With so many cloud computing companies on the market today it means that choosing the right one who understands your business infrastructure is becoming increasingly difficult. It is therefore important that you know what your exact requirements are so that you can do research and evaluate who the best cloud provider is for you. When carrying out your research there will be certain criteria that you should be looking for. Below is a list of the top four fundamental selection requirements for choosing a cloud computing service provider:
1) Reliability and Reputation
To understand a company's reliability and reputation it will be important to understand who the company is and how long they have been in the industry. It will also be important to look into the type of clients that a cloud provider has and what partnerships they have established. To fully understand a provider's reliability and reputation it would be worthwhile talking to some of their clients and partners to see what they have to say about the company. This is often the best way to gauge the reliability and reputation of a company first-hand.
2) Suitability
It will be important to fully understand whether your business has suitability to move into a cloud environment and what cloud computing solution is right for you. To understand suitability of the different types of cloud services you should look to providers who offer no-obligation free trials. This way you can see whether your business is acceptable in a cloud environment and see how the cloud service works before you make a long-term commitment.
3) Support and Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
Support and SLAs are vital to ensure against any downtime of the cloud. When looking at a cloud provider's support commitment you need to ensure that they will work quickly if any issues or downtime arises and that problems are dealt with in the agreed manner and to the agreed timescales. You should look for companies with dedicated support that have the capacity to deal with problems as and when they arise. When you speak to a cloud computing company or meet them at their offices you should ask to see the support department.
4) Security of the Cloud
Any company that moves into a cloud environment needs to ensure security of the environment and their business systems and processes. It is important to ensure that the selected cloud service provider offers a secure infrastructure at all levels and throughout the cloud services that they offer. The data centres that are provided will also need to be understood to ensure a consistent level of security as well.
The Cloud Computing Centre is a cloud computing service provider that has renowned cloud computing knowledge and expertise. The company delivers robust and cost effective cloud computing services to companies across a variety of different business spectrums and industries. The Cloud Computing Centre has experience in delivering solutions that fit your company and work with you every step of the way through the process to ensure business continuity and efficiencies for your company. Free trials are available to new clients to ensure the most appropriate cloud service for your business.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Search Results Redirected - You Have The Redirect Virus
Search results get redirected all the time anymore do to the outbreak of the redirect virus, which carries many names, but is deeply rooted with the more severe Alureon rootkit trojan virus.
When you have this, the first warning sign is as follows. You type in a key phrase to lookup in a search engine such as Google, Yahoo or Bing. Your results come back, and click on one. Your search results are redirected to other pages that are not on topic and usually attempt to promote you something that you are not interested in.
This is the very first warning sign of the redirect virus, and as soon as you notice this you should take action immediately.
This threat can come from many different places, so pointing fingers is not necessary, and it affects many people every day, but more importantly is what you should know next.
If your search results are redirected 1 out of 3 times that you attempt to click through to a site, then you probably have the Google redirect virus. If this is the case then this means that you can potentially have the Alureon threat as well.
This particular rootkit is extremely difficult for anti virus software to stop or sometimes even detect. It can cause a sort of open wound in your computer, and allow a criminal to intercept key data through the internet and your machine.
Search results being redirected are the smaller problem, because this Alureon virus creates an almost undetectable doorway for a thief to steal passwords and financial banking information, and possibly your credit card data if it is stored on your hard drive.
To make matters worse, the redirect virus has been designed to make it as difficult as possible to remove. This is accomplished by causing your anti virus and malware protection programs to stop updating as needed, sabotaging the installing of new programs that might help, and eventually corrupting your keyboard or mouse so that you cannot use it.
Another warning sign is noticing the changing of your desktop wallpaper, which not everyone may experience. Search results can be redirected to other harmful sites that have been pre-established to download more potentially threatening malware onto your machine, and so internet criminals can have a feast.
When you have this, the first warning sign is as follows. You type in a key phrase to lookup in a search engine such as Google, Yahoo or Bing. Your results come back, and click on one. Your search results are redirected to other pages that are not on topic and usually attempt to promote you something that you are not interested in.
This is the very first warning sign of the redirect virus, and as soon as you notice this you should take action immediately.
This threat can come from many different places, so pointing fingers is not necessary, and it affects many people every day, but more importantly is what you should know next.
If your search results are redirected 1 out of 3 times that you attempt to click through to a site, then you probably have the Google redirect virus. If this is the case then this means that you can potentially have the Alureon threat as well.
This particular rootkit is extremely difficult for anti virus software to stop or sometimes even detect. It can cause a sort of open wound in your computer, and allow a criminal to intercept key data through the internet and your machine.
Search results being redirected are the smaller problem, because this Alureon virus creates an almost undetectable doorway for a thief to steal passwords and financial banking information, and possibly your credit card data if it is stored on your hard drive.
