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Nov112016

How Virtual Desktops Infrastructure Makes Businesses More Efficient

What is VDI? According to CDW, at its most basic incarnation, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is the practice of hosting a desktop operating system within a virtual machine (VM) running on a centralized server. The desktop images can then be accessed by different types of devices such as desktop, laptops, thin clients and mobile devices. For a larger group of users, like one would find at any given small to midsize business, it makes sense to create a large number of virtual desktops on a cloud that operators can connect to using a thin client system. How does it all work? In the typical VDI, a special software application called…

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November 11, 2016Virtual DesktopBy mdltechadmin

Nov42016

Why Hosted Applications Benefit Businesses

Due to higher speed broadband becoming available, more and more businesses are now turning to hosted applications for their everyday needs. What is a hosted application? We’re glad you asked. By definition, a hosted application is a software as a service (SaaS) solution that allows users to execute and operate a software application entirely from the cloud on a recurring subscription. These applications are typically hosted and powered from the remote cloud infrastructure and are accessed globally through the Internet. They provide the same functionality as locally installed software but can be updated more easily. Instead of installing and using applications such as the Office suite on your own computer,…

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November 4, 2016Hosted ApplicationsBy mdltechadmin

Oct282016

Kansas City Managed Services Firm Reviews Why Internet of Things is Latest Cybersecurity Battleground for Businesses

The internet of things (IoT) has been described as “the infrastructure of the information society.” It’s the internetworking of all ‘connected’ or ‘smart’ electronic devices such as the tablet in your hand, phone in your pocket or the printer in your office, all of these physical devices are embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators and network connectivity that enable them to collect and exchange data. Thus, the internet of things. According to Pedro Abreu, chief strategy officer at ForeScout, “The IoT is the new battleground for security.” To Abreu’s point, firms around the world have spent the past two decades using firewalls, antivirus and anti-malware tools to build layers of…

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October 28, 2016Cyber SecurityBy mdltechadmin

Oct212016

Kansas City Law Firms Face Growing Threat of Cybersecurity

ALM Intelligence‘s second annual Law Firm Cybersecurity Report found that vulnerabilities in law firms’ data and cyber security present an unprecedented existential threat. As news of massive ‘hack attacks’ and cyber security breaches have often dominated the headlines in recent years, corporate demand for legal expertise in information security, compliance and incident response has grown dramatically. As a consequence, the revenue opportunity for cyber security firms has grown as well. Foreign actors have targeted transactionally oriented firms in an effort to obtain confidential, market-moving information and trade on it. Daniella Isaacson, co-author of the report, assessed the situation and said, “Many firms’ confidence in their own cyberattack preparedness seems misguided.…

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October 21, 2016Cyber SecurityBy mdltechadmin

Kansas City Managed Services Company Analyzes Ransomware Attacks

In 2016 alone, ransomware affected over 90 million individuals and businesses at an estimated rate of 400 attacks per minute. Yet 70 percent of these go unnoticed, according to TechRepublic. Cybercriminals use of ransomware show no signs of slowing down. Ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. According to Digital Trends, the average rate for a ransom has soared upwards from $294 in 2015 to $679 this year. Studies show that nearly 50 percent of businesses have been hit with some type of ransomware, with 40 percent of those businesses paid the ransom. Studies also…

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October 14, 2016RansomwareBy mdltechadmin

Kansas City Managed Services Company Reviews Importance of National Cyber Security Awareness Month

The Department of Homeland Security has declared October National Cyber Security Awareness Month. In its thirteenth year, the program seeks to educate the public and private sector about Cyber Security threats and ways to guard against them with a focus on protecting our digital borders. Attacks in 2016 have hit major companies. From 500 million hacked accounts with Yahoo! to 100’s of Eddie Bauer stores being inflicted with malware. The most common cause of breaches are employees misusing access privileges, according to TripWire. Whether employees do this accidentally or maliciously, training employees on security practices is crucial. Additionally, here are a few tips from Open Forum on how to prevent…

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October 7, 2016Cyber SecurityBy mdltechadmin

Sep302016

Yahoo! is the Latest Victim of a Data Breach

Data breaches have become all too common. Today’s headlines are littered with stories of cyber theft and security failures. Yahoo! is the latest victim. With over 500 million user accounts compromised, this could be the largest data breach in history. But Yahoo! is far from alone. So far in 2016, we’ve learned about security breaches at Linkedin, the U.S. Department of Justice, Oracle, Dropbox and many others. Is there anything that can be done to stem the tide? According to cybersecurity expert Por Thorsheim, the Yahoo! breach “will cause ripples online for years to come.” In a statement from Yahoo! addressing the issue, they provided some information about the…

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September 30, 2016Data BreachBy mdltechadmin

Sep222016

MDL Technology Takes a Look at the Importance of Network Monitoring

Network monitoring might sound like the easiest and most simplistic part of an IT managed service. While it doesn’t take much to monitor your network and ensure everything is working properly, it’s surprising how many companies overlook this essential component. The idea behind network monitoring is simple: keep a constant eye on your network to catch failing components or components that are running slow before they become a problem. A good monitoring system lets your administrator know of any issues with the network so that they can be addressed before they get out of hand. A business without constant network monitoring runs the risk of losing a good deal of…

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September 22, 2016IT Managed Services, Network MoniteringBy mdltechadmin

Sep162016

MDL Technology Examines ESPN’s Week 1 Fantasy Football Flop

The worldwide leader of sports, ESPN, suffered a worldwide fumble on week 1 of the NFL season. The lauded fantasy football app crashed at one of the most inopportune times possible. The blunder shows that if you are not prepared for the absolute worst, the absolute worst will happen. Geekwire estimates that over 74 million people play fantasy football, with the first week of hope being the biggest fantasy weekend by far. ESPN has acknowledged the issues and has since blamed a backend data access issue. A simple misguided network monitoring problem put the app down for over four hours. Which is roughly the equivalent of one full game…

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September 16, 2016Network MoniteringBy mdltechadmin

Sep92016

MDL Technology Examines How OPM Could Have Avoided a Giant Data Breach

In a breach that was first publicly announced mid-2015, the U.S. House Oversight & Government Reform Committee has finally came to a consensus on the root of the issue. With a 241-page analysis of the data breach, they have found that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) exposed fingerprint data and background investigations on millions of Americans. Data breaches can be a giant deficit to a company. Not only did someone hack into their system, but also losing trust of employees and business partners. Inverse said, “It all could have been prevented very easily.” Cyber security may seem like a small part of your overall operation, but giant…

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September 9, 2016Data BreachBy mdltechadmin