I read the article this morning with delight. Another enlightened soul, another pragmatic businessman who understands cost versus benefit.

I have never bought an Apple product even though they are generally quality devices.

Why?

Cost versus benefit.

They are overpriced.

They may have been more user friendly and less problem prone in the past, but I do not believe that to be true now.

I have encountered as many or more problems with Apple computers in my sphere of influence.

From Market Watch October 8, 2015.

“Why I dumped my Apple iPhone for a Microsoft phone

Oh, and I’m not comparing the latest, most high-end models either. I’m not talking about the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus, nor about the latest Windows alternative.

I wanted a solid smartphone for work, including email and various online, social media and professional applications, and a few other things.

At this point, the rate of evolution is such that even basic smartphones would be considered amazingly advanced pocket computers by the standards of a couple of years ago. I didn’t need the absolute latest so I went for the entry level.

I bought a brand-new iPhone 5c on eBay EBAY, +0.00% as soon as Apple discontinued their regular sales last month. The price dropped about 50% overnight. I chose the 5c because it basically does about the same as the 5s for about half the cost, and because the plastic body means it’ll cope better if I drop it. (The 5s looks really beautiful — until you enclose it one of those big, ugly plastic cases.)

Meanwhile, by happenstance I also found myself simultaneously the owner of a Nokia Lumia 635, which costs just $70, compared with around $250 for my discounted 5c, and $450 for a 5s from Apple.

And to my surprise, it’s the iPhone, not the Lumia, that I’m dumping.

The screen is much bigger. The phone is lighter. The keyboard works better for my fingers.

I can add all the memory I want through SD cards. The Windows Phone does absolutely everything I want, just as well as the iPhone or better — for a fraction of the cost. It also comes with Microsoft Office. And it will be updated to Windows Phone 10 later this year.

Oh, and it’s a minor point, but I don’t need to buy a special iPhone cable to charge it. The Nokia uses standard micro-USB. Apple must be the only phone company that still pulls that annoying proprietary-cable crap. Even Sony SNE, +1.63% has given in.”

Read more:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-i-dumped-my-apple-iphone-for-a-microsoft-phone-2015-10-08?page=1

Thinking of starting a business now or later?

Of course you will want a catchy, meaningful and easy to remember business name.

After you have chosen a business name, you should reserve a “.com”, domain name.

I have done this on numerous occasions.

First, give some thought to your business name and try not to limit the scope of your potential business activities if applicable.

Next do a search on the internet to see who, if anyone is using your name and what your competition is.

Next, check with your Secretary of State’s office, or other state agency, to see if the name is being used.

Concurrently have some idea of what type of business organization you will use. Corporation, LLC, etc. You may need to consult a tax/business expert for advice.

As soon as you have a handle on your business name, reserve one or more domain names. If you are reserving a .com you may want to also reserve a .net and other
suffixes to keep a potential competitor from usurping your internet name.

If you have chosen a web hosting provider, you can search for a domain name and purchase it there, although it is often provided with the initial cost of hosting,

If you have not chosen a hosting provider or early on you just want to search for a domain name, here are some suggestions:

InstantDomainSearch.com

“See Domain Name Search Results As You Type

Just start typing! If the domain name you are looking for is taken, you can click WHOIS to find out who registered it or the URL to visit the website.

We apply a $0.99 coupon for .com domain names when you buy at Go Daddy. The offer is valid for only one .com purchase, and does not include the ICANN fee of $0.18 per
domain name per year. That’s a sweet deal!

Love the site? Spread the word on Twitter and Facebook!

All domain searches are encrypted over https, and searches do not leave our servers. Your search results are not recorded. Pressing Enter or Return will take you
directly to Go Daddy or the registrar you’ve chosen where you can buy your domain name. Good luck!”

Search

DomainsBot.com

“The domain name search engine!

Available domain suggestions + expired, expiring and for sale domain name search + whois lookup. Domain + Twitter + Facebook identity suggesitons.”

