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Java 7 End of Life: How to stay protected

Apr 2015

Most systems today need to run Java occasionally. With the Java 7 end of life approaching, learn why it’s important to migrate to Java 8 to stay protected.

Oracle has supported Java SE 7 for 11 years now, however, with new developments on the latest version to support current and future technological developments, it has reached its end of life.

As of April 2015, Oracle will cease to provide updates for Java 7, which also includes discontinuing downloads for this version from their websites.

The good news is that existing customers are entitled to have continued support for any given security fixes or critical bug issues, including long term maintenance for Java 7 and older versions. All this will be available from Oracle’s Java SE Support team. However, it’s best to migrate to the latest version.

Oracle has also included an auto update feature since their January update to help migrate systems from Java 7 to 8.

Why migrate to Java 8?

Java 7 security updates will no longer be made automatically, making any systems running this version vulnerable. We strongly advise all users to switch to Java 8 for continued feature updates and to further close vulnerability exploits. Since vulnerabilities are likely to lead to exploits, its important to secure your computer when browsing the internet on Java based websites.

Java exists to help applications and websites run correctly, which is fantastic. Being dependent on this component can lead to problems. With unpatched or outdated versions of Java, hackers can take advantage of using web browsers to serve up malware by exploiting its vulnerabilities.

By not maintaining frequent Java updates, this only serves to invite attackers to exploit your web browser and computer.

How to update Java and stay protected

Ophtek managed services clients are automatically updated. Follow these steps to update Java manually.

Visit Oracle’s official website and install Java 8 from there.
Remove any old versions of Java 7 by uninstalling it.
Validate the version of Java installed by checking the through the Java website.

Here are more detailed steps on how to install Java updates. Although the Java version shown in this tutorial is older, the method to install and update are still very much the same.

Remember that it’s worth spending a few minutes updating Java on your systems to lock them down from any possible future attacks.

For more ways to protect your office data, contact your local IT professionals.

Ophtek Donates to World Computer Exchange

Company Updatescomputers for classrooms, donationsOphtek, LLC

Apr 2015

Re-purposing old computers as a learning tool is a project close to our hearts here at Ophtek. Learn how the WCE project helps support the less privileged.

Our ethos of helping to repurpose computers for underprivileged schools and families through our Computers for Classrooms donation program has just gotten better. We’ve recently donated 35 computers and 16 LCD monitors to the World Computer Exchange, a non-profit organisation with a newly opened chapter in Silicon Valley. There are many benefits to re-purposing old computers as you may have seen through our Computers 4 Classrooms donation program. Here’s a recap of the benefits of reusing old computers:

Why donate old computers?

Greener for the environment– keeps computers out of landfills and reduces toxic waste emitted when they’re incinerated and crushed.
Considers worker’s well being– reduces the need for workers to be exposed to chemicals.
A valuable tool for the underprivileged– gives those without access to a computer the opportunity to use a computer. For instance families and schools who may lack funds to purchase computer equipment and for children in third world countries.

How does the World Computer Exchange Help Those in Need?

WCE will pre-load free open source educational software onto old computers. They then ship the ready to be used computers and any new equipment to various underprivileged groups who sign up to partner with them. For instance, this can be schools, libraries, NGOs, orphanages, youth centers, government institutions, learning academies, universities and so forth.

Some of the computer recently donated by Ophtek to the World Computer Exchange.

The aim is to provide computer access in public settings to young adults, up to the age of 24, who are members of underprivileged groups in developing countries. This helps keep running costs low, such as Internet use in public educational establishments.

Donated Computer shipments are sent in containers which hold up 250 to 500 computers to help reduce shipment fees. If less computers are required by a single organization in need, then containers are arranged to be shared when more than one partner within the same nation requests a shipment. The more partners who request a shared container to their country, the less number of computers available to each individual partner.

The donated computers are intended to be used in public facilities and aren’t to be resold.

Ophtek Principal Arash (middle) with WCE Team Members.

Ophtek Principal Arash Shokouh (middle) with WCE Team Members.

So far, WCE has helped install 3,050 computer labs, shipped computers to 43 developing countries of which 3.8 million underprivileged youths have connected to in order to benefit and learn.

For organizations that do not have access to the internet, WCE sets up offline content so the computers can still be put to good educational use.

