January 2012
1 post
UserLock is part of PC Mag’s Best Apps for 2012
UserLock, our software solution that limits concurrent logins, restricts access, monitors, alerts and reports on session activity throughout the corporate Windows network, has been picked by PC Mag to be part of their “25 excellent applications for small-to-mid-sized businesses to consider in 2012”.
Samara Lynn, Lead Analyst at PC Mag, describes UserLock as “an impressive product”,...
December 2011
5 posts
70% of young workers ignore IT security rules: how...
According to a report recently issued by Cisco Systems, 7 out of 10 young employees frequently ignore IT policies and two-thirds said they believe their company’s policies need to be modified. About 61 percent said corporate IT security isn’t their responsibility, believing it is that of their employer or the maker of their devices.
Of those who were aware of IT security policies, 70%...
We curate Microsoft related news for you
Volunteers among IS Decisions’ Team constantly review dozens of information sources (websites, blogs, Twitter accounts, etc.), carefully select content for its quality, originality and relevance, and create compelling online magazines.
Our goal is to provide IT pros with online resources that help them easily get useful, up to date information about Microsoft technologies, IT security and more,...
Check the December issue of IS Decisions Wire
The December issue of IS Decisions Wire, our bimonthly E-newsletter is out.
Drawing inspiration from Microsoft’s Metro design language, IS Decisions Wire celebrates an elegant and clean look & feel that we hope you will find pleasant to look at and interesting to read.
Subscribe now to get the next issue: it’s free!
How to remotely deploy Internet Explorer 9 on your...
Simple and direct deployment
Easily deploy the new Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) browser on chosen computers by following these instructions.
Download the four existing IE 9 packages from the Microsoft Web site - IE9-Windows7-x64-enu.exe - IE9-Windows7-x86-enu.exe - IE9-WindowsVista-x64-enu.exe - IE9-WindowsVista-x86-enu.exe
Open RemoteExec and go to Remote Jobs/New Remote Job/Multiple...
Netware to Active Directory migration: what about...
NDS and NetWare gave network administrators the ability to easily enforce certain restrictions on their network especially the ability for a person to open simultaneous sessions with the same login.
As with most things in Netware Directory Services, restricting concurrent connections could be performed from the administrative workstation using the NetWare Administrator utility.
When migrating...
November 2011
2 posts
RemoteExec vs. PsExec : not is the same league
Interacting with remote Windows systems is a daily task for IT professionals.
Everyone will agree that application deployment, remote server reboots, emergency updates, user session locking, etc. are tedious, time consuming chores without the help provided by efficient tools.
IS Decisions prides itself in building top notch solutions for IT pros. Our remote deployment and execution solution is...
2 tags
IS Decisions now has an official page on Google+
At IS Decisions, we believe that customers, prospects, partners and more widely IT professionals in the field provide the best source of ideas for enhancing our software solutions and improving the quality of our service.
That is why we created IS Decisions’ official page on Google+ as another way to exchange with savvy IT pros worldwide.
Our aspiration is to get feedback,...
September 2011
2 posts
4 tags
Check the September issue of IS Decisions Wire
The September issue of IS Decisions Wire, our bimonthly E-newsletter is out.
We designed it as a tribute to Windows 8 and the Metro-UI and made sure you can read it from your desktop and/or your smartphone.
Subscribe now to get the next issue: it’s free!
3 tags
Best of BUILD and Windows 8: articles and posts we...
Last week was pretty exciting! At BUILD, Microsoft unveiled Windows 8 and we must admit that what we have seen so far about this new OS is pretty impressive.
A lot of IT journalists and bloggers have started writing about Windows 8, a bunch of videos and screenshots have been published, and as usual, the best and the worst coexist in that steady stream of information.
We therefore tried to...
August 2011
1 post
6 tags
IS Decisions software nominated for the 2011...
Our 4 software solutions have been nominated for the 2011 Windows IT Pro Community Choice Awards.
You use and appreciate them? Please help us creating awareness about our innovative Infrastructure & Security Management solutions for Microsoft Windows by voting for them before September 7th (it will only take 2 minutes of your time)!
- UserLock UserLock limits concurrent logins, restricts...
July 2011
1 post
6 tags
FISMA Compliance – What’s the big deal anyway?
The article below is a guest post by our US partner Information Systems Laboratories). ISL offers a wide range of services to help companies implement or improve a corporate cyber/information security program, including independent IT security evaluations, threat and vulnerability analysis and incident response plans. ISL has entered a partnership with IS Decisions, as they recognize UserLock...
