Tips

Tips

• 5 easy ways to deal with irregular data for improved BI reporting

  Tips on how to make irregular data more consistent, accurate and reliable, in order to improve BI reporting and ensure better-informed business decisions.  Continue Reading

• Online authentication methods: Personal information cards and Web SSO

  Learn more about information cards authentication and how it can help lock down online authentication at your organisation.  Continue Reading

• Networking basics: The importance of strong networking support

  When working on server and storage enhancements IT departments can’t afford to overlook virtual networking support; it’s important to ensure the data centre is up to the challenge.  Continue Reading

• Mainframe tape backup: Vintage or outdated?

  This year, the UK mainframe community will abandon its 1980s-style tape backup technologies, according to this systems integrator.  Continue Reading

• Design change management procedure in five easy steps

  Clear-cut change management procedure is essential for success of any enterprise-wide IT deployment. Follow these simple steps to get it perfectly right.  Continue Reading

• Cloud migration strategies for smoother P2V2C transitions

  Cloud migration is a journey of many steps. These few simple tips can ensure that the transformation from physical to virtual to cloud remains smooth.  Continue Reading

• Security awareness training mantras from Central Bank of India

  Get insights into Central Bank of India’s comprehensive information security awareness training programs.  Continue Reading

• How to perform a proper, secure third-party software download

  Pushing third-party software downloads without thoroughly checking them may result in unintended code overwrites. Prevent such overwrites with this advice from Michael Cobb.  Continue Reading

• Four handy botnet detection techniques and tools: A tutorial

  This tutorial will help you determine the right techniques and tools for effective botnet detection.  Continue Reading

• Radiagate brings information sharing privacy issues to fore

  National security concerns often demand information sharing of private data. But ensuring security and sanctity of data along the custody chain is critical  Continue Reading

• Four DR plan tips for virtualized environments

  The DR plan for virtualized environments needs special attention. Here are four tips to optimize your DR plan for complexities arising from virtualization.  Continue Reading

• Tackle top 3 change management process challenges

  Here’s the rundown on how companies can successfully handle any aversion to change management process.  Continue Reading

• Outsourcing IT and cloud models serve as carbon emission escape routes

  Grab the opportunity to offload data centre carbon emissions with cloud models and through outsourcing IT functions, our expert suggests.  Continue Reading

• Stack wars: The cloud OEMpires strike back

  Increased consolidated converged infrastructure and cloud offerings from OEMs that once extolled a best-of-breed approach cause problems for users trying to pick the right stack.  Continue Reading

• SAN management tips for virtualized environments

  Server virtualization brings into the picture several SAN management challenges. Here’s a list of quick SAN management cures for virtualized environments.  Continue Reading

• Three automated penetration testing tools for your arsenal

  Automated penetration testing tools provide effective exploit libraries and processes to detect network, as well as application vulnerabilities. Our picks.  Continue Reading

• Cloud computing: Reincarnated SOA?

  Even if you recall the failed entry of service-oriented architecture on the scene a decade ago, don’t write it off today. With cloud computing, SOA’s approach to legacy systems may bring app store-like success.  Continue Reading

• Hypervisor security planning: Guidelines

  With proliferation of server virtualization, hypervisor security is an emerging concern. Though theoretical, we look at the risks and mitigation measures.  Continue Reading

• Public cloud adoption methodology of VivaConnect

  Adoption of public cloud may be ridden with risks. This public cloud adoption methodology of VivaConnect will help you avoid a few bloopers.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft licensing and virtualisation: Taxation needn't be taxing

  When you understand Microsoft’s licensing policies, the so-called “Microsoft tax” disappears and the company’s “virtualisation discount” becomes available.  Continue Reading

• Free disaster recovery plan template download; design guidelines

  In this tip, learn how to design an effective disaster recovery (DR) plan. Also includes a downloadable disaster recovery plan template.  Continue Reading

• Cloud applications: Five migration tips from Gartner

  Gartner offers tips on how IT organizations which desire to carry out cloud application migration can do so in an effective manner.  Continue Reading

• VA/PT technical report writing best practices for pen testers

  A good technical report is indispensible to vulnerability analysis/penetration testing (VA/PT) exercises. Guidelines on how to write concise VA/PT reports.  Continue Reading

• 4 simple data center power management tricks

  Start with these straightforward tips to achieve optimum data center power management and slash your power bill.  Continue Reading

• How to use the free Microsoft Security Risk Management Guide

  Every organisation needs to perform risk assessments, but not all have the resources to do so. Learn how the free Microsoft Security Risk Management Guide can help.  Continue Reading

