Tech Terminology: Authentication

Tech Terminology: Authentication

Authentication isn’t an unfamiliar aspect in everyday life. Driver’s licenses, library cards, and PIN numbers are all forms of identity authentication. However, as computers have become a cornerstone of everyday life, the most commonly-used way to confirm one’s identity has almost assuredly become the username/password login combination. Today, we’ll take a deeper dive into what authentication is.

How Authentication Differs from Authorization

As we briefly mentioned above, authentication is simply the process of confirming that yes, someone is in fact who they claim to be. While the two are often correlated, this process is different than that of authorization, which is the process of using that confirmed identity to grant access to information or materials. This access is the real difference between the two, yet without authentication, access cannot be authorized.

How Authentication Works

When a user provides their credentials, they are compared to the credentials that are already in a database. If these credentials match, the user is then given the authorization that their identity has been assigned.

Two-Factor Authentication

In the interest of boosting security, many organizations have implemented two-factor authentication, often referred to by the shorthand 2FA. 2FA incorporates an additional factor into the authentication process beyond the typical username and password.

This process commonly involves an additional code being provided to the user via email or text message when they attempt to access the account protected by 2FA. This one-time code is required for them to get in, meaning that someone attempting to access an account also needs access to the user’s email or phone in order to successfully do so. This is why 2FA has been so widely adopted by security-minded businesses.

If you’re interested in adding another layer of protection to the business accounts that you and your users leverage, reach out by calling (877) 771-2384.

WheelHouse IT has the experience needed to improve your security through two-factor authentication and many other means.

Tech Terminology: Network

Tech Terminology: Network

Network is a word that’s commonly seen in the office environment in many different ways. In particular, you’re likely to hear about network security, network maintenance, social networking, and switches, but what does it all mean?

In this week’s tech term, we’re going to address what a network is and how it works to tie your business together.

Defining a Network

A network can be many things, but it’s generally a group of computers or hardware devices that are connected. These devices share information and communicate, allowing resources to be shared between them.

Networks are used for different purposes, but the most commonly found one is for a collaborative office environment. A network can accomplish all of the following:

  • Files to be shared among users.
  • Users to share access to additional hardware devices, like a printer.
  • Software solutions to be shared among the network’s users.
  • Information to be accessed by any user with security permissions.
  • Simplified communications through internal tools like email and instant messaging.

The Biggest Network Out There

Perhaps the most well-known and accessible net out there is the World Wide Web. The Internet is the largest net out there, and it shows what can be done with enough computing and enough devices.

Keeping Your Environment Safe

No matter how you use a network–whether it’s the Internet or your business’ internal environment–security is a key point that needs to be addressed.

Thankfully, keeping your network secure doesn’t have to be challenging. A quality IT provider like WheelHouse IT can make it much easier to manage IT security for your organization. It all starts by thinking about security in a proactive way.

We offer several solutions that can help you secure your business, including methods to keep your employees well-informed of basic security best practices, regular password updates, infrastructure updates, software implementation like firewalls and antivirus, and implementing a VPN.

WheelHouse IT can help your business optimize security. To learn more, reach out to us at (877) 771-2384.

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Tech Terminology: Processor

Tech Terminology: Processor

The word “computer” actually originated in the 1600s, when it was used to describe a person who carries out calculations and the requisite processes. Today, those processes are carried out mechanically. Let’s examine the piece of the computer that allows it to do so, the CPU.

What a CPU Does

The CPU (or central processing unit) is contained in the motherboard of your computer. Its job is to decode the instructions sent by the RAM (Random Access Memory) and forward them to the right piece of the system. No matter what you’re doing with your computer, your CPU is a necessary, even crucial component.

Many people mistakenly take this information and jump to the conclusion that a better CPU means improved performance, which does stand to reason. However, improved performance requires other components to be improved and upgraded as well. A better CPU will make your system, including your applications and other programs, function more quickly.

How It Does It

Despite the improvements made in computing, the fundamental functionality of a CPU has not changed since the component was first developed. There are three correlating jobs that the processor is responsible for: fetch, decode, and execute.

Fetch

The RAM sends the CPU coded instructions, which are bits and pieces of a larger operation the computer is undergoing. These instructions are stored in the Instruction Register.

Decode

After the instruction is safely stored, a specialized circuit called the instruction decoder gets to work. This circuit translates the coded instruction into signals that the other parts of the CPU can put into action.

Execute

Finally, these signals are sent to those other parts of the CPU, and the process is completed. This final instruction is also added to the CPU register’s memory, making it simpler and faster to access the next time.

Selecting A CPU

Switching out your CPU can be a simple way of upgrading your system to improve its performance. As you pick one out, keep in mind that the more cores a CPU has, the better it will be. The first CPUs had one, most today have anywhere from two to four, and the top-of-the-line ones have as many as eighteen (or even more than that).

