Well, it is here. Exchange 2010 has been released, and there is a 120-day trial available at Microsoft. Of course, if you have a technet subscription, you won’t need the trial.

http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/2010/en/us/default.aspx

The trial is the final version (14.00.0639.021), released 11/09/09, while the Virtual HDD version is still the RC dated 10/12/09.

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=168905

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How do you solve simple computer issues? Hopefully not like I do.

Do you start with the simplest solution first? Or do you start with the most likely solution?

Suppose you return to your computer, open up Google and nothing displays. What do you do first?

Do you:

• Check the router for status indicators and connectivity?
• Check the modem for status indicators and connectivity?
• Call your ISP immediately?
• Ping a known good server?
• Check for viruses and malware?
• Delete all DNS cache?
• Confirm IP and gateway settings?
• Examine the Hosts file?
• Check the network cable?
• Reseat the network card?
• Something else?

Most of us tend to test what the most likely cause should be. Every once and a while even a good technician will overlook the obvious either by discounting the possibility of it happening, or simply forgetting it as a step.

In my case the Internet wasn’t working. With a complete lack of problem solving procedure, after checking numerous items and not the obvious ones, I was ready to declare it a hardware problem – when I noticed my cat was chewing on something…

How many times have you overlooked the obvious or forgot a simple step that would have saved countless hours in diagnosing a problem?

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This past week I’ve been busy battling 29 different IP addresses that have been attacking a server that I maintain.

In my effort to rid the world of this behaviour, I recorded the IP addresses, found out as much information as possible, and then blocked them.

Locations of the IP addresses:

• 12 – China
• 9 - United States
• 5 – Canada
• 1 – Netherlands
• 1 – Vietnam
• 1 – Japan

Compromised Operating System:

• 29 – Windows 2003

Compromised Web Server:

• 29 – IIS 6

Percentage without a Firewall:

• 100%

Twelve of the IP addresses were associated with specific companies running their own dedicated server for email, ftp or a website. I decided to call or email each company to let them know their server was compromised. Most were grateful that someone took the time to notify them. By the end of the week, 8 of these servers were considerably more secure! One of the companies I called was a Canadian computer store. The person I talked to had mentioned their server was slow and bandwidth usage was high for about a week.

These servers were compromised through poor security practices. Many did not have a firewall due to co-location requirements, and others did not have a firewall due to email and ftp not working properly when it was enabled. Clearly they did not know how to properly configure a firewall to let DNS, SMTP, POP3 and Passive FTP in/out.

I find one of the biggest problems with Windows is that it is too easy to set up and administer at a basic level. Because of its ease of use, the technical knowledge of the person setting it up doesn’t need to exceed that of a typical desktop user. They fail to take into consideration items such as security, assuming the operating system takes care of it.

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