by Felicien | Jun 10, 2017 | Education
Let’s examine some of the most likely computer issues and quick tips for combatting these problems.
I sure do love it when my computer bogs down and slows my workflow, so I can’t meet my deadlines… said no one ever.
I mean, honestly, is there a time when we’re not looking for more speed, efficiency, or ease of use from our laptops and desktops? In our modern tech society, these traits are keys to success in our business and personal worlds. Consider a chef and their need to keep blades sharp; dull tools can stymie your work, wreck your creations, and even damage your reputation. Fortunately, there are a number of DIY fixes and tips, which will keep your PCs working at optimal levels. Let’s examine some of the most likely problems and how to regain your system’s power and speed.
Do monthly clean ups
One of the easiest methods for keeping your computer running smoothly is to regularly clean up, consolidate and delete unnecessary files. Develop a routine for creating folders to save valuable information and cull the unwanted or unused bits of data.
Delete cookies or temporary internet files
As we surf the internet, our computers capture and keep bits of information which help websites load and operate a slight bit faster. But, for the speed garnered versus the space used, it is better to delete the cookies or temporary files, especially if they are for websites you rarely visit.
Use anti-Spyware software
Malware, spyware, greyware, trojans and other tracking software will often hide in your computer and send information pertaining to your personal internet habits back to remote capture devices. The motives can be as simple as helping to tailor and personalize the advertising you encounter on the web or as devious as searching for passwords and pin numbers in an attempt to steal your assets.
Run Antivirus software
Equally nefarious and increasingly sophisticated, computer viruses also attack your computer’s operating systems in an attempt to disrupt or corrupt the computer. Often, consumers are caught up in viruses which were designed to disrupt large-scale networks of businesses. By opening unknown files or traveling to untrusted sited, computers can be left vulnerable and infected. Perform regular antivirus scans or purchase antivirus software to install on your computer.
Disc defragmentation
This process of cleaning up pathways for programs helps your system to perform fewer tasks in order to access and use information on the hard disc.
Backup files
While performing clean ups on your computer, it is also a good time to send valued information to a backup device. An external hard drive, flash drive, or even burning info to disc will all ensure that your valued information is safe and isn’t taking up excess space, which can slow your computer.
Remove unnecessary apps or programs
With the popularity of helpful apps and programs only a click away from purchase and install, it can become tempting to continually install the latest tech gadget. But, when you really analyze how much or how often you use a program or app, you might realize it is unnecessary and a space hog.
Perform software and hardware upgrades
Once you have reduced the number of programs or apps you don’t use, it’s best to optimize the ones you do. Software and system upgrades can assist in the overall speed and user appeal and can also increase productivity.
Check your software firewall
Sometimes, our own systems need to be assessed manually to check for changes in settings which may or may not have been made by you. Remember the spyware and viruses? These intruders can sometimes make changes to your system upon install. The firewall should keep most of these computer vermin out, but take a look, just to be safe.
Avoid shady websites
Too many Pop-ups or click bait headlines are a dead giveaway that there might be more to this extra flashy website. Is the word free used too often? Well, you know what they say. Often, they’re hotbeds for corrupt programs and bugs.
But, what about Macs? Although Apple computers are often touted as being fairly spyware and virus free, there are still potential problems they may encounter, and more seem to be popping up each day. Many of the above tips will apply, but here are a few more bits of advice, which may be beneficial to the Apple user.
Install malware protection
As mentioned above, Mac OS is being targeted more and more by viruses and data tracking software. Install the protections and don’t just rely on the myth that Macs can’t be infected.
Reduce utilities and background services
Some Mac users will keep numbers of programs and services running at all time, which can slow the overall performance of the system. For rarely run utilities, shut them down, when not necessary.
Clean up your desktop and old files
Although this was a point mentioned earlier, bears repeating. Often, some of the biggest problems we encounter are of our own doing. By cleaning out and organizing your files you not only improve your system’s performance, but you also stand to improve your own, as the clean out process should help your focus and memory on your work and personal information.
Keeping your computing systems operating properly is a responsibility we have to regularly give attention to. There are some programs that will automatically update or run, which can be set to occur weekly, monthly, or on your own personally determined a schedule. Whatever your preferred methods for keeping your blade sharp, start honing your tools today.
by Felicien | Jun 9, 2017 | Education
AI does more than just help with security: Here’s how it can make you more revenue too!
Artificial intelligence still seems a little…unreal, doesn’t it? Yet you would be hard-pressed to find a company that doesn’t use some form of AI or automation to make jobs easier – it’s all around us, and it does make a difference. In fact, the right AI adoption can improve your security, make leadership decisions easier, and even increase profits. Does it sound hard to believe? Take a look at the revenue-friendly ways that AI systems are being used in today’s businesses.
