TechTidBit - Tips and advice for small business computing - Tech Experts™ - Monroe Michigan

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How To Prevent Downtime On Your Network

With the national average of computer related repairs at $95 – $125 per hour, a troubled economy, and so many security vulnerabilities lurking around the Internet, getting downtime on networks to a minimum is becoming the number one goal of Computer/IT support companies like Tech Experts.

Preventing downtime on your network starts at square one: Who provides your IT support, and what do they have to offer to ensure you’re getting a high quality support at a reasonable cost to your business. With the right kind of IT support, your employees can focus on their own work and maintain a high level of productivity, without the hassle of downtime.

Using a service company to manage your network can be done in a variety of different ways, but for the most part, there are two main forms of service:  Break-fix, better known as pay as you go, or managed service protection (MSP).  So the big question is: Which is right for your company?

So what are the key differences between the two?  We’ll start with the break fix approach.

This is the standard service model – when something breaks, you call your service provider and they repair it. For some companies, particularly smaller networks, this works very well. The costs are relatively low, but every time you have an issue, there’s a cost involved. Oftentimes, you’re reluctant to call for support for what seems to be a “minor” issue. Instead, you save them up to combine service visits. The problem comes in when what seems to be a minor issue is really something more significant.

On the other hand, we have the managed service model.  This type of service delivery plan  is designed to provide a high level of IT support to a company at a fixed IT budget, so there are no surprises.

Typically, a fixed monthly price negotiated by the IT support company and the client.  There are usually different levels of support, starting from basic support of servers, workstations, and network devices, all the way on up to fully managed networks.

The highest level of support typically gives the business “whatever it takes” support, meaning that whenever you have an issue, it’s taken care of, and again the price stays as agreed.  It’s always in the best interest of the managed service provider to maintain maximum uptime for your network.

Managed service provides full network maintenance, and proactive management, reducing the number of future issues, which again keeps your network uptime maximized, which ensures productivity is at the highest level possible.

There’s usually no minimum or maximum number of users, which provides scalability for your network, giving it room to grow in the future. No matter how large your company might grow, your managed service provider will provide peace of mind in keeping your network up and running at full proficiency.

Lastly, there is typically a hardware replacement plan in place.  Because the MSP is monitoring your network at all times, they actually create a “map” of the entire infrastructure, which gives the company the age and health of the equipment on the network. In most cases, you’ll have insight into which hardware needs to be replaced ahead of time, which lets you budget for equipment upgrades.

Overall, I think a managed service is the way to go. It provides the business with peace of mind that the entire network is being monitored, recurring issues are prevented, costs and hidden fees are eliminated, and network growth is scalable and affordable.

Top Four Threats Attacking Your Network And What You Can Do About Them

Do you ever feel like your computer network could be more secure? Chances are, keeping a few simple things in mind will improve security and reduce downtime. Here are some things to look out for.

Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites like Facebook are exploding in popularity. Threats range from malware (e.g. viruses, worms,spyware) to scammers trying to steal your identity, information and money. Many businesses and government agencies are
using these sites to communicate with clients and constituents, so simply blocking access is no longer reasonable. Defending your company while allowing employee access requires social network education for your employees and the enforcement of strong acceptable use policies. We can help you develop a policy, then monitor compliance using a Unified Threat Management device that controls and reports on network
access.

Attacks On Mobile Devices
Everyone is going mobile these days not just the “road warriors.” Once limited to laptop computers, mobile network devices now include PDAs, handheld computers and smart phones, with new appliances appearing in the stores every month. Mobile devices often contain sensitive data yet they are easily lost or stolen. Be sure to password protect and encrypt data on all mobile devices whenever possible. Include mobile devices in your acceptable use policy.

Cloud Computing
“The Cloud,” in its most simple form, involves using the Internet to access and store your data. When you access email using a web browser, you are working in “the cloud.” Using the cloud for automated off site backup is rapidly gaining popularity and is just the beginning. Companies like Microsoft, IBM and Google envision the day when we will use inexpensive terminals instead of computers to run programs and access data located somewhere on the Internet. You need to be sure that any data you store and access across the Internet is secure not just where it is stored, but during the trip to and from the Internet.

