OFF BASE I.T. Why your I.T. is like the

Hot in I.T. Trending technology topics

C is for Cookie What to know about internet cookies

Comparing popular internet browsers

Heartbleed Bug HERE ARE FOUR REASONS YOUR I.T. MAY BE LIKE THE CHICAGO CUBS:

1) IT’S DISAPPOINTING. 3) IT CHOKES WHEN THE STAKES ARE HIGH. No one understands disappointment quite like a Cubs fan. Year after year, you hope that things will The C in Cubs might as well stand for choke. While letting up six runs in the ninth inning is painful to change- that this year will be different. And year after year, you end up disappointed again. While witness, it’s more painful to recover from system failures. If your company is used to failing servers, there’s always next year for Cubs fan, there’s only now for your IT. Do you find yourself wanting to do Internet outages and network crashes at the worst possible time, it’s time to upgrade. Your IT should tasks that your system can’t support or everything just takes too long? If your company’s technology be dependable at all times, especially when it’s needed most. The 24/7 live help desk and immediate continues to disappoint you, waiting until next year is only going to make it worse. The IT consultants response times will keep your company from future choking hazards. at Stratosphere Networks can analyze your system and help create the perfect solutions to fit your needs. 4) THE COMPETITION CONTINUES TO DOMINATE. Whether it’s the St. Louis Cardinals, or even the , the Cubs seem 2) IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE IT WAS AT ITS BEST. to struggle almost every game. When most of our rivals have more rings than can fit on a hand, it’s It’s been 105 years since the Cubs last won the . Has it been a while since you last difficult to keep cheering. Are you constantly getting beat by your competitors too? If so, your IT might upgraded your equipment, software, hardware or services? Technology is constantly changing and be to blame. With best-in-class technology and industry-leading partners, Stratosphere Networks can improving and as a business, it’s important that you keep up. Not only can the newest technology be hook your business up with everything it needs to gain a competitive advantage. beneficial to many aspects of your company, but running outdated systems can be dangerous. Stratosphere Networks are experts at integrating new If any of this article rang true to your IT, give us a call at Stratosphere technology and setting up new infrastructures. We also Networks immediately. Being a Cubs fan isn’t a choice, but offer continuous maintenance and training finding a better IT provider is. Start waving that services, so the upgrade will be as W flag today by calling 877-599-3999 or painless as possible. emailing [email protected]. OFF BASE I.T.

Stratosphere Networks is headquartered just north of Chicago in Evanston, Illinois, which can be considered by many as part of Cubs territory. With their last World Series win in 1908 and 10,000 losses under their belt, it’s no surprise that the Cubs are currently last place in the Central. Being a Cubs fan isn’t easy, but neither is repeatedly striking out with your IT.

1 Chicago Cubs and all related indicia are trademarked and owned by MLB. All rights reserved. optical head-mounted display to a group of “explorers” in 2013 BITCOIN and has been making headlines since, although not always Bitcoins, commonly referred to as digital currency, virtual for good reasons. Fitness trackers, such as Jawbone Up and currency or cryptocurrency, was first introduced in 2009 by Fitbit, and smart watches, such as the Samsung Gear and the an anonymous person named “Satoshi Nakamoto.” It is a peer- Pebble Watch, are becoming more popular. There are also to-peer payment system not controlled by a single entity, new innovations making news, including the OMsignal smart such as a bank, and transactions are made with no middle shirt, as well as talks of future products such as Google’s men. Users can send and receive bitcoins electronically using smart contact lenses that would test glucose level in diabetic’s wallet software with no transactional fee. Bitcoins can be used tears. anonymously and are not tied to any country or regulations. NET NEUTRALITY Bitcoins have been trending recently for many reasons. Net neutrality is the principle that Internet Service Providers Because Bitcoins are unregulated, many governments are (ISPs) should allow equal access to all content and applications speaking out on concerns about their lack of control and on the Internet, regardless of the source. In other words, an taxation. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has recently open Internet. Under net neutrality, ISPs like Comcast and approved the use of Bitcoins as political donations. Dogecoin, Verizon have to give everyone the same treatment. Therefore, a spin-off of Bitcoin and named after an Internet meme, is websites such as Netflix would be just as fast as a blog with now a sponsor of the No. 98 NASCAR car after Reddit users just a couple readers. decided to take up a collection to help fund Josh Wise’s team. Net neutrality has been a hot topic for a while now and is WEARABLES about to get hotter. On Thursday, May 15, 2014, the FCC Wearable computers, more simply known as wearables, are a voted 3-2 to advance a new set of proposed net neutrality category of technology devices that can be worn by the user. rules. The new regulations, although not set in stone quite yet, Wearables include such gadgets as smart watches, glasses, could forever change the principle of open Internet. Instead clothing or even contact lenses. Often wearables are related of equal treatment for all Internet traffic, ISPs would offer a to health and fitness, with sensors and monitors built in to base speed for everyone, but then allow companies to pay track heart rate, steps, calories burned, etc. New wearables for a “fast lane.” This means that large companies with big are being created every day, with more advanced technology pockets could essentially pay for their website to load much being built in to smaller and more attractive products. faster than their competitors. The FCC is taking comments on the proposal for the next 120 days before creating the final Wearables have been trending in the tech world consistently version and taking the vote. for a decent amount of time. Google Glass launched their

