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Why Your Company Needs a Federated Identity Manager

Your business needs many tools to be successful, but that becomes even more the case if you do a lot of work online. For instance, maybe you have a company where your workers log into a software suite every day and use its various features. This is a pretty common scenario.

You can purchase or rent such a software suite. You might rent it using the SaaS model, also called software as a service. You can also have a tech-savvy individual create a suite from scratch for you. You’ll own it, which is nice, but you’ll have to do all the admin work for it.

Either way, once you have your software suite set up, you may decide that your business needs a federated identity manager as well. We’ll talk about what exactly that is and why you may require it right now.

What Exactly is a Federated Identity Manager?

A federated identity manager is a system you set up that allows all of your users at separate enterprises to use identical verification methods when they want to access your tools and resources. The users, which in most cases are your employees, provide their identity, and the system gives them access.

The reason why you want to have one of these systems in place is that it is one of the more foolproof ways for you to tell that only authorized persons are getting into your system and seeing confidential information. If you have trade secrets your company is trying to protect, you’ll be glad such a system is in place.

You might also want one because it’s likely that your workers’ personal info is in your network. You will have their full names, physical addresses, phone numbers, and probably their social security numbers and bank account routing numbers as well. If you give them direct deposit as a payment option, they’ll turn over that bank account routing number, trusting you with it.

Other Useful Federated Identity Management Features

You might also decide to look into federated identity management for your company because you have different security clearance levels that you may choose to grant your different workers. If you have someone low down on the company totem pole, it doesn’t make sense to give them the same clearance levels that you would a CEO.

You can assign different security clearance levels using the federated identity management system. Some of your workers can access certain features or files, while others cannot.

The Single Username System

What’s also nice about the federated identity management option is that once you implement it, you can assign everyone in your company a username. You can also do the same for outside the company individuals with whom you have a working relationship. You might want them to be able to access your system but in a very limited capacity.

Once you give each worker and anyone else user names, they can access multiple systems and security domains if you have more than one. If you have a larger and more complex company with many subdivisions, this makes sense.

Less System Admin Strain

You’re also doing your IT department a huge favor if you set up a federated identity management system. Figuring out who should get access to what and allowing them the different security clearance levels is something your IT department would probably have to handle if federated identity management options did not exist.

You can assign a system admin to watch over your network, but they won’t have anywhere near as much on their plate if you put one of these systems in place. The admin can change the system when necessary, but once it’s up and running, they probably won’t have to do any major overhauls.

Adding new individuals to the system and changing clearance levels is probably most of what your admin will do. That shouldn’t take up too much of their time, and they can concentrate on other matters.

How Can You Find the Right Federated Identity Management System?

If you’re ready to put one of these systems in place for your company, you might wonder how to locate the right one. There are bespoke systems you can get an IT person to create for you, or you might buy an off-the-shelf one.

Either option can work for you. If you are not positive which way to go, talk to your IT department about it since they likely know all about these systems already.

September 1, 2021
File Watcher: Monitor Changes to Files and Folders
File Watcher is a standalone, open source, C# application that I have developed to serve a purpose that I needed for my data files. In a nutshell, File Watcher allows me to monitor several paths on my Windows server for any changes to the files or folders within those paths. Once changes are detected, one of several functions can then be performed. These functions include: sending a notification via an API request, performing an action (copy, move, delete), or running a command – such as an executable.

The post below will outline the idea and development of File Watcher.

The idea of File Watcher

It has been a few years since I have written about my backup strategy for my data files. For all intents and purposes, I have been using the same strategy for years. The number of files has grown over the years since I talked about my backup strategy, but my strategy hasn’t changed.

As with everything I do in computers, I like to revisit things, and while reviewing how my files are stored I came to realize that I don’t monitor the files in two ways:
1. If files are accidently, or malicously changed. The files I store are mainly family photos and videos, which I never want to change, os if one does change, how will I know unless I open each file.
2. If files are changed in a small way, how can I detect if even a bit in the files has changed. There are file systems that can detect and correct this, but since I am on Windows, my file system doesn’t have this capability.
Some may think that I have become paranoid about my files, but when it comes to family memories – I can’t replace those files if they become unreadable, or drastically altered. Besides, I figured there may be some way I can automate monitoring and validating my files without having to manually do so. In addition, when the files are monitored, I would like to be notified if something is detected that I would need to take action on.

