Almost every day I hear about another person becoming the victim of fraud or a scam of some sort. Whether it’s Bank Fraud or Ransomware there are many risks out there. I hate seeing friends, family or clients fall victim. I’ve written a Basic Guide to Internet Security in the past, and over the next 2 weeks, I am happy to provide further advice to avoid scams and fraud. Let’s get right to the tips.
Chances are it is. [Read more…]
Windows 10’s newest update added a feature to help protect you from a particularly nasty type of malware called RansomWare. However, the protection isn’t turned on by default. This post will show you how to turn it on and help keep your files safe.
Ransomware is a type of malware. It’s main purpose is to hold your files for ransom. It does this by encrypting them (making them unreadable) and then demanding money in order to unlock them and give them back to you. If losing your files – photos, business documents, music, and videos – sounds painful, you’ll want to have measures in place to avoid RansomWare. I’ve previously covered a Data Disaster plan to help fight against RansomWare, and I still recommend it, but Windows 10 has introduced another layer of protection and there is no reason not to turn it on!
Windows’ RansomWare protection was introduced in build 1709 of Microsoft’s latest operating system so in order to use it you’ll need to have build 1709. To find out if you have it simply follow these steps:
If you don’t have version 1709, head over the Windows Update and check for new updates. It should be rolling out to everyone soon. If you need help you can contact me.
Hopefully, this guide and the pictures were easy to follow and you know have an extra layer of protection against RansomWare! If you’re having trouble following any of it, Y-Not Tech Services will be happy to assist you. If you already have build 1709 installed we can turn on Controlled Folder Access remotely. Contact us and mention this article to get a special price of $20 flat fee to enable this feature remotely. If you don’t have 1709 we can schedule an in-person appointment to take care of it.
In a perfect world, our electrical power current would be perfectly even, never dipping or spiking. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world and our power current is almost constantly dipping, surging or spiking. This has the potential to wreak havoc on our tech. That’s why we need surge protectors. Read on for six things you should know about surge protection and your tech gear. [Read more…]
Seriously, why unplug all your cords and drag your computer to a shop when we can more than likely fix your problem with remoting in via your internet? Did you know that 90% of computer problems are software and not hardware? [Read more…]
Kaspersky Labs makes an antivirus software that did a good job at finding viruses. Unfortunately, it has been discovered that it also does a good job at finding government secrets and other information it has no business finding. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal and other sources, Kaspersky Antivirus has been turned into a spy tool to find US government secrets. According to reports, it targeted specific terms including Top Secret and classified code names of US Government projects. [Read more…]
Last week I was at a client’s house and through the course of my on-site work, I noticed a number of security red flags. As I discussed them with that client I found myself having a bit of déjà vu. You see, these same basic security issues pop up with many of my clients. Today, I want to ask you some basic questions about the computers you use. Don’t worry, I won’t be handing out grades for this quiz. I just want to get you thinking about how safe your computer system is. [Read more…]
The internet is a wealth of information, ripe for the taking. If you can find it, that is. With search engines like Google and Bing make finding the information pretty easily. But have you ever found yourself typing question after question into the Search box and coming up empty-handed? You try wording your search a bit differently each time, but you just can’t seem to crack the code! I have some tips that will help you master your searches and find what you are looking for in no time. With these tips, you can become a Google Ninja. This article will focus on Google’s search engine specifically. What can you do to maximize your chances of finding the information you need quickly and painlessly?
Use Quotation Marks to Find Exact Phases
Placing quotation marks around a search phrase will yield results for only those words in that exact order. This is helpful when searching for multiple word phrases. For example, if you searched for Cute Cat Video you would get results for pages that have all three of those words on them, even though they aren’t in that order and could be completely unrelated to what you want. If you search for “Cute Cat Video” instead, you force Google to only search for the words in that order and you can enjoy your cat videos.
Use a minus sign to exclude a word
Let’s say you want to search for Mustangs. You head to google and type in Mustangs AND you get nothing but car results, but you wanted horses. There are a few ways you can further refine your search. You could add a word to your search and try Mustang Horse but then you end up with results for cars and how much horsepower they have. So instead we can take a term out and search for Mustang -cars. Now Google will search for Mustangs and remove and results that also have the word car in them.
Use an Asterisk as a Wild Card or Fill in the Blank
This can be useful when you don’t know one or two words of the phrase you want to search for. For example, if you know some of the words to a song, but aren’t sure of a few words, you can use an asterisk in place of the words you don’t know. It’s a * big * tomorrow should you bring up results for a certain Disney classic.
Search Only a specific site
If you know that the results you are looking for are on a specific website, you can force Google to only search that site. As an example, you can find all the times virus is mentioned on this site by googling for Virus site: and find all my tips and warnings about viruses. This can apply to any site and makes it easy to find things on sites that don’t have a good search function built in.