To make matters worse, the redirect virus has been designed to make it as difficult as possible to remove. This is accomplished by causing your anti virus and malware protection programs to stop updating as needed, sabotaging the installing of new programs that might help, and eventually corrupting your keyboard or mouse so that you cannot use it.
Another warning sign is noticing the changing of your desktop wallpaper, which not everyone may experience. Search results can be redirected to other harmful sites that have been pre-established to download more potentially threatening malware onto your machine, and so internet criminals can have a feast.
Next, you can remove it manually, but I suggest that you follow this guide to get the steps right. You can learn more about this virus and the guide at this site on the Google redirect virus.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Cost-Effective Firewall Solutions For Small Business
Whenever firewalls and network security come into play, there is a surprising amount of oversight and lack of attention in the small business world. Many shops are running just the regular router they get from their ISP, with NAT being their sole defense against the outside world, and even that, arguably, is not a defense at all. When asked about this setup, they smile sheepishly and say: "We can't afford a good firewall solution! We'll have to make do with this until we can."
This is a cringe-worthy response: I'm a big believer in proactive IT, and security is one of those areas, along with backups, that get neglected because of cost. Because there is no immediate value-add to security (indeed, the effect of good security is invisible), many companies choose to invest that money elsewhere, reasoning that they can't afford an effective firewall appliance like a Sonicwall or an ASA.
Given today's recession, many small businesses have to cut operating costs, and sadly firewalls are an area that may not be as immediately necessary as others. The saddest part, however, is that there are open-source solutions out there that make perfectly serviceable firewalls for nothing but the cost of an outdated PC or virtual machine.
IPCop - Cost Effective Firewall
IPCop, the example we'll use in this article, is an open-source OS based on Linux that is designed to act as a firewall and router. Unlike a vanilla Linux distro running iptables, IPCop goes far beyond simple add and drop rules; it has features one might expect from a more advanced firewall appliance, including intrusion detection, VPN services, and traffic shaping capability. IPCop was designed for this very application (cost-effective firewall solution) and as such it is made for the small business network admin in mind: The entire OS is run through a stylish web interface, allowing easy administration of the IPCop firewall from any web-accessible machine, and the installation is straightforward and full of easy-to-understand directions.
IPCop is one of a number of distros, like Smoothwall, which aim to be full-featured firewalls for small business. Unlike Smoothwall and others, however, IPCop is completely free, thus making the insertion of an IPCop instance in your network both a painless and extremely cost-effective solution, especially where a dedicated hardware firewall appliance is an expense your business simply cannot afford.
IPCop Disadvantages
IPCop does have its disadvantages, of course, especially when compared to a more robust appliance like a Cisco ASA. It lacks the fine granularity of IOS, for example, and some of the more advanced ACLs and command-line magic the IOS performs is beyond the scope of the IPCop instances. That said, however, IPCop comes very close to the performance of an entry-level ASA, and many of the functions an ASA provides are duplicated effectively in IPCop's web interface.
Linux Distro
The title of this article, however, is not "Best firewall appliance". We're here to talk about cost-effective firewall solutions, and in that regard a Linux-based distro is unbeatable. While it does require some spare hardware, the system requirements are quite sparse, and so the implementation cost is minimal at best (and the software is, of course, open-source and free). In fact, even disregarding the price, I am willing to put forth the semi-controversial idea that IPCop may be as good as a dedicated firewall device in a small business setting; many of the functions it provides are more than suitable for a small business network.
That said, no network should be without security; the cost of a firewall appliance, though prohibitive, need not stop a small business from implementing security solutions. With open-source, free solutions like IPCop, a network admin can insert a firewall into his network infrastructure at little to no cost, immediately making his network more secure and giving him the power and functionality of a dedicated firewall appliance at a fraction of the price.
This is a cringe-worthy response: I'm a big believer in proactive IT, and security is one of those areas, along with backups, that get neglected because of cost. Because there is no immediate value-add to security (indeed, the effect of good security is invisible), many companies choose to invest that money elsewhere, reasoning that they can't afford an effective firewall appliance like a Sonicwall or an ASA.
Given today's recession, many small businesses have to cut operating costs, and sadly firewalls are an area that may not be as immediately necessary as others. The saddest part, however, is that there are open-source solutions out there that make perfectly serviceable firewalls for nothing but the cost of an outdated PC or virtual machine.
IPCop - Cost Effective Firewall
IPCop, the example we'll use in this article, is an open-source OS based on Linux that is designed to act as a firewall and router. Unlike a vanilla Linux distro running iptables, IPCop goes far beyond simple add and drop rules; it has features one might expect from a more advanced firewall appliance, including intrusion detection, VPN services, and traffic shaping capability. IPCop was designed for this very application (cost-effective firewall solution) and as such it is made for the small business network admin in mind: The entire OS is run through a stylish web interface, allowing easy administration of the IPCop firewall from any web-accessible machine, and the installation is straightforward and full of easy-to-understand directions.