In the post where I talked about backing up my files automatically, I mentioned that I had a staging service that I had developed that monitored a specific staging folder for files, and then moved those files to their actual folders. This allowed me to make the staging folder a read/write share on my desktop, and the share containing the actual folder as read-only to help avoid accidental changes. I decided to use what I learned from this staging service to develop a new, more feature-rich application that will do more than just move files from one folder to another.

The features of File Watcher

After developing File Watcher, I included the following functions:

Completely open source

File Watcher is open source, and can be found (and downloaded) from the Github File Watcher repo.

Portable

The application does not require it to be installed. You can just unzip the file from Github, create a configuration file, and then run the executable. You can, as I do now, run it as a Windows service to ensure it is always running.

Wiki documentation

I have created documention for File Watcher in the Github repo to help create the configuration file and run the application.

Configuration via XML file

While I could have used JSON, or another markup language, I settled on XML as my configuration file type. The reason is because I find XML is easier to read and understand. I did leave open the possibilty of supporting multiple configuration markup languages in the future, though.

Monitor multiple paths

File Watcher can monitor changes to several different paths on both an internal and external hard drive. I don’t recommend using it to monitor a network share, such as a connection to a NAS.

Send notifications

If a change is detected in a path, File Watcher can send an API request to an endpoint for notifications. I currently use File Watcher to send a request to my Gotify server if a change is detected. To avoid overloading my server, I implemented a hard-coded minimum of 30 seconds between requests (the messages are queued), but this time can be set higher in the configuration file.

Perform a specific action

Three actions – copy, move, or delete – can be performed if a change is detected. This allows me to replace my staging server, as File Watcher can copy files from my staging folder to the actual folder. I simply have File Watcher monitor the path of my staging folder for changes.

Execute a command

In addition to monitoring my files, I also developed an application that generates hashes for all files in a folder and stores the hashes in a text file in that folder. I then run monthly compares that will validate the current file hash matches the stored hash value to see if the file has changed. File Watcher will run the same hash-generating application when a new file is created, so I automatically get a new hash for the file for comparison the next time I run the monthly comparison.

Exclude files and folders

File Watcher does have the ability to ignore changes to files and folders based on file or folder names, attributes, and path values. If a file or folder change matches any item on the exclusion lists, then the change isn’t processed.

Process files only specific changes

Some folders I didn’t need to process changes for all types of file changes. For example, with my staging folder I only needed to process files that were created – not changed or deleted. With File Watcher, I provided the ability to only trigger the functions when a specific change is detected.

File Watcher is a new application that I recently developed to fulfill a need that I had with my current data files. It was built to monitor specific paths on my server, and notify me of any changes that have been made to the files. As with all my developed projects, File Watcher will continue to be developed with new features that I may need or someone has requested.

This is an application that I will be using for many years to come.
August 27, 2021
Technology for the Legal Profession

All high profile lawyers in the legal profession know that taking a case to trial and winning depends almost 100 percent on their presentation of the facts they’ve collected. It is no longer a courtroom of noisy lawyers waving discriminating photos high in the air, shocking jurors with vivid images of the state’s exhibits A to Z. Electronic courtrooms exists in nearly every jurisdiction, allowing jurors, attorneys and judges to view all documents from desktop computers.

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August 25, 2021
Top 4 Issues with Peripherals You Can Come Across

You may be fully satisfied with your flawlessly working Mac until some unexpected, unexplainable issues pop up. One of the most frequent causes of concern is the trouble with peripherals. Such problems may reveal themselves differently, ranging from a dead USB port to non-detected Bluetooth headphones. Any connectivity problem like this can be quickly addressed with the help of DIY means, which we disclose in this article to help you manage minor Mac issues without engaging costly repair services.

Unresponsive USB

The simplest answer to a question of failing USB connection is the malfunctioning of the device itself. It often happens that low-quality, cheap USB devices fail all of a sudden, so your Mac is not to blame for the absent connection. So, it would be best if you double-checked whether the USB flash drive works well or whether the cable you’re using is in working condition before suspecting any Mac problems.

