Benefits of Hiring a Business Card Printer

A business card represents your business. Therefore it is very important that it looks informative and attractive to the reader. There are lots of things on this card which needs to be taken care before printing. Only a professional printer can handle all the aspects and provide valuable results.

Following are the aspects of business cards:

Latest Designs - Design of a card that contain business information is the first and the most important aspect. First of all, you need to choose the template that suits the theme of your business. Then you need to decide the layout, whether it will be horizontal or vertical. After that, you create a rough draft by placing the other content to finalize the design. Now on one side, it will be you who might be designing an informative card for the very first time and on the other side it's a professional designer who has designed many of them. So don't you think a professional designer can create a better design than you?

Perfect Coloring - Choosing the right color combination is the second important aspect of a card. You cannot add any available color of your choice. A Business id card represents you and your profession in your absence, so it becomes important to choose the right type of color combinations. Only a professional card printer can help you with such color combinations. Moreover, he will easily highlight the content as compared to the background through colors. This will definitely increase the readability of your business id card in the first look.

Informative content - The content presented on your visiting card plays an essential role in conveying your business profile to the reader. So, the content requires special attention to keeping your business id card informative and effective. A professional can help you put only useful content on this. He knows what font and size look professional and helps attract the reader in the first look.

Right paper - There is a wide range of paper quality available in the market, which is used for card printing. It is tough to decide which one is better and what is its genuine cost. A professional can help you choose the right paper as per your budget and the purpose of having an informative card for your business.

Neat and Clean Printing - The printers in our home are
generally not of high quality and hardly loaded with latest designing tools. Also, we generally don't know about these professional tools and printers whilst, the professionals have high quality printers and knowledge about latest design tools. Then why to waste your time and money in printing your business cards yourself.

There is an old saying that if you have no idea about some job, it's better to leave it for somebody who is professional.

4 Types of Network Switches

Network switches are a useful piece of hardware to include in a computer network that consists of several devices. There are a few types of network switches that play a different part in the management of the network. A major function is the ability to direct traffic and make sure the data packets sent over the network reach the desired location. By installing the right series of switches it is possible to run a system without straining the resources and also making sure the connected peripheral devices are running effectively.

There is a total of four network switches which include the enterprise managed, smart, managed and unmanaged. The different types have their own positives and negatives, so it is important to use the right components to create the most efficient and cost-effective system.

Here is an overview of the different types of network switches:

Unmanaged

The unmanaged type is the most cost-effective in the market and a popular choice for the home or small business set up. One of its major functions is to help manage the type of data that flows between two or more computers and a shared printer. It rarely needs to be watched or configured and is extremely easy to set up.

Managed

This type is more advanced and comes with built-in software or a user interface to make it possible to adjust the setting to improve the functionality of the network. This system is best operated by the knowledgeable network administrator because they are a lot more complicated to use and it is important to configure with the proper settings.

Smart

The smart option offers a middle ground product which is like an automated version of the managed switch. This type is quite straightforward to manage and is easily controlled using a web-based interface and can easily function on its default settings. The standard settings only need to be changed if using one of the most complex setups or trying a control a specific function. Useful settings to configure include duplex, port-bandwidth, LAN or VLANs. Plus, it is a reliable choice for supporting the high volume of data transfer.

Enterprise-Managed

The enterprise-managed type is practical for larger organizations that are in need of a system that makes it possible to make multiple changes and adjustments. These network switches need constant supervision and must be managed by the network specialist because of the great complexity and size of the system.

Learn more about the different types of Cisco Switches for managing a network to a high standard.

How Much Do PCI Companies Charge?

There is much more to being PCI compliant than just getting a PCI SAQ filled or going through a quarterly vulnerability scan successfully. There is a lot of work and resources required by the business to go through to make sure the customer credit card data is secured.

A lot of businesses get confused when it comes to setting up a budget for PCI compliance. Commonly the budget kept is too small that it becomes really difficult for IT departments and third parties to provide upgrading to the equipment and to meet the latest security standards; such actions makes the security at the risk of getting breached.

Dependence of Cost of PCI Compliance

The cost of PCI compliance totally depends on the number of transactions made per year. There are two types of businesses one that process more than 6 million MasterCard or Visa transactions each year. Then there are businesses that make less than 6 million MasterCard or Visa transactions per year.

Variables that affect the cost of PCI compliance

The cost you are giving for your PCI audit totally depends on the setup of your organization. Below are some factors that affect the overall PCI compliance cost.

Type of Business:

Whether you are a service provider, shop, or a franchise each would have different amount of cardholder data, environment structure, and sets of requirements.

