If you don't take the time to read this post (which you should!) then let me give you the "TL;DR" version: DON'T LET ANYONE IN YOUR COMPUTER THAT YOU DON'T KNOW AND FULLY TRUST. The scammers will tell you "It's ok, no problem, don't worry" and somehow, beyond my comprehension, people accept that and allow the person access to their computer.

Dang it, I got busted! The department of Police are reaching out to me... via Email. 

Security, Privacy and Performance!

Secure Browser, VPN, Password Manager, Encrypted Backup

Shaun from Blackwood Investment, a longtime client of ours needed some help with his touchpad not working. While resolving that issue we took some time to talk about improving his already good security practices.

Friendly reminder to backup! There are only a couple things that we are sticklers about. Having a good Anti-Virus, and backing up.

With those 2 things in place, whatever issues may arise, you'll ultimately be fine. This includes BACKING UP YOUR CELL PHONE! In fact this is even MORE important than your computer. 

January 14, 2020 is the final day! Windows 7 will be retired after a decade of service.

What does this mean for those still using Windows 7? Will your computer suddenly stop working? Is the world going to come crashing down? Here’s the answer: Nothing. Your computer will work just fine on January 15^th, 2020. In fact you can still expect to get good use out of it for another 6 months to 2 years.

5G vs 5G – explaining the poor naming

Cell Phone providers are rushing to deliver the new “5G” Network. This of course is the next evolution after “4G” which most of our cell phones and devices run on these days. However many of us already have something that is “5G”, our modern routers! The catch? They are two entirely different things, both with the name “5G”

Please read, many people are not doing this (even though they think they are).

Comcast is the only provider that provides Norton to its users free. Norton used to have a number of issues pre-2009, but after they scrapped their software and started from scratch it's become our preferred anti-virus software. You can get this from Comcast's website, but it usually includes a bunch of extra software (such as Constant Guard) that we are not a fan of.

However we've got a link that will take you to Comcast's Norton download without Constant Guard or any junkware.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is a method to secure your login's on various sites even if someone is able to obtain your password.

Why should you use 2FA Apps? See the video below (Update: now recommend Authy - below shows setup for Google Authenticator. Authy setup is very similar but has more features and backing up options).

Some of the most common calls we get involve scams. Sometimes the scammers are successful; sometimes our clients call us before they get taken advantage of. We've covered them before in our tech-tips, but this will be a good refresher. We will try to be brief, but at the same time include relevant information.