DID YOU KNOW...
We serve the computer support needs of medical & dental clinics, contractors, and others.  Contact us today to learn how we can help

Copyright © 2011
Boldt, Carlisle & Smith, LLC.
All rights reserved.

Back to Current Tip

Tip for finding Tips: Use your browser’s Find
to locate the exact tip you are looking for.
Usually Ctrl+F or Edit | Find in Windows

Update your Computer.

Why?  Usually for security, stability & compatibility reasons, Windows and other programs are regularly updated.  Compatibility updates ensure that your computer can take advantage of new software and hardware, without those updates you may experience reduced performance, the infamous Blue Screen of Death or other errors that prevent you from using your computer.  Security updates are like vaccines in that many viruses only affect computers that are not fully updated.  When it comes to viruses, prevention is always better than cure.  Windows is generally set to install security and other ‘critical’ updates by default.  I have found that the best time to install these updates are when you shut down your computer because Windows gives you the option to install updates & shutdown automatically when finished.  Unfortunately, this convenience is limited to updates from Microsoft.  Other programs, like Adobe products or Java, do not have the luxury of installing during shutdown. Despite their inconvenient presentation, these updates are important. Many users simply click the Remind me later button, but the notice is just as annoying (if not more annoying) the next time it comes up.  In fact, updates rarely come out more than once a month.  So, if you do install them, you are free from annoyance for the next 30 days, whereas, if you are behind in your updates, you will be reminded every day.

February 25, 2011

Do not send private information via email.

Why?  Think of email and internet as snail mail.  In this scenario, web pages are like magazines and emails are like postcards.  There is a catch though: the postman can flip through magazines and post cards while he delivers them.  What is more, the internet is like a postal system made up of many different companies who pass things to each other.  That means that many different postal workers from many different companies have the opportunity to view your magazines or post cards.  This is where encryption comes in.  In snail mail, we use envelopes to conceal the contents of sensitive documents.  Encryption is more like a safe than an envelope because it requires a key and it cannot be unlocked without it.  Have you ever been to a website whose address started with https:// instead of http://?  If you ever do any online banking, it always has an https address.  Whereas, facebook & dilbert.com have http addresses.  The S at the end stands for Secure.  Anything you send back and forth is locked down so only you can read it.  Ready for another catch?  In almost all cases, https is not used for email.  Email message contents & attachments are almost all sent in plain sight.

What is the solution?  Use encrypted websites to send sensitive data.  Here at BC&S we use a service called ShareFile to send sensitive data.  We email the recipient a link to an https website where they can log in and view the files we sent them securely.  As an individual, one can use free sites that generally meet the needs of an individual.  Just Google “send files securely” (without quotes) and you will see a listing.

There is such a thing as secured email, but it is expensive and difficult to maintain.  Consequently, this option is generally available only to larger businesses or as a special add-on for hosted email.

December 21, 2010

Why?  Many viruses imitate antivirus programs; if you know which antivirus you are using then you will not be fooled as easily.  So, if one is using Symantec antivirus and a warning that does not say Symantec tells me I have a security problem; I need to either fix it in Symantec or I need to ignore it.  Any warning from my antivirus will say its name in large friendly letters.  Anything that doesn’t identify itself as my antivirus probably is not legitimate, especially if I am on the internet when it pops up.  In addition, having more than one antivirus can be a MAJOR detriment to your computer’s performance.  Knowing what AV you currently use can help keep you from installing another by mistake and you can ensure that you have one and it works.

How?   Most antivirus programs have an icon in the lower right corner of the screen next to the clock – the Notification Area.  If you do not see it, you may have to click an arrow to show you all of the icons.  Hovering over these icons will show you the name of the program.  When you find your antivirus, double clicking the icon will usually open your antivirus console – where you can control how your AV program behaves and use utilities that it provides (like the virus scanner).

For low-cost antivirus, we recommend GFI Vipre; it has a small foot print, easy licensing, effective protection, free support and a free trial for both home and business use.  For free antivirus protection, I recommend Microsoft Security Essentials or AVG Free.  If your computer is not normally connected to the internet, MalwareBytes free version is a very good and free product.  If you currently have a virus or would like to set up organization wide antivirus, please contact us as 503-585-7751

December 3, 2010

Questions and comments about our website can be directed to our Webmaster.

QuickBooks, Pro Advisor and the Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor Logo are trademarks of Intuit Inc., used with permission.