Be Wary of Scammers Posing as Tech Support

Phishing attacks aren’t just limited to fraudulent emails. We’ve recently heard reports of scammers calling people on the phone, claiming to be from Microsoft or the local cable company, and telling potential victims that their computer contains a virus, or that their PC is a risk to all the users in the area and needs to be cleansed or shut down.

If the victim takes the bait, he or she is directed to a fraudulent website and told to enter a code. With that, the scammer gains total control over the victim’s computer. In addition to deleting files or installing malicious software, the scammer can read the victim’s personal files or configure the computer to store and distribute stolen software, adult material, or illegal content.

In many cases, the scammer will attempt to coerce payment from the victim to remove the non-existent virus or even to merely relinquish control of the machine.

If you unwittingly become a victim of this scam, contact law enforcement and consider cancelling your credit card if you made a payment to the scammers. To protect yourself from falling victim, do not cooperate with people calling you out of the blue claiming to be from tech support, especially if you don’t have a contract with a tech support or managed service provider. If you do have such a contract, verify the identity of the caller, the name of the company, and their phone number. Legitimate support personnel (like a trusty CMIT technician) should be happy to provide such information.

Valuable Advice from Jerry Seinfeld

Most people have fallen behind a time or two and said “there just aren’t enough hours in a day.” Making the most of the mere 24 hours doesn’t always come easy to people. Staying focused can be difficult, especially when it comes to long-term goals that don’t demand urgent priority, like filling documents or even exercising for example.  

Brian Isaac, a blogger and software developer, received surprisingly valuable advice about time management from none other than comedy legend, Jerry Seinfeld. The advice that the creator of the hit show, Seinfeld, gave to Isaac can be used in almost every situation for all kinds of working people.

Years ago, when Seinfeld was a new show and Jerry still worked the comedy club circuit, Isaac was aspiring to be a sand-up comedian. One night, Isaac took advantage of his opportunity to ask Seinfeld for advice when he (Seinfeld) was headlining at a club. Isaac sought advice about how to succeed in stand-up comedy and, not surprisingly, Seinfeld replied by saying that Isaac should write new jokes every day. This advice stuck with Isaac because of what Seinfeld said about how the advice should be carried out. Isaac explained:

He (Seinfeld) told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker.

He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. "After a few days you'll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain."

“Don't break the chain,” he said again for emphasis.

This calendar phenomenon can work for any working person who wants to make the most of their time. Unlike their employees, business owners don’t have the “luxury” of a boss to keep then on target. Often times owners have to force themselves to stay motivated and make sure all their responsibilities are taken care of, particularly when their hard work doesn’t grant immediate benefits. These responsibilities can include making calls, networking, and staying organized; the only way to successfully carry them out is to keep up with them every day.

So, listen to Seinfeld. Find a wall calendar and start putting an X through each day that you complete your obligatory tasks.

Remember: don’t break the chain.

Plan for Disaster: Don't Lose Data

I read a great article the other day that stressed the importance of disaster-recovery planning. The article states an overwhelming percentage of small businesses that don't have response plans in case of backup failure. If that is the case, these businesses are vulnerable to data loss.

No one is immune to the consequences of natural disasters. I have always advocated the importance of off-site backups in addition to the on-site backups that most businesses have. If an incident occurs, like a flood for example, any business that solely relies on on-site backups could lose an enormous amount of data in a single second.

For more information, I highly recommend that you read the article by clicking here. Contact me with any questions.

Mobile Computing for Small Businesses

For some small business owners, spending time in the office is surprisingly becoming more of a luxury. With days spent out on sales calls, networking, running errands, or generally being “out-and-about,” owners often have limited time for staying on top of day-to-day operations.

Luckily, new advances in technology offer helpful methods for staying connected while on-the-go. A few years ago, mobile computing meant lugging a laptop around with you everywhere you went. Today, owners and employees can accomplish an extraordinary amount of tasks using a “thin client” and a cloud model for business computing.

