Five Ways To Protect Your PC

This month’s article discusses five ways you can protect your computer from virus or spyware attack and recover in the event that damage occurs. A significant portion of machines that land on my desk for repair suffer from some form of virus or spyware infection. In many cases the owner is unaware of the infection but notices that their machine is slower and behaves abnormally. The authors of Virus and spyware programs are no amateurs when it comes to concealing their activities and will not reveal themselves until they are firmly rooted on your computer. Increasingly the objective is to steal your money in whatever way they can.


Backup Your PC Frequently
There is really no excuse for not securing you information these days. Backup devices are relatively cheap and easily available. I’ve written a series of articles on backing up which you can find on my blog at http://reidyonline.blogspot.com/ Take the time to read them and backup your data.

Generate Your Recovery Media
Most modern computers come with a recovery system which will generate system recovery DVD’s. These DVD’s are invaluable when it comes to restoring the system to a working state after a serious system failure. You will need at most three blank writeable DVD’s and a five pack of blank dvd’s will run you around 6-10 euro. These are available locally at ALDI, LIDL and Tesco. Take the time to generate these dvd’s and keep them safe.

Install A Proved Anti-Virus System
This is the most obvious but least observed step to protecting your pc. Choosing an anti-virus program requires professional advice. I stress the word professional as too often people rely on hearsay and the recommendations of those they deem to have computer expertise. Free versions of anti-virus programs, while better than nothing, are not a solution to virus defence and do not provide full protection from virus attacks.

Avoid Illegal Websites
Teenagers love music and video and will download it from wherever source they can. These can include illegal music sites on the internet. Many contain viruses and spyware and accessing or downloading from them can result in your computer becoming virus or spyware infected.

Exercise Caution When Browsing
We have come to rely on the internet as the source for information but you need to exercise caution when browsing. Virus authors target certain types of sites which include holiday sites, free software sites, and as previously mentioned music sites. I’ve even seen them infect children’s story sites so you must be careful when browsing.

Apples New IPAD - Review

This month I am passing on my review of the Apple IPAD which will shortly be available for sale in Ireland. I had the opportunity to get hands on and close up to an ipad recently when an American visitor very kindly let me look at his Ipad while visiting Ireland. At the bottom of this post you will find links to see online demos and reviews of the device.

Overview
Many of you will have seen or heard of the iphone and while this particular phone has not become popular in Ireland it is very popular in the U.S. and Europe. The IPAD, while not a phone expands on the capabilities of the iphone to give you a device which is capable of fulfilling many of the computing requirements of the average computer user. I’m not an Apple advocate but in this case I have to say I love this device and its ease of use. The IPAD is not a replacement for those of you who are heavy computer users and ideally this device should be coupled with a desktop or laptop machine. What it can do, it does extremely well and indeed some of the features are truly amazing and revolutionary.
Hands on
The ipad measures about the size of an a4 notepad and weights in at around 1.5 pounds. The core of the device is its touch sensitive screen which is a joy to use. Browsing the web is a breeze and when you need a keyboard you can bring up an onscreen keyboard to enter text. The device boots and shuts down quickly and easily and the screen can be flipped and the display will automatically adjust the page. The resolution is excellent and viewing your photos will be a pleasure on this device. Pricing has yet to be announced for Ireland but I expect it will be this more so that the actual device which will prevent the device becoming commonplace. At least one company will ship the base device from the UK but it will cost you $655.95 which is not cheap.
The Cons
The Ipad is not a full computer per se in the traditional sense as it lacks both a cd/dvd drive and usb ports. Thus the only way to get information on or off the device is via the apple connector or Apples istore. If you are looking to download or store large quantities of data or for that matter write your thesis this is not the device for you. On the other hand if you are looking for a lightweight touch screen internet enabled device you should take a look at the IPad.

Links
Apple's own demo ->http://www.apple.com/ipad/
Engadget Comprehensive Review - > http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/03/apple-ipad-review/
YouTube Features Review - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFbhzlTnoL0&feature=related

