Cybercrime is not the most costly of illegal activities. That dubious distinction goes to government corruption, followed by drug trafficking. Cybercrime comes in third. Yet cybercrime does take the top spot when it comes to number of victims. A managed services provider can help. [Read more…]
They don’t always get credit, but climbers reaching the summit of Mount Everest rely on a Sherpa to guide them. Making information technology decisions can feel like climbing a mountain, but there’s help for that, too. A managed services provider (MSP) can be your technology Sherpa.
With so many of us working off-site right now, digital transformation has moved from “wouldn’t it be nice?” to “we need to be there now.” Technology is as essential to business success as oxygen is to those scaling Everest. Going digital can be daunting, especially when under pressure to get your business back on track. Where does one even begin? [Read more…]
Take IT off Your Plate with an MSP PartnershipLet’s be realistic. You don’t care about information technology (IT). Or, you do, but only so far as it supports you getting the things you care about done. You’d rather not think about IT at all. Many businesses are that way. That’s fine with us. We care enough about IT for all our clients. [Read more…]
Every time employees send or receive data online they need bandwidth. Like time and money, bandwidth is a scarce resource in many offices. After all, computers and digital devices rely on bandwidth to complete tasks online. [Read more…]
A malware infection on your computer is never fun. Lost time, repair costs, data loss, and frustration can all result from a single piece of malware or a virus on your computer. Y-Not Tech Services wants to help you avoid this problem with four tips to keep malware and viruses off your system. [Read more…]
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 of concerns, please contact Y-Not Tech Services.
Tony Whitney
Lethbridge, AB
403-915-8574
I was evaluating my Managed Plans the other day and realized that no one had signed up for the Silver Plan which has Application Patching, Windows updates, and Remote Monitoring, but doesn’t include Managed Antivirus. It occurred to me that this wasn’t really good value for the security-conscious client. So I am changing my Silver Plan to provide more value!
Instead of the Monitoring and Patching, Y-Not Tech Services’ Silver Plan will now include Managed Antivirus/Antimalware. The price will remain at $14/month. This provides a lower cost to get into antivirus which is the best value protection for your PC. Monitoring/Patching can be added by choosing the Gold Plan.
Here’s an overview of our Plans:
Free
-Quick and Easy Contact Form
-Health Warning Pop Up Alerts
-10% off Tech Services
$14/month
-Quick and Easy Contact Form
-Health Warning Pop Up Alerts
-Add-On Monitoring
-25% off Tech Services
ADDITIONAL ANTI-MALWARE PROTECTION
–Anti-Malware Software
-Unlimited Malware Removals
$19/Month
-Quick and Easy Contact Form
-Health Warning Pop Up Alerts
-Add-On Monitoring
-25% off Tech Services
ADDITIONAL ANTI-MALWARE PROTECTION
–Anti-Malware Software
-Unlimited Malware Removals
ADDITIONAL MONITORING:
-Anti-Virus Health
-Windows Crash
-Low Hard Drive Space
-Application Crashing
-Hardware Health
-Hard Drive Fragmentation
-Hard Drive Health
-Firewall Health
-Application Patching
-Windows Updates
It is our hopes that this change will provide extra value to our clients, and make it simpler for new clients to get into a managed Antivirus so that they never need to worry about when their subscription ends, whether the antivirus is updating or what infections are being stopped – we deal with it all, while you simply enjoy your PC.
If you are on the Gold Plan, you can expect to be contacted to see if switching the Silver Plan is a good option for you. For the next week or so, some of the graphics and information throughout the site will still reflect the old Plans, but I will be updating those as I have time. Don’t forget – The Gold Plan is still the best overall protection for your PC. Contact Y-Not Tech Services to sign up today!
Tony Whitney
403-915-8574