Search

PCnames.com

“Check Domains, Instantly!

Based on your query, PCNames.com instantly checks whether .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .us, .mobi and .name domain names are available. The domain search results
will appear with 2-second delay for your convenience.

Your domain search results are not shared with 3-rd parties. However, we keep history of your recent domain searches and favorite domain picks so you can easily follow
up on all the important search results.”

Search

From Entrepreneur.

“Do’s and Don’ts of Securing a Domain Name

Consider these six tips from small-business owners and experts before deciding on a website name.”
Read more

From Sovereign Man February 20, 2015.
““We messed up badly here”: Lenovo admits to putting tracking software on your PC”

“Lenovo Group, the largest computer manufacturer in the world, has made a rather stunning admission that they have been pre-installing tracking software on their PCs.

The tracking software is made by a company called Superfish, which apparently paid some “very minor compensation” to Lenovo for putting the software on people’s computers.

The Superfish program is a total disaster.

It has image recognition algorithms which essentially monitor what a user is looking at… then suggests relevant ads based on what it thinks you might like.

This is not only REALLY high up on the creepy scale, it also completely destroys Internet security.

Whether you’re buying something online or accessing Internet banking, the Superfish program essentially cuts the secure link between you and sensitive websites that you’re trying to access.

According to the first user who found the vulnerability a few weeks ago, “[Superfish] will hijack ALL your secure web connections (SSL/TLS) by using self-signed root certificate authority, making it look legitimate to the browser.”

This means that the tracking software basically fools a web browser into believing that a connection is secure when it’s not… all for the purpose of pushing more ads in your face.

This scheme is so powerful that even if users uninstall the Superfish software, the security breach still remains.”
Read more

A friend of mine has a coffee shop that I frequent.

He recently went to Time Warner Business class and installed a faster router.

When the router was up the speed was fast.

But it began malfunctioning adn requiring numerous resets.

Time Warner technicians came out, diagnosed their equipment and performance and discussed the results and possible problem areas.

I happened to be present then and the question of Mac addresses came up.

I did some research and the new non commercial Linksys router has a limitation of 32 Mac addresses.

After some trial and error testing and more discussions my friend had his technical support person make some adjustments.

This solution seems to work.

There is now a guest signon screen. In this setting many of the customers have computers and almost all smart phones.

It does not take too many customers to hit the 32 Mac address limit.

Also, the router is reset, unplugged, several times a day.

After unplugging, 10 seconds are waited before plugging back in.

This is not a myth. They learned the hard way.

I told them to wait 10 seconds and that has worked.

You may wonder why.

From How To Geek.

“SuperUser contributor Phoshi offers a great, concise reason why it’s a valid procedure:

A lot of modern technology contains capacitors! These are like energy buckets, little batteries that fill up when you put a current through them, and discharge otherwise. 10 seconds is the time it takes most capacitors to discharge enough for the electronics they’re powering to stop working. That’s why when you turn your PC off at the wall, things like an LED on your motherboard take a few seconds to disappear. You probably could wait a different time, but 10 seconds is the shortest time you can be sure everything’s discharged.

Why fully powering down the device matters hinges on how data is temporarily stored in it. A typical modem or router has two types of memory: Non-volatile Memory (NVRAM) and regular old Random Access Memory (RAM) like the kind in your computer. The router boots off the code stored in the NVRAM and then uses the RAM just like your computer would to write temporary variables, execute code, etc. By fully powering down the device and letting the electrical charges dissipate, the RAM is wiped and, upon rebooting the device, the micro operating system in the device has clear RAM to use.”
Read more

From the Internet Explorer Team Blog January 22, 2015.

“Project Spartan and the Windows 10 January Preview Build

Thursday, January 22, 2015 12:08 PM

Yesterday, we announced that Windows 10 will ship with a brand new browser, codenamed “Project Spartan.” Designed for Windows 10, Spartan provides a more interoperable, reliable, and discoverable experience with advanced features including the ability to annotate on web pages, a distraction-free reading experience, and integration of Cortana for finding and doing things online faster.