Backing Up Your Data – Part 3

June's Article dealt with the backup devices available to you. If you missed the article you can read it and all back articles online at here.
I've been remiss in posting the online versions of these articles but should be caught up shortly.
Backup Devices
As recommended in my previous article the ideal solution for backup is an external hard disk and if possible a NAS version. This is only part of the solution as the most common problem I come across is that people fail to use the drive correctly or worse still put the backup process on the long finger. Even more startling is the amount of computer owners who never bother to backup.
Here are the three simple rules for choosing an external backup drive.
Rule #1. Choose a drive that has sufficient capacity to backup your entire system easily. Thus if you have a 100 gigabyte hard disk you should purchase a drive with a minimum capacity of 250 gigabytes.
Rule #2. Choose a quality brand. There is little point purchasing a cheap device that may fail when you need it most. Don’t skimp on your backup!
Rule #3. Install the drive and backup! Seems obvious but I know from experience that people simply do not backup their data. Set aside an hour, turn off your mobile, turn off the tv, make yourself a cup of tea and backup your drive.
Backup Software
Depending on the operating system you are using your pc may or may not come with backup software installed. You can use either the built-in software or use the software that came with your external drive. If you are unsure seek professional advice in setting up and using your backup device.
Backup And Recovery Strategy
You should maintain several backups of your information on your external drive. I recommend at a minimum you backup once a month and maintain at least three months of backups. Once you have backed up your data have a competent technician check that your backups are valid and that you are indeed backing up all of your data. If you use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express you need to ensure that the mail files are included in the backup process.
Common Mistake With Backup Drives
There is one caveat with regard to using any external hard drive and this relates to how you use the drive. Do not use your external backup drive to store ANY information other than your backup files. The reason for this is simple. Any information stored on your external drive is never backed up and when it fails you will lose whatever was stored on there.

Indentifying And Backing Up Your Data - Part 2

Last Months Article dealt with how to locate your data and identify how much space you are consuming on your hard disk. This month I will concentrate on the backup devices available to you.
Backup Devices
Back in the early days of computers backing up was simple and in general people rigidly stuck to backing up their valuable data to good old floppy disks. With the progression in technology many people have developed a false sense of security in computers and in particular hard drives. The truth is unless you backup your information you will be stung at some point when your computer fails. In today’s world of technology gizmos there is really no excuse for not backing up your data. Almost every electronic gizmo on the market now has the ability to store data. These include Ipods, mp3 players, usb memory keys, camera memory, handheld video players and even your phone. In addition you have the traditional cd/dvd drives on your computer and lastly, but most importantly, external hard drives.
Which Backup Device?
Your backup device is critical and thus I do not recommend any portable device as your primary backup. Storing information on usb keys and other portable devices is fine for transporting data but is not a good strategy as a backup solution. The problem with this strategy is that it is very likely at some point the device will be stolen lost or damaged. Murphy ’s Law applies here and you can be guaranteed it will go missing when you most need it. Thus I recommend that you invest in an external hard drive to backup your data.
External Hard Drives
Apart from the actual capacity of the drive the main differences between external hard drives is how you connect your computer to the devices. My preference, if your budget permits, is to purchase a (N)etwork (A)ttached (S)torage device ,commonly referred to as NAS drives. A Nas drive connects to your broadband modem and thus is available to all computers in your home and is independent of any single machine.
NAS technology offer the following additional advantages over directly connected hard drives
1. Available at all times even if your computer is off.
2. automatic backup of your computer to the device (some models)
3. Can be used by multiple computers at the same time.
4. Can be accessed from a remote location.(some models)
5. Ability to expand the storage without replacing or opening the drive.(some models)
6. Early warning of disk failure or other technical problems (some models)

Next months article will expand further on this topic

Indentifying And Backing Up Your Data

Backing Up Your Data
This month’s article deals with the very important function of backing up your personal files from a Microsoft Windows computer. I will deal with this topic in more detail over the coming months but this month I will concentrate on how you can identify how much space you are consuming on your computer.

Data Locations
Most, but not all, of your personal files are stored under the My Documents folder. The folder My Documents is actually an alias for the true location on your hard disk. The actual location of my documents is Documents and settings\user name\ (where user name is your login name). Each user on a pc has a separate area where their personal files are stored.
To find out how much space your data is consuming on your system proceed as follows:
1. Click Once on My Documents
2. Right Click and Select Properties
3. Click on the General Tab and the computer will calculate the space used by your personal files.
The figures shown, once the computer has stopped counting, is the amount of space your backup device must have available to be able to create an effective backup of your data. This is only your personal information and if you intend to fully secure your pc you will need a device with a much bigger capacity. Some programs do not store information in the My Documents Folder so don’t assume by backing up this folder all your data is secure. My Documents contains all the files associated with your login name and usually contains a huge amount of internet files which do not need to be backed up.

Total Space Used On your Hard Disk
To see how much space is being used by all the users, the operating system and programs on your pc proceed as follows:
1. Double Click My Computer
2. Click on your hard disk (usually identified as Local Disk C: drive
3. Right Click and Select Properties. The computer will show you a graph of your disk together with Used and Free space numbers.
If your hard drive is almost full this usually spells trouble down the line. This is because a nearly full hard disk causes your computer and your hard disk to work extremely hard to provide services to you. This will inevitably lead to failure of the computer or the drive unless the problem is resolved.
Bottom line don’t stuff your hard drive to the top and seek professional help if your disk is overloaded. Next month’s article will continue with more information on backing up your data.

