Ways to Make Money From Your Smartphone or Tablet

You may see your smartphone and data plan as just another monthly expense.

However, many cash-strapped smartphone users are turning their mobile devices into portable ATM machines.

Forget playing yet another round of Angry Birds during your daytime downtime: here are 7 legit strategies that you can tap into to actually earn money on the go.
Swagbucks App

The concept of getting paid to take surveys has been around since the early days of the world wide web.

But it's never gone mobile...until now.

While Swagbucks isn't your typical paid survey panel, it does offer a number of ways to earn rewards (including searching and playing games). These rewards (known as Swagbucks) can be redeemed for hundreds of prizes, including Visa gift cards and video games.

Unlike many of the opportunities listed here you can still participate in Swagbucks even when you're at home using your PC or Mac.

Smartkick

If you're a shopaholic you're going to love Smartkick app. With this popular iPhone app you actually earn rewards just for visiting your favorite stores.

Of course you can earn even more rewards if you actually buy something while you're there, but it's not necessary. Just download the app and choose the stores that you visit on a regular basis. The app will detect that you've entered the store and automatically add rewards points to your account.

Although your rewards (known as "Kicks") can't be converted to cash, you can use them to receive special promotions and discounts when buying the things you need.

Make Your Own App

Have you ever been bored, playing around with your iPhone or Android, and come up with a great idea for an app? If so, you may want to consider launching your own app based on your brilliant insights. Although the app market is more crowded than ever there are plenty of "Appreneurs" turning their app ideas into 6-figure businesses.

Unless you already know how to program apps you'll need at least $4,000 to design, launch and promote a professional app.

And like any business, you'll probably want to read case studies of people that have done it. While getting your app out there is somewhat easy, monetizing it isn't. Have a monetization plan in place before you launch.

Gigwalk

Gigwalk is an app that helps people like you earn some extra money when you have some time to kill.

Here's how it works: you download the app and enter information about your work experience, age and where you live.

When someone needs a minor task to be done -- such as checking the availability of an item at a store or gathering information from potential customers as part of a market research campaign -- they hire you to do the work.

Depending on the time needed and expertise required you can rake in anywhere from $5 to $25 per gig. Currently available in over 6,000 cities in the US, so even if you live in a small town there's probably a Gigwalk gig somewhere nearby.

Easyshift

If you're in need of quick cash you'd be hard pressed to beat Easyshift. With this app business owners in your area put you to work for one or part of one shift at their business. For example, if a catering company needs a few extra hands, they'll post on Easyshift that they're looking for someone to help out for one night only.

When the job is done, you get paid on the spot via Paypal. They also offer mystery shopping opportunities, which tend to be higher-paying than many other commonly posted jobs.

Task Rabbit

Task Rabbit is similar to Easyshift except that the focus is on running errands. As a Task Rabbit you'll be doing anything from picking up laundry to assembling furniture for people that are low on time but have some spare money to spend.

This site is growing fast, but is only available in a select few metropolitan areas. Note that most of the activity at this site takes place in New York City and San Francisco.

Become a Virtual Assistant

Busy executives and small business owners are increasingly ditching their desk secretary in favor of a digital assistant (known technically as a Virtual Assistant, or VA).

Most of the tasks assigned to VAs are web research, emailing, posting content to blogs, updating social media accounts and customer service.

Although some of these tasks would be a challenge for those with smartphones, most VA gigs can be done with ease using a tablet, like an iPad.

Forex Price Movement - How and Why Prices Really Move

This article is going to look at how and why prices move and how to win. Most novice traders make the mistake of thinking prices move to news stories and try and trade them or to some scientific theory - they don't. Forex prices are chaos - but that doesn't mean you can't win, you can and to do so, you must understand the key point of this article...
Here is the equation for market movement

Fundamentals (Supply and Demand) + Investor Perception of = Price

While the above sounds simple and it is most traders don't understand that the facts are NOT important it is how they are perceived by all the investors as a whole that is important.

Many people trade breaking news but it won't help you as it's discounted immediately and furthermore, investors are always looking to the future. To illustrate this think about this fact:

Market bottoms normally occur when the news is most bearish and market tops, when the news is most bullish.

The fundamentals are important long term - but in the short term prices are determined by the greed and fear of the investors, it's what they all think as group that determines price.

Many traders think because human nature is constant, there is a scientific theory of market movement - but of course there isn't. If there was, we would all know the price in advance and there would be no market at all.

Forex is an odds game and your aim is to trade high odds set ups, when the patterns of forex price movement dictate you should and the best way to do this is to use a simple robust trend following forex trading system.

Forex charts show you the supply and demand situation (they simply assume that all fundamentals show up in price action) but they do so something more - they tell you how all the investors perceive them.

Forex charting and technical analysis is not a science, it's an art. You're in fact, playing a similar role to a good poker player. You are looking to bet big on high odds sets, fold ones that don't go right and pass by low odds set ups.