If the peripherals are in good working condition (and are compatible with your Mac’s settings), it’s time to suspect internal issues. To clarify the reason for the failing operation, you need to reset the Mac SMC or the device’s NVRAM/PRAM. These two core features of your iOS are responsible for the fundamental properties of the system’s functioning, so by returning to the default settings, you can quickly get your Mac’s USB functionality back to order.

Bluetooth headphones

Bluetooth headphones are a great invention improving the user experiences, but once something goes wrong, you may find it a bit harder to get things straight. First, you need to check whether your headphones are sufficiently charged and operate without failure. It’s also vital that their discoverable mode is turned on.

If the headphones are double-checked but still don’t appear in the list of connected devices, it’s time to reboot your Bluetooth on a Mac. Turn the function off and on, trying to reconnect the headphones again.

If none of the methods mentioned above works, it’s time to restart your Mac entirely. Turn your Bluetooth function on, remove some Bluetooth devices from the list (if you’re currently using too many), and restart the computer once again. Additional measures may include finding and disabling interfering apps and looking for the Apple updates for your iOS, which may revive the Bluetooth function.

Managing several devices

Once you see that the USB port stopped working and you have several peripherals turned on simultaneously, it’s better to turn all devices except for the tested one off. Once this is done, you’ll see much clearer whether the problem is in the USB port of your Mac or some other intervening device, such as a USB concentrator.

Dead USB-C port

The latest generation of Macs has only USB-C ports to ensure your device’s connectivity with peripherals, so it’s vital to ensure that they work at all times. Otherwise, you might lose a significant portion of your gadget’s functionality. Once you notice that your USB-C port has stopped working correctly, you need to restart your Mac to revive its performance and get rid of some cumbersome processes that drag its CPU and harm its core features.

After the “shock” of the abrupt shutdown and reboot, the USB-C port is naturally expected to start working again (if it was some minor technical glitch). If it doesn’t, you can take more advanced measures, such as resetting your SMC responsible for the core functions of the battery, fans, and ports. An SMC reboot can revive these functions and get your Mac back to normal functioning.

As you can see, Mac users often come across some problems with peripherals, which may be quickly resolved with simple troubleshooting. No need to rush to a local repair service; you can rectify your Mac’s performance on your own.

August 23, 2021
How to Remove Applications from the Mac Computer?
Over time, every Mac user may realize there are too many unused applications on the device. If only uninstalling unnecessary programs was as easy as moving the icons to the Trash, but unfortunately, it is not so simple. Every time when you uninstall an app incorrectly, some files may remain on the hard drive, taking up space and slowing down the computer. Of course, many apps have automatic uninstallers but there are still tons of programs without this useful feature.

Needless to say, any unused app on your Mac should be removed properly. In our article, we will explain how to uninstall unnecessary applications successfully without wasting a lot of time. Follow our tips you can use without problems!

Which applications should be removed?
Of course, it depends on what kind of software you have installed on your device and which problems you have to solve. In general, we recommend removing the next programs:
- Any apps that were downloaded from not trustworthy sites because they may contain viruses that can harm your computer.
- Programs that take up a lot of RAM. Of course, you may need some apps that eat up a lot of space but check out, maybe you have some unnecessary software that does it too.
- All the applications you are not using for the last 2-3 months. We guarantee you will not need them for the next 2-3 months, and if not, it’s better to download and install them later.
- Any installed programs with the same features as other software you use on the computer. It’s better to choose one app to not overload your device.
What if an application was deleted accidentally?

Do not worry! You can easily restore any program you have removed using a Time Machine backup. You should also remember that if that was a program from official sources (Apple Books or iTunes Store), you can download those programs again without problems. And, if you accidentally deleted any part of the operating system on the Mac, then it’s better to reinstall the system.

Is it necessary to use uninstallers?

Some applications have their own uninstallers, so you can remove them easily and fast just when you want. Of course, it’s better to use an uninstaller but if something went wrong, then you should try to remove the program manually or try an automatic cleaner that will help you to keep your computer free from unnecessary apps. We suggest installing only those programs that have their own uninstallers, but if you need an app without this, it is not difficult to remove it later with a special cleaning program.

