Many users have reported recent scam messages from individuals claiming to have intercepted their username and password.  These messages often state they have been watching your screen activity and webcam while you have been unaware.
Typically, attackers threaten to broadcast footage to your contacts, colleagues, or social media channels.  Demanding payment in Bitcoin, malicious hackers blackmail their victims to keep confidential information private.

Where Have the Attacks Come From?
In many cases where hackers have claimed to have a victims' password, this has turned out to be true. 
In the last few years alone, many large websites have suffered enormous hacks which have released confidential details on many of their users.  LinkedIn, Yahoo, and Myspace all suffered massive and devastating hacks.  Some users of these services are still feeling the consequences today.
The details leaked from these sites, and others facing the same issues, are sold online for years after the initial breach.  Hackers buy username and password combinations in the hopes of reusing them to access services, steal money, or blackmail their owners.

How to Respond
If you have been contacted by one of these hackers, it is a scary reality that they could have access to your credentials, data, and online services. The only thing you can do in response to this type of email is to ignore it. This “we recorded you” email is a scam made much more believable because they probably do have one of your real passwords gained from a site hack. That said, accounts that share the same password should be changed immediately.  Security on additional services you use should be updated too.

Self Defense On the Web
When using online services, a unique password for every site is your number one defense.  A good password manager makes this practical and straightforward too. Using a different password for each site you use means that hackers can only gain access to one site at a time.  A hack in one place should never compromise your other accounts by revealing the single password you use everywhere. Often, people think that maintaining many passwords is hard work or even impossible to do.  In truth, it's almost always easier to keep tabs with a password manager than it is to use the system you have in place today.

A high quality and secure password manager such as Dashlane, or 1Password, can keep track of all your logins efficiently and securely.  They often offer the chance to improve your security by generating random and strong passwords that hackers will have a tougher time cracking.
Password management services offer a host of features that help you log in, remind you to refresh your security, and make your safety a number one priority. After using a manager for just a short time, you can be forgiven for wondering how you managed without it.
​
If you think you might have been hacked already, or want to prevent it from ever happening, give us a call to at 715-255-0325 update your security.

​Artificial Intelligence and The Future of Work
The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is promising big things. According to research by Accenture, AI could increase labor productivity by up to 40 percent and double the annual economic growth rates in 12 developed economies by 2035.
In doing so, AI is set to change the nature of work. We’ve already seen self-checkout technology decimate the retail workforce, and AI-powered customer assistants are expected to send the sales profession the way of the dinosaurs. Self-driving vehicles may put couriers, long-haul truck drivers and transport and logistics workers of business, and automated phone and scheduling services may also spell the end of office administration staff. And many other professions are not safe either. News-gathering algorithms may make human journalists redundant in coming years; a law algorithm recently achieved a 70 percent success rate in 8,000 test cases; hospitals and pharmaceutical chains are already replacing human pharmacists with automated machines; and even highly skilled surgeons are under threat from increasingly sophisticated surgical robots.

Emerging Opportunities
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Experts believe it will be many years before AI is capable of completely replacing creatives like writers, designers and artists, and executive management positions are also likely to remain in human hands for the foreseeable future.
The AI revolution is also serving up a range of new work opportunities for the next generation. Computer support specialists, for example, are set to see 88,500 jobs added from 2016–26 (an 11 percent increase), while software developers will see 302,500 jobs added in the same timespan (a 24 percent increase).
But these jobs – and others like them – will require new skill sets that our kids should be learning today. Coding, systems infrastructure and quality assurance skills are winners in the industry, and data analytics should also take a primary place in school and university curriculums as we face the growing need for data analysts to make sense of the enormous amounts of data organizations are currently collecting.
​
The Rise Of ‘Cobotics’
Perhaps the largest growth industry for our kids will be robotics engineering. Robots are already filling many manufacturing jobs, but increasingly sophisticated AI-powered cobots (collaborative robots) are set to transform many more industries.
Cobots are not limited to protected silos on factory floors. Rather, the light, mobile machines will work with and alongside people in shared environments and will be teachable in order to complete or assist with a huge variety of tasks across a wide range of industries.
Federal funding is available for STEM education, with the Department of Education being directed to invest in “high-quality STEM education, including computer science in particular,” with the goal of providing $200 million in annual grand funding.
But we’ll need to continue to increase our commitment to this kind of high-tech education if we’re to equip our kids with the skills they’ll need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

​Nanotech Medicine: Healthcare's Next Step
Getting a patient to swallow a pill-sized sensor to relay real-time data to their doctor sounds like something straight out of a low budget sci-fi flick, right?
Wrong! Thanks to advances in nanotechnology medical implants are not a futuristic fantasy – but a reality, capable of monitoring patient health on a personal level. Welcome to the world of ‘insideable’ devices, where bio-sensitive nanotechnology in a patient’s body can provide a range of critical data.