A “thin client” is a device that is used primarily as a display and input device which is connected to a remote (or cloud) server, making storage capacity and processing power less significant. Examples of “thin clients” include netbooks, smart phones, ultra-light laptops, and tablets like the iPad.

Your business’s data and productivity applications, like Microsoft Office and QuickBooks, reside in the cloud. You can think of it like the old mainframe/terminal model, where data lived and heavy-duty processing occurred on the centrally located mainframe and workers interacted with the mainframe through terminals at their desks. In this case, the mainframe is the cloud and the terminals are the “thin clients.”

Now, your “terminal” goes wherever you go, and you can access the “mainframe” from anywhere you have an Internet connection!

The cloud and thin client model provides many advantages to small business owners. Imagine striking up a conversation with a potential new customer at a store and being able to pull up a presentation on ROI using your Smart phone. Or imagine nurses in a medical practice having to ability to access diagnostic documentation and patient records from a lightweight tablet instead of a bulky laptop (not to mention the ability to update the records in real-time).

The best thing about this model is that you don’t need a Fortune 500-sized IT budget to take advantage of this amazing technology.

Why Should you Adopt Digital Signatures?

Many businesses have not adopted the Digital Signature service, even though Digital Signatures have been legally binding since 2000. The main reason businesses have been slow to catch on is because they are unaware of the value the service can offer. Here are 5 of the benefits that implementing digital signatures can add to your business:

• Lower costs – You will not only save on paper, toner and shipping costs, but you will also save on indirect costs, like rekeying of data, and time saved in waiting for documents to return, among others.
• Accelerate business – Because digital signatures are easy, they promote a faster turnaround time on contracts. This means you get paid more quickly as well.
• Improve customer service – Digital Signatures offer a quick and convenient way for customers to sign, which leads to happier customers. Happy customers are more likely to send referrals!
• Track signatures – Digital signature services notify users when documents have been viewed and signed so you always know the status of documents sent for signature.
• Increase efficiency – You won’t waste time printing, copying, faxing or hunting down documents for signatures. Everyone in your office will save time using digital signatures.

If you want to know more about eSignatures from eFileCabinet click here.

Take Advantage of Outlook's "Message Recall" Feature

Everyone has experienced a moment when they wish you can un-send a message with a typo, wrong or left out information, or an accidently sent draft.

Microsoft Outlook has a feature called “Message Recall” that is built-in for such mistakes, but not many users are aware of it. If you’ve sent something in error, you can go to your Sent Items folder in the left-hand navigation pane. Open the message you wish to recall, then go to the Action drop menu and select Recall this Message.



You will then be given an option to delete the sent message or replace it with a new message.



The Windows version of Outlook is the only one that contains this feature. Unfortunately, Mac users are out of luck.

However, the Message Recall feature has some limitations.

First, both the sender and the recipient of the message must be using Microsoft Exchange as an email server. It won’t work with Gmail, Yahoo, or any POP3-based email.

Second, the message cannot be recalled is the recipient has already read the message.

Third (and this is very important to keep in mind), the recipient still has the option to read the original message. You can’t magically erase that nasty email you sent to your superior in a fit of frustration because you’re having second thoughts. Your boss’s inbox will contain a message from the Exchange server telling them that a message sent from you has been recalled. Your boss might ignore it, but s/he may read it if s/he so chooses.

Another tip: to avoid accidentally sending an email prematurely, leave the “To:” field blank until you’ve finished writing the message.

ALERT: Beware of Phone Phishing Scams

There have been recent phishing incidences occurring over the phone from an overseas firm by people claiming to be technicians. It is important that you know what to listen for so that these “technicians” don’t take advantage of you. Recent victims have been called at home and told that their computers are spreading viruses throughout their neighborhoods. While some people know not to trust these callers, unfortunately, others have believed their claims and allowed these scammers to remote into their computers. These “technicians” have the capability to do major damage on your computer.

