A Tale of Two Passwords
Small Business Computing (02/29/08) ; Moran, Joseph

There are two types of passwords that when used incorrectly on the broadband router can put a network at risk. The router administration password is sometimes left at its manufacturer default value, which is typically that company's name, password, or a series of basic numbers. A router's administration network offers access to crucial settings that oversee both the online link and personal wired and/or wireless network, and not changing it can make a user vulnerable to a certain type of attack called drive-by pharming. Code incorporated in an email message or Web page is utilized to remotely log into a router employing a known default password. After being given access to the router, an attacker can change it to utilize the attacker's DNS servers and obtain complete control over the site the user is sent to. The WPA password can also create havoc; while many users select WPA instead of WEP due to the top security it can offer, the created password will directly impact the amount of protection given. One reason why WPA is easy to breach is because it employs a static encryption key which can eventually be broken if the user tracks the network for an extended period of time. Both password problems can be fixed by changing the passwords often and creating ones that are lengthy and complex.
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/testdrive/article.php/37311
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The New Workplace Rules: No Video-Watching
Wall Street Journal (03/04/08) P. B1 ; White, Bobby

Video-streaming Web sites like YouTube now consume sizeable amounts of bandwidth at many offices. Small businesses feel the crunch worst of all, since video files sometimes require up to 100 times the bandwidth needed to open an email, thus clogging strained networks. Many businesses are still in the dark about the issue, but employers who track employee Internet use at work are often surprised to find out how much of a drain these sites are. "Without having some kind of a set policy that either controls or blocks video, [companies] run the risk of their networks crashing or, at the least, slowing down drastically," says Forrester Research analyst Paul Stamp. Houston-based Carriage Services Inc. and Schemmer Associates Inc. in Omaha, Neb., are a few of the companies that now prohibit the viewing of videos at work. Using such software platforms as Palo Alto Networks Inc., BlueCoat Systems Inc., SonicWall Inc., and OpenDNS Inc., IT directors can break down bandwidth traffic to find and block sources that slow down a network. These precautions are effective, but can be a nuisance for workers who view high volumes of streaming video as part of their job. In most cases, however, companies that block video viewing sites go on to experience lower costs and increased capacity.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120459386857809135.html

Ensuring Network Uptime
Processor (02/22/08) Vol. 30 , No. 8 ; Millard, Elizabeth

Maintaining continual network uptime can be challenging for a lot of small- and mid-sized businesses. While there is no magic solution, any good network uptime plan should include users and departments on network update plans, states Uptime Institute Executive Director Ken Brill. Involving users in the plan concerning when the network can be temporarily halted for required maintenance increases the concept of uptime and allows information-technology managers to perform needed upgrades. The best way to guarantee uptime may be to set aside some downtime and obtain user recommendations. Removing extraneous servers that are outdated or no longer used could provide space and budget money that could be used to purchase new equipment that helps keep up the network. Periodic design reviews can be beneficial, which would allow bandwidth to be added only when necessary. It is wise to not use too much state-of-the-art technology if it has not been tested in-depth. In addition, establishing uptime protocols and finding out from vendors how their technology can work with those mandates is smart. Lastly, purchasing guaranteed turnaround with hardware and software is important, as a replacement can be delivered to a company within a particular timeframe.
http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2
Fp3008%2F21p08%2F21p08.asp&guid=&searchtype=&WordList=&bJumpTo=Tr
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Wi-Fi Cellular Convergence Can Boost Mobile Worker Productivity
TechTarget (02/25/08) ; Morisy, Michael

Dual-mode phones that have cellular coverage and Wi-Fi will enable companies to reap the mobility advantages that unified communications provide, while possibly reducing certain expenses. The technology permits a company to direct calls via the IP PBX when compatible phones are in range for a Wi-Fi signal and to change rapidly over to a cellular connection when the wireless network is not operating. It does this by having an appliance sit on the area network and track connections. When the correct criteria are fulfilled and credentials are given, the appliance tells the phone to automatically switch over to the strongest network. Farpoint Group principal analyst Craig Mathias explained these implementations could satisfy multiple business challenges, although the leading value for the majority of companies could be increasing productivity. The San Francisco-based national education-research firm WestEd has been using the RoamAnywhere platform from Agito for a few weeks and has been pretty happy with how it has performed. Agito's solution permits users to keep using their cell phones as they normally would without having to enter codes or do any tasks by hand as they switch from cellular to Wi-Fi coverage. The system automatically redirects calls and employs software to make up for audio discrepancies.
http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142
,sid40_gci1302300,00.html