Solid IT Solutions Vancouver http://www.soliditsolutions.com Network support vancouver, computer support vancouver, IT Consulting, IT Support Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:51:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Vancouver Network Support: How anti-virus software protects the security of your system http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2012/02/vancouver-network-support/ http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2012/02/vancouver-network-support/#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:37:42 +0000 admin http://www.soliditsolutions.com/?p=567 Vancouver Network Support:

How anti-virus software protects the security of your system

 

vancouver-network-security-trend-microWould you leave the front door of your home wide open? Of course not. You want to protect your belongings and peace of mind. Anti-virus software is like the lock on your computer’s back door.

Think about your IT network security the same way as your home security, except the stakes are much higher. According to Forrester’s Research, the costs of a network security breach for a law firm could be as high as $35 million! The right Vancouver network support can protect your network.

Your data needs to be protected from intruders (email spam, viruses and hackers) for the security of your business. With the right IT support, you can feel safe knowing your computers and data are safe from harm.

Optimizing IT network security is vital for any business. You may not always know if a website you or your employees visit is safe or an email is from a trusted source. That’s why the right anti-virus program can protect your network from getting viruses such as Trojans, malware and spyware. It can stop hackers from accessing your data, whether it is client information, bank accounts or credit card information.

Not all viruses or scams are severe or destroy all your valuable data but they can slow your processing time and drastically impact your computer systems’ performance, and affect your ability to run your business. And who can afford to waste even a minute in this highly competitive economy?

There are many benefits to getting and maintaining anti-virus software:

  • protects your IT network and valuable data
  • saves costs of fixing or replacing your computers
  • helps your computers to run better

It’s also important from a legal standpoint. Some organizations need to prove they have taken reasonable measures to protect their clients’ information, including the emails they exchange with them. Keep in mind that not all antivirus software is capable of dealing with viruses, spyware and adware.

How safe is your Vancouver network system?

  1. Is your current anti-virus system up-to-date?
  2. Have you got the most effective firewalls?
  3. Do you have a data back-up plan in place?
  4. Is there a company-wide password policy?
  5. Is your network hardware safe from fire?

If you answered “No” to any of these questions, it’s time to Get a full audit on your network security .  With the right Vancouver IT support in place, your information will be safe and you’ll get peace of mind.

]]> http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2012/02/vancouver-network-support/feed/ 0 Bridged Playbook error when trying to opening an e-mail attachment “Attachment too large!” http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/11/bridged-playbook-error-when-trying-to-opening-an-e-mail-attachment-%e2%80%9cattachment-too-large%e2%80%9d/ http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/11/bridged-playbook-error-when-trying-to-opening-an-e-mail-attachment-%e2%80%9cattachment-too-large%e2%80%9d/#comments Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:37:56 +0000 admin http://www.soliditsolutions.com/?p=562 Problem:

When trying to open an e-mail attachment of any size on a Rim Playbook bridged with a Blackberry on a BES v4.1 the user receives the following error “Attachment too large!”

 

Solution:

  1. Download and install SP6 or higher for BES v4.1.
  2. Install the latest OS updated on the Blackberry and the Playbook.
  3. Open the BES Manager
    Right click the user with the problem described above and select “Resend Service Book” from the menu.
]]> http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/11/bridged-playbook-error-when-trying-to-opening-an-e-mail-attachment-%e2%80%9cattachment-too-large%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 SharePoint 2010 / Visual Studio 2010 “System.IO.FileNotFoundException was unhandled:” http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/08/sharepoint-2010-visual-studio-2010-%e2%80%9csystem-io-filenotfoundexception-was-unhandled%e2%80%9d/ http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/08/sharepoint-2010-visual-studio-2010-%e2%80%9csystem-io-filenotfoundexception-was-unhandled%e2%80%9d/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:17:35 +0000 admin http://www.soliditsolutions.com/?p=532 When I tried to compile a console application in c# that creates a new content type in SharePoint 2010 I received the following error:

“System.IO.FileNotFoundException was unhandled:”The Web application at http://servername could not be found. Verify that you have typed the URL correctly. If the URL should be servicing existing content, the system administrator may need to add a new request URL mapping to the intended application.

The problem is that SharePoint 2010 can only be installed on a 64bit platform and Visual Studio console application template defaults to 32bit.

To resolve this error follow the steps below.
1. Right click your project and go to Properties.
2. Click on the “Application” tab and make sure that .Net framework is set to V3.5
3. Click on the “Build” tab and change the “Platform target:” to “Any CPU”.
4. Save your project and run it again.

