Servers

All Servers Great & Small

It doesn’t matter how how big your server is, without it, some critical part of your network is not going to function correctly.

It might be as simple as a home computer managing connected devices, or it could be a virtual server farm hosting business critical applications.

We’ve seen all sorts of servers over time, from old Unix based boxes, or Windows 2000 desktops, through to Virtual Server farms running on VMWare with multiple host OS’s.

We’ve had some interesting operating systems and setups that don’t usually qualify as a server environment too. But if it’s providing your network with a service, it is a server and it’s important or even critical to your needs.

What qualifies as a Server?

Like many terms used in IT, the term ‘Server’ nowadays refers to a broad range of devices and applications that serve a resource of some nature to other devices that request it.

Typically we think of a dedicated device or machine that has an operating system that is configured to perform one or more services to other computers (known as clients) on the network.

The services (sometimes called daemons) can be anything from providing information (such as DNS) configuration information (such as DHCP) storage (like Shared files or printers) or resources (such as shared processing)

Some common services you might come across (and are using even if you don’t realise it) are;

DNS (Domain Name System) Which is like the phonebook of the internet and networks, letting one device connect to another over a network.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Which is the way a device can connect to your network and be identified by a number. (IP Address)
File (Sometimes called NAS, SMB, CIFS, AFP, NFS, FTP and many more protocols) This is how networks share files around, usually by means of a ‘shared folder’ on your computer.
Printer (Or spooler) This is the way many computers can print to a single printer that itself is not necessarily network aware.
Web This is a type of server that provide web pages when you visit a website.

There are many other types of daemon/service that are in common use and many many more that are specialised. Some require quite specialised knowledge on how to configure and maintain them, others are more simple or are able to maintain themselves to a certain degree.

#WeCanHelp

We’re experienced in installing, configuring and managing servers of all sizes and varieties. We’ve dealt with some very interesting configurations over time, as some networks grow they inherit peculiarities and creative thinking! so we’re used to dealing with non ‘white paper’ setups and configurations.

We know how networks grow, so don’t be embarrassed if your network is not conventional!

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Security

Security & Planning

Being able to plan for every eventuality would be a massive undertaking, so complex that you would spend all your time planning for the worst and not actually get anything else done.

But not planning enough could be your downfall if something unexpected goes wrong. So there needs to be a compromise, how much security and planning is enough?

Individuality

The level of security you need to take is completely unique to your business and your needs. But there’s one thing for sure, the security you need can not be bought pre-packed in an off-the-shelf solution, not if you want it to actually work.

What is security?

What do you think of when you consider the security you need?

For some it’s about personal security, either for yourself or a vulnerable relative, others might think of property security such as CCTV, dash-cams, digital door locks and remote entry systems. Then there’s digital security and that can encompass a wide range of things such as networks, documents, photos and portable devices.

Precious Data retention
Keeping a secure and effective backup of your precious data, be it corporate accounts files or the irreplaceable photos on your phone, we all have precious data that needs looking after.
Company Network Security
With so many data breaches being reported on the news it’s impossible to not be aware of the damage to your companies reputation a breach of data could cause.
- Was the breach from outside your company or from inside?
- Was the data protected under the law?
- Who do you need to notify?
- How can you prevent it happening again?
- How can you meet expectations?
Home Network Security
The security of home networks is just as vital as the security of business networks. Your home network could be breached for a number of reasons; to infect home devices with malware, to steal data and information, to take over your network connected IoT devices
Personal Device Security
The security of your personal devices, such as smartphones and tablets, is even more crucial now that so much personal information is being stored on them, along with all your photos.
Identity Security
Protecting your identity is key to all security, having the correct privacy settings in place on social media is only the start. You need to be aware of all the methods being used to scam users, from fake profiles to fraudulent apps, making sure you know what you’re clicking before you click is paramount.

#WeCanHelp

Whatever your security needs, we can design and deliver the solution to meet them.

From home users to corporate networks, we can supply you with the most efficient security solution to help keep you, your company and your precious data safe.

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Recovery

Sometimes, the worst happens…

It’s no good dwelling on the fact that you should have had backups of that critical data when the hard disk drive containing the only copy has started making funny noises and is refusing to work.

Try to minimise damage

Hard disk drives have mechanical moving parts just like a needle and arm on a record player (not sure what a record player is? please don’t make us feel that old!!) so at the first sign of something going wrong, stop trying to use the disk. Immediately.