Size of Organization:

Normally the bigger the organization the more possible weaknesses it has in its system; including an extra number of computers, cardholder data, departments, processes, programs, and staff members. Having an extra number of departments means extra protection and extra security which definitely ends up in more cost.

Environment of Organization:

The mobile devices, brand of computers, firewall kinds, backend servers, etc everything can put an effect on the PCI cost.

Dedicated PCI Staff of Organization:

Even with the presence of highly dedicated team, organizations commonly need consulting or help from outsiders to assist them in meeting PCI requirements.

PCI Fees:

A monthly non compliance fee may be charged by your acquiring bank for not being PCI compliant. This usually varies from bank to bank and might go away if you give a proof of being PCI Compliant.

Pre pay acquirers:

Acquiring banks check with a PCI DSS vendor and pay for PCI Compliance of their merchant; but it happens rarely.

Cost of PCI Compliance

A small entity's cost of PCI DSS compliance should start from $300 per year depending mostly on the environment. There are various costs that are considered.

· Self-Assessment Questionnaire $50 to $200
· Vulnerability scanning per IP address $100-$150
· Training and policy making per employee $70
· Remediation (software and hardware upgrades/updates etc.) varies according to the relation of entity with compliance and security around $100 to $10,000.

A large entity is required to get PCI audit, which could cost from $70,000 per audit.

· Onsite audit more than $40,000
· Penetration testing more than $5,000
· Vulnerability scans more than $800
· Training and policy making more than $5,000
· Remediation (software and hardware upgrades/updates etc.) differs on the basis of the relation of entity with the compliance and security and can be around $10,000 to $500,000.

BuyerShield® ASV PCI Compliance brings peace of mind and security to your business and utilizes robust security analysis for thousands of know vulnerabilities, and more are added every day.

USB Memory Sticks - Advantages Over Disc Formats

USB sticks, or flash drives as they are also known, are becoming an ever more popular format for the transfer of data between businesses and also to for business promotion to potential customers. At the current time of creating of this article (March 2016), memory sticks that are capable of holding as much as 512 GB of data can be purchased easily on-line at a surprisingly low cost. Amazingly, a USB drive that will hold 1TB of data can also be obtained, but currently, these are expensive. The rate of technological advance will mean that the current high price will tumble over the next twelve months as order numbers grow and manufacturing costs are lowered due to bulk purchases.

A 512 GB USB stick can contain the same amount of information as over 20 regular Blu-ray DVD discs. The format may currently be a little more costly than the Blu-ray DVD discs but there is little to compare in terms of the convenience of the format as opposed to a pile of Blu-ray DVDs. The USB drive occupies little space and can be secured using a keyring or kept safely in a small pocket in a laptop bag or with ease. 20 Blu-ray DVDs, however, occupy a lot more space and would be much more inconvenient to have to transport.

At the other end of the scale, a memory stick with a capacity of 128 MB can be purchased inexpensively if the information files to be held on it are only small.

USB Sticks - Volume Production and Customised Casings

The ever- increasing sales volumes of the format has resulted in many companies, particularly in the far east, producing them in a staggering array of shapes and sizes. These designs can be both useful, such as a torch with a USB stick moulded into it, or any amount of novelty shapes such as a toy supercar shape that can be put onto a keyring. Many businesses using memory sticks to send out data on-site to employees and offsite to existing or potential clients, use flash drives in the form of a business card or a useful pocket sized shape that can be screen printed with the business or brand logo to further promote the company. Mostly, mass produced USB drives are basic shapes about 5cm x 1.5cm x 1.5cm which can be printed onto, or a business card form which, once more, can be printed through a spot colour screen printing technique. There are also a lot of companies which can produce memory sticks in a custom shape specified by the client.

Making Use of USB Memory Sticks To Give Your Business a Boost

The easy transportation of flash drive means that they are ideal for data storage for use by any company with a need for data distribution, particularly where data files are of a significant size. Where many employees need to be able to view large graphic design files or data/code files then USB sticks that hold large files are perfectly suited. This format is perhaps most commonly used, though, for promotion of businesses at exhibitions and business shows. Here, USB drives have two benefits; if you are employed in the marketing department for your business and are tasked with promoting your company at a tradeshow with the aim of raising brand awareness, or just to promote your company's services, they can be used to distribute sales information, presentations or applications for potential clients to view on their laptops or desktop PCs. Any data space can then be used for information storage by the user. This convenience means that the flash drive is always on hand keeping the brand in mind whenever the memory stick is used. They are popular freebies and business card or stick type forms can receive a print via the spot colour screen printing technique, with up to 4 separate colours. This is great for printing business logos or contact details onto the body of the drive.