• Server evaluation trends: Detailed insights from Gartner

  Gartner provides an in-depth analysis on the Indian server hardware market and trends till 2012, while helping you determine your buying strategy.  Continue Reading

• Reducing carbon emissions leads to carbon-neutral services

  Data centre providers are implementing green technology in their data centre designs in order to reduce carbon emissions and offer carbon-neutral services.  Continue Reading

• Public cloud infrastructure adoption best practices

  Although public clouds are an easy alternative to building your own IT infrastructure, it’s not free of risks. Note these tips when adopting public cloud infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• 6 data warehouse design mistakes to avoid

  Although difficult, flawless data warehouse design is a must for a successful BI system. Avoid these six mistakes to make your data warehouse perfect.  Continue Reading

• Demystifying wardriving: An overview

  With companies like Google being criticized for wardriving, this tip aims at decoding the concept and the associated legal implications.  Continue Reading

• Risk assessment methodology for disaster recovery

  A successful disaster recovery plan begins with risk assessment methods to identify and rate risks that could cause incidents with negative business impact.  Continue Reading

• Secure public Wi-Fi: Locking down employees' Wi-Fi security settings

  When it comes to public Wi-Fi, it's safest to assume all hotspots are hostile. In this tip, Michael Cobb gives security strategies for preventing data leakage via public wireless networks.  Continue Reading

• Your enterprise wireless LAN questions answered

  Got wireless LAN questions? Our expert has solutions to 802.11n migration, wireless LAN troubleshooting and mesh network design.  Continue Reading

• RFID projects: Implementation considerations, RFID security concerns

  RFID projects can aid organisations in many ways, including improving physical security. Learn more in this tip from Michael Cobb.  Continue Reading

• Webcast: What is the tipping point for desktop virtualisation?

  In this upcoming webcast discover what desktop virtualisation technologies other IT professionals are seriously considering, as revealed in SearchVirtualDataCentre.co.UK's recent survey.  Continue Reading

• VMware snapshot best practices

  Expert insights to help organizations ensure efficient VMware virtual machine snapshot mechanisms.  Continue Reading

• REVIEW: Synology DS1511+

  Synology’s DS1511+ is a NAS with intriguing possibilities that become apparent once you get over some irritating glitches.  Continue Reading

• Citrix per-server licensing and the floating anonymous user

  The features of Citrix licensing and the vendor’s per-server license model is revealed by our virtualisation expert, and he mightily approves the strategy Citrix uses.  Continue Reading

• PCI self assessment questionnaire (SAQ) checklist for small merchants

  The first of this two-part series details how small merchants can define risks, and select the self assessment questionnaire (SAQ) for PCI DSS compliance.  Continue Reading

• SAP training in Gurgaon, India: Complete course information

  Here is a one-stop guide for resources related to SAP training in Gurgaon, India. Visit this page regularly for updates.  Continue Reading

• Implement job rotation for team motivation, productivity

  Indian CXOs are increasingly experimenting with job rotation for team motivation and productivity. Find out why job rotation helps, and how M&M practices it.  Continue Reading

• IAM solution implementation: Challenges & resolution

  IAM solution implementation programs must be carefully managed, lest they hit roadblocks due to over-ambitious objectives or uneducated stakeholders.  Continue Reading

• Issues with data centre power generation and power management

  Learn to deal efficiently with data centre power generation and management. Our green data centre expert discusses how to properly distribute energy with minimum losses.  Continue Reading

• Data warehousing best practices: Part II

  Use these 10 data warehousing best practices to develop a reliable and efficient data warehouse.  Continue Reading

• Why VDI is a data centre game-changer

  Although you’ll get benefits from bringing regional offices in-house with virtual desktops, challenges come with VDI and IT management, according to this reseller.  Continue Reading

• 5 non-monetary rewards for your IT teams

  Non-monetary rewards are an effective way to motivate employees. Learn five non-monetary rewards that CIOs can make use of to motivate their teams.  Continue Reading

• Data warehousing best practices: Part I

  These data warehousing best practices will facilitate an organization’s development of an efficient data warehouse.  Continue Reading

• Data champion: Decoding role and responsibilities

  Data champion is the new buzz word. As companies invest in BI and DW, a data champion is becoming important to ensure returns on these investments.  Continue Reading

• Continuing Education

  It's April, you've recovered from the Christmas shutdown and your next review period is coming up. What can you do to increase your chances of that pay rise?  Continue Reading

• 5 common data center power design mistakes

  Flaws in data center power design can prove to be costly or even catastrophic. Common mistakes can be avoided using the guidelines outlined in this article.  Continue Reading

