Your Indie Resource Guide

Some of the benefits of event log management from IntersectSecurity.com.

Most companies and institutions nowadays have their own computer networks and are connected to the World Wide Web. Many of the processes and transactions that these companies regularly perform are done within their networks and some processes and transactions are even done over the Internet.

The various processes and transactions that go through computer networks or done over the Internet generate logs that are necessary for recordkeeping purposes and for regulatory compliance that these businesses often need to fulfill. Although these log files are inevitably generated and are necessary, they can also pose a security risk for the company.

Hence, it is important for any company or organization to have proper and reliable event log management to ensure that these log files are secure and used to benefit the company and answer the needs of the company.

IntersectSecurity.com is the site of SNARE or System iNtrusion Analysis Reporting Environment which is an event log reporting and management solution that can help you understand your business better while providing you with a convenient and efficient way of complying with various regulatory bodies. Aside from providing your company with an easier way to comply with regulations and to effectively secure your log data, event log management software such as this can help you improve your employees’ productivity. Below are some of the other reasons why you should rely on SNARE for your event log management needs.

• Easy installation. You will not have to worry about complicated installation processes because SNARE can be easily installed with a single CD or it can also be preloaded on optimized hardware.
• Easy to use. Since SNARE provides support for multiple platforms and applications, you can use it no matter what platforms and applications you use in your system. SNARE also features a web interface that makes it easy to setup queries for reporting purposes.
• Complete data collection. The purpose of an event log reporting solution is to monitor and collect log data. Since it will be difficult to discriminate among raw log data, it is important that your system can collect log data completely and continuously. SNARE collects any arbitrary log data which include large numbers of events. This automatic collection is done continuously and the collected data is compressed in text format.
• Reliable archiving and storage. Aside from the ability to completely and continuously collect all log data, SNARE also archives and stores this data to ensure that it is available whenever you need it. In fact, all collected events are sent in real time to a standby or backup SNARE server.
• Customize reports. Although SNARE provides log data collection, event log reporting, and active directory monitoring, how you want the data to be presented is still up to you. It is up to you to set the parameters that you want for any specific report you want SNARE to generate. This allows you the freedom to customize reports based on your needs and requirements. This is important because your company’s reporting needs vary from time to time.

Have you ever wanted to voice your opinion but you’re not sure what others will say? Why not blog it?

A blog is an online platform for a person’s thoughts or opinions on a subject usually in the form of several paragraphs. It can be about anything at all. Though not necessary, blogs are generally interactive by allowing visitors to leave comments. It’s a way for you to interact and build relationships with readers of your blogs, making it a form of social networking.

Some of the best blog sites are free. You only pay a premium if you want to avail of their other services. The most popular one is WordPress but you can’t go wrong with Google Blogger, Tumbler, TypePad, or LiveJournal.

So if you have something to say, try blogging it. You just might realize that others agree with you, too.

Information about Social networking worms and how can a company get protected
Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and more are one of the most famous sites since the creation of the Internet. Almost everybody I know has a social networking account and they use it everyday to post their status, send private message, post pictures, comment on other member’s post, and check out links shared by other members and more. This social networking sites have been a part of their day-to-day lives and it is evident by the millions of members that it have that is continually growing in numbers.

Everyday, millions of messages are getting posted and shared in these social networking sites. It is very easy now to share a link of a video for example via a wall post, or share a URL via a simple tweet on Twitter. This can be an advantage as it makes it easy among members of these social networking sites to share information among each other making exchange and communication easier, faster and more convenient. However, this can pose as a security and safety risks too.

Social Networking Worms is one of the security risks and can be considered as an Advanced Persistent Threat that can infect and cripple any computer networks. What a worm does is it sends a message containing a URL to members of social networking sites such as Facebook, mySpace, Twitter, hi5, Friendster, Bebo and more and these URLs contain malicious codes that can infect the network. Once any member clicks on the URL, it will execute the code and will infect the PC and will further cause damage by sending the message again to all the social networking contacts listed on the infected computer.

Read more…

Texas Barnett Shale gas drilling rig near Alvarado, Texas(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

News reports coming out ofOhiostate that hydraulic fracturing in the shale wells are producing at a higher rate than traditional wells. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources received information that the gas wells are producing both dry gas and wet gas. Wet gas contains other elements such as propane and butane.