Spartan is a single browser designed to work great across the entire Windows 10 device family – from keyboard and mouse on the Windows 10 desktop to touch, gestures, voice, controllers and sensors.

Powered by a new rendering engine, Spartan is designed for interoperability with the modern web. We’ve deliberately moved away from the versioned document modes historically used in Internet Explorer, and now use the same markup as other modern browsers. Spartan’s new rendering engine is designed to work with the way the web is written today.

Like Windows 10 itself Spartan will remain up-to-date: as a service, both providing new platform capabilities, security and performance improvements, and ensuring web developers a consistent platform across Windows 10 devices. Spartan and the new rendering engine are truly evergreen.

Spartan provides compatibility with the millions of existing enterprise web sites designed for Internet Explorer. To achieve this, Spartan loads the IE11 engine for legacy enterprise web sites when needed, while using the new rendering engine for modern web sites. This approach provides both a strong compatibility guarantee for legacy enterprise web sites and a forward looking interoperable web standards promise.

We recognize some enterprises have legacy web sites that use older technologies designed only for Internet Explorer, such as custom ActiveX controls and Browser Helper Objects. For these users, Internet Explorer will also be available on Windows 10. Internet Explorer will use the same dual rendering engines as Spartan, ensuring web developers can consistently target the latest web standards.

What does this mean to web developers?

If you are building a public consumer-facing web site here’s what you need to know:

Our new rendering engine will be the default engine for Windows 10, Spartan, and Internet Explorer. This engine has interoperability at its core and consumes the same markup you send other modern browsers. Our standards support and roadmap can be found at http://status.modern.ie.

Public Internet web sites will be rendered using the new engine and modern standards, and legacy Internet Explorer behaviors including document modes are not supported in the new engine. If your web sites depends on legacy Internet Explorer behaviors we encourage you to update to modern standards.

Our goal is interoperability with the modern web and we need your help! You can test the new engine via the Windows Insider Program or using http://remote.modern.ie.

Please let us know (via Connect or Twitter) when you find interoperability problems so we can work with the W3C and other browser manufacturers to ensure great interoperability.”
Read more

Microsoft just announced the release of Windows 10 which will be a free upgrade for PC Windows 7 and 8.1 users and Windows 8.1 phone users. There will be no cost to keep it current going forward.

One of the new features, Cortina, is on my Windows Nokia Lumia 630 phone that I have been using for about 6 months. So far this has been one of my favorite cell phones in over 20 years.

From To Market News January 21, 2015.

“What’s new in Windows 10 for PCs? A lot.”

“Coming into today’s Windows 10 event, we already knew a lot about Microsoft’s latest and greatest. The company explained the thinking behind its new OS back in September, and the Technical Preview has been available for months. The core change comes in the form of a revitalized desktop experience — one that puts the best of Windows 7 and 8 into a single package. Windows will also now better match the convertible devices Microsoft is pushing, with a consistent UI across all platforms, but there’s a whole lot more to explore here, including some features detailed today for the first time. Let’s take a closer look.”

“If you’ve been following Windows Phone at all, you’ll know what Cortana is: Microsoft’s take on a personal digital assistant. The mobile version offers features that are a mix between Siri and Google Now, but the PC version has a few added benefits. Cortana plugs into Windows search, meaning if you ask for “PowerPoint slides about the charity account,” it’ll search your computer and OneDrive accounts for relevant files.”

“Perhaps the biggest news, though, even if it doesn’t benefit the majority of Windows users — is that Windows apps will now be universal and run across PC, tablet, phone and even Xbox One. That doesn’t mean PC users won’t be getting new apps as well. Microsoft blazed through a load of new apps for Windows.”

