October 2008
In this issue

√ Garrett Graney
    Promoted
√ Wireless Threats
√ Data Disaster
√ Employee Spotlight
 

Garrett Graney Promoted to
President of IT Solutions

IT Solutions is pleased to announce the promotion of Garrett Graney to the position of President, effective Oct. 17, 2008. After almost nine years of distinguished service in his previous role of VP, Network Services, Garrett is taking on new responsibilities and challenges with day-to-day operations and strategic planning initiatives. Garretts strong leadership skills, broad technical knowledge, and dedication to client satisfaction make him the ideal choice for this role.

IT Solutions founder and owner Ted Swanson will remain in his role of CEO, continuing to oversee the long-term strategic planning and corporate acquisition efforts of the company.

Garrett remains in charge of the network services team, but will be taking on additional management duties and special projects, such as the companys recent services roadmap initiative and server virtualization efforts for ITS and clients with the industry-leading product VMware. His unique ability to explain complex technical issues in non-technical terms makes him a valued asset to clients who rely on ITS for advice that makes sense to them and their business. So he will continue to serve as lead VCIO (Virtual Chief Information Officer) to the client base while guiding IT Solutions own technology strategy.

Since joining ITS in 2000, Garrett has played a key role in the significant growth and success of the company. Among his many accomplishments are leading the network services team to the transition to a managed service model 5 years ago, growth of the network services department by a factor of 10, and being instrumental in increasing the client base while improving the quality and delivery of services with new products, processes and staff.

Garrett is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) with an extensive background in Windows-based network consulting and customized web application development, including three years as the owner of Advanced Digital Designs, an e-commerce consulting firm, prior to joining IT Solutions.

Wireless Threats to Your Business
by Christopher Elliott
reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center

If you think a promiscuous client is a scantily-dressed customer, you're in trouble. And I'm not talking about having an affair.

Think an evil twin is a horror-movie villain? Wrong again. The horror you should be bracing yourself for is not on the silver screen and it's not from a rolling pin flung at you from across the kitchen, for that matter. Rather, the trouble is in the airwaves and targeted to Wi-Fi users.

Both the "Promiscuous Client" and the "Evil Twin" are two of the latest wireless threats to your small business. If you haven't heard of them, you probably will soon.

"What would happen to your business if your strongest competitor gained access to all of your data?" asks Greg Phillips, chief executive for AirTegrity Wireless, Inc., a Stateline, Nev. wireless security company. "Unfortunately, it is a very real possibility if appropriate controls against these new threats are not exercised."

So what's out there?

The Evil Twin
One of the most popular new threats to Wi-Fi users is the Evil Twin, sometimes referred to as WiPhishing. It's a rogue access point that replicates another network name, such as that of a hot-spot or a secure network. "The Evil Twin waits for a user to mistakenly sign into the wrong access point and captures the user's network data or attacks the computer," says Mike Klein, chief executive of Interlink Networks, Inc, an Ann Arbor, Mich. Wi-Fi security firm for small businesses. Klein recommends using an application like the free LucidLink Wireless Client (www.lucidlink.com), which automatically detects the change of security settings and warns the user to prevent an Evil Twin attack. He says it's also best to stay away from any open, or unsecured, wireless networks.

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