1. Customer Data Management
Companies that are trying to adopt more digital solutions tend to have a lot of customer data lying around – we’re talking about how customers pay, when they buy, what channels they buy through, what products they like, what they look at before they buy, how often they buy, and a whole lot of other information. It doesn’t matter how much free time your marketing and sales teams have, they can’t look over this data and spot important connections just by staring at spreadsheets.
But an AI can track all this data and come up with conclusions that are actually useful. Skilled CRM AI systems can identify high-value customers that spend a lot of money, target them with additional deals, and identify new prospects who share similar traits to these high-value customers and deserve extra attention to make more sales.
2. Automated Ad Placement and Audience Targeting
Today’s AIs don’t stop at customer data: They also examine a lot of social and sales data, which can be more useful than you might expect. A good AI, for example, can find out what payment options and channels have a higher success rate within your target audience, which is especially handy if you’re not sure how to find or analyze this data. That skill also applies to automated placement of ads in the right spots and platforms to attract the sort of business you want. It can transform a business’s profits when used correctly.
3. Faster Workflows
Today’s AI systems go beyond simple automation: Just take a look at the latest Cortana features, which allow the voice assistant to scan emails for relevant information and set up automatic calendar events based on what you are discussing. Advanced features like these really put the “assistant” in voice assistant, which means you save a lot of time and – with enough use of these tools – may even be able to trim up the workforce a little. Other automation can help too, such as features that automatically add or pass on projects when they are ready to reach the next step…or put up alerts when something looks like it has gone wrong.
4. Chat Systems for Direct Sales
Here’s an exciting twist on the AI trend. Chatbots are advanced AI systems that replicate a normal conversation (more or less) through a messaging app so that customers can IM the chatbot and ask questions or as for specific information. Facebook Messenger allows companies to come up with a simple AI that nearly anyone can use – and with the right tools, customers can buy items directly from the chatbot!
5. Direct Site Analysis
No, we’re not talking about websites, we’re talking about actual work sites. Skycatch, for example, uses aerial imaging to spot better ways to use equipment and manpower at mines, solar arrays, farms, and construction sites. As this type of analysis grows more refined, it will become commonplace for an outside consultation to be as simple as renting an AI service.
6. Intelligent Screening and Product Control
On the advanced end of this AI skill are healthcare systems designed to automatic sift through a vast amount of data to look for signs of problems like breast cancer or heart disease – they even get better the more they scan, producing more accurate results (very similar to how security AI systems scan for signs of malware). Less rigorous but still useful versions of this approach can be used in quality control to watch out for repeated problems and narrow down causes to help make production less costly and more efficient.
Do you have any questions about specific and affordable AI applications for your {city} business? We can help! Let {company} know your goals and we’ll talk about what services are right for you. Contact us at {phone} or {email}.
by Felicien | Jun 8, 2017 | Education
Don’t be fooled by the fake apps popping up on the Google Play store that falsely claim to protect you from ransomware.
Recently, many Android device users were confronted with a barrage of fake apps in the Google Play store that claimed to protect against the WannaCry ransomware that has affected tens of thousands of users around the world. At {company} in {city} we take cyber security very seriously, which is why we want to help you protect yourself against scams just like this.
How ransomware works
The term, “malware” refers to a variety of different forms of malicious software that can infect your devices. The effects of malware can range from slightly annoying, such as pop-up ads that are associated with adware, to completely devastating, for instance when scripts destroy files or track your activity.
Ransomware is a specific category of malware that is being used more frequently by hackers. If your computer or device has ever become frozen on a screen informing you that you need to pay money in order to access files or folders, then you have been infected with ransomware. Sometimes, the coders who created the ransomware will make it look like the request to pay is coming from an official government entity; typically the FBI asking you to pay a fine. It’s important to note that the neither the FBI nor any other law enforcement agency would make such a request in this manner.
Other times the hackers don’t even bother to hide the source of the ransomware, and the notice will directly inform you that your files are being held, hostage. Typically the threats indicate that your files have been encrypted and that they will be destroyed unless you agree to transfer the requested funds within a specific timeframe. Whatever form it takes, ransomware can be very costly and wreak havoc on your digital life.
The ransomware epidemic
Without question, ransomware has been an increasingly popular form of malware for nefarious actors. One reason for this could be that as the number of internet-connected devices proliferates around the world, it stands to reason that people are storing more important things in digital format than ever before. Therefore, they are more vulnerable tot he effects of ransomware.
Additionally, as people become more comfortable with coding and software engineering from a young age, the number of people who have the technical skill required to create ransomware increases. It’s easier than ever for people who are looking to make money off of a quick scam to find victims.
This has all culminated in the spread of WannaCry, a form of ransomware that encrypts your files and asks for $300 in Bitcoin in order to gain access to them again. The use of WannaCry has exploded throughout the globe, affecting tens of thousands of victims in nearly 100 countries.