“As early reports suggested, Project Spartan is a new browser for Windows 10, entirely separate from Internet Explorer. Sure there’s a very clean, almost Chrome-like design, and a brand-new rendering engine, but the focus here is on social sharing. You can highlight and annotate websites before sharing them with friends, kind of like having Skitch built right into your browser. There’s also Cortana integration and a reading view that, much like Pocket, lets you read pages offline.”
Read more

From the Microsoft Windows Blog January 21, 2015.

“Today I had the honor of sharing new information about Windows 10, the new generation of Windows.

Our team shared more Windows 10 experiences and how Windows 10 will inspire new scenarios across the broadest range of devices, from big screens to small screens to no screens at all. You can catch the video on-demand presentation here.

Windows 10 is the first step to an era of more personal computing. This vision framed our work on Windows 10, where we are moving Windows from its heritage of enabling a single device – the PC – to a world that is more mobile, natural and grounded in trust. We believe your experiences should be mobile – not just your devices. Technology should be out of the way and your apps, services and content should move with you across devices, seamlessly and easily. In our connected and transparent world, we know that people care deeply about privacy – and so do we. That’s why everything we do puts you in control – because you are our customer, not our product. We also believe that interacting with technology should be as natural as interacting with people – using voice, pen, gestures and even gaze for the right interaction, in the right way, at the right time. These concepts led our development and you saw them come to life today.

Delivering Windows as a Service and a Free Upgrade to Windows 10

Today was a monumental day for us on the Windows team because we shared our desire to redefine the relationship we have with you – our customers. We announced that a free upgrade for Windows 10 will be made available to customers running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 who upgrade in the first year after launch.*

This is more than a one-time upgrade: once a Windows device is upgraded to Windows 10, we will continue to keep it current for the supported lifetime of the device – at no cost. With Windows 10, the experience will evolve and get even better over time. We’ll deliver new features when they’re ready, not waiting for the next major release. We think of Windows as a Service – in fact, one could reasonably think of Windows in the next couple of years as one of the largest Internet services on the planet.

And just like any Internet service, the idea of asking “What version are you on?” will cease to make sense – which is great news for our Windows developers. With universal Windows apps that work across the entire device family, developers can build one app that targets the broadest range of devices – including the PC, tablet, phone, Xbox, the Internet of Things, and more.

For our enterprise customers, we’ll continue to support the way many of them work today, with long-term servicing for their mission critical environments. With Windows 10, a best practice we recommend for many enterprise devices is to connect to Windows Update and be kept up-to-date with the latest security and productivity improvements as soon as they are available. You can learn more about our commitment to enterprises here, with much more to come in the following months.”
Read more

If you read our article yesterday, January 18, 2015, you know that no router is safe from hacking.

Read more

So, what can you do to improve your odds of not being hacked?

From We Live Security July 22, 2014.

“Wi-Fi security – steps you can take now

A We Live Security video guide offers basic tips on how to secure home routers - and offers a good starting point for ensuring a Wi-Fi network isn’t vulnerable to snoopers and other unwanted ‘guests’.

Harley says, “Firstly, ensure your firmware is kept updated.” Firmware is the code and data which allows routers to function – similar in some ways to a computer operating system, but with the crucial difference that updates (to protect against bugs) often have to be installed manually.”

“Check your settings again

Changing passwords is an essential first step – but it’s worth checking back that your router’s settings haven’t changed, as this can be a problem with some models.

Harley says that users should always, “Change default router administrator usernames and passwords, and change the default SSID.” The SSID is the name of the network – which is broadcast to anywhere within Wi-Fi range. Leaving it as a default can broadcast information that is useful to an attacker – such as the model of router you are using, or whether you are using one supplied by your ISP. When choosing a new network name, avoid any personally identifying information such as your name or house number.

It’s worth considering making yours a “hidden network” – disabling the broadcast of the SSID’s name. That way you’re less visible to attackers – and to connect new devices, simply type in your network’s name on the gadget.

Harley warns that these precautions can be wasted if your router’s software is updated – which can occasionally revert settings to the default. “After any update, check these settings have not reverted,” he says.

