BT Open Zone... Great Idea?

Safe WIFI Zones all over the UK....

This is probably going to turn into the biggest blog we've ever done, and only because we care!  BT Open Zone and BT WIFI Hotspots are becoming more and more frequent.  If you haven't noticed, then why not get your laptop and scan for WIFI hotspots, I guarantee that your sure to find one.  So its a great idea, right?

Look closer, you'll notice that theres no security key.  Your machine hops on wirelessly and effortlessly to the Open Zone. So if you can, then what stops everyone else doing it? Well, BT do have restrictions to prevent you accessing the 'Internet' without being a BT customer but so what? Your device is still connected to a wifi device without your permission and who else is on the device?

My concern is that if my laptop is connected to a WIFI device in a public place, I could be at risk.  Associate security consultants have confirmed that this is the case.  It's nothing far short of a place where you can be openly attacked and not even know it!

Those of you who know me, know I wouldn't take this lying down so I called BT. I know, I should know better. Since 1st of June 2011 our company has phoned BT 78 times and spoke to many representatives on the subject from BT Home, BT Business, BT Customer Services and even BT Wholesale who apparently install these WIFI zones. Not one person at BT could help, had any concerns or wanted to take any responsibility and help.  As a result, this has now become a government issue because BT is our biggest supplier of broadband and WIFI which is now a security risk, UK WIDE!

On a normal day, my Apple Mac sits 6ft away from our providers router.  So wireless strength is not a problem.  However, each and every time we boot up the MAC, we end up conected to the BT Open Zone WIFI.  The Open Zone signal is so strong that your device will always take the strongest signal first and this as I said previously has no security key to access it!

Convinced? Read this...  A security consultant attended a local Open Zone WIFI zone with me.  Upon accessing the zone, he was able to find 28 nodes (devices like, laptops etc).  He explained that with the right type of hacking equipment which is easily available on the web, he could hack into the nodes there and then! Upon doing so, showed me.  This is no joke.

Our next step is to create and formulate the evidence which will be presented to the local MP at his surgery.  The evidence will be compelling enough to force the enquiry into the House of Lords and hopefully pull the CEO Mr Ian Livingstone of BT business development, and Mr Jeff Kelly CEO of BT Global Services to task and force an investigation.

Watch this space as we update our case data.

Alledged - Twitter Hacks would Destroy Time and Reputations

Just recently a client advised via Twitter that ourTwitter account had been hacked and that we were sending out Direct Messages to the effect of:

"lmao...omg i am laughing so hard at this pic of you u i just found http://XXXXXXXX" (link removed to protect readers).

Twitter advises that if your account is sending SPAM or has been COMPROMISED to follow the instructions shown in this link.  Worth reading if you haven't already done so.  Having said that, RES Info-Tech is an IT Support and Consultancy company specialising in security and we doubt that 'your' account has been compromised.  We think in fact that it is TWITTER that has been compromised.

Why do we think this? Well, the instructions in the link above tell you to change your password. Ok, so we've done this numerous times in the last three days.  The SPAM outbreak is huge in numbers and not specific just to individuals.  In other words, do you know any hackers that would sit down and take the time to individually compromise YOUR account?  No, of course not.

The instructions also advise that all associated applications be removed from your twitter account until the offending application (thats facebook, hootsuite, tweet deck etc..) has been found.  We did that.  We scanned every PC and server in our business and even uninstalled all the associated applications.  Doing this left TWITTER.com all on its own!  We even made sure that all PC's and servers were powered off for the night.

The next morning, client who resides two doors down the passage in our Enterprise Centre visited us.  "Did you know you're sending DM's to us on Twitter about photo's?" 

"Damn I said...." pause... "Hold on, you and I don't even follow one another, and all my hardware is powered off and has been all night!" 

Bingo, we thought.  The problem could be at TWITTER.com.  In addition, it would have to be beyond all the database security with all contact information. So, ladies and gentleman, alledgedly you have not been compromised, alledgedly Twitter has.  If so, what are they doing to the rest of your data such as telephone numbers and email addresses. Are they accessible by this rogue infiltrator? Could be, so don't take the risk.

Twitter, it's your turn to respond and as our support calls have been ignored, your users deserve the right to a full investigation.  If you have been compromised, you need to publicly tell the world before we all lose our clients for unsolicited, unprofessional DM's leaving our reputation in shatters.  If you haven't been compromised, please explain to the world how this stops!

Thank you.

