How to Build Strong and Reliable Passwords

Today the digital age isn't where it used to be. Where the Internet now is used for almost anything from social, entertainment, banking, and much more. Access to some of these services requires a username and password, and that often ends up attracting a lot of unwanted attention from scammers, hackers, and spamers. Just who are these scammers, hackers, and spamers? The names should already give you a clue to what they do. They scam, hack, and spam innocent folks like you and me for many reasons. Some of those reasons include theft, challenge, thrill and much more.

How big is the problem of Cybercrime?

According to Norton Cybercrime Report 2012 the total bill for cybercrime footed by online adults in 24 countries topped USD $388 billion over the past year. Where USD $114 billion were direct cash costs of cybercrime - money stolen by cyberthugs and money spent on resolving cyberattacks. Over the past year in 24 countries over 431 million adults experienced cybercrime, that translates to over 1 million a day, approximately 14 victims every second.

At USD $388 billion, cybercrime is more than 100 times 

the annual expenditure of UNICEF (USD $3.65 billion).

How do I prevent it?

They have more than a thousand ways to trick you to do exactly what they want, and a good preventive step is to create a fortified password. 

The first thing you need to start with is a pen and a paper. As ironic as it sounds building your passwords outside of the computer prevents any digital connection to the digital world thus making it impossible for digital bad guys to find out what your plans are.

Second you need to know that your passwords should be easy to remember, it needs to be as secure as it can be and have a combination of lower-case and upper case letters along with numbers, and a host of different symbols. Your password should contain some of these:

qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm QWERTYUIOPASDFHJKL 

ZXCVBNM 1234567890 !@#$%^&*()_+~{ }|:"<>?,./;'[]\

Also, here is a tip: Some websites or programs allow the "spacebar", not the word but the physical button on your keyboard that is used to create a space between words. A space is considered to be a singular 'item' if you get what I mean.

Now with that out of the way making a fortified password isn't difficult. There is an easier way to create a password instead of thinking of a random bunch of numbers, alphabets, and symbols.

Tip 1

You can create a phrase instead of something random. This makes remembering your passwords easier and it gives you a good chance of having a fortified one. 

For example: I like to swim in the mornings! This has already created 25 character password and it already has a symbol, upper-case letter, and letters. Not to mention it is very easy to remember. (For websites that allow the spacebar it would have added more steel to an already strong password)

Tip 2

To create an original and totally randomized password. Start by creating 3 columns, where each column is categorized as who, what, and when. To create this password you will have to be as specific as possible with time, dates, and what you are doing exactly, and if what you are doing is even more random than it is, this will make your password a lot stronger.

For example: My dad is going to train with Bruce Lee at 9am on Saturday!

Now take the first letter of every word in the sentence you have created and you would end up with your password.

An example from the earlier example: MdigttwBLa9oS!

Multiple Passwords

Having a lot of passwords makes it difficult for everyone or anyone to remember them all. More often than not people have the same password for everything they do. Their passwords are the same for their Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, and others. This makes it easier for the digital bad guys, because once they have figured out one password they can continue to move on to other sites and in turn accessing everything that you use. 

There are 3 categories in which you should have different passwords:

1. Banking
2. Email
3. Entertainment

---

EVERWORKS is Malaysia's leading Colocation Hosting, Server Colocation Services that offers state-of-the-art security and failsafe provisions, with a direct connection to one of Asia's largest, next generation fiber-optic networks and Mobile Hosting Provider that delivers telco-to-telco SMS, MMS, and Voice Messages, Mobile Content and Mobile Campaign Management, Processing of Incoming and Outgoing service requests and acknowledgements, and integrates internal and external software. 

Please share with us on what are your thoughts to be good or failsafe preventive methods to building strong and reliable passwords.

photo from wallpapersfolder

Read More

The Best Sites for Web Design Inspiration

Websites were once, a long time ago, an achievement for most companies, but these days having a beautiful website is no more just a trivial matter and has become a growing necessity. For those who see little sense in investing into the aesthetics of the website, and only concern themselves with the functionality of it tend to lose out. Designing for the web is a challenging task, but fortunately the Internet has developed a strong community of websites dedicated to providing you with the luxury of discovering, celebrating, and observing some of the best website design designed by designers.

