Simple Security

Last month, shortly after finishing a telephone call with my friend “Lucy” I got an email from her saying that she was stranded in London, her suit cases and passport had been stolen and although she had found refuge at the US consulate she needed some money to tide her over until problems could be [...]

Now is the time for Windows 7

I’ve been using Windows 7 for over a year at this point and after Vista have been quite pleased. Standard practice for many independent IT pros has been to recommend delaying installing new operating systems until many of the kinks had been worked out. In addition, Windows XP does not have a natural migration path [...]

The Excitement of Uninterrupted Power Supplies: UPS

Summer is a time for lots of construction and road maintenance and my neighborhood is no exception. We were notified that there would be occasional power outages during the times they work on our street and initially, I blew this notice off and quipped, “No problem as long as they give advanced notice of specified [...]

Has your antivirus subscription expired?

Security for computer networks comes in many forms.Often the most troublesome and frequently encountered are malware infections (viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, etc.). Unfortunately, during my initial meetings with prospective clients I still find workstations with expired antivirus software or no protection at all. Malware, like hard drive failures, can make workstations inoperable but all data [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Whose Network is it anyway? Notes for business owners.

It is a good practice for business owners to outsource technical support to keep their minds focused on their primary responsibilities. Outsourcing saves not only time and money but also provides valuable expertise not necessarily available in-house… so good technology support should be your trusted technology advisor. Every business owner should take the time to [...]

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