Just like the poker player, you won't win every hand - but if you play the odds, you can win more than you lose and make a lot of money.

Forex charting is easy to learn and if you make it part of your forex education, you can learn it in about 2 weeks and get a robust forex trading strategy together which, you can apply in around 30 minutes a day.

If you can master it forex charting and spot high odds forex price movement patterns, the rewards are huge.



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Learn To Trade The Forex: Forex Online Trading Systems Can Make You Rich

Foreign currency exchange trading (Forex) is creating a lot of buzz in investment circles, because it’s making many people very wealthy. Unlike the New York Stock Exchange, the forex market is open twenty-four hours a day. You can literally trade from sun up to sun down.

This is great news for anyone who has a job and other daily responsibilities. You can trade after work, or early in the morning at the crack of dawn. How often you trade and the time of day you choose is totally up to you.

The reason why so many people want to learn how to trade forex is because they hear stories about average folks, who have become forex traders, putting some money into a few good trades and making themselves a bundle – we’re talking thousands of dollars.

Is this kind of success in currency trading possible for you?

Yes, and no.

Yes, it is absolutely possible for you to learn how to analyze the market and pick winning trades. However, this success will not come overnight and will not come without some study and practice on your part.

Was that a buzz kill?

I hope not. It’s just a little cold water being splashed in your face. Look, online forex trading can be a little like gambling in Vegas. You’ve got your cash on hand, you’re sitting there at your computer looking at all the charts and currencies: dollar, yen, euro, etc.

You’re just itching to make some trades and even though you’re still green under the gills, you’re ready to jump in on that hot tip you got from your fellow trading buddy. The rent money’s due and you’ve got bills to pay, but you just know that if you make this one trade - you’ll make big bank!

Okay, this is where the excited new traders get happy, go all in and then . . . lose lots of money they can’t afford.

That’s right. While experienced traders are making nice profits on that hot tip, the newbies are getting wiped out clean, because they really don’t know what they’re doing and are betting their hard earned cash based on pure emotions. The first thing you need to learn about trading currencies is that you should NEVER make a trade like a gambler sitting at a roulette table letting it all ride on red.

The best traders are the ones that know how to keep their cool.

The best traders also learn how to read the forex news and analyze what trades they think are best given certain market conditions. Another golden tip is that you should never invest money that you need to keep a roof over your head, food in the fridge and the lights on at home. People who do this are gamblers and we already know that gamblers lose most of the time.

Successful traders have learned to risk no more than 2-3% of their total trading account. So, while they may make thousands, these investors have learned how to build on their success. When you have a winning trade, you take that money and invest it again and again.

To be safe, while you are learning how to trade in the forex market, you shouldn’t use real money period. You can open a demo trading account and make your trades without risking a cent. This way, when you lose, you can study that mistake and try to correct it. While all investors, even successful ones, lose money, you’ll be learning how to minimize your losses and increase your winning trades.

A good online forex trading system will show you the ropes and teach you how to look at trends and study market movement. You’ll also learn how to put in a strategic stop loss to keep you from losing too much money when the market goes against you.

When the time is right, and you are confident you can trade successfully (with a cool head) using real money, then jump in and go for the gusto!


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Forex Trading Psychology: What Makes A Successful Forex Trader?

The Forex market has changed through the years, growing in volume and expanding across multiple time zones.

Brokerage houses have changed, too, going online with sophisticated software and powerful servers.

Economic indicators and technical analysis have become more sophisticated, too, until the Forex market of today bears little resemblance to what it used to be.

But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed: most traders lose.

Despite all the advances in the Forex marketplace, the ratio of winners to losers remains low. Experts agree that the most hopeful number that can be advanced is a measly 10%, which means that 90% of all traders on any particular day will lose.

Experts also agree that the reason most traders lose is because they allow their emotions to cloud their judgment.

Most people trade on hope and fear, rather than facts. Rather than basing their trades on what the charts and the indicators actually say, these people trade on what they want them to say. They hang onto a losing trade and follow the graph down, hoping the currency pair will turn around. Or they exit a trade too soon, fearing the trend won’t last, and are satisfied with pennies that even the best Forex money management cannot balance against their losses.

Other people lose through greed, by trying to pick the highs and lows too nicely to maximize their profits to the penny. Rather than waiting to place a trade when the indicators confirm the market’s movement, they jump in too soon and are disappointed when the anticipated break-out never occurs.

Remember, there is no magic software or fool-proof trading scheme. If you cannot control your emotions, then you cannot become a winner despite yourself. But there are things you can do to improve your chances of being one of the winners, and the most powerful is to follow these rules of Forex trading:

Prepare a trading plan, using good Forex money management skills and the trading strategy of your choice—then trade your plan. Don’t alter your plan or fudge your criteria if you don’t see a good trade for a few days; wait for the market to fulfill your requirements before risking your money. Remember the law of averages: sooner or later, the market will come around.