The gain for a business, where USB memory sticks are utilised for promotion, can be enormous. As with almost any mass produced product, the larger the quantity you purchase, the lower the unit cost. If your business lands a lucrative contract or sells a high value product after giving away a memory stick with a small cost, then the benefit is very clear.

USB flash drives account for a large proportion of the data distribution and business promotion markets. Their capacity to hold a very large amount of data in such a small package makes them perfect replacements for CD and DVD discs. Along with the fact that their prices are falling as mass production of USB sticks increases, they are now starting to become the choice format for many businesses that need to distribute very large files quickly, to existing clients or potential new ones, and also existing personnel. Just about everyone seems to possess at least one memory stick and they can be obtained in a vast array of shapes, sizes and colours.

USB Duplication - Producing Memory Sticks in Bulk

A great number of companies based in the UK are consistently placing orders for thousands of memory sticks to enable them to promote their businesses. This growing demand means that there are a growing number of USB duplication companies offering their services to UK customers. Units are readily available that can copy large amounts of data rapidly, to over 100 USB sticks, at the same time. If a duplication suite has several of these units working together, they can then transfer data to many thousands of memory sticks, very quickly. Data transfer speeds are constantly on the increase as the technology advances. The USB 3.0 data transfer standard claims a realistic data transfer rate of 400 MB/second meaning that even a 512 GB USB memory stick can reach capacity in around 20 minutes. This is roughly 10 times faster than the older USB 2.0 standard. The ability to transfer such a large amount of data so rapidly means that duplication expenses can be minimised and flash drives are then a financially attractive alternative to Blu-ray DVDs, as they are also much easier to handle.

These duplication units are readily available for purchase online and many businesses who find they have a regular need for a large amount of USB sticks will either outsource the work or obtain a duplication unit for their employees to use. They are easily set up and take up very little room, meaning that they can be tucked into a corner or even a drawer when not in use and taken out when needed.

USB Memory Stick Security

USB flash drives are also a convenient format for the distribution of sensitive data such as:

• Legal documents
• Sensitive internal company data
• Copyright controlled information
• Sensitive research documents

The files can be secured through encryption using security software such as Truecrypt or similar, and the key for decryption of the data communicated through another means as an added level of security. Where the files contained are particularly sensitive, the USB drive can be concealed as it can be moulded into just about any form such as a pen or a torch. Even a large capacity memory stick can be contained on a very small PCB, so hiding the drive in a place known only to the intended recipient is a good option.

Many of the world's major engineering corporations use USB memory sticks to deliver CAD models of projects like household appliances, road vehicles or aeroplanes and military transportation. Such files are usually very large and need a high storage capacity device to hold them. With the mainstream availability of a 1TB USB memory stick on the horizon, this format will see an increase in use across the majority of industries.

For more information on USB memory stick duplication, speak to our team of experts at Alpha Duplication.

Is PCI a Law?

With the requirements set up by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS), a lot of businesses scratch their heads and ask whether PCI is a law. The answer to this question is very short and simple no PCI Compliance is not a law.

Will PCI Compliance be a Law in Future?

To make the things more clear, let's go in detail about this topic. At the moment it is not a federal law; but still there are some state laws that are in effect (while some might go in effect in future) to implement the requirements of PCI DSS. The story does not end here there is a big press on from the industry trade association and legislatures, to pass a federal law about breach and security notification.

Plastic Card Security Act

In 2007, "Plastic Card Security Act" was established in Minnesota which stated that if a company is breached and later on it is discovered that the company was storing prohibited PCI data like CVV codes, magnetic stripe, track data etc. then it is required to repay banks and other individuals costs linked with reissuing and blocking of cards. According to this law such companies are open to private lawsuits. The law at the moment is not to be implemented on Level 4 merchants (carrying out less than 20,000 card transactions per year).

On this, it was announced by the state of Massachusetts that it will commence a new law, 201 CMR 17.00. For example, the law stated the need of limiting the data collected, and further stated about data encryption and written security policies. The law would be implemented on any company storing or handling customer data based in Massachusetts. The enforcement of law was pushed back to 2010, when it was meant to be in action from 2009. Like all the previous laws this law also didn't include level 4 merchants to be enforced by the law.

None of the above stated law stated anything about being PCI Compliant. More states are in need of customers' notifications when a data breach finds its way, as the time goes on the definition of the data which is personal information will also have credit card numbers included in it.

What are the Possibilities?