IPCop is one of a number of distros, like Smoothwall, which aim to be full-featured firewalls for small business. Unlike Smoothwall and others, however, IPCop is completely free, thus making the insertion of an IPCop instance in your network both a painless and extremely cost-effective solution, especially where a dedicated hardware firewall appliance is an expense your business simply cannot afford.
IPCop Disadvantages
IPCop does have its disadvantages, of course, especially when compared to a more robust appliance like a Cisco ASA. It lacks the fine granularity of IOS, for example, and some of the more advanced ACLs and command-line magic the IOS performs is beyond the scope of the IPCop instances. That said, however, IPCop comes very close to the performance of an entry-level ASA, and many of the functions an ASA provides are duplicated effectively in IPCop's web interface.
Linux Distro
The title of this article, however, is not "Best firewall appliance". We're here to talk about cost-effective firewall solutions, and in that regard a Linux-based distro is unbeatable. While it does require some spare hardware, the system requirements are quite sparse, and so the implementation cost is minimal at best (and the software is, of course, open-source and free). In fact, even disregarding the price, I am willing to put forth the semi-controversial idea that IPCop may be as good as a dedicated firewall device in a small business setting; many of the functions it provides are more than suitable for a small business network.
That said, no network should be without security; the cost of a firewall appliance, though prohibitive, need not stop a small business from implementing security solutions. With open-source, free solutions like IPCop, a network admin can insert a firewall into his network infrastructure at little to no cost, immediately making his network more secure and giving him the power and functionality of a dedicated firewall appliance at a fraction of the price.
LearnComputer! (learncomputer.com) offers instructor-led local, online and onsite Networking courses for companies and individuals. Sign up for an upcoming Networking course with LearnComputer! today and learn the skills you need to succeed in your career!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Shield Your Business from Data Damage with a Smart Backup Tactic
Numerous hosting companies give business packages that tout the use of cutting-edge hardware and software, but the simple fact is that any top-notch hosting supplier should utilize the latest and best technology. Business leaders should expect this as a minimum prerequisite but, a far more important question is: Does my hosting provider implement an intelligent backup process to make certain that my data and information are secure from damage?
Are You Protected?
Consult your hosting company if a business continuity solution is offered with your hosting plan. Amazingly, a lot of companies do not incorporate standard data backup as a normal service. Offering high-quality, guaranteed data loss prevention is usually difficult and pricey for the hosting company, but this is protection you should not afford to go without.
Already Guarded? To What Amount?
If your web hosting service provider offers backup services, do some research to prevent unforeseen hassles and future frustrations. Confirm that you can trust your provider to regularly and accurately backup crucial computer data. Evaluate the following:
How long it will take to restore from backup?
Your existing hosting company may offer backup services, nevertheless, you should understand the technology they utilize to safeguard you. If they use tape backup, it might be hours before you get your data back when you need it. Your business could find itself at the end of a long list of clients expecting restoration of servers, programs, and data if a problem develops. Take the steps to be aware of what you can expect of the hosting supplier if repairing from backup is needed to prevent a disruptive business emergency.
What does the backup plan include?
Look into the kind of data and information that is protected. Don't assume all providers enable you to restore individual files or your entire server. If you need to recover speedily, you want a provider that provides you the choice of restoring individual files or the entire server. Furthermore, find out how far back the backup goes. There is a huge difference between 4 days and 4 weeks.
Is there an additional backup off-site?
Check with your supplier if their business continuity solution comes with an off-site component. True business continuity solutions include replication of all data and virtual servers to a production data center in a form enabling them to be booted up there in the instance of a long term outage.
Application-consistent or Crash-consistent?
If you are hosting virtual servers, this can be the most important question. Make sure your hosting company takes application-consistent snapshots of your server. If they don't, you might get a perfectly unusable restore. Crash-consistent snapshots are a point-in-time backup of your server. All Exchange, SQL, and disk transactions are left incomplete, bringing about impaired databases and files. An application-consistent snapshot quiesces or closes all transactions to disk, enabling you to restore the server with zero corruption.
Quick Checklist for Acceptable Backup Provisions
If you're overwhelmed with questions to ask and not sure of the solutions to look for, you can start using this quick reference checklist of minimum provisions:
• The provider should perform a daily backup of your entire server.
• Data needs to be retained for at least 4 weeks.
• You should have the choice to restore anything from a single file to an entire server.
• Data should be duplicated off-site.
• The provider should take application-consistent snapshots.
Are You Protected?
Consult your hosting company if a business continuity solution is offered with your hosting plan. Amazingly, a lot of companies do not incorporate standard data backup as a normal service. Offering high-quality, guaranteed data loss prevention is usually difficult and pricey for the hosting company, but this is protection you should not afford to go without.