WEP is not your friend

If your family or business has had the same router for  a long time, you may be using WEP – an outdated form of encryption that can be cracked easily, even by unskilled hackers. Most new routers will use the more secure WPA2 standard – but if your router has been around for a while, it’s possible family members may have chosen WEP to connect older devices such as Nintendo’s first DS handheld. “Don’t use WEP encryption, if anyone still is,” Harley says. “If the router doesn’t allow anything else, time to change it. WPA2 is reasonably secure.”

Even if you’ve had trouble connecting mobile devices to a network, leaving it “open” is always a bad idea. Harley says, “ If you’re not using encryption at all, fix it.”

Know who is connecting to your network

Harley says that controlling which devices can connect to a network offers another layer of reassurance. “MAC filtering reduces the risk from intruder machines using your network,” he says.

Any PC or mobile computing device has a unique identifying number known as a MAC address. If you access your router’s settings, you can select which devices can and cannot connect to your network – meaning for instance, a neighbor couldn’t log in, or a teenage visitor could not access unsuitable sites via a smartphone.

Add the MAC addresses of all authorized devices in the home – iPhones, tablets, laptops etc. – to the router’s authorized list. No other device will then be allowed on the network. You can find the MAC addresses of mobile phones and other portable devices under their network settings, though this will vary for each device. Check with the manufacturer.”
Read more

Computer system security, especially in regard to internet access, is in the forefront of technical and business reporting.

We are constantly being told about major corporations being hacked and sensitive data being breached.

Target and Sony are some of the more prominent examples.

What is less conspicuous is the hacking of routers, used by businesses and many homeowners.

From setting up my own routers I was aware of important details when configuring them.

What I was not so aware of is the frequency of router hacking and just how vulnerable they are.

A friend of mine owns a coffee shop in NC. Recently 2 of his routers were hacked. He knew this because of performance and setup problems and ultimately by confirmation from the tech support at Linksys.

Of course this has more far reaching consequences such as potential compromise of customer debit and credit card information.

And don’t forget, when you are using someone’s WIFI internet access, you should be mindful of this fact and probably not enter or access important information while using their router.

From what I have uncovered from research over the past several days, this problem has not been taken seriously enough by the public and router manufacturers.

A great article from CNET in 2013 explains the extent of the problem and provides a clear warning.

From CNET April 17, 2013.

“Top Wi-Fi routers easy to hack, says study
The most popular home wireless routers are easily hacked and there’s little you can do to stop it, says a new study by research firm Independent Security Evaluators.”

“The Wi-Fi router you use to broadcast a private wireless Internet signal in your home or office is not only easy to hack, says a report released today, but the best way to protect yourself is out of your hands.

The report, written by research firm Independent Security Evaluators of Baltimore, found that 13 of the most popular off-the-shelf wireless routers could be exploited by a “moderately skilled adversary with LAN or WLAN access.” It also concludes that your best bet for safer Wi-Fi depends on router vendors upping their game. All 13 routers evaluated can be taken over from the local network, with four of those requiring no active management session. Eleven of the 13 can be taken over from a Wide-Area Network(WAN) such as a wireless network, with two of those requiring no active management session.”

“Before you dismiss router hacks as exceptionally rare, it’s important to note that they’ve been a small but growing segment of computer security threats. In 2011, one firmware vulnerability affecting six hardware manufacturers combined with two malicious scripts and 40 malicious DNS servers to attack 4.5 million Brazilian DSL modems, with the goal of stealing bank and credit card information.

Craig Heffner, a vulnerability analyst at Maryland-based Tactical Network Solutions, said that he isn’t familiar with the Brazil story but isn’t surprised by it. “In a lot of countries, there’s only one or two ISPs, and you get whatever router they give you,” he said. “They often enable remote administration by default, so any vulnerability would be amplified.”

