CNS Forex VPS Provider is one of our top 5 VPS Providers. We got an important email updates on their services, which we like to share with you especially for those considering a Forex VPS Provider. The updates covers new features, services, and improvements on their VPS Technology. Take note of the bundling program for 5 new brokers.
We'll keep you updated on changes to these updates.
RE: CNS SUBSCRIBER UPDATE - December
2013
- Two-factor Authentication UPGRADED! - Our 2FA has been upgraded to provide changing codes from a mobile application instead of waiting for SMS and we have extended protection to the CNS Client Area. Now available by subscription for servers off the CNS network! Activate 2FA now to secure yourself from emerging threats
- New Emergency SMS Contact Numbers - Save our emergency SMS contact numbers in your mobile phone now so you can reach our Help Desk in the event of an emergency in your area
- New ON NET Connections - more brokers have direct connected to the CNS network to provide you with a low latency and high redundancy connection.
- New bundling brokers: We are welcoming five new FOREX brokers into our VPS Bundling program - can you get a free or discounted CNS VPS?
- UK datacenter migrating to LD5 - We are moving our UK datacenter into Equinix LD5. Many more ON NET connections on the way
- Windows 2012 R2 now available with vRSS! : Learn about the benefits of 2012 R2 (Win 8.1) and how to get it
- CNS Remote Admin update 1.0.17: Manage the health of your VM and control Autoboot from your PC or mobile device with CNS Remote Admin. v1.0.17 just released!
- Autoboot updates: Are you still running an older version of Autoboot? 3.0.35 is now available.
- Autoboot/2FA Software Bundle - Already have an Autoboot software subscription? Add 2FA free for six months until January 31, 2014
- DNS manager update: The DNS zone manager in our client area has been upgraded to make your zones easier to manage
- Google Checkout gone, Bitcoin now accepted! : We now accept Bitcoin, to replace Liberty Reserve, Perfect Money and Google Checkout. Includes a list of all payment options.
- Coming Soon : A peek at what we are working to bring you in the future
- Happy Holidays : We hope you have a fantastic holiday, and we look forward to working with you in 2014.
In previous subscriber
updates, we told you about a strong increase in RDP hacking robots
coming from the Internet. That threat was successfully
mitigated when we changed our default configuration to randomize RDP
ports. Unfortunately, new and even more dangerous threats are
appearing and specifically targeting the online trading
community. This makes it that much more important for all
traders and trader services to employ stronger authentication than
the traditional user name and password. Traditional user name
and passwords are commonly compromised by malicious software, or
from hacked web sites in which the victim has used the same
password. Hacked email accounts are also a common source of
further compromise.
CNS Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is a system where two different factors are used to authenticate a system login. Using two factors as opposed to one delivers a higher level of security when authenticating your login. The CNS 2FA solution combines something you have - your mobile device (phone or tablet) - with something you know - your control panel or VPS password. This can be compared to using an ATM card to withdrawal funds where you are required to have both the card and the PIN to complete a transaction, though in that example your ATM PIN may rarely change and the 2FA PIN is changing every 30 seconds. Previous versions of CNS 2FA were only available with CNS VPS subscriptions and required a one-time PIN code be sent to the subscriber by SMS. Due to the variety of mobile providers worldwide and the different methods they use to process SMS messages, SMS PIN's could sometimes be delayed by several minutes. Some countries even restrict commercial SMS deliveries to working hours. With the release of CNS 2FA v2.5, CNS is introducing software tokens for mobile devices. The software displays a changing code on the mobile device, which only needs to be added to the end of the password at VPS login. This avoids the need to wait for a SMS delivery. For subscribers without a modern iOS, Android, or Windows mobile device- SMS codes are still supported. Note: The ability to receive the one-time PIN by email is no longer supported because of security risks (email accounts are often hacked before any other services the victim may subscribe to). 2FA renders key loggers ineffective because the PIN code changes every 30 seconds- for token generated PINs and 5 minutes- for PINs sent by SMS (can only be used one time). A stolen password is only 1/2 the information needed to login - the attacker must also have your mobile device in their hand to read the PIN code and enter it. Brute force hacks are out of the question. All that is needed is a software application installed in your mobile device to display the codes. There are already three that we know of which will work: Google Authenticator, Authy and OTP Authenticator. |
 CNS 2FA is compatible with Google Authenticator, Authy and OTP Authenticator. |
We strongly recommend this
free service to all subscribers. To date, CNS has not
seen a single 2FA protected VPS hacked. CNS is taking security even
further by extending the 2FA service to protect CNS Client Area
logins.