Overconfidence
User overconfidence in security products is the top threat to your network. Failure to “practice safe software” results in nuisance attacks like porn storms (unstoppable rapid fire pornographic pop-ups) and more subtle key loggers that steal passwords. Surveys promising free stuff, result in theft of information like your mother’s maiden name, high school, etc. used to answer common security questions leading to theft of otherwise secure data. Think before you click!

Web Advertising Tips To Increase Traffic And Leads

A great way to get your small business name out there is to advertise on the web. If you already have a website, there are many things you can do to increase traffic to your site.

The number one key for people to find your website is to have great keywords on your site so that search engines such as Google and Yahoo will see your website. The purpose is so that anyone online can open the search engine and type in some keywords and your website will be listed. The better the match and the more people that click on your website will determine how high you will rank on the search engines.

Every chance you get online, list your website address. When you print out documents to give to customers or business cards make sure to include your web address. Even online, when signing up for a forum or sending a email, make sure you include your website.

You can also create a blog on your website to post articles related to your business. This will help people using search engines looking for something related to your business to be able to find your website. Some people think it is very expensive to create a blog but you can actually find free blogs online and then point your website in the direction of these blogs.

Posting coupons on your website will help attract people too. There is nothing more appealing to customers than saving money.  This will get the customers wanting to check your site frequently just to see the new sales or coupons you’re posting.

Sending e-mails to customers can also help advertise. This will keep your customers up to date on whats new with your business and any other information you would like them to know. Also most people now days have e-mail addresses and spend at least a few hours a week sending and receiving e-mails. Make sure you only send e-mails to people who have given you permission; otherwise, you’re spamming.

Take advantage of free classified ads online. Just like in the newspaper, websites such as Yahoo have classified ads that anyone can post to and their business will be listed.

Create a banner for your website and post it on banner exchange websites. These websites have you put one of their advertisements on your site in exchange for them advertsing your banner on thousands of other websites.

Is There A New Computer In Your Future? Here’s A Tip To Help You Transfer Your Important Information!

It eventually has to happen, we need a new computer. You can buy one from the “BIG BOX” stores, or order online or worse yet buy one from “Freddie” on the corner, but the time will come that you need a new computer.

The technology advances so fast it is hard to grasp what you need, what the kids need, and what should you buy that will give you the most bang for your buck.

A bigger concern is: “What will you lose?” When you upgrade your computer, it’s important to preserve the “my documents” and “my photos” folders.

How can you transfer them to your new computer and not lose them?

If you are running Microsoft Windows XP, you are in luck. Not only does Windows provide you with a file transfer wizard, they have a feature called profiles.

Each person who has logged in to a Windows computer had created a profile that has all of  their favorites, documents, music, and photos stored in an easy to transfer directory structure.

The secret is in knowing how to move them to the new computer.  It is very easy. I mentioned thumb drives and external storage in my last article.  Using your external storage, it’s relatively simple to transfer things over. Since each person who uses the computer has their own profile, all of their information is stored separately – all you need to do is find your profile, which is under your user name and then copy the folder which is named after your login name.

For example, if I created a user called “BigBob” then a profile folder called BigBob would also be created. This folder will contain all of my documents, Internet favorites and music if I have saved them to the default location.

Once you find the user’s profile folder, you’d just copy the folder to your external storage or thumb drive. Then, on your new computer, you’d copy the folder back to the same place. I know this gets confusing, but it isn’t that difficult.

Microsoft has developed a way to keep all of your information stored in one central location, and keep each user’s information separate from each other.

This makes it so easy to do the transfer to a new computer.  But to play it safe! If you have very important information, or you haven’t made a recent backup, you may want to use Tech Experts to transfer your data, photos and music to you new system.

We do it every day, and we realize the importance of your data. Give us a call at (734) 457-5000, or e-mail support@mytechexperts.com.

Your Computer Needs A Spring Cleaning, Too!

