level2IT Blog

Problem with iOS 5 iMessages? Try this…

blah — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:29:31 +0000

Does iMessage kick in when you’re trying to send a regular txt to another iPhone user?

This can happen in the case that a test iMessage was successfully sent to then while they were using iOS 5, then they downgraded to iOS 4. In previous iOS 5 betas the app would tell you if the iMessage was not successfully and provide a button to press to send as a regular text message. In iOS 5 GM there is no longer the error displayed, or the button provided.

So what to do? Press and hold on the message text & a pop-up will give you access to the “send as a text message” option.

Great advice for my L.E.O. friends

blah — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:20:03 +0000

5 Things Cops must do to secure thier networks (thanks @DennisKuntz)

Great for law enforcement however, anyone interested in staying safe should read this!

http://policeledintelligence.com/2011/07/12/the-top-5-things-cops-must-do-to-secure-their-networks-now/

WSJ says it’s a “Long Wait for RSA Security Tokens”

blah — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:29:34 +0000

In an article by The Wall Street Journal, Computer security firm RSA Chairman Arthur W. Coviello Jr. said the company offered to provide security monitoring or replace the SecurID tokens “for virtually every customer we have.” Most Customers and the press thought that meant RSA would replace all of the physical tokens for free.

Well, it looks like they are only offering that to 30% of their customers. You’re not impressing anyone with this position RSA.

I recommended on the day the news of the hack broke that all my customers switch immediately. Most did.
I can give you a friends name at VeriSign if anyone’s interested.

There is another worthwhile virus/malware scanner from Microsoft

blah — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:27:41 +0000

I have not used this yet but from what I’ve read it works well. If you support anyone go get it & try it. If you’re an end-user you should probably download & run it too!

Microsoft Safety Scanner

Here’s something interesting from Drobo…

blah — Tue, 24 May 2011 01:50:17 +0000

As many of you know I recommend Drobo products. This 100 Drobos thing they are doing could end up being a very worthy cause.
Let’s hope so… Check it out here

I am also a Drobo Authorized Dealer

Some more tips

blah — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:44:49 +0000

7 steps to protect against online fraud (from a SonicWALL quiz)
http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=10879

Don’t tell me you didn’t see this coming…

blah — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:42:14 +0000

McAfee’s Secure Short URL Service not so secure
Read More:
http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=10261

It’s that time again – Holiday Shopping Safety

blah — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:33:49 +0000

Last year I posted some tips on being safe while shopping online. That article is here. This year I’ll point out that TraceMyID is partnering with world-renowned fraud prevention expert Frank Abagnale to help educate and protect consumers while shopping this holiday season.
Full Press Release

It is with great sadness that I report that Watts Humphrey has passed away.

blah — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:22:11 +0000

Known as the “Father of Software Quality” Watts Humphrey, founder of the Software Process Program at the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute (SEI) and recipient of the National Medal of Technology, died Thursday at his home in Sarasota, Florida. He was 83.

One of my favorite I.T. related Quotes:
“The problem of software process change are often complicated by the fact that no one is responsible to make it happen. If software process improvement isn’t anybody’s job, it is not surprising that is doesn’t get done! If it is important enough to do, however, someone must be assigned the responsibility and given the necessary resources. Until this is done, software process development will remain a nice thing to do someday, but never today.”
Watts Humphrey

I.T. Infrastructure Architecture and Active Directory

blah — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 14:39:26 +0000

Speaking of I.T. Infrastructure Architecture (I was, maybe you weren’t listening)

Mark Wilson has a very good series on Active Directory design online on his site based on the MCS Talks:

Active Directory design considerations, part 1: Introduction

Active Directory design considerations, part 2: Forest and domain design

Active Directory design considerations, part 3: Organizational Units

Active Directory design considerations, part 4: Group policy objects

Active Directory design considerations, part 5: Security groups

Active Directory design considerations, part 6: DC placement and site design

Active Directory design considerations, part 7: DC configuration and DNS

Active Directory design considerations, part 8: Summary and further information