Author Archive
Friday, November 18th, 2011
The security of your business’s website should be one of your highest priorities. A secure website is one of the best ways that you can establish trust with your customers. The security of your website will directly impact your number of visitors and has the potential to hinder or boost your sales. With the massive number of website intrusions this year alone, hacking has become a major concern for most online shoppers. Whether it is to protect your website or your customers personal or financial data, a secure website is a must have. The following are some tips for creating a strong and secure website environment for your consumers. 
Use a Strong Administrative and Database Password:
Creating a strong administrative and database password will prevent hackers from accessing the admin interface and from taking over your entire online business. If a hacker does gain entry to your website’s administration panel they can pretty much do whatever they please from defacing your website to committing fraud by pretending to be you or your company. To learn more about creating strong passwords visit Elements of a Strong Password.
Secure Admin Email Address
An admin email address is used to login to your web server, CMS, database. It should be kept private and different from the one that you have on your contact page.
Make sure you have Firewalls Implemented:
Configuring a firewall will help prevent unauthorized access to your site and acts as a filter for the information that is sent to and from your website. You should configure your firewall to the highest security preferences so that it will deter hackers from attempting to gain entry to your site.
Update Your Antivirus Program Regularly:
New malicious programs are created and discovered every day so it is important that you not only have Antivirus software but that you also keep it up to date. Antivirus programs scan, track, and remove any problems from your hard drive. Like Antivirus software a spyware program can detect and eliminate any spyware that has made a home on your hard drive.
Read the Latest Information on Tech Blogs:
Reading tech blogs regularly will keep you up to date on the most recent vulnerabilities and will help you stay one step ahead of hackers.
Use robots.txt to Keep Certain Things Hidden from Search Engines:
Add a robots.txt folder for the documents, images, and information that you do not want to be indexed by search engines.
Use a Secured FTP Access and Restrict Root Access
SFTP access prevents others from being able to view what you are uploading or downloading to & from the webserver. Restrict the access to certain non-system folders to prevent FTP uploads by people other than the system administrator.
Check Your Software and Third Party Scripts:
Ensure that any software you use is kept up to date with the latest security fixes. (Blogging software like WordPress, third party scripts, etc.) Also remove any scripts, services, or other software that you are no longer using.
Perform Security Testing:
It is important that once you have the previous security items in place that you perform security testing. Search your website and source code for any security flaws that may allow unauthorized access. You can check your source code for free with Source Code Analysis Tools. Using security plugins like WordPress Security Scan are also a great way to analyze the security of your site.
Keeping your website secure is a never ending job, there will always be new threats and hackers will continue to find new ways to gain unauthorized access. Implementing these suggestions in addition to doing your own research will help you to stay as far ahead of these types of individuals as possible
Thanks for Reading!
Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
Providing Tech Support for Businesses in Maryland
Tags: business website, Firewall, Information Security, protection, secure, secure website, website
Posted in Firewall, Information Security, Web Development | 1 Comment »
Friday, November 11th, 2011
Shortly after the release of the iPhone 4S and the iOS 5 software update many users began experiencing major problems with the life of their iPhone batteries. In our last blog post we addressed these issues and even provided some tips for conserving your iPhone’s battery. In the article we discussed how Apple had announced that their iOS 5 update was at fault and that they were working hard to bring an update to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Image of the iPhones Full Battery Icon
Yesterday, Apple released the new iOS 5.0.1 software update for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, the update is supposed to fix the battery problems that a number of users have reported with iOS 5 over the last few weeks. Along with a fix for the bugs that were affecting the battery life, the latest update also added multitasking gestures for the original iPad, resolved bugs with documents in the cloud, and improved voice recognition for Australian users using the dictation feature.
The update is now available in iTunes or also available with the over-the-air function for existing iOS 5 users. Users with the previous iOS 5 can update by going into Settings>General>Software Update to update their device over-the-air. Using the update OTA provides a much faster experience due to the smaller size of the update file. For users who are not operating on iOS 5 they can update their operating system the traditional way by plugging in their device into iTunes.
Image of iOS 5.0.1 update
Although the update has only just been released it has been reported at PCWorld that some users are still experiencing a slightly faster battery depletion rate. One user posted on a forum that they had “Updated about 1.5 hours ago, the battery has drained 20% since then with no usage! This is awful”. Another forum commenter stated that they have “Lost 15% in 45 minutes and I didn’t even use the phone. What happened?”. Others have even started saying that the battery life was better before the update took place.
Although there have been a lot of complaints that the update hasn’t resolved the issue there have been other users that say that the update has worked fine for them. Did it work for you, or are you still suffering from a fast draining battery?
If the problem still persists for you, others have suggested being patient and that possibly resetting your phone to its original factory settings may help the battery update to take effect. However if you find that this doesn’t work then try some of the tips to save your iPhone battery that we offered last week until resolved. Hopefully Apple will hear the new complaints and implement another update shortly.
Have a Great Day!
Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
Providing Tech Support for Businesses in Maryland
Tags: Apple, battery life, iOS, IOS 5, iOS 5 update, Iphone, iPhone bug, iPhone update
Posted in Electronics, SmartPhone | No Comments »
Friday, November 4th, 2011
A couple weeks ago Apple released the iPhone 4S which is their latest mobile device. Along with the 4S, Apple also released their latest mobile operating system upgrade. The iOS 5 comes standard on the iPhone 4S but is also available as a free download to all compatible iPhone users. Since the release, a small but significant number of users have reported a drastically shortened battery life.
iPhone’s Low Battery Display
According to The Loop’s Jim Dairymple on Wednesday November 2, 2011 Apple confirmed that the battery issues were due to a bug in the iOS 5 software update. According to the article Apple reassured users that they have found a few bugs that are affecting battery life and will release a software update to address them in a few weeks to help conserve your iPhone’s battery life.
In light of the recent problems surrounding the iPhone’s battery we thought it would be beneficial to discuss some methods for conserving your phones battery life. Although this particular problem was a result of a bug in the software we feel that these tips will still be tremendously useful because iPhones already have a natural short battery life due to its powerful performance and crisp display. The suggestions below for saving your phones battery are applicable to all iPhone models and are designed to ensure that you have the juice when you need it the most.
- Close Background and Inactive Applications – Double tap the home button to access the list of running applications. Similar to how you would move the apps hold your finger down on the application for a couple seconds and then select close when the app begins to shake.
- Use the Auto Brightness Feature – Access the settings folder, select brightness, and make sure the Auto-Brightness feature is selected.
- Decrease the Brightness – Within the same menu you can increase and decrease the default screen brightness. The lower the brightness the less battery your phone will consume.
- Turn off Your Bluetooth – Transmitting wireless data requires the battery and leaving Bluetooth on when you are not using it takes up more of your phones battery life.
Settings > General > Blue Tooth > Move the slider to the off position
- Keep Wi-Fi off When Not Using It – Unless you are in a Wi-Fi hotspot there is really no need to have this feature on. Keeping it on at all times will cause it to continuously look for a network to connect to and wastes its battery life in the process.
Settings > Wi-Fi > Slide switch to off position OR
Settings > General > Network > Wi-Fi > Slide switch to off position
- Turn off 3G – If you don’t need to be on 3G or you are using a Wi-Fi hotspot turn off your 3G network. Connecting using 3G for faster data speeds and higher-quality calls requires more battery life.
Settings > General > Network > Move 3G switch to the off position
- Turn off Location Services – The GPS is a great feature because it lets apps know where you are and become more interactive but at the same time it is a huge energy drain. When you’re not using an app that utilizes your location turn it off.
Settings > Location Services > Slide to Off (After iOS 5 updates)
Settings > General >Location Services > Slide to Off (Before iOS update)
- Turn data push off and Fetch less – Turning this off reduces the number of times your phone connects to the network and will extend your battery’s life. Push is when your phone automatically connects to the network to download new information like email and app updates. When Push is off you can fetch data every 15 minutes, every 30 minutes, hourly, or manually. Choosing manually or hourly will use the least amount of battery.
Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendar > Fetch New Data > Slide Push to off and select the fetch frequency
- When Your Battery is low, avoid extraneous activities – Avoid playing games, watching movies, or listening to music while the battery level is low.
- Turn off Music Equalizers – The iPods music equalizers may make your music sound better but can also cause an unnecessary drain in your battery life.
Settings > Music > Select off from the equalizer selection list (After iOS 5 update)
Settings > iPod >Equalizer >Off (Before iOS 5 update)
- Adjust the Auto-Lock Function – Enable your phone to Auto-Lock sooner to save energy when not using it.
Settings > General > Auto-Lock > Select Lowest amount of time from time selection list
- Turn off Siri’s raise to speakfunction – Because Siri is activated when lifted to the user’s ear it can accidently drain the battery if you’re not actually using it.
Settings >General > Siri >Slide “Raise to Speak” to the “Off” position.
- Use iPhone regularly – For proper maintenance of a lithium-based battery, it’s important to keep the electrons in it moving occasionally. Be sure to go through at least one charge cycle per month (charging the battery to 100% and then completely running it down).
- Sleep and wake less – Avoid waking your iPhone only to lock it again without using it.
These are just the basics there are plenty of other ways that you can conserve the life of your iPhone’s battery. For more information check out Apple’s iPhone Battery life Page.
Have a Great Day!
Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
Providing Tech Support for Businesses in Maryland
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Tags: Apple iPhone, battery, battery life, IOS 5, Iphone, iPhone 4S, iPhone battery, iPhone settings, iPhone update
Posted in Electronics, SmartPhone | No Comments »
Thursday, October 27th, 2011
Saying that Google changed the +Search command may not be the best way to describe Google’s actions. Instead of announcing that they were going to be replacing the +search command they quietly pulled the rug out from under its users and completely removed the Boolean + search command. Google is now ignoring the + symbol without so much as a blog post to let people know.
