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It’s no secret that the telecommunications, information technology, and cyber security industries have grown immensely over the past two decades alone. That said, it’s absolutely essential to work with a company that remains up-to-date with these changes and can provide the best services and knowledge to ensure your business doesn’t fall behind. 

Keep reading to learn why we’re the best fit for YOU and your business! 

Our VoIP Services

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology gives consumers the ability to make calls using an internet or private network connection rather than using a standard phone line.

As the technology industry evolves each year, analog phone services have become incredibly outdated. While working with our clients, we aim to transition from phone lines to business VoIP systems to better serve YOU! For example, moving from Verizon or Comcast to VoIP services can result in over 50% savings on phone bills. These services offer the same quality but with better service. Plus, we ensure that our VoIP services are fully secure by using both encryption

and firewall technology. That being said, your vulnerable and valuable information is fully

protected, and much more so than it would be with our competitors.

Our I.T. Consulting Services

Everyone is qualified! Our team has over 75 years of combined experience in information technology and strategic communications. Over the years, high-level, classified organizations have continued to use our consulting services for a multitude of reasons. 

For example, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) utilizes our team to increase their planning strategies for their transitional period from legacy telephony technologies to secure Unified Communications solutions. We’ve assisted the U.S. Navy with telecommunications engineering and strategic planning support along with maintenance and support in other areas.

We’ve also worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in various ways. During the 2017 hurricane season, we were responsible for engineering and installing a 75-seat call center for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support call overflows. 

Our WiFi Services

In this day and age, WiFi has become a necessity for everyday business operations. Using a wireless network allows companies to save the funds, time, and energy of installing cables throughout the office.

But what makes us stand out? First things first, it is our mission to provide the right I.T. solutions at the lowest possible cost for our clients. 

Secondly, there are a number of buildings with historical value throughout Winchester, VA. By choosing to work with us, we’ll make sure your wireless network installation does not compromise the historical integrity of the building. 

Our IoT Services

For those who might not know what IoT means, have no fear! In simple terms, it encompasses physical objects (i.e., things) that include sensors, software, and other types of technology. These different forms of technology can then exchange information and data with other systems and devices on the internet. Therefore, it stands for Internet of Things.

We offer a multitude of IoT Services and installation, including:

• Surveillance Cameras
• Digital Video Recorder (DVR)
• High-Definition Multimedia Interface 
• Ceiling Mounted 360 Degree Cameras
• Thermal Cameras
• DVR Controller Software and Facial Recognition Technology
• Smart Locks
• Alarm Panels

Our Cybersecurity Services

Our cybersecurity services are programmed to ensure all of your organization’s cyber and information security needs are met. This includes providing training and vulnerability testing, providing incident response to cyberattacks, and much more.

Our team is proud to have industry-standard certifications and over 21 years of combined cybersecurity experience, plus we regularly compete at hacking and security conferences to stay sharp and up-to-date. We work with organizations of all sizes to design networks, make systems secure, and protect data from the past, present, and future. 

Whether you’re interested in Hosted VoIP services, I.T. Consulting, WiFi setup and installation, IoT, or Cybersecurity, make sure to check out Netmaker Communications in Winchester, VA. Our team will meet with you to discuss your needs, keep you updated throughout the process, and exceed all expectations! Contact us today for your free consultation by calling 540-431-4901 or visiting here. 

We LOVE VoIP and are confident that you will too once you learn more about it! 

First things first, what is VoIP? It stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and in simple terms, it’s a phone service that allows people to place phone calls over the internet. There are SO many reasons to love VoIP, and believe us, we struggled to narrow the list down. That being said, here are our top five reasons for loving VoIP.

The Cost-Effectiveness

It’s safe to say nearly everyone enjoys saving money. By investing in VoIP, you’re able to save because your business isn’t charged by minutes per call like a phone plan, but rather as one monthly charge from your Internet Service Provider. 

VoIP also makes your billing a piece of heart-shaped cake. By switching to a VoIP with us, all services, including telephone lines, are one easy-to-understand invoice. The total monthly costs of a hosted VoIP telephone system do not have to be deciphered, assembled, or calculated. 