With all that said, is it possible that we will get to see devotion to PCI Compliance and more specifically call it out as a law? Well there is no guarantee about it; but it might be possible, as you don't know anything about future. The government does take time to get things done and PCI compliance is still evolving. So, it will be quite difficult for the legislatures to keep up with the pace of new technology changes being put forward by PCI.

It is possible to a certain extent that in the future more states will recognize credit card data as personal information and will carry out strict actions against the companies neglecting the proper security. Also, in upcoming time there might be direct financial incentives to companies with far greater security postures.

Secure your Business with BuyerShield® Approved PCI Compliance Security Scanning and stop Security threats before they stop you. Learn more today.

Recycle Old Computers Thoughtfully to Prevent Bio-Hazards

Recycling of old computers and electronic gadgets is not only a matter of accruing profit, but also a clever stride to take, towards the creation of a cleaner world; free of e-wastes. The correct method of e-waste disposal task makes the entire difference.

Technologies and electronic gadgets become obsolete within no time and get vanished away from the market outpacing the speed of their emergence into our lives. The first generation of computers, for instance, provides a perfect example of such discovery of mankind that have gone through the ups and downs of ages to become one the most powerful electronic human-friendly device, the sixth generation of computers; a completely new version of computers that have accelerated the society to reach new heights. But the days are not so far when this wild progression, will cause this smart machine not to perform, but sit idle on the pages of history.

Here the most important question arises regarding about what needs to be done with these time-worn machines and computers. They cannot serve as alluring show-pieces neither can be stacked up to consume spaces inside the cupboards. In developed countries like USA, China and Australia, where the self-accelerating society follows the steady rule of development, often find themselves surrounded by heaps of such electronic junks. And in dexterous attempt from coming out of such occurrence, they sometimes mess up while handling e-wastes that play havoc in our environment. E-wastes contain toxic and hazardous components like mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium, chromium, and chemical flame retardants, which very easily gets leached into the soil and water and contaminates them. The entry of these toxic substances into the human food chain may plague the human race with many kinds of diseases that may become impossible to treat. According to many types of research, underground water in most parts of the world has been declared unfit for drinking due to the presence of high levels of lead, mercury or arsenic in it. It has also been said that the increasing number of cancer patients around the world is the result of e-waste contamination; that is constantly going on happening below our noses.

To resolve such mismanagement the administrative body of such countries have come up with the unique idea of recycling old computers that will not only save our environment from e-contamination but also accomplish the problem of spacing. Recycling old computers is also a profitable affair because old computers contain recoverable valuable metals such as aluminum, copper, gold, silver, plastics, and ferrous metals.

Luther Martin has visited many computer recycling centers and shops throughout the world and his research clearly concludes the fact about recycling old computers can prove to become a profitable scenario alongside saving our mother from e-contamination.

Glossary of PCI Terms

Here is a glossary of terms associated with PCI.

Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV)

In order to be PCI Compliant, you will require a successful scan certificate from an Approved Scanning Vendor. An ASV will certify you that you are up to all the technical requirements. ASVs are enlisted by PCI SSC on the basis of their performance.

Audit log

It is the record of activities of system up to a certain date; but it should have enough details to track back sequence of events that go from the beginning of transaction to the end.

Card holder Data (CD)

Cardholder data contains full Primary Account Number (PAN). Cardholder data also contains the following information:

· Name of the Cardholder
· Expiration Date
· Service Code (optional)

Card holder Data Environment (CDE)

It is an environment containing all the processes and technology including the people that process, transmit or store customer cardholder information or authentication information. CDE also includes connected system components and virtualization technology like applications, servers etc.

Encryption

The conversion of text into coded form is known as encryption. Only the people having the specific decrypting codes can get access to such data and only through a specific cryptographic key this data can be accessed. This puts a barrier between unauthorized disclosure and the encryption and decryption process.

File Integrity Monitoring

This concludes if the files or logs have been changed or altered in any way. When specific important files or logs are changed, PCI sends notifications and alerts to the security personnel.

Firewall

This technology keeps the network protected from unauthorized access by limiting or stopping traffic among networks having different security level based on specific criteria. Hosting options of PCI Compliance has various types of firewalls, including dedicated firewall appliances, virtual private firewalls, and shared firewalls.

Intrusion Detection Service (IDS)

This is the software or hardware that gives alerts about network or system intrusions. This system might have alert sensors, a centralized logging system and monitoring options to keep track of events.

Intrusion Prevention Service (IPS)

It is same as the Intrusion Detection Service, while IDS detects the intrusions the IPS tries to prevent the intrusions or possibly block the intrusions detected by the IDS.