AWWWARDS is easy to see and it really gives you the edge on what great design is

Abduzeedo gives you a collection of sites of the week so it is easy to filter through and see what designs you are looking for. 

Behance is a place where industry professionals meet to showcase their design, and also a place where people discover design. 

The Webby Awards shows various design awards.

Mindsparklemag is a showcase of the best in Web Design

Very Nice Sites best web design + beautiful websites

---

If you have more websites you would love to share with us all please feel free to share it in the comments section below!

What are your experiences in web design and how important is it or how much of a necessity is it in the the digital age today?

hypstamatic image from line25

Read More

4 Tips for Managing Risk in the Cloud

Cloud Computing. Everybody seems to be moving across to this promise where the cloud service allows you to have more computing power at your finger tips on demand, and a host of other benefits. The big question is should you? Considering that moving to the cloud does boast costs savings potential and increased efficiency, there is a fear that there will be a loss of control, and potentially conflicting information that the cloud could prove to be not as secure, and much more expensive that it would initially claim to be.

Governance, Risk and Compliance Strategy

Having a governance, risk and compliance strategy is a vital way to help ensure the transition to the cloud goes as smoothly as possible. Here are some factors to consider:

1. SLA's and the "Right to Audit" clause
2. Vendor Risk Management, and Cloud Security Standards
3. Data Details
4. Identity Management
5. Protect Yourself and Your Organization

Further reading: Forbes - Managing Cloud Risks

Security has been a major (constantly growing) issue in the cyber world as more and more people continue to use the Internet as a mainstream channel to conduct business and to perform daily tasks. Moving to the cloud is a positive direction, but it is gravely important for you to be able to properly manage and identify these risks.

1. Know the Basics, and going back to Basics

Beyond computers, you should sort out configuration management, asset management, separation of duties, have strong passwords, and much more. Many organizations get distracted by the big picture they fail to manage basic things. Take advantage of any tools provided by your Cloud Service Provider to assist you in "sludge" tasks that are vital to your business's overall security.

2. Have Solid Response Plans

A security threat can occur at any time, it isn't a question of whether or not it will occur anymore, but a question of when it will present itself. Even with security being at high levels, most breaches occur because of internal compromised employees. Build a strong solid response plan to face security incidents with confidence.

3. Maintain Constant Contact with your Cloud Service Provider

Anything can happen. No matter how much you plan things can take a twist. It will be a blessing to have your Cloud Service Provider always constantly having your back when things take an unexpected turn.

4. Know the Security of your Cloud Service Provider

The security measures that an infrastructure provider handles, should be delivered with documentations to show what has been achieved. 

Malaysia + Managing Risks in the Cloud

The cloud is the same throughout the world, and the risks are apparent even for Malaysia. Where security breaches in the digital realm have been more frequent in the recent years as Malaysians take to the Internet to perform their daily tasks. The tips for managing risks in the cloud spelled out above is highly relevant to Malaysia, and what better way than to start right to avoid the potential risks and reap the benefits of using the Cloud.

Cloud computing isn't as risky and frightening as most think. It just requires a little bit of proper planning and good practice, as with most new projects. Build on the strengths and compensate for weaknesses and you should be well on your way to reaping the benefits of using the Cloud.

referenced from Softlayer |  photoby SivaServer

Read More

Announcement - Planned Downtime Notification for BMG

Dear Valued Customers,

Please be informed that there will be a planned system maintenance by Maxis that will be carried out during this time:

Duration: 6:00 hrs

21 May 2014

1:00am ~7:00 AM GMT +8

Impact to users: EWIG Charging will not be available & USSD System will not be able to do charging

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.

For urgent inquiries please contact these hotlines +6(03)-23306867 / +6(03)-23306592 or drop an email to mpxg@maxis.com.my

For management inquiries please email info@everworks.com
For technical inquiries please email cvs@everworks.com

Read More

Troubleshoot Outlook

I personally felt that I should write up a post on troubleshooting Microsoft Outlook when it comes to custom email settings for EVERWORKS Email Hosting Solution. Seeing error codes scare me as much as they scare you. This post is short and sweet with easy to follow guides. It should give you a systematic solution; hopefully getting rid of the pesky error message.