Lastly, VoIP phones run on the same cables as business computers, so there’s no need to spend money on separate telephone wires throughout the office. Now you can take that money you saved and spend it on some Valentine’s Day goodies! 

The Equipment

If you’re using an on-premise system, you’re most likely required to use a telephone that works with that system alone. However, a VoIP system uses equipment from industry vendors, giving you more flexibility and the chance to save even more. As a bonus, these vendors, such as Polycom and Yealink, tend to have more availability as well. 

The Easy Configuration + Features 

We all know how much technology has changed over the years. Older, outdated phone systems often require users to program the system through the telephone display using a dial pad.

A hosted VoIP makes configuration less complicated by providing a browser interface to set up the system and user options instead.

As we mentioned, technology has changed quite a bit recently, and a standard telephone system/equipment can’t seem to keep up with the monthly, weekly, or even daily changes. Because VoIP is software-driven, you will constantly have access to new features and functionalities.

The Accessibility

For those who work in sales or with external clients regularly, missing a call can mean missing out on a great opportunity. By using VoIP, you’re able to connect your extension to your cell phone. That way, you never miss an important call if you’re away from your desk (especially if it’s about those Valentine’s Day reservations)!

Over the past couple of years, many of us have become accustomed to a remote working environment. Whether you’re switching offices, moving, or going on a trip, you’re able to take your phone with you. All you need to do is plug your phone into a business-grade Internet connection, and your VoIP makes sure you’re all set!

The Simplified Fixes + Analytics 

We all know technology is great when it’s working, and not so great when it decides to stop working. Rather than trying to get in touch with IT or customer service for your older phone system, your VoIP hardware is centrally managed and serviced in the cloud, meaning a quick fix for you so you can get back to work. 

Speaking of work, who doesn’t love simplified data? A VoIP system tracks your data for you and provides timely analytics that can help your business improve. For example, if you work in customer service, you can see inbound call volume by the hour and schedule accordingly. 

As everyone focuses on Valentine’s Day and how it’s important to fulfill the needs of your loved ones, it’s essential to fulfill the needs of your business as well. Located in Winchester, VA, Netmaker Communications, LLC is here for you and all of your VoIP Service needs. 

We have a variety of VoIP packages and equipment for you to choose from and we’d love to answer any questions you might have. Contact us today to get started!

It’s no secret that the technology industry has gone through drastic advancements over the past few decades. While technology has the capability to make everyone’s lives a bit easier, it also makes us all much more vulnerable to cyber threats, especially over the past year as remote work has become more common. 

Keep reading to learn why it’s important to make sure your business’ phones and internet are secure, and why cyber security should be one of your top priorities in the New Year.

What Exactly is Cyber Security? 

In a nutshell, the main purpose of cyber security is to reduce the risk of cyber attacks while also protecting and recovering systems or programs from any type of attack. Cyber attacks have become extremely common as of recently and are an ongoing and evolving issue to not only organizations, but their employees and consumers as well. 

Why is Cyber Security More Important Now than Ever Before?

Organizations that don’t make cyber security a main priority fall victim to cyber attacks more often than not. Attacks, such as phishing and ransomware, are some of the most common, with a motive to not only access, but exploit sensitive data or extort money.

There’s a multitude of reasons as to why cyber attacks have increased over the years, such as:

• More advanced technology leads to more advanced attacks – while technology has become much more sophisticated, the same goes for a hacker’s ability to launch attacks on a much larger scale. 

• Consumers and businesses store important information in the cloud – the growth of the Internet has caused many people to become dependent on it, both personally and professionally. From personal photos, passwords and accounts to professional emails, credentials and documents, the cloud holds extremely valuable data that would result in massive loss and consequences for individuals and organizations if hackers gained access to their information. 

• Mobile devices cumulate personal data – mobile devices are increasingly more and more popular each year and apps request an abundance of personal data. Once a hacker gains access to your device, it’s incredibly easy for them to hack your accounts and find out even more personal information and data.

