Control Engineering

1/8/2007
January 8, 2007

We still have a problem with the alarm notifications. The client selected a software program to do the job which seems very capable. It required a modem sound card and a phone line. With no modem or phone line available, we decided to go with a well known VOIP network and a modem recommended by the software provider. We initially were told that we would not need a sound card, but the software provider later revised that and said we would need one after all. Integrating the three together has been a challenge. Having them at a remote, secure site complicates and prolongs matters. We hope to finally wrap this issue up in the next week or so, depending on scheduling.

Once in November and once in December our bandwidth use spiked abnormally high, resulting in additional bandwidth charges from the data center. This week it happened again, but we were monitoring the situation. It turns out this assault on our bandwidth was the result of attempted hacking by someone who was concealing his identity by using the IP address of a well known online auction company. The attempt was shut down and we are currently reviewing security methods and procedures. More on this next week.

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