Computers BestAdvice

Now that wireless networks are everywhere, computer burglars, aka hackers, are having a field day, attempting to invade your privacy and worse yet, steal your identity. Believe me, you don't want that to happen.

That is why we strongly suggest that you take the following steps to secure your network:

1. Almost all routers and access points come with an administrator password that is a weak default, like "password" or the manufacturer's name. Replace the default passwords on every wireless router or access point you purchase with passwords of your own. Imagine, for instance, how many "dlink" networks there would be in the world if none of our customers renamed their routers? Hackers make it a point to know every company's default passwords. By simply defining a new password, one that will certainly be easier for you to remember than the default, you will establish the protection you need to halt hackers from accessing your network or devices.

Most reputable vendors supply easy set-up wizards with their devices. Just follow the directions to rename your router or device with something unique and easy for you to remember. But be careful not to be so creative or simplistic that you provide sensitive information with the name you give your device. "Smith Family Router" is not the best idea. Be sure to write it down and keep it someplace safe for future reference. Without it, the only way to access the router or access point may be to reset it to factory default settings. which will wipe away any configuration changes you've made.Read more

Beware! New adware and malware threats are identified all the time, and even regular browsing can leave computers exposed. Here’s what to do

Most people have systems in place to protect their computers and vital information when they’re browsing the Internet. However, with new adware and malware threats identified regularly, any browsing can leave a computer exposed, especially if the user is unaware of what to look out for. Since adware and malware removal are more difficult than prevention, it makes sense to be educated and prevent a malware infection before it happens.

First, it’s important to distinguish between adware and ad-supported software. Ad-supported software is considered a legitimate alternative for consumers who do not wish to pay for software such as games and utilities. With ad-supported software, the ad is actually part of the software application and the user clearly understands they will be presented advertisements in exchange for free use of the software. Read more

Many people will be traveling this holiday season to visit family and friends and will bring their expensive laptops along on the trip. Most of these travelers will not have considered that thousands of laptops are stolen from airports every week. Thieves are ready to capitalize on the increase in air travel during the holidays and the chaos of the holiday season.

At airports alone, 12,000 laptops a week are lost according to a survey by the Ponemon Institute. And, that number is sure to increase this season.

While the loss of an expensive laptop can dampen the holiday spirit, the potential for identity theft will hang over the victim's head well into the New Year. Credit card, Social Security and bank account numbers are just some of the pieces of sensitive information that can be lifted from a stolen computer. Read more

Need to bring the Internet with you wherever you go? Consider buying a wireless broadband card for your laptop. These cards get you online while you're on a train commuting to work, sitting in an airport waiting for a flight – or even lounging on a beach soaking in some sun.

But before you purchase a card and sign a two-year service deal, think about these important factors when deciding which Broadband card and service provider to choose:

Internet access: Most Broadband companies charge customers roughly $60 per month for unlimited Internet access. If you're getting online several hours a day for both business and personal use, you will likely need to sign up for a plan that provides unlimited access. But if you use the card only a couple hours a day – when you're not at home or in the office on a desktop – you might want to consider cheaper $40-per-month plans that limit your online access to 40 or 50 megabytes a month. When shopping various providers, give them a list of ZIP codes where you will be using the card most to determine signal strength in those areas. Read more

Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of calling technical support, only to end up on hold for an extended period of time to ultimately speak to someone in a foreign country who speaks poor English. The advice we’re offered from such loosely titled "technicians" is often wrong, and it’s not uncommon to be told the problem is a.) your computer or b.) Microsoft. It can often be a colossal waste of time and energy. It’s enough to make anyone not want to call technical support ever again – and the manufacturers would like nothing better.

From the manufacturer’s perspective, offering technical support is considered a "cost center," because they do not make any money from the technical support department. As such, they cut costs every way they can by under-staffing and out-sourcing. Technical support personnel working for manufacturers are not paid to help the calling customers. Their productivity is not measured by how many customers they’ve actually helped, but instead by how many phone calls they’ve dispensed within a certain period of time. Whether the customer’s problem was actually resolved is not typically part of the equation management measures. Read more

PC security software is a necessity for any PC connecting to the Internet. However, deciding which PC security software to use can be tough. Major PC security software companies have deals with the large PC manufacturers to include trial versions of their software in the hopes that when the trial is over, you'll hand over your hard-earned cash for continued protection. The tactic works: People are so confused over what to do, they just pay the money. Who really wants to figure out how to replace the security software that came with the PC or what to replace it with?

Norton and McAfee antivirus products are the two most popular and most widely used. However, their PC security software has become so complex and complicated that it cannot only be difficult to understand and operate, but it can also severely degrade a computer's performance. Security suites have become so bloated they can even cause computers to crash upon installation. And uninstalling them can render a computer completely unusable if the uninstall does not complete correctly. Also, even after being successfully uninstalled, many files, folders and registry entries related to the PC security software are often left behind, requiring a manual clean-up to actually rid yourself of them completely. Read more

Right now, I’m in a motel. I'm browsing several sites for information to include in this article; downloading a 10 MB file in the background; and Outlook is checking for new email every five minutes. But this motel offers no Internet access. My laptop's WiFi adapter cannot find an unsecured wireless network to tap. I'm not wired to the room's phone so I'm not using a dialup ISP. How can I possibly be on the Internet at all, let alone at 1.5 or more Mbps?

The answer, in my case, is Sprint Mobile Broadband, one offering of the latest generation of high-speed Internet service delivered via cell phone networks. It's like having a portable cable modem. Indoors or outdoors, at a café table or in a moving taxi, if I can get a four-bar or stronger Sprint signal I’m online at broadband speed, without wires. This is cooler than a polar bears' picnic! Read more

With a lot of misinformation and confusion around the realities of mobile device security, officials from the Bluetooth SIG want to remind consumers that Bluetooth technology was built with security in mind and with a few simple steps, users can easily protect themselves.

Bluetooth security features are built in, but they don’t protect you if not used correctly. Be sure to practice common sense and maintain control of your device. Read more

Protect your PC or network with a variety of security applications. Just be sure not to download and install tools that might conflict - and cause more harm than good. To Karen Unger, there's no such thing as too much online security.

All the PCs at American Document Management have TrendMicro software installed to protect against viruses, worms and other malicious software that might come in over the Internet. But as an added layer of security, Unger's Internet service provider and Web host, Host.Net, provides her a variety of similar protective services.

Too much protection? Not at all, she said. Read more

In 20 years as a Mac user, Al Camentz has avoided the computing fear most common to Windows users: attacks by viruses, worms and Trojans.

Then in February, three separate threats were identified specifically targeting Apple’s Macintosh computers. Some users saw a message sent via the iChat message service with a Trojan horse software called “Leap-A” or “Oompa Loompa,” and the attachment "latestpics.gz". It pretended to have photos of Macintosh’s OS X operating system, and requested their administrative password to open the images. The second Trojan attempted to use a Bluetooth connection to install itself on the computer. The third tried to exploit Apple's Safari Internet browser. Read more