Understanding ‘Insideable’ Nanotechnology
An ‘insideable’ is a microscopic nanodevice that goes into a patient's body to perform a diagnostic task or monitor one or more bodily functions. The current generation of devices can be swallowed, injected or inserted just under a patient's skin.
Thanks to advances in nanotechnology, insideable devices are the next big thing in healthcare.
The first wave of nanodevices include radio-frequency identification (RFID) implants, which allow one to unlock a front door, computer or smartphone – all with a wave of a chip embedded in a finger. In the medical field insideable nanodevices take this concept a step further by making it possible to monitor a patient's vital signs, track their gastrointestinal health or even detect the early signs of diseases like cancer.
The question is what practical benefits will this cutting-edge technology have for the health sector?

Nanomedicine Benefits
The biggest promise of insideable technology is to make preventive medicine a reality, and help healthcare professionals to:

• Accurately monitor patient health.
• Predict risk with a greater degree of certainty.
• Rapidly confirm a diagnosis.
• Track whether patients are taking their prescription medications.
• Collaborate with patients more effectively.

And if you are looking for a dominant trend in the sector, it has to be predictive diagnostics, which is largely driven by insideable nanotechnology.

Smart Pills: The Future of Digital Medicine
Regulatory bodies like the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have already cleared ‘smart pills’ like an ingestible sensor digital pill from Proteus Digital Health - who bill themselves as “the world’s first digital medicine service”.
Elsewhere tech giant Google is also working on a smart pill that could identify diseases before symptoms become present – a pre-emptive approach that will allow care to be personalised to the individual. There is also research into DNA nanotechnology, where one long, thin noodle-like strand of DNA can deliver drugs inside cells. Insideables could even improve the delivery of vaccines, which could mean no more needles – an advance all patients would welcome.
Insideables and nanotechnology open up a world of possibilities to make healthcare smarter, faster, more effective - and revolutionize the way we detect and treat disease.

The solid-state drive (SSD) has swiftly become the go-to upgrade to breathe new life into an ageing computer, and for good reason too.  An SSD swiftly brings an old laptop or desktop up to date with modern machines in just a single step.

The price of solid-state memory has fallen dramatically in recent years. As costs have dropped, the popularity of the technology has increased exponentially.  At one time an SSD was a rare treat for serious PC enthusiasts, now it's cheaper and more readily available than ever. No other single solution is as cost-effective, quick to swap, and impressively effective as swapping out an old hard drive in favor of the faster and more modern SSD.

Out with The Old
The hard disk drive (HDD) is a technology that dates back as far as the 1950s.  They became the default solution all PCs would use for decades to come.  Most old laptop and desktop machines still contain their original, worn hard drives they left the factory with. The HDD was a mostly mechanical device.  Inside a solid outer casing was a series of spinning disks arranged in a delicate stack known as a platter. Each disk could read and save data using a tiny needle moving across the disk's surface.  The technology looked and worked much like a miniature record player.  Like a record player, widely in use at the time that hard drives were developed, the hard drive had some serious drawbacks in their use. The series of tiny disks and needles that made up the HDD were incredibly fragile.  Vulnerable to dust or movement, computers commonly succumbed to hard drive failures that rendered the machine and its stored data unusable. Occasionally, simply moving a laptop while reading or writing data can damage a hard drive's spinning disk.

In with The New
The primary reason to switch to a more modern SSD, on top of their impressive durability, is the incredible increase in speed.  The SSD has no moving parts at all, working more like a digital camera memory card than a vinyl record player.

An SSD simply makes the process of retrieving and saving data to storage many times faster.  Eliminating the mechanical component, removing the need to move a physical disk, and not needing to physically pick up the data means a much faster and smoother operation. Computer startup, where the operating system loads all its data from storage, can take as little as one-quarter of the time of a comparable HDD.  Additionally, loading regular applications and data from an SSD takes a fraction of time of an HDD.