You should also keep other things in mind as well. Different CPUs can handle different amounts of data at once, as annotated by the terms “32-bit” and “64-bit.” Some processors are also faster than others, as determined by their frequency. This means that some dual-cores can potentially “beat” a quad-core. Plus, you need to keep in mind what your motherboard can support. The best CPU won’t do you any good if it doesn’t work with your computer.

Need Help?

WheelHouse IT is here to offer you any assistance you may need with your IT solutions. For more information, reach out to us at (877) 771-2384.

Tech Terminology: Business Intelligence

Tech Terminology: Business Intelligence

If you know more about your organization and its customers, you’ll be able to make better decisions about the future of your business. Thanks to an increased focus on business intelligence, even small and medium-sized businesses can take advantage of these analytical tools to improve operations and customer relations. What is business intelligence? How does it work, and why does your business need it?

Defining Business Intelligence

Business intelligence is an approach to organizational management utilizing software solutions and other services to convert your data into actionable intelligence. Some have even compared business intelligence to descriptive analytics. Basically, it allows your business to see what has worked in the past, as well as what could happen in the future and where your business is currently standing. This is often confused with business analytics, but the aim of BI is a bit different. Instead of guessing what is going to happen, it looks at what has already happened to help you make better decisions in the future.

How Can You Get Started with It?

If you’re like most businesses, chances are that information is stored across your organization in multiple databases. You’ll have to get them in order if you want to take advantage of solutions that depend on it. In most cases, this includes rounding up your data and placing it in one location for easy access. You can then link together tables to create a data cube. Data warehouses can also use dynamic links to databases to make changes to data and change the way that it’s represented at a glance. Some databases can’t do this so, they rely on importing databases in other ways.

How Does It Work?

Now that your data warehouse is set up, you can start analyzing the data with multi-layer queries. Since all of your databases are now connected, you can easily enter in search queries for any information needed. For example, you can search your inventory, as well as create a list of what’s most popular from your business. It can then cross-reference these two lists to determine how much products sell, and when.

Reports Are Important

Every time you run a query, you will wind up running a report as well. Basically, the report ensures that you actually have information to utilize. Reports are helpful because they help you make educated decisions about where and where not to place products. The interesting idea that BI introduces is that older methods of doing business may not necessarily be viable any longer. While the upfront costs of creating a data warehouse may be considerable, BI can provide such a huge return on investment that the expenses accrued aren’t as damaging.

WheelHouse IT can help your business implement business intelligence technology. To learn more, reach out to us at (877) 771-2384.

Tech Terminology: USB-C The difference between USB Type A, B, & C

Tech Terminology: USB-C The difference between USB Type A, B, & C

We often take for granted that people know what we are talking about when we talk about popular connectors, but really how do these systems work? For this week’s tech term, we are going to take a look at something we all have used and probably are actively using: the Universal Serial Bus (USB). We will take a look at the origins of this technology, the development of it, and the difference between USB Type A,B, & C.

The Origins of USB

The first USB cable was developed in 1996. The Universal Serial Bus is a cable that makes it much easier to connect outside devices to PCs. Seven of the top companies in personal computing and communications space, Compaq, DEC, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NEC, and Nortel, wanted to make it fundamentally simpler to connect to the growing number of devices that were being developed that needed to be connected to the PC.

USB provided a standard that allowed 1.5 Mbps-to-12 Mps data transfer. This isn’t very fast by today’s standards, but back then was pretty significant. The first widely-used version was released in September 1998 which provided users 12 Mbps for high-speed devices like disk drives. Apple introduced the iMac personal computer which became the first mainstream product that came with USB. It’s success popularized the USB. The first USB came in two connector types: Type A which is what people think of as standard USB, and type B which was more squared off.

Innovation of USB

USB 2.0 was released in August of 2000 and added the ability to transfer data through them at up to 280 Mbps. During this time the first mini-USB (type A and B) were developed. It also integrated battery charging features, allowing high-speed data transfer from a range of newly introduced mobile phones.

USB 3.0 was introduced November 2008 and featured the SuperSpeed transfer rate of 5 Gbs. Innovations came over the next ten years culminating in the introduction of the USB 3.2 feature in September of 2017. The addition of the Type-C connector provided what is called SuperSpeed+ transfer of around 20 Gbps.

Type-C

The USB Type-C is a 24-pin USB connector system, which is distinguished by its rotational-symmetrical connector. This, in our opinion, is the most important feature – for the first time ever, there isn’t a wrong way to plug in your cable. The USB-C is larger than the micro-B connector and like the typical USB wire, one end features a USB Type-A or Type-B while the other features the new Type-C end and will likely become the standard connection over time.

Here are three innovations found with USB Type-C:

  • It’s designed to be easier to plug in since there is no discernible way that the dongle has to be entered into the device.
  • Data transfer and power capability are basically twice what they were with USB 3.1.
  • It’s designed to become a future-proof option for data and power transfer for mobile devices.

Now if only all of our devices would support one cable.

Technology is everywhere and WheelHouse IT is doing our best in keeping you informed about the newest and most important technology terms and concepts that are sure to change the world we live in. For more information about mobile technology, call us today at (877) 771-2384.

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