Already Guarded? To What Amount?
If your web hosting service provider offers backup services, do some research to prevent unforeseen hassles and future frustrations. Confirm that you can trust your provider to regularly and accurately backup crucial computer data. Evaluate the following:
How long it will take to restore from backup?
Your existing hosting company may offer backup services, nevertheless, you should understand the technology they utilize to safeguard you. If they use tape backup, it might be hours before you get your data back when you need it. Your business could find itself at the end of a long list of clients expecting restoration of servers, programs, and data if a problem develops. Take the steps to be aware of what you can expect of the hosting supplier if repairing from backup is needed to prevent a disruptive business emergency.
What does the backup plan include?
Look into the kind of data and information that is protected. Don't assume all providers enable you to restore individual files or your entire server. If you need to recover speedily, you want a provider that provides you the choice of restoring individual files or the entire server. Furthermore, find out how far back the backup goes. There is a huge difference between 4 days and 4 weeks.
Is there an additional backup off-site?
Check with your supplier if their business continuity solution comes with an off-site component. True business continuity solutions include replication of all data and virtual servers to a production data center in a form enabling them to be booted up there in the instance of a long term outage.
Application-consistent or Crash-consistent?
If you are hosting virtual servers, this can be the most important question. Make sure your hosting company takes application-consistent snapshots of your server. If they don't, you might get a perfectly unusable restore. Crash-consistent snapshots are a point-in-time backup of your server. All Exchange, SQL, and disk transactions are left incomplete, bringing about impaired databases and files. An application-consistent snapshot quiesces or closes all transactions to disk, enabling you to restore the server with zero corruption.
Quick Checklist for Acceptable Backup Provisions
If you're overwhelmed with questions to ask and not sure of the solutions to look for, you can start using this quick reference checklist of minimum provisions:
• The provider should perform a daily backup of your entire server.
• Data needs to be retained for at least 4 weeks.
• You should have the choice to restore anything from a single file to an entire server.
• Data should be duplicated off-site.
• The provider should take application-consistent snapshots.
Lisa Gecko is a staff writer for Infinitely Virtual.
To learn more about cloud services, call Infinitely Virtual at 866-257-8455 or visit: See our Cloud Services hub, Cloud Services with Infinitely Virtual
To learn more about cloud services, call Infinitely Virtual at 866-257-8455 or visit: See our Cloud Services hub, Cloud Services with Infinitely Virtual
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Incensed by the court decision to jail three Pirate Bay founders, Anonymous launches attacks on Warner Brothers and IFPI.
The Anonymous hacking group has reacted to a court decision to send the Pirate Bay founders to jail by hacking a number of company websites.
Last week, three of the file-sharing website’s founders had their jail sentences reduced but their fines were increased to $6.5 million (£4.1 million).
Subsequently, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which helped bring the initial case on behalf of a number of the rights owners, welcomed the court’s decision and called for the Pirate Bay to be closed down.
Incensed by the outcome of the case, Anonymous hit the IFPI’s website with a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.
“Today marked perhaps one of the most heinous of crimes against freedom,” Anonymous said in a blog.
“Anonymous strongly opposes this decision and the far reaching implications. No single court should be able to decide what the rest of the world can or cannot do.”
According to reports, the organisation’s main website did go down, but it is now up and running again.
“We will continue to attack websites of those who are a danger to freedom on the internet. We will continue to attack those who embrace censorship,” the group added.
Anonymous also chose to launch a DDoS against Warner Brothers, one of the organisations represented by IFPI. The Warner website is also now operational.
“Let it be known that this is only the tip of the iceberg and only the beginning of our statement of displeasure against the actions of these corporations,” the hackers added.
“We are Anonymous, we shall never forgive, we shall never forget.”
Last week, three of the file-sharing website’s founders had their jail sentences reduced but their fines were increased to $6.5 million (£4.1 million).
Subsequently, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which helped bring the initial case on behalf of a number of the rights owners, welcomed the court’s decision and called for the Pirate Bay to be closed down.
Incensed by the outcome of the case, Anonymous hit the IFPI’s website with a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.
“Today marked perhaps one of the most heinous of crimes against freedom,” Anonymous said in a blog.
“Anonymous strongly opposes this decision and the far reaching implications. No single court should be able to decide what the rest of the world can or cannot do.”
According to reports, the organisation’s main website did go down, but it is now up and running again.
“We will continue to attack websites of those who are a danger to freedom on the internet. We will continue to attack those who embrace censorship,” the group added.
Anonymous also chose to launch a DDoS against Warner Brothers, one of the organisations represented by IFPI. The Warner website is also now operational.
“Let it be known that this is only the tip of the iceberg and only the beginning of our statement of displeasure against the actions of these corporations,” the hackers added.
“We are Anonymous, we shall never forgive, we shall never forget.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)