Okay, computers are complicated. Everybody knows it, even IT professionals understand how infuriatingly complex computers can be sometimes! Unfortunately, the average computer owner doesn’t know what it takes to make a computer last, and you may have wondered in the past why that factory new performance and speed turns into the unbearably sluggish piece of junk we’ve all dealt with at some point or another. And you can’t be blamed for not knowing either, because a computer’s need for maintenance isn’t talked about and as widely known as a car’s for instance.
 
Even if you aren’t a big car person, and I am not, we all know about the basic upkeep that a car requires. Topping up the tank, getting an oil change, putting air in the tires are all things we know we have to do, because if left unchecked, they could cause much bigger problems. Computers are exactly the same way! If you don’t at least occasionally pay attention to your computer’s needs, it can cause lasting damages down the road.
 
Secondly, both need to be cleaned every once in a while. Neglecting a car’s hygiene won’t only make it look bad, it will also make it rust faster which in turn can interfere with its performance. While your computer won’t quite rust over, you have to be on the lookout for dust. I know, I know, the most common indoor annoyance since the existence of particles is difficult to keep at bay but checking the inside of your computer periodically will really go a long way. If you find dust clogging up the inside, use a can of air to blow it loose and a soft cloth to wipe it down. Dusting the inside of a computer can go a long way towards staving off damage down the road.
 
Thirdly, we like cars to go fast. Not everyone wants to be a speed demon, but at the very least we want to go fast enough to get where we’re going in a reasonable amount of time. Once again, that sounds exactly like what we expect out of our computers. Waiting for something to load on a computer is a comparable experience to sitting in rush hour traffic sometimes. And just like rush hour, you might be dealing with this problem on a regular basis, if not every day. There are a number of both free and not-so-free tips on how to speed up your computer on our video "How To Speed Up Your Computer".

Another huge similarity is the need for safety features and precautions. We care about them a lot on our cars, and for good reason. There’s a good reason that a car’s brakes can always overpower its engine. Turn signals aren’t only there for convenience, they’re there so that you can let nearby drivers and pedestrians what you’re doing, and everyone’s safer for it. Anti-virus works the same way. Sure, your computer’s security may not be a matter of life and death like a car, but it very much is a matter of financial ruin, identity theft, and losing your control of your social media, which is scary for a myriad of reasons. If you’re a business owner, this is especially important. For example, sixty percent of businesses that are hit with ransom-ware attacks go out of business within six months. Being lax on IT security can lead to the loss of your very livelihood. Consult your IT provider to make sure you have more than enough protection.
 
If you still need your IT secured, give us a call here at Nice Guy Technology. We’re here to help.

It is time for students to start the school year, and with different times comes different procedures. Most kids will be studying online, at least for now. With the internet playing an increasingly vital role in children’s lives, we must be vigilant toward the online dangers that could threaten their safety. We have devised these 6 tips to help you and your children understand how to stay safe so that you can focus on giving your child a great education.

1. Treat all your personal information like your biggest secret. Never share a full name, school name, password, home address, or phone number. Assume that anyone on the internet wants this information for malicious purposes.
2. Stranger Danger! Let your student know that if a stranger reaches out to them online, they need to block that person and tell you or a trusted adult immediately.
3. Remind students to ask permission before downloading or purchasing apps.
4. Be wary of emails from people you/they don’t know. Never click links or open attachments that you aren’t expecting from someone.
5. When using video, be aware of your surroundings. Does the background reveal any personal information or exact location? Use a sticker or piece of tape to cover the camera when not in use.
6. If your student or any other child becomes the target of cyberbullying, remind them to screenshot the evidence, block the bully, and share the experience with a trusted adult.

Video Transcription:
​What exactly are the cookies and cache and what do they do? Well, when you visit certain websites, they’ll create what’s called a cookie. Unfortunately, not the baked treat cookie. Although that would be awesome. Rather, these cookies are files that save your browsing information so that things can run and load faster. The cache is pretty similar. It keeps pieces of and parts of the different pages you visit in its memory so that it can load faster the next time you visit those pages.
 
The problem is that cookies and the cache can do exactly the opposite of what they’re supposed to by clogging up your browser, especially if the data is older. This is why clearing them could help speed things up or fix problems you might be having with the site. Here’s how you can clear the cache and cookies:
 
I’ll be showing you how to do this first with Chrome, and secondly using Firefox. Other browsers should work quite similarly. In Chrome, first click the “more” button in the top right corner. It looks like 3 dots stacked on top of each other. Then go down here and hover the mouse over “more tools.” Mouse over here and click on the “clear browsing data” button. It’ll open up the settings tab here, and if you want to preserve your browser and download history, you can go to the advanced section here and uncheck everything except for “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files.” Then click clear data at the bottom right of the popup, and you’re done!
 