]]> http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/08/sharepoint-2010-visual-studio-2010-%e2%80%9csystem-io-filenotfoundexception-was-unhandled%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 VBS logon script does not run in Windows 7 http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/07/vbs-logon-script-does-not-run-in-windows-7/ http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/07/vbs-logon-script-does-not-run-in-windows-7/#comments Fri, 08 Jul 2011 21:18:09 +0000 admin http://www.soliditsolutions.com/?p=517 In some instances Windows 7 computers connected to a windows domain will not allow .vbs (Visual Basic Script) logon scripts to run. In order to correct this problem add the following registry entry.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
“EnableLinkedConnections”=dword:00000001

]]> http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/07/vbs-logon-script-does-not-run-in-windows-7/feed/ 0 How to uninstall Internet Explorer 9 http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/07/how-to-uninstall-internet-explorer-9/ http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/07/how-to-uninstall-internet-explorer-9/#comments Mon, 04 Jul 2011 21:26:07 +0000 admin http://www.soliditsolutions.com/?p=512 Recently Microsoft released Internet Explorer 9 which is supposed to be an improvement over previous versions of Internet Explorer. Unfortunately with some pretty nifty improvements IE9 also comes with lots of bugs. If you have IE9 installed on your computer I recommend that you uninstall it and wait till Microsoft releases a services pack for IE9. To uninstall IE9 follow the instructions below.

1. Click the Start button , type Programs and Features in the search box, and then click View installed updates in the left pane.
2. Under Uninstall an update, scroll down to the Microsoft Windows section.
3. Right-click Windows Internet Explorer 9, click Uninstall, and then, when prompted, click Yes.
4. Restart your computer.

]]> http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/07/how-to-uninstall-internet-explorer-9/feed/ 0 Windows Server http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/06/windows-server/ http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/06/windows-server/#comments Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:20:53 +0000 admin http://www.soliditsolutions.com/?p=505 Windows Server

]]> http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/06/windows-server/feed/ 0 How To http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/05/how-to/ http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/05/how-to/#comments Thu, 26 May 2011 04:46:23 +0000 admin http://www.soliditsolutions.com/?p=496 Coming Soon!

]]> http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/05/how-to/feed/ 0 The Importance Of Data Backup http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/03/the-importance-of-data-backup/ http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/03/the-importance-of-data-backup/#comments Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:34:58 +0000 admin http://www.soliditsolutions.com/?p=474 All computers, including servers and their components, are subject to failure. That means that sooner or later every business will be confronted with some type of computer failure. One potential result of such a failure is loss or corruption of crucial business data. How big an effect this kind of data loss has on your company is completely dependent on how prepared you are.
While the causes of data loss or corruption vary, the results are often dire. When data loss or corruption happens, usually the only option is to restore the data from a previously created backup of the hard drive. If that back up doesn’t exist, the business in question can face catastrophic results, especially if the data is mission critical customer, financial, or proprietary information.
Many businesses today ignore the importance of a robust and reliable data backup solution until they suffer the unexpected data corruption or data loss due to a hardware failure, computer viruses, human error, or other causes. Of course, if they haven’t taken precautions, by the time the loss happens, it’s often too late.
This scenario can cost your business a large amount of money on lost productivity and the IT expenses of trying to rebuild the server from scratch. Plus, there’s no guarantee you’ll even be able to recreate the data in the first place.
If your business has a reliable backup solution for your server hard drives, recovering from a data loss event will be much quicker and cheaper. It will also require far fewer man-hours and related expenses to recover from.
Today there are many backup options available to small businesses, including tape drives and tape libraries, NAS (Network Attached Storage) and offline backup (to a remote location) over the Internet. When properly designed and maintained, these solutions can all offer carefree protection.
We always recommend that your management team sit down with your IT department or consultant and create a thorough backup and disaster recovery plan for your company. If you are unsure of how to go about creating a disaster recovery plan contact an IT consulting firm that has experience in this.
When discussing your backup plan there are certain options to consider, including how often to perform the backups and what type of backup media is best suited for your business and computer equipment.
Depending on your type of business and how much your data changes from day to day, you might set back ups to happen on a weekly or daily basis, or even several times a day. For most small to mid-sized businesses we recommend a full backup once a day and at least one backup per week to be stored offsite in case of a theft, fire, or a natural disaster.
It is also crucial that once the plan is in place, you don’t get complacent. We recommended that your system administrator tests the data restoration procedure once a month to verify that the system is working as expected, and that the data in the backup media is in the right format and is easily recoverable.
Not backing up your business data, especially mission-critical data, is nothing short of a recipe for disaster. Nothing is as important to your business as the data that sits on the hard drives of your computer systems. With a little planning and the right advice, you can safeguard that data and focus on growing your business.