Although Google has decided to ignore searches with the + command they have expanded the role of the quotation marks to incorporate the + command functionality. After years of performing searches with + commands it will probably take time for some users to get used to the new way of searching.
Old Way: Keyword + Keyword + Keyword
New Way: Keyword “Keyword” “Keyword”
On a Google Help Forum, Kelly an employee from Google offered the following explanation.
“ We’ve made the ways you can tell Google exactly what you want more consistent by expanding the functionality of the quotation mark operator. In addition to using this operator to search for an exact phrase, you can now add quotation marks around a single word to tell Google to match that word precisely. So, if in the past you would have searched for [magazine +latina], you should now search for [magazine "Latina"].”
“We’re constantly making changes to Google Search – adding new features, tweaking the look and feel, running experiments, – all to get you the information you need as quickly and as easily as possible. This recent change is another step toward simplifying the search experience to get you to the info you want.”
Google may have stated that they have made these improvements to help users get to the information quicker and easier but it doesn’t really seem to benefit anyone but them. Some online users have even suggested that they only removed the + search command to better accommodate searches for their Google+ social network.
In conclusion the + search command’s replacement isn’t all that more complicated but it may require some time for people to get used to. The fact that Google didn’t really bother to announce that they were making this change and the belief that it only benefits their new social network rather than the search results seems to be the biggest issue for most users. It is only once a user performs a search with the +search command that they are finally notified that the +function has been eliminated and the displayed results are generated without the +command.
For better or for worst, the +search command has been replaced using the quotation mark operator. What do you think did Google do this just to help their social network become more searchable?
Visit the Google Forum to see what others are saying about the change.
Have a Great Day!
Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
Providing Tech Support for Businesses in Maryland
Tags: boolean search, command, google, google search, quotation mark operation, search, search command
Posted in Google, Search Engines | No Comments »
Friday, October 21st, 2011
File sharing is the storing and distribution of digitally stored information. File sharing has quickly become an integral part of most businesses. With file sharing, companies and their employees can easily share resources such as computer applications, multimedia content, and documents.
Companies utilize a file sharing environment to:
from http://www.zimbra.com/products/desktop_features.html, Oct 2011
- Save time
- Cut costs
- Increase productivity
- Organize and centralize information for easy retrieval
- Make content sharing faster
- Share of hardware
- Protect data and make backups
- Increase the performance of existing PC equipment
File sharing can occur in a couple of different ways, the two most popular being a centralized server on a network and a collaborative cloud based service. Recently more and more businesses have been moving more towards the cloud based services, which is why we decided to look into some of the most popular collaborative cloud applications. The one that stood out the most was Zimbra Collaboration Server. Zimbra is advertised as the leader among open source email and collaboration systems. Zimbra uses a cloud infrastructure as its primary storage as opposed to using the desktop or a network server like Microsoft Exchange and Outlook.
Zimbra is a browser based enterprise class open source email, calendar, and collaboration platform that is designed for portability over private and public clouds. Along with its mobility it is also simpler to manage and more cost effective to scale. Zimbra keeps you organized and productive because your information is always assessable.
The Zimbra Collaboration Server offers rich email, contact management, group calendars, Tasks, sharing and document management, mobility, desktop sync, archiving and discovery, and powerful administrative tools. With the free Zimbra desktop client you are able to combine both online and offline services. The desktop client enables users to store and sync their information from email, calendars, contacts, files, or documents in the cloud and access it from any location with an internet connection. You can save your files locally on your desktop and continue working while offline, once you reconnect your files will automatically be synced.
Email
Whether you use Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, Hotmail or AOL mail, all of your emails, calendar and contacts are now integrated into a single user interface along with your Zimbra mail. Similar to Microsoft Outlook it’s easy to compose, edit, delete, reply, or make drafts and utilizes “Drag and Drop” to move messages from folder to folder. Zimbra’s email supports plain text or html message formatting and adds email signatures for each account. Even while offline you can compose email it will be sent once you connect again.
Conversation Views, Tags, and Search
You can collapse email threads into a single conversation view to clean up your inbox and tag messages for quick identification. The advanced search makes it possible for you to quickly search for text, pictures, documents, and attachments. You can also create and save custom searches with details like folder, date, person, or subjects.
Web mash-ups
Open source extensions called Zimlets allow developers and administrators to incorporate third party applications or customer creations directly on the Zimbra user interface. When connected you can view addresses as Yahoo! Maps by hovering over the contact’s address. The interface also automatically detects your location to determine points of interest with Yahoo! Local. Zimbra provides previews of webpages as thumbnails instead of opening a browser and see your calendar schedule from within an email message if you hover over a date. Web Search powered by Yahoo! is built directly into Zimbra Desktop and it also automatically saves downloaded pictures to Flickr.
Contacts
Zimbra’s address book allows you to store all your contacts in one place for all your accounts and lets you create groups or tags to organize them. You can add photos to your contacts and it has auto complete to help out when composing and sending emails. Zimbra enables you to easily import new contacts from other applications as .csv files or export contacts as .csv files for backup.