CNS Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is compatible with any hosted Windows server, and has been tested on Windows 2003 R2, Windows 2008 R2, Windows 2012 and Windows 2012 R2. It is available free with every CNS VPS subscription, and is also available by subscription for Windows servers off the CNS network.
CNS Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is compatible with any hosted Windows server, and has been tested on Windows 2003 R2, Windows 2008 R2, Windows 2012 and Windows 2012 R2. It is available free with every CNS VPS subscription, and is also available by subscription for Windows servers off the CNS network.
How to install
2FA:Installing CNS 2FA is
detailed in the CNS
Two-factor Authentication How-to Guide.
[Top]
New emergency SMS contact
numbers:
We have made permanent a SMS gateway to our Help Desk for your use during emergencies in your area. The service was first introduced during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, enabling subscribers who were without power to reach our Help Desk. Since then we have been sending targeted messages to subscribers in areas preparing for major storms with information about the SMS service. With all the commotion of preparing for the storms, these messages have at times arrived too late to be read by the subscriber. There is of course also the possibility of an unexpected disaster preventing us from alerting you to this alternate contact method. And so we ask that you save the number in your mobile phone now, for your use during a power failure or other emergency in your area later. SMS is ideal because it does not utilize jammed voice lines, will continue to try getting messages thru and also uses very little battery compared to voice.
Please save these numbers in your mobile device now so you will have them later if needed. Upon receipt, CNS will acknowledge your message and interact through SMS to assist you. For faster service, please include your email address in the message.
In the UK: +44 1872 672038
All other regions, worldwide: +1 858 633-8999
We have made permanent a SMS gateway to our Help Desk for your use during emergencies in your area. The service was first introduced during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, enabling subscribers who were without power to reach our Help Desk. Since then we have been sending targeted messages to subscribers in areas preparing for major storms with information about the SMS service. With all the commotion of preparing for the storms, these messages have at times arrived too late to be read by the subscriber. There is of course also the possibility of an unexpected disaster preventing us from alerting you to this alternate contact method. And so we ask that you save the number in your mobile phone now, for your use during a power failure or other emergency in your area later. SMS is ideal because it does not utilize jammed voice lines, will continue to try getting messages thru and also uses very little battery compared to voice.
Please save these numbers in your mobile device now so you will have them later if needed. Upon receipt, CNS will acknowledge your message and interact through SMS to assist you. For faster service, please include your email address in the message.
In the UK: +44 1872 672038
All other regions, worldwide: +1 858 633-8999
New
ON NET Connections:
More FOREX brokers have connected to CNS via ON NET. ON NET is a direct and private connection between the CNS network and your broker (or other provider's) network for low latency and high redundancy.
In a typical hosted environment, IP traffic must travel between the VPS provider's network and thru the network(s) of commercial IP providers, who route and deliver the traffic to the remote network. Even for short distances where end to end latency is typically very low, it can sometimes result in periods of high latency or even disconnects due to congestion at public peering points, or service issues that may temporarily route the traffic over a much longer distance - even when both sides are in the same datacenter.
With ON NET, traffic does not route through the public Internet - both sides are "on the network", with the Internet always available as an immediate backup route for high redundancy. We have established points of presence (POP) to CNS ON NET in 51 different datacenters in the US and UK. ON NET POP's are connected to the CNS network by a direct and private fiber-optic connection, bypassing the Internet and its inherent problems completely.
