Diversified Network Systems

Softphones make communication much easier by using an internet connection to make a call. But for businesses, PABX softphones offer much more secure communication for your day-to-day operations.

Technology has always had a profound impact on the way we do business, especially these days with the constant need to stay in touch with bosses, clients, and co-workers. A breakdown in communication often means a dip in productivity – so you always need to have the best and most effective means of communication at your disposal.

One of these means is softphones, which are basically software programs that allow you to make calls in much the same way as you do using a telephone or mobile device, except it's through your internet connection. The most popular softphones include Skype, MagicJack, or Yahoo Messenger's call feature. However, there are also softphone technologies that can utilize your PABX (private automatic branch exchange) network, which – while more limited in a general sense – are much better for businesses because of the security they offer.

Softphones on PABX work better for business purposes because of the nature of the PABX networks themselves. The privacy and exclusivity for your business communications are maintained, and PABX softphones make communication convenient without compromising security.

If you want to know more about softphone technology for your PABX network, please don't hesitate to contact us and we'll be happy to discuss a detailed service blueprint that will work for you.

Using shared Wi-Fi networks can be really convenient, but it is not without risks of its own.

These days, more and more people are on the go, and many of them bring their work with them. And in this day and age, it's ideal if you're working – or playing for that matter – while connected to the internet, which is often through public Wi-Fi hotspots.

While connecting to public and open-access Wi-Fi hotspots is indeed convenient, using open networks also poses risks that endanger your security. The open nature that allows anyone to use the connection also enables unscrupulous people to gain access to your private information. The whole act of stealing information from people who are using public Wi-Fi networks is called ‘sidejacking'.

There are applications such as Firesheep, for example, that provide an easy-to-use platform that others can exploit to spy and harvest personal, sensitive information from you. And since Firesheep is a Mozilla Firefox plug in, virtually anyone can download and use it to sidejack people on the same network.

You can't be too cautious with your personal and business data these days, so you always need to have the proper laptop configuration and security infrastructure to protect your system, especially when you frequently avail of open and public networks. To know more about this, please feel free to give us a call and we'll be happy to draw up some security options that meet your specific needs.

What makes a phishing message tick? Identify phishing messages from the get go and stop yourself from becoming another statistic.

Online oracle Wikipedia defines phishing as: "the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication." We probably don't need to tell you what kind of damage unscrupulous people can do with that kind of data in their hands. This is why it's important to identify phishing messages from the get go and prevent becoming a victim.

What makes a phishing message tick? How are they different from spam? What makes phishing different from spam is that phishing messages masquerade as official correspondence from a trusted source. While spam can be filtered, many phishing messages manage to bypass these filters precisely because they seem to be legitimate messages. They can be disguised as communication from your bank, your credit card company, or even from a large company such as Microsoft or Google, or social networking sites like Facebook, or MySpace. These messages come complete with official-sounding content and even logos stolen from the legit websites.

The website links in the message, however, direct you to a fraudulent but official-looking website where you are asked to divulge personal information. You can check these links by simply hovering your mouse pointer over them – watch out for misspelled or faked / masked websites.

Sometimes a telephone number is posted, and when called, you are asked for personal information. Remember, legitimate companies never ask for your password or similar data.

Another identifying factor: phishers bait people with everything from ultimatums (such as a deadline or expiry date) to shocking statements (such as, "you've won a hundred thousand dollars!"). These kinds of phrases are designed to create a sense of urgency, making users fill out forms and click on links without fully considering the consequences.

If you want to know more about phishing and how you can safeguard yourself against it, we'll be happy to fill you in and discuss a customized security plan to keep you fully protected.

With the many choices today in smartphone platforms, one new contender stands out from the pack – Windows Phone 7, Microsoft's new smartphone OS.

A growing tech trend these days is the steady increase of smartphone use, as more and more people discover the value – both business and personal – of constant connection to the internet and the ability to remain productive even on the go.

There are many options to choose from, and one very viable and promising smartphone platform/OS that's making waves recently is the new Windows Phone 7 OS, released late last year. A successor of sorts to Microsoft's Windows Mobile, WP7 has been rebuilt from the ground up and is packed with new features designed to make it perform at par (or better in some cases) than the competition.

One major improvement in Windows Phone 7 is the new user interface, which is much more fluid and easy to navigate. It also allows for more customization and organization according to user preferences. Another plus for the platform is the generally faster performance, as well as the smooth response of the virtual keyboard. The WP7 OS will also be available in different smartphones, so you need not worry about it being locked to a single device.

A downside of Windows Phone 7 is the lack of applications at this time, though this is largely due to the relative newness of the platform. However, reviews of Windows Phone 7 have been largely positive, and more apps are expected to become available as the platform gains steam in the market.

So if you are in the market for a new smartphone, in addition to checking out the standard leaders such as iPhone, Blackberry, and the Google Android-based smartphones, you might want to consider giving the Windows Phone 7 a look as well.

What are these certifications the A+, Network+, Security+, MCP, MCTS, MCDST, CCITP, CCNA, MCSA, MCSE, and  so on. We're here to clear this up for you.

Some beginners to this field come to us, wanting to know how to get an MCSE or MCITP. These are high level  certifications. Beginners often make this mistake because perhaps they have heard of it from a friend  or relative that this is the certification to have. While this is true, it is not where you want to start. They ask whether the A+ Network+ Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician ( MCDST ), Microsoft Certified Professional ( MCP ), Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator ( MCSA ), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer ( MCSE ), Cisco Certified Network Administrator ( CCNA ) are any good.  Are these certifications worth it?  The answer is a resounding, YES!  If you go to college, you can expect to pay a lot of money for your degree. Getting a certification still takes hours out-of-class study and there are tough (certification) exams at the end of each course. It just takes a lot less total time and money than a college degree and is less expensive.