Use stops, and trailing stops when possible, to control losses and protect your profits. Remember to set your stops far enough away from the entry price so that you aren’t closed out by normal market jitters.

Paper trade with a demo account until you are efficient and feel comfortable in the market.

When you move on and start trading with real money, it feels different than paper trading! But this is no time to change your plan. To minimize the effects of emotion, set a small, realistic initial goal and trade until you achieve your goal more often than not. Use small sums in micro or mini accounts. Only when you are comfortable risking your cash and sometimes losing it should you attempt to trade with larger sums of money.

Study your trading record and try to figure out what went wrong when you lost. To put it simply, learn from your mistakes. That alone will put you ahead of the crowd!

Three Tips for SMBs to Trim IT Budgets

If there is one thing that is almost certain about most SMBs, it is how IT departments are constantly under pressure to get more done with less. While developments such as cheaper Ultrabooks and even tablets can serve to lower IT budget in some instances, they are more easily realized by a new organization than an existing business looking to pare costs.

Today, I want to highlight three methods that SMBs can use to trim their existing IT budgets.

Pare down on telecommunications costs

Most organizations will be paying for the telecommunication costs of its employees to some extent or other. If kept unchecked, this can become a drain on the budget for no tangible gain where IT is concerned. Quick ways to pare down on this front may entail ceasing to pay for the phone bills of employees who really don’t need to use their mobile phones in the course of their work, or to re-evaluate existing call plans.

The latter is about optimizing call plans to ensure that the company is not overpaying for air time for a staffer who makes very few calls, for example, or upping the data plan tier for another who may be incurring excess data charges on a regular basis. In fact, paring down on costs related to telecommunications apparently made up for a significant portion of VMware’s savings of $2 million.

Perform an upgrade instead of getting new systems

Most businesses would have a schedule to replace a certain proportion of their systems each year. Instead of acquiring new systems outright, however, it may be viable to consider performing an upgrade to stretch the lifespan of existing PCs, followed by the reinstallation of the operating system to clear out accumulated software gunk.

In fact, I’ve just written about the merits of performing an SSD upgrade, which ranks high as one of the most perceptible performance boosts currently available. To be clear, deferring the acquisition of new systems adds only a couple of years at the most; SMBs should avoid putting off getting new systems indefinitely as aging systems are more prone to hardware failures.

Leverage the cloud

There is little doubt that it has matured over the last couple of years. Indeed, the “SMB Cloud Insights” report published during the Parallels Summit just this week forecasted that the SMB Cloud services market is set to hit a sizzling $68 billion by 2014. As small and mid-sized businesses grow comfortable with cloud services, it makes sense to leverage it creatively to help trim IT budgets. For example, SMBs running into the last gigabytes on their obsolete storage servers may want to explore the use of cloud storage – for which an increasing number of reputable cloud storage providers now offer unlimited data storage.

SugarSync just a week ago has announced unlimited storage for SugarSync for Business, while Backupify for Google Apps offers the same for just $4 per user per month. Moreover, aging web servers may be quickly shifted to AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Microsoft Azure without having to spend a fortune on new hardware that has to be manually provisioned. SMBs keen to take a closer look at the cloud may want to read up on how cloud computing can help your SMB compete too.

Five Reasons to Switch to Windows 8

It has been over a month since Microsoft unveiled the Windows 8 operating system (OS) on October 26. As is the case with each new version of the Windows OS, some users may be undecided if they should make the transition or stick with what they are using.

For those still on the fence, I’ve drawn up five reasons to switch to Windows 8 below.

Touchscreen Support

Unlike the half-baked touch support found on Windows 7, Windows 8 was designed with touch in mind from the get-go. For example, the new tile-based Modern user interface makes use of the touch screen to offer a tablet-like experience. The desktop is still around though, and can be launched by tapping on the Desktop icon.

With a view on the needs of businesses, computer makers have unveiled a range of touch screen devices to take full advantage of Windows 8. Ultrabooks such as the Dell XPS 12 offer the best of both worlds with a unique convertible design that switches easily between a laptop and a tablet. You can read my review of the Dell XPS 12 here.

Fastest Windows ever

Getting Windows 8 to run on existing hardware was one of the engineering objectives for Microsoft. Various benchmarks and anecdotal evidence to date suggests that Microsoft has succeeded in making Windows 8 the fastest version of Windows ever. From my personal experience, Windows 8 starts up in a shorter amount of time than Windows 7, and goes into suspend mode and resume from it faster.

Better Security

Part of the heightened security in Windows 8 revolves around its support for the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) secure boot feature. The technology ensures that only properly signed and authenticated components are allowed to load, creating a secure path from the moment the PC is booted up until control is handed over to Windows 8. This protects the vulnerable boot loader from being corrupted or hijacked by hackers or malware. Finally, Windows 8 comes preinstalled the Windows Defender antimalware tool, which is also enabled by default.

