IT Matters

As we come to the end of the semester we just wanted to reflect a little on our short blogging experience. We would like to thank those who visited our site and hope that you enjoyed reading our blogs as much as we enjoyed writing them.  Without our followers, it would have been for nothing.  This has been a great experience for us as a team.

We would like to share with you that our posts had over 560 views, from 8 different countries. We were very excited when we looked at the countries of some of our viewers.  Not only did we have over 469 views from the United States, we had 47 from France, 25 from Poland, 12 from China, 3 from the Philippines, we even had viewers from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.  When we started this blog as a team, we never thought of where our viewers would come from.  We hope that we provided some useful and interesting topics that would benefit those who visit our BlogSpot. 

We touched on IT topics ranging from internet safety, cell phones and privacy, Technology laws, to different types of computing with thin clients, and the Cloud. We offered information on software and the applications we can use when you’re ready to get married like the wedding planning app.  We even showed how to use Linked In.

 Hopefully we have been able to provide insight about the ever changing world of technology and how with those changes come potential problems you don’t even think of. We have really enjoyed sharing our passion for technology and hope we have convinced you how much IT Matters.  

Again, thanks for making this a great experience for all of us.  Please continue to visit our blogs, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them and we will try to answer in a timely manner.

Eric, Jessa, Jeff

Remember To Keep Safe

We are coming to the end of our semester and I want to reiterate some of the important information I posted in previous blogs.  Remember technology is here to stay and we need to pay attention to the laws being passed so that our freedoms are not being jeopardized.

            Look for ways that you, as a user, can protect your privacy, but be careful of the apps, especially free apps that claim they will protect you.  Do your research on the companies or individuals designing these programs.  If we are to enjoy the technology available to us, each of us needs to do our part to protect each other.  Take the time to create a unique password for all of your accounts and not have one for all.  Change them often, especially if one has been shared, even with a friend.  Not that you can’t trust them, it’s to protect yourself.  Keep your programs updated, there are patches in them that can keep hackers out.  Have a good antivirus program. Only visit sites that are secured, remember https sites the ‘s’ on the end stands for secure.  There is an add-on that will safeguard you and tries to direct you to an https site called HTTPS Everywhere.   You can download and install this free add-on at https://eff.org/https-everywhere for Chrome, Firefox, and Firefox for Android and Opera.

Make sure to familiarize yourself with the types of viruses and the devastation they can cause businesses and YOU!!  Computer viruses are capable of attaching themselves to disks or files.  Viruses can replicate themselves destroying data on any device.  They can be disguised as a legitimate program, email, or even a message from a friend.  They can be worms, horses, bombs, emails, or even drive bys.  Sometimes they even pop up as a legit security program a company wants you to buy, saying you have a bunch of infected files on your computer.  Just be careful what you download and do research from a company before you download from the Internet.  These viruses and the delivery methods used not only affect our computers but can affect all of the devices we have even your web connected printer.

Watch for the laws that are being presented and do what you can to help keep our private information just that, private.  We want to enjoy the technology that is available to us without having to worry about who is collecting our information and what they might do with it.  Remember when I said ; there are those who say if you are not doing anything wrong, why does it matter?  If a peeping tom is looking at you through a window and you are not doing anything wrong, does it matter? Pretty creepy! It is not the collection of the information that is a problem; it is what’s done with that information, and how it is interpreted. All citizens in America deserve to be safe, but law abiding citizens should be able to know, the information they provide companies, stays private.   It’s up to you to ensure that the laws that are being reformed eliminate inconsistency in interpretation.

With new technology and different methods of obtaining information on civilians, the means of interpreting these aging laws are left in the hands of the courts. The laws need reforms reflecting the new technology to eliminate inconsistency in interpretation. Laws need to reflect the rapid changes in technology.

New technology has brought us a long way in just a short period of time.   Make sure you are safe out there with all of it and let’s enjoy the ride.

Posted By: Jeff Trangsrud

Protect Yourself, Nobody Else Will

In my previous blogs, I probably sound like I might have trust issues going on and maybe I do, but that’s another blog.  Let me tell you this time, how you can protect yourself when using this new technology.

There is so much we do online with our phones, laptops, home desktops, even computers at school.  We are using wireless everywhere we go.  We know, or at least we trust whoever installed our wireless networks at home, but as we travel along on our daily routines we are using public networks to connect to the internet.  We are staying connected all day long.  Something to keep in mind is to remember, anyone who goes online can get hacked.