If you know how to, unplug it from the computer and handle it carefully.

Data can probably be recovered from a hard disk with a faulty actuator arm or damaged read/write heads, it can’t be recovered from a hard disk that’s had the heads repeatedly scratched all over the surface of the disk.

SSD

Modern solid state drives are a different matter, no moving parts to worry about, but also no physical medium that can be searched for missing data. That’s not to say that your data is absolutely lost, but getting the drive assessed quickly is paramount.

#WeCanHelp

If you have a hard disk that’s stopped working, unplug it if it’s external, or turn off the PC/laptop that it’s in then contact us immediately.

It could be a fault on the power side of the hard disk, and so recovery of the data should be fairly easy, but if there is damage to the internal read/write mechanism, it will need to be opened in a specialised clean room and the platters removed by professionals.

If you’ve accidentally deleted data from a device, stop using it to try to preserve the data, turn it off and then contact us.

We can help try to recover your lost data.

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Network

Notwork

Don’t let your network turn into a notwork. With more and more devices using the network to communicate with each other and the outside world, your network is being put under more and more strain. On an unmanaged network, you’ll soon start to see bottlenecks and network slowdown.

Do I use a network?

Yes. Well if you’re reading this on our website then you are.

Long gone are the days when networks were restricted to large companies and universities. In one form or another, and of vastly different sizes, we all use a combination of private and personal networks today. Making those networks efficient is essential to being able to get things done.

In your home, the heart of your network is your internet router, from there you might have WiFi or cable connected devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, TV’s, heating systems, Games consoles, PC’s, lighting and so on.

In your business it could be a more complicated network setup involving routers, multiple access points and wider connected elements in different buildings or even different countries.

Network of Networks

Getting your network connected safely to the internet is essential for any business, but many people don’t want the hassle of managing the connection and just want the connection to work. We can manage your gateway device and configure it making sure your private network is protected from the public internet.

Your gateway device should be checking all incoming and outgoing data and destinations to make sure nothing untoward is being sent or received by devices on your network.

Servers

Some people want to micro-manage their servers, others just want them to work. We can configure your servers to work for you, how you want. From online hosted servers, to in-house servers, both hardware and virtual. We can design, install and manage the servers you need to get your job done.

IoT

In an ideal world, internet connected devices should just work. You don’t want a new coffee machine to take 4 hours to setup just so you can make a coffee from your smartphone! But this ‘Internet Of Things’ does still need managing. It might be configuring them to connect to your network or securing them if they have remote access facilities.

Sometimes, if a vulnerability is identified after the product has been sold, the manufacturer will release a software patch, but often these are not applied, we can make sure your IoT is kept up-to-date with security patches as required.

#WeCanHelp

Whatever size or type of network you have, from your home WiFi and internet connection, to a multi-site MPLS connected company, we can help you manage and protect your data, and streamline your network to make it work better for you.

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Mobiles, Tablets and BYOD

Not just a phone

1980sMobile — Early mobile phones were big, heavy, and only had 20 minutes battery life.

Mobile devices are so much more than just a phone. In many cases, phone calls are the least used feature of a modern mobile. Having access to mobile internet and internet based apps for social media are by far the most commonly used features on them.

Modern smartphones can replace a lot of the functionality of a small laptop, with phone docks giving access to a large HD screen, full sized keyboard and mouse, the ability to hot desk and take your phone/computer with you is making their use in business more seamless.

Tablets

While smartphones have become a ubiquitous accessory on most people, the tablet has taken it’s place as the replacement of the home desktop PC.

Less portable than the smartphone, but with a bigger screen and a familiar operating system they are easy to get to grips with, and with apps like Microsoft Office being delivered over the internet, there’s less and less need for a traditional home PC or laptop.

BYOD

With the emergence of powerful personal smartphones and tablets, users began making use of the new mobility and doing a lot more data processing on their own devices. This is great for productivity but can be a security nightmare, how can you guarantee that the users own device is secure and that any apps they install are not going to steal your company data? And what if the device is lost, how can you be sure that the user had a secure and strong password, or that company data was in encrypted storage on the device?