June 2011
1 post
2 tags
“It is almost never safe to download executable programs from peer-to-peer file...”
– Brian Krebs on KrebsOnSecurity.com
March 2011
2 posts
4 tags
IS Decisions opens UserLock 6.0 Beta Testing...
We are pleased to announce the UserLock 6.0 Beta Testing Program.
UserLock limits concurrent logins, restricts access, monitors, alerts and reports on session activity throughout the corporate Windows network. UserLock 6.0 is a major upgrade that comes with numerous new features and enhancements including:
- Time quotas: ability to define daily, weekly, monthly, etc. quotas. - A third type of...
7 tags
UserLock and FileAudit help guard against rogue...
Back in September 2010, Network World published an insightful article by Carolyn Duffy Marsan, titled «6 tips for guarding against rogue sys admins».
In this article, Carolyn underlined the fact that «one of the biggest threats that organizations face is losing sensitive data […] to theft from their own employees. The threat is greatest from systems and network administrators, who have...
February 2011
4 posts
4 tags
How to deploy SP1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server...
RemoteExec can easily deploy the Windows 7/2008 R2 Service Pack 1. This can be useful if you have to update servers without an Internet connection or workstations with the Windows Update engine turned off.
Direct deployment
You can update your system directly following the 6 steps below. Before getting started, check to see if the Targets Computers are being used as this operation will consume...
6 tags
How to remotely (and automatically) shutdown...
The example below illustrates the use of a predefined System Action to ensure the automatic shutdown of all workstations. The time you choose for switching off your computer must coincide with your company business needs.
Take note that:
A user might be working on the target machine.
A session can be opened on the target machine without a user in front of it, but with documents opened or...
4 tags
IS Decisions launches MVPtweets.com
As a contribution to the Microsoft 2011 MVP Global Summit, IS Decisions today launched MVPtweets.com, a website that displays in real time:
- tweets from more than 1,100 Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) - tweets from Microsoft MVP Leads and Community Managers - tweets with #MVP11 and #MVPbuzz hashtags
and allows instant visualization of what is going on in the Microsoft MVPs...
4 tags
How to install and run CCleaner on thousands of...
CCleaner supports the cleaning of temporary or potentially unwanted files left by certain programs, including Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer, Safari, and other applications along with browsing history, cookies, Recycle bin, memory dumps, file fragments, log files, system caches, application data, autocomplete form history, and various other data. Source: Wikipedia
Deployment with default...
January 2011
1 post
3 tags
How to deploy Firefox on thousands of Windows...
Mozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. The latest Firefox features include tabbed browsing, spell checking, incremental find, live bookmarking, a download manager, private browsing and location-aware browsing. Source: Wikipedia
How to deploy Firefox
Download the latest Firefox version from:...
December 2010
3 posts
Parlez de RemoteExec 5.0 sur Twitter et/ou...
IS Decisions vient d’annoncer la sortie de RemoteExec 5.0 pour Windows, une solution logicielle 100% sans agent, permettant aux professionnels de l’informatique de déployer packages MSI et correctifs, d’exécuter à distance programmes et scripts, de gérer à distance leurs configurations Windows, etc. Vous avez un profil Twitter et/ou LinkedIn et/ou Viadeo ? Aidez-nous à...
Spread the word about RemoteExec 5.0 on Twitter...
IS Decisions just announced the availability of RemoteExec 5.0 for Windows, an agentless software solution that allows IT pros to deploy MSI packages and patches, remotely execute programs and scripts, remotely manage Windows configurations, etc. You have a Twitter and/or LinkedIn profile? Help us spread the word about RemoteExec 5.0 and win a Dell Inspiron Duo! All you have to do is follow...
WikiLeaks, the insider threat and how UserLock and...
The recent classified data disclosures found on WikiLeaks have raised strong concerns about mitigating insider threats in military and governmental Information Systems.
The soon to come disclosure of confidential records from private enterprises should also draw attention from every IT Security professional. Julian Assange revealed in an interview with Andy Greenberg of Forbes that WikiLeaks is...
November 2010
4 posts
UserLock wins PC Mag "Best of the Year 2010" Award
UserLock, our software solution that secures access to Microsoft Windows networks, has just been awarded “Best of the Year 2010” (Networking Software Category) by PC Mag.