Firstly just to be absolutely sure,

when configuring your custom email settings in Microsoft Outlook you should go through "EVERWORKS Email Hosting - Outlook Help" and filter through the steps just to make sure it is right. Sometimes it could be the minor mistakes that cause a lot of complications. Just run through the steps in the post, and see if the error message still pops up!

IMPORTANT NOTE: TELEKOM MALAYSIA HAS BLOCKED PORT 25, AND PORT 25 MAY BE BLOCKED IN YOUR COUNTRY TOO.

If the problem still persists...

If you have already gone through the point above and still have not resolved the error code here are the last few steps you should follow for EVERWORKS technical support to serve you as efficiently as possible:

Step 1

Screenshot the error. Keep a good documentation of the error that you are facing so that you can have something to show and illustrate better to EVERWORKS technical support.

Step 2

Define clearly what you did. Accurate, step by step documentation helps greatly. 

Step 3

Shoot an email to our technical support (including everything inside Step 1 and Step 2 attached within the email), and they will help you with what ever it is you need. 

cvs@everworks.com

---

Whenever facing a problem don't panic! You always have EVERWORKS trusty support ready to service your needs and solve the problem together with you!

If this post has helped you greatly please share more about your experiences in the comments section below!

Read More

Benefits of Colocation Hosting

Colocation is the practice of housing your servers and devices in a professional datacenter in order to access the benefits of greater bandwidth, lower latency, technical services and systems, constant security, advanced infrastructure, economies of scale, and a bunch of other benefits. 

Further reading: What is Colocation Hosting?

Here are 8 compelling reasons to consider colocation hosting:

1. Power Redundancy

Backups. Essential to any business, but costly to own. Colocation hosting reduces the cost of expensive redundant servers to businesses.

2. On-site Specialists and Troubleshooting

When something goes wrong,you can't access your data and when your IT guy is on a vacation, what do you do? Colocation hosting ensures that there are always technical support specialists ready (one phone call away) at all times to get you back up and running.

3. Network reliability

Demands for constant connection drives businesses with the need on network reliability to ensure that their business continuity online is maintained. Datacenters provide 100% uptime, but with heavy costs involved, and colocation makes network reliability more affordable. 

4. Security and Data Protection. 

Security is always an issue, and with increasing security threats companies are more concerned with maintaining a secure environment. Colocation facilities generally offer key card entry, cabinet locks and surveillance to better manage security.

5. Bandwidth

Colocation hosting provides Internet Service Provider (ISP) level Internet access that allows smooth network operations over a strong bandwidth, that fulfills extensive requirements, and complex applications.

6. Cost Savings

Any of the above requires a good amount of investments. Why build something with such heavy initial investments when all you need to do is pay a simple 'utility bill' monthly to enjoy all of the benefits above with Colocation Hosting.

7. Location benefits

Infrastructure and hardware is vulnerable to dust, electricity damage, overheating, and a host of other risks. Facilities require maintenance to avoid critical issues like this. Colocation hosting mitigates such risks and provides you with a peace of mind.

8. Scalability

Is there a sudden increase in computing requirements or a drastic drop in computing requirements/ Instead of having to hire - or fire - new staff or purchase more equipment (or leave unused equipment around) you can just make a call to a Colocation Hosting Service Provider to scale according to your needs.

---

Host locally, in Malaysia, to enjoy the benefits of geographic positioning that will enable the majority of your local traffic to be effectively maximized.

EVERWORKS is Malaysia's leading Colocation Hosting Provider and Server Colocation Services Provider. EVERWORKS provides servers for your business to rid of hefty hardware investments and costly time of set-up & managing hardware. Find out more or start colocation hosting with EVERWORKS.

Referenced from Sterling, Contegix | Photo by Sivaserver

Read More

Set up EVERWORKS Email Hosting - Outlook Help

I have been getting responses from some users to questions as to what you should do in the event that you have already signed up for EVERWORKS Web & Email Hosting solution, and ask, "how do I connect it to Microsoft Outlook on my computer for me to receive emails more efficiently?"