Have computers to donate?

computers. By repurposing computers for the greater good, you’ll also touch many people’s lives across the globe whilst going green too.

For more ways to efficiently repurpose your office computers, contact your local IT professionals.

What Are Your 3 Office Printing Options?

Office ITnetwork, office, PrintingOphtek, LLC

Apr 2015

It is essential to have a working printer in an office of any size. Here are 3 ways to connect printers as well as their advantages and disadvantages.

Depending on how many staff you have working at your office and the printing requirements needed, you’ll want the most efficient setup available for them. Below are 3 office printing options for you to consider:

1 – Local printer shared over a network

Advantages–

Local printers are relatively cheap to purchase, prices can vary, however the cheapest you can buy new can range from $35-40 or more.
They are very straightforward to set up.
They fit easily onto a desktop.
Suitable for a small team or office to use.

Disadvantages–

In order for the shared printer to work, the computer hosting the device needs to be online over the network so that other users can print to it.
Not suitable for large offices, where hundreds of print jobs need to be processed daily.
Most cheap desktop printers that are set up as a shared printer tend to print slower, producing less printed pages per minute than, say, a heavy duty laser jet printer.

2 – Network printer connected over Wi-Fi

Advantages-

Moderately priced, prices can range from $100 upwards for a cheaper end laser jet printer.
As long as the printer is connected and online, everyone can use the printer.
Suitable for medium to large offices who need access to a heavy duty printer such as a laser jet.

Disadvantages-

A little more complicated to set up, this usually requires an IT administrator to configure.
This setup depends heavily on a wireless connection; therefore the quality of Wi-Fi is essential for this to work efficiently.
The distance between the printer to the router is also essential. The bigger the distance, the weaker the connection will be. For instance, the router being too far away from the printer could mean lack of Wi-Fi signal for there to even be a connection. You’ll also need to assess anything that may disrupt Wi-Fi signals, such as the use of microwaves in eating areas nearby.

3-Hard wired network printer connected with Ethernet

Advantages-

Like the Wi-Fi printers, hard wired network ones that are able to connect via Ethernet are also moderately priced.
Suitable for medium to large offices that also require a heavy duty printer or even a multi-functional one with scanning capabilities.
A more stable connection compared to Wi-Fi, making it the most reliable solution of them all as far as shared network printing goes.
Anyone on the network can connect to the printer without having to rely on it being on a single PC.

Disadvantages-

The inevitable use of cables, but can be tidied away with a cable tidy accessory.
Even Ethernet printers need to be set up by an IT administrator to allow it to reside on the network and make it available for all to use.
As this setup will likely use a heavy duty printer, it’ll also need its own space in the office.

As you can see, the best solution for a small office (or even for a home-based office) is to have a local printer shared over the network. On the other hand, if reliable is important for users at all times within a medium to large sized office, a hard-wired network printer is a much better choice.

For more ways to optimize your printer network setup or network infrastructure, contact your local IT professionals.

Windows Server 2003 End of Life Approaching

Networkwindows serverOphtek, LLC

Apr 2015

With Windows Server 2003 end of life fast approaching, find out why it’s essential to migrate systems sooner rather than later to avoid problems.

The official date for Microsoft to end their support for Server 2003 is July 14 2015. We’ll outline here why businesses ought to update their systems in a timely manner to prevent difficulties and disruption to business operations.

End of Life Impact on Business

For businesses running Windows Server 2003, it’s important to consider the fact that Microsoft will stop releasing security updates and patches; leaving systems open to vulnerability on a network.

High priority should be given to a migration strategy ASAP to protect the IT infrastructure from any risk of attack due to, what will soon come to be, un-patched vulnerabilities.

Another significant consideration is third party vendors also ending their support of their programs running on Windows Server 2003. Resources and efforts to continue to support the soon-to-be legacy operating system will be reduced to focus on supporting newer OS builds.

Why Migrate?

Now is the time to migrate all Server 2003 machines to be sure that:

Any new vulnerability can be patched and updated to help lock down security.
All crucial applications can continue to be supported by vendors.
A newer operating system will also help improve performance.
Receiving faster response times to any given issue as well as access to quick fixes.
Complying with HIPAA regulations as it states under section 164.308 (a)(1)(ii)(B) that such security measures need to be in place to lower the risk of vulnerabilities to a manageable degree.
Complying with PCI section 6.1, which reiterates the same safety measures as HIPAA, stating for all businesses to protect their systems from vulnerabilities by applying updated patches from the vendor.

