The Benefits of On-Premise Collaboration Technologies for Enhancing Workplace Productivity

RHUB's CEO Larry Dorie highlights the advantages of on-premise collaboration solutions including improved security, branding and integration (with LDAP, etc.).

Enterprises are often faced with the challenge of increased demand on productivity, while operating under limited resources and tight budgets. But, with so many dynamics impacting workplace productivity, like managing connectivity across decentralized work teams, or, facilitating project coordination and communications among thousands of employees, more companies are now starting to deploy on-premise collaboration solutions to ensure optimal performance and consistent workflow, and all at a reasonable cost.  

But some companies are starting to realize that not all collaboration solutions are made the same. That’s why it’s important to factor in some key considerations when selecting a comprehensive collaboration solution that can be used by all major departments within an enterprise.

When considering a solution, start by collecting data from the user community to determine the various ways in which they need to collaborate and communicate internally or even externally with customers. What you will probably find is a collection of the following types of tool requirements:

• Interactive meeting tools for screen sharing, video conferencing and audio conferencing
• Webinar tools for making presentations to groups and training sessions
• Remote support tools for accessing user computers to provide technical support
• Remote access for accessing unattended computers. This mode can be used across an organization by IT reps for accessing servers and other enterprise computing resources, or, by individual employees for accessing a work computer or a home computer from home or while on the road.

These requirements can be met by a collection of hosted solutions or by on-premise solutions. On-premise has the advantage of providing all technology features within one framework and keeping the user environment consistent making it easier to support. On-premise also has the advantage of security, branding and integration. Security is enhanced because the system can sit behind the enterprise firewall and control access more stringently than hosted systems that use public servers. Branding, using the company’s unique imaging and logo, can be rather extensive making the user feel as if they are using the organization’s system. Integration can be a powerful function that makes these collaboration tools much easier for the user to find and access. By integrating with LDAP or AD, the IT user authentication load is greatly reduced and the user has a consistent mechanism for accessing the system. Other environments may also enhance accessibility via integration such as: an internal home page, key applications such as softphone clients and CRM systems. In all cases the goal is to make it a one-click step for the user to initiate a session when they want to.

Once you decide that on-premise is an advantage to your organization, the next decision is whether to go with a software solution or a dedicated appliance/server solution. The software solution does carry with it the added IT support of insuring compatibility every time a major component of the software stack is changed. If you plan to move to a newer OS or database, you need to insure that the collaboration software is compatible with the new OS or DB. If you change key applications on the shared server or upgrade the collaboration solution, you need to test that everything works well together. If, on the other hand, you select the dedicated appliance/server mechanism, there is virtually no IT workload beyond installation. All updates of the OS/DB and applications are managed by the vendor. In addition, this delivery approach can work very nicely with a private cloud implementation as just one of the components in the application stack.

Another thing to consider with a collaboration solution is its ability to deliver multi-media and interactive features. Modern multi-media collaboration tools provide a host of collaboration mechanisms, but when implementing these types of solutions, you will need a game plan for rolling out a consistent workflow approach in order to gain the most advantage. For example, a webcam video feature is a powerful tool for building relationships among team-members in disparate locations. Associating a name to a face is a part of our culture and helps us to better connect with team members. However, webcam video is a bandwidth consumer and can actually impact the overall performance of the system for other functions. A workflow practice that has been found to be effective is to start your meetings with a roundtable introduction by each team-member with their webcam active. After introductions, everyone turns off their webcam. If there is a main presenter in the group, it is helpful to have that person keep the webcam active during the formal part of the presentation and then turn it off for the more interactive part.

Since the multi-media feature of screen sharing is typically controlled by the meeting organizer, and can be passed from one person to the next as needed, it dictates a workflow that precludes ad hoc data sharing; and, therefore, it is less likely to consume a lot of bandwidth. The audio conference component uses very little bandwidth as well, and is usually controlled by the meeting host allowing the host to mute each individual attendee to keep the meeting flowing. For example, if a person on a speaker phone takes a cell phone call during the meeting and either puts the speaker phone on hold (with associated hold music) or just talks over it while on their cell, the host can keep this from interrupting the whole meeting by just muting the individual.