• Secure SDLC best practices

  While focus on technicalities is a given during the SDLC, this tip explains how to secure the SDLC, from the analysis phase right through to deployment.  Continue Reading

• 4 virtual server backup considerations

  Backup of virtual servers is an important aspect in enterprise IT management. Get insights into virtual server backups.  Continue Reading

• Preventing and detecting security vulnerabilities in Web applications

  Web applications are often developed quickly with little thought to security. Expert Richard Brain explains how to detect common Web app flaws.  Continue Reading

• Four data center tier classification misconceptions demystified

  Looking to get your data center tier certified? Experts from Uptime Institute help clear the air on data center tier certifications.  Continue Reading

• Follow Anti Money Laundering (AML) guidelines, the ING Vysya way

  Anti Money Laundering (AML) guidelines have become necessary for BFSI sector companies. Follow ING Vysya Bank’s methodology to implement them in your company.  Continue Reading

• Tier 3 data center design: The cooling checklist

  Our expert gives insights into data center cooling system considerations that will ensure adherence to tier 3 data center standards.  Continue Reading

• Server hardware decisions are not a game of Top Trumps

  Making server hardware decisions for virtual environments can turn into a product features battle. But it’s the operational and business aspects that should matter to you.  Continue Reading

• Identity and access management (IAM) program implementation guidelines

  The first part of this identity and access management (IAM) program guide details how to optimally structure the implementation’s foundation.  Continue Reading

• 4 vendor evaluation tips from Cleartrip

  Are you evaluating IT outsourcing vendors for your company? Here is some practical advice on IT vendor evaluation from Cleartrip.  Continue Reading

• Initiate predictive analysis program with 3 easy steps

  Predictive analysis is gaining popularity in India as an operational process. Here is a three-step guide to kick off the predictive analysis program in your organization.  Continue Reading

• Data storage evolution keeps rolling along

  Modern business requirements have steered data centres to adopt ever more efficient means of storing data.  Continue Reading

• 4 IT outsourcing agreement loopholes to watch out for

  IT outsourcing agreements have a strong impact on a company’s business. Watch out for these IT outsourcing loopholes before signing the agreements.  Continue Reading

• Secure USB best practices: Choosing USB hardware encryption

  Learn why USB hardware encryption may be the best way to secure mobile data.  Continue Reading

• Botnet detection through DNS behavior and clustering analysis

  Botnets are fast emerging as one of the most serious threats to Internet security today. This expert tip looks at how botnets can be detected analyzing their unique fast flux characteristics.  Continue Reading

• Network intrusion detection and prevention systems guide

  As network attacks evolve so must network intrusion prevention and detection systems. Now network intrusion prevention must involve anomaly-detection and application awareness.  Continue Reading

• 5 data mining techniques for optimal results

  Faulty data mining makes seeking of decisive information akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Here are some tips to tweak your data mining exercises.  Continue Reading

• Cloud disaster recovery services vs. traditional DR: A weigh-in

  Do cloud disaster recovery services’ benefits outweigh those of traditional DR? An expert weighs the viability of these disaster recovery approaches.  Continue Reading

• What to include in a secure video conference policy

  If your organisation uses video conferencing, make sure you're aware of the potential risks and how to mitigate them.  Continue Reading

• Implement an open source BI tool, head to toe

  Open source BI tools are now becoming serious alternatives to proprietary software. This tutorial will help you to develop and deploy one.  Continue Reading

• BI training: 5 ways to get users on your side

  BI training is often wearisome for employees. Learn how to make your BI training session appealing to all.  Continue Reading

• Advanced Wireshark tutorial: Packet and network security analysis

  This Wireshark tutorial will familiarize you with Wireshark’s advanced features, such as analyzing packets and undertaking packet level security analysis.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization for disaster recovery: 5 key considerations

  A key benefit of implementing virtualization for disaster recovery is reduction in RTO and RPO. But what are the virtual DR guidelines to keep in mind?  Continue Reading

• Five virtualisation management issues CIOS must manage

  Virtualisation is powerful and creates welcome efficiencies and savings, but can also introduce some new IT management challenges. We explain five of them – and how to meet the challenge and create smarter virtual infrastructure – in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Mature data loss prevention: 8 questions to ask your vendor

  To determine if a data loss prevention (DLP) solution truly meet your organization’s needs, there are certain clarifications you always require.  Continue Reading

• Understanding IT business continuity management systems

  In this excerpt from "BS25999: A Pocket Guide," learn about business continuity management systems and how to test a BC plan.  Continue Reading