An SSD completely breathes new life into an old machine.  Computers with an SSD replacement for the hard drive feel like using an entirely new machine for a fraction of the cost.
Replacing the main mechanical component additionally eliminates wear and tear working to break down your machine.  While an HDD slows over time, degrades, and can eventually suffer mechanical failure; an SSD remains as durable as the day it was purchased.

Ideal Laptop Upgrade
In a laptop setting, the SSD makes complete sense.  They require less power than older hard drives, making the most of your battery charge. In addition, not needing a large disk platter, mechanical parts, or protective outer case means they are about half the weight of a mechanical drive.  Making an old machine lightweight brings it another step closer to a modern machine. They run almost silently too.  The familiar click-clack of the hard drive inside a laptop is a thing of the past.  Many users comment on the noise their laptop used to make starting up and loading programs.  Noisy laptops are a tech throwback we're happy to leave behind.

For many who feel like their old laptop or desktop is showing its age, the prohibitive cost of purchasing a whole new machine keeps them invested in their old one.  A simple, fast SSD upgrade can make your old machine new again at a much smaller price. If swapping long startups, and slow load times sounds right for you, consider upgrading to an SSD.  You won't look back.

Give us a call at 715-255-0325, and we can give your machine a new lease on life.


Q. We say: "Strike while the iron is hot." But what did Cromwell say? A. "Not only strike while the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking. Don't simply improve a chance when you have it, but make a chance.” ­ - from the book Conundrums and Riddles, published by FJ Drake & Company

Children today have grown up surrounded by technology their entire lives.  Since before they are old enough to read they can pick up a tablet or smartphone and swipe at apps and games with ease.  Modern kids have an intuitive understanding and ability with technology that older generations can barely imagine.  The abundance of technology, however, comes with a price.

Easy access to any marketplace can be a double-edged sword.  The convenience and ease of use is a boost to those of us needing a quick app, but accidental purchases can cause a lot of headaches.  One-click online shopping was once one of the biggest dangers our bank account faced.  Now, many of us carry multiple devices, each with their own marketplace and app stores. With modern tech, mobile applications, whether on iOS or Android devices, are easier than ever to buy and download.  So simple in fact, that a child could do it.  

Designed to Appeal - Children love to download mobile applications that feature their favorite characters, cartoons and TV shows.  Advertisements are aimed specifically for children in ways that will invite them to click a link and instantly download a game.These games are typically free, meaning they don't require authentication by default before downloading.  A new game can be downloaded, installed, and ready to run seconds from clicking an ad. Developers commonly use, what is known in the business as, a 'freemium' model.  This means that the game is free to download and start, but inserts paid 'upgrades' designed to make the player part with cash.

Freemium Games - Upgrades to games may unlock more levels, purchase an in-game currency, or outfit a character with special attributes.  Competitive online games commonly employ a strategy that gives paying players an unfair advantage over ones who don't pay.  This is often referred to as 'pay-to-win' and entices players to spend more to get on the same level.
Many mobile-based games are designed purely to encourage in-app purchasing.  Some deliberately design a deceptive or tricky user-interface that makes it easy to miss-click or make purchases by accident.
There are regular stories in the news featuring kids spending thousands on in-app purchases for virtual characters.  In some cases, children can use real-world money to buy items thinking they are spending in-game currency.

Apps to Help - Of course, it's unfair to give all applications a lousy name.  Many deserve it, but not all apps are guilty of behaving badly. There are fitness apps, productivity apps, and educational apps that can act as useful tools to help enhance your day.  Children can get a lot from high-quality applications in the same way educational software for the computer can be a huge classroom boost.
Getting the most out of your phone or tablet is about keeping your device safe against applications designed merely to take your money.

Secure Your Device - The best step you can take to prevent running up enormous app bills is to disable in-app purchases on your devices.  This prevents apps from being able to take funds for digital items. The process to do this is simple, takes less than 2 minutes, and can save you huge amounts.

• On iOS: Enter the settings screen, tap on 'General'.  Then tap on 'Restrictions' and tap the 'Enable restrictions' option.  Make sure to turn "In-App Purchases" off.
• On Android: Inside the Google Play App: press the phone menu button and go to Settings.  Scroll down to "User Controls", tap on the "Set or Change Pin" option and set a pin that only you will know.