Interesting, even with all of the features and benefits of collaboration technologies, the collaboration solutions marketplace has only achieved about a 30 percent penetration of knowledge workers that would benefit from such tools. The analysts have identified two key inhibitors for deeper adoption: cost and ease of use.

Cost is a problem with hosted solutions because they are typically provided with a “named user” license. This means that the enterprise needs to procure a license for each user of the tool set, thus driving up costs and forcing someone to make a decision as to who can most benefit from such tools. On-premise software solutions also typically have a user license model and again drive up costs as the tools get allocated to more users. An approach that resolves this issue is to use a floating license/concurrent use approach. With this approach, the enterprise can provide tools to virtually everyone in an organization. The host licenses float among the entire user community and gets assigned in real-time on a concurrent use basis. If someone needs to host a meeting, they grab a meeting license, invite attendees by grabbing attendee licenses and this continues until all licenses are in concurrent use. The next person who wants to host a meeting has to wait until one of the active meetings is terminated. Once terminated that license becomes available to the next host etc. This approach makes maximum use of the tool in that seldom are all potential users actively holding sessions at the same time. With the “named user” approach, the license is only available to the specific user whether or not it’s being used.

In summary, the use of a floating license approach fully addresses the issue of lowering the cost to drive productivity tools deeper into the organization. In addition, the integration to corporate employee databases such as LDAP and Active Directory make implementing and managing the user community very easy. This entire process represents a no cost approach to improving productivity throughout the entire enterprise.

Deploy On Premise RHUB Remote Support Servers to Improve Remote Support Security

When it comes to working online, you can never be too safe. For quite some time, Internet specialists have been calling attention to the fact that numerous devices are exposed online, including surveillance cameras, medical devices, home monitoring systems, and more. Recently, a survey was conducted to identify computers with remote access software but with no password for security. Within just one hour, tens of thousands of computers were identified.

That is certainly a frightening prospect and serves to underscore the importance of ensuring that your remote support is completely secure. Once a prospective hacker gains access to your network, there are virtually no limits to the damage that can ensue. The recent spate of data breaches reported in the news, including breaches related to payment information from point-of-sale systems demonstrates just how serious this situation can be.

The question is what can you do to practice safe remote support computing? The solution is as simple as using RHUB remote support servers.

RHUB remote support servers assist in ensuring the remote access of your computers is secure while working from behind your computer’s firewall. As a result, you are able to view and take control of unattended desktops, servers, and even point-of-sale returns all within the convenience of real time and from any platform. Furthermore, you can do so with the knowledge that your system is protected by unparalleled security.

In considering how you can make your remote support more secure, it is important to remember that your security is only as strong as your weakest point. Unfortunately, remote support servers provide little in terms of access security. Additionally, remote support servers provide access to anyone who possesses a session ID and password. Such security can be compromised far too easily. All it takes is for the wrong person to read an email, gain access to someone’s calendar or use one of the many password cracking modules readily available. At that point, security is compromised and all of your confidential data could be vulnerable to an attack by a hacker. It can happen that quickly and that easily.

By comparison, RHUB remote support servers provide the opportunity to establish a virtual VPN between attendees and the host. Consequently, this limits the scope of the session’s attendance to only internal locations and addresses or specified external IP addresses. It should be noted that such policies are specifically designed to work alongside your internal security servers, including routers, firewalls, and other types of security devices that your organization may opt to use.

Ultimately, RHUB remote support servers offer the best possible security by restricting attendance to authorized attendees and locations. This works to prevent your systems and networks from hacker attacks. You gain the ability to work efficiently and with complete confident that your system is completely protected.

Take advantage of the opportunity to secure your networks and computers by utilizing RHUB remote support servers. To obtain more information, contact us at +44 (0)1925 659 523 or email us at rhub@collaboration-technologies.co.uk

5 steps for increasing web collaboration security for healthcare providers

Securing any enterprise is no small feat. This task becomes even more significant when it involves a healthcare organization. With the rapidly expanding use of web apps and collaboration tools in healthcare, coupled with the ongoing challenge of protecting patient data, it's no wonder that #healthcare institutions are now taking extreme measures to ensure that #security breaches don't occur within their organizations. http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/5-steps-for-increasing-web-collaboration-security-for-healthcare-providers.html

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

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.

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