At last count, Facebook has clocked up over 2.7 billion users, which makes the platform more attractive than ever for scammers and hackers. While you may be logging in to share your latest family photos or catch up with friends, the chances of accidentally triggering a scam or malware are increasing daily. Here’s how to stay safe on Facebook and stop the spread. [Read more…]
Last week, I published part 1 of this 2 part series on Avoiding Scams and Fraud. If you miss it, you can read it by clicking here. This week we continue with more scams and fraud tricks to watch out for and tips to keep you and your loved ones safe. Let’s jump right in: [Read more…]
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…]
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.
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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…]
Many of my clients will call and say “I defragged, but it isn’t faster”…
Defragmenting a computer or “defragging” will seldom make a noticeable difference in the speed of your computer. It’s still a good idea to regularly defrag your hard drive. In fact, most recent operating systems are set up to do this automatically. (Special note: If you computer is equipped with a Solid State Drive you should not run defrag on it) But in these days, a computer running slow can be from many other issues. [Read more…]
“Should I get my computer fixed or just buy a new one?”
This is a common question. And it’s a hard one to answer because there are so many factors involved. The question can really only be answered on a case by case basis. However, I’ll outline the factors I take into consideration when making a recommendation to my clients. [Read more…]