If a high majority of Servers in a data center run Server 2003 past Microsoft’s end of support period, this will infringe on both HIPPA and PCI regulations, especially for those businesses covered under it.

Windows Server 32-bit Issues

Another known problem to consider is a design flaw of the memory pool for Server 2003 32-bit systems when running newer third party applications.

Any third-party applications running on this particular version of Server 2003 are known to take up paged pool and non-paged-pool memory. The problem arises from these newer applications depleting both paged pool and non-paged pool on the already limited Server 2003 32-bit systems.

This particular problem originates in the boot.ini file which specifies a 3GB limitation option. This setting causes the memory to be first allocated to a program running within the server causing the page-pool or non-page pool memory to diminish. Many newer programs require a larger amount of memory to be “pooled” causing the server to lock-up. This usually leads to a server crash.

Final thoughts

We suggest to plan a migration to Server 2012 R2 or Server 2008 R2 assuming your business operations really need a dedicated server. It can take some time to approve any change requests and to plan a migration within an organization, therefore it’s best to start now to ensure the least amount of disruption to business operations.

For more ways to securely migrate your old systems, contact your local IT professionals.

Internet as a Utility: What Does This Mean For You?

Networkfcc, internet, networkOphtek, LLC

Apr 2015

(Photo by Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post)

The internet has recently been classified as a utility by the FCC. Read our article here to find out what this means for you and your business.

As of February 26, 2015, the Federal Communications Commission ruled to classify broadband internet as a utility. This is a landmark achievement for individuals and groups supporting net neutrality or the movement to ensure the internet remains free and open to the public.

According to FCC Chairman, Tom Wheeler, the decision was needed to protect innovators and consumers preserving the internet’s role as the “core of free expression and democratic principles”. The two other commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Cyburn who voted in favor of the decision are also supporters of net neutrality. Cyburn cited the important role broadband internet plays for low-income families as their only opportunity to get access to the internet. Other notable supporters of the net neutrality include Google, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Netflix, and President Barack Obama.

But not all the parties are happy with the ruling. Internet service providers (ISPs) such as Verizon are expected to sue the FCC and make a court appeal on its recent policy decision. Verizon claims that instead of making the internet free, it’s actually putting the network under stricter government control. Instead of price reductions to internet services, it will likely help promote the emergence of higher or new taxes since the new ruling can discourage the entry of new ISPs that would ensure strong competition.

What does this mean to personal or home broadband users?

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. Credit FastCompan.com

How will this new FCC ruling affect ordinary broadband users in the United States?

Better and wider access. Once a product or service is classified as a utility, the government is recognizing that it has become an essential part of daily living similar to water and electricity. This means having broadband internet is already a right for the public including those living in remote areas.
No more blocked content. Some web pages and content, even if they are lawful, are blocked due to geo-targeting or marketing only to certain locations. The new ruling prohibits unlawful blocking of content.
Eliminating the data capping problem. Perhaps, the most significant effect of the FCC ruling is the elimination of data capping concerns. If you are using broadband or wireless internet, you certainly have experienced slower and even hampered internet connection even if your internet provider has promised an unlimited plan or higher speeds. Have you also noticed that wired internet is faster than broadband internet? It’s not really about signal or connection but the speed throttling practices of ISPs.

How about websites and corporate users?

This is certainly good news for website owners and corporate users of broadband internet or the internet in general. The new ruling will eliminate the existing paid prioritization or pay-to-play fast scheme of ISPs. For websites and companies who need massive bandwidth and speeds like Netflix, they often need to pay more to ISPs just to ensure their viewers can experience uninterrupted media streaming.

Additionally, the FCC classification will improve internet media competition. New ventures won’t be discouraged to spend more just to gain faster speeds. This will eventually result in expanded internet use and provide further media options to the public.

It’s important to note that the FCC doesn’t plan to meddle with each ISP’s pricing scheme and engineering decisions.

For more information on how the FCC’s ruling can impact your business and operations, contact your local IT professionals.

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