• Insufficiency in computer literacy is still a common occurrence – with all of the ongoing advancements, devices need to be constantly updated. However, this doesn’t mean that those who use these devices keep themselves personally up to date with all of the changes. This not only makes them more vulnerable to cyber threats and an easy target for a cyber attack, but also a potential risk for your business. 

If your personal or professional data remains unsecured, the outcome could be potentially dangerous for you and your bank account as well as your business and its reputation.

Protecting your data is essential, and you need a team you can trust to get the job done right!

Look no further than Netmaker Communications in Winchester, VA for all of your IT and network solution needs. From consulting services to installing a LAN network or VoIP, contact us today for your free consultation at 540-431-4901! 

It’s a new year, which means a new array of personal and professional resolutions. In the age of technology, it’s a must that businesses incorporate cyber security into their resolutions. Businesses fail too often at properly securing their phones—VoIP and mobile—and their Internet services, which hackers across the world prey on.

Now that we’re firmly in 2022, we recommend that businesses stress the importance of securing their phones and Internet using the following steps to help secure your network and keep the attackers away.

Secure Mobile Phones

No matter if your business is small or large, if your employees use company-owned mobile phones or even “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD), the nature of these devices can pose a serious security risk.

Here are some security measures to keep those devices safe:

• Encryption: Establish policies and enable settings across all mobile devices; this will encrypt data being stored and transferred on said devices.
• Password/MFA: It is critical that phone users utilize passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) when accessing their home screen and applications. MFA can be a password plus pin and/or biometric (i.e., Face ID or thumb print). MFA offers a higher level of security in the event a password is compromised. A different unique password should be used for each application on a mobile device—including emails.
• Updates: Mobile devices like tablets and computers should be updated to the latest operating system and firmware as soon as they are released by the manufacture. These updates patch backdoor vulnerabilities that could potentially allow a hacker to gain access to the device and its data.
• User Training/Awareness: It is critical that organizations train their staff on mobile phone usage, especially if they are conducting business on these devices. Part of this training should include password/MFA, encryption, updating the phones, and not using personal social media and emails on them. If the latter is compromised, the entire device could be compromised. 

Secure Your VoIP Phones

VoIP phones—just like mobile devices—must be secured. However, VoIP phones can pose a greater threat if compromised by a hacker, as they can be targeted for Denial of Services (DoS), phishing, war dialing, and call interception attacks.

To limit these attacks, consider taking the following steps:

• Deactivate Inactive Accounts: Deactivating/disabling inactive phone accounts will limit the opportunity for those accounts to be spoofed and used to harm your business.
• Review Call Logs: Call logs will reveal any abnormal call trends or behavior. Set up a regular review schedule, which will help you determine if malicious activity is happening on your VoIP infrastructure.
• Updates: Updates are an absolute must! These patches will help to counter against backdoor vulnerabilities that could potentially allow a hacker to gain access to the phone and data.
• STIR/SHAKEN: No, this isn’t about how James Bond likes his martinis. STIR/SHAKEN utilizes digital certifications based on public key cryptography techniques. This method limits robocalling and number spoofing, the latter being a major vulnerability with VoIP phones.

Secure Your Internet

Internet access is critical for any size organization to effectively conduct business. However, attackers’ prey on unsecure Internet connections to spoof and launch malicious attacks on a network.

Take the following steps to help ensure you don’t become a victim of hackers:

• Training: The biggest security risk to any company is untrained personnel. Companies should conduct cyber and social engineering awareness trainings to shore up employee understanding of risks. These trainings should focus on the current security trends, top vulnerabilities, and mitigation steps these individuals can take to help keep your business secure.
• VPN: All remote employees should be utilizing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to connect to the company’s network. This secure connection adds an extra security layer when employees are connecting from home, cafes, hotels, and airports.
• Firewall: A firewall is a crucial component in securing your Internet connection. It can be utilized to block foreign traffic, stop peer-to-peer connections, and prevent employees from accessing inappropriate websites.
• Review Network Logs: Network traffic will illustrate whether an attacker is attempting to breach your infrastructure or not. Consistently reviewing network logs and traffic packets are great proactive measures to keeping your network secure.