In the "User Controls" menu check the option to "Use Pin for purchases".  Newer phones may label this pin as a password instead.

Safe Apps - With these options enabled, whether using an iOS or Android device, your phone or tablet is safe from app purchases in any hands.
​
“Q. Why does a villain smile? A. False face must hide what the false heart doth know.” - from the book Conundrums and Riddles, published by FJ Drake & Company

A guest post, courtesy of Emsisoft. If you have any questions about the topics discussed here or need help implementing them, call, click, or visit us today!

5) Set up a guest WiFi network 
Do you have family coming to stay? Planning on throwing a lot of dinner parties in 2019? If you regularly find yourself playing the role of host, it might be time to set up a guest WiFi network. A guest network allows your guests to connect to the Internet without giving them full-blown access to your home network. This has a couple of advantages from a security perspective:  

1. It reduces the risk of malware spreading. If your guest connects to your primary WiFi using a device that is – unbeknownst to them – infected with malware, there’s a chance that the malware could spread to other devices on your home network and wreak havoc. Setting up a guest WiFi network can help contain the spread of malware and protect the devices connected to the home network.  

1. It limits what information your guests can see. It’s nice to be able to give your guests Internet access, but that doesn’t necessarily you want them to be able to see personal documents or family photo albums that are stored on your home network. A guest WiFi network allows visitors to connect to the Internet without infringing on your privacy.  

You can set up a guest WiFi network in the settings of your router, which can usually be accessed at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 (but not always). Once you’ve logged in as an administrator, look for guest WiFi network settings under “Guest Zone” or “Guest Access” (or similar), and follow the setup instructions. Please note that not all routers have guest network capabilities.  

6) Take control of your IoT devices 
From smart locks to theater systems, gaming consoles to intelligent lighting, the modern home is a wonderland of Internet-connected devices. Otherwise known as the Internet of Things (IoT), these devices are ushering in a new era of convenience and advanced functionality, but they also pose a cybersecurity risk. 
Make 2019 the year in which you take control of your IoT devices. This might involve:  

• Using strong, unique passwords for device accounts. 
• Disabling unnecessary features, particularly those that may affect your privacy and/or network security.  
• Always installing the latest software and firmware to ensure your devices are as stable and secure as possible.  
  
  

7) Start using a password manager
The average Internet user is expected to have more than 200 online accounts by 2020. Manually keeping track of so many login credentials is next to impossible, which explains why passwords such as “123456”, “password” and “qwerty” remain – much to the delight of cybercriminals – so popular. Using brute force or social engineering tactics, hackers can easily break into accounts guarded by weak passwords and steal whatever information lies beyond.  
 The good news is you don’t have to choose between convenience and a strong password. Password managers enable you to create and store highly secure passwords on the fly, and easily enter them when prompted. There are a few great password managers on the market, including RoboForm, which provides excellent encryption, multi-platform support and an excellent customizable password generator.
  
8) Encrypt your flash drives and external HDDs 
It’s all too easy to lose a flash drive or external hard drive, particularly if you’re a student or regularly travel for work. In the unfortunate event that your external drive is lost or stolen, you need to be certain that the data it contains cannot be accessed by whoever’s hands it falls into.  
External drive encryption comes in two main flavors:  

• Hardware: A number of manufacturers make secure flash drives that come equipped with a physical pin pad or fingerprint scanner, which prevent access to the contents of the drive without the correct input. As you might imagine, these secure drives are significantly more expensive than regular external drives. 

• Software: You can also use software to encrypt your external drives, making your files inaccessible to anyone without the password. Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions of Windows 10 come with built-in drive encryption software called BitLocker. Alternatively, you may wish to use VeraCrypt, a free, open-source encryption tool. 
  
  

9) Install an ad blocker 
Almost 1 in 3 people (31 percent) in the United States use an ad blocker, according to a report from Deloitte – and it’s easy to see why. By filtering out HTML elements that contain advertising, ad blockers can protect you against PUPs and malvertising, stop cookies that track your browsing and speed up your web browsing.  
There are a few different options available for each web browser, but one good option is uBlock Origin; a free, open-source ad blocker that works with most major browsers.  

