Posts for November 2013

Is virtualisation a magical way to cut your costs?

Modern computers and servers are so powerful that many businesses tend to only use only a small percentage of their full capabilities.

For instance, if a server is only being used to store files and share internet access then much of its processing power is going to waste.

In recent years, more companies have started using virtualisation to help harness some of that untapped power. So, what is virtualisation and why should it matter to your business?

Virtualisation: many servers, one box

Virtualisation involves sharing computing resources so your business can get more bang for its buck. This clever technology allows one physical server to function as several servers.

That’s why they’re called virtual servers: although they behave like individual servers, they all run on the same piece of hardware.

For example, instead of running your each of your in-house applications (email server, accounting system, CRM system etc) on its own physical server, you can ‘virtualise’ one big server and run the whole lot on that.

Doing so means you only have one physical server to maintain. Virtualisation is also handy when different applications can't run together under the same operating system. For example, perhaps your accounting software runs on Windows but your website requires Linux.

Power when you need it

These days, you can take advantage of virtualisation without actually owning any hardware yourself. Instead, you rent your virtual servers from another company, often a web hosting or cloud computing firm.

In this situation, you’ll never see the physical server on which your virtual servers run. It sits safely in a data centre where it may be shared by other businesses too.

The beauty of this approach is that the resources needed to run your applications can be spread across a number of virtual servers, which are all shared between companies.

This means that there’s lots of computing power on tap should you need it — yet you don’t have to invest in expensive hardware yourself.

To spread the load, many virtualisation services split computing power between customers in different time zones, so there’s always enough spare capacity to go round.

Is sharing servers safe?

One of the first questions businesses have about sharing servers in this way is: ‘Are our applications and data safe if we’re sharing with other companies?’

Usually, the answer is yes, as long as you are dealing with a reputable provider. If they are a European firm and covered by EU data protection laws then that gives you extra reassurance. In general, you should ask the same questions of your provider as you would of any other cloud computing company.

Virtualisation is all about sharing the cost of computing resources. If more businesses can share a single resource, that resource becomes cheaper for each individual business. And that’s why virtualisation should matter to you.

• How much computing power is wasted in your business?
• Q&A: do more with your network server
• How we replaced our stretched servers with virtualisation

This is a guest post from John Paterson, CEO of Really Simple Systems

IT for donuts: what on earth does RAM mean?

To replace our long-running series of Friday tech tips, we've invented a new feature. Appropriately, we're calling it IT for Donuts.

Starting today, every Friday we'll explain a tech term or answer a question about business IT. We'll stick to jargon-free language, so you can actually understand what we're on about.

To kick things off, we answer the question: what does RAM mean?

Ok then, what does RAM mean?

You'll have seen the term RAM in adverts for computers. You might also have noticed it mentioned in messages on your computer screen, or in the largely-incomprehensible system requirements printed on the side of software boxes.

RAM stands for random access memory. (Don't confuse it with the Daft Punk album, Random Access Memories.)

Think of RAM as your computer's short-term memory. RAM provides space for information that your computer needs to have readily available.

For instance, when you open a piece of software, all the data relating to that software is moved to your computer's RAM. This makes it easy for your computer to get at it quickly, which means the software runs nice and fast.

In its physical form, RAM is a bunch of chips inside your computer, as pictured above.

How RAM is used by your computer

Ok, here's an example. Imagine you've just turned your computer on and no programs are running. Then you double-click a Microsoft Word document to open it.

At that point, the document will be moved from your computer's hard drive (its long-term memory) into the RAM (its short-term memory). This is because it's much quicker to access data when it's held in the RAM.

As you edit the document, the data in the RAM changes. And when you hit save, the data in the RAM is copied back over to your hard drive.

Why you need plenty of RAM

As you open more files and programs on your computer, it loads more data into the RAM. If it gets to the point where the RAM is full, your computer will slow down, because it has to shuffle data on and off the hard drive more frequently.

That's why the amount of RAM you have is important.

RAM is measured in gigabytes (GB). You don't really need to know what a GB is, but the more you have the better. If you're buying a new computer, 4GB should be fine for everyday use, but paying a little extra for 6GB might be wise in the long run. 

If your computer is starting to show its age, adding more RAM is one of the most cost-effective ways to speed it up. Most computers have space inside for extra RAM, which you can buy and install yourself.

• How to add page numbers in Microsoft Word
• How to cut the background out of an image
• Quickly add annotations to screenshots and mockups

The last rites of traditional IT security

Anti-virus software has been one of the standard weapons against online threats for the past two decades. But as the nature of online dangers changes, anti-virus software is starting to look past its sell-by date.

Nowadays, it’s not worries over traditional viruses that keep IT professionals awake at night. Their number one concern is more likely to be the targeted attack. Online criminals will stealthily approach your business, gaining access to critical systems, leaving virtually no trace.

Factor in clever new malware delivered via phishing or social engineering and you start to realise that anti-virus software is near-useless against this new generation of threats.

Professional online criminals

Professional online criminals are often behind these new threats. From stealing valuable intellectual property to coordinated attacks on bank accounts, the online attack model of today is a world away from the loud-mouthed internet vandals who used to dominate the headlines.

Today’s attacks are carried out by groups, rather than individuals, are designed to steal valuable data — and often leave no trace.

What’s more, online attackers are patient. An analysis of what’s known as advanced persistent threat (APT) incidents by Mandiant revealed the average period over which attackers controlled a victim's network was one year.