And just yesterday, ReadWrite reported on wireless router hacking, based in part on research conducted by security firm Rapid7. ISE’s study, while similar, reports “all-new findings,” said ISE’s marketing head, Ted Harrington.

Harrington further explained why router hacking could turn into a big problem. “What’s notable about this is that if you compromise the router, then you’re inside the firewall. You can pick credit card numbers out of e-mails, confidential documents, passwords, photos, just about anything,” he said.

He added that ISE plans to release additional information from the study in the coming weeks, following the routine security community best practice of giving vendors a chance to respond to vulnerabilities that have been uncovered before publishing them.

“We notified all vendors about all vulnerabilities that we found,” said ISE security analyst Jake Holcomb. “We’re in the process of receiving Common Vulnerability and Exposure (CVE) numbers” for tracking information security vulnerabilities.

Some vendors, Holcomb said, got back to ISE quickly and had beta firmware with fixes ready to test within 72 hours. “Other vendors escalated their Tier 1 support up the chain but we never heard back from them,” he said.”

Read more

I have been referring to PC Magazine in print and on the internet for 30 years. They have some pretty good reviews. However, the following article on purchasing routers is an example of downplaying the importance of security.

From PC Magazine January 31, 2014.

“First, ask yourself how high-end you want to go with a router. If you need nothing more than to create a wireless network, you can get away with a fairly cheap router—spending less than $100 should do. If you want extras such as security, parental controls, and the ability to connect USB printers and external storage drives for sharing data, you’ll want to look at higher-priced premium routers.

What Type of Security?
Most of the newer routers support the highest level of security, WPA2. If in the market for a new router, make sure it supports WPA2.”

Read more

“extras such as security”

Really??

Selecting WPA2 for security is important. However, apparently, WPA2 scurity and the latest firmware cannot be counted to stop hackers.

Just this morning I was discussing this with a friend who owns a tax/accounting business.

Forget the bells and whistles that PC Magazine focused on.

When I am purchasing a router, I first want it to be reliable, i.e, keep functioning and be secure.

I spoke to another friend a few hours ago. He is charge of network security for a NC company. In college he was taught to expect routers to be hacked.

Here are some more warnings and useful precautionary steps.

From Tom’s Guide.

“Your Router’s Security Stinks: Here’s How to Fix It”

“Earlier this year, a router worm called TheMoon used the HNAP protocol to identify vulnerable Linksys-brand routers to which it could spread itself. (Linksys quickly issued a firmware patch.)

“As soon as you get home, this is something you want to do with all your routers,” Horowitz told the tech-savvy crowd. “Go to /HNAP1/, and, hopefully, you’ll get no response back, if that’s the only good thing. Frankly, if you get any response back, I would throw the router out.”

The WPS Threat

Worst of all is Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), an ease-of-use feature that lets users bypass thenetwork password and connect devices to a Wi-Fi network simply by entering an eight-digit PIN that’s printed on the router itself. Even if the network password or network name is changed, the PIN remains valid.

“This is a huge expletive-deleted security problem,” Horowitz said. “That eight-digit number will get you into the [router] no matter what. So a plumber comes over to your house, turns the router over, takes a picture of the bottom of it and he can now get on your network forever.”

That eight-digit PIN isn’t even eight digits, Horowitz explained. It’s actually seven digits, plus a final checksum digit. The first four digits are validated as one sequence and the last three as another, resulting in only 11,000 possible codes instead of 10 million.

“If WPS is active, you can get into the router,” Horowitz said. “You just need to make 11,000 guesses” — a trivial task for most modern computers and smartphones.””

“Regardless of whether a router is commercial- or consumer-grade, there are several things, varying from easy to difficult, that home-network administrators can do to make sure their routers are more secure:

Easy fixes

Change the administrative credentials from the default username and password. They’re the first things an attacker will try.

Change the network name, or SSID, from “Netgear,” “Linksys” or whatever the default is, to something unique — but don’t give it a name that identifies you.

