Please welcome Eric Mischell to CNI. He will be dealing with all types of server and network issues especially those involved with upgrades to Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition.

Eric Mischell is responsible for installation and configuration of windows servers (200x servers 200x Small Business Servers, Back Office Servers, SQL Servers, Exchange Servers).

Eric has more than 15 years experience building and maintaining Microsoft and Novell networks for both small and large companies. In addition, Mr. Mischell also has extensive security experience defending the perimeter of networks from attacks and maliciously targeted emails. He is a Microsoft Partner.

 

I have been notified that my vendors will no longer be able to sell Microsoft XP Pro as a retail product after June 30th, 2008.

If you need to upgrade to XP Pro you must order before this date to get the product.

After June 30th., you will only be able to downgrade from Vista Business to XP Pro. Our understanding at this time is that the new systems being shipped will have both Vista Business and XP Pro media included but, that Vista Business will be installed on the units.

If this changes I will let you know.

If you need XP Pro, Please contact Ron (513 312- 8381) no later that noon on June 30th., so I can get your order processed.

 

Ensure your business continuity with a disaster recovery plan.

What is driving the need to improve your disaster recovery capabilities? Out of 124 decision- makers at North American and European enterprises with a backup data center, 56 percent responded, "cost of downtime."
- "Maximizing Data Center Investments for Disaster Recovery and Business Resiliency." Forrester Research, October 2007

Disaster Recovery is specifically being prepared to restore normal business after an unplanned misfortune, whether due to human error, security breach, system failure or natural forces.

As a component of business continuity, disaster recovery is not just about backing up your data. It's also about how quickly and completely you can regain full functionality.

Providing the hardware and software to back up your business data is essential. However, you must also provide backup for applications functions. You must have a plan that shows how to maintain critical business processes affected by an outage or downtime. You must know how long you have to restore function before the costs begin to mount mercilessly by the minute. Disaster recovery can be mistaken as a purely technical initiative: Don't let the system die. But making sure people know how to prioritize and make adjustments during a disaster event, in order to keep the business moving, is just as much a part of a Disaster Recovery plan as installing failover technologies.

Disaster Recover Best Practices

1. Establish recovery objectives
2. Budget adequately
3. Develop a response plan
4. Designate a recovery team
5. Revisit business continuity and test your plan often

If you are interested in getting a Disaster Recovery plan put in place and need assistance, please give us a call for expert advise.

 

 

The key word in this title is Security. How good are you or your employees protecting your Intellectual Property or more basically your business lifeline? Many businesses from top management down only give lip service when it comes to protecting their Intellectual Property. However, it is my view that security and protection of Intellectual Property is the responsibility of everyone within an organization.

Protection of Intellectual Property consists of the following basic security issues:

• Identification of Assets
• Classification of Assets
• Identification of Risk
• Security Measures Required
• Awareness
• Training
• Implementation of Prevention Methods
• Auditing

Security requires good planning and involvement by everyone to insure that security is not jeopardized or that important data is not compromised due to sloppy handling of Intellectual Properties by anyone within your organization. Protection of data starts when all personnel become aware that there is a risk if they do not become involved in the protection of information that is created, maintained, updated, stored or archived as part of their daily business activities. In today's environment businesses are placing most of their important data on PC's, File Servers, Data Base Servers, etc... in order to better utilize the advanced tools that are provided in accomplishing their duties. Therefore, many of the tasks each of you perform on a PC or Terminal by entering data, or manipulating data adds to the Intellectual Properties wealth of your organization. Therefore, it is also your responsibility to identify data that is confidential, secret, or top secret for your employer business.

Simple tasks to Secure your PC.

• Lock your PC by using passwords or electronic locks.
• Do not leave confidential displayed when unauthorized persons are near your PC.
• Password protect files needing additional protection.
• Maintain data that is critical on removable media that can be locked up when not in use.
• Do not give your password out to others that do not have a need to know.

Simple tasks to Secure your PC on a Network.

• Again use passwords.
• Lock out users from using your files or directories utilizing special locks and permissions that are part of network security.
• Only let those individuals with a need to know have access to your data.
• Logoff the network when you are gone to prevent unauthorized access of your directories or files.
• Turn off modems to prevent unauthorized outside access of your network or PC. Use call back modem dialing as an additional measure to prevent access.

 

The warmer weather of spring ushers in the storm season for most of the country. Lightning and wind will cause power surges and outages. When you firm runs on electricity, this is not a good thing. Maybe you have been lucky that a sudden outage has not yet found your computer, server, or networking hardware.

