The Ekaru Technology Advisor  Vol 4-4  May 2004

Welcome to this month's issue! Ekaru's mission is to provide technology information and support to help you manage and grow your business!

Another Internet Worm… Here we go again!
A new and malicious Internet "worm" named "Sasser" is causing a lot of trouble. Unlike a virus, which normally travels through e-mails and attachments, Sasser spreads directly through the Internet exploiting a security flaw in Microsoft Windows operating systems. Affected operating systems include Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP. Microsoft announced the flaw in mid-April and offered a repair patch, but most users aren't up to date with patches, and this gave hackers an opportunity to exploit the weakness. Around the country and around the world, a lot of damage has been reported: More than 1000 computers at U Mass Amherst were affected, and Taiwan's national post office said a third of its offices were paralyzed by the worm.

Here's what you can do:

• Update your virus definitions. Since there are many varieties of Sasser, you will need to update more frequently than usual. Symantec, the maker of Norton AntiVirus, is issuing new updates daily for this worm.
• Always run a firewall to protect your computer systems.
• Watch out for users who bring laptops onto the network - they could have been infected from outside. After a system is infected, the worm randomly scans for the local network and Internet for other systems to infect.
• Stay up to date with the latest Microsoft security patches. These are available for free from the Microsoft web site.
• If you are infected, removal tools are available from the major anti-virus software companies, such as Symantec and McAfee.

If you need help, give us a call.

Secure Remote Access - Work from home, multiple offices, or when you're traveling.
We are often asked about how to access services and information from a remote location such as your home or a hotel room.

The goal is to have an easy to use and reliable way of reaching the information you need, while at the same time making sure that you have a secure method which doesn't compromise the security of your office network. Here's some information to help you decide what's right for you.

There are several ways to achieve this goal:

1. Dial into your network using a modem
2. Use a Virtual Private Network
3. Use a hosted service

Solution 1: Dial into your network using a modem.

There are two approaches that can be taken here.

1. If the remote location has a telephone line and your office network or PC already has a modem, you can set it up so that you can dial the number in your office, connect to the PC or network using a modem and access information and files you need. In order to accomplish this you will need to install application software such as PCAnywhere Remote on your home computer and PCAnywhere on your office PC.

Pro's

• PCAnywhere permits local control of the remote computer in addition to file access.
• The remote control feature permits you to remotely use the keyboard and monitor of your office pc to run and access applications. This eliminates the need to install application software at the remote location.
• Fairly secure (requires user to know phone number and have correct user/name and password).
• Uses commonly available resources (modems and phone lines).

Con's

• Requires PCAnywhere host and remote software to be installed.
• Slow connection (realistically 33Kbs maximum on good phone lines).
• Potentially expensive if you need an extra phone line or need to dial long distance.

2. Similarly, if you have a Windows server with a modem on your network you can use the built in Remote Access Services (RAS) to connect to the network. This can be accomplished without the need of additional application software. When using RAS the remote computer connects to the office LAN just as if it was a workstation on the office LAN.

Pro's

• Does not require any special application software.
• Fairly secure (requires user to know phone number and have correct password)
• Uses commonly available resources (modems and phone lines).

Con's

• Slow connections (realistically 33Kbs maximum on good phone lines).
• Potentially expensive if you need an extra phone line or need to dial long distance.

Solution 2: Use a Virtual Private Network.

There are two approaches that can be also taken here. A virtual private network utilizes your existing high-speed Internet connections (dial-up is possible, but not recommended) and software or hardware on each end to encrypt data to make the equivalent of an expensive, dedicated high speed network between the locations.

1. When there is a Windows Server present on the office network, RAS can be enabled and a VPN can be established using Point to Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP).

Pro's

• Inexpensive to operate if you already have high speed Internet access in both locations.
• The client can use software provided with the Microsoft operating system to connect inexpensively and quickly to the office.
• No additional monthly charges to connect or to use.

Con's

• Requires Windows Server expertise to set up.

2. When there is no Windows Server present on the office network, a router that supports VPN can be used in either a router-to-router VPN or Client-to-router VPN using IPSEC protocol.

Pro's

• Hardware and software is readily available.

Con's

• Difficult to configure.
• Hardware and software supporting IPSEC protocol is more expensive.

Solution 3: Use a hosted service.

There are two approaches that can be also taken here.

1. You can contract with a service provider for secure shared storage, which is available from the Internet. This is available both from your office or any remote location so that common data is used and available from all locations.

Pro's

• Information is secure, professionally backed up, and availability is very high with back up connections and back up power.
• Information is always there and current.

Con's

• You need to pay a monthly charge to the service provider and the rate goes up as more information is stored.
• You need to make sure all users really use and update this information storage site so it is useful.
• The speed of connection to the data depends on how fast the Internet access is from your office to the server.

2. You can use a web based PCAnywhere type solution like "Go to My PC".

Pro's

• Easily implemented

Con's

• You need to pay a monthly charge to the service provider. This can really add up when you consider a per user / per system / per month charge, so you'll want to carefully consider the cost.

As you can see, there are a lot of options available. The first step is to think through how you will use remote access, and then think about the business (and lifestyle) benefits. Then you'll be able to weigh the benefits against the cost. If you're interested in more information, give us a call.

2004 Technology Workshop Series:
We are proud to announce that Comcast is sponsoring the 2004 Ekaru Technology Workshop Series. These workshops are designed to help you get more from the technology you already have, and introduce you to the new technologies you need to know about. Past topics have included QuickBooks, Network Security, and Top 10 Costly Technology Mistakes. The next workshop will be held in early June. Visit the Ekaru website for more information.

Ekaru People:
Congratulations to Bob Mauceri who was elected yesterday as a Selectman in North Reading, MA!

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  Spring is Here!

Sincerely,
Team Ekaru

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