What exactly is Adware »

To continue our journey into the land of annoying pop-ups and information stealing software, let’s talk about Adware.

Adware is in the same group as spyware (privacy-invasive software) in that Adware may be used to allow Spyware into your PC. If the program you are using has Adware built-in, it may display or download advertisements to your PC at any time. (Ever had pop-ups out of nowhere? Even while not on the internet? That’s one example of Adware) Most software developers may use this as a means to offer free software or software at a reduced cost (since they are being paid by whomever they are advertising for). Though as I stated above these adware programs basically leave the door open for spyware programs.

To keep your PC ad free, I recommend running a program called Ad-Aware on your PC(s) at least once per month. This will scout out those nasty Adware registry files and program files. It also deletes them for you, how great is that!

Check out part 1 of What exactly are Spyware, Adware, Malware, and Viruses to find out more information on Spyware.

The Importance of Data Backups »

These days almost any business large or small has some type of important electronic data that they rely on. Whether it be email, financial, or basic documentation this data can be crucial to keeping your business running smoothly and efficiently. However, a simple PC crash can cause many hours of hard work to be lost instantly. Even worse, having some sort of natural disaster, be it a hurricane, flooding, fire, etc… can cause you to lose thousands of dollars in data loss. Hardware can be covered and replaced by your insurance company, data on the other hand, once lost, is gone forever (or at least until someone goes through the lucrative task of trying to rebuild years of data in a few weeks.) Here are two simple words that could be your saving grace from any of these horrible events: Disaster Recovery

Having a Disaster Recovery plan in place will give you the peace of mind to concentrate on the other areas of your business instead of having to worry about data loss. Crystal Coast Technologies offers a Disaster Recovery plan that will fit your business needs through something called Online Backups. These online backups will back up your important data off-site and have it available to be restored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Before your data is sent off-site, it will be encrypted and completely secured so that your data stays completely safe. With Crystal Coast Technologies your data is going to be safe and there for you when you need it.

Click here to learn more about our Online Backup Solutions.

Top 10 Security Tips For Your Small Business »

The funny thing about computer security these days is the general idea that it costs an arm and a leg to secure your business’s data. While it is possible to spend plenty of cash on a fully secured and encrypted data center, budgets tend to get in the way. Over the next few weeks we will show you how most of the threats to your network can be eliminated by a little bit of common sense and by following 10 simple (and mostly free) tips. Let’s kick it off with the following 3 tips:

10. Secure your wireless network

Wireless networking is a wonderful tool for any small business. Let’s face it, nobody likes cables. Though, if you haven’t secured your wireless network, anyone in close proximity may have access to all of your data. If you’ve noticed a strange car parked outside for the past few days, it is probably time you got that network secured.

9. Make sure your firewall is activated

Most of your internet routers will have a firewall built-in. If you are not sure if you have a firewall, check the router’s user guide or give us a call and we can help you out. A firewall is a pretty efficient tool for blocking intruders from coming into your network.

8. Encrypt the data on your laptop

Losing a laptop with important information on it can be a daunting thought. Encrypting the data on your laptop can be extremely helpful in both keeping your data safe as well as giving you a peace of mind. Click here for a full step-by-step on how to encrypt your important data.

Stay tuned for the next 7 tips that won’t break the bank!

What exactly are Spyware, Adware, Malware, and Viruses? »

What exactly are people talking about when they throw out terms such as “Spyware”, “Adware”, “Malware”, and “Virus”? Most of the time requesting information on one of these items will get you the famed response “Umm, it’s something that’s bad and can get into your computer and steal your files.” Well, that doesn’t help much in finding out the source of each of these “malicious” threats. Over the next few newsletters let’s take a closer look at each of these and get a better understanding of how they work.

Spyware

Let’s start off by looking into Spyware. If you’re a computer user and have internet access, I’m sure you have come across this word more than once, but what exactly is it, what does it do, and why?

Spyware is associated with software that displays advertisements on your PC. It also tracks your personal and sensitive information such as name, address, credit card information, etc… Basically, spying on your internet activity and grabbing your information to send to third party companies. Hence the name “Spyware”.

Spyware can be installed unknowingly through the installation of other software such as file-sharing programs, music sharing programs, online games, etc…

To keep your PC safe, I recommend using an anti-virus program such as the Norton Internet Security Suite that also scans for Spyware. Also, when downloading any type of software, CNET’s Download page ensures software downloads that are free of Spyware.

IFRAME Threat »

The newest threat to watch out for is called IFRAME. This new virus/threat can actually come in through clicking on IFRAME sites in website searches. Searching for and clicking on a rogue version of ABCNews.com, USAToday.com,News.com or Target.com (these are just a few) will lead to “IFRAME” sites. These “IFRAME” sites will forward your PC to “rogue” sites that advertise fake anti-spyware software loaded with malware (a combination of spyware and virus). Symantec rates this as a medium risk attack and Google is doing its best to actively filter out these rogue search results. A search of ABCNews.com may show IFRAME links such as these:

How to protect yourself:

1. Don’t click on these IFRAME links if you see them in searches.

2. Make sure your virus software is up to date.

3. Make sure all new Windows updates are installed.

To see a more complete list of IFRAME sites and detailed information go here.