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is one of the most popular ‘your own device’ technology solutions that is now making its way across the workplace. Other variants such as CYOD (Choose Your Own Device) where the company let the user pick from a predetermined list of devices, POCE (Personally Owned, Company Enabled) where a your company manages the use of your personal device, and COPE (Company Owned, Personally Enabled) where your company supplies you with a device and you can use it for personal use.

#WeCanHelp

We can help you make the most of your mobile device. For personal users, that might mean securing the device against fraudulent activity, and for business it could mean designing and deploying a policy to manage BYOD in the workplace.

Whatever your need, we can advise and implement the security and systems you need to manage your portable devices.

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Firewalls

Protecting your private network

You might be a home user with a handful of devices connected via wifi or you might be a multi-office organisation running an in-house hosted commerce website, either way you need to protect your network at the point it connects to the internet to prevent unauthorised access, block access to untrustworthy sites, and watch for suspicious activity.

What it does

The firewall is often the outer-most line of defence around your precious data. At the perimeter it needs to be flexible enough to let you work uninterrupted, but robust enough to protect against the barrage of probes and attacks it’s likely to face. It should be configurable and dynamic to be able to adjust to your needs and to be able to identify the latest threats.

Hardware or Software

Both have their advantages and in a corporate situation, both can be used to offer multiple lines of defence against attack.

A hardware firewall will usually by faster at processing data and so reduce any potential bottleneck. They can be configured to use real-time virus checking on incoming data, monitor outgoing data for suspicious activity and provide advanced tools like reputation management, unified threat protection and bandwidth shaping.

Software firewalls have the advantage of being cheaper and easier to mange. They are installed on the device you are protecting so are portable with that device . They can offer more refined controls per device or per app, and can be configured to alert you to unexpected behaviour.

But I don’t need one at home

With more and more home devices becoming ‘smart’ the number of internet connected devices you have might be more than you think. You should be managing your internet connection because ultimately, you’re responsible for the content downloaded.

In a number of recent ‘botnet’ attacks on major sites, home internet connected devices that had been compromised were used in the attacks.

A number of home security devices, specifically those with cameras or microphones in them, have been compromised and their content streamed live to the internet.

#WeCanHelp

We can help you with with selecting, supplying, installing and managing a firewall that’s suitable for your needs. You might just need to protect your home WiFi connected devices, or you might need a corporate firewall that allows remote users to access the company network from anywhere in the world, but you do need a firewall.

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Email

You’ve got mail…

In 1971, an engineer working on the ARPANET sent the first ever email from himself on the workstation he was sat at, to himself on the workstation sitting next to his. From this humble beginning email bloomed into the de-facto communication tool used world over.

How we use Email

The way in which email is used, and the technology used for sending and receiving emails, has changed only slightly since it’s conception. The internet boom of the early 1990’s saw email become the most popular form of communication between connected users. This was especially significant in business, where it quickly became a hindrance to business not to have an email account.

Free Email v Paid

Remember when the internet used to sound like this?

The growth of email was spurred by the boom in free web-based email accounts such as Freeserve, Hotmail, AOL and Gmail. Many users signed up with a free email account that they still use today. Hotmail (now Outlook) recently reported that 66% of email accounts created in the first three years of its service are still in daily use.

While having a @hotmail.com email address is fine for casual users, using a free email account for business is best avoided, not least because many free email accounts explicitly state that they are not to be used for business.

Having a registered domain name such as www.yourcompany.com gives you the opportunity to have a personalised email address such as sales@yourcomapny.com giving a much more professional look to your printed and published media.

Spam

It’s a matter of fact that spam exists and it’s practically impossible to have an email account that you use and not get spam of some kind or another. Some spam is going to be annoying unsolicited adverts, while more dangerous unwanted emails are linked to virus spreading or phishing attacks.

Being able to manage your inbound email gives you the ability to remove a lot of the junk before it gets to your inbox. You can also manage genuine emails better, filtering out and highlight potential new clients, service and sales emails from admin and other day-to-day communication.

#WeCanHelp

We can help you setup and manage your email every step of the way. We can help you if you decide to self host or use a hosted provider, with configuring your DNS records and setting up inbound and outbound email viruses scanning.

We can install a firewall to monitor incoming and outgoing emails for make sure confidential data is not being sent out without your knowledge, and to generate reports on your email so you can see which emails generate the best response from recipients.

