Brandon Bjarnason joins 3D Corporation as Network Administrator

3D Corporation is pleased to announce that Brandon Bjarnason has joined the company to assume the role of Network Administrator.

As Network Administrator, Bjarnason’s responsibilities involve providing 3D’s diverse client base with comprehensive remote and onsite network troubleshooting, problem resolution and maintenance as well as configuring and implementing best-in-class data backup and security products. Bjarnason’s degree in Computer Network Technology from Bellingham Technical College, extensive experience in network management, construction and implementation as well as his A+ Hardware/Software and Microsoft Certified Professional certifications make him a valuable addition to 3D’s team of certified Network Administrators and Engineers.

3D is happy to have Brandon as a member of our team and is always looking for talented individuals like him to join. To find out more about how to become part of the 3D team, visit the Careers page of our website at http://www.3dcorp.us/careers.html.

Out with the Old, In with the New: The Impact of PC Age on Small Businesses

During the economic downturn over the past few years, small businesses commonly allocated their budgets away from IT and thus postponed the replacement of their old PCs. Though seen as a cost saving approach, delaying equipment replacement actually costs a business more and can limit the upside effects of a recovering economy. Techaisle LLC, a market research firm focused on small businesses, reports that almost 40% of the PCs used by small businesses are more than 3 years old, which is considered beyond end-of-life per best practices standards for PCs. A recent survey of over 1600 small businesses in multiple countries shows that the age of a small business’ PCs can have a significant financial impact on the business, finding that newer PCs experience 40% less downtime than older PCs, and that the cost to maintain newer PCs can often be 1.5 times less than the cost to maintain older PCs.

Therefore, now that the economy is in a state of recovery, Techaisle recommends small businesses allocate money towards purchasing new PCs, which should not only improve productivity and reduce maintenance costs but also improve security and support for the PCs and the business’ network at large. Further results of Techaisle’s survey and the firm’s conclusions can be found in their following whitepaper: “SMBs – The Case for Buying Modern PCs.”

3D Corporation can bring your business’ network to best practices standards. To find out more, call our office at (360) 671-4906, email us at info@3dcorp.us, or visit our website at http://www.3dcorp.us/.

References:
“SMBs – The Case for Buying Modern PCs”, techaisle.com

Strong Password Creation Made Easy (and Fun)!

Since the Internet is so heavily used for online banking, shopping, and many other functions that contain sensitive data -- cybercriminals have virtually unlimited opportunities to gain access to one’s personal information online, thus making the creation of strong, unique passwords for personal online accounts evermore vital. However, this can prove challenging, especially when many sites now require users to create passwords that consist of a minimum number of characters that often must contain numbers, letters and symbols. Additionally, to ensure even safer online transactions but to also add more complexity to the task, we’re often advised to create a unique password for each account but not to store them anywhere, rendering the use of the “Forgot your password?” retrieval function common practice. Most people just use one password for all of their online accounts to circumvent this inconvenience. Nonetheless, no matter how inconvenient it may seem to create strong passwords that are unique to each online account, having personal information and perhaps one’s entire identity stolen can prove completely devastating, in contrast making the frustration associated with password creation seem minor.

While not necessarily a method to create passwords that are undoubtedly invulnerable, there is a simple, frustration-free technique that can be used to generate an unlimited number of strong passwords that are also easy to remember. By using a “base term” for each password, one can simply append whichever site name, program, or use to the “base term” and have a different secure password for each online account. For example, if your “base term” is “3disgreat” (as it should be), and you are creating a password for your Yahoo e-mail account, your password could be “3disgreatyahooemail”. Since the password is long and not found in a dictionary, it can be harder to hack by attackers. To make the password even more secure using this same concept, you could use a mixture of numbers, upper and lower case letters and characters for your “base term”, such as “3D1sGr3@t”, which would be a good “base term” that you could then append the site name, program, etc. One could use their age, part of a phone number they know, or even an old address to create a strong “base term”.

Managers can enhance the security of their company’s network by building strong password policies and adding them to the organization’s general policies regarding security that employees read and sign. 3D can help you create a policy that defines your company’s password standards to increase the security of your network. For more information on tools 3D provides to enhance network security, call our office at (360) 671-4906, email us at info@3dcorp.us, or visit our website at http://www.3dcorp.us/.

References: “A Fool Proof Way To Remember Thousands Of Passwords Effortlessly”, MakeTechEasier.com; "The Simplest Security: A Guide To Better Password Practices", Symantec.com

Network Engineer Scott VanderWoude achieves three CompTIA Certifications

Scott VanderWoude, 3D Network Engineer, has earned CompTIA A+, Security+, and Server+ certifications, further enhancing the company’s range of professional certifications.

The Computing Technology Industry Association’s (CompTIA) certifications are recognized worldwide as a trusted indicator of qualified and competent professionals in the IT industry. By achieving A+, Security+, and Server+ certifications, CompTIA recognizes VanderWoude’s high level of proficiency in providing preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, system security and support for a wide range of server hardware and software technologies. VanderWoude continuously employs these competencies when providing comprehensive technical assistance to 3D clients.

CompTIA A+, Security+ and Server+ certifications add to VanderWoude’s existing CompTIA Network+ certification as well as his extensive knowledge in network troubleshooting and maintenance. Members of the 3D team also hold certifications in Microsoft, Cisco, WatchGuard and other technologies that recognize their proficiency in using these products to provide businesses with reliable network management and support.

3D is happy to have Scott as a member of our team and is always looking for talented individuals like him to join. To find out more about how to become part of the 3D team, visit the Careers page of our website at http://www.3dcorp.us/careers.html.