Debra Littlejohn Shinder

This information is also available as a PDF download. Like it or not, network administrators these days must take on the added task of playing Big Brother — monitoring employees’ use of the computers and network. Even if the company’s management philosophy allows for some private use of company equipment, you often need to know …

This information is also available as a PDF download. Every general computer networking class teaches the OSI and/or DoD networking models, and we all learn that everything begins at the bottom, with the physical level. Likewise, when it comes to IT security, physical security is the foundation for our overall strategy. But some organizations, distracted …

Microsoft offers eight versions of Office 2007 — which is nice in terms of flexibility, but it certainly complicates the decision-making process. Deb Shinder looks at the price structure, explains which applications each suite includes, summarizes the capabilities and enhancements of the various applications, and describes three sophisticated features that certain editions support: Integrated Enterprise Content Management, integrated electronic forms, and Advanced Information Rights Management.

When you set up the first network for a small business, you may not give much thought to how the company’s growth will affect your IP addressing scheme. By planning ahead at the beginning, you can ensure that you have plenty of addresses available to meet your organization’s growing needs.

Managers and IT departments often rush to deploy the latest and greatest software without considering the need to train end-users in its use. A scalable end-user training strategy will make your new software deployment both a more cost effective and a happier experience for everyone involved.

Getting new and better technology is great, but making the transition – especially when the company is also growing, downsizing or restructuring – can be painful. Here’s how an organized upgrade strategy can ease that pain.

Outlook’s collaboration features allow you to create and distribute custom forms to collect information. Walk through the steps for creating custom forms containing specified information fields.

Learn to use the cipher utility with confidence. This Daily Drill Down walks you through using every cipher switch and shows you exactly what happens in the real world when you use these switches.

When your server goes down, what do you do? Panic? Not anymore. With the help of TechProGuild and Debra Littlejohn Shinder, you’ll have a handy guide to quickly help you bring that server back to life.

If you are serious about computer/network security, then you must have a solid understanding of authentication methods. Debra Littlejohn Shinder takes a moment to lay out the role authentication plays in a security plan.

To thoroughly understand routing, you need to understand routing tables. In this Daily Feature, Deb Shinder explains how routing tables are used, the information they contain, and how to view and configure a routing table.