Tuesday, 26 August 2014

Make Webinar Presentations to More People for Less with RHUB Web Conferencing Servers

Did you know that you can conduct webinars on your own with up to 3,000 attendees? Were you aware that you can conduct such webinars for just a single one-time cost? Businesses are now increasingly looking for ways in which travel costs can be reduced while simultaneously reaching out to larger audiences in a global setting. Webinars provide the perfect solution and can be set up in just a few minutes. Furthermore, it is possible to set up a webinar without any support form IT while generating highly qualified marketing leads. With RHUB web conferencing servers, you can take advantage of the opportunity to make a presentation to literally hundreds of people from your PC or Mac. Those presentations can even be enhanced with HD video conferencing.
RHUB web conferencing servers allow you to quickly and easily manage your webinars, accept registrations online, retrieve those registrations and even integrate registration on your website by simply copying and pasting sample HTML code.
The steps below can help you to initiate a successful webinar registration in just a few minutes:
1. Begin by logging into your Web Conferencing Server management using your Turbomeeting Server address.
2. You will see three options displayed on the left menu. Those options are:
  • A User Registration Form with your server URL, which can be used by your attendees for registering for your webinar.
  • Webinar Management, which can be used as an option for retrieving webinars within a specified date range.
  • Sample Registration Page where you can create your own registration page.
Configuring your Webinar Registration
With the Configuration Webinar Registration, you can specify a headline for your webinar to serve as a welcome message that can be displayed to your attendees. You can also determine which fields will be required to be completed by attendees. For instance, if you want to require that attendees enter a phone number while registering for your webinar, you can do so. It is even possible to enter a customized field based on your requirements. A confirmation page following registration gives you the ability to utilize the default message, which can be edited, or you can direct attendees to your own URL after they have registered for your webinar.
You also have the ability to select an option that will display all of the upcoming webinars scheduled for the next several days. This allows your attendees to see all of the upcoming webinars when they are registering.
Simply click on the Submit button to configure your Webinar Registration in the way you would like it to appear to your attendees.
Management
With the Management option, you can have an opportunity to retrieve all of your webinars from a specified date range. You can also create a new webinar. This option allows you to send out invitations by email to all of your attendees.
As you can see, you have a wealth of options available for your webinar registration and management using RHUB web conferencing servers. To obtain additional information about creating and managing successful webinar registrations, contact us at +44 (0)1925 659523 or email us at rhub@collaboration-technologies.co.uk

The Time to Increase Security Against Malware with RHUB Remote Support Servers Is Now

Security breaches have become so common, they are increasingly part and parcel of the day’s headlines. While not all of the breaches have common links, one thing they can have in common is poor remote access security. 
According to recent data releases, malicious hackers are now taking advantage of publicly available tools in order to specifically locate and identify businesses that utilize remote desktop applications. Remote desktop solutions such as Apple Remote Desktop, Microsoft’s Remote Desktop, Splashtop 2, Chrome Remote Desktop, LogMeIn, Pulseway, Join.Me, and others certainly provide a tremendous amount of efficiency and convenience when it comes to connecting to a computer via a remote location. Unfortunately, they can also serve as a gateway for hackers.
Once those applications have been identified, persons with malicious intent can attempt to force the login feature of the remote desktop solution. Once the suspect has gained access to what was previously a secure access account, it is possible to deploy a point-of-sale malware. As a result, the suspects are then able to remove consumer payment data using an encrypted POST request.
This dire situation has become increasingly common. Similar attacks have been seen in PoS malware campaign. Some studies now indicate that specifically targeting Remote Desktop Protocol through Bruteforce attacks is definitely on the rise.
In some instances, remote desktop access connections are provided for the purpose of allowing employees to gain access to their computer while working at home or from another remote location. Other remote access connections are established to allow outsourcers and IT administrators to manage and support desktops. Whatever the case may be, it has become crucial for such remote desktop connections to be secured. Since such connections often include critical admin-level permissions that can be exploited by hackers, securing those connections is of the utmost importance.
Some might argue that if an end-user is only using RDP for accessing a single desktop, there is no threat. This is not actually the case. Even in such a situation, it is possible for those credentials to be utilized for installed malware on the system. Once an individual desktop has been compromised, hackers can utilize that desktop to serve as a base for accessing other systems.
So, what can a business do to improve remote access security? The following guidelines can help:
  • Begin by configuring account lockout settings so that user accounts are locked after a specified period of time. Account lockout settings can also be configured so that the account is locked after a certain number of failed login attempts, thus preventing an unlimited number of unauthorized attempts via an automated attack such as with Bruteforce.
  • It is also a good idea to limit the number of users who are able to log in using RDP.
  • Firewalls, both hardware and software, should be used in order to restrict access to remote desktop listening ports.
  • Complex password parameters should be defined. Establishing an expiration time is also an excellent way to reduce the amount of time in which an attack can successfully occur.
  • The installation of a Remote Desktop Gateway is another way to restrict access.
  • Administrative privileges should be limited for users and applications.
  • Systems should be reviewed periodically for dormant and unknown users.
In situations in which remote access is used for technical support, security can be advanced by following a few additional guidelines:
  • Remote access tools should be consolidated so that all inside and external remote access can be managed and monitored.
  • Once a central remote access solution is implemented, the need to open listening ports no longer exists. By blocking opening listening ports, such as TCP 3389, it is possible to shut off that access point for hackers.
  • Two-factor authentication is imperative. Additionally, each individual should be issued unique login credentials. Vendors and IT teams all too frequently share logins in an effort to save money on the cost of licenses, but this serves to weaken 2FA, thus making it impossible to audit who is actually doing what on a system.
  • Along with limiting admin privileges for applications and users, it is also a good idea to restrict when and where users are able to remotely access the system.
  • Keep in mind that while reviewing the system for dormant and unknown users is a good first step, it is better to establish alerts for unexpected activity. For instance, you might set up an alert that will notify you when a login occurs on the weekend or overnight.
Being proactive is always better than responding after the fact. With a full audit trail capture of remote access activity, it is possible to establish a warning system before real damage can be done. Security is multi-layered and it is important to recognize that no single solution will provide all of the protection that you need from a potential data breach. By locking down the initial entry pathway even further, it is possible to significantly increase your chances of keeping hackers at bay.
Are you interested in learning more about how you can benefit from a more secure remote support? Contact us at +44 (0)1925 659523 or email us at rhub@collaboration-technologies.co.uk

