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Want to go wireless?

So you bought a wireless base station and set it up. Great, now the convenience of the Internet can be enjoyed anywhere in your home are office. But did you know it could also be enjoyed in your neighbor's home or office? In the alley behind your house? In the street out front?

Most consumers don't understand the technical vulnerabilities of using wireless connections (WiFi) in their homes. And trust us, there are dangers.

For example, did you know that every wireless base station sold with by D-Link, Linksys, Apple, etc. ships with the same default password? If someone were so inclined they could exploit that knowledge and:

• Use your network to commit an Internet crime making it appear as if you were to blame
• Monitor your unsecured Internet surfing / banking / business and gain access to your personal info
• See EVERYTHING you view on the web

They could do all these things without you even knowing.

Also, a network that hasn't been properly configured can be monitored and exploited to reveal every detail of the user's Internet activity and personal information – including passwords, bank account information, credit card numbers, etc.

That's where we come in. We're a crack team of security enthusiasts who can help you secure your personal information and protect your wireless Internet access.

We'll help you:

• Encrypt your personal information
• Lock down your wireless network
• Protect your Internet connection

We'll basically create an barrier around your personal data by setting up your network with the proper security settings and give you bulletproof passwords to protect your home / business wireless network.

To learn more, or to start protecting your personal information, just drop us an e-mail at:  info@pcsno.com

Data Backup

Unfortunately, most businesses have little time to think about disaster recovery plan or security issues until an actual emergency happens.

Virus activity, network security intrusion (from inside or out), hardware damage, power surges, and even dust and grime are all sources of potential vulnerability to the real investment you make when it comes to computers, your information.  It is lost or stolen, it spell financial disaster.

Many business environments (especially the growing number of small offices and home business) are surprisingly without dependable and secure backup procedures. If you lose data that needs recovery, your business can be in serious trouble.

Even offices that do have a backup strategy often are spending far too much money on labor for someone to watch over that procedure. Data backup should be automatic and hidden and should not have to involve any individual's valuable time to watch over the process. A simple installation of a backup hard drive, and an offsite backup service is the most efficient and dependable way for most businesses to have the most current backup system in place. We can advise you on how to set this up easily and inexpensively.

Mobile Office

A portable computer and mobile phone enable mobile staff to be more productive, spending more time with customers, clients or suppliers and proportionally less time in the office. In fact many people, even those in conventionally non-mobile roles, are recognizing the benefits of true location-independence.

As technology improves, especially with the forthcoming broadband wireless networks, many more staff will want to work in this way.

In fact many of these people will start to work more from home. In companies where this way of working is already popular - for example professional sales teams in the IT industry - e-mail processing, web-based customer research and proposal writing is undertaken at home. This often happens in the evenings, with customers visited during the day and occasional trips made to the office or another venue for team meetings.

Work locations:

As well as the office and at home, fully mobile staff may work at the following locations:

• In a car, train or plane
• At a railway station (Street car), airport, roadside cafe, hotel lobby
• At a third-party business centre
• At a customer or other third-party's site

For the facilities manager, the first two of these locations imply a minimal office, consisting basically of the technology and whatever facilities happen to be available. There are of course health and safety implications in ad hoc "working anywhere".

For the second two locations, there is considerable scope for specification of preferred facilities, which would be formally defined in contracts and service level agreements.

Health and safety:

There are several risks faced by mobile workers that do not exist in the office or the home. Apart from those faced generally by mobile workers - for example road traffic accidents and crime - facilities managers need to take account of:

• Working while driving: some employers insist mobile phones be turned off whilst driving, others provide hands-free kits.
• Theft of equipment: laptop computers are a particular target, especially in the street and at railway stations; carrying computers in normal briefcases or bags reduces the risk.
• Health and safety implementation at third party locations
• Additional risks from injury through poor posture and working in non-optimal lighting conditions when working on the move.

Insurance:

As with home working, the main issue is to be aware of the risks and ensure they are adequately covered: theft, personal injury, third-party liability. Most policies exclude the theft of equipment from cars unless securely locked in the boot.

Confidentiality and security:

The home working issues addressed in the previous section are compounded for mobile staff, who often work overlooked in public places or incur greater risks of equipment theft.

In spite of the obvious risks, it is surprising how many mobile phone calls are overheard on public transport and how many documents can be read from screens. Once again the solution is a combination of procedures and training.

One of the greatest obstacles to the use of third party facilities has been employers' fears about security. Many demand exclusive use of workstations and storage that can not only be locked but also be stowed securely away.

Such fears may be justified or exaggerated: it is necessary to make an assessment according to the merits of the work involved, the sensitivity of the information accessed or processed by staff at third party locations, and the relationship between the employer and the third party organization.

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