NetWorthy Systems Blog

If you use a smartphone to take personal pictures and post them to the Internet, then you may unknowingly be posting more about yourself than you want to, like where and when the picture was taken. This information in the hands of the wrong person can lead to dangerous consequences, like theft of your property, your identity, or even kidnapping.

Having a strong firewall to protect your computer is an important investment. The casual PC user may not think twice about their firewall because they use the firewall built-in with their Windows OS, but the complexity of your business demands a stronger solution.

There is a common misperception that strong anti-virus software is all you need to cover the security of your network. While anti-virus software is an important component to network security, there's more to it if you want a secure network. You need to also take into account the human factor, which can disable even the strongest software solution.

With an increase in Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks and packet flooding volume, its evident that hackers are using compromised web servers for their malicious activities. By infecting servers, these dastardly infiltrators create a Zombie command-and-control center to direct their malicious activities from.

If you have been following international news headlines with stories like WikiLeaks spreading confidential documents, and recent revelations about a US surveillance scandal, it kind of feels like we are in the middle of Spy vs. Spy. As nations look for stronger security solutions to protect themselves, Russia is looking to older technology to keep their communications safe.

While there are some startup businesses reading this that have not used anything older than Windows 7, there are other companies out there that are more seasoned and have been using their computer system for decades. Legacy companies like this may have found it difficult to open old files with newer systems; here's how to fix this using Microsoft Office.

The whole purpose of having a network infrastructure is to allow different users to access and share needed files and applications. With your data centralized to a server, you will need to have a system in place that allows certain people up-to-date permissions to access needed files from every computer. This is where Active Directory comes in.

As smartphone ownership continues to rise (175 million cellphones sold last year in the US), so too does smartphone theft. Take San Francisco, CA as an example, half of all robberies reported last year were phone-related. To help curb this trend, crime fighting agencies are seeking help from phone manufacturers in developing a smartphone kill switch.

May 4th is Star Wars Day (May the fourth be with you). In celebration of our favorite space saga, we thought that we would write about our dream job; providing IT support for the mother of all technologies, the Death Star from Star Wars.

You know that having a strong firewall is a key component to having strong network security, but do you how firewalls work? Firewalls take their name from the protective barriers that keep buildings and engines safe from fire. While it’s unlikely that your computer is in danger of incineration, a firewall does protect it from cyber-threats; here’s how!

Using strong passwords is a critical part of keeping your network protected. For years we have been preaching the need to use complex passwords, along with the need to use different passwords for different accounts. As the technology of crackers (not the salted kind) improves, the need to be diligent about password security intensifies.

What do hackers look for when choosing a victim? While there are hackers out there that specialize in targeting high-profile companies and executives (a hacking method call whaling), most hackers do a broad sweep of the Internet and choose the easiest targets. If your company has weak network security, then you have a target on your back.

The Internet has given us many new and exciting ways to transact business. The newest frontier is in regards to a virtual currency called Bitcoins that is unregulated and accepted by Internet users worldwide. Bitcoins may be too much of a novelty for your business to take seriously, but that does not discredit it as an interesting investment opportunity.

As an IT company, we get excited about the newest computer hardware and software. We try to convince everybody that upgrades are great, but some people cannot be shaken from their devotion to what is familiar and refuse to upgrade their tech. In our experience, here are the three biggest reasons why upgrades are avoided.

Your company's information on your network is labeled as "sensitive" for a reason. The files on your servers contain the secrets to your success, along with financial records about you, your employees, and your customers. When trusting sensitive data to a third party, make sure that it is someone you trust.

The Windows family of operating systems (OS) have different power-saving modes for users to take advantage of if they find themselves away from their workstation or mobile computing device. Windows 8 features three: Sleep, Hibernate, and Hybrid Sleep.

Microsoft will be dishing out multiple security updates this week, including four critical patches for Windows, Internet Explorer, Office, and SharePoint Server. Critical updates are considered Microsoft's highest threat rating, so installing these patches is important.

The largest and most important components of your network is your servers. Technically, you can line up your servers on a big table and they will work, but if you want to get the most out of your servers, then we recommend using a server rack.

Everybody has a weakness; Superman has Kryptonite, the Wicked Witch of the West had water, and the Death Star had a womprat-sized exhaust port. Character weaknesses make for solid storylines because they drive conflict. Your company has its own set of vulnerabilities that you may not know about, and unlike stories, conflict in business is not a good thing. Here are a few of the lesser known IT weaknesses, and what you can do to resolve them.

Even if you are using the best antivirus software available, sensitive company data can still be compromised by users falling victim to phishing scams. Phishing is a tactic where scammers trick users into giving out their personal information, usually through deceptive spam e-mails. Looking to fry bigger fish, scammers are trying their luck at whaling.