10) Be more mindful on social media 
Social media platforms have become a hotbed for cybercrime in recent years thanks to the sheer number of users they attract, how easy it is to create fraudulent accounts and how quickly malicious content can be distributed.  
Make it your goal in 2019 to be more mindful on social media. Think before you click on any links that appear in your feed or personal messages (even if you know and trust the sender), be selective with friend requests (no matter how attractive they look in their profile picture) and don’t share your phone number, address, place of work or any other personal information that could make it easier for someone to steal your identity.  
​
Maximize Internet security in 2019 
We don’t know what the rest of the year has in store for you, but one thing is certain: malware isn’t going away any time soon. By practicing the security tips discussed in this article you’ll be in a great position to make 2019 your most cyber secure year ever.  

A guest post, courtesy of Emsisoft. We’ll cover the remaining 6 security tips in next week’s column, so stay tuned! If you have any questions about the topics discussed here or need help implementing them, call, click, or visit us today!

The new year is here, and now is the perfect time to wipe the slate clean and start 2019 off on the right foot. While many people’s New Year’s resolutions will be centered around eating healthier and exercising more, here at Emsisoft we’re more concerned about your digital wellbeing. 
 
Cybersecurity promises to remain an important topic in the year ahead as more internet-connected devices enter the home, attackers increasingly leverage the power of AI and consumers come to rely even more on cloud-based services. But all is not lost! Regardless of what 2019 brings, good basic cyber hygiene is still the best defense for protecting yourself against modern digital threats. We’ve rounded up 10 simple Internet security tips to make 2019 your most cyber secure year ever.  

1) Make backups 
A good backup strategy offers the ultimate peace of mind. In the event of data loss – due to, say, ransomware or hardware failure – you can simply restore your system to its original safe state.  
The 3-2-1 backup strategy is a great starting point for most home users and SMBs. It involves: 
• Keeping 3 copies of your data. 
• Storing 2 of these copies locally on different devices (e.g. external hard drives) 
• Storing 1 copy offsite (e.g. using a cloud-based backup service). Maintaining an offsite copy is critical for ensuring your backup is safe even in the event of theft or a natural disaster. 
Implementing a good backup strategy does require a bit of planning (and probably a small amount of money) but the investment is absolutely worth it. Sleep easy in 2019 knowing that your files will be safe from harm even if your system falls.  

2) Invest in reliable antivirus software 
Hundreds of thousands of malware samples are produced every single day – a trend that’s unlikely to stop any time soon. The most effective way to protect your system against worms, trojans, ransomware, potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) and other malicious software is to invest in a reliable antivirus solution. There are a number of worthy contenders on the market. When it comes to choosing antivirus software, it’s important to remember that detection rates are just one piece of the puzzle. For example, factors such as system impact, usability, support and the company’s privacy policy may all influence your decision. If you’re looking for a proven antivirus solution that won’t slow your system down, feel free to download a free 30-day trial of Emsisoft Anti-Malware.  

3) Splash out on a VPN subscription
If you’re a frequent traveler, regularly on the road for work or generally concerned about your privacy, you might want to think about getting a subscription for a VPN service. What does a VPN actually do? Well, when you browse the Internet, there’s a transfer of information taking place back and forth between your computer and the websites you access. However, this information can potentially be intercepted, allowing attackers to steal sensitive information such as your passwords, emails and login credentials.  
A VPN creates a secure, encrypted connection between your computer and any websites your visit. This makes it much more difficult to identify your system as a source of data, and it also means that any information that is intercepted is encrypted and more or less useless to the bad guys.  

4) Enable 2FA wherever possible
Two-factor authentication (or 2FA for short) adds an extra layer of security that is used to ensure that people trying to log in to a website or service are really who they say they are.  
Enabling 2FA means that, in addition to entering your username and password when accessing an account, you’ll also need to provide another piece of information that proves your identity. For example, many banks will issue tokens that generate a one-time use password or send you a verification code to your mobile phone.  

Most banks, email providers, online stores and other major service providers will offer an option for 2FA, so be sure to enable it wherever possible. It only takes a few extra seconds to log in using 2FA, but it can single-handedly thwart cybercriminals from getting access to your personal accounts (although it should be noted that 2FA is not a perfect solution).  

​

We often tend to be creatures of habit, particularly when it comes to technology.  Passwords are a prime example.  Many of us use the same logins for multiple websites and applications because we don't have a photographic memory.  A large percentage of users aren’t aware that this is one of the most significant security dangers they can face online.  It has a simple fix too.