Cyber Security as First Priority

Developing and implementing an efficient cyber security framework will ensure your business is safe from bad actors lurking around the Internet. To learn more, or begin shoring up your cyber security posture today, contact Netmaker by clicking here.

Feburary 11, 2018 – Winchester, VA. Having wrapped up a week in San Diego, CA attending AFCEA West, I had the opportunity to listen to senior DOD and Department of Navy (DON) Executives share their vision on how to move the Department forward. There were a lot of consistent themes such as “go fast” and “modernize”, which would seem like oxymoron’s to the experienced Federal Contractor. There were plenty of panels and presentations on how these objectives were going to be met, with the same old focus on data networking, data analytics and cyber security, with the intent of transforming information into something that could enable lethal outcomes for our adversaries. The magic sauce being banked on is the “cloud”, but depending on who you spoke with, you will get multiple definitions of what “cloud” means at AFCEA West. There was a lot of information surrounding MilCLOUD 2.0, and the Navy was proud of their award to CSRA for a “Cloud” contract that is designed to facilitate rapid adoption of the “Cloud” within the Navy. With all this buzz, there was one major gap not addressed, and when it was brought up, it was quickly dismissed. That gap was accounting for the Unified Communications demand signal that has been a constant drumbeat coming from the Combatant Commands, Components and Agencies for over eight years now.

Here are some fun facts to chew on that clearly are too inconvenient to deal with by DOD leadership, or they’re issues not sexy enough to deal with as they don’t come with a bayonet lug attached to them:

• The Navy has approximately 107 TDM End Office telephone switches operational within CONUS and OCONUS that are end-of-life and whose software can no longer be supported. Authority to Operate (ATO) certifications have expired years ago, with most of these obsolete systems are sitting with failed cards that cannot be replaced or repaired. These telephone End Office switches support nearly 300,000 active lines globally, and are the primary link to tenants being able to make 911 calls in the event of an emergency.
• The Army has nearly 900 TDM End Office telephone switches operational within CONUS and OCONUS that are also end-of-life, supporting nearly 1.9 million active lines globally, and are the primary link to tenants to being able to make 911 calls in the event of an emergency.
• The Air Force has nearly 700 TDM End Office telephone switches operational within CONUS and OCONUS that are also end-of-life, supporting nearly 1.2 million active lines globally, and are the primary link to tenants to being able to make 911 calls in the event of an emergency.
• Collectively the DOD spends annually nearly $1.3B on legacy T1 PRI circuits from the telecom companies to connect these platforms to the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Defense Switch Network (DSN).
• Many of these legacy End Office telephone switches are not covered by any maintenance agreements offered by industry, as the money that was once appropriated for such things has been taken and applied to something else. In the case of the Army, their NETCOM made the executive decision to issue a command that no further funding was to be spent on supporting these legacy systems.

To make things even more interesting, the major telephone companies (i.e. AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink) all testified to a FCC committee in August, 2017 stating they were sun-setting selling any new T1 PRI circuits starting in 2020, and that by 2025 they were going to stop supporting them. One would think this would set off “Risk” flags all through the Pentagon… you would be wrong.

Under the direction of the DOD CIO office, DISA was charged with the responsibility to oversee a technical requirements document known as the Unified Capabilities Requirements (UCR), which in turn was to provide the blueprint for the Department to migrate off TDM to Voice over IP (VoIP). Vendors have spent millions taking their various technologies through the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) to have their products validated as being compliant with the UCR so they could be placed on an Approved Products List (APL). The DOD CIO signed out DODI 8100.04 Unified Capabilities and the official policy surrounding the requirement to transition off of TDM technology to Unified Communications. But even with the DOD CIO providing clear guidance on this directive, and DISA rolling out initial capabilities in both VoIP, VTC over IP and Desktop Collaboration tools, the Department sat (and continues to sit) idle.