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Anti-Virus

Protecting you from the video nasties…

Back in the 1970’s a ‘neat little self-replicating automata’ was released on the ARPANET (the predecessor of today’s internet) that was called “the creeper“. Not a virus in the way we think of them today, it was more of a test of code and concept, the only ‘payload’ was a line of code reading “I’m the creeper: catch me if you can”. In the following years, code would be written that became the basis of several types of virus; Worms, Trojan, Boot Sector and Malware.

The early viruses were intended to test concepts or as jokes and went out of their way to protect users data. In the late 1980’s that changed, IBM wrote a program to detect the first encrypted virus and clean an infected system, but didn’t release that to the public until a second version of the virus began to spread on the BBS systems of the day. And so began the battle between the virus writers and the anti-virus writers.

Evolving The Virus Business

tinsleyNET Security Services protecting you against Ransomware

Jump to today and we have many different types of computer virus and many many different viruses in each type. Viruses have become big business for criminals, with nearly all viruses designed to generate income for the coder or their superiors. The latest ransomware viruses can generate large payouts by infecting many smaller users, this is a better business model than infecting a smaller number of large companies and helps keep the virus out of the media and so out of public attention.

It’s not just Windows

The only truly secure system is one that is powered off, cast in a block of concrete and sealed in a lead-lined room with armed guards - and even then I have my doubts.

Microsoft Windows was the most popular operating system in the 1990’s and as a result it became the biggest target for virus writers. This spawned the urban myth that only Windows based computers could get viruses, but that’s not the case.

The first ‘wild’ virus to spread was purely an Apple-based virus. Apple and Linux based computers have seen a recent rise in the number of viruses intended to infect them. The same goes for mobile phones and devices, Android, Apple’s iPhone and even the old Nokia phones and Windows Mobile are all susceptible to virus infection.

The rise of IoT devices, like smart TV’s, fridges, thermostats and so on have not gone unnoticed. Several recent ‘botnets’ have been shown to be comprised of a large number of infected smart home devices. Hackers have exploited the often poor security on smart devices, and the fact that many don’t get post-sales software updates to take control of them. Often the hackers are after the processing power for attacking other networks or running malware that won’t immediately be noticed by the device owner, though there have been instances of devices being specifically targeted to spy on users, making use of cameras and listening devices.

What should you do?

As an individual you may think that you’re too small to have to worry about antivirus, wrong. It’s a lot easier for virus writer to target a large number of small unprotected users than it is for them to target fewer, better protected companies.

Home users need to consider all the devices on their home network, from computers to smart devices like lights and speakers. These devices are all potential targets. It’s sensible to protect your home network at the point of entry (your broadband) and then further protect devices that can go outside your home network (smartphones, tablets etc) as well as devices that hold particularly valuable information, such as banking information, passwords for any internet accounts, and your photos.

As a company, you should be using a multi-layered security plan with a reputable antivirus application as a part of that plan. You should never use just a single product or technology, as no one product can guarantee 100% virus detection.

A company should look at perimeter and internal security, preventing hackers getting in from the internet and stopping any devices that become infected away from your network bypassing that security.

Data security is essential, both backing up and encrypting the information. Under data security laws you are required to protect any information that could identify an individual (a customer, employee or supplier for example)

#WeCanHelp

We can design and implement a security solution that suits you or your businesses needs. We can help protect all your IT assets regardless of where they are and how they are used. We can assess your existing data security and give you a report identifying good and bad practices.

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Fraud Aware

Fraudsters see major incidents as an opportunity to take advantage of you

Fraudsters Don’t See Tragedy, They See Opportunity

After any major incident, many people turn to the internet to find out more information and to see if there is any way in which they can help. The majority of us will be shocked by tragic events as we see them unfold, more so when the incident is closer to home.

Unfortunately, the fraudsters know this, and don’t look at these events with sympathy, but look at them as an opportunity to scam people. Make it second nature to verify the sources of information you share, think before you click.

Scams

Scams that crop up after an incident can vary and take on many forms. They can be from people just out to harvest ‘likes’ by creating and sharing memes or making up stories about fictitious people ‘who were there’ when it happened, or they can be criminals out to pinch your bank details.

Often, the fraudsters will use social media to share a photo with a sentimental message or outraged caption, and will use any tactics then can to pull on your heart strings to get you to forward or re-share the post.

Expect them to exploit photos of affected people and paint sad stories to get you to hand over your money.