Penetration Test

This is a test conducted on applications and network and also on processes and controls, to check any vulnerability and to know about how much at risk is the security and how openly can security be accessed or breached.

Primary Account Number (PAN)

The Primary Account Number is also known as unique payment card number or account number that gives details about the cardholder account and the issuer, it is used for either credit or debit cards.

Private Network

Private networks consider using private IP address space and their access must be protected through firewalls and routers from a public network.

Service Provider

Service provider is a non-payment brand entity that processes, stores or transmits payment cardholder data. Any company that affects the security of the payment cardholder information is included as the service provider, i.e. a company providing management services or a company providing hosting services by managing firewalls, IDS, etc.

BuyerShield® ASV PCI Compliance brings peace of mind and security to your business and utilizes robust security analysis for thousands of know vulnerabilities, and more are added every day.

7 Tips to Increase Your Laptop's Battery Life

1. Turn On the Battery Saver Mode 
Every laptop is equipped with a battery saver mode or economy mode which puts the machine in a low power consumption state. The processor, memory, hard disk, etc. all start consuming less power by reducing their performance. This allows you to lengthen the time before the battery dies.

2. Reduce the Screen Brightness 
As with any electronic device including your mobile phone, you should lower the brightness of your laptop's screen. In fact, if the battery is about to die, lower it to the lowest setting. Most modern laptop screens consist of LEDs to provide the backlighting and hence, they do take up power.

3. Switch Off Unused Devices 
Unless you are using them, turn off the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth because these are radio devices which consume quite a bit of battery power. Additionally, you can also turn off unused peripherals like a high performance graphic card (you obviously won't need it to make a presentation), one or more USB ports (most laptops contain two to three ports, so you can turn off one), and any underutilized optical drives.

4. Lower the Resolution 
Modern laptops contain high resolution screens which draw a lot of battery power; reducing the resolution to a basic one when you wish to have more battery time is an efficient way to decrease the power consumption.

5. Turn Off the Keyboard's Backlight 
Unless you don't have a laptop with a keyboard that features a backlight, switching off the backlight helps to further increase the time before the battery runs out.

6. Close Any Unnecessary Apps and Processes 
Hardware is not the only component consuming your battery, it is the software too. So start by closing any programs running in the background; for example, processes related to sound, music players, video players, or cloud services can be safely closed.

7. Don't Let Your Laptop Overheat 
Do you use your laptop on your bed, blanket, or pillow? If so, chances are you risk damaging the battery and the internal components; excessive heat will not only cause damage, but will shorten the battery life as well. Therefore, place your laptop on a hard surface like a desk or a table and if you are feeling lazy, use a portable table like a lapdesk.

Furthermore, dust and debris accumulate on the ventilation ports, fans, and air vents of a laptop which blocks the heat from escaping. Blowing out the vents with compressed air helps in improving the performance and extending the battery life of a laptop.

Laptops are expensive, there's no tiptoeing around it; it's a lot of hard-earned cash out of your pocket. However, they're also incredibly useful and you're likely to have a lot of personal data stored on yours along with photos and videos you won't want to lose it. Unfortunately, accidents can and do happen. Strongly consider getting Laptop Insurance, from just £1.49 per month: https://row.co.uk/laptop-insurance

PCI DSS For Beginners

The expression, PCI Compliance, means the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. This is a global directed program designed to protect the consumer from identity and financial information theft. If businesses are not a part of the program or do not comply with this standard, they could receive considerable fines or be banned from using payment card acceptance programs.

PCI DSS originated as five different security programs that consisted of Visa Card Information Security Program, MasterCard Site Data Protection, American Express Data Security Operating Policy, Discover Information and Compliance, and the JCB Data Security Program. The purpose was to build an additional layer of security by certifying the businesses that meet minimum levels of security when they process payment cards. In December of 2004, these companies merged their policies and created the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

The PCI DSS rules compel businesses that process debit and credit cards to carry out application reviews and install web application firewalls for the purpose of enhancing security. Once the business installs the security programs on their system they are accountable for ensuring that all the computer systems are protected and that they remain PCI compliant. As well, businesses must institute security policies such as not sharing passwords, not writing credit card numbers on paper, and safely disposing of transaction slips. These policies must be implemented before achieving PCI compliancy. PCI is frequently upgrading its systems' software and monitoring systems to deal with innovative hackers.

PCI compliancy impacts everyone who buys products with payment cards, or accepts payments with these cards. As of September 30, 2007, all businesses managing cardholder data have to be fully compliant with stringent security standards. PCI DSS provides two specific security rules to thwart breaches coming in from wireless networks. They monitor firewall segmentation between wireless networks and any network that may come in contact with financial information. The PCI DDS also carry out checks on the use of wireless analyzers to detect if there have been any unauthorized wireless devices used.

