Mike Foster's IT Security and Best Practices Blog » laptop

Would you use an Air as your next Windows laptop?

Mike Foster — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 04:00:08 +0000

I recently needed to replace a beaten and battered Windows 7 laptop with a new one. After looking at all the hardware on the market—different laptop models—I determined that none of them stacked up against my Intel based Apple MacBook Air hardware.

The magnetic power connector to eliminate the “flying laptop syndrome” when I or someone else trips on the cord, the sleek thin design, and the light weight appear to leave the other competition in the dust. Probably the most important feature to me, since my carry-on bags contain four computers most of the time, is the rugged durability compared to many of the other computers out there. Yet, for my computer, I wanted the Intel based computer to be “only Windows 7″ with no Apple software at all. This provides me with a very capable and durable laptop.

There are plenty of tools such as Boot Camp, VMware Fusion, Parallels, etc. that allow you to run Windows along with Apple’s OSX operating system.

In case you ever want to convert an Apple to run only Windows, click here to discover the technical steps I use.

Depending on your experience with the nuts and bolts of computer setup, these instructions may be daunting for you; however, they may save your IT professionals a lot of time setting up your computer.

Please post your comments on this blog.

Why chief executives get an iPad or another slate device

Mike Foster — Thu, 26 May 2011 04:00:18 +0000

When I purchased my first slate computing device, I literally thought it would just be a toy for me to play with and I would never use it for anything serious. I could not have been more wrong.

Note: I bought an iPad; however, there are many other slate devices that provide a similar experience.

In fact, because I arrived early for a meeting and have time, I’m typing this blog entry using the sleek Apple Bluetooth keyboard connected to my iPad. I often find that I use my iPad more than a computer on any given day.

Besides e-mail, I also use OmniFocus extensively. OmniFocus allows a listing of “to do” items based on your whereabouts. This allows me to accomplish ordered tasks in places with the following situations:

No phone or Internet connection
No Internet access, but I have phone access
My laptop’s 4G card has a signal
Using Wi-Fi or standard Ethernet connection
I am using a lighting fast fiber connection

My effectiveness skyrocketed with this tool.

As many of you know, I frequently travel five days a week and notes in Evernote track all the reservation details and confirmation numbers for ten flights, four hotels, four rental cars, and the time and address of all the locations I need to visit.

Even though Kindle is an Amazon tool, the Kindle app allows me to carry many technical books without the weight and size of the printed versions.

The travel apps for airlines are very helpful too—especially for people who travel frequently.

The instant-on feature, small size, and ability to easily connect a “real” keyboard are some of the most valuable features to me.

I never see my slate device as replacing my Windows machines; however it is a nice compliment. Of course, if and when all services move to the cloud, then slates may be tools that practically eliminate the need for a laptop.

How do you feel about the iPad or other slate devices? What are the applications you use the most?

Please post your comments on this blog.

Are employees or guests connecting unauthorized computers to your network?

Mike Foster — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:11:26 +0000

An IT professional discovered an unauthorized computer on the network! “I know all our computer names and I knew this one did not belong. I immediately called our consultants thinking we were being compromised. They said the computer was in our office. I searched through the office and found that one of the (employees) brought in a (outside representative) into the office and set her up in one of our offices. She was allowed to plug her laptop in to our network and proceeded to access the internet.” I frequently come across offices that freely offer for visitors to “plug in to the network” to check e-mail or access the Internet. Same with offering visitors wireless access. The people offering access to complete strangers obviously have no idea of the danger.

What if there are virus infections on the outsider’s computer? What if those viruses infect your network?

What if the user performs an illegal behavior using the Internet? The police will come to your office looking for the perpetrator. If you provide an unsecured wireless network, the suspect may have been outside your business in a truck in the middle of the night when he broke the law using your Internet access.

Take steps to control this including:

Teach everyone in the organization how dangerous it is to connect unauthorized computers to the network – wired or wireless.
If the executives agree to deny guest computers all together
- Have a strong written policy that people sign saying that NO computers will ever be connected to the internet without the IT professional’s prior approval
- Securely encrypt wireless networks (and if your IT professional still thinks WEP encryption is secure, have them search Google for WEPCRACK sometime)
- Your IT professionals may choose to use other technology solutions that monitor for unauthorized connections and potentially deny them access such as http://www.laneye.com.
- Encourage your guests to sign up for their own connections such as Verizon, Sprint, or AT&T broadband access. These connections can be used in almost all populated areas.
If executives feel they must offer access to guest computers during conference meetings and/or other times
- IT may implement a form of endpoint security that makes sure the connected laptop meets specific requirements (updates, anti-virus, etc) before being allowed to connect
- IT may implement password security using, for example, RADIUS or Cisco authentication for guest computers.
- Put any unprotected wireless access points on a hot tub timer so they turn themselves off automatically after an hour or two.

In addition, I see many IT professionals come up with the idea of signing up for a separate broadband connection such as a DSL or Cable link for the exclusive use of guests for Internet access. Yes, this will help protect our network from the guest’s computer and is similar to connecting the guest computer to a DMZ so they are outside our firewall. Keep in mind, however, that the risk is that if the guest (or a program on their computer) performs an illegal act, the police will trace the traffic back to your company either way.