By connecting their network to ON NET, providers are demonstrating their commitment to provide you with outstanding quality of service. Every broker, signal provider or other entity with mutual subscribers on the CNS network is invited to connect to our ON NET POP near them to provide low latency and high redundancy to subscribers on the CNS network. Utilizing ON NET connectivity does not require any special software or settings - it's completely transparent to CNS subscribers. If you are trading with any of these brokers in our NYC datacenter then you are already ON NET with them right now.**
The following brokers are ON NET with our New York City datacenter:
ATC Brokers
AxiTrader*
Capital One Forex
CMS Forex
Direct FX Trading Party
Excel Markets
Finotec (UK)
Forex Nation*
FX Salt*
Gold Goat (New Zealand)
Graalia
Integral**
International Capital Markets (Australia)*
Invast*
Pepperstone*
PrimeXM
Real Forex (Israel)
Sensus Capital Markets*
SmartTradeFX
Which Way FX
*bundling partner - keep reading
**Integral requires that you contact your account representative in order to enable the ON NET connection
ON NET brokers may display the logo on their web site. They will also be
indicated on our latency chart. If you would like
your broker to connect with ON NET, please contact them and let them
know! We will be happy to work with them and get them
connected.
More FOREX brokers have connected to CNS via ON NET. ON NET is a direct and private connection between the CNS network and your broker (or other provider's) network for low latency and high redundancy.
In a typical hosted environment, IP traffic must travel between the VPS provider's network and thru the network(s) of commercial IP providers, who route and deliver the traffic to the remote network. Even for short distances where end to end latency is typically very low, it can sometimes result in periods of high latency or even disconnects due to congestion at public peering points, or service issues that may temporarily route the traffic over a much longer distance - even when both sides are in the same datacenter.
With ON NET, traffic does not route through the public Internet - both sides are "on the network", with the Internet always available as an immediate backup route for high redundancy. We have established points of presence (POP) to CNS ON NET in 51 different datacenters in the US and UK. ON NET POP's are connected to the CNS network by a direct and private fiber-optic connection, bypassing the Internet and its inherent problems completely.
By connecting their network to ON NET, providers are demonstrating their commitment to provide you with outstanding quality of service. Every broker, signal provider or other entity with mutual subscribers on the CNS network is invited to connect to our ON NET POP near them to provide low latency and high redundancy to subscribers on the CNS network. Utilizing ON NET connectivity does not require any special software or settings - it's completely transparent to CNS subscribers. If you are trading with any of these brokers in our NYC datacenter then you are already ON NET with them right now.**
The following brokers are ON NET with our New York City datacenter:
ATC Brokers
AxiTrader*
Capital One Forex
CMS Forex
Direct FX Trading Party
Excel Markets
Finotec (UK)
Forex Nation*
FX Salt*
Gold Goat (New Zealand)
Graalia
Integral**
International Capital Markets (Australia)*
Invast*
Pepperstone*
PrimeXM
Real Forex (Israel)
Sensus Capital Markets*
SmartTradeFX
Which Way FX
*bundling partner - keep reading
**Integral requires that you contact your account representative in order to enable the ON NET connection
ON NET brokers may display the
logo on their web site. They will also be
indicated on our latency chart. If you would like
your broker to connect with ON NET, please contact them and let them
know! We will be happy to work with them and get them
connected. | [TOP] New Bundling Brokers:We are pleased to welcome Core Liquidity Markets, Invast, Sensus Capital Markets, Sterling Gent Trading and Forex Nation to our growing list of brokers sponsoring a CNS VPS for their traders. The CNS VPS Bundling program allows brokers to include a free or discounted CNS Trader's VPS with their customer accounts by sponsoring all or part of the CNS subscription fee that is invoiced to the trader by CNS. The CNS VPS subscription remains the property of the trader while enabling the sponsoring broker to post credits directly to the subscribers renewal invoice to offset or pay the renewal fee in full. Each broker has their own program terms to qualify for sponsorship. If you would like to apply your CNS VPS subscription to a brokers bundling program then please open a CNS support ticket and provide the coupon code as listed below. If your broker is not yet a member of our bundling program then please ask them to join! More information for brokers about our Bundling program for brokers can be found here. The most current list of brokers participating in our bundling program can always be found in this knowledge base article. More brokers are on the way - stay tuned! The following is a list of our Broker Bundling members and their respective program details as of December 19, 2013: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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UK Datacenter moving into Equinix LD5:Our UK datacenter will be moving into Equinix LD5 in the next few weeks. We are moving into LD5 so we can have more space to grow while also better positioning ourselves for lower latency to more brokers our FOREX trading subscribers use. There is no need to do anything - IP address assignments will remain as they are. We will continue to leverage the new C4L network in the London metro area to deliver low latency to all datacenters in the region from the new facility.