Now that it is spring time, I thought this would be a good idea to remind everyone of how important it is to clean out your dirty PCs.

Your computer should be cleaned every three to four months, and more if your office environment is very dusty or dirty. Keep in mind, it’s not just for sanitation purposes, either.

The electromagnetic field put off by your computer attracts dirt, dust, debris, animal hair, and lint – just take a look at the back of your PC near the fan vent. Pretty gross, huh?

It’s Not Just Dirty…It’s Dangerous!
The dust clogging those case openings will cause the processor inside your computer to heat up—and heat is the biggest cause of component failure in computers. That dirt and dust can end up shutting down your PC and costing you real money!

So how do you keep your computer clean and free from dust? The best way I’ve found is to use a can of compressed air. You should also use some eye protection like safety goggles or eye glasses along with a dust mask. I’ve found that the dust that settles on computers is often a very fine type of dust and it easily gets into your eyes and nose if you aren’t wearing any protection.

First and foremost, take the computer outside! Blowing the dust off the computer and onto your desk or office carpet really won’t do much long term good.

When blowing the dust out of the ports, it’s best to use short quick bursts. Also, don’t aim the air directly into the port. Blow the dust out at an angle.

Be careful that you don’t hold that plastic straw nozzle too close to any part of the computer – the freezing cold could damage the components. For best results, hold the nozzle about 3 – 6 inches away from the area that you are trying to clean. Sometimes people think using a vacuum cleaner is better than the compressed air, but I don’t recommend it. A lot of vacuum cleaners come with crevice attachments or other brush heads and the problem is that the plastic can cause a large build up of static electricity which can damage delicate electronic components.

Never spray or squirt any type of liquid onto ANY part of your computer. If a spray is needed, spray the liquid onto a cloth and then use that cloth to rub down the component.

When cleaning the monitor, use a lint-free cloth (like the one you use to clean your eyeglasses). Paper towels, dryer sheets, and other cloths may scratch the monitor. Also, never use Windex or a commercial cleaning product, and never spray anything directly onto the screen. Instead, lightly spray a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water onto your cloth and wipe it down.

We’ll Clean Your  Computer For You!
Want us to do the dirty work? Then just give us a call and ask for our spring computer clean-up service. For just $39 per computer, we’ll clean your system, remove any dust and debris, make sure all of your security updates are installed, and perform an additional 23 essential system checkup steps.

No more grime, germs, or dust bunnies—we’ll get rid of them all as part of our Spring-cleaning special! Just call the office at (734) 457-5000, or e-mail us at info@expertsmi.com, and we’ll make sure your computers shine!

Conficker And Other IT Security Issues Got You Worried? Here Are Some Tips To Keep You Out of Trouble!

If you watch television or read the news on the web, you no doubt heard about the April fool’s virus, also known as the conficker worm. I have been asked by numerous people “What about Conficker?” This worm is designed to have all the compromised computers “phone home” at a certain time and launch a denial of service, or DoS, attack on an unsuspecting website.

A DoS attack is an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users. It generally consists of the concerted efforts of a person or persons to prevent an Internet site or service from functioning efficiently or at all, temporarily or indefinitely.

One common method of attack involves saturating the target machine with external communications requests, so that it cannot respond to legitimate traffic, or responds so slowly as to be rendered effectively unavailable. That was the goal of the Conficker worm – to make sites unavailable on the Internet.

So, what should you do to prevent this from happening to you? Here are a few simple rules to follow to protect your system from these worms.

Disable the autorun feature
Although this is a nice feature to have cds auto start, this risk is not worth the few extra seconds it takes to launch a cd on your own.

Update your protection
Do not just rely on the automatic update features of your virus and malware protection software. It is smart to visit these update centers and make sure you have the latest software, particularly when you’re doing a lot of sensitive work on your computer.

Check your Windows updates
It should go without saying that in addition to your virus definitions, you should regularly check windows updates and do not rely on the automatic update feature. In the case of the Conficker C worm, Microsoft has had this patch available since October of last year. Still, as you heard on the news, thousands of computers still got infected.