Completing the PCI compliance process can take one day or up to two weeks. It all depends on the threats found after a PCI scan and how long it takes to complete a self assessment questionnaire. The Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) is a document that businesses are required to complete every year and submit to their acquiring bank. It consists of a set of twelve security requirements sub-divided into 6 broader sections. Each section targets a specific area of security from the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The questions range from having current virus protection and firewall installed to restricting access to the client information. The process of PCI compliance is not recommended to try to complete on your own. It is highly recommended that a business acquires the services of a Quality Security Assessor and/or an experienced IT person. The mandated requirements for PCI compliance varies from the size of a company, their level of technology, and the threats that develop.

Identity theft and fraud can be traumatic for victims, not only financially, but also emotionally. PCI, when implemented and enforced properly will help to reduce the risks.

As credit card fraud is increasing, businesses are becoming PCI compliant. By using PCI Hosting, it has helped many businesses save millions of dollars. Managed hosting offer services such as security, disaster recovery and much more. Visit us today!

Solid State Drive - How to Care for It

Solid State Drives are becoming the preferred choice for laptops, netbooks or even system drives in desktop computers. The reason is simple: speed, durability and silence. In comparison to standard hard disks, SSDs are faster, lighter, consume less energy and in theory should live longer. They base on flash memory, known from pendrives and memory cards used in digital cameras. This means there are no moving parts inside, which translates into less noise and longer lifespan. Unfortunately, there is a drawback: each flash memory block can be written a fixed number of times, after which it will die out. Therefore through normal usage, the SSD 'burns out itself' and at some point it will simply stop working. So it's a good idea to limit, the number of unneeded writes, as it will allow your drive to operate longer and your system faster.

Upgrade to Windows 7

Windows 7 is the only OS from Microsoft that supports TRIM commands, which allow the SSD to clean itself from deleted data. Windows does not truly delete files, but only marks them as deleted. When you write a new file, it's simply written 'on top' of previously deleted files. Flash drives require that a particular flash memory block needs to be purged, before it can be written again. TRIM commands take care of that and once you delete a file, the mechanism tells the drive which blocks to clear. Without TRIM, SSD would eventually fill every block and on attempt of writing a new file, it would have to clear it first and write new data. It slows the process down considerably. Of course on older systems it's still possible to perform TRIM by hand, using tools provided by the drive manufacturer, but it takes some time and effort.

Disable disk defragmenter

Both Windows Vista and 7 have built-in disk defragmentation tools, which automatically merges portions of data together, so access and search times on hard disks are faster. SSD can access each block with the same speed, so fragmentation causes no drop in performance. What is more, the process itself is about constant reads and writes so it literally kills your drive... slowly. If by mistake you perform one or two defragmentation passes, nothing drastic will happen. No worries there.

Disable search indexing service

Search index constantly monitors your drive for changes and indexes both files and their content. It decreases search times, but causes unnecessary writes. Disabling the service through 'Administrative Tools' will let your SSD live longer. Just remember, that standard search will function and there is little chance, you notice any decrease in performance. Unfortunately, Windows won't be able, to search inside your files, so the decision is yours.

Disable SuperPrefetch service

Service monitors your working habits and puts files used most frequently on the very beginning of the drive, where operation speeds are higher. SSD can operate with maximum performance on every block, so the service does nothing, but moving data around, which causes unneeded writes. It can be safely disabled via 'Administrative Tools'.

Disable hibernation

Hibernation creates a snapshot of your current system state on hard disk and turns of the computer. When you turn it back on, system will load much faster and everything would be just like you left it. SSDs however, are much faster, so boot times are almost equal to resuming from hibernation, so it's best to disable the feature. It can be done from an elevated command prompt by typing: powercfg -h off.

I'm a full time computer enthusiast, who just finished writing his master thesis on product management strategies in the IT sector. Now I'm simply trying to leave a footprint in the world, by sharing my passion and experience with others.

What Is a QSA?

Since the formation of Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards back in 2004, PCI DSS has setup its requirement for financial service providers and large merchants to use QSAs to carry out onsite assessments and to check on Compliance and security. QSA stands for Qualified Security Assessors; it is a designation awarded to individuals by the PCI Security Standards Council, whom it finds qualifying to execute consulting services and PCI assessments.

Recently, PCI DSS has expanded to take in its guidelines for training QSAs and some other advancement. Still QSAs and the services they provide do vary a lot. With assessors, the thoroughness, methodologies, technical skills and some other areas differ a lot.