Luck is good, but prevention is better.

Late winter and early spring is a good time to assess your power protection needs. Consider the following:

• Do each of your computers (including notebook PC's) have a functioning uninterruptible power supply (UPS), also called a battery backup?
• If so, when was the last time you tested the battery to be sure it can still hold a charge? After 2 to 3 years, some batteries fail, leaving you without any time to save your work before your PC shuts down.
• Does you server have a high-capacity UPS designed to the larger power demands of that type of computer?
• Is your networking hardware (cable or DSL modem, router, switch) plugged into a UPS unit (either their own and a high capacity unit that protects the server)?
• If you are running a networked database program, sudden loss of your network connection even if your computer stays on can lead to corruption of your practice management or time/billing/accounting data.
• Are your laser printers plugged into adequate surge protectors (most draw too much current to be plugged into the battery backup sockets of a UPS unit)?
• Do you have a portable surge protector for when you take your notebook PC on the road?

Examine your power protection with these questions in mind. If you find deficiencies, correct them now before the lights (and everything else) go out.

For assistance with your power protection inventory and recommendations for UPS units and surge protectors, contact us.

If you are prepared, you don't have to be lucky.

 

Some of you are too young to remember this early Elvis hit from 1955 written by Stan Kesler and Charlie Feathers. If you are old enough to remember this Sun Studios recording, you may be too old to rely solely on your memory to trigger backups of your important law firm data. Indeed, lawyers of any age risk bad luck if they rely on their memory, or the memory of even the most trusted staff member, to assure that regular backups of all critical data are run.

A good rule when it comes to backup systems is: "If you have to remember to do it, it isn't going to work." There are many fully or mostly automatic backup options available today. The easiest to use, and often the most fool-proof, are web-based backups that encrypt your data, then send it over the Internet to a secure facility each night. Most services let you choose which files or folders to backup, and many let you backup files and folders from network drives as well as your local PC. The initial "full" backup can take an entire day or weekend, but subsequent "incremental" backups may take only a few minutes because only new and changed files need be encrypted and transmitted.

There are still lawyers who fear sending any client or firm data over the Internet. With most of the leading services, that fear is unjustified. Security experts will tell you that your data is more likely to be stolen or compromised due to a physical break-in at your office or by theft of a notebook PC, PDA, or flash drive than by breaches in an on-line backup service.

But for those lawyers who refuse to use an automated web-based backup service, there are alternatives. Small portable USB hard drives have fallen in price. Many with decent capacity now sell for $100 or less. You can buy 2 or more of these drives and rotate them off-site on a daily basis (If you can remember to do so). Many external USB drives come with automated backup software. If you'd rather not use their backup program, you can use the backup utility that comes with Windows.

If you need help selecting or configuring an on-line or local backup system, contact us.

Chances are you are using both a software and a hardware firewall in your office. But you may not understand the difference between the two or whether they are really providing the protection you need. Luck can take you only so far down the road toward protecting your network from unwanted intrusion.

The Windows operating system has a built-in software firewall. Starting with Windows XP Service Pack 2, the Windows Firewall was turned-on by default. In previous Windows versions, the firewall (at that time known as the "Internet Connection Firewall") was disabled by default and had to be turned-on by the user. In Windows XP, the Windows Firewall provided inbound protection only. If your computer was taken over by viruses or spyware, the Windows Firewall in XP would not prevent the intruder from sending private information or harmful code outbound over the Internet from your PC. Partly for that reason, third-party software firewalls offering both inbound and outbound protection, such as ZoneAlarm became popular. In Vista, the Windows Firewall was improved significantly to add outbound protection and additional management and configuration tools.

If you use a broadband router, whether wired or wireless, you likely also have a hardware firewall. At a minimum, the firewall built-into most routers offers Network Address Translation (NAT) firewall protection. NAT can prevent malicious activity initiated from outside your network (such as the Internet) from reaching the computers connected to your router. Most modern routers also offer Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall protection. SPI is able to distinguish legitimate packets of data for different types of connections from those that could be malicious. Only data packets matching a known legitimate connection are allowed by the firewall. "Rogue" packets that could be harmful are rejected.

Another type of firewall combines software and hardware protection. These Firewall Appliances are dedicated stand-alone devices that sit between the Internet and your router or server. Firewall Appliances are highly configurable and offer the highest level of protection. The most popular firewall appliances come from SonicWall, WatchGuard, and Barracuda.