Calendar
The Zimbra calendar lets you view by day, week, work week, month or even as a list. You can manage a multiple color-coded calendar and “drag and drop” events to new days or time slots. In the month view you can view or edit thumbnails of events. You can also sync the Zimbra calendar with your other calendars and even import event from other public web calendars. With this calendar it even easier to invite others to meetings and view their free or busy times. Zimbra is fully compatible with standard messaging systems like Apple Mail, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft Exchange so you can share calendar events with others whether they use Zimbra or not.
Documents, Tasks, Briefcase
Edit Documents by adding images, tables or spreadsheets and share them all directly in email. Track your collaborative tasks with start/end dates and percentage completed. Save attachment in the Briefcase rather than a message attachment, the Briefcase is used as a common folder to share important documents.
Extra features with Zimbra Collaboration Server
- Email, contacts, calendar, documents, tasks synchronize to the Zimbra Server
- Access to shared data from peers (email, contacts, calendars, etc.)
- Works with both Open Source and Network Edition (ZCS 5.0+ servers)
- Existing user preferences (folders, signatures, settings, etc.) are imported
- Access to mobile devices, the Zimbra online Web Client and much more
Zimbra Desktop is free to download and can be used with or without the Zimbra Collaboration Server. Zimbra works on Windows, Mac and Linux computers. Check out the VMware Zimbra Video.
Also considered was Novell GroupWise , IBM Lotus, ZoHo Docs, and several freeware like Google Docs, Google Calendar, and DropBox.
Have a Great Day!
Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
Providing Tech Support for Businesses in Maryland
Tags: cloud, collaboration, file sharing, microsoft, microsoft exchange, Microsoft Outlook, server, Zimbra
Posted in Desktop - Workstation, Networking, Storage | No Comments »
Friday, October 14th, 2011
Back in 2005 the FBI reported that the losses due to laptop theft were estimated around $3.5 million. They also identified that the average cost associated with a lost company laptop was around $32,000. Since 2005 the number of laptop users has dramatically increased and it has been assessed that one in ten laptops have or will be stolen. Laptop protection has become a major concern for many laptop users. The threat that laptop thieves pose is more than just concern for our expensive devices, it triggers our fear that someone could have access to our stolen and vital personal information.
 - From http://www.kensington.com/kensington/us/us/s/1386/clicksafe%c2%ae-laptop-locks.aspx , Oct 2011
Laptop theft is a significant and serious threat. Thieves will often target laptops because they are small, easy to grab, easy to conceal, there is a market for them, and they are a quick way to get cash. Most of these criminals target laptops because they know that a property theft charge is a better alternative to a personal robbery charge. Once stolen, a laptop can then be sold to a used computer store or pawn shops for as much as half the original retail costs.
What can you do to secure your laptop? There are two components to laptop security, the physical side and the virtual. Physical protection refers to instinctual protection like keeping your laptop with you, keeping it out of sight as well as purchasing protection devices such as cable locks, laptop safes, and motion detector alarms. Virtual security on the other hand implies defenses such as software protection programs, passwords, and tracking safeguards.
The following guide is intended to identify security techniques and tools to protect you from being a victim of a laptop theft. The tips will cover practical security methods, virtual defense techniques, and physical protection devices. For the best protection it is recommended that you use a combination of each.
Practical Security Tips:
- Never leave your laptop unattended or in plain sight.
- Keep your laptop in a secure, or hidden place
- Lock your doors and windows when you’re not in your room.
- Never leave your laptop in an unlocked vehicle.
- If you leave it in your vehicle make sure that it the car is locked and the laptop is out of sight. The best place is in a locked trunk or covered in the back seat.
- Write down your laptop’s serial number.
- Don’t store sensitive content on your laptop.
- Don’t share your passwords and make sure that they are sufficient.
- Don’t store your passwords. A lot of programs now have the option to remember passwords. It may make it easier for you to access your information but if stolen it will also make it that much easier for criminals to gain access to your accounts.
- Personalize the look of your laptop with clear identifiable marks.
- Carry your laptop in a nondescript carrying case, briefcase, or bag. Placing it in a case designed for computers is an immediate alert to thieves that you have a laptop.
- Lock the laptop in your office during off-hours.
- Back up your information on disks and store the disks at home or the office.
- Pay attention to where you use your laptop. Be aware that someone behind or next to you can see your computer screen.
- At airport checkpoints, be observant. Don’t place the laptop on a conveyor belt until you are ready to walk through the checkpoint.
Physical Protection Tips:
- Sometimes just having some type of security device attached to your laptop is a good enough deterrent for thieves.
- When you have to leave your laptop unattended you can store it in a Laptop Locker. These safes secure your device whether it’s in your office, car, or home.
- When out in public or in a shared office you can use a laptop Cable Lock. Using a laptop security cable is one of the easiest methods of laptop security and protects against theft. Click on the link to see some cable lock options.
