Latest News from Steven Rodin

How Does a Man-in-the-Middle Attack Work?

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:18:27 EDT

We all know that public WiFi is dangerous, but do your end-users understand the seriousness of this threat? You've probably heard computer security experts warn you not to use wireless connections at public places such as coffee shops, airports or hotels. But have you ever wondered why? There are a few important reasons for this. First - and most obvious - is something called "packet sniffing". You may not realize it, but every unsecured communication that you transmit over the internet is broadcast to every computer within your local network. For a coffee shop with free WiFi, this could be every computer within a one-mile radius. Packet Sniffing used to be the exclusive domain of hard-core hackers with advanced networking expertise. But today, we're seeing free, easy-to-use packet sniffing programs with intuitive graphical interfaces. Now every teenager can be a hacker without actually having to understand exactly what it is they're doing. But most of your highly-sensitive transactions are protected from this type of spying through the use of SSL connections.

Moving Smoothly Through the Post-Disaster Panic

Wed, 25 May 2011 14:49:49 EDT

When asked how they protect their corporate data, most business owners will tell you that they back up on - at minimum - a daily schedule. But is this really enough? Well... it all depends on WHY you're backing up the data in the first place. The "why" of data protection is one of those obscure, poorly understood concepts that suddenly become very important during an emergency. That's why you need to frequently test your backups and your recovery plans using various disaster scenarios.

When Testing Disaster Recovery Plan, It Helps to Count Seconds as Dollars

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:08:52 EST

Too often, companies only think about their data when planning for disaster recovery. But recovery time can also be an important variable to consider. Despite the vast amount of useful data protection advice available online, too many companies are still cutting corners when it comes to their business continuity plans. Although nearly every company backs up their critical business data continuously or on a daily basis, a significant portion of these organizations have never tested their backups. (This is especially true of smaller organizations) In fact, it's recommended that you run a full data disaster simulation drill at least once per year. After testing your backups, you might discover certain unexpected problems.

What Would It Be Like to Crash a Mega-Corporation’s Servers?

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:56:20 EDT

Storagepipe Solutions has developed a downtime cost calculator. And today we'll be demonstrating its features by performing a full system downtime drill using publicly availible company information from Wikipedia. The Downtime Cost Calculator, available at http://downtimecost.com allows you to get real-time insight into what would happen if all of the servers within any given company were to suddenly crash. It breaks down the costs into “revenue” and “productivity” for easier analysis, and gives you a live running total so that you can watch the money bleed out as it happens.

Search Engine Promotion Advice for VARs and Channel Partners

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:58:18 EDT

Search engine optimization is an absolute must for any business. It’s a low cost way of generating sales and in building credibility. Quite simply, SEO has been the single most effective new small business marketing tool to come out within the last 15 years. However, SEO does pose certain challenges for VARs and IT consultants. Search engine optimization is normally used to attract a worldwide audience. But most IT services companies operate locally. A business in this space that wants to market themselves through the search engines has to streamline their process in such a way that most of their efforts will target a local audience.

[VIDEO] Worst-Case Data Disaster Scenarios

Mon, 17 May 2010 16:11:52 EDT

Points To Consider When Using Disk For Long-Term Storage

Fri, 14 May 2010 22:41:01 EDT

This article explores the technical aspects of different storage media - like disk, tape and cloud storage - and what to keep in mind when archiving or backing up critical data for long-term.

How To Win At "Liability Hot Potato"

Thu, 06 May 2010 05:49:38 EDT

Technology has changed the way we document our actions in order to protect ourselves from legal liability.

Yes, Outlook and online backup CAN live together in peace

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:07:50 EDT

Here, we outline some of the key points that Outlook users should keep in mind when looking for a continuous data protection online backup service.

Tips for VARs and other IT vendors when pitching to committees [Video]

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:38:24 EDT

Storagepipe gives their advice for Channel Partners and IT vendors when selling to groups or committees.

New video takes a fun approach to data protection

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 06:57:39 EST

Storagepipe Solutions, a leading provider of online backup and data protection services, has put together a short video that illustrates emerging business continuity trends in an entertaining fashion.

Backing Up SharePoint Effectively

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Microsoft SharePoint is a fantastic tool for enterprise document management and collaboration. But having said that, there are challenges that come up when integrating this system into your corporate disaster recovery planning. In this article, I'd like to explore some of these challenges and offer potential solutions.

Solving data protection challenges for companies operating out of multiple locations

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:47:16 EDT

Laptops VOIP, the Internet, and other technologies have made it easier and more profitable than ever for companies to spread out their operations over a large geographic area. For smaller businesses, this offers several benefits in terms of reduced costs, flexibility and improved access to customers & prospects.