That’s a long time for online criminals to have access to your data without you realising.

Additionally, many of these breaches are inside jobs, where authorised users (often company employees) load malware or password-capturing software onto company systems.

Anti-virus was never enough

In all honesty, anti-virus software has always had its weaknesses. It has to be updated daily and cannot effectively prevent against new threats until they have been identified and an antidote created.

This model was flawed when most viruses were noisy and high-profile. But today, threats are silent and stealthy. With fewer organisations affected, there are fewer opportunities for the virus to be identified and neutralised.

What should we use instead?

If anti-virus software isn’t enough, then what are the options?

First off, organisations need to address any complacency that exists and start implementing security processes that are key to effective defence.

Getting the basic principles of security right is a good place to start. Creating a security checklist is relatively straightforward with help from an IT professional or supplier. Doing so gives you a clear list of recommendations and will help you identify any weaknesses in your business.

File integrity monitoring

However, you also need an infallible way to detect malware if it does manage to bypass security defences.

File integrity monitoring (FIM) is an excellent way to do this. It radically reduces the risk of security breaches by warning when a change has been made to underlying, core file systems.

Flagging changes in this way makes it harder for threats to take hold because you get immediately notified if changes happen that could indicate a stealth attack.

A combination works best

File integrity management works best when combined with strong change management processes. This means your business needs to keep tight control on who is allowed to make changes to core software and when they may do so.

It’s not a silver bullet that will make your business impervious to online threats. But as a core plank of your security strategy, file integrity management can effectively protect your data and dramatically reduce the risks your business faces.

• Most small businesses have had a security breach. Have you?
• Save your business from a security threat
• How to perform an IT security risk assessment

This is a guest post from Mark Kedgley, CTO at New Net Technologies,

Friday tech tip: a hassle-free way to send large files by email

Sharing a folder with Box.

Trying to send big files by email is fraught with difficulty. Many email systems block large attachments, and big files can crash or slow email software.

So, for this Friday's tech tip, we show you a better way to send big files using a service called Box that provides online storage space for files. Once you've uploaded files there, you can share them with other people by just sending a link in an email.

It's quick and easy, and — unlike many similar services — doesn't require the recipient to sign up to Box too.

It's a good idea to use a method like this any time you're trying to send email attachments totalling more than 5MB (megabytes) or so.

Get signed up

To get started, you need to sign up for a free account with Box. There are a range of paid-for packages, but the free option is fine unless you need to send a really large volume of data:

1. Fill in the sign up form on the Box website.
2. Check your email for the Box activation message.
3. Select the Verify Email button to finish signing up.

Create a folder

To keep things organised, create a folder for the files you want to send:

1. Go to the Box website and sign in
2. Select the New button (top right), then choose Folder.
3. Enter a folder name and select Create Folder. Don't change any other settings.
4. Open your new folder by clicking or tapping it (if you're using a touch screen).

Upload your files

Next, you should upload all the file(s) you want to share.

The quickest way is to drag the files from your computer to where it says Drag and drop files from your desktop.

Alternatively, select the file browser option, choose the file(s) and then hit Open.

Share the folder

With your files safely uploaded into the folder you created, all you need to do is to share the folder with the recipient:

1. Select Folder Options near the top right of the screen.
2. Choose Share, then Send Link to Folder (see screenshot above).
3. A box will appear. Enter the email address of the recipient.
4. You can also enter a message to accompany the link to your shared folder.
5. When you're ready, select Send.

The person you're sending the data to will receive an email containing a link to your shared folder. When they select it, they'll see the contents of the folder and can download the files they need.

It's much easier than trying to send large amounts of data in an email attachment.

• How to stay connected on holiday without getting overwhelmed
• Run apps side-by-side in Windows 8
• Three ways to seriously reduce your printing costs

Do you need to secure your smart phone?

If you own a smart phone, you’re carrying a powerful computer around in your pocket. And, like all computers, it’s a potential target for malware, online criminals and hackers.

Never given your smart phone security more than a passing thought? You’re not alone. Technology analysis firm Juniper Research has found more than 80% of company and personal smart phones will remain unprotected at the end of 2013.

Mobile risks are increasing

The report — Mobile security: BYOD, mCommerce, consumer and enterprise —found that security risks are on the rise due to an explosion of mobile malware over the last two years.

Cyber criminals are switching focus, targeting PCs less and mobile platforms more. These findings support Trend Micro data showing that that there are already more than a million different pieces of malware and high-risk apps for Android devices alone.

We’re more aware of mobile security

It’s not all doom and gloom though. The report identified that although adoption rates remain low, awareness that mobile security products exist is growing. So, if more of us know that there are tools to protect our smart phones, why aren’t we using them?

Well, perhaps the risks are less obvious than on our desktop computers. After all, have you, or anyone you know, been affected by malware on your smart phone? The dangers are growing, but aren’t yet high-profile enough to encourage mass adoption.

BYOD and security

The report claims that the low level of adoption of security software can be attributed to a number of factors, including the relatively low awareness about attacks on mobile devices and a widespread perception that the price of security products is excessive.

However, with BYOD (bring your own device) — where employees use their own mobile devices for work — becoming more common, it’s important that your business starts thinking about mobile security.

Using mobile security software may be a start, but really you need to step back, taking a broader look at how you use mobile devices and where the risks lie. Then you can create a mobile security plan to keep your data, your employees and your business safe.

• Where to start with mobile security
• You can’t avoid bringing your own device
• Yes, you need to secure your smart phone too