The FACTA Law applies to your business

Have you looked at the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act recently ?

Never heard of FACTA ? It was an extension to the Fair Credit Reporting Act and is intended to help consumers fight the growing crime of identity theft. It also adds provisions covering privacy, accuracy, and information sharing. It went into effect in 2003 and most businesses probably overlooked it. Now, it's been amended and new procedures go into effect on Nov 1, 2008 !

We recommend that all of our clients look at the FACTA synopsis at the PrivacyRights website. We think you'll be surprised to see that provisions of the law extend to "regular businesses" like landlords, auto dealers, attorneys, employers, and "entities that maintain information ... as part of their role as service providers to other organizations covered by the rule."

And, in its efforts to help provide a "level playing field", FACTA even encourages organizations (like landlords and employers) who are not subject to the USA PATRIOT Act to adopt similar data handling practices.

Whatever type of business or professional practice you have, if you regularly handle consumer information, there are now federal standards that apply to you. For information about our secure data services, visit the FAQ Knowledgebase at Atlantic Webs.

Cellular Wireless & WiFi Do Co-Exist

Well, it's been a crazy year since the "Experience of 2007" and, while WiFi was good for the hospital stay, I've got to admit that having cellular data service is the best.

No more looking for the "cheat sheet" from the hotel, no more worrying about the SSID name, and no more trying to find a place near a window. Just open your traveling case, pop-in the little card and fire-up your laptop.

And, since the cellular card and WiFi co-exist perfectly in my laptop, I can use whichever one I please without having to call the Help Desk for assistance.

So, to really feel free, check out the cellular data cards from Verizon, ATT or Sprint. If you have any questions, post it on the Frequently Asked Questions knowledgebase at www.atlanticwebs.com.

Gotta fly,

Mike

21 Days on My Laptop

Unexpectedly, I've now spent 21 days living off my laptop, a wireless Internet connection at Yale New Haven Hospital and MyRemoteConnection, our managed VPN service. And, I can report that I've been able to easily stay in touch with the outside world !!

First, Yale New Haven Hospital is very unique. Or, at least, extremely different from what everyone told me to expect about how hospitals are set-up.

Everywhere I went in their facility there were WiFi anntenas and repeaters. When my DLINK wireless manager software would scan for available networks, it found at least 8 different neworks starting with the name "YNHH". Of course, some were for internal use and were locked-down. But there were a number which showed up as YNHH-GUEST and I seldom had a problem getting a strong connection to the Internet.

Of course, there were some tricks I had to learn along the way. Like frequently browsing to their "landing page" in order to get a Connect Button for the Internet. And, having to remember to not let my PC stand idle, otherwise I would get timed-out. But, all in all, it was convenient and nearly foolproof, as well as free. (I mean it... no daily surcharges; no special access codes like resort hotels have given us; and no third-party accounts.) I can't even tell you about technical support as it was never needed.

So, once I could get to the Internet the rest was easy. Here's what I used to stay connected:

• My Mozilla ThunderBird and Outlook software worked directly with our own mail servers (Yup, no blocking of Port 25, like the cable company does; no need to send email via a proxy.)
  
• My CA eTrust Anti-Virus got the automatic updates it needed to keep me protected.
  
• My SpyBot got its anti-spyware updates, too.
  
• I uploaded and downloaded changed files to our XCNetwork Internet-based WebDAV File Server, stayed in sync with coworkers via the Shared Calendar, and had all my business contact information available via the Shared AddressBook.
• When I received technical support emails, I was able to remotely logon to the client's PC using their secure MyRemoteConnection account to view, first-hand, the same problems they were experiencing.
  
• And, when I needed to update our project records, used our secure MyRemoteConnection WebTop Account to access the browser-based Dovico Timesheet system back at the office.
  

As the days rolled-on, and turned-into weeks, I found that it was a breeze to logon to the Internet, get my email, update the office with my information, and stay connected.

And, of course, I had the same problems that all Road Warriors face -- finding an outlet close enough to the bed to be useful, working from my lap (instead of a real desk), and finding a replacement for a broken USB WiFi antenna.

Probably the biggest "pain" was not having access to a real fax machine. (Call me "old fashioned" but there are only so many emails and PDF-attachment of documents which I can live with. Sooner or later, I need see and feel the real letter. )

While I can't say that this was the most pleasurable three weeks I've spent, it was made just a little bit more bearable by being able to stay up to date.

Mike

(Just one more thing... Of course, I was able to post to my Blogs from the hospital.)

Declare Your Independence From High Gas Prices

4 Jul 2007



Over the next few months you'll be seeing alot of articles about MyRemoteConnection, our Managed VPN Service, and The Remote WorkPlace, our secure Internet-based solution which allows your users to seamlessly work in the office AND from anywhere in the world.



And, there's no mystery as to why we chose to start our promotions now --

• Here in America, regular-grade gasoline is costing us ordinary folks between $45 and $60 everytime we fill-up, so just running to the office or dropping by to see a client is a litle more costly.


• While most of us have been thru price "spikes" before, whether it be from oil embargoes or the effects of hurricanes and tornadoes, this time the high prices are staying with us and, then, racheting upward once again.


• And, it really is the week of the US's Independence Day celebrations and, for our friends to the North, Canada Day.

So, enjoy the benefits that MyRemoteConnection brings to you. Drive when you want. And, if you still need to get some work done, stay off the road and work remotely. (Actually, we even have a solution for those who need to work from their cars. But more about that later.)

MyRemoteConnection is a fully managed service which works with your existing Internet connections AND your existing network servers, printers, and laptops. In fact, since there is no hardware or software to buy, new clients are typically up-and-running the same day. All without any onsite installations or changes to your network.

So, now, work from your wirless laptop at the kitchen table as easily as you do from the PC in your office. With the same software, the same passwords and the same data files.

How do I know all this is true ? I've been doing it for over 8 months. My name is Mike Jacobson, and I'm the General Manager of Atlantic Webs. If you have any questions, please go to our websites or send an email to askmike@atlanticwebs.com. I'd really like to hear from you.