Interface Cards & Controllers

Common Areas For PCI Violation

With so many threats coming from around the world targeting a company's data, which includes their customer's data, the business industry created PCI compliance standards to protect sensitive information. PCI Compliance is a global mandated set of standards that businesses must implement and follow in order to protect their information, customer information, and transaction information. The purpose is to ensure appropriate security to customers by assuring that businesses meet their security standards.

Once the business implements the PCI standards, and prove they have implemented these standards, they become PCI compliant. There are a number of areas that are common to PCI violation. One such area that needs protection is making sure the business has all of the appropriate applications and hardware devices to prevent hackers. This includes making sure vulnerabilities such as preventing remote hackers from access to file-system read and write capabilities, sealing back door entry, and preventing hackers from leaving Trojans and viruses on the host's server. Compliance involves such remedies as the appropriate firewalls and host monitoring and tracking.

Another area of compliance violation is businesses not implementing all of the security policies such as not sharing passwords, not writing credit card numbers down on paper, and not properly destroying hard copies of transaction information such as shredding everything before sending it out to be disposed.

Other areas of common PCI violations is hackers penetrating server systems because a business has not acquired assistance from a PCI compliant service provider that constantly monitor, test, and track systems. There are PCI compliant service providers that specialize in monitoring a business' system remotely to ensure PCI compliance. These companies monitor traffic coming in and out of the businesses host system and will detect any breaches and stop it, and then alert the business right way. As well, these companies reduce the risks of data loss which includes stopping Phishing, spam, Trojan, and virus threats.

Other common areas of PCI violation include hackers gaining access to certain files on the host, directory browsing, security mechanisms, as well as unauthorized use of services such as mail relaying, and hackers gaining access to information that allows them to launch attacks against the host, and gaining access to open ports.

When enlisting the services of a PCI compliant service provider, a business will benefit because their business will have reduced or eliminated vulnerabilities, earn customer trust, protect customer personal data, protect your business from financial penalties and lawsuits, and maintain the host systems infrastructure. The savings one will achieve by using a PCI Compliant Service Provider can be hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as save their business because they stopped an event such as a breach that could have affected millions of customers.

PCI Compliance is not only essential to business security, it is also mandatory. A customer's information must be protected to prevent credit card fraud and identity theft. Every business should take the appropriate measures such as hiring a PCI Compliance Service Provider. If a business does not remain PCI compliant, the consequences can be devastating such as a company losing millions of dollars, losing customers, and even losing the business.

About the Author

State of the art data center in Toronto provides
PCI DSS
compliant hosting as well as
managed hosting
and IT solutions for companies in order to manage applications that demand the highest levels of security and availability.

Every Little Thing You Need To Know About MacBook Pro 2011 ThunderBolt

On Jobs' 56th birthday, February 24, Apple broke out MacBook Pro 2011. Of all the features that come with Macbook Pro 2011, Intel's brand new I/O connectivity known as Light Peak has made probably the most waves. On the brand new MacBook Pro, the first lineup of products to utilize Light Peak, Intel's technology can be known as ThunderBolt. Resource for this article - Everything you need to know about MacBook Pro 2011 ThunderBolt by MoneyBlogNewz.

Fast ThunderBolt

Apple's brand new MacBook Pro looks identical to the previous model, except for ThunderBolt, an innovation that has captivated technology industry pundits. Formerly known as Intel's Light Peak, ThunderBolt has dual channel transfer rates as high as 10 gigabits per second. The USB 3.0 can be exchanged by this I/O technology according to Apple. An HD film could be transferred, up to 20 gigabits, from a source in less than 30 seconds on the MacBook Pro with ThunderBolt, Intel explained. There are 5 models, two 13-inches, 2 15-inches and one 17-inch, accessible on Apple’s MacBook Pro. There are varying prices. Between $1,200 and $2,500 will be paid for them. Intel’s Core i5 or i7 processors can be in all MacBooks in either dual or quad core versions.

ThunderBolt can make FireWire seem slow

Just like FireWire, ThunderBolt can be very flexible. It can be up to three times faster though. Just as with FireWire, MacBook Pros need only one ThunderBolt port because all ThunderBolt devices (when they come on the market) could be interconnected. Power is supplied in ThunderBolt too meaning an external power adapter isn’t needed. ThunderBolt will determine the meant use automatically with the one interface for many functions. The technology will work as an interface for everything from external hard drives to display monitors. Optical cables were used for Intel’s Light Peak prototypes. Apple’s ThunderBolt has copper wires instead.

Change seen within Apple too

In the spring, ThunderBolt devices will begin getting used. Apple’s ThunderBolt will tap to the PCI interface which allows USB adapters and FireWire to be supported. The brand new MacBook Pro also comes with two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 800 port. In 1998, Apple stopped floppy drive use and created a laptop last year without an optical drive, the MacBook Air. The ThunderBolt will bring Apple ahead of competition once again. To catch up to Apple, PC manufacturers will likely change to ThunderBolt. This is expected to take place in 2012.

Articles cited

New York Times

nytimes.com/external/venturebeat/2011/02/24/24venturebeat-thunderbolt-intels-light-peak-high-speed-int-56256.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Engadget

engadget.com/2011/02/24/apple-unveils-thunderbolt/

Techland

techland.time.com/2011/02/24/new-macbook-pros-have-landed/

What does a 2 port PCI serial port do?

Just out of coureosity...I bought one to connect a second monitor to my PC but it has the wrong (male) connections on it. I now realise a video card is what I need, but what would I connect serial port to?

The 9-pin serial port was one of the predecessors to USB, which has also all but replaced the larger 25-pin parallel connection.

The serial port used to be widely used for connecting a variety of external devices and is basically a two-way communication port.

There are still devices on the market in common use that use a serial port connection. These are often marked as RS232 and would include devices such as satellite and cable TV receiver boxes.

USB 3.0 4 Port PCI-e 1x card unboxing - DinoDirect