“If you live in an apartment building in apartment 3G, don’t call your SSID ‘Apartment 3G,'” Horowitz quipped. “Call it ‘Apartment 5F.'”

Enable WPA2 wireless encryption so that only authorized users can hop on your network.

Disable Wi-Fi Protected Setup, if your router lets you.

Set up a guest Wi-Fi network and offer its use to visitors, if your router has such a feature. If possible, set the guest network to turn itself off after a set period of time.

“You can turn on your guest network, and set a timer, and three hours later, it turns itself off,” Horowitz said. “That’s a really nice security feature.”

Do not use cloud-based router management if your router’s manufacturer offers it. Instead, figure out if you can turn that feature off.

“This is a really bad idea,” Horowitz said. “If your router offers that, I would not do it, because now you’re trusting another person between you and your router.”

MORE: 7 Computer-Security Fixes to Make Right Now

Moderately difficult

Install new firmware when it becomes available. Log into your router’s administrative interface routinely to check. With some brands, you may have to check the manufacturer’s website for firmware upgrades. But have a backup router on hand if something goes wrong.

Set your router to use the 5-GHz band for Wi-Fi instead of the more standard 2.4-GHz band, if possible and if all your devices are compatible.

“The 5-GHz band does not travel as far as the 2.4-GHz band,” Horowitz said. “So if there is some bad guy in your neighborhood a block or two away, he might see your 2.4-GHz network, but he might not see your 5-GHz network.”

Disable remote administrative access, and disable administrative access over Wi-Fi. Administrators should connect to routers via wired Ethernet only.

Advanced tips for more tech-savvy users

Change the settings for the administrative Web interface, if your router permits it. Ideally, the interface should enforce a secure HTTPS connection over a non-standard port, so that the URL for administrative access would be something like, to use Horowitz’s example, “https://192.168.1.1:82″ instead of the more standard “http://192.168.1.1″.

Use a browser’s incognito or private mode when accessing the administrative interface so that your new URL is not saved in the browser history.

Disable PING, Telnet, SSH, UPNP and HNAP, if possible. Instead of setting relevant ports to “closed,” set them to “stealth” so that no response is given to unsolicited external communications that may come from attackers probing your network.

“Every single router has an option not to respond to PING commands,” Horowitz said. “It’s absolutely something you want to turn on — a great security feature. It helps you hide. Of course, you’re not going to hide from your ISP, but you’re going to hide from some guy in Russia or China.”

Change the router’s Domain Name System (DNS) server from the ISP’s own server to one maintained by OpenDNS (208.67.220.220, 208.67.220.222, 208.67.222.220, 208.67.222.222) or Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4).

Use a virtual private network (VPN) router to supplement or replace your existing router and encrypt all your network traffic.

“When I say VPN router, I mean a router that can be a VPN client,” Horowitz said. “Then, you sign up with some VPN company, and everything that you send through that router goes through their network. This is a great way to hide what you’re doing from your Internet service provider.”

Finally, use Gibson Research Corp.’s Shields Up port-scanning service athttps://www.grc.com/shieldsup. It will test your router for hundreds of common vulnerabilities, most of which can be mitigated by the router’s administrator.

• 7 Scariest Security Threats Headed Your Way
• Identity Theft Victim? Here’s 6 Things You Need to Do
• 10 Facebook Privacy and Security Settings to Lock Down

Follow Paul Wagenseil at @snd_wagenseil. Follow Tom’s Guide at @tomsguide, on Facebook and on Google+.”
Read more

I have been using WordPress for blogging and website creation for many years.

I am sold on it.

I highly recommend it for small businesses, but what is surprising is the number of Fortune 500 companies using it.

Why?

It is flexible, cost effective and facilitates getting great SEO, Search Engine Optimization, ranking.

It is far more than a blogging platform.

I was preparing this article and as I normally do, did a search to see what the competition is on the subject.

I found an article ironically written by someone with the same last name. William H. Wells III, as the saying goes, took the words right out of my mouth.