Refresh and Reset

Windows 8 allows users to perform a quick “reset” to switch everything back to the factory defaults – as you would with a smartphone or tablet device. A less extreme option would be “refresh,” which will initiate an automatic reinstallation of Windows 8 while leaving personal data, important settings and Modern apps alone.

Improved NTFS

In Windows 8, Microsoft made changes to its NTFS file system to allow for greater availability. Instead of treating the entire storage drive as a single volume that has to be taken down to deal with any file system corruption, the new model will first attempt to heal detected anomalies online. In the unlikely event that the data volume must be taken offline, the enhancements allow for the errors to be resolved within seconds.

The above points aside, Windows 8 comes with a long list of other improvements that make it a worthwhile upgrade. This ranges from a brand new software stack for handling USB 3.0 devices, as well as better multi-monitor support. You may want to consider giving Windows 8 a spin if you’ve yet to do so.

Pirated copies of Windows OS in China prone to security issues

PCs running on pirated copies of Windows wide open to malware, says Microsoft. The company has launched an anti-piracy campaign to address such risks.

Chinese PCs running on bootleg versions of the Windows operating system (OS) are prone to security issues, says Microsoft, as it launched a new anti-piracy campaign to highlight the security risks inherent to running pirated software.

As part of a recent investigation, Microsoft purchased 169 PCs from shops in China; all of the PCs were running counterfeit copies of Windows, and 91% of the machines came with malware or deliberate security vulnerabilities. PCs installed with the pirated copies of Windows include well-known brands Acer, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, among other Chinese computer makers. It is understood that the pirated OSs are likely installed by a third party who preloads Windows over the non-Windows OS that are originally on these machines when they leave the factory. The Computerworld article that reported this story also noted a study by the Business Software Alliance that pegged China’s illegal software market is valued at $9 billion (compared to the legal market at $2.7 billion).

Though it wasn’t mentioned in the Computerworld article, it is likely that malware were inadvertently loaded through cloning of an infected copy. Cracked copies of Windows could also see Windows Update disabled to prevent Microsoft from detecting them. The latter is an especially serious problem given that such machines will get progressively more vulnerable as security updates and patches are released on Patch Tuesdays each month.

Software piracy in the region can be a tricky problem to solve on a number of levels. One of the primary problems pertains to cost — that few hundred dollars for a legitimate copy of a software application could stack up to a full month’s wages for a professional in China. To its credit, Microsoft China has long attempted to address this by pricing Windows substantially lower in the country.

The other issue has to do with a culture of piracy in China, as well as some other countries in the Asia region. In some locales, it is possible to find shops that sell only pirated software. This widespread availability of counterfeit software puts intense pressure on local businesses determined to use only licensed applications, due to the higher operational cost that they incur over their competitors. On the other hand, businesses that succumb to the pressure reinforce the culture of piracy.

SMB Cloud Outlook for 2013

The outage experienced by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that wasattributed to human error aside, the cloud has growth to be a platform that is both robust and trusted by businesses today. As we start a brand new year, what is the outlook like for small and mid-sized businesses?

Ed Abrams, vice president of IBM Midmarket Business, sent along some trends that IBM sees for SMBs in 2013. I highlight three of them below.

Using Cloud to Gain a Competitive Advantage

According to Abrams, the days of concern about putting data into the cloud are in large part over for SMBs. Smaller businesses are getting more and more comfortable in taking core technology-based processes and moving them to the cloud, he says.

“SMBs are seeing cloud as a way to grow their businesses and gain access to technology solutions that they once thought were unaffordable,” writes Abrams. “Cloud, through usage based pricing models is giving SMBs the ability to apply technology in new areas to drive growth”

On this front, I’ve written extensively about how SMBs may leverage the cloud to their advantage, which you can find in “How to Utilize the Cloud in Your SMB and Mind the Pitfalls.”

Cloud in Disaster Recovery

When combined with a comprehensive security and data protection solution, the cloud can also enable SMBs to better prepare for, and quickly recover from, potential disasters. As noted by Abrams, this could range from a flood or fire, to more mundane — but far likelier — scenarios such as lost or stolen mobile devices and laptops.

Getting Ahead with Managed Service Providers

Almost four years ago, I wrote on SMB Tech that the cloud may not necessarily be for every SMB. To support my point, I drew attention to how limited cloud solutions were at that time, as well as highlighted the deployment and development complexity. Things have changed on the former, though the inherent need for specialized knowledge for individual cloud platforms is still true today.

Complexity is hardly the major handicap it once was though, given that SMBs are starting to gravitate towards managed service providers (MSPs) as a means of acquiring capability. Indeed, Abrams noted that MSPs may be a more effective choice than large public cloud providers, due to how they can provide the advice and guidance that smaller businesses need in order to migrate their businesses to the cloud.

Ultimately, there is no doubt that the judicious use of cloud services can help an SMB free up much-needed resources in order to concentrate on fostering innovation and business growth. How does your SMB intend to use cloud services in 2013? Feel free to add a note in the comments section below.

Three Methods of Backing up Your Crucial Work Files in 2013

It’s the start of a brand-new year, and you’re getting ready to plunge back into a new cycle of late-night deadlines and endless projects as work starts to pick up again after the holidays. But before that happens, why not spend an hour — or less — to set up a system to back up your crucial work files?

Indeed, personal experience gained from years of working in the IT field tells me that the “do-a-backup-whenever-I-remember” approach invariably results in out-of-date backups that prove to be of little value in a disaster. However, this problem can be circumvented by simply setting up the right tools to perform a periodic automatic data backup.

Below are three specific methods and tools you can use to perform proper data backup for your SMB in 2013.

Cloud Storage

The backup method that has gained the most traction in the last couple of years would surely be cloud storage. The ubiquity of Internet access does mean that modified files can be easily uploaded from anywhere in the world.  

The tool that I personally use for cloud storage is SugarSync, of which I am a paying user. The cloud storage service synchronizes files through the use of a lightweight client utility that does its work in the background. Aside from supporting both PCs and Macs, users are also able to access their files from a number of mobile platforms. SMBs interested in implementing and centrally managing cloud replication may want to read my review of SugarSync for Business to learn more.

LAN Synchronization

Small and mid-sized businesses keen on keeping up-to-date copies of their work files, but leery of the cloud, may want to consider keeping them in sync over the local area network (LAN). Attempting to perform daily dumps over the LAN may overload the networks though, making it more important than ever that only changed files are synchronized.

On this front, FreeFileSync is a powerful folder comparison and file synchronization tool that promises highly optimized performance between different drives or network shares. Moreover, the ability to keep versions of deleted and updated files means that mistakenly deleted files or revisions can be recovered. FreeFileSync is open source and available on Windows and Linux operating systems.

Commercial Backup Software

Finally, SMBs that firmly believe in the value of data backups and are prepared to pay for it can choose from “traditional” data backup utilities that offer a wide range of capabilities. This may range from the ability to image an entire disk drive, perform incremental backups, as well as support for various storage media such as DVDs, USB flash drives, tape drives or NAS (network-attached storage).

One of them is Acronis True Image 2013, which offers bare metal restores in the event of a total disk failure. Because it tracks ongoing changes to the entire file system, users can revisit any file or folder at a specific point in time. While the commercial software may appear expensive to some at $50, the alternative of having to spend thousands to recover data from a failed disk drive seems even more unpalatable.

There are obviously many excellent applications and cloud storage services that I’ve not been able to mention in this blog. As such, feel free to chip in with recommendations in the comments section below.

Deriving Greater Value from Windows 8 in your Business

So you have decided to switch to Windows 8, or perhaps have even made the transition. What’s next? What are some ways that you can leverage the capabilities baked into the latest operating system from Microsoft to the advantage of your business?

We offer some suggestions below on some things you can do to derive greater value from Windows 8 in your organization.

Ditch the Desktop for the Tablet

Rather than sticking with the traditional PC desktop, ditching it and going with a tablet based on Windows 8 may be a viable or even compelling option for some employees. The advantages in going down this route may range from a long battery life, a lighter weight, or a slim form factor.

One such device would be the Dell XPS 10 tablet. Powered by Windows RT, the XPS 10 tablet integrates easily with existing software management tools and IT systems. Moreover, it also comes with productivity applications such as Office 2013 RT and a video collaboration tool, while a detachable mobile keyboard helps double battery life to 20 hours while adding HDMI video output.

Pair your Ultrabook with a Docking Station

Many of the devices available with Windows 8 are Ultrabooks devices, which are sleek, ultraportable laptops. There is really not much to complain about here; the combination of hardware improvements and the greater efficiency of Windows 8 mean that these devices generally perform well compared to older laptops. Still, many of these devices do have fewer peripheral ports, and tend to sport smaller displays.

One of my favorites, the Dell XPS 12 convertible touch screen Ultrabook has only two USB ports and no LAN port. Plug it to the relatively affordable USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Dual Video Docking Station from Targus though, and you get six more USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, and the ability to link up two full-HD (1920×1080) external displays.

Ubiquitous data access

Windows 8 offers a refined version of DirectAccess, which allows for remote PCs to connect to an IT infrastructure without having to setup a clunky VPN connection. As you can imagine, the primarily advantage here is the ability to manage the remote PC using policy. For example, the latest policies and software updates can be used to keep users’ laptops and tablets in compliance.

Booting up Windows 8 on older devices

While it would be ideal to issue Windows 8 devices to every employer, situations may arise where some staffers are left with a non-Windows 8 machine. It’s not a big problem though, with the use of Windows To Go feature. As its name suggests, Windows To Go is essentially a portable yet fully manageable Windows 8 desktop environment for business users.

The feature involves putting Windows 8 into a bootable external USB flash drive, which will allow the familiar Windows 8 environment to be launched from any Windows or Windows 8 PC. This allows IT organizations to better support BYOD, as well as providing temporary access to the corporate environment without compromising security.

This is a paid post in conjunction with IDG and Dell

Creating a Disaster Recovery Plan for Your Small Business

Putting together a disaster recovery plan isn’t something that is reserved to the domain of large or enterprise businesses. While the endeavor can indeed be a complex undertaking for bigger organizations with thousands of employees, a small business or SOHO (some office, home office) can probably put together a working disaster recovery plan in relatively short order.

With this in mind, I outline some of the most important areas and suggestions on disaster recovery below.

Back up Work Data

The most precious asset of a typical business these days would probably be its digitized data. As such, any disaster recovery plan necessitates that a copy of this data is regularly achieved at a location that is not only geographically separate, but also easily accessible.

One method of fulfilling the two prerequisites specified above would be to rely on a cloud storage service such as SugarSync. Businesses are well advised to carefully consider the relative risks of storing unencrypted data in the cloud, which does carry inherent risks not found in backups that are stored offline. For now, you may want to check out my “Three Methods of Backing up Your Crucial Work Files in 2013” for more information on backing up your work data.

Restoring Server Assets

Having a backup copy of data on hand is good, but of little immediate use if replacement servers required to make use of them cannot be deployed within a reasonable timeframe. As it is, remember to make a full image of the operating system and supporting software on a regular basis using server backup software such as Acronis Backup & Recovery.

It is for this reason that many businesses have opted to fully virtualize their infrastructure, which allows them to make copies of the entire virtual machines with little effort. If done properly, these software virtual machines can be copied onto a replacement server and reused with little configuration needed. Obviously, making use of cloud infrastructure and online services offers the same benefit; though it is worth noting that even Amazon EC2 is known to fail.

Working from Home

The earlier two points address the ability for small businesses to restore their work data and infrastructure in the wake of a disaster. Moving ahead, the next consideration is being able to resume work with the shortest amount of interruptions, or to continue working while waiting out inclement weather, for example.

For this to work, employees need to be prepared to work from home, preferably armed with company laptops. This does also entail the availability of speedy broadband access, as well as some means to securely access the work files once they are recovered from data storage and redeployed on new servers.

While the above areas are what I consider to be the most important aspects, it is important to remember that the finer details of how a small business can get up to speed will obviously differ from one business to the next. The above pointers should be a good start for just about every small business, however.

Compromised Servers Used to Participate in DoS Attacks

Hackers are using swathes of server machines to participate in DDoS, or distributed denial of service, attacks against their targets, according to a New York Times report. This was the conclusion of security experts studying recent DDoS operations conducted against U.S. banks. The attacks were described as attaining a level of sophistication far beyond what is typically exhibited by amateur hackers.

This includes the ability to scale the intensity of an attack based on whether the target is still operational, as well as the incorporation of dynamic routines that allow propagators to inject new attack code to adapt to changes in a website’s security. Moreover, the fact that these attacks were going after disruption instead of money were also attributed as further evidence of a state-sponsored attack — with Iran singled out as the most likely culprit. The Iranian government has denied the charges.

Regardless of the origins behind the attacks, the fact that hackers are making use of server machines does underscore the need for small and mid-sized businesses to better protect their server infrastructure. Left unchecked, these attacks suck precious computing cycles on the whim of the remote hacker, resulting in a less-than-satisfactory experience for customers.

Depending on the specific hosting plans signed up by the company, this may also culminate in additional costs or even disruption as allocated bandwidth is exceeded. Fortunately, there are some steps that SMBs can take to prevent or mitigate the effects.

Update machines regularly

Though this is advice that is often repeated for workstations and laptops, the need to ensure that server machines are properly patched may be missed by some SMBs. If anything, the fact that server machines are constantly online makes it even more important that vulnerabilities in software packages or the operating system are rectified as soon as possible.

Monitor network traffic

Prevention is better than cure, goes the often-repeated mantra. While I certainly won’t disagree with that, the situation here does necessitate the ability to detect anomalous network traffic in the event of a server compromise despite one’s best efforts or zero-day security flaws. Unexplained spikes in traffic usage could be monitored by an advanced firewall or IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) appliance to determine if they are caused by compromised servers on the network.

It is in the best interest of an SMB to ensure that their computing resources are not stolen and abused without their knowledge. Note that this pertains to hosted servers or virtual resources, too, though the ability to keep the servers updated or to monitor the network traffic may not be available in some of these scenarios.