The move will take place during an upcoming maintenance window. All VM's in our UK datacenter will be hibernated to prevent reboot and will seamlessly resume operation as soon as they arrive in the new facility. We will send all UK VM subscribers a reminder when a specific date is scheduled. We are right now waiting for C4L to complete the build out of their new and impressive London metro network.
We have many new ON NET connections planned for our UK datacenter. The first to come online will be PrimeXM. (PrimeXM is already ON NET with our NYC datacenter.) If you would like your broker to connect to CNS via ON NET, please contact them and let them know! We will be happy to work with them and get them connected.
| [TOP] Windows 2012 R2 NOW AVAILABLE with vRSS:
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| [TOP] CNS Remote Admin Update 1.0.17:
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| [TOP] Autoboot updates:Autoboot 3.0.35 is now available. The 3.0.35 release is a minor update with bug fixes and some new features. To upgrade your Autoboot, please run the installer from your CNS VPS. Autoboot will also be updated for you when running the 2012 driver update (above).
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[TOP] Autoboot/2FA Software Bundle
Subscribers to our Autoboot
software (for VM's not hosted by CNS) can add two-factor authentication
free for six months! Use the coupon code "2FA" at checkout when
ordering two-factor authentication. You must have an active Autoboot
software subscription for the code to activate. Please contact CNS
Support if you require assistance. The 2FA subscription must be
ordered by January 31, 2014 to qualify.
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[TOP] DNS Manager Update
We have upgraded the DNS zone
manager in our control panel. Subscribers who utilize our free DNS
hosting will enjoy the new integrated user interface. It is clear
and easy to understand, and also secured by two-factor authentication when
2FA is activated in the control panel. We maintain four public name
servers, free for all subscribers to use by registering a new domain or
transferring a domain registration into your CNS account.
To get to
the DNS zone manager, click "my domains" in the CNS control panel and then
"manage DNS zones". Please contact CNS Support if you require
assistance.
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[TOP] Google Checkout gone, Bitcoin now accepted! Google shut down their checkout service as of November 20, 2013. They decided their focus was best concentrated in other areas of the payment space. This makes three payment services we have lost in the last few months, the other two being the Liberty Reserve shutdown and then Perfect Money refusing to work with US corporations shortly after. We realize with our global subscriber base, traditional credit cards and payment services can not always be utilized by all subscribers. And so we are pleased to announce Bitcoin is now accepted! Bitcoin uses peer-to-peer technology to operate with no central authority or banks; managing transactions and the issuing of bitcoins is carried out collectively by the network. It is the first viable currency with no central database that can be shut down by anyone. And it is quickly gaining acceptance with merchants both on and offline. Even bitcoin trading has started taking off. All Bitcoin transactions are converted to USD at the time of payment and any refunds or reversals will also be converted from USD to Bitcoin at the time of reversal. If you would like to change your payment method for any active subscriptions to Bitcoin then please open a support ticket and let us know.  | |||||||
[TOP] Coming Soon:
Some of the things we are
working on bringing you in the near future:
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[TOP] Happy Holidays:It has been a great year for us here at CNS. Our subscriber base is continuing to grow as we evolve our services and features based on your feedback. Thank you for your support. We are very excited to bring you more new services and features in 2014, some we have been working on for many months. We would like to take this opportunity to wish our subscribers, partners, employees, friends and families a very happy and healthy holiday and a prosperous New Year. We hope you have a fantastic holiday, and we look forward to working with you in 2014. | |||||||