From William H. Wells III, Internet marketing strategist, consultant and public speaker.

“As a web developer for twenty years now, I’ve been privileged to be part of the continuous evolution of Internet technology, website development and SEO (Search Engine Optimization).  Small businesses and non-profit organizations have been forced to balance affordability with having a professional looking website which would also obtain high search engine rankings.  They needed what they couldn’t afford… and what they COULD afford wasn’t what they needed.

Some made the mistake of letting family members, rookies, and novices do it for them to “save” money.  The result was generally amateur looking websites with no search engine optimization at all.  These novices eventually disappeared… sites quickly became outdated and business owners found themselves back at square one… starting over while losing valuable months and perhaps years in the process.  The “you get what you pay for” idea was never more true.  Read some fun articles I wrote on this topic back in the “old days”.”

“WordPress is now considered the “industry standard” website platform and has leveled the playing field when it comes to websites and search engine visibility.  You can now use the exact same platform that many Fortune 500 companies and major brands have chosen to use!  Who’s using WordPress?”

“5 Reasons to Switch Your Website to WordPress

1. Cost Effective
   As with any website, you’ll have your annual domain name renewal and website hosting fees.  The platform software is free and can be found at wordpress.org.  Most add-on modules (plugins) are free.  I’d strongly suggest you seek the help of a professional to assist with the original installation and software set-up.  This should be a one-time fee with minimal or no monthly maintenance fees.
2. 100% Total Control
   You have 100% control over every aspect of your website.  Appearance, layout, categorized links and content, add-on modules (plugins), SEO, photos, videos, calendars, contact forms, PayPal integration, and so much more.
3. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
   Search engines love WordPress… especially Google.  Easily include Google Analytics.  Virtually every aspect of WordPress offers the ability to include meta tags, descriptions, keywords and phrases.  From individual pages and posts to images, videos, links, categories, and more.  Each of these plays a crucial role in helping with search engine visibility.
4. Social Media Friendly
   WordPress provides users with the ability to easily include icons, links, and streams for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and others.  It’s, by far, one of the easiest platforms for connecting your website with your social networking tools!
5. Communication, Interaction, and Lead Generation
   WordPress comes complete with powerful communication and consumer interaction tools.   Built right in is the ability for visitors to post comments on articles you’ve written, pages you’ve created, and content you’ve provided.  You can easily add a “Log In” area for users and provide them with “Member Only” content.  Want people to sign up for your newsletter?  Most newsletter services such as “Constant Contact” or “MailChimp” provide you with the code you need.  Insert it anywhere in your website.  The opportunities are endless.”

Read more:

http://www.williamhwells.com/2012/04/21/website-woes/

From Reuters.

The FBI claims to have evidence that the Cyber attack upon Sony computer systems came from North Korean sources.

“Sony hires Mandiant to help clean up after cyber attack”

“Pictures Entertainment has hired FireEye Inc’s Mandiant forensics unit to clean up a massive cyber attack that knocked out the studio’s computer network nearly a week ago, three people with knowledge of the matter said on Sunday.

Computer systems at the Sony Corp unit went down last Monday after displaying a red skull and the phrase “Hacked By #GOP,” which reportedly stands for Guardians of Peace, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Technicians are making headway in repairing damage caused by the attack and expect to have the email systems back online Monday, said one of the people, who were not authorized to publicly discuss efforts to deal with the attack.”

“Mandiant is an incident response firm that helps victims of breaches identify the extent of attacks, clean up networks and restore systems.

The technology news website Re/code reported on Friday that Sony was investigating to determine whether hackers working on behalf of North Korea might be responsible for the attack, possibly in retribution for the studio’s backing of the film “The Interview,” which is to be released on Dec. 25 in the United States and Canada.

The movie is a comedy about a CIA attempt to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.”

Read more:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/30/sony-cybersecurity-mandiant-idUSL2N0TK0R920141130

From Fireeye: