J Bartee Consulting: Tech Consulting - Support - Design - System Administration
Your Information Technology Guide
661.810.0465
Your Information Technology Guide
661.810.0465
Password security is the easiest to provide, but the hardest to maintain for the average person. Some quick rules to help keep passwords safe from hackers, thieves, and foul-playing friends:
Sometimes there are more passwords than you have memory and reference charts help. If you find yourself needing to write a password down, do NOT leave it where anybody will see it, or access it just by sitting at your desk. Instead, be vague and encrypt your password. For example, if your password is Apple123, write down "FirstThreeFruit". Common cyphers include Letter->Number (i.e. A=1, B=2, etc), so stay away from them, but feel free to make your own (A=11, B=12, C=123) etc.
Wireless Tech is around us everywhere, all the time. You could be online, reading this, while eating a sandwhich at a deli on the BLVD. How do you protect yourself from unwanted guests? First, your home/offce wireless should be treated as securely as your car: do not give the key (Password) to someone you don't know or trust. Second, you can take actions to lower your chance of attacks.
For wireless routers and modems, make sure they are configured for WPA2 secuirty keys. To help keep your network safe, you can disable broadcasting (telling people you exist). When you disable broadcast of your SSID (Service Set Identifier), the only way to connect is to manually type in its name (i.e. BobNetwork) and password (key).
The last security tip to pass on involves your personal information. When engaging the World via the Wide Web, consider this: If you wrote down your information (you are posting/blogging/sharing/etc), placed the note in the middle of your front room, emptied everything else out of your home, and invited a stranger to come in, would you want them to read the note? If you answered no, you shouldn't spread it around online.
J Bartee Technology Consulting has the education and skills to perform Enterprise level security penetration tests and forensics. To see how secure you or your systems are, please call (661) 810-0465.
Below are two charts showing Free/Basic software every computer and most modern mobile devices should have installed or Professional/Business level software for productivity.
Naturally, your independent software needs will vary. Artists, for example, would benefit from things like Adobe CS and Touch Apps, where musicians could prefer Audactiy. If you would like help researching, reviewing, installing or configuring your software, please call (661) 810-0465 to schedule an appointment and free consultation.
Technology can be a dangerous part of our lives. Everyday in the news, we hear of people having their identity stolen, credit cards charging elsewhere, and computer security systems failing.
The key with technology is the same as in life: stay out of places you do not belong and don't hang out with the bad crown. For a Windows Computer system, those bad places are the Registry and Microsoft Configuration files. Unless you are following professional instructions to navigate those areas, stay clear of them.
The superficial-but-just-as-serious section of technology is the internet. Websites which seem questionable or have lacking security should be avoided. Never click on links (from sites or in yoru email) unless you either know and were expecting them, or can verify their destination.
For example, this link should link to this section. AH HA! You clicked the link, didn't you? In fact, that link goes nowhere. You can always see where a link like the one above goes by looking at your status bar in your browser.
Knowing when you NEED to upgrade and what you want from an upgrade are important decisions. Technology, though far less expensive today than years ago, is still a dedicated pricetag not to be taken lightly.
Take your time when deciding it is time for something new. Sometimes a minor software change does not make it "new and improved" and you can save your money.
Likewise, hardware no longer becomes obsolete right off the factory floor. It's very important to consider how long you expect your upgrade to last. Sometimes, spending the extra money upfront will pay off in a dutiful system down the road.
If you are curious about upgrading software, hardware, or devices, please call us at (661) 810-0465.
Unfortunately, things must eventually come to an end. In the world of Technology, the end is a two way street: down one path, improvements have been made and change is always a good thing; the other path, however, means everything you've grown accustom to has ended and you have to start ALL OVER.
Specifically, please be aware that Microsoft® Operating systems are being "killed". An unsupported version of Windows will no longer receive software updates from Windows Update. These include security updates that can help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, which can steal your personal information. Windows Update also installs the latest software updates to improve the reliability of Windows—new drivers for your hardware and more.
Below is the the chart from Microsoft®.
| Operating System | Latest Service Pack | End of Main Support | End of Extended Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows XP | Service Pack 3 | April 14, 2009 | April 8, 2014 |
| Windows Vista | Service Pack 2 | April 10, 2012 | April 11, 2017 |
| Windows 7 | Service Pack 1 | January 12, 2015 | January 14, 2020 |
J Bartee: Technology Consulting is available to help plan and deploy your move to the future. We will review your systems, discuss your path moving forward, establish and plan, and even go further by purchasing, configuring, and then TRAINING you on the changes.
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