Firewalls
Selected information from the CSI/FBI Computer Crime Report issued by the Computer Security Institute and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (more...)  Backups - gotta have em!
How many times have you heard it? “You have to make backups!” We all know we should. But too many things get in the way, and it doesn’t work all the time, and so it doesn’t get done. (more...)
Viruses - nothing to sneeze at!
Everyone is concerned with virus protection. There are currently over 10,000 known computer viruses worldwide, and over 250 new viruses are being discovered every month. Most computer viruses are targeted at the market-leading mail application, Microsoft Outlook. (more...) To power off or not to power off, that is the question!
Once upon a time, unattended, networked PCs were as safe and secure as the unlocked homes of television's Mayberry of 1960, and business owners could go home at night and not worry about leaving all of the client computers running. Today, if one leaves an office PC turned on overnight, one may discover that someone else is controlling it when you return to work the next morning. (more...) Backups Revisited
Backups are a pain. The problems that you face are the same as they were 15 years ago: slow hardware, media that don’t hold enough data, and baffling, untrustworthy software. Stephen Manes, contributing editor to PC World noted that, “Backing up your computer has always been a maddening process – which is why so few people do it... Microsoft still gives backup the back of it’s hand.” (more...)  File Sharing
You’ve spent a lot of money on your computer network – what should you expect from your investment? No matter what the size of your network, you should be to get to any files you need quickly and easily, and prevent unauthorized employees from viewing sensitive data. (more...)
SPAM - Ever get the feeling you’re trying to beat back the ocean with a hammer?
Suddenly you find yourself inundated with SPAM emails and popup ads, your computer opens a zillion browser windows when you visit some web sites, and it even opens advertising windows when you aren’t in Internet Explorer or connected to the internet! What’s going on? (more...) Business computers are for BUSINESS!
A 14 year old does not usually think that a file named INNOCENT APPLICATION.EXE may really be NASTY VIRUS.EXE or ANNOYING ADWARE.EXE and so they download it and fire it up. The next thing you know, the computer is slow as molasses, you can’t get Internet Explorer to work, and you aren’t very happy (intentional understatement). (more...) Da Big 5
There is a basic 5 tier approach that I recommend for ensuring your computers remain up and on line: Lightning protection, virus protection, Windows critical updates, a hardware firewall and performing regular daily backups (including off site storage of the tape, CD or removable disk).rnrnAll workstations and servers should be protected from lightning strikes by an Uninterruptible Power Supply, and the Router/Firewall should havern(more...) What the heck is going on with my computers these days???
I need to talk to you about a very serious threat to your business. Your work computers are your company’s operational and financial life. You depend on them, your employees depend on them, and with the income they generate, they support your family.
Over the last few months, I have seen an absolutely astounding increase in the number of service calls dealing with spyware, adware, etc. These are not calls where the customer has a few pop up ads; these are calls where the computer no longer functions at a usable level.
(more...) Let's go Phishing!
Internet scammers casting about for people’s financial information have a new way to lure unsuspecting victims: They go “phishing.”
Phishing is a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to deceive you into disclosing your credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information.
(more...) The hurricane is coming!
For the first time in a long time, businesses closed their doors and did not reopen for 5-14 days. There was no power, and the computers had to sit, without electricity, for several days. There were several problems that businesses experienced, and I will try to hit the high points (or is it low points?) so that you can be better prepared for the next time (more...) More Backupsrn
This month I wanted to talk about backups. When discussing backups with customers, I have often used the example of, “What would happen if someone stole your server”, never expecting it to actually happen, but this month I had a customer who had a disgruntled employee walk out the door with their server. One of the first questions I asked during the initial, panicked call was about their backups, and you guessed it, there were no backups (more...) How to hide your identity online
Bypass Registration: Sick of typing your name, address, e-mail and hobbies every time you want to read an online newspaper? Go to www.bugmenot.com, and type in the site you're trying to access. You'll get a username and password that will get you in without having to give up any info. 2) Fake an inbox: If a site requires you to provide an e-mail address that must be confirmed by replying (more...) Don’t read any email - ever!
If you get ANYTHING that looks like a valid email asking you to click a link, please delete it and manually go to the relevant site (in this case, www.suntrust.com) and update your info from there. As these phishers (as they are known) become more sophisticated, it is becoming harder and harder to tell the real from the fake (more...) Technology for Small Businesses
C. Dickerson wrote that, “Too often, when computer companies focus on “getting things done,” far too much emphasis falls on the tools used, rather than the things themselves. Architecture discussions rapidly spiral into complexity as quickly as engineers can scribble boxes on a whiteboard. They risk forgetting the problem itself, and by extension, the people they are ostensibly serving by solving the problem. ”You should keep a close eye on the computer infrastructure in your business. Don’t get caught up in the latest technological crazes (more...) Remote Access
EVERYONE wants remote access to their office computer systems. You are not alone. It expands your horizons work-wise by letting you access company data from your home, a customer site or hotel room (more...) Privacy and Freedom
Imagine that every time you printed a document, it automatically included a secret code that could be used to identify the printer - and potentially, the person who used it. Sounds like something from an episode of "Alias," right? Unfortunately, the scenario isn't fictional (more...) Mo Mo Mo
I am starting to see a trend with data – what used to be a small amount of data has grown exponentially. It is not uncommon these days for users to have email files larger than 1 GB, and a few users have almost 3 GB of email (or more). The record stands at 19 GB (June 2008).
To put this into perspective, 3 GB of data is the equivalent of an Encyclopedia Britannica 60 feet long. 50 Gigabytes is an entire library floor of books on shelves
(more...)  Vista Begins
Wow, wasn’t that fast? Didn’t they just release XP? The answer is no, not really. We started with Windows 95, and 3 years later we had Windows 98. In 1999, they released Windows 98 Second Edition, and then the next year saw Windows ME and Windows 2000. XP came 3 years later (2003), and voila! Here we are... (more...)
The End of XP
Microsoft has announced that it will cease selling all Windows XP Operating System software on June 30, 2008. This means that as of July 1, the ONLY Operating System that will be available (by almost any means) will be Windows Vista. (more...) | 