On Firefox, you’ll want to click on the “gear icon” in the top right corner. This takes you to a menu that has several different tabs on the side. Click the Privacy and Security tab and scroll down until you see “Cookies and site data.” From here you will have the options for clearing data, managing data, and managing permissions as well as a box that can be checked that allows Firefox to delete the cookies and site data when Firefox is closed. To clear the cookies and cached images, just click “clear data,” then on the next menu, click “clear.”
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us here, at Nice Guy Technology! We’re here to help.

Video Transcription:
​You’ve likely heard the term “phishing” before, but what exactly does it mean? Well, phishing refers to when hackers disguise themselves as trusted sources to try to trick you into “taking the bait” so to speak, so that they can steal your sensitive information. These phishing attempts can come in the form of email, text messages or phone calls and often times appear to be legitimate.
Let’s talk about a few tricks you can use to protect yourself from phishing scams:
 
Never send passwords or personal information via email. Your information is the primary thing that hackers and scammers are looking for, and they’ll use it to access your finances or anything else they can use to make a profit at your expense.
 
Secondly, don’t click unexpected links or open unexpected attachments. Hackers use these to install viruses on your device, and you likely won’t know the extent of the damage until it’s far too late.
 
It’s also important to hover your cursor over links to reveal the actual URL. If the real URL is different from the one that appeared to be legitimate, then that’s a huge red flag that something is wrong! You’ll also want to check the URL and the message for misspellings and poor grammar. It’s incredibly unlikely that a legitimate company will be sending out haphazardly written materials, and far more likely that a criminal would do exactly that.
 
Please, if you receive an email, text, or voice message that seems phishy, check with your IT department or feel free to contact us here, at Nice Guy Technology! We’re here to help.

How to Securely Dispose of Old Computers

Getting new computers for your business is exciting, but what happens to the old ones? Depending on the age, some people sell them, others throw them out. That’s the easy part. The problem is the sensitive data on them. There are passwords, account numbers, license keys, customer details, medical information, tax returns, browser history… the works! Each computer, whether laptop, tablet or desktop, contains a treasure trove of sensitive information that cybercriminals would love to get their hands on. 

Unfortunately, hitting delete on your files doesn’t actually make them disappear, nor does waving a strong magnet over the drive. These mistakes have cost businesses millions of dollars over the years.

Most businesses are unaware that specialized data cleanup is necessary, others think calling someone to collect the computers will cover all the bases. A 2016 experiment proved just how dangerous the situation can be when they bought 200 used hard drives and found 67% held unwiped, unencrypted sensitive data, including sales projection spreadsheets, CRM records, and product inventories. Frighteningly, they didn’t need any special hacking skills to get this data, it was all right there and helpfully labelled. It’s also not surprising that with simple data recovery tools, people have also been able to access British NHS medical records and missile data, all waiting patiently on a discarded hard drive.
 
Why hitting delete doesn’t help

Data on a hard drive works like a book with an index page. Every time data is written, it pops a quick entry into the index so when you need it again, it knows where to look. The index is used for files you create as well as system files you can’t even see. Sensible, right? Except if you delete a file it’s more like changing the index to say nothing is on page 10 and you can write something else there when you’re ready. But if you manually flip to page 10, you’ll find the information is still there - the file still exists until it’s been written over - it’s the index reference that got deleted.
 
Wiping data before disposal

There are software tools you can get to do it yourself, as well as dedicated security firms, but your best option is to choose an IT business you know and trust. With that in mind, a methodical approach is required to ensure not a single drive is left untreated. You don’t want to leave data behind, or even clues that a motivated person could extrapolate any private information from. The approach might include using checklists to maintain security, or dedicated processes to guide each step in decommissioning. Careful records should also be kept, including who signs off on completion of the retirement, and where the computers are sent afterwards. A proper inventory and auditing process may slow the rollout of the new computers slightly, but it’s always better than having your old data come back to haunt you.

We can migrate any needed data, back up the information to your server or external drive, then wipe or destroy the hard drives for you. We can assess the age of your old computers and either dispose of them for you or point you in the right direction of computer recyclers. Plus, the quicker you dispose of your old computers, the easier the process will be. Recyclers will be able to send less of your equipment to landfill, and you’ll be less likely to forget how valuable the drive contents are.

Upgrading your business computers should be a happy time for you and your employees, so with a little forward planning, you’ll be able to keep everyone smiling and all your data secure.

Need help with your old business hardware? Call us today at 614-233-1648!