Covering IT and Telecom from a Canadian Viewpoint

September 2016, Volume 3 Issue 8

Power over Ethernet is not a Green Technology

By Peter Aggus

Everyone loves PoE as a great way to reduce cabling and eliminate local ac adapters. Sounds brilliant—but is there a downside? Absolutely! PoE wastes a lot of power. There’s quite a power loss between the switch in the communications room and the workstation on your desk. It also places design restrictions on your cable trays and communications closets and could even cause problems for existing installations when new terminal devices want more power.

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Inside

IT Study Roundup By Shelley Thompson
We constantly come across fascinating IT studies and we collect our favourites to share here. This month, we cover executives’ shocking attitudes about cybersecurity, police data breaches, improving IT salaries and skill sets, and the explanation behind the first fatality in a self-driving car.

Gamification - The Future of Training By Ellen Koskinen-Dodgson
Using elements of game play in training sessions can motivate people to change their behaviour. Done right, it can be a little addictive, as it feeds on human desires for competition, achievement and recognition. Gamification is currently being used by major corporations such as Nike, Samsung, American Express and Deloitte. Deloitte has achieved spectacular results when compared to standard training approaches.

Text Messaging - The New Security Risk By Peter Aggus
When was the last time you were sent a text message as part of a password reset request? It’s a common occurrence—social media and banking sites use SMS Text Messages as a secure way of verifying that the person requesting a password reset is authorized to receive it. Unfortunately, things have changed. Traditionally, only cell phone companies could control your cell phone calls and text messages. Now, players on the dark web have commercialized access to the telephone network control systems so that, for a few hundred dollars, a fraudster can take control of your phone, change your password and empty your bank account.

Disaster Recovery Check List

If you answer YES to any of the following questions, you need to revisit your disaster plan/business continuity plan:

• Does your plan include how to respond to a pandemic?
• Does your plan address succession planning for key staff?
• Does your plan include strategic alliances?
• Does your plan include flags for when it needs to be updated?
• Does your plan include emergency communications with key clients?
• Is your plan completely reliant on technology?

More Information

Contact Ellen to request a copy of our Disaster Planning / Business Recovery Checklist for a more comprehensive list of questions. ellen@tmcconsulting.ca 604-506-2905

Courtesy of Mark Buckawicki