Uninstalling programs manually

If you choose to delete applications manually, then you should have at least minimal experience in understanding computer files because you can accidentally remove some important things from your device, including system files. Be informed that you will not only have to delete the app itself, but check out if there are any traces of it on the computer, and remove all the files that could still leave there. Please feel free to read here more detailed information about app removal.

Uninstalling programs automatically

If you are not an experienced computer geek, then it’s better to remove unnecessary programs using special software that can do it automatically without problems. You can find a great variety of software for successful app deleting. It doesn’t require any experience and it’s very easy to use the program. In fact, you don’t need to do anything, except confirming the removal. The program will find unused software and unnecessary applications automatically.
Removing unused applications from the Mac will help to restore its performance and clean space on its drive. Needless to say, if your device’s memory is clogged with unnecessary files, it starts working slower. Take care of your device and delete unused software from time to time. If you use a special program to delete files automatically, it’s simple to scan your Mac regularly to find unnecessary software. Of course, you should download all the programs from trustworthy sources to avoid viruses.
August 3, 2021
Tips on Reducing Ransomware Attack Risks

As a business owner, there are many things you need to keep an eye on. This includes watching the business finances, dealing with staffing, and making sure you have the right services and equipment in place for efficient operation. Another thing you need to do is protect your business, and one of the things you need to protect against is cybercrime.

With businesses now more reliant than ever on digital technology, the risks in relation to cybercrime activities have rocketed. Technology has become increasingly sophisticated over recent years, but so have the methods used by cybercriminals. This means that it is up to you as a business owner to ensure you have measures in place to protect your data, files, and systems from problems such as ransomware attacks, which can cause a huge amount of damage to businesses in a variety of ways. In this article, we will look at some tips to help you to reduce the risk of ransomware attacks.

What you can do

There are a number of steps that you can take in order to protect your business against cybercrime such as ransomware attacks. Some of the ways in which you can do this are:

Educate your employees

One of the things you need to do is to prevent these attacks from occurring in the first place, and this can be done by educating your employees. There are various ways in which ransomware can enter your systems, and often this is due to staff members being unaware that they are doing something that could potentially put the business at risk from this type of attack. This includes opening suspicious attachments or clicking on links in phishing emails. So, make sure your staff are trained to identify the possible risks.

Have a reliable backup

Another thing you need to do is to ensure you have a reliable backup of your files and data in case your systems are infected. If you are hit with a ransomware attack, you can wipe the infected files and replace them from a reliable backup source. This can save you a lot of headaches and stress as well as money. Using a reliable cloud backup solution is something that a lot of businesses do, as it offers affordability, ease, efficiency, and convenience. It also means that you can benefit from the advanced security that is put into place by the operators of the third-party servers.

Protect your backup

Of course, you must never underestimate the expertise of cybercriminals when it comes to conducting their questionable activities. These days, they can also affect your backed up data, and this means you also need to protect this for additional peace of mind. Using solutions such as Veeam Object Lock can add that extra layer of protection so that cybercriminals cannot access and change your files and data. You can also protect your data with a robust cloud-to-cloud backup solution that backs up data stored in one cloud backup service to another, making it virtually impossible for critical data to be lost from cyber attacks.

These are some of the key steps that you can take to protect your business from this type of activity.

July 23, 2021
4 Ways in Which Prototyping Saves Time

Prototyping specifically for more complicated projects usually provides a great prospect to solve issues before web advancement starts.

Prototypes are interactive, functional explanations of a web or a website application. Wireframes offer a time-saving, lower-cost technique to come up with complex business guidelines and design ideas.

Here are four ways in which prototyping saves time:

1. Consider using a disposable prototype as a prospective disposable artifact

Rapid prototyping instruments usually give you an excellent level of independence. With adequate determination, you can create a whole product without the input of an engineer. However, reality kicks in when you are midway through the development of the standard prototype.

Every adjustment usually generates a ripple outcome that gets in contact with two dozen unconnected screens and goes ahead to break other screens. Therefore, the primary goal of prototyping is generally to get a response that controls the final project design.

Also, you can save time by spinning up particular prototypes because your team requires them. When you limit the general scope of individual prototypes, you will be at liberty to complete other tasks without stressing about current maintenance.

