Nexus Consulting LLC

Nexus Consulting LLC

YES we are open and ready to help! Check us out for all your technology needs. Hosting, design, outside IT support, custom apps, backup and disaster recovery, risk management, and more!

NO hourly rates so you know your price up front! We scope and quote all projects as well as offer monthly support options. We work with companies and individuals all over North America!

Nexus Consulting LLC
49 Main Street #1
Torrington, CT 06790

http://nexusconsultingsolutions.com

[email protected]

Nexus Consulting LLC We love what we do.

Nexus - Pandemic Response - We Are Open!

Nexus - Pandemic Response - We Are Open! A note from managing partner John DiCostanzo regarding our response and availability. We are open, working remotely, and ready to support you as needed.

Passwords vs Passphrases

One thing we wrestle with is assigning passwords to our customers or their lack of interest in using generated complex passwords.

Forcing a user to remember a lengthy generated password like 6.8*>GGh$! is irritating for the user who would be happy to use: Yankees1!, Mustang69 or Joey111509.

We have found the best option is to ask users to take 5 minutes to generate their own familiar passphrase then customize it. A passphrase is a set of words, usually 8 as a minimum that are familiar enough that remembering them is simple. I used to use a quote from Young Frakenstein where Terry Garr meets Dr. Frankenstein, "Hallo. Vould you like a roll in zee hay?" which became H.vYlAr1zH?

You can also pick random words like pillow sheep sleep which can become P1L$HeSle. A safe password is not about length; it is more about randomness: the more difficult it is to guess, or for that matter for a hackers' software to guess, processing at 1,500 possibilities per milli-second, the better.

A passphrase is something easy for me to remember and I decided what characters would be replaced with symbols and to capitalize every other letter making it truly random and memorable.

Consider using this process for choosing your passwords as we meet new password breach software and changing technology moving forward.

Below are some of the most common unsecure passwords that are attempted by hackers right off the bat: 123456, password, 123456789, Yankees!, 111111, 1234567, sunshine, qwerty, iloveyou, princess, admin, welcome, 666666, abc123, football, 123123, monkey, GoBoston!, 654321, !@ #$%^&*, Charlie, aa123456, Donald (or any first name, last name or combination), password1, qwerty123.

Nexus Consulting LLC updated their information in their About section.

Nexus Consulting LLC updated their information in their About section.

Nexus Consulting LLC updated their address.

Nexus Consulting LLC updated their address.

Year end is upon us! This time of year, we are focused on family, friends, and fun while trying to make sure W-2s, 1099s, and other tasks are completed.

It is a good time to assess your systems. Are you backing up properly? Protected from viruses and spyware? Perhaps there are some new technologies out there that will help make your lives and businesses run more effectively.

Have questions? We can help. Contact us here or via our Website or email.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

The App I Used to Break Into My Neighbor’s Home | Threat Level | WIRED

Network security is very important for businesses and individuals alike, but do not underestimate the power of technology to compromise even the most mundane of objects.

http://www.wired.com/2014/07/keyme-let-me-break-in/?mbid=social_fb

The App I Used to Break Into My Neighbor’s Home | Threat Level | WIRED Leave your ring of cut-brass secrets unattended on your desk at work, at a bar table while you buy another round, or in a hotel room, and any stranger---or friend---can upload your keys to their online collection.

Most businesses value their data more than the IRS, apparently. Ask me about unlimited, cloud-based backup for your company or home. -John

http://reason.com/blog/2014/07/21/irs-official-says-even-more-employees-ha

Mobile uploads

Breaking News from the Associated Press

http://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/gun-rights-advocates-hope-for-convention-impact-1.8034210

It is tax time. The supporting documents for your return (and your return itself) are increasingly stored electronically. Are you backing up? Have you tested those backups? The IRS will not care if your HD crashes and you cannot produce the info they need. Like and share if you are backed up. Comment below if you need help!