- Another option for securing your laptop is to have a secured bracket or a docking station. A security bracket or dock bolts your laptop in a stationary location either in its open or closed position.
- If there isn’t a structure to attach your cable lock then you could always use a Motion Sensor Alarm.
- A STOP Security Plate will also prevent criminals from stealing your device. These stickers have a unique barcode for each laptop and user. If the sticker is removed it reveals a permanent “Stolen Property” mark and provides a number to report the theft.
- Check out devices with Biometrics like finger print or retina scanners.
- You can also use a Privacy screen to ensure you are the only viewer able to see your information. Privacy screens limit the angle at which the computer screen is visible.
Virtual Defense Tips:
- Although user passwords are not nearly as effective as they once were, it doesn’t hurt to still use them.
- Encrypt your sensitive documents.
- Use Full or Whole Disk encryption. This is software that encrypts the data on the entire disk including the Bootable Operating System partitions. Disk encryption software does not encrypt the Master boot Record. However certain Disk encryption hardware will encrypt everything including the MBR.
- Purchase Remote Laptop Security software so that you can deny access rights to someone trying to access your stolen device.
- See if your device is eligible for laptop insurance from Safeware.com.
- Use a Theft Recovery Software.
- Set up a BIOS password. The BIOS software is built into the PC, and it is the first code that a computer runs when powered on. Establishing a password in the BIOS will ensure that a laptop thief will be unable to load the Operating System unless they acquire the correct credentials. This Pre-Boot Authentication guarantees a secure environment that is external to the operating system. Pre-Boot Authentication is confirmed with something you know (username or password), something you have (smart card or other token), or something you are (biometric data).
How to establish a password in BIOS:
1. Start or restart your computer. When the BIOS screen comes on, press the Delete key to enter BIOS setup. (Some computers used “F12? or “F2”, or other keys)
2. Use the arrow keys to choose “Security” and press Enter. You will then see “Supervisor Password” and “User Password” on your screen.
3. Use the arrow keys to move down and highlight “Set User Password”, Press Enter. Enter the password in the password field and enter the password again in the confirm password field when it appears. Press Enter to set the password.
4. Use the arrow key to move down and highlight “Set Password Check”, press Enter. The options to invoke the password during “Setup” or “Always” will then appear. Choosing “Setup” requires a password to enter the BIOS. Choosing “Always” requires a password every time you start your computer. Highlight your choice and press Enter.
5. Press Esc one time, use the arrow key to select “Exit”, press Enter. Save your changes and exit. Your computer will then exit the BIOS screen and reboot.
When a laptop is stolen the actual loss can be huge. The replacement cost of a stolen laptop includes the cost of the new laptop, any stolen peripheral devices (network cards, modems), replacement software, time to configure the new device, and time to install new software. Not to mention any work material, photos, purchased media, memories, and personal information are now history. Any stored information on your computer is vulnerable and even if laptop thieves can’t benefit from the sale of your computer they could potentially gain access to personal information or your online accounts. If you aren’t already utilizing some of these suggestions or devices we strongly urge you to do so immediately, overlooking the importance of laptop security could be huge mistake.
Check out companies like Kensington, Targus, and Lenovo for the latest in laptop security.
Have a Great Day!
Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
Providing Tech Support for Businesses in Maryland
Tags: computer, Information Security, Laptop, laptop protection, laptop security, password, theft protection
Posted in Information Security | No Comments »
Thursday, October 6th, 2011
from http://www.piriform.com/defraggler, October 2011
Defragmentation is a process that mitigates and reverses fragmentation. File system fragmentation occurs when the system is unable to maintain the data in a sequential order. During fragmentation data that is in memory is broken into pieces and dispersed throughout the system. One of the major problems that occur with fragmented data is an increase in the time it takes for the system to access files and programs.
Files on a drive are commonly known as blocks or clusters. These files are stored on a file system and are positioned one next to another. When files are added, removed, or changes the amount of space between these files is altered and the system no longer has enough room to hold the entire file. The system will then fill in these small spaces with portions of new files or files that have been adjusted, causing data to become separated from the rest of the file. This separation creates a delay in Seek Time and Rotational Latency. Seek Time is the time that it takes the head assembly to travel to the portion of the disk where the data will be read or written. The Rotational latency is the delay waiting for the rotation of the disk to bring the required disk sector under the head assembly.
The primary purpose of a defragmentation tool is to sort, organize, and compact similar blocks of data in order to reduce wasted space as well as to speed up access time. Windows operating systems come pre-installed with their own “Disk Defragmenter” utility. This utility is designed to increase access speeds by rearranging files contiguously. Many users feel that the pre-installed defragger isn’t the best on the market and have considered using alternative defragging tools. For the most part defragmentation software all does the same thing but it is very important to only use software from trusted developers. Using a poorly constructed defragmentation tool might cause problems like corrupted data, hard disk damage, and complete data loss. Free software can also lack the necessary support and may not be performing the function that it is meant for correctly.