2. Establish a valid purpose for every prototype

Prototypes are specifically useful for:

Collecting client’s feedback

It would be best to use actual page animations and interactions to assist users in learning and understanding your perspective ideas.

Attaining executive buy-in

An administrative buy-in will enable you to convey plans succinctly and quickly.

Account and sales management

It will help you share new strategies and ideas with possible renewals, key accounts, and prospects. Getting to know your prototype’s fundamental purpose and drive will assist you in defining your project’s scope plus the degree of fidelity that you require.

3. Define the prospective prototype’s requirements in advance

In many design projects, fidelity and scope usually define a prototype’s development time and cost. A prototype’s degree of fidelity is measured in different dimensions such as:

Scope

You need to determine what kind of screens the prototype requires.

Aesthetics

You need to determine if you are prototyping with a full-color computer, mockups, sketchy or quick.

Interaction

Ensure you determine if other controls and buttons require actual mouse-over conditions. Also, will you have to use animated animations on tap, or can you reload the current page?

Content

Be in a position to determine if you will need to use a professional or lorem ipsum product-approved copy. Additionally, will you be required to paste demo data into your designs, or can you tie it into a particular back-end?

Code

Ensure to determine if you will develop in a code such as HTML or Objective-C.

4. Stay in-plane design for a while

Responsiveness to UI designs usually increases when the deadline approaches. So you should issue a last call for responses even before you begin developing. Afterward, you need to save the communications until the date of the actual deadline.

Additionally, you can use prototyping software to help you save time by transforming static designs into clickable prototypes that look like the finished products. This will help your team feel recognized, plus you can use your time improving strategies rather than reconstructing the prospective prototype.

In conclusion, ensure you use these tips to save time during prototyping. Therefore you can spend your extra time advancing the prospective prototype.

June 30, 2021
What Is Social Media Moderation and Why Do You Need It?

Social media is one of the strongest platforms to promote your business. Most people use these platforms to boost their social life and communicate with others.

However, it is also used by marketers to promote their brands. The majority of the businesses invest money in social media marketing. It is the easiest way to connect with the target audience.

However, these platforms can be pretty dangerous for your business. Nowadays, you will find lots of inappropriate, hateful, and abusive content on social media.

As everyone has the freedom to like, comment, share and upload on social media, it has become very toxic. Because of this reason, it is essential to opt for social media moderation services.

It will help you to filter and remove all the inappropriate, offensive, and irrelevant content related to your business.

There are many companies which provide this service. If you don’t have a moderation team, you can outsource this service to other moderation companies.

Why do you need Social Media moderation services?

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Monitoring audience content

It is very important to monitor the content your followers post on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Pinterest. Everyone has complete liberty and freedom to express their opinion. However, sometimes, they might post sensitive, irrelevant, and hateful content, which might trigger other people and spoil your business image. But, with social media moderation, you can easily monitor all the audience content in real-time to filter out all the inappropriate things.

Filter inappropriate content

With social media moderation service, you will get effective tools that help to automatically filter all the inappropriate content in different languages. For example, if some use abusive language on your post, it will atomically be removed from the comment section. It will help you to protect your business.

Authenticate followers

When it comes to social media, the more followers you have, the better image it creates. However, not all followers are genuine. Most of the time, people deliberately crate fake accounts and profiles to troll your business and harass other people. So, it is very important to know whether an account is genuine or not. Social media moderation helps you to authenticate the followers to avoid trolling and spamming issues.

Increases web traffic

The main reason why businesses use social media is for promotion. Nowadays, you will find social media widgets on the website. You can simply click on it to visit the social media platforms. Social media presence helps you to attract more visitors and drive traffic to your site. It also helps you to increase the conversion rate and boost sales.

Improves audience engagement

When you use a social media marketing strategy or launch a new campaign, you need to assess whether it is successful or not. In order to determine that, you can simply track the user engagement. You can check the likes, shares, comment section, and all the other things to find out how well the audience is reacting and engaging with your business.

Improves client relationship

Social media is one of the most important links to improve client relationships. Most people take it to social media to ask queries or to raise concerns. With the help of social media moderation, you can easily improve client relationships.

June 29, 2021