What is most interesting about all this is the fact that “audio” communications have been, and continues to be the “Gold” standard for Command and Control (C2) communications. Pretty much every desk in the Pentagon has a telephone sitting on it. Most Combatant Commands and Pentagon leaders use Video Teleconferencing as key tool to completing their jobs. I recall back in 2014, the then commander of SEVENTHFLEET shared that VTC was a critical technology for the command, as they often needed to communicate with Far East allies, and it was necessary to “see” them to read body language and facial expressions to ensure nothing was lost in translation. With the clear dependence on telephony technologies, one would think it would be priority one with the DOD to get modernized and protected as to not introduce a significant operational vulnerability. But that just isn’t the case. Instead, there is more focus on data communications, and buzz surrounding cyber vulnerabilities.

The latest attempt by the Army to fix this quagmire is their award of a Soft Client contract to AT&T that is supposed to deliver a Skype for Business capability to Army users fortunate to have a personal computer. According to the Army CIO G6 office, this FedRAMP certified commercially hosted service is supposed to replace the legacy telephone systems currently in use on all the Army forts. Unfortunately, this service can only promise “best effort” when it comes to quality of service, and the mechanism for how the AT&T commercial datacenters are going to be allowed to connect directly to the DOD Non-Classified IP Router network (NIPRnet) hasn’t been fully flushed out. You can forget being able to make a 911 call from your Skype for Business client too, as that won’t be supported. The end result is going to be seeing the Army spend $20M on Chat/Presence capability that they can get from DISA for free, as the Title 10 requirement for the base commanders to deliver 911 to all tenants on their bases, and to be able to deliver base telecommunications in the event they are cut off from outside resources is going to require the continued placement of a carrier grade telecommunications capability on all DOD base, post, camp and stations.

Well, I’m sure playing it safe by focusing on the data network makes sense. Industry follows the money, so here we go spending billions on commercial datacenter facilities and infrastructure. Let’s have another media story about the challenges of transitioning some C++ client server application to hosted servers (yawn). As the old saying goes… Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt!

Winchester, VA – October 7, 2018 : The Information Technology industry has been marketing the concept of convergence for over ten years now, however depending on who you speak with, the term “convergence” has many different meanings. For some the meaning represents the consolidation of applications. For others it is the consolidation of networks. And now we see another idea of convergence being in the reduction of computing resources (a.k.a. data centers, servers and access devices). Each perspective of the meaning of convergence is valid, yet when one begins to dig into the actual work of accomplishing convergence, the results are less then acceptable.

Human nature does not like “change”. When our corporate culture gets locked into a specific pattern of operations and it yields success, we find ourselves enjoying the luxury of complacency. Too often we become blinded by the security of doing something a specific way that we view change as “risk”. The fear of the unknown has always been the biggest barrier to change. With that said, it should not come as a shock to find that in most cases of “so called” convergence success stories we find they are in name only.

The sad truth, however, is that without change you do eventually become irrelevant. Technology changes at unprecedented speeds, and those willing to adopt new technologies and re-engineer there business processes to take advantage of what the new technology can bring, often find themselves with unparalleled competitive advantages. Personally, I have been involved with the development of many Business Case Analysis (BCA) and Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) studies for the Department of Defense (DOD), as well as various corporations They all showed significant cost savings and cost avoidance opportunities through the introduction of new technology that delivered true technology convergence. This either in the form of network and/or application convergence. In the case of the DOD, by establishing a converged voice, video and data enterprise (which has been the vision of the Joint Information Environment for the last five years), it has been shown that this would deliver over $1B/year in cost avoidance. Yet, as we begin the fourth quarter of calendar year 2018, the DOD is no closer today of realizing a true converged voice, video and data enterprise than they were five years ago.

When one begins performing forensics on the cause of why leadership can’t seem to invoke change in something as mission critical as Information Technology, it becomes quickly apparent that those who see change as “risk” often have the power to induce “creep” into any and all efforts to change. There are also those who use the fear of change as a political tool to keep their way of life secure. This conservative thinking, while it may benefit the few, does inevitably cost the many.