The PCI DSS V2.0

The PCI DSS v2.0 released on 30th October includes number of classifications and further areas of guidance for assessments. The standard according to new version states that the first step of any PCI DSS assess is to describe the scope of assessment, by pointing out clear maps (locations and flows) of cardholder information within a system.

A lot of organizations are not aware about every single location where the card holder information is situated in their systems. A QSA must have understanding about application data handling, network architecture, operating system security, storage and database technology, and other business and IT functions in order to carry out those assessments.

Virtualization Technology

A new guidance has also been added in the PCI DSS v2.0 which is its grant of using virtualization technologies and how to assess them. As many organizations are looking to handle cost efficiencies savings through implementation of application and server virtualization, it is a must for the QSAs to know more about this technology and how it differs from the traditional server/client technologies they are using for assessment.

Through virtualization numerous server instances can be developed and run from a single physical system. This has been considered as non compliant by many QSAs in the past. PCI v2.0 Section 2.2.1 permits the use of virtualization; but makes it clear to run only one function on a single virtual server like one machine will run database services, while another will be used for running web services. So it is important for the QSAs to know about virtualization specific controls, virtual network segmentation and the IT controls which come in use with the virtualization platforms.

Choosing a QSA

Once you select a QSA, the relationship might develop into a long one. It is necessary for the organizations to look for a QSA that knows about the same technology that is needed to be audited. In order to hire a QSA, the companies must gather information about business requirements; develop a detailed interview about past experiences (of QSA) and must choose a time for onsite review and planning or meeting. Make sure that the individual QSA you spoke and work with for carrying out collection of data and assessment and who will eventually be coming onsite for managing assessment are the same.

The QSA firm will have great effects on your compliance and security for a long time. Making the right decision regarding QSA selection will turn out in great advantage for both fulfilling the PCI DSS Compliance requirements as well as making your security system for a longer period of time.

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Should I Get a Solid State Drive (SSD)?

Solid State Drives (SSD) is the new rage in the computing world. Promising better performance and quieter operation since there are no movable parts that first need to spin-up like normal hard disk drives. Currently, these promises are just dreams for most users since these drives still are expensive, and they cannot compete with the capacity of current Hard Disk Drives (HDD). The last few months have seen the prices drop and the capacities are slowly expanding, and 512GB SSD's is already available, although extremely expensive.

But why the rage? Getting a SSD's offer some nice advantages over normal HDD's. They are faster since no start-up is required and the operation is completely silent. They use less power than normal HDD's, thus giving laptop owners better battery performance. The lack of moving parts also make them more reliable and the dangers of irrecoverable data damage are lessened.

Currently there is a few unfortunate disadvantageous to SSD's. The first is price. Secondly, SSD's performance dropped visibly the more you use it, although this is more apparent in the earlier models. The reason for this is that they write data in large blocks, rather than bit by bit. Performance is severely crippled as the availability of free writable blocks decrease. The way SSD's handles deleted data aggravated this problem. Under Windows 7 blocks containing deleted data can be recovered with TRIM. A Trim command allows the operating system to clear these blocks for future use. Newer manufactured SSD's support the TRIM command. While writing large amounts of data, SSD's shine, but when writing smaller files performance drops significantly.

This begs the question: should I get a Solid State Disk? Currently, they are still too expensive to warrant buying one. They do offer certain advantages over normal HDD's, but not enough to defend the price premium. If you do not use Windows 7, or another operating system that supports TRIM, the performance will drop with use. Unless you are a technology junkie that must have the latest technology, wait for a few more years for this to mature. SSD's certainly is a viable technology, but it is just not ready for mainstream use yet.
SJP Babrevian

Nanowire Batteries - The Most Exciting Technological Advancement In Recent Years

For many years Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries were the only choice for users of cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices. Each Lithium-ion battery consists of two sides: the anode made of carbon, and the cathode made of metal-oxide. Charging the battery, causes lithium-ions to become positive and flow from the cathode to the anode, while an electronic circuit uses electrons to balance the charge. Discharging the battery reverses the whole process. These batteries have remained unchanged for many years.

The capacity of the battery is determined by the amount of lithium-ions that can be stored in the anode. Since anodes are currently created from carbon, the maximum capacity has been reached. Newer methods are being studied, and the most promising appears to be nanowire batteries. This research, led by Yi Cui, assistant professor, has shown that silicon has the ability to absorb ten times more energy than carbon. Unfortunately, silicon has the disadvantage of swelling dramatically when charged with energy. This creates a constant swelling and shrinking while being used. Eventually, this process causes the silicon to break.