I did some research on what you can do to keep your online internet jaunts more secure.  Here are a few:

1.       Don’t share your passwords.  This means using the same password for all of your accounts, banking, social media email, etc….  I know these sounds like a pain, but trust me it will save you a big hassle if a hacker gets ahold of your password and can use it for everything related to you.  Passwords should be different for all of your accounts, if you have a hard time doing that, make sure your email password is very unique and secure because for most of us it is our lifeline and if they get that, they could reset all of your other accounts.  

2.       Remember to change your passwords and make them long.  At the University of Northern Iowa, we use a passphrase, which is a long password.  Hackers are looking for that simple combination of birthdates, kids’ names, pet names or whatever.  There are software packages out there that can scan a large number of passwords to find what can work.  The length is more important than the complexity.

3.       Keep your system and programs updated. The most abused programs by hackers are Acrobat PDF reader, Microsoft and Java.  The updates or new releases often times contain patches that can keep the hackers out.  Programs could contain malware that give the hacker a door to get to your computer, so if you have old programs that you don’t use, uninstall them.

4.       Make sure to have a good antivirus program.  There are a lot of good antivirus programs out there, and a good free one that is recommended is Microsoft Security Essentials.  I protects you from spyware, malware, and viruses

5.       Make sure you only visit secured sites.  Have you ever, or did you know that when you visit a site with “http” it not secure?  Look for the sites that have “https” the “s” at the end stands for secure.  There is an add-on that will safeguard you and tries to direct you to an https site called HTTPS Everywhere.   You can download and install this free add-on at https://eff.org/https-everywhere for Chrome, Firefox, and Firefox for Android and Opera.

6.       Be careful of what you download.  Remember there is no such thing as free, More than likely if it is at a discount or free it probably has some sort of malware in it.  Try to buy it conventionally or through the manufacturer’s website, not through links.

7.       Be alert of what apps you put on your phone.  Whatever you may think is a good deal for only 99 cents could have been designed by a hacker anywhere in the world.  Stick to only reputable app stores for the platform your phone uses, and even then be cautious.  Just don’t download an app just because it’s free, use the Google Play store for apps. Never, ever click on the box in ‘settings’ that allows the installation of settings from unknown sources.

I hope that these can make you start to think about how you might be vulnerable to hackers.   Do everything you can to protect your personal accounts and your identity.

Be safe out there!!!!

Posted By: Jeff Trangsrud

WSJ. D Tech Conference

Last week many of the big names in technology gathered in Laguna Beach, California for the annual Wall Street Journal Tech Conference. The conference included over 200 attendees from 21 countries. There were various speakers and roundtable discussions led by select CEO’s and up and coming entrepreneurs to talk about technology's biggest issues and breakthroughs. I’ll summarize a few of the discussions below.

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook spoke opening night. He talked a little about Apple Pay; some retailers may be hesitant to cooperate, but Cook thinks they will come around when they start to realize how easy, private and secure it is. He reassured everyone that he has full confidence in Apple Pay and that we will soon see it take off. He was then asked about the not yet launched Apple watch. How is the battery life? Will it die halfway through the day while I’m wearing it? Cook is confident that the battery life will be adequate but that you will use the watch so much it will need to be charged every night. He also addressed Apple’s security, saying that they try to keep our data as private as possible by not reading our emails, iMessages, or keeping any of it. The iOS 8 has added encryption to help with keeping user’s data private.

Jake Ma, executive chairman of Albaba Group and richest man in China talked a little bit about his company’s past and its future. He said he originally got his inspiration from Silicon Valley. He loved the feeling of being there and seeing how hard everyone works. Now, many years later, he says he loves coming to these things and reinvesting in the Silicon Valley. One of his business helps sell American goods, especially agricultural goods, to China. There is even a chance of an electronic payment alliance with Apple Pay happening in the near future.

Along with CEO’s, the conference also featured a few entrepreneurs. One of them was Rabed Ziuod, the Vice President of business development for Voice Itt. Voice Itt is an Israeli technology company focused on voice translation technology. At the conference they demonstrated their newest app, Talk Itt which uses technology to help people with disabilities communicate, specifically targeting those with ALS, Parkinsons and Autism. The Talk Itt app memorizes the users speech patterns to help sort of translate what they are saying. Rabed is extra passionate about this project because two of his five siblings suffer from disabilities. This innovative technology along with Rabed’s passion made this app a crowd favorite. It was chosen as the audience’s favorite startup.