Please take note that after signing up for EVERWORKS Web & Email Hosting solution you are allowed to access to the mail server through two (2) options:

1. Webmail
2. Email software - Microsoft Outlook

Introduction

EVERWORKS defines your mail exchanger record (MX record) - read more on MX records here - through your domain name as "mail.[domain].com" / "mail.[domain].com.my (applying to whichever extension your domain uses).

For example: If I have a domain of "www.hosting.com" EVERWORKS would define my MX Record as "mail.hosting.com" likewise if it was ".org" or ".com.my" or ".my" or etc.

Breakdown of Micrsoft Outlook Mail Information

This is a breakdown of the main list of configurations that needs to be configured in either Microsoft Outlook or Express for retrieving emails:

Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server: mail.[domain].com
Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Port: 26
Incoming Mail (POP3) Server: mail.[domain].com
Incoming Mail (POP3) Port: 110
*Please take note :- SMTP Authentication is required for POP3 email access using either Microsoft Outlook or Express.

Where to make your changes

As highlighted above in the breakdown you would need to key in the important particulars for Outgoing and Incoming Mail before you can receive any email in either Microsoft Outlook or Express. It seems like a daunting task at first, but if you go through this image below, you will find it to be rather easy, and not as difficult as you may think.

Add an email account with custom settings or when automatic setup doesn't work

If you are setting up Outlook for the first time or you are adding a new email profile and the setup doesn't finish successfully, because it cannot detect the mail server you typed in, there are some things that you can try to get it to work:

You can wait a little while and try again. Sometimes, the destined mail server might just be having a temporary hiccup or an unstable network connection.
If trying again doesn't work, you might have to use custom settings.

Setting up

1. Click File

2. Click Add Account

3. Click Manual Setup or additional server types > next

Please make sure you know EVERWORKS designated  Incoming POP3 and Outgoing SMTP. (**check the earlier brief on the Breakdown of Microsoft Outlook Mail Information)

POP3 account

1. Click Internet Email, and then click Next

2. Under User Information, do the following:

Type your name in the Your Name box.
Type in your email address inside the Email Address box (**{your given designation}.[domain].com make sure to include '@' symbol; for example: nic@hosting.com)
In the Password and Retype Password boxes, type your password.

Important Note: Passwords are case-sensitive. Make sure the Caps Lock key isn't on when you enter your password.

3. Under Server Information, do the following:

In the Account Type list, choose POP3.
In the Incoming Mail Server box, type the full name provided, example: "mail.[domain].com"
In the Outgoing Mail Server box [SMTP], type the full name provided, example: "mail.[domain].com

4. Under the Logon Information, do the following:

In the User Name box, type your user name.
In the Password box, type your password.
Check Remember Password.

Important Note: If you choose to let Outlook remember your password (meaning you won't have to type your password ever again), anyone that  has access to your computer can read or send mail as you.

5. Your email account will require the following additional settings:

SMTP Authentication click more settings. On the Outgoing tab, check My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication. Change the port number to 26.
POP 3 Encryption for POP3 accounts, click More Settings. On the Advanced tab, under Server Port Numbers, under Incoming Server (POP3), check the server requires an encrypted connection (SSL). Change the port number to 110.

Important Note: Outgoing Port 26 and Incoming Port is 110.

6. Click Next

By default, this option verifies your account is working. (If there are any information missing or incorrect, you're prompted to enter or correct it.

7. Click Finish

IMPORTANT NOTE: TELEKOM MALAYSIA HAS BLOCKED PORT 25 FOR SECURITY REASONS, AND PORT 25 MAY BE BLOCKED IN YOUR COUNTRY TOO.

---

If there are any other further queries please feel free to contact EVERWORKS 24hour technical support at cvs@everworks.com

Read More

Telekom: Port 25 Blocked

There have been issues regarding the widely used Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, Apple Mail, and etc of late. The issue seems to be the blocked port 25.

There is a reason why this port has been blocked. This was done to help reduce spam emails that are received everyday to our mailboxes.