A solution has been found by Yi Cui and his team. Making use of nanotechnology solves the problem. Creating very thin silicon wires called nanowires, turned out to be the solution. For some unknown reason, the nanowires can still expand and shrink, but they do not break like the silicon layers. Unfortunately, creating these ultra fine silicon wires are still extremely expensive. One of these wires is a thousand times thinner than a human hair. Luckily, as with all new technology, costs will drop with time.

The expected capacity of 10 times that of standard Lithium-Ion batteries have not been reached yet. So far, researchers were able to increase capacity four times. This is already excellent progress, and it shows a bright future for nanowire batteries. There is however, still one kink in the cable. The silicon wires offer a great improvement on the anode side of the battery. The cathode side still needs to be improved before the full capacity of silicon batteries can be achieved.

Those who will benefit the most are any user of an electronic device that currently uses Li-ion batteries; like iPods, laptops, cell phones, video cameras, digital cameras.  The advantages do not stop with electronic devices. Especially research in electric vehicles will find great support in nanowire technology. Patents have already been filed so we ought to see improvements in battery life really soon, maybe as soon as 2012. Although there is still a long way to go and a lot of work to be done, just thinking about the possibility of running a laptop from a battery for two days makes me giddy.

SJP Babrevian has been writing online articles for more than 3 years. He writes on various subjects. He also likes building small information websites on different subjects.

Why IT Education Solutions Are Important

Technology affects all aspects of our lives nowadays, from the work we do right through to the way we do it. So much has changed in recent decades that generations at school today are far more adept at using these technological features than preceding age groups, and this trend is set to continue.

In education today, IT education is not only about teaching students and pupils what they need to learn to advance in the modern world, but is also about how various tools and techniques can help them learn more efficiently. Here are some of the main reasons why IT education solutions are so important.

Firstly, it is important to put in place an IT solution for schools as it can help students get the most out of learning. With many classes today utilising various devices and technologies to learn, ensuring that these are being used in the most efficient way possible to maximise the learning experience is very important.

Devices such as smart boards and tablets all have their role in the classroom, but being set up with right software and cloud computing options can make the difference between implementing new technology just for the sake of it - and often to great expense - and implementing it cost effectively and for maximum impact.

With more and more young people being extremely adept at using technology in the first place, having a solution that can meet their expectations can also make a huge difference for an educational institution. Whether primary, secondary or higher education, students can become more engaged in lessons where technology is used correctly and in an engaging, modern way.

The importance of great IT education solutions also rolls over into the independent research and leisure time of pupils or students at an educational institution. Although many devices used in the classroom can enhance learning, having great software and cloud computing options in place to facilitate independent study and research is extremely beneficial.

This can enhance learning in many ways and help the school meet its targets in many different areas of learning. Again, this can help encourage curiosity and motivation to learn for a technology-orientated generation.

The next way that IT education solutions are so important is for the impact that they have on teachers and other staff at school, improving their ways of working. Schools and educational institutions are busy, creative and constantly-evolving organisms, and any IT solution needs to be able to adapt along with the institution's changing needs.

Tools such as Google for Schools mean that not only can students take advantage of the benefits of technology in the classroom, but so can the staff. This can assist the ease of lesson preparation for teachers, coordination of lesson plans between teachers managing the same classrooms, and accurate records for attendance and pupil performance maintained by staff at the school.

Many modern cloud based tools are extremely collaborative and facilitate greater information sharing and record keeping. For institutions looking to improve efficiency in the workplace for the benefit of the institution as a whole - students, staff and results - then implementing these solutions can make a huge defense.

IT education solutions have a huge role to play in modern education, and finding a service provider that can deliver these can make all the difference for an institution. For schools looking to make a huge difference for their staff and their learns, time should be spent looking for a company that is dedicated to helping your institution take advantage of all that technology has to offer.

This could include new devices, a new IT infrastructure and the integration of cloud computing into the everyday lives of students and staff. As technology and innovation constantly moves forward, this can help any institution reap great rewards in the present and in the future.

Smile Business Group offers a superior and tailored business solutions service to help their clients' companies succeed. With 75 years' combined experience in the IT, business and education sectors, the group delivers a range of services through its Smile IT, Smile Tel and Smile Consulting operations. Through proactively engaging organisational executives and owners, Smile IT aligns best of breed technologies and infrastructure to provide small to medium enterprises with a dynamic and robust platform to enhance their business and technology investment. Operating in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast in Australia, Smile IT is committed to their customers remaining at the cutting edge of technology and offers lightening quick customer support with no lock in contracts. To find out more, please visit: http://www.smileit.com.au/