Regularly, in the news today, there are stories about major companies being hacked, their customer data stolen, and their customers left stranded.  Hackers commonly use data stolen from one site to access others where login credentials have been reused between accounts.  In some cases, access to bank accounts has been gained simply by using a compromised email account.
Businesses and individuals can face significant losses simply because a third party outside their control has been hacked or compromised.

The Danger of Old Passwords
MySpace is a key example of why old and possibly forgotten services pose a security danger when passwords haven't been regularly changed.  Once a thriving popular network, the use of MySpace services declined drastically from 2007 onwards.  While many people moved to new social networks, old accounts typically remained abandoned on their servers.  Hundreds of millions of accounts remained on MySpace servers many years past the firm's peak. In 2016, MySpace suffered a data leak which exposed usernames, emails, and passwords of 360 million user accounts.  Shortly after the hack, these details were published online for anyone to see.  Many were used to access email accounts, servers, and accounts that shared the same details.

Shared Responsibility
Even if you have never had a MySpace or social media account personally, how many of your employees or coworkers have one or more?  Many have had more social media, forum, or game accounts than they care to remember.  Have their passwords been updated since 2016? Your business network protects your systems, work, and intellectual property.  For many firms it's the single most critical component, the backbone to business operations.  Keeping it secure regardless of the number of people, staff or clients using it is a crucial task. Consider how many people currently have access and how many of those may reuse their password on another website or service.  Just reusing your password once can expose you to the hacking of a third party entirely out of your control.

Password Management
Good security practice is to use a unique and strong password for every login you use.  A strong password should include, where possible, capital letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and character symbols.  Many consider this impractical or even impossible, but it is entirely achievable for every firm.
It is clearly impossible to manually remember a strong password for each one of the dozens of logins needed today.  Few would even attempt to.  A password manager makes storing, retrieving, and using unique passwords easy. When using a password manager, an individual is required to remember only one single strong password to access a database which contains a different login password for each service.  This database can be synced between multiple devices, saved and backed up to the cloud, and even used to create strong passwords for you.

Strong Protection
Password managers can be used to implement security policies that demand zero password reuse, between services or over time, and set strict limits over the duration a password can last.  With the right policies in place, both your business and your employees are protected against attacks from hackers that have compromised third-party sites. The maximum recommended lifetime of a password for any service is a single year.  Make the start of the calendar year the time which you refresh your passwords and start new.
​
To help keep on top of your security and make sure your firm is safe well into the new year, give us a call at 715-255-0325.

Running the Best Security Software
Most computers today run at least some form of basic antivirus.  In the modern day however, threats have evolved to be more sophisticated, more damaging, and much more common.   Ransomware, malware, phishing, and zero-day attacks all work to attack unpatched systems without strong security.
Today, to keep up with increasing threats, you need a complete security package.   A layered system means more than just virus scanning.  A comprehensive security package includes prevention, detection, behavior and system monitoring at a minimum.   These layers work together to provide security many times stronger than a stand-alone system. Reliable, up-to-date, security keeps you safe online.  It's a resolution you simply can't afford to skip.

Clean Up Files
Cleaning up unnecessary files is the number one way to gain additional storage space on a typical device.  It's cost-effective without any extra hardware purchases too. Almost all computers have files hanging around from old software, data or applications they no longer need.  Just like tidying the spare room or de-cluttering the kitchen, clearing files off your desktop and organizing your emails will leave your computer feeling refreshed and new again.

Restart Your Computer
Fully shutting down a computer and rebooting can take time.  When you are watching the clock, waiting to start a task or get work done, it can feel like an eternity.  Most of us enjoy simply opening the lid or powering on the screen to have everything ready to run.
At times, a computer may not be fully restarted in weeks or even months.  Our poor habits can cause issues with running software and the operating system too. Hardware updates, security patches, and critical updates often wait for a reboot before they install.  Waiting too long can leave security flaws open and the system vulnerable to attack. Merely performing a reboot every once in a while can secure your system and help get rid of software problems.  Often updates prevent new issues from cropping up too.

Use A Password Manager
Hacks of large institutions and popular websites are frequently in the news today.  Almost every month a major service reveals they have been hacked, their database compromised, and their customer credentials have been stolen.