How Not to Lose Your Data in 2013

The relative costs of data leakage have been increasing over the years, no doubt caused by the growing role of computers in businesses. Security vendor Symantec sent me a tongue-in-cheek list of top surefire ways to lose your data in 2013 (Flash).

I agree with many of the items on the list, which prompted me to ponder the steps that SMBs can adopt to ensure that data is not compromised. Below are four tips on how not to lose your data in 2013.

Resist plugging in USB drives from unknown or dubious sources

We wrote about the dangers of USB flash drives on SMB Tech as early as 2008, when the U.S. Army had just imposed a ban on USB flash drives and other forms of portable media. And though Microsoft has made it such that Windows will no longer load auto run without prompting, computers running an older version of Windows may still be vulnerable. So unless you are absolutely sure of what you are doing, do not plug in USB drives from unknown or dubious sources.

Avoid accepting friend requests from people you don’t know

According to Symantec, cyber criminals make use of social networks to spread viruses, perpetrate fraud and distribute spam and phishing messages. While we intuitively know that a “friend” and “follower” isn’t necessarily who they say they are, it is also true that we instructively lower our guard when dealing with those who purport to be our friend. This may lead to inadvertent mistakes that compromise our data security.

Moreover, hackers are also able to glean for additional information used to pull off a social engineering attempt. For a more in-depth explanation of how wanton adding of friends can be exploited, check out “Possible Attack Vectors Using Social Networks,” where I outline the dangers and susceptibility to exploitation.

Set up screen lock on your portable devices

The BYOD trend means that confidential data typically accessed only on desktop workstations are increasingly being accessed from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. However, even the strongest encryption is of no use if the devices they protect are already switched on and accessible without a password.

As you can imagine, setting up a screen lock on portable devices is absolutely vital. This tip pertains to PCs too, and should also be configured with the use of a password-protected screen saver or self-locking timeout.

Do not transport confidential data using unencrypted drives

Perhaps the largest problems to security are employees who copy confidential data to an unencrypted USB flash drive to work on at home. Such actions place tremendous risks on the organization given that storage devices are easily misplaced or stolen. Indeed, it is my personal opinion that no business data should ever be transported unencrypted, whether on storage drives or on the disk drives of laptops.

It is understandable though, that encryption tools for flash drives may not be intuitive or convenient to use. In my next blog, I will be talking more about some secure methods by which employees can securely access their work from home.

Presenting the Case for an SSD Upgrade

In my last post, I outlined the importance of ensuring that data stored on portable storage devices is encrypted. This is a challenge to some SMBs that may be stumped by the additional steps that data encryption necessitates.

Fortunately, there are a number of storage devices that come with built-in data encryption. While slightly pricier than their non-secured cousins, they are easy to use and offer robust data encryption essentially to prevent data leakage.

Though by no means exhaustive, I’ve outlined a trio of them below to help you get started quickly.

LOK-IT Secure Flash Drive

As its name implies, the LOK-IT Secure Flash Drive is a fully functional USB flash drive that is FIPS 140-2 Level 3-certified. Data is protected with 256-bit AES hardware encryption, and the correct passcode must first be entered using the onboard PIN-pad in order to unlock the drive.

One unlocked, the LOK-IT behaves like a standard flash drive and is plugged into a USB port. Files copied onto the drive are encrypted inline, or copied out as decrypted data. Unplugging the drive automatically locks it again, making for a dummy-proof user experience.

The LOK-IT will work with any operating system such as Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, and is available in capacities of 4GB, 8GB and 16GB.

StarTech Encrypted Hard Drive Enclosure

SMB users looking for an encrypted storage device with higher capacity may want to take a closer look at the StarTech Encrypted Hard Drive Enclosure (S2510BU3PW). The speedy USB 3.0 enclosure works with standard 2.5-inch hard disk drives (HDD) or solid-state drives (SSD) of up to 1TB capacity.

A capacitance touchpad and miniature OLED display on its front allow for the enclosure to be unlocked like the LOK-IT. Data written to the storage device is encrypted in real time using 256-bit AES encryption; attempting to access the HDD directly will show only gibberish.

iTwin File Access

The iTwin File Access is not exactly a storage device, though its ability to easily create a VPN connection between two computers allows files stored on a work computer to be accessed from elsewhere. Its maker touts it as a “limitless capacity secure USB drive,” citing the fact that data transfers are encrypted end-to-end.

Interestingly, iTwin has recently added a free “SecureBox” upgrade that allows data to be encrypted and transferred to a cloud storage service such as DropBox. Because the cryptographic key is stored on the iTwin, the physical hardware is needed to access files stored using the SecureBox feature. The iTwin File Access is priced at $99.

Netgear Unveils New 10GbE Network Switches for SMBs

Netgear this week took the wraps off three new 10G Ethernet switches designed with the needs of small and mid-sized businesses in mind. The new device lineup consists of the 24-port ProSafe XSM7224, the 12-port ProSafe XS712T and the 8-port ProSafe XS708E. Compared to expensive enterprise-centric offerings, the Netgear switches are priced at an attractive $175 to $208 per port for the two lower-end models.