Google also had a presence at the conference. Google’s Andrew Conrad, head of Life Sciences talked about the one of Google X team’s newest projects. The Google X team has been working hard to create a tool that helps provide early detection of cancer. They are using nanotechnology, tiny magnetic particles, that once inside you will seek out and attach themselves to cells and send back data. They are still working out all of the details on how to read the data and power the wearable device that goes along with it. This project is still about five to seven years from being available, but will hopefully change the way we screen for cancer. 

These were just a few of the many speakers at the conference. If you would like more information I have posted a link (below) to the WSJ page where you can find more summaries and short videos. If you’re thinking about attending next year’s conference, you may want to start saving now. Tickets were said to cost about $5000. One reported noted that this did come with some fancy dinners and a nice “swag bag”. The price may be worth it for a short Californian getaway and and the opportunity to be inspired by some of the brightest minds in technology.

Jessa

http://wsjdlive.wsj.com

Wedding Planning: There's an app for that!

Getting married?  Why not make the process a little easier and more cost effective through technology.  Weddings and their planning are becoming more and more incorporated into social media. I’m not talking about getting married online.  I’m talking about apps and websites that aid in your planning and communication with guests.  I told my fiance when we got engaged that I would not be the absentee guy and that I would help as much as I can with the planning process.  Being a bit of a nerd, I wanted to be able to incorporate technology as much as possible.  There are a plethora of applications and websites out there that couples can depend on.   For sake of saving time and space, I’m going to talk about the couple that we are currently using.

The first application that we latched on to is a free download called The Knot.  While The Knot is primarily used for weddings, it can be used for couples moving in together or having a child. The Knot sets out a timeline for your planning.  It bases the timeline off of what you put in for your wedding date and plans backwards.  The application provides you with a list of types of vendors that you need and gives you results based upon your approximate location.  This is how the company generates income, similar to Google’s AdWords, the application provides context and location based advertisements.  Each vendor that is listed includes user submitted satisfaction and price ratings.  As you go through your planning process, you can utilize a Knot tool called the LookBook look through and ‘favorite’ items similar to using Pinterest.  There are also tools included to help you keep track of your budget, guest list, registries, etc.  There are many applications similar to The Knot including: Ultimate Wedding Planner, OneWed, and a whole slew of others.  Most of these will be available for both Android and Apple through your app store.

One other very cool application that I came across by accident is called WedPics.  If you’re anything like me, you've gone to a lot of weddings, taken a lot of pictures on your smartphone, and deleted them a few weeks later knowing that you’ll never use or share them.  WedPics offers a couple of different functions, but is primarily a tool used to gather pictures from your wedding guests.  This is also a free download through your app store on either Android or Apple.  Once you download the application and set up your profile, you share your profile via many different channels including email or Facebook.  Once guests have access, they can share any of those pictures with the couple through the application.  This is a big time and effort saver in getting photos from your friends.   Outside of picture sharing, guests can access your wedding registries, hotel accommodations that you've saved blocks for, and even order prints straight from your WedPics albums.

So, if you’re planning a wedding, don’t forget the power and capability of technology.

Links:

http://www.theknot.com/

https://wedpics.com/?q=fbtab

http://www.onewed.com/

Posted by Eric Sitzmann

VIURUSES

Viruses, when you think of this word, what comes to mind?   Sickness? Disease? Illness?  Imagine all of these dreadful things inhabiting your computer, laptop, or smart device rather than your body.  No one wants to be ill and they especially don’t want their devices to be ill.

I personally have been involved with computers since 1998, repairing, diagnosing, training, installing software, even a system administrator.  Viruses are a computer program capable of attaching itself to disks or other files and replicates itself repeatedly, typically without user knowledge or permission.

Hopefully you have heard of computer viruses and the devastation they can cause businesses and individuals, but if you haven’t,  I will tell you about different types of viruses, the ways in which they can be sent, and the computer devices they can attack.  Computer viruses affect every one of us using technology today and come at us in many different forms, can be disguised in many ways, and can attack all types of computer devices.

There are different kinds of virus threats that can affect our computers.  Computer viruses in existence exceeded one million. I have listed the three most popular ones that are being used today.