Scammers are now using fake protection apps to trick users
Of course, this kind of widespread issue creates, even more, opportunities for scam artists to perpetrate crimes. In this case, malicious developers are taking advantage of the demand for software that protects users from ransomware by creating fake protection apps and disseminating them to Android devices through the Google Play store. These apps will often claim to restore the files that have been encrypted or to prevent Ransomware from infecting your device, to begin with.
Experts have determined that they are useless. In fact, there is no indication that ransomware has ever infected Android-powered devices as of yet. Some of these fake WannaCry protection apps are simply pranks and will leave your system completely unaffected, while others have been found to carry ad-scanning functions. All in all, they are far less dangerous than most forms of ransomware itself, but it’s still better to protect your mobile device whenever possible.
An enduring issue for tech users
Unfortunately, the ransomware problem is likely to only get worse in the near future, as the circumstances that facilitated the epidemic continue unabated. The amount of digital information being stored on devices and in the cloud will continue to increase in volume, and there will be more people with access to the technology necessary to create malicious software.
Since cybercriminals are a fact of life in the 21st century, the best protection is to learn more about malware in general and take steps to ensure you have eliminated as many vulnerabilities as possible. Being a part of an interconnected society means that you will never be 100% safe from attacks, but there are many ways that you can make yourself a much more difficult target for those who want to do harm.
How to protect your mobile device from malware and scams
The first step in protecting your mobile device is to lock it with a passcode, or a fingerprint lock if your device is compatible. It’s the easiest way to add a physical layer of protection to your device, and it can be the difference between a criminal quickly accessing sensitive information or failing to gain entry to your device.
Also, remember to only download files from trusted sources that you have vetted beforehand. If someone sends you a downloadable file that is in any way suspicious, it’s best to ask for more information first before downloading.
This advice also applies to apps, so be sure to limit your app installations to the official app stores offered by Apple, Google, et. al. They are more deliberate about weeding out fake and malicious apps, even if they are not perfect. Although some fake WannaCry protection apps made it to the Google Play store, Google took the initiative to delete many of them fairly quickly.
Finally, keep up to date with your OS updates. When vulnerabilities are identified, tech companies usually release these updates with security fixes in order to shield users from risk.
For even more advice on safeguarding your digital presence, contact our tech experts at {email} or {phone}. They can review your vulnerabilities and help ensure you are as protected as possible from malicious software and scams.
by Felicien | Jun 8, 2017 | Education
Take a look at how companies are shaping their IT budgets, and what their biggest expenses are.
A very common question among businesses is, “How much should I be spending on digital services?” or “Should we increase our IT budget this year?” It’s a good question, so we’re going to take a look at the latest IT budget trends to see just what companies are deciding.
Basic Budget Increases
Let’s talk percentages: It’s natural for IT budgets to increase at least a little every year to keep up with the inflation of costs and so on. Recently, these increases have been diverging between 1)businesses that care a lot about digital performance and new services and 2)companies that really don’t want to spend much on IT right now. Companies that want to grow their digital services are increasing IT budgets by around 4.6%. That can be compared to an average increase of around 2.2%.
Issues of Stagnation
Hold on, though! These budget increases aren’t so simple as all that. Thus far in 2017, IT budget decisions have been very…noncommittal. A study on UK buyers of IT services has shown hardly any different between 2016 and 2017 budgets, both hovering around an average of $294,000. That’s a serious problem, because IT tends to be an area where investment is required for new growth and continued efficiency. When companies don’t increase their budgets or make increases so small that it doesn’t really matter, they are essentially committing to a year of non-growth. That’s a little troubling for basic IT services, but much worse if a business needs to upgrade their security systems but doesn’t have any many to do see – especially since we’re seeing a rising in cyberattacks that target unprepared businesses just like these.
So why the hesitation to spend more money on IT? Most cited uncertainty with the global political situation. New tensions, uncertain alliances, and potential conflicts make everyone nervous, and when organizations get nervous they pull back on spending, particularly spending on new services that they aren’t sure if they want to adopt or not.
Bottom line: If you have the income, consider spending more than the average to make sure your IT systems stay in a healthy place.
Where Businesses Are Spending Their Money
But let’s take a look at what companies really are spending money on within their IT budgets these days. First up is cloud and hosted services, the number one target for these budgets. That makes sense – cloud/hosted services are a great way to save money by staying away from expensive hardware, and there’s a service or tool out there for pretty much any business need, so companies can always find a solution with a little searching. Company leaders can also understand the, “Like what we do now but cheaper and better” benefits of cloud services – although security remains a concern in this situation.