Who To Trust

Use some common sense when deciding if a link you’re about to click is genuine.

If the link came via email or instant messenger, check with the email sender that they intended to send it, they many not be aware if their account has been compromised.
- This is doubly important if the email or message says something along the lines of “I’ve changed my bank details” – double check in person or over the phone. This is a common and well known scam.
Fake News is a massive problem at the moment and unlikely to go away, websites like Metafact, Full Fact and Redaction Watch are just a few that can help you identify fake news. (Read more about these sites here)
Check the validity of any links before you click them, it may say www.TrustWorthyWebsite.com in the text, but hover your mouse over it to find out where it’s really linked to first.
- In a recent post, we listed some websites that have been setup to identify and correct either mistakenly made claims or outright fake news.
  https://tinsleynet.co.uk/2019/truth-or-fiction/
If a URL shortener has been used, (the link looks like sh.ort/Wg5SDS or something similar) check the full-length URL on the shortner website used, or use a trusted third-party website like www.checkshorturl.com
Check with someone in authority. If a Just Giving page has been setup by Bob claiming that he’s raising money for the recent incident, how can you be sure your donation is going where he says? Just because he mentions various valid aid organisations in the link does not mean they endorse him or have any connection to him.
Seen a photo of a young child with a caption “This person is missing, please share this link to help find her” – think…
How is sharing this link going to help find someone?
Is it at all likely that the missing person or someone they know is reading Social Media?
Can you be sure that person is really missing? is there a police reference number?
Check the facts first!
Look at the date when the first share was made, was it recently or several months ago?
Is the source of the information genuine and trustworthy? Just because someone says that ‘The Police have asked…’ doesn’t mean it’s true. If it is true then there should be a link back to an official page with verifiable details. Don’t take someone else’s word as fact without checking it first.

#WeCanHelp

We can help you sort the truth from the lies, and show you how to identify fraudulent emails and links. We can even configure and install hardware designed to filter out the fake news.

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Protecting your precious data

Data Backup

Backing up your precious data is essential, but it needn’t (shouldn’t) be complicated or time consuming.

We can design and implement a backup plan that fits your needs, from backing up your family digital photos from your smartphone, to securely encrypting highly confidential corporate information.

Having a robust backup procedure in place and regularly testing that it meets your needs and is secure is an essential part of your data security solution, let us manage that for you.

Personal Precious Data

Many people use an external USB connected Hard Disk Drive to backup their family photos, some are simply saved on your phone. How many times have you heard a plea for a lost or stolen phone to be returned because they contain all of someone’s precious memories?

Inexpensive external hard disk drives are not infallible, in fact they are more prone to failure than the hard disk drive inside your computer. If an external hard disk does fail, the chances of successfully recovering data from them vary greatly, but in our experience it’s often a long, slow and costly process with no guarantee of success.

You need a backup solution that just works silently in the background, but one that you can rely on if the worst happens.

Business Precious Data

With so much of what we need to run a business now being digital based, having a secure and reliable backup of your business data that is regularly maintained and tested is essential.

It’s no good thinking you have a backup of everything you need only to find out that, when your backup becomes your last hope, it’s missing some critical data or is significantly out of date.

Backups need to contain everything you need to get your business up and running the the shortest amount of time if something catastrophic happens.

It’s not just backing up…

Your backed up data is your final fallback if things go wrong. If you accidentally delete something and have no other way of getting it back, your backup needs to come to the rescue.

But what if you save over a file? imagine you have a spreadsheet with all your client data on, you’ve been keeping it up-to-date for five years, then something happens and you accidentally save over it with some other data. Most basic backup solutions will simply write that accidental data over your backuped data too, thinking it’s keeping your backup up-to-date.

We provide solutions that allow you to go back into any file’s history and see how it was at any point in the past since the backup plan started, so you can recover and earlier copy of the file and recover your otherwise lost data.

#WeCanHelp

We can design and provide backup solutions that will help protect your data from accidental deletion, loss of hardware or ransomware attacks.

Many recent malware outbreaks that used encryption to hold the user to ransom, also encrypted connected online data such as backups.

Our solutions run 24/7 but are not accessible to any virus that gets onto your computer, meaning if ransomware does get hold, as a last resort you can simply scrub your existing setup and start again from scratch in minimal time.

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