• Time to consider multiple hypervisor platforms for server virtualisation

  Can you trust your virtualised server environment to just one platform? Here’s why a multiple hypervisor approach might benefit your business, according to our data centre expert.  Continue Reading

• How to stop a DDoS attack after initiation

  In this expert response, Nick Lewis explains how to stop a DDoS attack after it has been initiated.  Continue Reading

• Implement ISMS and sustain it, with these tips

  ISMS implementation for obtaining ISO 27001 certification is only half the job. Going forward, these best practices are critical to sustain the ISMS.  Continue Reading

• 5 cloudy challenges data loss prevention

  Cloud services make it easy to move data from the desktop to well outside your enterprise. We look at five of the most-used cloud services that can undermine your data loss prevention tools in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Collaboration tools: 6 aspects to consider during evaluation

  Collaboration tools can help companies enhance their business applications and improve productivity. Consider these factors while evaluating collaboration tools.  Continue Reading

• Shodan search engine for penetration tests: How-to

  A very handy yet simple to use VA/PT tool, Shodan can be of great use to ethical hackers. Here’s a quick Shodan tutorial.  Continue Reading

• Select PCI DSS compliant service providers in India with these tips

  Global players outsourcing sensitive information to India find it tough to choose PCI DSS compliant service providers. Our experts highlight key lookouts.  Continue Reading

• Big Data demystified

  Big Data is the latest buzzword in IT circles. This tip gives you a quick overview of Big Data.  Continue Reading

• Choosing the best uninterruptible power supply for your organisation

  With the help of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), your organisation can avoid costly downtime. Learn how to choose one for your organisation.  Continue Reading

• 7 IT Budget management secrets

  These seven IT budget management tips will help CIOs to optimize their IT budget spends and obtain high business value from their IT implementations.  Continue Reading

• Information awareness training: Data Protection Act policy template

  To comply with the DPA fully, an organisation's users must know what they can and cannot do under the DPA stipulations. Learn what to include in employee awareness training with this checklist.  Continue Reading

• Establishing cloud computing’s return on investment

  Key considerations for how to build and measure return on investment for cloud computing projects.  Continue Reading

• Top 7 anti rootkit software for Windows

  It can be quite a tough task to kick out rootkits from infected Windows systems. Our list of top anti rootkit software will prove handy.  Continue Reading

• Server sizing considerations for virtual environments

  Right sizing physical server capacities is the key to a successful server virtualization deployment. An expert lists down key server sizing lookouts.  Continue Reading

• Tier 3 data center specifications checklist

  Getting a data center tier 3 certified translates to high uptimes. An accredited tier designer shares insights to meet tier 3 data center specifications.  Continue Reading

• 4 cloud computing risks to avoid ― Gartner’s list

  These cloud computing risks listed by Gartner can help CIOs make informed decisions before signing contracts. Avoid cloud computing risks with this tip.  Continue Reading

• PCI DSS compliance checklist for virtualized environments

  A comprehensive Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance checklist for protection of cardholder data in virtual environments.  Continue Reading

• A social networking policy template for information awareness training

  All organisations should have a policy to address inappropriate employee social networking. Expert Michael Cobb lays out a policy and employee training checklist.  Continue Reading

• McAfee SaaS Endpoint Protection features & prices: An overview

  On the cloud-based endpoint security front, McAfee's SaaS Endpoint Protection Suites are part of most evaluation lists. How heavy are they on the pocket?  Continue Reading

• Test data deduplication tools with these five guidelines

  Here is a list of five critical aspects to reflect on while testing data deduplication tools for actual results after your rollout.  Continue Reading

• How to reduce your data centre CO2 emissions

  How to reduce your organisation’s carbon footprint and lower your CO2 emissions over the long term, not just for short-term gains, according to a data centre expert.  Continue Reading

• Employee information awareness training: PCI policy templates

  To comply with PCI DSS -- and keep cardholder data secure -- organisations must train their employees on data handling best practices. This tip explains how.  Continue Reading

• 10 identity and access management (IAM) implementation mistakes

  An overview of the common issues organizations overlook while deploying an identity and access management (IAM) solution.  Continue Reading

• Data breach policy: Regaining information systems security and control

  After a breach or acquisition, senior management is often keen to see security is under control once again. In this tip, Michael Cobb explains how to do just that.  Continue Reading

• Five CISO skills for the evolving business environment

  Today, the CISO has to transition from being a compliance officer and become a business facilitator for survival. What are the new skills that CISOs need?  Continue Reading