However, companies that really want to go all out on tech spending are increasing portions of the budget for much less traditional investment. AI systems are getting much more popular, thanks to their increased use in marketing, customer management, and security (where they look for common signs of suspect data or actions). Virtual reality is another spot where spending is going up as marketers investigate how VR can help spread their brand – although a common alternative is 4K drone video, another area getting a lot of interest. Some companies are even experimenting with 3D printing!
How Much Are The Big Companies Spending?
A whole lot. Take a look at the healthcare provider industry, for example. The annual spending budget in 2017 here was around $30 million, without an expected $2 million increase in 2018 – for companies with around 5,000 employees. And that’s not really that much when looking at it from a broad perspective, because…
Large Transformation Projects Will Always Cost More
If you really want a digital transformation project, your IT budget will simple not cover it. When the big companies want a transformation, brands like GE and the Dollar Shave Club are setting aside around $1 billion. While you obviously have to scale that down for smaller companies, it’s still a couple times larger than a traditional annual IT budget. Broad transformations cost money!
It’s important to remember that every IT budget will be different, and how much you should spend on digital services depends on your own goals. Not sure what your {city} area business needs? We can help! Give {company} a call at {phone} or contact us at {email} and we can help you decide on the services that will add true value to your company.
by Felicien | Jun 7, 2017 | Education
Here’s why you should never wait for security updates – oh and a bit about the Queen’s birthday!
As followers of British royalty doubtless already know, Queen Elizabeth II recently celebrated her 91st birthday – sort of. You see, because of the way these celebrations work, the “birthday” that the Queen has celebrated for so many years isn’t actually her birthday. Instead, it’s simply a week in early June that is roughly designated as the time to celebrate the birthday of the current British monarch. The real birthday could be – and has been – anytime throughout the year, but this small window is typically when the country actually celebrates it, and so when many people think of the Queen’s birthday, they think, “Oh, of course, it’s sometime in early June, I remember it being on the news.” Queen Elizabeth II’s real birthday is in April, actually, and you may (or may not) be surprised how many of her own people don’t realize that.
So, why the two different birthdays, and what in the world does this have to do with data security? Well, the reason for the birthday celebration is easy: It’s all about British weather. You see, the weather in England is notoriously difficult to predict, with a tendency toward rain (again, not a surprise), but of course, the country doesn’t want it to literally rain on the parade when celebrating a royal birthday. So they carefully ignore the real birthday date and plan the celebration for some time in May or June, even going so far as to put this “party” birthday down in official records. They just want a little bit of sunshine.
The data security connection is all about this curious behavior, and what it means for updating security processes. Because, you see, like Britain, many organizations find it easy to put a plan into action “when the sun is shining” instead of on the real date when action needs to be taken. Let’s take a look at why that’s such a serious problem.
The Problem of Patches vs. Apps
The Queen may celebrate her birthday in warm months because it is convenient, but businesses do not have this luxury when it comes to updating their security. It’s not a matter of picking the most convenient date: It’s a matter of recognizing that organizations don’t have a choice to delay or avoid patching their systems. There is no such thing as waiting for fairer weather. There is no gaming the system. Unfortunately, businesses have a difficult time recognizing this when conflicts arise between a noted security update and normal business operations.
This problem is exemplified perfectly when it comes to app updates and compatibility. Let’s take a look at a WannaCry ransomware example to underline the point. Say that your company depends on a particular app for operations – an inventory management tool, for example. That tool is compatible with an older version of Windows 10, which your company uses. Now, Microsoft released a security patch for WannaCry and related attacks back in March 2017. Your IT expert knew about this patch and recommended that it be applied to all Windows 10 systems in the business for protection. Unfortunately, the patch is designed for a newer version of Windows 10: It looks like you need a larger update to include the patch.
That’s a problem because the all-important inventory management app just won’t work with a newer version of Windows. You have contacted the vendor but haven’t received any news about whether an updated version of the app will be provided. So your organization sits tight on the older Windows 10 so it can maintain traditional business operations, at least for a few months…which is right around the time that WannaCry infects your network and starts hitting computers around the office that have no protection.
This happens a lot! It happened to many of the organizations hit by WannaCry, some of which were still using Windows 8 because of the aforementioned compatibility issues. So this isn’t just a theoretical issue, it’s a real problem – and one that your company must learn how to deal with.
The Importance of Immediacy
We’re going to make this really easy for you: If a decision comes to a choice between updating your operations for security and using an important app, choose the update. Every time. You can always find a vendor who is actually on top of their security maintenance or another app that accomplishes similar goals. You can’t find another way to patch vulnerabilities. Take the costs associated with the decision as part of security expenses, and move on.
We would love it if every organization could understand this. But we also know that the logistics behind this decision can be tricky. If your {city} business is struggling with older apps and security updates, {company} can help! Call us at {phone} or send us an email at {email} to learn more about our services!