UPDATE:
Interestingly enough, I received a message from Twitter advising that my account had been compromised and asking me to reset my password.  I wonder how many others received the same message that I did? That's ok BUT, what are Twitter doing to prevent compromisation in the future?  How safe is my contact data held on their records? Twitter, please feel free to advise on this blog what security changes you have, or intend to make?

Cloud vs Cost of ownership. Is it really worth it?

If you read my last article, you'd see just how passionate I am with system upgrades so things run very smoothly. However, this does cost money and time.  Effectively the responsibility is still on your shoulders because after all, its your system. Never blame your IT consultant, because if you don't like him, you can sack him!

So, what does the cloud cost? Well before you look at the cost, lets look at your existing evironment.  I'm going to use a standard 5 user server network. That is, one business, one server and 5 workstations.  I have based the average' costs of ownership on a client who has had their server more than 4 years.

General Support:

Server support: £960.00pa

Desktop support (x5) £750.00pa

Remote offsite Backup £240.00pa

SPAM defence system £300.00pa

Antivirus (5 users) £300.00pa

Total: £2,055.00pa

Server and memory upgrade cost:
Replacement server – Incl labour £3,850.00

Memory upgrade on 5 units £750.00

Total: £4,600.00

Total annual cost of ownership in first upgrade year: £6,655.00

So now if we look at the Cloud comparison:

Cloud desktop cost per user: £60.00pmpu £3,600pa (5 users)

Desktop support per user: £9.99pmpu £599.40 pa (5 users)

Total cost of ownership of a cloud based system: £4199.40

A Saving of: £90

In this example you can see that £90 is a minor saving.  But of course this is only based on a basic memory upgrade comparison to the 5 PC units. If you look at a PC refresh or renewal of the 5 units and then show the comparison over 3 years, then it looks a little different.

Instead of £750 for the memory upgrades we pay around £2,250.00 for new PC units within the 3 year period.  Add this to Server upgrade at £3,850.00 and the support cost for three years at £6165.00 you have a massive: £12,265.00 over 3 years, most of which is kit that needs your care and attention.

If you now compare this to a cloud based solution over a 3 year period at £12,598.20.  Ok, yes its cost you an additional £333.20 to run however, during this time you are completely trouble free and with no risk of downtime, infection or disruption.  Don't forget, you've not accounted for the unexpected cost of your IT support team charging for repairs, call outs and hardware failures and this could amount to another £1000 - £2000 per annum.  Not to mention your own cost of staff downtime when your server fails.  The Cloud is generally not for those wanting to spend as little as possible on their IT, its for those who want belt and braces, trouble free permenent up time.  We call that BLISS.

Here are the benefits:

Cloud Benefits:

• Prolongs and extends the life of existing PC’s because memory and processing power is no longer a concern.
• The Cloud will always run as fast, regardless of PC age or processing power!
• Security and firewall monitoring no longer required as the cloud server is based at a high security data centre that is monitored and controlled 24x7 – 365
• Desktop boot up time is no longer 4-6 minutes. It is now 2.5 seconds!!
• Access your desktop and applications from any PC anywhere in the world. Staff can genuinely, safely and securely work from home.
• Access your desktop and emails from your mobile phone, hotel, laptop or anywhere
• No longer suffer performance issues from Defragmented drives.
• Never reboot your server again!
• Never run out of memory again with up to 100Gb of Ram available!
• Receive free upgrades without notification.
• All email is controlled via a hosted exchange and SPAM screened and virus checked prior to you get it.
• Never receive SPAM again, Fact!
• Reduce your risk of being hacked, by 100%
• Reduce your risk of being virus infected, by 100%
• Always have the latest software, ie. If Microsoft bring out a new Office package, you get the upgrade for free!
• Only purchase licenses as you require them. If a staff member , leaves your monthly cost reduces!
• Your cloud data is already protected by Antivirus which is included in the cost.
• Each user login is security controlled so you are able to restrict access to ‘private’ areas.
• Share your data and system access between sites without expense private network costs
• Access your accounts, Sage, Book keeping from any PC, anywhere
• Your budget for your software, IT equipment is stabilised and controlled with one single monthly cost.
• No Hidden costs!
• Never have to upgrade your software again!
• Never perform a Windows update or security patch again!

Having read the above, would I pay for it?  Yes, because I already do. I don't my business to fail, lose data or look unprofessional.  If you want a demonstration of how effective the cloud can be, please contact us on 0844 4145591.

Experience the Cloud...

Some of you have heard of the cloud, if not, where have you been? There is a massive push for contingent application services which are accessible from any location in the world.... this is the cloud.