What’s Hot in Technology What to know about Internet Cookies WHAT IS A COOKIE? cookies, also called permanent cookies, are The biggest problem with cookies has to do WHAT TO DO A cookie is a piece of text that a web server cookies that are stored on your hard drive with privacy. When visiting a web site, that You can easily delete, disable or adjust cookie puts on your computer to store, and later until they expire or you delete them. site can track your purchases, the pages settings on your Internet browser. While retrieves, information about you. Cookies can you read, the ads you click on and more. deleting and disabling cookies altogether enhance a browsing experience by letting PROBLEMS WITH COOKIES That web site can then sell that information would keep your information safe, it would to others who might want to sell similar sites remember preferences or letting you There are a few problems with cookies. One also undo your Internet personalization. If products to you. That’s why you most likely avoid signing in each time to certain sites. is that people often share machines. If a you’re just worried about malicious cookies, get ads on your web pages that relate to person is using a computer in a public place, many antivirus programs today will flag recent purchases. like the library, to purchase something from suspicious spyware or adware. TYPES OF COOKIES an online store, a person could later try to Different sites have different policies, so you There are session cookies and persistent purchase something with your account. And if you have any more concerns or can find out how your information might be cookies. A session cookie, also called a Another problem is that people often use questions about your internet privacy, feel used before buying. There are also malicious transient cookie, is a cookie that is erased multiple machines, and unless a site stores free to call us at 877-599-3999 or email us cookies that can track your surfing habits when the web browser is closed. Session preferences centrally, the person will have at [email protected]. over a long period of time and build a very cookies are stored in temporary memory multiple sets of cookies. and are not retained after closed. Persistent specific profile of you.

2 Sesame Street and all related indicia are trademarked and owned by Sesame Workshop. All rights reserved. hether you’re watching videos of cats on YouTube, posting pictures of your kids to Facebook or Googling who played that one guy in that movie, you’re doing so on a web browser. Most people have their go-to pick, but why? How do you know if you’re using the best one? We’re here to break down the advantages and j disadvantages of each of the most popular, free web browsers. INTERNET EXPLORER Internet Explorer comes pre-loaded on any computer that runs on Windows and is therefore one of the most frequently used. Because it’s built into the system, it comes up much faster than a downloaded browser and it also offers Microsoft help support. However, its browsing speed tends to be slower than Firefox or Chrome. The biggest disadvantage to Internet Explorer is security. Hackers target Internet Explorer because they can attack far more computers by exploiting a weakness in IE over a minor browser.

SAFARI Safari is the web browser that comes installed on Apple products. Safari consistently surfs the web faster than rival browsers, but offers less extensions for customizing and enhancing your online experience. However, it does track your most visited websites and organizes them into thumbnails for easy access. Like most of Apple’s software, Safari has a very basic look and feel to make it easy and efficient to operate. Unlike Chrome and Firefox, you can’t make searches by typing directly into the locator bar.

MOZILLA FIREFOX Mozilla Firefox offers users a wide variety of plugins and extensions to customize browsing. Firefox is one of the fastest browsers when it comes to downloading and has advanced security measures to protect computers from viruses and spyware. However, Firefox has some compatibility issues with certain websites due to not supporting ActiveX, but can be a positive because hackers won’t be able to use ActiveX to get on to your system. Another drawback is that Firefox tends to take a lot of memory to run.

GOOGLE CHROME Google Chrome boasts the fastest speed, although tends to slow down when too many tabs are open. The design on Chrome is very minimal, allowing for more of the web page to be seen. It’s one of the more popular browsers and includes built-in Flash and PDF support. Chrome is easily customizable with extensions, apps and themes in the Chrome Web Store and its locator bar doubles as a Google search box. Some disadvantages of Google include lack of parental controls and some minor site and graphics incompatibility.

