IT Monitoring Tool Sprawl Hurts Business Operations

IT monitoring tool sprawl refers to the proliferation of multiple monitoring tools within an organization’s IT infrastructure. While monitoring tools are essential for maintaining the performance, availability, and security of IT systems, their [...]

IT Monitoring Tool Sprawl Hurts Business Operations2024-02-07T11:54:10-08:00

Server Monitoring: Benefits and Challenges

What is Server Monitoring? Server monitoring is the process of tracking and observing the performance and health of computer servers and their associated resources. It involves collecting and analyzing metrics, logs, and events to detect any abnormalities and to [...]

Server Monitoring: Benefits and Challenges2023-06-07T10:47:25-07:00

What is Network Segmentation, aka VLAN?

Segmenting your network is when you compartmentalize your networks in order to deliver specific security controls and services, and to manage network congestion. With the trend of ransomware attacks being more focused on disrupting business operations, it is critical that [...]

What is Network Segmentation, aka VLAN?2022-02-28T00:03:41-08:00

Alvaka Networks: Rapid Response & Recovery Brand

Featured on the cover of ChannelPro SMB February 2021 issue, Alvaka Networks CEO, Oli Thordarson, explains how Alvaka was able to carve a unique identity as a rapid response and recovery brand through peerless execution and a 24/7/365 all US-based [...]

Alvaka Networks: Rapid Response & Recovery Brand2021-09-09T23:19:21-07:00

What changed in NIST 800-171r1?

If you must comply with NIST 800-171 under DFARS you may wonder what has changed with the first revision, released in December, 2016.  There are two substantive changes: 1.  "Information Systems" has been replaced by "Systems" throughout the document. [...]

What changed in NIST 800-171r1?2024-04-21T19:36:04-07:00

5 warning signs that shadow IT lurks in your company

Here is a blog by our friend Joe Stangarone of mrc's Cup of Joe Blog. He writes about the dangers of shadow aka stealth IT and how to spot it. Shadow IT is basically software and services that enter your company network without your knowledge or permission. Here is his blog....

Summary: A growing trend, “Shadow IT” is a term used to describe IT systems and solutions built and/or used inside organizations without the approval of the IT department. This could include anything from employees emailing spreadsheets back and forth to entire departments licensing third-party, cloud solutions behind IT’s back. The problem: Since Shadow IT usually happens on the sneak, IT departments don’t know where (or how much) it’s happening. Is Shadow IT lurking in your business? Read this article to learn the warning signs. 

 

Like it or not, Shadow IT is probably alive and well in your organization. Recent surveys find that it’s not only growing, it’s far more rampant than business leaders realize.

What can you do about it? In past articles, we’ve explored a few ways to address and reduce risks of Shadow IT. We’ve looked at:

That being said, there’s still a problem: You can’t address Shadow IT if you can’t see it. How do you know whether or not Shadow IT lurks in your company?

 

5 warning signs that shadow IT lurks in your company2024-04-21T19:36:30-07:00

Bad Backup, bad bankruptcy

Orange County, CA - Always make sure your backups are in good working order. Here is a story of a company reports to be out of business because they lost 300 GB if their IP and company operations history - GitLab.com melts down after wrong directory deleted, backups fail. The story mentions Gitlabs.com outgrew the cloud and that is why this happened. No, they simply had bad backups and they did not check to make sure they had an ability to recover before doing work on the storage system. Data loss disasters can happen in the cloud, too. So make sure you have your backup operations in order. Disaster can strike in innumerable ways no matter your IT operation model.

Backups need to be constantly examined to make sure they are working. Here is a partial list of questions you should be asking when doing your due diligence:

Bad Backup, bad bankruptcy2017-09-18T00:47:29-07:00

New Year’s Resolutions for IT 2017

Now that you have settled into the New Year it is time to focus on you New Year resolutions for IT or you risk a bad year. It is February 1, 2017 and you now have all the year-end closing of the books, inventory, etc. behind you. Now that your head is cleared up it is time to get more focused on IT.

This blog is a compilation of ideas from Team Alvaka Networks:

1.       Roger Nixon said, Keep moving forward by backing up… the importance of good backups for sustainability of a business when things go wrong. Actually almost everyone at Alvaka said something similar. Roger is right. If you have not recently done a complete review of your back up systems you are at great risk. Ask yourself and test whether –

a.       Is your backup system running? Is the scheduler running backups at the appropriate intervals?

New Year’s Resolutions for IT 20172024-04-21T19:33:36-07:00

I’m a Security Monitor

Irvine, CA - I have become somewhat enamored by the LifeLock commercial titled, “Fix it.” In that commercial, bank robbers come storming into a bank breaking a display and yelling, “Everybody on the floor.” As everyone hits the floor a man in a security uniform remains standing and one of the customers whispers, “Do something!” He replies, “Oh, I’m not a security guard. I’m a security monitor. I only notify people if there is a robbery.” After a brief glance around he passively says, “There’s a robbery.” The commercial narrator then says, “Why monitor a problem if you don’t fix it?”

You can view that video here.

I’m a Security Monitor2022-02-03T11:40:52-08:00

Cracking your passwords just got faster and easier than ever, here’s how….

Orange County, CA – I just read about a new product announcement, New version of L0phtCrack makes cracking Windows passwords easier than ever. At Alvaka we used to do a hacking demo during a lunch and learn. Rex Frank would usually do the demo by doing a SQL Injection attack and bumping out to the command prompt. From there he would download the SAM (Security Access Manager) file and then use L0phtCrack to decode a password right in front of the eyes of everyone. Nearly everyone was shocked beyond compare. Of course that approach is now a bit dated, but it showed our guests just how vulnerable unpatched and inadequately secured systems can be. From the start of the demo to the revelation of an account password would only take five o

Cracking your passwords just got faster and easier than ever, here’s how….2024-04-21T19:41:48-07:00