As a subject matter expert in the area of technology convergence, I can assure you that the biggest barrier to “selling” anything that delivers true network, application or data store convergence is overcoming the customers’ fear of change.

One of the issues being wrestled with by the FCC is how to govern 911 requirements in a Voice over IP (VoIP) environment. Recently, the FCC conceded that VoIP end instruments were not reliable enough to guarantee a 911 call, and then elected to focus on the reliability requirements of Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) call centers instead.

Per the FCC, telecommunications carriers responsible for servicing PSAP call center locations are required to ensure that the facilities have two connections to the Internet, with each circuit have physical diverse routes from the facility to the carrier network access point for the Internet. Additionally, the physical facilities hosting the call centers have to be equipped with generator power that can support up to 72 hours of full operations in the event of a primary power outage. This basically brings the reliability requirements up to what a commercial Central Office would be built to support. Part of the rationale is from lessons learned from past natural disasters (i.e. Hurricane Katrina, Sandy, etc.), where 911 call attempts when unanswered because the PSAP locations were “off the air”.

What isn’t being addressed is the reliability of VoIP down to the end instrument. In fact, the FCC basically states that service providers should label the handsets with “caution” messages informing the user that the phone is not guaranteed to support 911 calling. This is a huge step backwards from the reliable TDM Telephony service that supported 99.999% reliability and 1% probability of blocking. In fact, what is being passed off as acceptable for VoIP service is actually worse than an analog cellular experience. “Good” VoIP service is lucky to deliver on 99.5% reliability. To put that in context, that is like going from an acceptable 3 minutes a year of service outages to 1 hour and 28 min a year of service outages. For handsets not supported by Power over Ethernet (POE) that is being delivered from a POE Switch backed up by an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS), outages can be more frequent if the building suffers from frequent power outages or brownouts.

Unfortunately the cost of delivering TDM like quality of service and reliability over VoIP is expensive. Basically, each building would need to consider redundant paths to the Wide Area Network (WAN), and investing in UPS technology to deliver power to their POE infrastructure and network equipment in the event of primary power failures, which would cost thousands of additional dollars that can be avoided by forcing users to accept 99.5% reliability. Many business CIO’s will be more than willing to compromise the safety of their staff in return for lower CAPEX and OPEX exposure. I have heard it also said as sound rationale that users can just use their cell phone to make 911 calls if the VoIP phone fails. For single event scenarios like a women going into labor, or person having a heart attack, that is true; but for large scale disasters where hundreds (if not thousands) of people are flooding the cell towers with 911 call attempts, that logic quickly breaks down.

As our society continues to embrace the “Everything over IP” trend, this issue is one than needs careful consideration, as it only takes one person’s unnecessary fatality to cause us to question why we didn’t engineer the VoIP network and technology correctly to meet legacy 911 service requirements.

On January 11th, we had the pleasure of holding a DOD UC Summit meeting at Shenadoah University for a full day of presentations given by speakers representing their company. We had 18 guests show up to listen to the presentations and it was a great experience for everyone. We were pleased to have Mr. Richard Shockey representing SIP Forum, Mr. Richard Travis representing Genband, Mr. Todd Walter (and accompanying him, Denyse Raynor & Jim Wakefield) representing Teradata, Mr. Joe Weeden representing MetaSwitch, Mr. Seth Noone & Mr. Burke Daidy representing Broadsoft, Mr. Louis Schmuckler (accompanying him, Mickey Pletcher) and Mr. Burton Patton representing Patton Electronics. As time was limited for everyone to share, we provided folders with CD’s showing the full presentations that were delivered so that the guests had the pleasure of looking at the rest of the slides that were not able to be talked about. As a gift to the speakers for taking time to set up a presentation and speak for our guests we engraved a glass apple trophy with their company names as a sign of appreciation. Winchester, Virginia is known as “apple country” so we thought an apple would be appropriate for the appreciation gifts. We are very grateful for this opportunity and are looking into holding another Summit this summer at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.