1.      Worms: They are reproducing programs that run completely independently and spread on their own will through network connections.

2.      Trojan Horses: Are malicious programs pretending to be legitimate programs and purposely do something that the user doesn’t expect.

3.      Logic Bomb: It is a type of Trojan horse that executes when specific conditions occur.

There are a lot of different ways in which viruses are disguised, or how the creator delivers their virus so the intended victim doesn’t know it’s coming.  Here are a few ways viruses are distributed.

1.      Email:

a.       You get an email from a friend or a known acquaintance and open a word document you think is legitimate.

b.      Spam mail you get from a recognizable company.

2.      Drive By

a.       According to the article on the FBI website dated August 2012, I accessed on the 18th of October 2014, this one can install itself when users simply click on a compromised website. Once infected, the victim’s computer immediately locks, and the monitor displays a screen stating there has been a violation of federal law. The bogus message goes on to say that the user’s Internet address was identified by the FBI or the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section as having been associated with child pornography sites or other illegal online activity. To unlock their machines, users are required to pay a fine using a prepaid money card service.

3.      Security tools:

a.       Security programs

b.      Scanning programs

4.      Software:

a.       Purchased from a retail store.

b.      Purchased online.

 Think about the new technology and what you, your family, and friends, own or want to own;  Smart phones, IPads, Tablets, Cars, Smart TV’s, Gaming devices, or even Robots.

These viruses and the delivery methods used not only affect our computers but can affect all of the devices we have. According to Brad Chicos in the2013 edition of PC World, I accessed on the 17^th day of October 2014, hackers can even attack your web connected printer to gain access to previously printed documents.

As I told you earlier, I have been servicing computers since 1998 and the amounts of problems I have seen because of viruses are too many to mention.  New technology has brought us a long way in just a short period of time.   Make sure you are safe out there with all new technology and let’s enjoy the ride.

Posted By: Jeff Trangsrud

The Cloud

What is the Cloud?

The current joke is that no one really understands the cloud. Is it in the sky? Is it white and fluffy? The cloud, also known as cloud computing has been around since the early 2000’s and is quickly becoming a popular tool for both business and recreation. There is a good chance you’ve used cloud computing already today. Some of the most popular examples include: iCloud, Netflix, Google Drive, DropBox and Yahoo mail.  Without getting too specific, I will explain the basics of the cloud while highlighting the benefits and possible weaknesses.

Cloud computing involves a networked group of large remote servers that allow you online access to computer services. In other words, its internet based computing. This includes access from any device, often including smart phones and can involve multiple users accessing the same data at the same time. It includes both software and services that run on the internet instead of your computer. All of your cloud data is stored in massive data centers all over the world instead of on your hard drive. Often cloud computing is done through licensing, so the user may pay for it as they need it. This makes it more of a service than the classic way of purchasing software.

Cloud computing has been divided into three categories or service models: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) . These differ depending on what types of software or service you need. The service provider can offer to manage anything from servers, networking, web hosting, and storage to applications. The goal is to choose which service model best fits you or your business.

Cloud computing has become popular for a variety of reasons. The first reason is cost. Up front costs are much cheaper because you are not buying an expensive software package and installing it on your computer. Instead you may be buying some sort of license and paying as you need the service. Software is no longer an asset you depreciate on your books, but rather a service. Cloud computing lessens the need for in house IT expertise. Because it can be accessed from anywhere there is no need to have someone in house that can fix it. Maintenance or adjustments can be done from multiple locations and by more than one person at a time. Cloud computing saves local storage space. Because everything is stored in a data center somewhere, there is no need to store it on your devices. This method is also greener because of its lack of hardware. The flexibility is a big benefit of cloud computing. Everything is available on almost any device, many people can work on the same set of data at once (for example google drive), and data will sync between your different devices without any effort on your part. For example you can start watching a show on Netflix at home and when you log on later that day on your phone, it will start you right where you left off.

One of the only downsides is that cloud computing requires you to trust someone else with your data. This requires a huge amount of trust in your cloud computing service provider that they will keep your data save and confidential. There have been a few instances where information was compromised because of cloud computing, but for the most part, providers work extremely hard to maintain the integrity and safety of your data.

Overall cloud computing, though confusing to understand, can be very advantageous for you or your business. It can save you money, storage space and time. So if all of this sounds good, and you can find a service provider you trust, it may be time to switch on over to cloud computing.

