativity and innovation to the limit in order to beat the competition. For someone who is new to the IT industry, breaking in can seem very difficult to impossible. Here are a few tips for breaking into the competitive industry that is IT.

Unlike a more static field like law, Information Technology is a field that is constantly changing and developing. New technology is always being developed and new skills are always popping up just waiting to be practiced and mastered. To successfully break into the IT industry, you're going to need to be informed of new developments when it comes to technology.

You need to stay current and be informed of all IT trends. Visit websites, such as Computer World and Tech Spot to ensure that you know all the necessary information to find and keep a job in the Information Technology industry.

Learning and development is important for all people in the IT industry. Since technology is always changing and new skills are constantly being developed, employees in the IT industry are going to have to constantly be learning mastering new skills to be employable. The IT industry is a fast-paced industry, and you won't survive if you aren't willing to change your ways and be very flexible.

In most professions, gaining new qualifications is greatly encouraged and recommended but not necessary. However, employers in the IT industry actually expect their employees to value and practice learning and development.

If you want to break into the competitive IT industry, you can get some certificates in Cisco, SQL, and UNIX. Although it is possible to get a job straight out of school, it's much better to get a few qualifications to give yourself an advantage over the tons of competition.

Fortunately, you don't need to spend a lot of money trying to get qualifications when you're in the IT industry. You just need to sacrifice some time and put in some effort. For most skills, you can learn them at home on the computer. In fact, there are many online courses that are actually for free. If you're looking for a career in the IT industry, you can practically get qualifications for free.

However, once you learn the skills, you're going to need to get certified, which almost always costs money. Google has a training center, and once you master the skills you were learning, you can take the corresponding certification exams. Each certification exam costs $50, but the qualifications look very good to employers on a resume.

Once you have the skills necessary and more, it wouldn't hurt to gain some experience. You can look around for internships or make your own samples of your work. If you get an internship, especially one that's paid, the company may decide to hire you at the end if you do your best.

As you can see, breaking into the IT industry isn't as hard as it seems, but you will need to exert some effort if you want to get a secure job in the IT industry that pays well.

Written by Lucy Hunt, a technology and business blogger with a keen interest in career development and the IT industry. Lucy currently writes on behalf of QA, leading providers of technical IT and learning development courses in the UK.

Five Common Problems Overlooked By Business IT Networks

IT Networks though easy, need extensive planning to ensure equilibrium, yet we frequently encounter businesses that are acquainted with the critical role networking plays in the efficient functioning of their company.

Informed business entrepreneurs, seo marketers, and managing directors, often choose to upgrade their networking systems to suit their organizational structure. Though upgrading is an expensive, time consuming process, it's advantages are 10 fold. Though, there are some small size firms that insist strongly upon having a Windows XP workstation function as a network server, this decision may ultimately lead straight to drop off in efficiency and productiveness of the entire Information Technology environment.

Network Experts should investigate the character of your business in order to endorse a networking/Information Technology system that would be the best fit for your business. IT Experts should gauge both hardware and software requirements to lead your company thru the good points and bad points of various networking options that your business could be considering.

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From a network consulting viewpoint, these are five general problems that are either neglected by companies or not included in the planning of the Network Infrastructure.

Disaster Recovery: Although entrepreneurs are risk takers they supply for all contingencies. While they insure their store and goods against fire, burglary, natural tragedies, etc, in many cases they ignore the need to commission a accident recovery plan for financial records, worker payroll and customer data. Losing valuable buyer information to a fire would lead to brief chaos and a monetary drain. Therefore, an information recovery system should be available to revive normal operation inside 24 to 48 hours. There are a few options to judge dependent on the scale of the business. A good Technology consulting company should be able to evaluate the needs and accordingly suggest an IT recovery plan that's idiot proof yet reasonable.

Redundancy: Though companies are advised to maintain an alternative or redundant energy source supply for critical servers, many entrepreneurs ignore this simple loss prevention system so as to save a few hundred greenbacks. As an example, servers that process customer credit card transactions aren't exempted from the likelihood of failure and if not backed by a redundant power source, it may lead to a major financial loss. The point that I am trying to get across is that important network equipment should be identified and a redundant plan should be implemented to provide against unforeseen circumstances.

Network Security: Viruses aren't strangers to the sector of computers and net. While performing technology research and checking we come across enterprises that have servers on DMZ without network safety measures like an easy firewall. We have seen examples were employees had total access to the network server running pathogen inviting programs like Limewire. An obvious result of this would be a slow network. Usually, passwords for workstations, servers and so on. Are identical and shared. Impermeable network security plans should be implemented particularly when business IT substructure holds confidential information of clients or people that will become a risk as well as an embarrassing situation if lost or nicked.

Network Speed: Companies always target maximizing potency and productivity at the smallest price and what better method to attain this goal than to minimize wastage of employee time? Speed of IT networks relies on many factors from straightforward network security policies to limit P2P software to intellectual switching hardware. You could be stunned but network infrastructure wiring (Moggy 5, Cat 6, and Fiber Optics) also makes a serious difference on the performance of the entire network.

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Expandability: Change in networking structure is an option that should invariably be open for clients. To plan in advance is vital as a business need not overhaul a massive part of their network to see a unimportant benefit. An easy example is generally to expect network storage requirements of data. Clients frequently overlook the significance of discussing options with experts to make certain their IT system remains sufficient for a minimum of 3 to 5 years. The aim should be to decrease dollars spent without impeding the quality of work being performed by staff.

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Advisers are professionals and while their suggestions should not be overlooked, they shouldn't be adopted blindly either. As a shopper you have entitlement to know the. ‘whys ‘ and ‘hows ‘ of every idea made. Request layman’s explanation for every problem faced. Most critically, make sure that the 5 major and basic areas are covered in the initial audit reports or suggestions made by any Technology consulting company.