Use Google like a Dictionary
You can use Google to quickly find definitions of words. You can learn more information about a word by clicking the arrow under the definition. Try this search term out: define:gruel
Google can do math
You can type in a mathematical equation and Google will solve it for you.
There are many search engines out there. Bing and Yahoo are somewhat popular, but Google is easily the most popular. I’ve tried to use Bing a number of times. Every time I try it, I find myself going through page after page of search results. When I type in the EXACT SAME search terms on Google I find the results I want on the first or second page. Google just seems to find what I need. That’s why I always recommend using Google over other search engines. Often times your Web Browser will default to using Bing or Yahoo. If you need help setting Google as your default search engine so you can take advantage of these tips, I can help you. Contact Y-Not Tech Services today.
Google has programmed a number of fun easter eggs into its search engine. Try searching for do a barrel roll and see what happens. Or use Google Voice Search on your smartphone and tell it Make me a sandwich or try can you sing? These are just a few fun things you can find. Leave any more you find in the comments.
If you want to learn more about Technology Contact Us to set up an appointment for private lessons.
Farming has become increasingly reliant on computer systems, just like the rest of the world’s industries.
Recently I heard a few horror stories from technicians I talk with in the US about the devastation caused to farms when their systems went down. With this in mind, I want to offer my services to all the farms in the Lethbridge, AB area and beyond using remote support.
Your computer probably has field maps, accounting data, business files, inventory reports and so much more on it! What happens if you get hit with Ransomware like Wannacry? What happens if a destructive virus gets into your system and deletes all your files? I want to work for you to keep your business safe!
Computer protection and data backups are of the utmost importance and you probably don’t have time to deal with that yourself! That’s where I come in.
If you are serious about keeping your computer systems running smoothly, I recommend Y-Not Tech Service’s Platinum Plan. Here’s what you get:
My on-site rate is currently $50/hour so the 2 hours of labour the Platinum Plan includes would run you $100! This deal is incredible and won’t be around for long. It’s so good that I am currently limiting it to 10 active subscribers to ensure I can fit them all in. This price won’t last act fast. You can save even more by paying annually for just $700 instead of monthly payments. For more information about our Managed Services click here.
Y-Not Tech Services can also help solve your technology problems even if you choose not to take advantage of our Managed Services. Visit our Services and Pricing page for more information!
Contact Y-Not Tech Services to set up an appointment today!
I’m writing this morning to let all my clients, friends, family and followers know about a new source of Malware. A popular clean-up utility called CCleaner has been found to contain a Malware called Floxif. This comes shortly after Avast bought the company that makes CCleaner – Piriform. It is Y-Not Tech Services’ opinion that CCleaner and all other Avast products should be avoided. This particular threat has been found, contained and cleaned up, but I no longer have confidence in CCleaner or the security processes at Avast that should keep their products safe. Avast is a computer software company that specializes in antivirus programs. So the fact that a piece of malicious software made it through their security and into a popular software is surprising. Although, not THAT surprising if you pay close attention. In an article I wrote in May of this year I called out Avast for missing 6 malware pieces that were active on my PC and that Emsisoft picked up and removed as soon as I upgraded to it. The Malware in CCleaner was Digitally Signed as safe and trusted.
I recommend un-installing CCleaner immediately. I used to use CCleaner all the time. When Avast bought them, I slowed down on my use since I was already leary about Avast product based on my experience with their Anti-Virus program. Now, I will be actively avoiding all Avast products including CCleaner. It’s unfortunate because it was a great program previously, but I can’t have the risk of it installing Malware on my or my client’s systems.
If you use Y-Not Tech Services Gold Plan and had CCleaner installed, you will automatically have been updated to a version without the Malware and your System will be safe. If you don’t have our Gold Plan, I recommend bringing your system in for a full Virus Scan to check for traces of the malware. To learn more about our Managed Services or to sign up to stay safe in the future Click Here.
If you are currently using Avast Anti-Virus or any other free anti-virus program including Windows Defender, I recommend upgrading to Emsisoft. Y-Not Tech Services offers a free 30 day Trial of Emsisoft and can Install and Configure the software for free when you buy it. Emsisoft is also included in our Silver, Gold or Platinum Plans. The plans are a great way to stay protected because they have us monitoring and making sure that your security program is updating and scanning regularly! We also review all malware that is found on your system and the Gold and Platinum Plans even include FREE virus removal if something gets past our security.
If you used CCleaner and are looking for something to replace it with we recommend checking out BleachBit. Y-Not Tech Services hasn’t fully reviewed BleachBit yet, but plan to in the near future and it’s currently the winner for our replacement needs of CCleaner.
It’s unfortunate that CCleaner has been compromised, but as I mentioned I stopped using them when Avast bought them up. Too many times I have seen great software ruined when other companies buy them. The vision and drive seems to get lost in larger companies.
If you have questions or concerns, please book an appointment:
So many of my clients think that because they have antivirus protection, that they are protected against spyware. This is so far from the case I can’t even tell you about the horror stories I have seen in the past few months. [Read more…]