Jessa

Software as a Service

Keeping in form with my post about thin clients, this week I’m going to write about Software as a Service, or SaaS for short.   Software as a service is a software licensing and delivery method in which users get their software on a subscription basis and everything is centrally hosted.  Software as a service is becoming more and more prevalent for many reasons that we’ll see as we go on.

One of the advantages to software as a service is that distribution is not done physically, it’s done almost instantaneously.  Through your subscription, typically monthly or annually, you get access to the software and continued support.  While some companies like Microsoft do a bit of sales in the SaaS environment, but still do a bulk of their software sales traditionally, there are companies like Adobe who are doing essentially all of their software sales via the cloud.  Check out http://www.adobe.com/creativecloud.html for more information.

As mentioned above, typically pricing is based upon a monthly or yearly subscription.  As a result, first time setup can be more inexpensive than traditional enterprise software.  Using Saas, it’s made it easier for vendors to charge clients based on other pricing parameters.  Some of these options include charging by how many users have an application or charging per transaction, event, or unit of value.  These alternative pricing structures can allow for businesses to scale appropriately, cheaply, and pretty much on demand.

Some other advantages to software as a service include ease of customization, accelerated updates, and ability to collaborate.   While customization can be very limited, SaaS still offers a higher level than traditional software packages.   Accelerated updates means that updates come much, much more frequently than traditional packages.  Since the software is hosted centrally, updates come from the provider, not from customer initiation.   Also, since the provider has access to all user behavior, it’s easier for them, through the use of analytics, to figure out which features are in most need of improvement.   The ability to collaborate is also a happy side effect to being centrally hosted.  Users can comment on and share documents as well as many other collaborative features.  This would not 

be possible without the central server.

It’s not that I want to end this post on a bad note by any means, but I just want to leave you privy to the risks of SaaS before you go.  Here are some of the top risks according to brighthub.com. You can follow the link at the bottom of this post for further reading. 

•  Companies subject to SOX regulations must ensure that adequate controls are in place to satisfy regulatory requirements

• Risk of unauthorized access, especially when customer information is involved

• Vendor viability.  If your SaaS vendor goes down, the infrastructure they provide goes down too

• Legal Risks.  The legal risks and liability should be clearly understood before implementing SaaS

·   

These risks and many others that can present themselves aren't isolated to use of software as a service.  One thing to keep in mind as you explore the IT world for your best solutions, make sure you do plenty of research of the risks involved.  SaaS may or may not be right for you.

Posted by Eric Sitzmann

http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-computing/articles/108186.aspx

Technology Laws, Your Freedom

I personally love technology, especially my cell phone, and what it allows me to do. I can have immediate communication with friends and family,  I can have immediate entertainment with music, games, internet,  and social media sites.  My cell phone has become my lifeline. But with this technology and all it allows me to do, do I have the right to privacy anymore? What has happened?

In 2001, attacks on the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon passed a new law called USA Patriot Act which stands for Uniting (and) Strengthening America (by) Providing Appropriate Tools Required (to) Intercept (and) Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. It expands the government’s ability to monitor foreign and domestic financial transactions and people they deem as terrorists. It undermines patriotism and is about freeing the gathering of intelligence by the government within the United States. The Patriot Act was signed into law by then President George W. Bush, and extended in 2011 by President Obama to include an extension including roving wiretaps and individuals not linked to terrorist groups. This can include anybody they identify as a threat. This was to be a temporary program put in place because of the attacks on American soil, but the government took it upon themselves to continue this program for ‘national security’. This is a direct threat to the United States Constitution and Americans privacy.

Another secret program that has been exposed code-named PRISM, which is a mass data-collection program. The government claims the need for this data mining in the name of ‘national security’ to keep the United States borders and citizens safe, they claim to have thwarted over fifty-two terrorist attacks because of these methods. With the technology today, there are other ways to track these criminals and terrorists groups without violating every citizen’s privacy or obtain a warrant and disclose this information. Americans’ deserve to know what is happening, and the laws being passed by our elected officials. If it is infringing on innocent people’s privacy, how can they pass a secret program without the approval of American citizens?

             

There are those who say if you are not doing anything wrong, why does it matter? Let’s look at this analogy differently; if a peeping tom is looking at you through a window and you are not doing anything wrong, does it matter? Pretty creepy! It is not the collection of the information that is a problem; it is what’s done with that information, and how it is interpreted. All citizens in America deserve to be safe, but law abiding citizens should be able to know, the information they provide companies, stays private. 

