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Lasco Newsletter
Fall 2014 |
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Greetings,
Happy Autumn (or should I say Winter!), I hope all is well with you and your family. We are beginning the Holiday shopping season and inevitably, the season for theft - on many levels. Lasco employees often teach training courses on Security which covers Social Engineering, Phishing Scams, Malicious Software, Viruses and many more topics related to securing your data. But what about the security of your physical site? How do you ensure that you can see what is happening inside (or outside) your walls?
As Lasco continues to grow our team and our services to meet your needs, we have identified two areas that will greatly benefit your business. One new service Lasco has begun offering is 24x7 reactive technical support (details can be found under Services Spotlight section). In addition, I would like to announce that Lasco has entered into the physical security systems market, and our first product offering is video surveillance. Video surveillance is a natural progression for a professional IT services company like Lasco. Like most technology based industries, what once was a very limited and secular market, serviced by select companies, has transitioned to an IT based industry. Lasco's unique situation of having both experienced employees as well as our vast knowledge of security and networks creates a new opportunity for us to offer a superior service with top of the line products. If you are considering a new system, or looking to upgrade or expand your existing one, talk to our professional staff about the affordable solutions that will complement your current technology.
Make sure your business is safe this Holiday Season and please contact me for any comments or questions you may have. Lasco is here to meet your business' needs every day. Are you taking advantage of ALL we have to offer?
Regards,
Dennis VanLandschoot
President & CEO
Lasco
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| New Service Available | | |
24/7 Technical Support
Lasco is now offering 24/7 reactive technical support. This is an additional optional service that we have added for the convenience of our clients and prospective clients who have hours outside of the 8a-5p work day. Call us today to get started, we are here when you need us most.
For more information please contact Tim Shandonay, Vice President of Information Technology. He can be reached at 800-800-6197 Ext. 1044 or tims@lascoinc.com. |
| New Product Spotlight | | |
Video Surveillance
Lasco is now offering Video Surveillance solutions and support. Whether you have an existing surveillance system or are in the market for a new one, Lasco has what it takes to implement a high quality, scalable solution to meet your needs and your budget. Get your business in good shape for the Holidays and make sure you're well protected.
For more information please contact Andrew Gale, Sr. Network Technician (800-800-6197 Ext. 1053 or agale@lascoinc.com) or Craig Wilson, Support Technician (800-800-6197 Ext. 1049 or craigw@lascoinc.com). |
| Social Media | | |
My Phone Can Do WHAT?!
With today's modern technology it has come to the point where all you need to have is your Smartphone when you walk out the door for the day. Most of the Smartphones sold today have the capability of: being your source of payment, ATM card, tracking your loyalty reward cards, and even opening your house door, all thanks to a tiny chip implanted within the phone called a Near Field Communication Chip (NFC). Near Field Communication, in a nutshell, is a very short range radio transmission (such as just a few centimeters) from one transmitter to the next.
Here's an example of how your Smartphone can assist you during a trip to Walgreens:
You walk into the store to do some shopping. At checkout, you present your Walgreens reward card that you have stored in your Passbook app that is on your phone. The cashier scans this bar code and it adds the reward points for the products you purchased. Then to pay for your items with your new iPhone 6, you hold the phone near the contactless reader with your finger on the Touch ID pad located on your phone and your payment information is sent. A subtle vibration or beep lets you know your payment was successful.
There are some prerequisites that you do need to have in order to use this form of payment. First, your bank has to be a participant in the contactless payment system, in the case above, Apple Pay. Once you verify your bank does participate, you need to load your card into your Smart Phone, for Apple the card information would be loaded into your Passbook app. (How secure is this type of payment? Read this month's security article to find out!)
The examples above are only a fraction of the uses available. How much do you use YOUR Smartphone for?
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| Security | | |
Tokenization! The Apple Pay Way
We know something is wrong when you need to get your debit card reissued more frequently than you change your oil. Apple Pay is addressing this issue by pushing an existing system into the mainstream, this system is called tokenization. Before I get into the specifics, I want you to know this is definitely a needed change to payment solutions in a world where there are constant data breaches and card reissuing is inconvenient for everyone involved. Secondly, it is advertised that Apple Pay will make transactions more convenient. Whether that is true or not will be decided as people adopt Apple Pay but what is more certain is that the security it provides makes this an exciting development.
