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Millikan Computer Technologies
 TECH INFO—SECURITY
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Microsoft/Windows Updates
Windows is your computer’s operating system, the brain, if you will. It is programmed, manufactured and distributed by that business behemoth, Microsoft. You are probably running Windows XP on your system, unless your PC is an older model, in which case you could be running Windows 98, ME or 2000. If you have a really old system you could be running Windows 95, but most of those systems have gone on to computer heaven. read more 
Secure Your Data
Even if you have anti-virus and anti-spyware programs running; even if you a Firewall; even if you are diligent about running Microsoft Update – your data is still at risk. Why? Because all your data is stored on your computer’s hard drive. And hard drives fail. It is a sad, but true, fact of computer life. read more
And you never know when it will happen; and it does not depend on how “good” your computer is. The least expensive system’s hard drive may last years; the most expensive system’s hard drive may fail in the first month. It really is not a matter of if, but when, your hard drive will fail. So prepare for this eventuality by backing up your data at least once a month.
What should you back up? Anything and everything you could not do without if your computer quit working! But remember, you cannot back up programs, only files (unless you purchase a backup program specifically designed to backup disk, or partition, images). What is the difference? Microsoft Word is the program; you cannot back up Word. But all those documents, letters, reports, etc. that you create using Word are files that you can and absolutely should back up.
How do you back up all your data? Remember that a backup is simply a copy of your data. So, in essence, all you are doing is copying your data on to another memory storage device. That way, if your hard drive fails, the data is stored on that other device: a floppy drive (not a good choice in today’s world), CD’s, DVD’s, Memory Sticks (aka thumb drive, flash drives, etc.) or an external hard drive.
MCT recommends the following options:
- Memory Sticks are the choice for data backup. These devices connect to any USB port on your computer. You copy to the Memory Stick the same way you would to any other storage device; you delete from the Memory Stick the same way you would from any other storage device. Prices continue to fall for these products so the value is tremendous.
- Most systems today come with either CD or CD/DVD burners. These are excellent devices to use for data storage. Simply insert a CD-R or DVD-R into the drive and copy all that data. Then label the CD or DVD with the date and put the disc in a safe place.
- If you have massive amounts of data to backup, you may want to consider an external hard drive. These drives can be anywhere from 100GB to 1000GB (aks a Terrabyte, or TB) or higher. Of course, the larger the capacity, the more expensive the drive. When would you need, or want, this much capacity? If you have lots of photos, videos and/or music on your system, you may be better off backing up to an external hard drive.
One last note on keeping your system and data secure: keep all your original program discs and your backup discs in the same, safe place. And make sure you have the Installation Codes for all your programs. As mentioned above, you cannot back up a program so ensure that all your original program discs and installation codes are safely tucked away – with the data backups in the same place (assuming you did not use an external hard drive for the backup).
And remember, there are no stupid questions! If you have any questions regarding any of the information about securing your system or your data, please contact us! E-mail
info@mct-tech.com or phone 847-859-2727. Advice is always free and we love hearing from our customers.
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Firewall
A firewall is a virtual reality barrier protecting your computer from outside hackers and protecting you from programs trying to “phone home” without your knowledge. read more
PC Magazine offers a great summary of Firewalls, check it out by clicking here. Windows XP and Vista have a built-in firewall. If you are using any kind of router, you are most likely behind a firewall. And if you want extra protection, one of the highest recommended firewall programs is ZoneAlarm from Zonelabs. With ZoneAlarm you can configure your security settings to meet your needs.
Having said all this, our suggestion is to ensure that the Windows firewall, assuming you have XP or Vista, is turned on. Test your firewall by clicking here to visit Gibson Research Corporation. In the GRC website, click on Shields Up!! In the next screen, scroll down the web page to the ShieldsUp! Link and click there. Read as much or as little of the following screen as you wish, but once you are through reading, click on the Proceed button. On the ShieldsUp! screen, click first on File Sharing. If your firewall is working properly, you will see text indicating that your system is secure. Next, click on the Common Ports button. Once again, if your firewall is good, you will see that your system Passed this test. If you pass both the File Sharing and Common Ports tests, you need do nothing more regarding a firewall. If you did not pass either test, you may need to download and install Zone Alarm. Simply visit Zonelabs by clicking here. Download the free version of ZoneAlarm.
Two things before we leave our discussion of Firewalls:
- When you visit Gibson Research Corporation at www.grc.com take a moment to read about Steve Gibson. You will learn why he offers this excellent ShieldsUp! tool, as well as many other valuable tools. Computer users the world over owe a huge debt to Steve Gibson.
- This issue of Firewalls seems simple enough but can be even more frustrating than the dealing with viruses and spyware. Once again, please do not hesitate to call us at 847-859-2727 if you have any concerns about whether you firewall is working or if you need to do more to protect yourself and your computer. We can resolve most of your concerns over the phone.