For nearly 30 years, the PC Mag Award program has been one of the most stringent review programs in the IT industry as only 5% of products reviewed receive this Award and that make us really proud. Having a trusted industry...
Why concurrent logins to a Windows network are a...
This article, written by our CEO François Amigorena, has been published on Network World on November 15th, 2010.
Microsoft Windows has more security features than any other operating system but is strangely lacking the fundamental and classic login session controls found in other environments, like mainframe and midrange systems, UNIX and Netware.
As an example, there is no way in Windows...
La version beta publique de RemoteExec 5.0 est...
Certains d’entre vous le savent, RemoteExec pour Windows est une solution logicielle 100% sans agent, permettant aux professionnels de l’informatique de :
- déployer rapidement et simplement packages MSI, Service Packs, correctifs, hotfixes, etc.
- exécuter à distance des programmes (.exe, .bat, .cmd) et des scripts (.vbs, .js), ainsi que les fichiers associés (.txt, .doc,...
RemoteExec 5.0 public beta is available!
As some of you may know, RemoteExec for Windows is a 100% agentless software solution that allows IT pros to: - quickly and easily deploy MSI packages, Service Packs, patches, hotfixes, etc. - remotely execute programs (.exe, .bat, .cmd) and scripts (.vbs, .js), as well as associated files (.txt, .doc, .wav, .reg, .inf, .msi, …) - remotely manage Windows configurations (modify registry, change...
May 2010
2 posts
4 tags
“The more times a user is logged in to the network, the harder it is to determine...”
– Protecting Your Network Against Known Security Threats (Novell Research)
Prevent/limit concurrent logins to your Windows network using UserLock
4 tags
Protect Windows networks from careless and...
According to several recent studies, the most costly or damaging attacks against information systems are more often caused by insiders (employees or contractors with authorized access).
Taking this fact into account, we developed an enterprise software solution named UserLock, whose main goal is to protect Windows networks from careless and/or fraudulent users, thus efficiently mitigating insider...
April 2010
2 posts
3 tags
IS Decisions is currently seeking its...
IS Decisions is an innovative and rapidly growing international software vendor, specializing in Security and Change Management solutions for Microsoft Windows-based infrastructures, headquartered in Biarritz (France).
Our work environment suits action-oriented people: - with initiative to take on tasks and grow with the job as roles and requirements expand, - who have a passionate,...
4 tags
CERT Best Practices for Protecting Against Insider...
CERT, Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute’s center for conducting and coordinating information security research, has released the Common Sense Guide to Prevention and Detection of Insider Threats, Version 3.1.
This valuable, insightful document (PDF - 88 pages) provides a comprehensive range of best practices to mitigate insider threat. And UserLock, our software solution...
March 2010
12 posts
3 tags
FileAudit mentioned on TechRepublic
Our software solution FileAudit has just been mentioned in an article titled “10 ways to make sure your data doesn’t walk out the door”, written by Deb Schinder and published on TechRepublic website.
This article provides an up-to-date look at critical areas of concern when it comes to preventing data theft perpetrated by insiders.
Among useful advice, Deb Shinder recommends...
5 tags
IS Decisions new ads: we need your feedback!
We just created a new set of ads to promote our Security and Change Management software solutions for Microsoft Windows-based infrastructures.
And we’d really enjoy getting your feedback (good or bad) about them.
So please leave a comment or tweet us!
- UserLock secures access to Windows networks, comprehensively reports on user sessions and efficiently mitigates insider threat:
-...
2 tags
“We use Userlock - really like it … Ontop of restricting the students to...”
– Quoted from a System Administrator (and a UserLock customer) in a British University (in Edugeek Forums)
3 tags
Security Update for RemoteExec
IS Decisions just released RemoteExec 4.05, the latest version of our software solution designed to remotely perform installations, updates and system actions on Microsoft Windows servers and workstations.
This security update resolves a Secunia reported vulnerability in RemoteExec 4.04 (and prior versions) that could be exploited to cause a stack-based buffer overflow by tricking a user into...
4 tags
PC Mag about UserLock: "It's an impressive tool"
PC Mag has just reviewed UserLock, our software solution that secures access to Windows networks, comprehensively reports on user sessions and efficiently mitigates insider threat.
This in-depth review has been performed by Samara Lynn, Network Analyst, and published on March 2010, 12th.