Attached below is an official email from Telekom Malaysia in an official statement to all of its customers:

Dear Valued Customers,

Telekom Malaysia Bhd wishes to inform its customers about TM's initiative in combating spam in its Internet Protocol network to improve our quality of service.

Recently many anti-spam organizations have blacklisted a large number of IP addresses from TM's network. Due to this many of TM's customers have been unable to send emails from their mail servers to companies who might be using database from the above mentioned anti-spam organizations. 

These spamming activities by a small group have affected a large number of our customers, regardless of the nature of their Internet usage.

Therefore, TM is taking immediate action to address this issue. Effective 3/12/2007, TM will block OUTBOUND Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) traffic or port 25 for all out going e-mails from dynamic IP addresses. Only Outbound SMPT traffic from smtp.streamyx.com and smtp.tm.net.my will be allowed.

With this implementation, Streamyx customers who have their own mail server will not be able to send emails. As an alternative TM is providing an open relay server for these customers who use dynamic IP addresses. 

Please be assured that TM is proactively taking all possible measures to ensure that these spamming activities do not reoccur in the future. We seek for your kind cooperation to implement the necessary security measures to protect your computers that are connected to the Internet; from any email abuse, virus infection, spyware or malicious code.

How does this affect Malaysian email users?

Having a preplanned method to prevent more spam is great, but with most applications running on the default port 25, many users and customers will face the issue where they have difficulty sending email out or connecting.

Is there a way to ensure that my custom email with EVERWORKS is running smoothly?

Yes EVERWORKS wants to ensure that our email hosting solution provides you ease of mind and with as little hassle as possible. Find our custom email solution here.

---

If you have more to add on this as to why and how this has affected you please feel free to share in the comments section below.

Read More

EVERWORKS Group Meeting - April 2014

Recently, everyone at EVERWORKS got together to introduce the work they have accomplished, discuss together how we can progressively move forward to serve our customers better, and to get to know what other departments do everyday!

Everyone was eager and excited to share what they had in mind, and it proved to be a fruitful event as we all managed to identify what were the problems we faced, and how we could collectively move forward as a team.

We are working hard to make a change, because we see a boundless future that we can step into and improve! Keep in touch with us through our Blog or Facebook as we discover new things that could impact you in a positive way, tips that could help strengthen your business, user friendly self-managed support, and updates on what the company is doing. 

Have a suggestion on what we could do to help you better? Don't hesitate to contact us through private message on our Facebook for a discussion. Find out more about EVERWORKS and what we do through our website EVERWORKS.com

Read More

Incapsula expanding from 16 to 30 POPs by the end of 2014

Today, we received this exciting news from our DDoS partner, Incapsula in sharing their network expansion plan for 2014. With the first quarter behind , and with three new data centers already in place. Incapsula are excited to announce their commitment to doubling it's network size - expanding from 16 to 30 Points of Presence (POPs) by the end of the year.

With these new data centers, we expect Incapsula’s overall network capacity to surpass 1.5 Tbps. Plus, each of Incapsula’s POPs will be upgraded to cache 30 times more than its current capacity by adding new border switches with increased port density.

Where is the New Data Center? 

Western Hemisphere

1. Atlanta, USA
2. Lima, Peru
3. Madrid, Spain
4. Mexico City, Mexico
5. Sao Paulo, Brazil
6. Toronto, Canada

Eastern Hemisphere

1. Auckland, New Zealand
2. Hong Kong, China
3. Milan, Italy
4. Mumbai, India
5. Seoul, South Korea
6. Vienna, Austria
7. Warsaw, Poland

Below are the some latest updates from Incapsula about their DDoS capacities. We, at EVERWORKS.com have been engaging to Incapsula's CDN and DDoS protection solution for our Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam clients. Our clients are so far all satisfied with the speed and protection feature given by Incapsula for their online businesses.

Staying Ahead of DDoS Attacks
Our rapid network expansion is not only fueled by Incapsula’s own growth but also by the growth of volumetric DDoS attacks. Since the beginning of 2013, we’ve witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of large-scale DDoS threats to the point where one in every three attacks now reaches beyond 20Gbps and +100Gbps DDoS threats are no longer uncommon.