Get a second opinion
Have a trained, certified technician review your computer to determine if you have the latest updates and security patches in place, along with removing any malware infections you might already have.

Back up your data
I can’t stress enough the importance of maintaining a backup schedule. All your important data needs to be protected. And, you should always take a copy of this critical data off site, so that if a natural disaster strikes, you have an undamaged copy of your data available.

You never know when tragedy will strike, or some brand new virus or worm will attack your system before anti-virus software can be updated.

Contact Tech Experts and we can help you select the perfect backup solution for your office.

We’ve seen our fair share of worms and viruses come and go, and have an arsenal of tools and years of experience to keep your systems in top condition.

If you currently have a server and you have not been taking advantage of the Tech Experts server monitoring and maintenance plans, I would urge you to contact us as soon as possible to discuss the various options for your firm.

Technicians are always available to review your current network configuration and give you expert advice on security.

If you perform these few simple things I’ve listed above, you will be protected from the vast majority of malware and worms that are currently circling the Internet. With diligence in the future, you will be protected from most of the variants of these worms as they are released.

Microsoft Teams With Nasa On World Wide Telescope

In an effort to catch up with Google, Microsoft has signed an agreement to make planetary images and other data available to the public.  This will all be made possible thanks to the World Wide Telescope.  Also known as WWT, the computer software program allows end users to view high detailed satellite imagery, photography, and interactive 3-D models outer space.

Microsoft is getting the bulk of its images from The Hubble Space Telescope, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, (MRO) NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, (LRO) as well as ten other earth bound telescopes.

World Wide Telescope is currently offering five main modes.  The modes are sky, earth, planets, panoramas, and solar system.  The planets mode actually allows users to view 3-D models of celestial bodies like our moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and four of Jupiter’s larger moons; bringing a virtual observatory directly to your desktop or laptop computers.

Microsoft and NASA will be working toward providing tools for real-time weather visualizations and forecasting.  The space shuttle launch pad, and other facilities at Kennedy Space Center in Florida will be available along with high resolution 3-D maps of the moon, sun, stars, Earth, Mars, and more to come.
Real time tracking of the International Space Station (ISS) and space shuttles will be available later this year.

Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California will be responsible for the processing and hosting of more than 100 terabytes (TB) of data.  That’s enough to fill over 20,000 DVDs!

NASA intends to deliver a huge amount of upgrades to the WWT project in the Fall of 2009, as surface data of our solar systems become more and more popular, while Earth bound data is losing its excitement.

World Wide Telescope is a free download available to all users at www.worldwidetelescope.org.

The home page provides links to interactive tours that walk you through the software, and show you the ins and outs of navigating your way around the program.

There are also video/audio guided tours made by astrophysicists such as Dr. Alyssa Goodman of the Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. WWT allows users to create their own tours containing music, voice overs, and much more.

A web based version is available for those who don’t want to download and install the software on your local system, but the web client version does not have the full functionality of the software, but it sure is a great way to take a test drive across the universe.

Powerhouse Gym Keeps Their Computers in Tip Top Shape With Tech Experts’ Monitoring & Off-site Backup Service

Richard and Sharon Orndorf opened Powerhouse Gym in the Monroe Shopping Center in 1997. Since then, the business has steadily grown, now occupying the former Baisley grocery store.

The Orndorf’s purchased and renovated the building to provide their members with more than 15,000 square feet of state of the art muscle building, cardio equipment and free weights. The gym offers personal trainers for circuit training, weight lifting, and counseling.  A fruit and juice bar offers quick, healthy treats for gym clients.

Tech Experts recently worked with Powerhouse to upgrade their company’s network, servers and workstations, and we asked Sharon to talk about the experience.

“Our business is totally reliant on computer technology,” explained Sharon. “We utilize our computer system for point of sale and complete client profiles for billing and history purposes.  If our system is down we are at a total shutdown of operations.”

Powerhouse upgraded their server to an IBM xSeries 3200 machine, running Microsoft Windows Small Business Server. Their proprietary member management software relies on Microsoft SQL server for it’s database. The new workstations are Lenovo ThinkCentre desktop computers, all optimized for speed and reliability.