Tuesday, 19 August 2014

Protect your Systems from Attacks by Using RHUB Remote Support Servers

Recently, security researchers uncovered a global cybercriminal operation. Thousands of computers were compromised by the operation, which attempted to gain access into point-of-sale (POS) system through the use of brute-force techniques for guessing remote administration credentials.
The computers utilized in the attack were part of a botnet, which has been nicknamed BrutPOS. Believed to be active since at least February, the botnet works by scanning specific IP address ranges for systems accepting Remote Desktop Protocol connections.
When a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) service is identified by one of the computers, common user names and passwords are used by the malware in an attempt to log into that connection. In the event that the credentials are successful, the information is then transferred to command-and-control servers. At that point, attackers make a determination regarding whether the system is a POS terminal. If it is a point-of-sale terminal, a malware program is installed in in order to extract payment card details.
While it certainly seems as though RDP connection attacks are on the rise, they are not actually new. In fact, they have been going on for years. Originally developed by Microsoft, RDP is a type of proprietary protocol that allows users to benefit from a graphical interface to connect with other computers through a network connection. RDP was first designed to allow remote access on a LAN. Consequently, security issues can occur when support teams use RDP on the Internet for establishing connections with systems off the network. This is because such connections can often result in compromised security, including allowing default ports to be opened.
The real problem is that such ports can be extremely vulnerable and far too easy for hackers to identify. Login credentials are often frequently susceptible to such Brutforce POS attacks because such credentials are often shared. To make matters even worse, hackers can often gain access to an organization’s internal network when compromised workstations are connected to the internal network. Hacking RDP connections can prove to be quite profitable for hackers because they can gain control of your organization’s servers and then sell the relevant credentials for targeted systems as lucrative commodities in the cyber criminal underground. While RDP attacks may not be new, they do certainly appear to be on the rise.
In a litany of recent credit card breaches at businesses ranging from discount stores to restaurants, this most recent attack serves as yet one more example of how RDP connections can be targeted and even successfully compromised by hackers. This is precisely why we recommend the use of RHUB remote support servers for RDP as it allows IT administrators to continue using RDP in a safe and secure manner without any vulnerability to such malicious attacks.
If you are not yet a customer of RHUB, become one today and learn how you can protect your systems from attacks by hackers. Call us at +44 (0)1925 659523 or email us at rhub@collaboration-technologies.co.uk for more information.

Friday, 1 August 2014

Remote Support and Web Conferencing iOS App Offers Same Level of Functionality

With the iPhone and iPad becoming more mainstream, they have also increasingly become a topic of hot conversation at RHUB. It seems that everyone today has an app for everything. The idea of developing a RHUB app for the iPad has always been appealing. Even so, we were cautious about moving forward with the release of an app because we did not want to rush into throwing out a hastily developed piece of technology that would not really allow our users to do to do everything that they needed to be able to do. 
RHUB has become known as a feature-rich solution that provides our customers with in-depth functionality and support tools. We are quite proud of our competitiveness and the fact that we are the only product on the market that can provide that level of robust functionality. In the process of developing an app, we wanted to ensure that we did not offer anything less than the best when it came to remote support and web conferencing from the iPad. We believe that this is precisely what we were able to do with our app.
The RHUB iPad app gives businesses almost all of the same functionality as they are able to enjoy when providing remote support or conducting online meetings from a laptop or desktop. In fact, the RHUB iPad console extends far beyond the capability of basic remote access or online meeting app. With our robust app, users can join or even host meetings from anywhere and at any time with their iPhones or iPads. This makes the app tremendously beneficial for frequent travelers as well as anyone else who does not want to be tied down to a laptop or computer while hosting or joining meetings. The app makes it possible for users to maintain complete flexibility.
Available from the Apple App Store, TurboMeeting iOS app for iPhone and iPad provides users with a wealth of robust capabilities, including:
  • Join meetings and be able to be heard and hear others through VoIP. Users can also participate in chat or polls as well as become a controller with the app.
  • Begin a remote support session with the iPad or iPhone controlling another Mac computer or Windows PC.
  • Host interactive webinars or meetings
As the world becomes increasingly mobile, it has also become more important for our users to be able to accomplish more from their mobile devices. By providing our customers with the same level of functionality on mobile devices that is available from a laptop or computer, we are continuing to improve the level of support that we are able to provide to our valued customers. While mobile technology may well continue to evolve and develop in the future, RHUB will be there to meet those developments and provide the same unparalleled functionality, mobility, and flexibility.
To learn more about the RHUB iOS app, contact us at +44 (0)1925 659523 or email us at rhub@collaboration-technologies.co.uk