Virus Hoaxers Want Your Money

This month I will concentrate on some of the virus hoaxers currently circulating on the internet and how to identify them. This has become an increasing problem and recently I have come across several people who handed over their hard earned money to these scam artists. Worse still it is likely if you do this your credit card or bank will not reimburse you the transaction and you will be at a total loss of the money.

Virus Hoaxers
The two primary hoaxers of late are “internet Security 2010” and “Anti-virus Live!”. Both of these hoaxers use a stealth method to infect your computer and once installed will start displaying messages that your system is severely infected with viruses and Trojans. The pc becomes unusable as no matter what program you try to run you are told it is infected. You are then offered an option to pay for the full version of the product – Don’t!

Removing The Infection
The bad news here is that unless you have the correct skill and know how to track the infection down it is highly unlikely you will be unable to get these programs off your computer. The infection roots itself at the core of your operating system. Wiping the computer and starting over works but many people have neither the skill nor the original setup cd so this is not an option. My recommendation is to shutdown your computer and get it cleaned professionally. Professionally means your next door neighbour or your nephew studying computer science are not candidates for the job. Neither, by the way, are the cowboy computer repair operators who have sprung up of late. I am eternally grateful for the work I receive as a result of their unskilled attempts to fix computer systems.

Hoax Defence And Recovery
I recommend a five stage security approach to defence and recovery of your computer consisting of : restricting access to your computer, a solid backup strategy, proven and reliable anti-virus software , a safe browser and careful browsing practices.
Restricting Access To Your Computer
Anyone who uses your computer has the ability to infect it with spyware and viruses and this is often the case with machines I see on the bench. Here are a couple of easy steps to reduce the risk of infection by people using your machine.

• Don’t allow anyone to use your computer but yourself and this includes allowing them to give you movies or music they have.

• If you must allow someone to use the machine activate the guest account and let them use this account only. This is not 100% foolproof against infection but it does reduce the chances somewhat

• Do not have multiple users on the computer. It is not uncommon for me to see five and six users on the same machine. Multiple users are a bad idea - don’t do it.

Internet Security Do’s And Don’ts - Part 2

This month I am continuing with my series of articles dealing with threats posed by internet pirates to you and your finances. If you missed the previous articles you can read the expanded full versions online on my blog at http://blogspot.reidyonline.com
Basic Safeguards
Protecting your computer from Internet security threats is a serious business and is something neither you nor any other amateur computer tech should dabble with. Failure to properly protect your pc will result in: at best in your computer becoming spyware infected and at worst will lead to serious financial loss to you due to credit card or other frauds.
Recognizing the Signs Of Infection
There are a myriad of symptoms associated with virus or spyware infection but the following are the most common signs your computer has become infected.
Symptom: You Receive Virus or Spyware warnings from newly installed software downloaded from the internet which offers to clean your system if your purchase the software.
Symptom: Gambling or Adult content pop ups appearing on your screen every time you launch your internet browser.
Symptom: Your computer is very slow starting and crawls on the internet. The machine hangs and crashes.
Symptom: Your friends notify you that they are receiving unexplained email messages from your email address
Recommended Action: In all cases the longer your leave your computer turned on and connected to the internet the worse the infection will become. Immediately shutdown your computer, disconnect from the internet and seek professional assistance.
Common Mistakes With Internet Security
The three most common mistakes I come across with regard to security are:
Mistake No 1. Relying On Free Anti-Virus Software Products To Protect Your Computer.
There is no “free lunch” when it comes to anti-virus software and I am always amazed that people will risk losing a substantial amount of money just to save a relatively small amount of money. Free products do not include the most important features of full anti-virus products and will allow infections into your computer. Even with purchased anti-virus software you must still be careful about how and where you browse the internet. Relying on free products to protect your computer will end only in your tears.
Mistake No 2. Relying on unqualified personnel to both recommend and install security on your computer including anti-virus software.
We all love a bargain but protection of your computer is an area where you can’t afford to install the cheapest product. You must take your internet security seriously or you “will be taken to the cleaners”. Don’t install products without the recommendation of a professional and if at all possible ensure you have a professional recommend and install security on your system.
Mistake No 3.Ignoring warning signs including unexplained loss of internet connections and or unexplained programs appearing on your system.
In the initial stages of a virus or spyware attack you will usually notice changes in both the way your computer performs and or a change in the programs that suddenly start appearing on your computer. Watch for anti-virus programs which you neither downloaded nor installed suddenly popping up and warning you of multiple virus infections. If you lose internet connectivity and your provider assures you that your connection is fine this is another sign of virus/spyware infection. If your machine suddenly becomes very slow this is yet another sign that a virus has gotten control of your computer.