If you are concerned about the level of firewall protection employed by your firm, contact us for expert advice.

We will give you custom recommendations for cost- effective firewall protection. Once you decide on the type of protection you want, we will set-up and configure your firewall so that luck is no longer your only defense against unwanted intrusions.

 

Does your secretary run from you at the end of the year when she sees you coming with your annual CLE report due to your state Bar? Amicus Attorney can track this information for you easily and make it accessible for your yearly report with the click of a button.

First, set up an event and file code of CLE (this is set up through the Amicus Administrator). Next, open up a file and give it the file type of CLE. Name it CLE or CLE - year. You can do one general CLE for all attendance no matter what calendar year or open a new one for each year, i.e. CLE - 2003. If you choose a new file for each year, when you open the new file close out the old file. To make the file easier to find in your file folder, use the status of "Special".

When you schedule a CLE event to attend, give it the category code of CLE and assign it to the CLE file. In the memo section enter in how many hours you will receive and any other important information.

At the end of the year open up your CLE file, go to Events > All File Events and Viola! You are now a hero with your secretary.

Pricing for the Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition is $699 for the first license and $599 for additional licenses.

Pricing for the Amicus Attorney 2008 Small Firm Edition is $499 for the first license and $399 for additional licenses.

Pricing for Amicus Organizer shipped is $219.00.
Pricing for Amicus Organizer downloaded is $199.00.

Pricing for Amicus Accounting 2008 is $349.00 for the first license and $249.00 each additional license.

Gavel & Gown Technical Support Plans: 1st License / add'l Licenses
 

• Annual Support Plan for One Amicus Product $295 / $95
• Annual Support Plan for two Amicus Product $395 / $145
• Individual Pay-per call service $95 / call

Upgrading to Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition: first license / add'l Licenses
 

• From Amicus 7 Standard Edition $249 / $199
• From Amicus 7 Premium Edition $249 / $199
• From Amicus Small Firm $349 / $299
• From Amicus Attorney V+ (Advanced or Client/Server) $349 / $299
• From Amicus Attorney V or below (Advanced of Client/Server) $499 / $399

Upgrading to Amicus Attorney 2008 Small Firm Edition: first license / add'l Licenses

• From Amicus Small Firm $249 / $199
• From Amicus Attorney V+ (Advanced or Client/Server) $249 / $199
• From Amicus Attorney V or below (Advanced of Client/Server) $299 / $249

Upgrading from Amicus Accounting to Amicus Accounting 2008 $99 / license

Please contact Carmen Relatores 513 368-0042 (crelatores@cni-incorporated.com) or Ron Carter 513 312-8381 (rcarter@cni-incorporated.com) to order new or additional Amicus licenses, product upgrades or to simply provide you with more information concerning the New Amicus 2008 Product Line and how it affects your existing installation.

 

Beginning with this issue of our newsletter, we are providing detailed overviews of Amicus products via links to our web site. These links go directly to pages covering the product overview and features.

Please contact Carmen Relatores 513 368-0042 (crelatores@cni-incorporated.com) or Ron Carter 513 312-8381 (rcarter@cni-incorporated.com) to provide you with more information concerning the New Amicus 2008 Product Line and how it affects your existing installation.

Amicus Accounting 2008 Product Overview
 

Amicus Attorney 2008 Small Firm Edition Product Overview

Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition Product Overview

Below is a list of the current versions of important law office software supported by Cooperative Network Integrators, Inc..

Amicus Attorney: Downloads

• Amicus Attorney 2008 Premium Edition: v 8.0.0.2
• Amicus Attorney 2008 Small Firm Edition v 8.0.0.1003
• Amicus Attorney 7: build 7.1.0.8)
• Amicus Small Firm: v. 5.9.0
• Amicus Attorney C/S V+: v. 5.8.1
• Amicus Attorney Advanced V+: v. 5.9.1
• Amicus Attorney V: v 5.1.1

Amicus Accounting:

• Amicus Accounting 2008
• Amicus Accounting v 5.9.0

Amicus Accounting 2008: Update from the Internet via the Check For Updates function available from your Help menu or Maintenance module. Please refer to your Amicus Accounting Online Help for details.

Microsoft Office:

• Click here and select Check for Updates.

Corel Word Perfect:

• Click here then select your version.

email: rcarter@cni-incorporated.com

phone: 513-755-1377

web: http://www.cni-incorporated.com