I hope everyone got to enjoy the great weather this weekend! -John

Thanks to Reader's Digest and Miller Mobley Photography for the opportunity today! We appreciate it! -John

Setting up for the shoot.

Headed to NYC for our Reader's Digest photo shoot!

http://youtu.be/smYQbFuxJ0Q

From the Wall Street Journal:

"Users of Facebook’s mobile app will soon need a separate app to message friends, a Facebook spokesman said Wednesday.

Now, Facebook users can send messages from within its main app, but the spokesman said that feature will soon be discontinued.

The move, which Facebook hopes will increase use of its separate mobile-messaging app, is part of Facebook’s strategy of rolling out multiple apps offering different features of its core product.

Wednesday, Facebook notified users in a half-dozen European countries, including the U.K. and France, that the messaging feature in their mobile app would cease to operate in the coming weeks. Eventually, it will stop working for all users.

Once the messaging feature stops working, users who attempt to send a message will be redirected to the separate messenger app. If they don’t have the app installed, they’ll be prompted to download it."

How do you feel about this? Is one app better for all your Facebook need or are multiple apps okay? Comment below.

-John

Are you still using Windows XP, Office 2003, or Server 2003? Comment below with your current config. -John

I thought this survey could not possibly be correct until we had to help one of our customers recover this past year. They went well over $75,000 and were at a standstill for a week and a half. A survey conducted in 2011 reports that the majority of companies estimate the average cost of computer network downtime or lost data due to poor and untested back-up solutions to be around $50,000 an hour. Remember to back-up and test your back-up's often and in real time. - Howard

Microsoft support ends TODAY for Windows XP, Server 2003, and Office 2003! That means no more patches or security updates.

Comment below to find out your options! -John

Confused about the cloud? We can help! Like and share if you are "in the cloud." Comment "cloud" if you are confused!

Been there, done that, and much more. Like and share if you have more paper thank you care to deal with. Comment if you want to know more about going digital!

-John

THE RASCALS - GROOVIN ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON.wmv

Sunday fun day? Like and share if you are planning on it! - John

THE RASCALS - GROOVIN ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON.wmv THE RASCALS - GROOVIN ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Doing anything fun for the weekend? It is a bit gray here, so we may be catching the new Captain America movie or busting out some video games...and yes, my NES still works! 28 years and going strong.

Like and share if you still have a NES that works. Comment if you have another "classic" system! -John

This is a sensitive topic for some. I have done this "fix" for more people than I can count, even after they assured me that the (computer, keyboard, monitor, fill in the blank) was securely plugged in.

Like and share if your tech issue was solved by plugging in a cord.

-John

Today's fortune cookie:

If you want to succeed in business, avoid "business as usual."

Discuss.

-John

"Hey, remember when you were here three months ago to replace my keyboard? Well, the printer stopped working today. What did you do?"

Like and share if you have ever been in this situation - on EITHER side of the transaction. - John

Not going to lie...Google is a useful tool. Just be careful and verify your sources before you do something irreversible.

Like and share if you have used Google to help solve your tech issues.

- John

News | Moore Monthly

Great story by one of the best local papers in the country! What is your favorite April Fool's Day story? Share a link in the comments below.

-John

News | Moore Monthly Russian Troops Mass Along Moore Border

Faith no More Easy

A good mid-morning tune! Share the fun and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Faith no More Easy Faith no More Easy

Cloud technology is here. Are you utilizing it? Like and share if you are in the cloud. Comment if you are considering it! -John

Look for us in the July issue of Reader's Digest under the "Best of America" article! More info to follow. - John

The man who took the iconic Windows XP wallpaper photo has bitter regrets

XP is being put out to pasture by Microsoft on April 8th. No more support or updates will be issued for it. Are you still using XP? Like if yes, comment below if you use a different operating software.

The man who took the iconic Windows XP wallpaper photo has bitter regrets Lush green hills under a cobalt blue sky with precisely the right amount of fluffy clouds floating about. Who hasn't been lost in reverie staring at the default Windows XP wallpaper, dreaming of Mi...