We cannot resist the pleasure of quoting some extracts from this review:
- BOTTOM LINE: it’s an...
3 tags
Free eBook: Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2
Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2, by Charlie Russel and Craig Zacker with the Windows Server Team at Microsoft, can be downloaded here.
Here is the book’s Content at a Glance:
Introduction xvii Chapter 1 What’s New in Windows Server R2 1 Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration: Adding R2 to Your World 9 Chapter 3 Hyper-V: Scaling and Migrating Virtual Machines 25...
6 tags
Protect your Windows network from careless and...
IS Decisions developed a software solution named UserLock, whose main goal is to protect Windows networks from careless and/or fraudulent users, thus mitigating insider threat.
More than 700,000 UserLock licenses are already in use by worldwide security-demanding organizations including: BAE Systems, Banco de Costa Rica, Barclays Bank, BMW, Computer Sciences Corporation, Frito-Lay, Lockheed...
4 tags
The Twitter List of Microsoft Technologies User...
Numerous Microsoft ITpros and developers around the world join User Groups and communities to meet their peers, share ideas and experiences, and improve their skills by learning from each other.
And a lot of these User Groups and communities now use Twitter to share information, advice, opinions, news, moods, concerns, facts, rumors, and everything else imaginable about Microsoft technologies.
...
6 tags
Windows networks: why should you monitor login...
Logon session monitoring is being able to say, in real time, who is logged on at which computers and to answer two questions:
- What are all the computers that a given user is currently logged on at? - Who are the users currently logged on at this particular computer?
There is no way to do that with native Windows functionality, although that would empower System Administrators to efficiently...
3 tags
The largest Twitter List of Official Microsoft...
IS Decisions is a Microsoft Partner Silver Independent Software Vendor and develops Infrastructure and Security Management solutions for Microsoft Windows. We therefore are interested in all things Microsoft and assume our customers, partners and followers on Twitter are too. That is why we thoroughly compiled what we believe to be the largest Twitter list of Official Microsoft Accounts.
To...
7 tags
We are social: interact with us!
At IS Decisions, we value our customers and partners and know that we are in business only because of you.
We welcome your opinions, suggestions and comments as we recognize it is the best way to improve our software solutions and customer service.
That is why we heavily invested in a strong presence in social networks and want to listen, understand and engage in honest and meaningful...
5 tags
February 2010
16 posts
4 tags
Windows networks: why is logon/logoff reporting...
There is no way in Windows to get a report saying “John logged on at 8:00 and he logged off at 11:00.”
It is therefore a precious information that gives System Administrators the ability to answer crucial questions when it comes to investigations following an incident. Who was really logged on? Where were they logged on? When did they log on? How long did they remain logged on? When...
3 tags
WatchClassification for files and stored data is now built into Windows Server 2008 R2.
Know all the file classification, file management and data management features this built in technology provides at no additional cost.
More about File Classification Infrastructure in Windows Server 2008 R2
5 tags
The most comprehensive Twitter list of Microsoft...
At IS Decisions, we recognize the contribution that Microsoft MVPs (Most Valuable Professionals) make to the ITpro community.
More, MVPs’ tweets are usually extremely valuable as they reflect their expertise in Microsoft technologies.
We therefore decided to track MVPs on Twitter and to create a Twitter list of them.
As each Twitter list is currently limited to 500 people, we had to...
Why is controlling concurrent logins to a Windows...
There is no way in Windows to limit a given user account from only logging on at one computer at a time.
In terms of interactive logins at desktops and laptops, a system administrator cannot prevent a given user from going up to one computer, logging on there, letting somebody work as him or just leaving the computer unattended, and then walking up to another computer and logging on there.
And...
3 tags
IS Decisions retains Microsoft Certified Partner...
We just renewed our certified status in Microsoft’s Certified Partner Program (ISV/Software Solutions Competency) which represents our commitment to developing the latest technology for Windows-based infrastructure.
As a Microsoft Certified Partner, we have demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and proven our ability to meet customer needs.
The certification process indeed...
3 tags
“I once had to deal with a chief executive who shared his access credentials with...”
– This anecdote, reported by John Mitchell (Managing Director of LHS Business Control) in the article “IT systems: the insider threat” could not have happened if this company has used UserLock …
4 tags
You Can Teach an Old PC New Tweets
The Personal Computer Museum will mark its fifth anniversary by using Twitter from Commodore’s early home PC, the VIC-20.
More on PC World