With several large-scale DDoS events occurring on a daily basis, and with more and more websites looking to Incapsula for protection, we knew it was time to invest; not just for the need of today, but also for the goals of tomorrow.

And so, as big as today’s announcement is for us, it’s still yet another piece of a much bigger picture, with the next big DDoS related update already around the corner.

Read More

EVERWORKS Data Center Migration - Quick Checklist

Here is a quick checklist from an EVERWORKS specialist, Wong. He shares with us just what is needed in a brief quick session, if more help is needed contact cvs@everworks.com.

Important Note: EVERWORKS offers clients a 1 week free trial for IDC services (this is a benefit for clients to test out our network routes and connectivity for their applications and hardware). After ensuring that the tests have been carried out accordingly, then will EVERWORKS only prepare a rack space, implement network cabling, and install IP.

Data Center Migration, is quite a mouthful and can be rather intimidating, but here is a quick checklist that we use for new or even existing customers:

1. Schedule a meeting

• There will be a scheduled appointment arranged with you (our customer) to define what are the your requirements, the roles and needed responsibilities.
• Next up is to visit our Data Center (an arranged tour facility), mainly for you to have a look and feel to what you are investing in; power, cooling, security, protection, floor space, technical support, etc.
• A technical team will be built and responsibilities assigned for the particular Migration Project.
• Draw back and conclude, define, and ensure that all areas of required expertise are sufficiently covered.

2. Data Center Site is provided for you to test critical applications and server hardware

Identifiers:

• Rack space placement is prepared, network & internet connectivity is tested, network cabling is carried out, power management, and installation of IP addresses.
• Ensure that your hardware is fully operational.
• Ensure that your critical applications are running without any issues. (If there are any issues, what solution is required)
• Ensure that your networking equipment is fully operational.

Actions:

• Provide solutions for any problems identified thus far.
• Constant communication to ensure that everything is accurately understood between all parties involved.

3. Time-line is prepared and move date determined

• Backups of critical data is performed and verified, before the Migration Project begins.
• Plans for business interruption is put into place. (Time period of server temporary shutdown)
• Moving of all hardware.
• Transportation of hardware.

4. Finalizing Migration

Once the Migration has been completed, everything is checked and an inventory is defined to ensure that everything is in place. 

Your migration should be successful and without any problems by the end of this exercise.

---

If you any further inquiries please contact EVERWORKS support at +603-78063550 or cvs@everworks.com

Read More

Twitter's Friendly Photo Sharing & You

I have covered some Twitter related posts before this, and recently, January 27th 2014, photos that you post on Twitter can be made even better!

Updates are already available on Twitter for Android, and coming soon to Twitter for iPhone.

Now you can crop your photos by selecting an aspect, such as a square or wide. You can rotate an image before you share it to make sure it fits nicely in your Tweet, and when you upload a photo of people, you will see a reminder to add a "@" mention to your friends so that they can also see the photo that you have shared!

With this update, if you pull down on your home timeline to refresh it and there are no new Tweets to load, you may see recommended Tweets, trending topics and suggestions for new accounts to follow. For example: in the screenshot below, you can see that a lot of people are talking about Manchester United FC. You can also tap to see more Tweets, and jump right into the conversation too!

How this impacts you?

As an individual you would now have an avenue to keep up with trends happening in and around the web. As a business you would be able to help individuals keep up with what is happening in and around what you are offering.

Is Twitter important for a Malaysian business?

Twitter is an engaging platform for any business regardless of its domain (domain being the place it resides to do business). Any business on the Internet should shift perspective that most of their digitalized business online is actually in a "country" of its own. 

Engaging customers and being able to have a meaningful conversation is priceless. Drawing on both positive and negative reviews so that you can grow together to become a better brand or offering. 

Twitter is powerful, it gives people short important texts on the latest happenings so that everyone is kept within the loop.

---

Get started with Twitter now! Follow us on Twitter for more engaging news about social media, technology, hosting, and the Internet. Our Twitter also posts up important news regarding the company, and also useful pointers to critical information.

Read More