Sharon continued: “One of the advantages to working with Tech Experts is that the company is available 24/7. Their remote monitoring and off-site backup service helps eliminate computer problems before they escalate into something major.”

Tech Experts monitors Powerhouse’s server 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and is immediately notified if there is a problem with the Gym’s server or network. Tickets are automatically generated and problems resolved, many times before Powerhouse’s staff is even aware there was an issue. This let’s Richard and Sharon concentrate on running their business, instead of worrying about their computers and network.

“Working with Technology Experts definitely has contributed to the success of our business,” Sharon explained. “We rely on the expertise of Tech Experts to keep us in the forefront of our business in this competitive market.”

We Can Beat The Recession!

As we all watch our revenues and expenses during this tight economic time it is inevitable that you will have to forecast worst case scenarios in your business and create plans to adjust if worst case becomes reality.

I am still very optimistic that smartly managed businesses can continue to grow at a healthy rate in 2009. I just believe in contingency planning as well.

I think the most important thing is to involve your people in the decision making process. It may take some quick and dirty education about the P&L and how the company runs but ultimately your group will come up with some creative answers you may not think about.

Toward that end, we’ve created a special website:

www.WeCanBeatTheRecession.com

Log on and share with me the creative ideas you have employed or have heard about other using to control costs, boost margins or increase sales during these times.

And more importantly, what ideas your vendors, customers and employees come up with.

There is too much doom and gloom on the nightly news. Let’s face it, good news doesn’t sell newspapers or airtime – so we’re creating some of our own good news on the web.

Visit our special website:

www.WeCanBeatTheRecession.com

or e-mail me at:

tfox@expertsmi.com

7 Tips For Working Securely From Wireless Hotspots

Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company.

Wireless hotspots are changing the way people work.

These wireless networks provide high speed Internet access in public locations—as well as at home—and require nothing more than a notebook PC with a wireless card.

From coffee shops to restaurants, airports to hotel lobbies, hotspots are ubiquitous. They range from paid services, such as T-Mobile or Boingo, to free connections at your local restaurant or library.

But they all have one thing in common: These are all open networks that are vulnerable to security breaches. And that means it’s up to you to protect the data on your PC. Here are a few tips to make working in public locations more secure.

Encrypt your files.
You can protect your files by encrypting them, which requires a password to open or modify them. Because you must perform this procedure on one file at a time, consider password-protecting only the files that you plan to use while working in a public place.

Choose more secure connections.
It’s not always possible to choose your connection type—but when you can, opt for wireless networks that require a network security key. The information sent over these networks is encrypted, which can help protect your computer from unauthorized access.

The security features of different networks appear along with the network name as your PC discovers them.

Make sure your firewall is activated.
A firewall helps protect your mobile PC by preventing unauthorized users from gaining access to your computer through the Internet or a network. It acts as a barrier that checks all incoming information, and then either blocks the information or allows it to come through. All Windows operating systems come with a firewall.

Monitor your access points.
Chances are, there are multiple wireless networks anywhere you’re trying to connect. These connections are all access points, because they link into the wired system that gives you Internet access. So how do you make sure you’re connecting to the right one? Simple—by configuring your PC to let you approve access points before you connect.

Disable file and printer sharing.
File and printer sharing is a feature that enables other computers on a network to access resources on your computer. When using your mobile PC in a hotspot, it’s best to disable file and printer sharing because when enabled, it leaves your computer vulnerable to hackers. Remember, though, to turn this feature back on when you return to the office.

Make your folders private.
When the folders on your mobile PC are private, it’s more difficult for hackers to access your files.

Consider completely removing sensitive data from your PC.
If you’re working with extremely sensitive data, it might be worth taking it off your notebook PC altogether. Instead, keep it behind the corporate firewall and use your company’s VPN to access it when necessary. This way, you have multiple safeguards in place.

A few simple precautions can help make working in public places more secure. And by selecting the best connections and adjusting settings, you can enjoy productive and safe work sessions no matter where you are.