Some callers have succeeded in their phishing attempts by claiming to work for Microsoft. Always keep in mind that Microsoft will never call you unless you ask them to do so and intentionally give them your contact information. Other scammers claim that they represent the town or local government and successfully convince the callers to let them remote into their computers.

What should you do if a “technician” calls with a convincing story about a virus?

1.   Don’t get nervous. If you haven’t noticed any problems on your machine and you have regular virus scans, you don’t have to worry.

2.   Don’t believe them. Know who you can trust. If for some reason their claims make you question a potential virus, don’t give them any information no mater what. Call us with the questions you have.

3.   Hang up. Always hang up and make sure everyone in your house knows to do the same. A lot of people can be gullible when it comes to computer scams, especially if they're not tech savvy.

We've been told stories about numerous attacks and we can’t believe how bad computer scams have become and how bold the scammers are. They recently convinced our client's father to pay over $300 with his credit card and then planted a tracking virus on his machine. Because phone attacks like this are becoming increasingly common, everyone should be aware of the potential damage that these callers are capable of if they're given the opportunity. They use scare tactics to take advantage of people, and if victims aren’t aware that their claims are bogus, they are in serious trouble.

Reminder: Even though phone scams are becoming popular, you MUST remember that email scams are STILL being sent out on a regular basis. Never give out personal information via email. If you do, you can expect to be continuously harassed via email, postal mail, and over the phone. To avoid viruses, always think before you click, and note: Bill Gates is NOT giving away money for forwarding emails, and no one is really giving away free Sony laptops or iPads.

Clean your Computer Regularly to Maximize its Lifespan

Cleaning your computer, monitor, and accessories makes them look nice and helps them last longer. Clogged fans and vents restrain the flow of air that is needed to keep your hardware in its thermal “happy place.” Too much heat can harm hardware components, so it is essential that fans are kept clean. Plus, the harder fans have to work to move air, the more noise they tend to make. Here are some tips to keep your system quiet, clean, and cool.

DO NOT USE A VACUUM CLEANER! Have you ever noticed how static-y the extension hose on your vacuum cleaner gets after you use it? Static electricity and electrical components do not mix. No matter how tempting it may be to vacuum the dust off of a clogged vent, resist! Keep reading for the proper method.

Keep the area around your computer clean. The dust that settles into the carpet or onto the floor around your machine tends to get sucked in by cooling fans. Keep the surface where your computer sits as dust-free as possible. Ideally, don’t keep your machine on the floor at all. Set it up on top of your desk or on another piece of furniture to keep it above any dust bunnies on the ground.

Dust the exterior of your hardware. Use a soft, lint-free cloth. Don’t use a feather duster or liquid cleaning sprays. Fibers from the feathers could end up inside your machine, and liquids should never be near electrical equipment!

Don’t neglect the interiors. Make sure you have a can or two of compressed air, which you can get from your local office supply store. If you have a desktop system, look over the user manual for instructions about how to remove the side panel. Once it’s off, take your computer outside and use the can of compressed air to blast away dust or other gunk from the interior compartment. Occasionally touch the power supply, or other metal parts of the chassis, with your fingers to prevent any buildup of static electricity.

If this is the first time you’ve opened the box, chances are you’ll be shocked by the amount of debris in there. Air cans are perfect for this task because they allow you to clean the interior components without having to touch them. You should do this about every six months. Laptops are trickier to clean, so if you aren’t comfortable opening up the case, take it to a technician for cleaning.

Compressed air is also great for cleaning a keyboard. Invert the keyboard and spray a few bursts of air into the keys at an angle.

Choose the right cleaning product for the right screen. Unfortunately, an all-purpose cleaning product that works on all types of displays and monitors doesn’t exist. CRTs require different needs than flat-panels, and matte screens require different needs than glossy screens. Look at the product manual or the manufacturer’s website for information about which type of cleaner your screen needs.

Don’t forget about your router. Just about all of the tips on this list will benefit your router as well. Don’t overlook your router when you’re cleaning your computer. Your router’s operational lifespan will be maximized if you make sure it remains dust-free and has unobstructed airflow.