Corey’s Corner | Avoiding Scammers

Usually I write about getting your website up and running. I’m going to take a little detour this time around and talk about a persistent and seemingly never ending problem them plagues businesses and private residences alike: scammers/spammers. We’ve all gotten the gibberish emails, the “male enhancement”, Russian dating and Nigerian prince emails. We all [...]

Security: When was the last time you updated your software?

As SMB network system administrators we tend to focus on client “pain points”, i.e., “When did you realize that you needed help?” Was it when your hard drive failed and all data was lost? Did a workstation become infected with a virus or malware which prevented your staff from using the Internet? Or maybe you [...]

BizSpark! Do you qualify for free Microsoft Software?

A friend pointed out to me that for entrepreneurs and startups that are working on developing new online tools there is a Microsoft resource that can provide support for new businesses. I don’t qualify for a number of reasons but I thought I’d make you aware of BizSpark; a Microsoft initiative aimed at assisting startups [...]

Facebook’s In Trouble Again!

In case anyone missed the fact the Senate was concerned over some of Facebook’s new changes such as “instant personalization”, Tech Crunch has an excellent article detailing the Senate’s concerns as well as providing the original letter to Facebook and Facebook’s reply: Tech Crunch on Facebook vs The US Senate

Recognize and avoid fraudulent e-mail to Microsoft customers

Below is a message included in the latest Microsoft security bulletin: If you receive an e-mail message that claims to be distributing a Microsoft security update, it is a hoax that may contain malware or pointers to malicious Web sites. Microsoft does not distribute security updates via e-mail. To receive automatic notifications whenever Microsoft Security [...]

Online Backup Vendors: Major Players Lists

In preparation for my last article on online backup, I asked some of my peers what online backup tools they preferred; my intent was to compile a list of most favored by local small business IT support professionals. In true tech fashion I got two suggestions: a reference to other lists and a question regarding [...]

Are Cyber Criminals Stealing from You?

How redundant can we be regarding safe Internet communicating and web browsing? As much as we preach maintenance, I’ve noticed that in the current year all of our clients have had at least one malware infected computer; granted, most of those infected machines have been laptops which are used out of the office but no [...]

Are online backups a maintenance solution?

Recently, I had a new client inquire about using online backup as an additional level of redundancy to protect their data.  My quick response was I’d compile a list for them to review and make an informed decision. Later, I thought about what considerations go into an informed decision: Storage space? Ease of configuration? Cost [...]

Windows XP SP2 extended support ending July 13, 2010

Several weeks ago I got a Microsoft OEM newsletter informing me that Support for Windows XP with SP2 is ending July 13, 2010:  “Windows XP SP2 will no longer be the supported service pack level for Windows XP computers. Customers running Windows XP SP2 or a previous version of the OS will need to upgrade [...]

Create a Password You Can Remember

Say you have the most secure system in the world. How do you keep it that way? Passwords not only keep your system secure, but can limit access to certain people, be it employees, technical support, or a specific member of your team, such as the accountant. Do you remember the passwords to your server, [...]

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