The 24-port ProSafe XSM7224 is part of Netgear's M7100 series and is fully managed. It also comes with four ports of SFP+ interfaces for 1GbE/10GbE fiber uplinks, useful for deployment in large compounds or campus-style offices where high-performance 10GbE aggregation is desired.

On its part, the 12-port ProSafe XS712T has two shared 10GbE fiber SFP+ ports with an array of features such as dynamic VLAN, QoS for advanced prioritization and advanced security. Finally, the lower-end 8-port ProSafe XS708E offers a shared 10G fiber SPF+ port for uplink, and simple Layer 2 functionality along with support for features such as VLAN, rate limiting and traffic monitoring.

10GbE deployments are still few and far between for many SMBs out there. With 10 times the amount of raw bandwidth compared to Gigabit Ethernet, however, it represents an easy way to quickly upgrade an organization’s core switching capacity. In that vein, the new Netgear devices represent a cost-efficient way for SMBs to obtain a steep performance boost with a comparatively small amount of capital investment.

Uses for 10Gbps Ethernet

There are many uses for implementing 10Gbps Ethernet, too. SMBs can deploy the 10GbE switches to complement servers and NAS (network-attached storage) appliances equipped with 10Gbps Ethernet adapters. This is especially pertinent as new servers are shipping with 10Gbps Ethernet on-board; most existing servers can also be upgraded relatively easily with 10GbE network adapters.

As reported last year, the EonNAS Pro and the EonNAS 1000 Series from storage solution provider Infortrend offers 10 Gigabit LAN ports on its top-end models, as with theStorCenter px12-450r NAS by Iomega. In addition, computer makers such as Dell have also launched PowerEdge servers with the option of 10GbE adapters from early 2012.

In addition, the ample network headroom offered by a 10GbE network core also helps with businesses considering rolling out 1Gbps Ethernet to the rest of the company. And unlike a company-wide deployment, wiring up the server closer with the necessary CAT6 cables for 10GbE is a relatively simple and cheap affair given the short cable that is required.

The 24-port XSM7224, 12-port XS712T and 8-port XS708E have an MSRP of $7,990, $2,500 and $1,400, respectively. Netgear says the XS712T will only be available in late Q1, though the other two switches are currently shipping.

Three Things to Know about Using Windows RT in Business

The newness of Windows RT and its ARM-based architecture means that many of its features are invariably not well known. As additional Windows RT devices such as the Dell XPS 10 tablet hit the market, it makes sense to learn more about what Windows RT has to offer businesses.

It is with this thought that I highlight three things to know about using Windows RT in business below. Though the list is hardly exhaustive, I believe it represents a good start to acquaint organizations that are considering deploying Windows RT.

Management

Though Windows RT devices are not managed as full-fledged devices in an Active Directory domain, the use of Exchange Active Sync (EAS) extensions means that it offers additional manageability superior to tablets and smartphones that are solely based on EAS.

Administrators are able to use Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) and the InTune SaaS product together with EAS to enforce policies that pertains to password security such as setting the maximum failed password attempts, minimum lengths and automatic expiration. Further more, Windows RT will also report back on the status of the drive encryption, auto update status, antivirus status and anti-spyware status.

Security Features

Unlike a standard laptops or Ultrabooks based on earlier versions of the Windows operating system, Windows RT comes with Secure Boot to lock down the device right from when it boots up. This effectively prevents users from loading pirated or unauthorized apps onto the devices. Moreover, the kernel will also check to see that apps are digitally signed using a trusted certificate prior to loading them.

In addition, Windows RT supports full volume encryption, which protects all data stored on the device based on Microsoft’s widely respected BitLocker technology. For safety, the recovery key is stored on the user’s SkyDrive account for easy access as necessary.

And should the device be stolen, EAS managed data can be remotely wiped; applications loaded through the Enterprise Application Store can also have their access disabled (More on the Enterprise Application Store below).

Deployment

Businesses that develop internal Windows RT line of business (LoB) apps will hardy want it published on the public Windows Store. To this end, they can use the built-in Windows RT Management Agent and Enterprise Application Store in order to seamlessly publish and have them loaded onto sanctioned Windows RT tablets.

Internally developed apps aside, it is also possible to use the Enterprise Application Store to distribute apps developed by independent software vendors and licensed by the company, or even links to app listings in the Windows Store. The latter offers a convenient method for IT departments to bring useful apps to the attention of their users.

Furthermore, the system also offers the flexibility for administrators to designate as well as audit which apps are available to users. This is configured using the SCCM or InTune and can be specified based on the Active Directory domain that a user is a member of.

This is a paid post in conjunction with IDG and Dell

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