With new technology and different methods of obtaining information on civilians, the means of interpreting these aging laws are left in the hands of the courts. The laws need reforms reflecting the new technology to eliminate inconsistency in interpretation. Laws need to reflect changes in technology and eliminate differences in how they are interpreted and hold lawmakers responsible. If lawmakers can’t provide protection of privacy for all, we need to vote for representatives that will.

The technology is there for tracking people with cell phones and collecting data on everybody that has one. It is being used all of the time, mostly for the right reasons, but laws need to be addressed to clarify specifics for the courts to determine whether a certain digital surveillance method invokes Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and our right to privacy. Why should everyone that uses new technology have to worry who might be watching their every move? 

Technological advances today have brought convenience to people’s lives, but we are slowly losing our freedom of privacy. This would be a great time to start paying attention to the laws that our state and federal representatives are trying to pass. It is the responsibility as a U.S. citizen to be educated about the interpretations of laws surrounding accessibility that law enforcement and government officials have, which enable them to infringe on the privacy of citizens without their knowledge. 

If these technologies are to be enjoyed the way they are intended, our representatives at the state and federal levels, controlling privacy, need to review proposals presented to them in a timely manner and make sure they are written to protect all American citizens’ privacy. As the technological world advances, government and criminals need to be stopped from invading our privacy. If the decisions being made do not protect privacy of Americans and the Constitution, then it is time ‘We the People’ take back control of our privacy, and demand the government uphold our Constitution and the Fourth Amendment.

Posted By: Jeff Trangsrud

Should you be “Linked-In”?

Networking. Networking. Networking. Today’s world is all about who you know. Does it matter if you make your connections in person or online? The professional networking website LinkedIn has become an increasingly popular way for professionals to make connections without even leaving their homes. Could creating a profile really be that beneficial to your career? I interviewed some professionals to find out.  

What is it? LinkedIn is a social networking site, also available in a smart phone app, designed to help connect the world’s professionals.  You start by making a profile, basically an e-resume. Here you can upload a headshot and list your education, work experience and professional skills. Your full profile is visible to only those you connect with but anyone can search for you and access parts of your profile. You get notifications when people want to make a “connection” with you, or when they simply view your profile. LinkedIn also allows people to endorse each other’s skills. Companies can also make pages where they post information about who they are and what they do. Users can “follow” different business on LinkedIn to keep up with their current news. Often job postings are posted to these company pages and those who follow the business page can be some of the first people to see new postings.

How are people using the site? I visited with a business owner, a professor, a director of human resources, and a project manager to find out how they use LinkedIn. The main response was networking. Many of them said it was a way to connect with old friends in a way they would have never done previous to having a LinkedIn. They liked being able to see where friends or old co-workers were currently employed.  Many also used the site for job searching and hiring.  One business owner said she recently hired someone she found on linked in, and could not be happier with the outcome.  The director of human resources said she is about to make some hires and will most likely be checking LinkedIn for prospects.

Are their any negatives to signing up for a professional networking site? The only complaints from the professionals I spoke with, it that it is another site that demands their attention. To get the full benefit your profile needs to be maintained and checked regularly.

So what is it that persuaded people to put their resume info into electronic form? Some said mainly for networking, some made a profile incase they wanted to search for new employment, some said they signed up because someone they respected suggested it, and some learned about it at a conference or other professional event and were told it would be an asset.

When used correctly, professional social networking sites like LinkedIn can be used to make connections, find qualified employees, or even find employment yourself. It is becoming a staple in the business world.  The convenience of being able to make connections with other professionals using the Internet has changed the networking game forever. When asked if LinkedIn was a tool they would recommend to young business professionals just starting their career, everyone I interview said definitely yes.

Jessa

Smoke and Mirrors -- Thin Clients

So you think the computer that you're sitting at right now has everything it needs right there at your desk?  Think again because there may be something more behind the scenes.  Did you ever think that the computer that you're running may not be sitting at your desk at all? Or anywhere close to you for that matter?  If you're sitting at a university network computer... maybe at work.... or using a Chromebook, you may be using something called a thin client.

A thin client, also commonly referred to as a lean, zero or slim client is a computer or a computer program that depends mostly on another computer to do its processing.  This is opposite of the traditional fat client, which most of us think of when we think of a home computer.  A fat client has everything it needs, on board, to be fully functional.