I took the plunge and relocated my entire IT support business into the cloud.  In fact, I'm typing this blog onto my cloud desktop whilst I sit 20 miles away from my PC in the office.  It looks and feels exactly the same as sitting the office.  I no longer need laptop to gain access to my files.  I can use any PC that has an internet connection.

Ok, so its all based on a web connection. So what if my ISP fails? Well, my answer is so what? You tell me what your business can achieve without an internet connection these days? Think about the bigger picture.. On the cloud, you are now totally contingent.  My data is located in a vault controlled data centre which is backed up tenfold.  All my emails are SPAM screened so, I don't get any, and my antivirus is controlled by the data centre.  Risk?...... a big fat zero! Cost of protection... None!

But its slow across the internet right? No! In fact, time how long it takes for you PC to boot up and the desktop icons to settle..1 min? My desktop boots up and logs on in... wait for it..... 2 seconds!!  In fact, its quicker to log onto the cloud and use the internet on my cloud desktop than on my local PC.

The cloud isn't for cheap skates though.  Three logins cost me around £100 a month + vat.  There are some major advantages which write off that cost.  The fact that I no longer have to backup anything, I no longer pay for SPAM protection, I no longer have to pay for Microsoft Office licences or keep myself up to date. this is not to mention that the server I log into has 100Gb or RAM which is why my desktop is so damn fast.

If you lose a PC due to a crash? Get up, walk to a PC store and buy one. You're back up and running within the hour and guess what?  You haven't even incurred any IT support costs.  In fact, any PC will do.

If you ISP goes down or a local Navi digs through a cable you could be down for days. Even worse, a fire could rip your business apart. This happened to a law firm in Hamlet Court road in Southend on Sea just recently.  Had this firm been on the cloud, they could have simply rented and office with PC's and moved their staff to it, who would subsequently log onto their desktops.  They would then have access to everything they require! The world continues...

Of all the pleasures, the speed and accessibility is the thing I notice the most.  Would I recommend it? Maybe... I would if you are a professional business that apreciates delivering quality responses and treasure your data.  If you want a cheap solution, then stick to your beige PC in the corner.

The cloud, it is the future and the future has already arrived.  Don't miss it.

Tel: 0844 414 5591

False Economy... and the death of a business.

IT Systems are a strange thing.  Failure to upgrade them regularly doesn't save you as much money you think.  In fact it won't be long until that wonderful business decision comes around to bite you on the rear.  As an IT consultant, I have lost count how many times I have been expected to keep aging OAP systems running at their best, when in truth, they are crawling on their knees.  The business owners fail to accept that their machines have come to the end of their lifetime and that they may have to part with some cash.  In fact, most business owners don't even have an IT budget!!  The only way they believe you is when...... the big crash happens!

So, how do these machines get so old and slow?

Simple.  PC's and Servers are like cars in some respect.  Imagine not adding oil and water whilst you continue to drive them hard?  The only real difference is that the demand on your vehicle to produce 60 mph never increases.  The vehicle only fails on wear and tear alone.

The IT equipment is different.  The older the PC gets, the higher the demand.  Viruses get more intelligent so your protection and firewall equipment MUST keep improving to defend your data.  Additionally, your PC's will continue to collect updates and services packs from Microsoft and other vendors.  These updates, and you should be doing them, increase the need for more memory on the machine.  The simple fact is that a business should be upgrading its machines every year or two, whether that be memory upgrades or machine replacements.

I have a client 'X' who has left their upgrading so long that their server can no longer be upgraded.  Even worse, the style of memory and hard drive are no longer available to purchase.  The server is running at full capacity and therefore causing little squeaks across the rest of the IT users in the building.  We are having to carry out unnecessary repairs to PC units along the way, which in turn costs us money too.  When, and it is not 'if', their server crashes, the result will be catastrophic.  The server will need replacing due to lack of parts availability and a costly data recovery exercise will be certainly be required.  The nasty shock of £3.5k and a weeks downtime will ensue.

Despite this, it is often forgotten that it is the IT systems that 'earns' the money to provide the nice House, New Car and Image that the business owner loves to have around him.  One huge system crash or data breach is big enough to destroy the business, stability of its employees and its reputation!  Customers never forget the lost of their data....

Why such a vicious blog? I see businesses fail regularly and if you are business owner, I'd just like you to take a breath and think seriously about your systems for a moment...... Believe me when I tell you they are more important than your Car, and even the building you run your business from.  If your IT systems, Server or Data backup is older that 4 years old, you are on a knife edge.

We will be running some seminars to assist small businesses overcome the fear of upgrading costs in the coming months.  Upgrading your PC's shouldn't be expensive if done regularly.  So we'll keep you posted with the seminar dates....