For this reason, it is very unwise to use the same password to access multiple websites.  This can be a challenge for many.  It's clearly impossible to remember a unique and secure password for every site you visit.  We recommend using a password manager that can store and recall your passwords for you.
A good password manager relies on just one, very secure, remembered password to safeguard an encrypted database of all your login credentials.  The password database is often stored in the cloud for access from all your necessary devices.  A manager can typically assist in creating a strong, secure password for each of your accounts too. Using a good password manager and unique password for every site protects you against the attacks commonly in the news.  Hacks compromising major services from your providers will be significantly less effective against directly affecting your other accounts and services.

Keep Your Computer Away from Dust
Dust, hair, and household debris are one of the major causes of premature death for computers.  Fans, used to cool components, suck in house dust as well as the air they need.  This dust often clogs up the inside of the device and overheats internal components. If possible, keep a tower PC off the carpet, don't run your laptop sitting on the floor, blanket, or soft furnishings.  Cleaning out your device is as good a resolution as any, and there's never a better time than now.
​
For a little help sticking to your digital new year resolutions and starting off on the right foot, give us a call today at 715-255-0325 to schedule a Tune Up for your system!

The end of the year is lot like a like a long road trip for me. There’s the anticipation at the start of the journey, the “are we there yet” moments, then the times you wonder if you’ll ever arrive, and finally, the downhill plunge as the end rushes up to meet you.

Since we wouldn’t exist without our wonderful customers, I thought it would be nice to take a look back at 2018 and give you a preview of what to expect in 2019.

Thank You!
Firstly, I would like to thank each one of our customers. It has been our pleasure to serve you over this past year and we are very grateful for your business! Your success is our success, so here’s to an amazing 2019!

Office Remodel
The office was getting a bit cramped, so we came up with a new floorplan to better utilize our space. In the process, we also finished off more of the room by adding carpeting (courtesy of Hank’s Furniture), built a new custom desk for my area, installed a new network cabinet and cabling for the office equipment (courtesy of 1st Communications), added an open equipment rack for testing and preparing customer equipment before delivery, and installed a coffee bar. We also began finishing the exposed foundation wall but haven’t quite completed it yet. Lots of visitors comment on the new window, even though we had one there before of the same size. I suspect it’s the nice framing my friend Adam did that makes it standout so much. Thanks Adam!

Service Expansion
We’ve seen tremendous growth in 2018 with lots of new residential and business customers. While our primary service area has always been Thorp and the surrounding communities, our remote service and monthly support options have allowed us to expand to serve customers all over WI, and even such diverse places as Washington, Florida and Minnesota! Did you know that we offer continuous maintenance plans for business and residential customers? We take the worry out of keeping your computer up to date and secure, so you can just enjoy using it.

We’ve also expanded our purchasing options for business customers to include project financing, leasing, and hardware as a service. Professional options like these allow you tremendous flexibility to grow your business. For example, we all know that technology is rapidly evolving and as it underpins every aspect of your operations, we know the value in keeping it in good condition.  Replacing it often seems to be a daunting task and expense but imagine if you changed that capital expense into an operational expense. Instead of trying to guess what your IT budget might be, you can know what it will be, including hardware, security and even support! If you’d like to remove the headache and uncertainty of your technology infrastructure, contact us today!

Looking Forward
 2019 looks to be an exciting year! The driveway will be getting paved and the office remodeling will be done so we can have our open house/customer appreciation event, hurray!  We’ve been diligently researching new tools to elevate our services even higher for our customers and anticipate rolling them out over the course of the first quarter of 2019. Included in these are new backup options and additional service plan offerings. We are also in the process of recruiting additional staff to maintain our excellent service to you.

There are also some exciting things happening in the tech world that we’re looking forward to. With the current drop in cryptocurrency prices, graphics card pricing has been dropping as supplies of these components increase. We’re also seeing improvements to CPUs from both Intel and AMD which will increase the performance of integrated graphics processing in laptops and low-end desktops. Speaking of CPUs, AMD is set to release a new generation of their Ryzen and Threadripper processors that should see CPUs breaking the 5GHz threshold as a base speed. What this technobabble means for consumers is that computers will be getting even faster while increasing efficiency.
​
There is a lot more on the horizon for all of us, let us each make the most of every opportunity that we encounter!