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Secure Your Computer… Secure Your Data
Best Methods to Avoid PC Chaos
At MCT, we have helped many customers recover from disasters or near disasters. These problems could have been avoided by protecting the PC’s from Viruses and Spyware; by using a Firewall; by running Microsoft Update. Many of our customers complain of lost data as a result of these calamities. This would not have been an issue if up-to-date backups had been done. So … secure your computer and secure your data by ensuring that you have Anti-virus, Anti-spyware and Firewall programs installed on your computer. Make sure you run Microsoft Update at least once a week or whenever you see the yellow shield in the Notification Area of your Taskbar. And backup your data at least once a month.
Anti-Virus Programs
Viruses are simply programs written to do bad things to the computers which run them; viruses are created to damage your computer. They are most often delivered via email attachments (files, pictures, music, etc. sent along with an email) and the sender of the email does not even realize or know they are passing along a virus. read more
For a full definition of Virus, check out PC Magazine’s definition by clicking here. The solution to this problem is to install an Anti-virus program, keep it up-to-date and run it at least once a week. There are numerous Anti-virus programs available in the marketplace. Some are provided by your ISP, or Internet Service Provider. AOL and Comcast Cable provide McAfee Anti-virus free of charge to their customers. You can find free anti-virus programs on the Internet. You can also go to any electronics or office supply store and find many anti-virus programs on the shelves. So, which anti-virus program to use? That is the question. Here is the answer:
MCT recommends AVG Free Anti-virus from Grisoft Software. It is amazing that in this day and age one can find a worthy product at no charge. In this case, you really can “get a free lunch.” AVG has been around for some time and has always received favorable reviews. Moreover, it works in the background and requires very little, if any, user intervention. This means you install and it just does its job without bothering you! In this regard it is far superior to both McAfee and Norton programs. You can find AVG by performing a Google Search on “avg free”.
Although McAfee is offered free to AOL and Comcast customers, the market leader in anti-virus programs is Symantec’s Norton Anti-virus Software. When you purchase this product, you are able to update to the most recent virus definitions for one year. At the end of that year, Norton will tell you (via many pop-up windows) that it is time to renew your subscription. When you renew, do not fall for the marketing ploy of paying just a few bucks more to get Norton Internet Security. NIS is known for causing conflicts within systems and is truly difficult to configure. All you need is Norton Anti-virus.
In summary, both McAfee and Norton Anti-virus programs can be difficult to configure, difficult to update and require more user intervention than we like to deal with. For a truly hassle-free experience with an anti-virus program, we highly recommend AVG Free. As always, if you have any question or concerns, please call us at 847-859-2727. Advice is always free and we love to hear from our customers. |
Anti-Spyware Programs
Spyware, or adware, has become a more serious problem than viruses in the last several years, especially in businesses and households with high Internet usage. Spyware can be malicious in nature, causing damage to your system and data; it can be frustrating, slowing your system to a crawl; it can be innocuous, as is the case with most cookies. read more
For a thorough definition of spyware, check out PC Magazine by clicking here. This article helps you understand the many different types of spyware and how this spyware actually gets on a PC.
Although the best way to avoid spyware is to be very careful regarding the websites you visit and any programs or tools you download from the Internet, spyware will inevitably find its way onto your computer. The best way to defend against spyware and to remove spyware that does find its way onto your computer is to install, update and run anti-spyware programs. There are an amazing number of anti-spyware programs available in the marketplace. Spend money if you wish, but the best anti-spyware programs are free:
- Windows Defender—This is Microsoft’s version of anti-spyware and comes loaded on all Windows Vista machines. But if you do not have a Vista machine, take heart, this program is available at no charge on Microsoft’s website. Once configured, Windows Defender updates itself and runs scans in the background, requiring little user intervention. Google “windows defender” to find the link or follow the Links button on this website. One note of caution: you will have to validate that your copy of Windows is genuine. You will not be able to download this product if your copy of Windows is not genuine.
- We also recommend Lavasoft’s Ad Aware. Simply download and install the program, update and click “Scan Now” to rid your computer of spyware. Ad Aware
is relatively easy to use, but the free version must be manually run by the user. It is recommended that you run Ad Aware at least once a week. Be aware that Lavasoft does offer upgrade versions of Ad Aware for sale. These versions offer bells and whistles that really add nothing to the effectiveness of the free version.
For more information on Ad Aware, visit Lavasoft by clicking here.
At MCT, we have been running AVG Free 8.0 (which combines anti-virus and antispyware in one program) and Windows Defender on all our company systems for a long time. We have yet to experience problems as a result of viruses or spyware. We think that is a pretty good validation of the worth of these products.
As always, if you have any issue with spyware or your anti-spyware programs call us at 847-859-2727. |
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