If you still decide to use an alternative to the one provided with the Window’s OS, the paid options are probably the safest. This is because commercial software like Disk Keeper are put through testing to mitigate the negative impacts. There are also a few free alternatives that are pretty popular like Piriform Defraggler, Ultra Defrag, and Auslogics Disk Defrag.
Before making any decisions you should examine the strengths and weaknesses of free and commercial defragmenting software alternatives. After all, it might not be worth the hassle especially if the Window’s Disk Defragment utility is running adequately.
Have a Great Day!
Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
“> Providing Tech Support for Businesses in Maryland
Tags: data, defragment, defragmentation software, file, files, fragmentation, Software, system
Posted in Desktop - Workstation, PC, PC Maintenance | No Comments »
Friday, September 23rd, 2011
Identity theft is when a criminal illegally obtains and uses an individual’s personal information such as their social security number and driver’s license number, for fraudulent purposes. Once Identity theft criminals gain access to this private information they will pose as that person usually to acquire credit, merchandise, or services.
There are two main types of identity theft, account takeover and true name ID theft. Account takeover identify theft is when a thief uses the stolen personal data to gain access to existing bank accounts. True name identity theft they will use the personal information to open new accounts, credit cards, and services.
The Internet provides these types of criminal with a perfect hunting ground. It’s extremely easy to target Internet users because of the vast accumulation of information as well as the effortlessness of performing a transaction without verification. Although recently the number of database hacking attacks has dramatically increased, most identity thieves still obtain our information from spying over our shoulders or digging through our trash.
According to a recent survey from Javelin Research and Strategy
“In 2010, identity theft and fraud claimed fewer victims than in any other period since Javelin began conducting surveys in 2003. Driving that decrease was the reduced rate of existing account fraud, although incidents of all types of fraud dropped from 2009. Meanwhile, consumer costs, the average out?of?pocket dollar amount victims pay, increased, reversing a downward trend in recent years. This increase can be attributed to new account fraud, which showed longer periods of misuse and detection and therefore more dollar losses associated with it than any other type of fraud.”
The survey also identified account takeover, friendly fraud, and improper use of privacy settings on social media networks to be the growing problems. Several other issues include people not shredding important documents, using weak online passwords, and neglecting to use anti-malware software. The survey found that 48% of the reported identity theft cases were initially identified by the consumers. This statistic clearly expresses the dire need for individuals to routinely monitor their accounts and financial statements.
Everyone should also protect themselves by requesting their credit reports. You can obtain your free credit report three times a year from Annual Credit Report.com. Consumers can request to view their credit report up to three times a year because there are three different Nationwide Credit Reporting Agencies Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union.
How Identity theft can occur Online:
On the Internet, we are made of a digital identity. This identity groups information like our IP address, physical address, usernames, passwords, personal identification numbers, social security numbers, birth dates, account numbers and other personal information. Hackers and identity thieves’ main goals are to obtain this information. The Internet makes it extremely easy for these criminals to trick people into unwittingly handing over their information rather than having to dig through their trash. Some of the techniques that hackers use to obtain out information are
Phishing is when emails or websites falsely claim to be an existing organization that you do business with. These emails redirect users to websites that are created to look like the legitimate site. Users are then typically asked to update their personal information. Meanwhile the real company has no need to ask for updated information and you just supplied it all to a criminal. Be cautious of emails expressing urgency and avoid links or submission forms asking for financial information. Sensitive information like this should only be communicated using a secure webpage. (Learn more about protecting yourself against phishing!)
Pharming is a more sophisticated version of phishing. With pharming a cyber-criminal creates a vulnerable spot in an Internet Service Provider’s DNS server and then hijacks the domain name of a commercial site. When people visit the legitimate website they are immediately redirected without knowing. Unsuspecting users will enter their login information as usual, only this time they will be providing it to the pharmers. The personal information gained can be used at the website to purchase merchandise, clean out bank accounts, or open new ones.
Spyware is used to gather information like user ID’s or passwords. Once gathered it is then sent back to the intruder. Spyware can collect this information by logging keystrokes and using malware like Trojans. New malicious programs are created and discovered every day so it is important that you not only have Antivirus software but that you keep it up to date as well. Antivirus programs scan, track, and remove any problems from your hard drive. Anti-spyware programs can detect and eliminate any spyware that has made a home on your hard drive. Many Antivirus programs are bundled with an anti-Spyware.
Tips To Protect You From Identity Theft:
- Use your common sense.
- Check your credit reports.
- Check your bank statements.
- Compare your credit card charges against your receipts.
- Shred documents that contain personal information.
- Don’t carry unnecessary identification documents.
- Deposit outgoing mail at the post office on in a secure mailbox.
- Resist providing personal information unless you know that it is necessary.
- Watch out for phishing sites.
- Use an Anti-virus and Anti-malware software.
- Create strong and unique passwords for each website.
- Only shop at reputable websites.
- Only download software from reputable sources.
- Secure your wireless network.
What to do if you Suspect Identity Theft:
- Contact your credit card companies to notify them and request new account numbers.
- Contact your bank and request that an alert be placed on your account.
