Are you using something other than Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) for your web browser? A growing number of you are, and Microsoft does not like it one bit. In fact, if you go visit their promo site, you can receive “Free stuff from sites you love” if you will just cross over to the dark side, so to speak. …
HP updates channel partners regarding flooding situation in Thailand #HDDShortage
We received the following notification from HP regarding the flooding situation in Thailand and the subsequent hard drive and component shortage: Dear HP Channel Partners, HP is deeply saddened by the recent flooding in Thailand. The extent of the damage is devastating and our hearts go out to each person in Thailand negatively impacted by this tragedy. In light of …
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Visualization of Hard Drive Price Inflation Due to Thailand’s Flood Induced Shortage
Thailand is under water and hard drive manufacturers are closed down. Prices for everyone across the board, from suppliers to end users shooting skyward. EVERY device that uses a hard drive (HDD) will ultimately go up in price, if it has not already. DVR manufacturers have contacted us telling of surcharges for hard drives, in addition to the “market price”. …
Windows XP End of Support Countdown Gadget Available from Microsoft Download Center
The end is near!!!! The End of Support (EOS) for Microsoft Windows XP, that is… Microsoft wants you to be aware of this, so they have a gadget you can download and install on your Windows 7 or even Windows Vista machine. (Sorry, if you are running XP, that’s not one of the supported systems for this Countdown Timer. Get …
What is your objection to cloud based data backup? Here are some points to consider… #Symantec #Cloud #DisasterReadiness
Homeland Secure IT encourages the use of backup solutions to complete your disaster readiness plan. One of our recommendations is to implement remote, cloud based backup. Even if you have existing onsite backup, it gives you an extra layer of protection. We partner with some of the biggest and most trusted names in offsite, cloud based backup providers such as …
The Global Hard Drive Shortage is Becoming an Issue for Computer Repair / Service Businesses
Yesterday I wrote about the hard drive shortage due to the flooding in Thailand (here)… At the time, we were not actually feeling the affects, however, 24hrs later, we sure are! The same terabyte SATA drives which sold for 60 dollars back on October 3rd, are approaching 140 dollars each today, and many vendors have sold out of them. Those …
World-wide shortage of hard drives coming! Lack of availability will drive costs skyward! #EverybodyPanic
It’s all over the news, Thailand has been affected by flooding in a treacherous monsoon season. Yeah yeah yeah, what does that mean? Unfortunately, it appears that just shy of half of all hard drive parts are manufactured in Thailand, and the flooding has forced closures at those manufacturing facilities. In one article, it states that Toshiba has halted hard …
What does it mean when your ISP changes DNS servers?
I received a phone call from Charter Business earlier today reminding me that they have deployed new DNS servers and that I should adjust my equipment to use them. Fortunately, none of our equipment even looks at name servers other than our own in-house server. But does yours? First, let’s look at what DNS is…. The simple explanation is: DNS …
Microsoft Releases Security Intelligence Report for your reading pleasure… SIRv11
Microsoft has released Volume 11 of their “Microsoft Security Intelligence Report” or SIRv11, which provides “An in-depth perspective on software vulnerabilities and exploits, malicious code threats, and potentially unwanted software in the first half of 2011”. One tidbit of interesting information contained in the report is that in the first half of 2011, less than one percent of exploits were …
Which security standards and awareness compliance requirements apply to your organization?
I came across a very handy document from www.securingthehuman.org that explains which security standards and awareness compliance requirements might apply to your organization. It is by no means a complete listing, but gives the one minute run-down of the majority of the biggies…. — Last Updated: 19 July, 2011 1. Executive Summary The purpose of this document is to identify …