Thin clients can be very secure in the fact that security need be focused more on the servers and not necessarily on each machine running on the network.  On the other side of this is the risk that these networks take by having this single point of failure.  If the server does get breached, essentially the entire network will go down.

There are also some arguments for thin clients’ cost savings.  Generally, the clients on a network can be fairly inexpensive as long as there is a good server running the network. This tends to be a total wash though, due to the cost savings being offset by the high cost of the server.

In my personal opinion, if the cost can be a wash, and you can centralize security and most of your maintenance efforts, I don't know why an organization wouldn't use the thin client infrastructure. Before you decide for yourself, here are three different ways that thin clients are used.  While reading, try to think of examples of each method.

The first is shared services.  Using shared terminal services software users on the network all share the same operating system and applications.  Users each get their own desktop, but are limited to running the pre-prescribed applications and doing simple tasks like creating folders or shortcuts.  The user has no power to change settings or download other applications to the server.

The second way that thin clients can be used is desktop virtualization.  Basically what this means is that each users’ desktop acts like its own separate machine on the network.  Each client sits in its very own partition on the server.  The big advantage to this is the higher level of freedom that is presented to users. Each user is given their own machine, but everything that it runs actually resides in the remote server.  Machines that are using desktop virtualization are thin clients that act as though they’re fat clients.

The first two ways that we’ve discussed thin clients being used are as processors of the user interface.  The third way however is browser based.  Browser based data processing is cool because you can run it from any fat client computer without using any of your own storage.  Yes, your machine is responsible for the data processing, but all storage is cloud based.  Sometimes the software that downloads is stored locally, but it is only there while you’re running your current session.  My personal favorite example of this method is the Google family of web based applications like Gmail™ and Google Drive™.  I am a prolific user of Google tools.

It’s exciting to think about where else the use of thin clients can go as we progressively move farther and farther into the use of cloud based computing. Hopefully you enjoyed this week’s blog and you start to think more about how thin clients are used in your school, place of employment and at home. 

Cell Phones and Privacy

Society today has made cell phones something a person cannot live without.  The younger generation was born into this technology and baby boomers have adapted it into their lives.  Gone are the days of searching for information in the library or using a telephone book to find a phone number, also gone is stopping by a friend’s house to see if they are home.  Banking is done on-line; you can buy groceries, clothes, and cars, just about anything can be purchased online now.  You can use your phone as a GPS to get where you are going, play games alone or with friends, and take pictures and videos. Although technology has afforded us to conveniently simplify daily tasks and do what were unimaginable decades ago, it has also caused a big concern in how dependent society has become on this new technology.  Everyone wants the newest, latest, and greatest products which are being produced faster than ever.  What users are not aware of is how the laws protecting their privacy have not changed to keep up with technology.  There are companies, and even the government, that are using the lack of laws to infringe on citizens’ privacy.  New technology has aided government and law enforcement officials in tracking down criminals and terrorists, yet our government is dragging its feet in approving new laws created to protect American citizens who shouldn’t have to sacrifice their privacy to use new technology.  The current laws created to protect the privacy of American citizens are outdated and need to be addressed or amended to reflect today’s new technology.
Posted by Jeff Trangsrud

             

About Us - ITMatters

Hello, we are ITMatters, a group of management information system students whose goal is to provide insight into current information technology topics and convince you that IT matters.  Please share your insight and knowledge back with us. Collaboration is key to success in our profession.  Our team consists of three members: Eric Sitzmann, Jeff Transgrud, and Jessa Veenstra.

Jessa Veenstra is a senior at the University of Northern Iowa double majoring in Management Information Systems and Accounting. She plans to finish up both degrees next year and sit for the CPA exam. She has most of her experience in accounting, but is passionate about using technology as an asset in the business world.

Jeff Trangsrud is a senior majoring in Management of Information Systems at the University of Northern Iowa and graduating next year. He has over 21 years experience in Management and Supervisory roles with over 15 years in Computer diagnostics, installation, and repair.

Eric Sitzmann is also a Senior majoring in Management Information Systems at the University of Northern Iowa.  Eric is a Marine Corps Veteran who will be graduating this upcoming December.  Eric has always loved technology and hopes to use his knowledge to help businesses run more efficiently and to make better decisions through more accurate use of information.