The Good News about “Fracking”

Although the process of hydraulic fracturing has some risks, it has proven it is a real success for Ohio. A single well in the Utica Shale reportedly produced 300 times more natural gas than a vertically drilled well. The process, known as “fracking,” uses chemically laced water to push gases out of the shale formations.

The benefits of hydraulic fracturing are:

• New jobs in otherwise economically depressed areas
• Large supplies of clean burning natural gas
• Reduced energy costs for consumers

Although many opponents to “fracking” would have consumers believe the process is more dangerous than beneficial, most energy companies commit to the communities they work in. The process is not federally regulated because each state has different geological features. The states regulate the process.

The states engaged in hydraulic fracturing are enjoying higher employment rates, increases in royalty payments, and increased tax revenues.  The increased production of natural gas also offers power plants a cleaner option for producing energy. Gas is better for air quality than coal. Traditionally, coal has been the primary source of fuel for power plants.

New Plants Planned to Process Wet Gas

With such positive reports coming from the Utica Shale exploration, plans are in place to develop two new processing plants and a pipeline. Although most experts are conservative about the future, the early success of hydraulic fracturing activity inEastern Ohiohas developers poised to turn the area into an economic success story. Companies expect to pay more than one billion dollars to workers.

Although there are only a few players exploring the Utica Shale in the early phases, experts expect as many as 10 companies to cash in on the drilling potential. Naturally, jobs come with companies, so most call this a capital venture success story.

UticaShale Represents a Bright Future

One of the biggest concerns for Americans is the high cost of energy. To date, most alternative energy sources are expensive. World events, and their effects on oil and gas futures, drive the cost of fuel to alarming prices. Natural gas is abundant in many parts of the nation, so the positive news coming out ofOhiogives the country hope for lower fuel costs.

High fuel costs have historically affected other industries such as tourism and food production. The natural gas boom gives energy experts an inexpensive way to increase consumer optimism, and ultimately, the national economy with a safe and cost-effective energy source.

A simple guide to help you choose a VoIP phone service provider

A growing number of people are now using VoIP services for their phone calls. In fact, it is quickly becoming the phone service of choice over the regular phone services that have been prevalent for many years.

VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol allows you to use regular phones to make cheaper calls over a broadband high speed connection. Also often referred to as digital phone, internet phone, or broadband phone service, VoIP offers many benefits over the regular telephone line.

The numerous benefits that a VoIP phone service provides are the reasons why VoIP phone service providers have sprouted like mushrooms overnight. If you are one of those who are considering getting a VoIP service, it is important to know the things that you should consider before choosing one your VoIP service provider. Below is a guide to help you out.

• Type of Service. The first thing you need to identify is the type of VoIP service that you need. While most VoIP service providers offer different types of VoIP phone service, it will be more beneficial for you to get one whose expertise is the type of service that you need. The usual types of VoIP services are residential VoIP, business VoIP, and mobile VoIP, among others.
• Price. The rate and packages being offered by different VoIP phone service providers vary. Some offer a fixed amount for an unlimited number of call minutes while others charge for a fixed number of minutes. The best price for you is not necessarily the lowest price that you can find. Instead, it depends on the package that best suits your needs and requirements.
• Quality of Service. The quality of service of different VoIP phone service providers also differ from each other just like with traditional phone service providers. It is important to sign up only with a provider that offers good quality and reliable VoIP phone service. Although the VoIP phone service providers that can provide this kind of high quality service do not necessarily offer the cheapest packages, it is still often better to pay a little more rather than have to deal with poor quality VoIP service.
• Customer support. If you are a non-techie then a VoIP phone service provider with excellent customer support is a must for you. It is important that you can easily get customer support any time of the day, any day of the week for any technical problems that you may encounter.
• Features. The VoIP services offered by providers also differ on the number of features that they bundle with their basic services. Features such as call forwarding, conference call, caller ID, call waiting, call filtering, internet fax, and many more provide extra value to the VoIP service that you are getting. Some of these features may even be necessities for you especially if you use your VoIP phone service regularly and frequently.

Among the most convenient places to find the best VoIP phone service providers is WhichVoip.com. This website lists numerous VoIP service providers and provides important information on each of them to will help you determine which provider is best for you.