- Contact one of the three credit reporting bureaus and request that a fraud alert be placed on your file.
- Request a free credit report.
- Continuously monitor all of your accounts and credit reports.
- File an identity theft report with the local police or a State and Federal agency.
For more information visit The Effects of Identity Theft and The History Of Identity Theft!
Have a Great Day!
Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
Providing Tech Support to Businesses in Maryland
Tags: account protection, computer security, credit report, identity, identity theft, online identity theft, theft
Posted in Information Security, Internet | No Comments »
Friday, September 9th, 2011
It is critical to perform routine maintenance on your PC in order to preserve its performance level. Computers can quickly get bogged down with too much data and the inability to quickly locate your important documents can lead to frustration. The same organizational skills that you practice in the real world should translate over into the virtual space of your computer. Keeping your PC clean and organized will not only help to keep your files easily accessible but it can also reduce your stress and save some time. The following are some simple tips to follow when it comes to organizing your PC files. 
The desktop is the first thing that a user encounters and should be the starting point for cleaning up your computer. Remove the files or programs that you do not use, leaving only the programs that you use frequently. Attach the most frequently used programs to the desktop toolbar. Create labeled folders and group the files or applications appropriately. The typical icon layout will group the desktop icons along the right side of the computer screen however these icons can be grouped and moved elsewhere if beneficial. Based on their level of usage arrange your icons and folders in an order that makes the most sense to you. Additionally you can use desktop wallpaper that displays a grid so you can group and move icons into particular sections or categories.
- Organize your media content:
Keep your music with music, photos with photos, and movies with movies. Typically your computer will have preset folders for your media content, however over time it’s easy for these files to be unintentionally scattered and saved in other locations. You can also create your own media folder which holds separate folders for each type of media content. To provide more organization you can further break down your content, it may require more clicks to access but it will be more specific and easier to locate content. To relocate the files, first sort by media type, select the files, cut, and paste into the new location. (You can also organize these files in programs like the latest version of Windows Media Player)
For Example:
>Media Content Folder
Music
Photos
Video
Or
>Media Content Folder
>Music
>Band Name
>CD Title
>Song Title
>Photos
>Family
>Year
>Event
>Videos
>Genre
>Movie Title
Similar to how we organized the media content, we can also access the documents folder and create more efficient folder architecture. Compartmentalize the various sections of your files, for most it may require folders such as home, work, and school. You can also create more subfolders to further categorize your files. Although folders provide the option to sort your files multiple ways, for a folder that has a lot of files it can be beneficial to further break down the files into file type. (Images, .xls, .Doc, and so on)
For example:
Work \ Company Name \ Project Name \
Work \ Company Name \ Project Name \Word Documents\
Work \ Company Name \ Project Name \Spreadsheets\
Work \ Company Name \ Project Name \Images\
- Organize your Browsing Bookmarks:
If you continue to bookmark web pages without assigning them to specific folders they can begin to blend and become very difficult to find. Folders can be created by accessing the favorites or bookmarking menu on the browser or toolbar that you use. Create new folders and label them according to the areas or subjects that they will contain. Once the folders are created select the appropriate pages and drag them into their new location. During future bookmarking you can designate which folder the bookmark should be stored in.
For Example:
Social Media Sites
Shopping Sites
Email is one of the most common reasons why people use their computers. With the number of emails sent and received every day email organization is often ignored. To clean up your email begin by deleting junk mail and any old messages. Most people keep their mail in their inbox, instead create subfolders and sort your email as you access it daily. If using Microsoft Outlook you can also establish rules for your emails that automatically deliver them to the correct location. Similar to your computer files your email can be separated into categories like social, work, and school. Email folders can also be created to assigned priority.
For Example your email may look something like this:
>Inbox (22)
>School
>Classmates (5)
>Project Conversations with Jack (2)
>Project Conversations with Jill (3)
>Professor (2)
>Assignment Instructions (1)
>Misc. Information (1)
>Shopping (4)
>Purchase Confirmations (2)
>Shipping and Delivery Notices (2)
>Junk (0)
>Trash (0)
These are just a few simple organization tips for your PC. These methods should be done in conjunction with regularly scheduled PC maintenance tasks to provide the best results. These 5 tips along with your own organization methods should help your computer’s performance as well as your own ability to store and quickly sort through data.
Have a Great Day!
Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
Providing Tech Support to Businesses in Maryland
Tags: computer maintenance, Email, files, folders, increase productivity, Maintenance, media content, Organization, pc
Posted in Desktop - Workstation, Email, PC Maintenance, Storage | No Comments »
Friday, September 2nd, 2011
In our past blog postings we have talked about computer maintenance issues like performing backups, removing unwanted files or programs, and increasing the speed of your computer. In our posts for helpful hints to extending the life of your computer we have also briefly mentioned external conditions that can impact your computer but we have yet to address how to clean the actual PC and its peripheral components.