]]> http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/03/the-importance-of-data-backup/feed/ 0 The Importance of Computer Network Maintenance http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/03/the-importance-of-computer-network-maintenance/ http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/03/the-importance-of-computer-network-maintenance/#comments Sun, 27 Mar 2011 01:22:57 +0000 admin http://solidit.smartt.com/?p=463 You already know your car needs regular service to avoid disruptive and costly breakdowns. And preventative maintenance is almost always cheaper than the alternative: A quart of oil for your car costs a whole lot less than replacing a blown gasket!

Well, your business’s computer network also requires regular preventative maintenance to stay healthy. Regular preventative maintenance is not only a proven strategy for minimizing downtime for your network, but can also save you a lot of money in costly support when you have issues.

That’s important for your bottom line: After all, downtime can be very expensive for any business. There is lost productivity as staff are unable to work, and interruption of crucial business functions like sales, administration, and the timely delivery of products and services).

But there’s also generally higher support costs when things do go wrong, just like you always pay more when your car breaks down compared to the price of a tune up.

Although no solution can guarantee trouble-free computing, proactive maintenance by a qualified network technician will greatly lessen the likelihood of downtime due to software and hardware problems.

Every one of our clients that have signed on to one of our maintenance plans has had significantly fewer hardware and software problems and virtually no virus infections. That’s because we have a comprehensive checklist of maintenance items we perform that can reveal potentially serious problems before they actually occur.

Our experience has shown that when a company approaches IT support from a strictly reactive standpoint (as opposed to a proactive, preventive approach), there is almost always interruption to the business itself from hardware failures or software problems, making the total cost of support significantly higher.

]]> http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/03/the-importance-of-computer-network-maintenance/feed/ 0 The importance of Password length and complexity http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/03/the-importance-of-password-length-and-complexity/ http://www.soliditsolutions.com/2011/03/the-importance-of-password-length-and-complexity/#comments Sun, 27 Mar 2011 01:03:27 +0000 admin http://solidit.smartt.com/?p=457 A Few Thoughts on PasswordsFor security reasons it is recommended that users change their password every 60-90 days and the password should be at least eight (8) characters long. In many cases, this policy is considered an inconvenience and partners order the network administrators to remove the password change requirement and reduce the minimum password length to as little as three or four characters. Short passwords make programs and data virtually unprotected from hackers with even the most basic knowledge.[1] The challenge for people trying to break passwords is the “keyspace”, which is the total number of possibilities for a password based on the number of characters it uses. Expressed mathematically, this is the number of possible characters you can use – to the power of the length of the password.

Keyspace = [Complexity](Password Length)

•Keyspace is the password’s overall strength.
•Complexity is the number of keys used on the keyboard.
This can be 26 (single-case alphabetical), 52 (upper & lower case alphabetical) or 94 (upper & lower case alphabetical and punctuation)

The chart below highlights the fact that a password’s length has a bigger impact on its strength than complexity.

Technically speaking, a 16-character password that uses all 94 character and punctuation keys is 81,311,554,837,475,300,000,000,000 times as strong as a 4-character password that uses only 26 character keys.

For example: the password R2MyNameIs:C3P0! is 8.1 x 1025 times stronger than fish.

Considering the level of increased security for your data, is it not worth overcoming your reluctance to type in a slightly longer password?
Figure 4: The difference in password strength

As shown above, if you keep the password length the same but you change the password’s complexity, the overall password strength doesn’t change much. Therefore, it’s not complexity (the number of characters used) but the length of the password that makes the password a strong repellent for hackers.

A person who refuses to type in a few extra characters reduces the all of the firm’s password effectiveness and undermines the firm’s operations. When people are aware of the sensitivity of the information that they store on their computer systems, they should listen to their network administrators and happily choose to type in long passwords for their own protection.

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[1] Password Size Does Matter: Length Is More Important Than Complexity When It Comes To Secure Passwords – And Here’s A $100 Wager To Prove It by Roger A. Grimes of InfoWorld: http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/password-size-does-matter-531

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