THE INTERNET’S MOST POPULAR BROWSERS DUKE IT OUT FOR THE TOP SPOT 3 WWE and all related indicia are trademarked and owned by World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. n April, news broke of a discovered flaw in OpenSSL. Heartbleed, as it was named, left approximately two- thirds of the web at risk for the past two years. Although hether you’re watching videos of cats on YouTube, posting pictures of your kids I to Facebook or Googling who played that one guy in that movie, you’re doing news of Heartbleed has been dying down since patches have so on a web browser. Most people have their go-to pick, but why? How do you been made, as of mid-May, 318,000 servers still remain know if you’re using the best one? We’re here to break down the advantages and vulnerable. Here’s what else you need to know. j disadvantages of each of the most popular, free web browsers. Heartbleed is a vulnerability in the way that your browser communicates over an encrypted channel. A hacker could take INTERNET EXPLORER advantage of the bug and translate the encrypted language used Internet Explorer comes pre-loaded on any computer that runs on Windows and is therefore one by banks, e-commerce sites and additional sensitive locations to of the most frequently used. Because it’s built into the system, it comes up much faster than a steal passwords and other personal information. OpenSSL is the downloaded browser and it also offers Microsoft help support. However, its browsing speed tends to be slower than Firefox or Chrome. The biggest disadvantage to Internet Explorer is security. default cryptographic library in the Apache and nginx Web servers, Hackers target Internet Explorer because they can attack far more computers by exploiting a which together power almost two-thirds of all active websites. The Heartbleedweakness in IE over a minor browser. Heartbleed’s official name is CVE-2014-0160 and was disclosed SAFARI Monday, April 7. The bug affects an OpenSSL extension called Safari is the web browser that comes installed on Apple products. Safari consistently surfs the web “heartbeat” that works to keep a secure communication channel faster than rival browsers, but offers less extensions for customizing and enhancing your online open without constantly re-negotiating security protocols. The experience. However, it does track your most visited websites and organizes them into thumbnails appropriately named Heartbleed lets a hacker access up to 64 Bugfor easy access. Likeg most of Apple’s software, Safari has a very basic look and feel to make it easy and efficient to operate. Unlike Chrome and Firefox, you can’t make searches by typing kilobytes of server memory, but can perform the attack over and directly into the locator bar. over again. This means that hackers could request data from the web server’s memory, which would include the site’s encryption MOZILLA FIREFOX keys, passwords, financial information and more. In other words, Mozilla Firefox offers users a wide variety of plugins and extensions to customize browsing. Firefox the bug gives users the ability to eavesdrop on communications is one of the fastest browsers when it comes to downloading and has advanced security measures and then steal data directly from services. to protect computers from viruses and spyware. However, Firefox has some compatibility issues with certain websites due to not supporting ActiveX, but can be a positive because hackers won’t Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell if you’ve been affected since be able to use ActiveX to get on to your system. Another drawback is that Firefox tends to take a lot of memory to run. the attack leaves no trace behind. If you have your own website, you can test to see if it’s vulnerable through LastPass or Qualys. GOOGLE CHROME If it is, OpenSSL recommends that you upgrade to version 1.0.1g, Google Chrome boasts the fastest speed, although tends to slow down when too many tabs are which patches the bug. As an Internet user, you should immediately open. The design on Chrome is very minimal, allowing for more of the web page to be seen. It’s change your passwords, especially those to sites that were proven one of the more popular browsers and includes built-in Flash and PDF support. Chrome is easily vulnerable. Sites that were affected include Gmail, Facebook, customizable with extensions, apps and themes in the Chrome Web Store and its locator bar Dropbox and Amazon. You can get a full list of popular websites doubles as a Google search box. Some disadvantages of Google include lack of parental controls and their statuses here. and some minor site and graphics incompatibility.

If you have any more questions or concerns regarding Heartbleed or Internet safety in general, contact an expert at Stratosphere Networks today at 877-599-3999, [email protected]. QUESTIONS? CALL US TODAY!

Nationwide Live Help Desk (877) 599-3999 www.StratosphereNetworks.com [email protected]

1 Chicago Cubs and all related indicia are trademarked and owned by MLB. All rights reserved. This graphic, including all related images and content are not-for-profit and for educational purposes only.

2 Sesame Street and all related indicia are trademarked and owned by Sesame Workshop. All rights reserved. This graphic, including all related images and content are not-for-profit and for educational purposes only.

3 WWE and all related indicia are trademarked and owned by World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. This graphic, including all related images and content are not-for-profit and for educational purposes only.

Stratosphere Networks, a leading IT managed service provider and BBB Accredited Business, has been recognized as hiredMyway’s #1 top technology company and as a Channel Partners 360°Award winner. Stratosphere is also listed on the CRN Fast Growth 150 and MSPmentor’s Top 501 Global Managed and Cloud Providers. We offer our customers a wide range of managed services including proactive monitoring, backup and disaster recovery, hosted email, spam detection, desktop and server support, router management, virtualization, remote and on-site support, business continuity, and more. Our team of IT experts works collaboratively leveraging our unparalleled $2.5 Million Network2 Operations Center to provide world class service.