Keeping your computer and work environment clean is critical to the operations of your system and it can drastically extend the life of your PC. Dust is a common cause of overheating and the deterioration of important computer components. Computers may have advanced significantly but dust and dirt can still present major issues and glitches for internal elements. It is estimated that up to 70% of computer hardware problems can be attributed to dust and improper maintenance. Computers and external equipment should be cleaned routinely in order to prevent unnecessary problems caused by dust.
Although the fans of a computer are vital for the ventilation and cooling of the system they also provide a perfect opening for dust. Along with the cooling fans any small openings on monitors, keyboards, or any other devices are also dust gateways. In short the dust can settle on internal components and prevent the release of heat, causing the computer to short and overheat.
When everyday household items aren’t enough there are many products to choose from that are designed specifically for PC maintenance. Some of the available products include microfiber cleaning clothes, CD/DVD lens cleaners, anti-static monitor wipes, LCD cleaning solutions, aerosol duster, anti-static dust vacuums, wet wipes, and screen protectors.
Basic tips that you should know before cleaning:
- Clean the area surrounding the computer before cleaning.
- Always spray the cleaning solutions on a rag first, never apply directly to the computer or monitor.
- When using compressed air, always hold the can up right.
- Do not touch any internal CPU component without wearing an anti-static wrist band or using an anti-static mat.
- Never use a regular vacuum to capture the dust (only use an anti-static computer vacuum).
- Do not attempt to clean the inside of a computer monitor.
- Wait to clean the monitor until it is unplugged and cooled down.
- Unplug the computer before cleaning.
- Do not touch an LCD screen with your fingers and do not use any unapproved liquid to clean your LCD screen.
The Keyboard:
- Disconnect the keyboard from the computer and reconnect after completing the following.
- Hold the keyboard vertically while blowing the keys off with a can of air duster.
- Use anti-bacterial wipes to wipe the surfaces of the keyboard.
- Dampen a Q-tip with rubbing alcohol to clean in between keys.
- Wipe down USB cord with an anti-bacterial wipes.
The Mouse:
- Disconnect the mouse from the computer and reconnect after completing the following.
- With an optical or laser mouse you can use a lint free cloth to clean the bottom lens area.
- You can also use compressed air or a dry Q-Tip to remove the dust from the cracks.
- Use an antibacterial wipe to clean the top portion and the USB cable.
- If you still use an older trackball mouse follow the previous steps in addition to removing the bottom plate and wiping the computer mouse ball with a lint-free cloth dampened with isopropyl alcohol. Use a Q-tip to clean the inside of the mouse where the mouse ball sits.
The Monitor:
- Make sure the monitor is turned off and cooled down (Don’t turn it back on until dry)
- When cleaning an older CRT monitor it is ok to use a regular glass cleaner like Windex just as long as it is applied to a rag and not directly on the monitor.
- For LCD screens avoid using a cleaner, use either a soft cloth that is dry or lightly dampened with plain water. (Products like KlearScreen can also be used)
- Use lint free or a lightly dampened cloth to wipe other surfaces and vents.
- You can also use a can of compressed air or an anti-static vacuum to remove dust from the grooves and vents.
- Don’t forget to wipe the monitor’s cable and power cords.
The CPU Tower and Fans:
- Shut down the CPU and remove the power cord from the wall outlet.
- Remove the power cord and attachment cables.
- Place your computer tower on a stable platform.
- Use antibacterial wipes to clean the outside shell.
- Open the CPU Case. (May need to use a screwdriver)
- While wearing an antistatic wrist strap that is attached to the metal frame of the CPU tower begin using the compressed air to expel the dust from the case.
- Try to blow indirectly or gently on the motherboard and slots so not to damage them.
- Use the compressed air to remove the dust from the power supply and CPU vent.
- Replace the CPU case and wipe down the power cord.
The Disk Drives:
- While the CD/DVD tray is open use compressed air to gently clean out the dust. Avoid using too high of a pressure for it may cause damage to internal components.
- Use a CD/DVD Laser Lens Cleaner to remove the dust from the player’s lens.
CD’s and DVD’s:
- Use a CD/DVD cleaning kit or you can use a clean soft cotton shirt or rag to remove dust.
- Always wipe from middle to edge and never in a circular motion.
- To remove a substance you can use water as well as rubbing alcohol.
USB Connectors and Ports
- Use compressed air to gently clean USB ports as well as the USB plugs on your peripheral devices.
Battery Contacts
- Purchase a battery contact cleaner or clean the contact by rubbing them gently with a cotton swab that has been slightly dampened with alcohol. (Avoid applying too much pressure)
These simple tasks should be performed on a routine basis to get the maximum results and prolong the life of your computer. If cleaning of these components is neglected then the dust and dirt will eventually choke out the performance of your machine. Hope these tips will be helpful with keeping your equipment clean.
Thanks for Reading and Have a Great Day!
Dustin
ComputerFitness.com
Providing Tech Support for Businesses in Maryland
Tags: cleaning, computer, computer maitenance, computer tips, CPU, Peripherals
Posted in PC Maintenance | 1 Comment »
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