The enhanced security mostly comes from a change in how your primary account number (PAN), the 13-19 digit number on your card, is used. Traditionally every transaction flowed through the payment network using the actual number on the front of your card. Tokenization is different, the PAN is only used at first to generate your "token" which is then stored on the secure enclave on the iPhone. This is what will be provided to the terminal when you checkout. What is really neat about this is the token is actually just a dynamically created card number that looks like any card number you have seen before. When you initiate the transaction the terminal doesn't know that it isn't an actual PAN. The transaction flows from the point of sale terminal through the normal payment network but is flagged and routed to a token service provider which contains your token vault. It is at this point that your token is then mapped to your actual PAN and the card issuer approves or declines the transaction.
The beauty of this, is that if one of the tokens gets compromised the token can be revoked and a new token can be given. There is no need to replace the actual card. The new token is associated with the PAN and the customer can go on their way. Like I said, this is one change that we could ALL benefit from.
Article written by: Ryan Valiquette, Logical Security Officer/Support Technician
For questions on this topic you can reach Ryan at 800-800-6197 Ext. 1056 or ryanv@lascoinc.com. |
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Have you asked about our Cloud Solution yet??? | |
 For information about Lasco's Cloud Hosting Solutions contact Tim Shandonay at 800-800-6197 Ext.1044 or tims@lascoinc.com. |
| Tech Tips | | |
Cable Management
Despite the many advances in the field of wireless technology, most of our computers and their peripheral equipment (like the monitors) need a wire or two. These wires can quickly become an eyesore to you, your coworkers, and your customers. If your computer is in a public area or an area that clients may visit, it is essential to make the cabling (and the rest of your work area) as presentable as possible. This simple act of organization reflects the company in a positive way. Customers who see those layers of dust on a labyrinth of cables will have an everlasting negative perception of the company.
Here are some of the most helpful ways to tame the technological medusa:
- Untangling the cords is the first step - that cable ball under your desk isn't going away without your help. Figure out where the cables go and remove any cords that aren't plugged into anything. Be sure that if you're unplugging cables that you know how to plug them back in.
- Zip-ties are a cheap and easy way to group wires together; bundled wires look much nicer and don't get tangled as easily. Use bread ties instead if you frequently remove or add cables to the bundle. Cable wrap is also a good option for larger cable bundles.
- If your building maintenance or management personnel allows, consider drilling small cable holes in your desk where wires can pass through to the foot space where your PC tower is; this is nicer looking than having cables run down the back of your desk. Even though the cables are out of sight, it is still good practice to keep them organized so they don't tangle in your personal belongings.
Nearly all department stores offer cable management solutions - don't be afraid to take a good look and try some of them!
Article written by: Tyler Moore, Support Technician
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Coming Next Quarter... | |
Penetration Testing and In-Depth Vulnerability Evaluations... How Secure is YOUR business? |
| In-House News... | | |
Please Welcome Craig Wilson to the Lasco Tech Team!
Craig is a Northern Michigan University graduate (Class of 2010) and holds the following field-related certifications: Software House CCure 9000 Installer Maintainer and ONSSI Certified Installer.
Previous positions that Craig has held include: Technical Support at NMU Public Safety & Police Services, Security Associate 2/ Security Systems Administrator at MPI Research Inc. in Mattawan MI, and Enterprise Systems Engineer - EPS Security Inc. in Grand Rapids, MI. His position at Lasco is that of Support Technician.
Craig is originally from Hickory Corners, MI a small farming community between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. He enjoys everything the UP has to offer outdoors such as hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, skiing and golfing. He enjoys volunteering, and has been involved with the UP Sled Dog Association for the past seven years. "I am glad to be back in Marquette, and looking forward to re-immersing myself in the culture and lifestyle that makes the UP a great place to live."
Congratulations to the State Bank of Ewen, celebrating 100 Years in Business!
For more information on the State Bank of Ewen, go to their website: http://www.ewenbank.com/
Lasco and its employees donated $420 to Marine Corps Reserve
TOYS FOR  TOTS!
Every Friday Lasco employees are given the opportunity to donate $1 to wear jeans to work. At the end of each quarter Lasco matches the employee funds and a charity is chosen to become the recipient. Shown in the photo is Lasco's Vice President Melissa Murphy presenting the donation to Bob Bannan, Toys for Tots Coordinator. |
| Employee Spotlight | |
Robert Baer, Vice President Bank Services, is celebrating 18 years of employment at Lasco!
Kellie Johnson, Vice President Bank Services, is celebrating 18 years of employment at Lasco!
Melissa Murphy, Vice President, is celebrating 14 years of employment at Lasco!
Ryan Wellman, Infrastructure Technician, is celebrating 7 years of employment at Lasco!
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| Quote of the Quarter... | | |
"If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep... You are richer than 75% of the world's population." *
*Source: "1: How Many People Does It Take To Make a Difference?"
by Dan Zadra and Kobi Yamada |
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