Category Archives: Screencast videos

Making backups with Symantec Protection Network Online Backup

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Symantec Corp. http://spn.com

An online backup service that works automatically in the background to make copies of your most critical files and is very easy and economical to use. Online backups have several advantages:
— To aid in recovering files from a lost or stolen laptop
— To provide a simple but effective offsite storage solution for your data
— To keep the costs of backups low and within reach of most businesses

Requirements: Windows 2000/2003 Server, Windows XP, Windows Vista with latest service packs installed, with at least 15% free disk space on the volumes that you want to backup.

Price: $9.99 a month for basic service for 10 GB storage. Premium service is $35 a month for 10 GB with seven year history of backups. Additional fees for more storage capacity, remote access, and online storage for Backup Exec v12 users.

Pros:
— Easy to setup and operate
— Free 30 day trial helps you test out the service and become familiar with its operation
— 24×7 support included
Cons:
— Requires a fast broadband upload connection particularly on the first backup or for very large file collections. Only incremental changes are sent on subsequent backups
— Lack of progress indicators make troubleshooting more difficult

Encrypting emails using Voltage Security Network

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We tested VSN on a Windows XP running Outlook Express v6 in September 2008, using a pre-configured version of the software supplied by Voltage. This is how a typical customer would use the software.


Summary: VSN is a plug-in for Outlook/Outlook Express that makes for sending and receiving encrypted emails literally a snap. There is a Web portal for users outside the enterprise, and a secure file transfer application add-on to Windows Explorer as well.

Advantages: VSN is extremely easy to use once setup.
Enterprises should consider VSN if they are looking for more control over things like user experience, which help desk number to call, control over cryptographic elements like root certificates, integration with other systems like Blackberry Enterprise Server. Also, if they are looking to off-load managing third-party authentication and providing help desk support, then VSN should be on your radar.

Disadvantages: You will probably need to coordinate the installation among several different IT departments. The online documentation is somewhat confusing.

Voltage Security Inc. 4005 Miranda Avenue #210,
Palo Alto, CA 94304 (650) 543-1280, http://voltage.com/products/vsn.htm

Requirements:
Windows only, works with Outlook (2000-2007), Outlook Express and Vista Mail applications
Price: $65 per seat per year, includes both secure email and secure file transfer

StormShield from SkyRecon Security Software

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There are two parts to the product: The server components (including the relational database and server) and the various agents that run on each endpoint. Among other things, the agent contains a host-based firewall and policy engine that can be customized to control applications and particular endpoint device features such as USB peripherals and registry entries. We tested version 4.801 on a simple network in July 2008.

Unlike anti-virus software, it doesn’t rely on signatures but on behavioral patterns of malware and exploits, to block them. It replaces the weak Windows personal firewall with a powerful host IPS engine and applications control features.

SkyRecon Systems Inc., 1440 Broadway, 23rd floor, New York, NY 10018
Tel: (877) 239 3057 | Fax: (646) 512 5167 | www.skyrecon.com
Product category: Endpoint security software
Pricing: $39-$132 per seat, depending on quantity and features purchased.
Information: http://skyrecon.com/stormshield

Summary: Application control and host IPS make for some powerful endpoint security features.
Pros:
• Variety of ways to lockdown particular endpoint components
• Runs in Windows kernel so can be used to block keyloggers without the need for signatures
Cons:
• Windows XP and 2000/SP4 only, somewhat cumbersome policy creation process
• Somewhat verbose logging can be difficult to parse

Building Java apps quickly with Servoy Developer

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Servoy Developer is a Java enterprise rapid applications development environment. I have always thought of Java as write once and debug everywhere, but the Servoy tools are changing that with the ability to develop a single code base that can be deployed across Windows, Mac, Linux, and run in a wide variety of browsers too.

Next, download the Servoy .JAR package or use the EXE if you are running Vista. One nice thing is this is free and a fully functioning version with up to five licensed clients, what they call their community edition. It includes the application server, support for Eclipse. and a lightweight Web server too.

Servoy Developer v. 4.0

Pricing details: $895 plus $349 per concurrent client
Product category: Java app development enviroment
Servoy USA, 299 W. Hillcrest Drive Suite 115, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
(805) 624-4959, http://www.servoy.com

Summary: Servoy has a lot to offer Java developers and a nice way to deploy multiuser Web 2.0 applications from a single code base.
Pros:
• All open source tools and methods here.
• A very rich visual programming environment that can quickly build apps.
Cons: There is a lot to get used to and the user interface is a bit hard to navigate.
General 4.0 Resources – Flash Movies, PDF Files, Reviewer Guide
http://www.servoy.com/generic.jsp?mt=396&taxonomy_id=790

eEye Blink Security Software

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eEye Digital Security’s integrated endpoint security agent Blink offers a wide variety of protective measures, including personal firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware, host intrusion prevention, and overall system registry and executable file protection. We tested the product in August 2008 and demonstrate some of the ways these features work together and how easy they are to configure. There are versions for personal use as well as ones that communicate with a central policy server too.

Blink v 4.0.4, eEye.com, runs on Windows 2000 or later versions both 32 and 64 bit too
eEye Digital Security, 111 Theory Suite 250 Irvine, CA 92617

Pricing details: Personal $25/yr (3 for $35), Professional $290 for 10 one-year licenses
For more information please go to http://www.blinkfree.com

Pros:

  • various security services all covered with a single agent
  • Powerful policy management tools
  • Enterprise manager works via hardware or software

Cons:

  • Individual users can’t review report archive
  • Can’t add custom ID theft rules

Timedriver.com Appointment Scheduling Service

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TimeDriver isn’t a shared calendar or simple meeting scheduler. Rather, it is a free service that lets you add a self-service scheduling link to Web pages and e-mails so people can book your time without conflicts and manage events on your electronic calendar.


TimeTrade Systems Inc. 100 Crosby Drive, Bedford, MA 01730, 781-541-5800

Category: Appointment scheduling software

Pros:Simple to setup and use, free of charge and feature rich

Appointments can be offered via email or Web pages

Cons: Outlook users need to be online to sync their appointments and busy time for scheduling to work well

Negotiated group meetings are better handled with other services

Price: Free

Requirements: Works with IE, FF, and Safari on both Mac and Windows Integrates with Microsoft Outlook (plug-in required) and Google Calendar.