Hello From Your MGSoft-Net (MGS) IT Specialist!
Hello and welcome once again to the MGSoft monthly newsletter. Wishing you happy holidays and we sincerely hope everyone is doing well. 2010 has continued to be a wonderful year for us as we saw continued growth in our customer base, hired 3 more employees and opened a new web store. With your continued support we will help keep your Information Technology infrastructure in Tip Top shape.
In this month's issue we discuss how to stay virus free. We also discuss all the different ways you can backup your computer so you are prepared for when disaster strikes. And for those of you looking to save some money we have spotlight on a few alternative software products that will save you a bundle. As always we are committed to strengthening your Information Technology infrastructure and we are always ready to help.
Yours Sincerely
-Farouk-
Malware 101
The question I get asked most often: "Why do I keep getting viruses on my computer? Before I can answer that question, let us take a brief look at what malware is. The word Malware means "malicious software" and encompasses all the nasty software out there today including sneakware, adware, keyloggers, browser hijackers, porn servers, trojans and worms. In layman's term, malware is an unwanted program that secretly installs itself onto your computer and performs operations without your knowledge. Once installed Malware can log your keystrokes, steal your passwords, observe your browsing choices, spawn pop-up windows, send you targeted email, redirect your web browser to phishing pages, report your personal information to distant servers, and serve up pornography.
Where does Malware come from?
Malware comes from programmers who compose these programs to get information off your computers. These programmers than disseminate their creation through many mediums. The most common way of getting infected is through your email. Other forms of disseminating malware are through web-pages, P2P programs like Limewire, free software, free screen savers , game demos and search toolbars.
How do I Protect myself from Malware?
There is no one pill or program out there that cures and protects you from every malware. Like the human body, computers need constant maintenance and exercises to keep it malware free. Additionally, as an educated user, you must also adopt a "buyer beware" attitude whenever you install new software from the Net or even from CD...you need to read every end user license agreement on your screen before you click "accept".
Here is the MGS checklist for keeping your PC Malware free
1.) Install two different anti-spyware programs on your computer, and update their definition lists regularly. If you are unsure of what to install, let your MGS expert install it for you. Because every anti-spyware cleaner is imperfect, it is necessary to use combination's of these programs to catch the greatest number of malware. And most good Anti-Spyware programs are FREE.
2.)Scan Regularly. Like a good exercises regiment, your computer has to be scanned regularly to keep in shape. Many anti-virus programs can be set to automatically perform scan-and-detect nightly. Make sure after setting a schedule time to scan that you leave your computer on.
3.)Never open email with attachments from people you don't know. Many hackers get very sneaky and try to entice you to open email with attachment by saying that "Attach is my resume", "Attach is your UPS return code" or "Attach is your iTunes Gift card". These emails are all false and should never be opened. If you are unsure if the email is legitimate, you can always call the company that sent you the email to check.
4.)Have a regular preventive maintenance schedule. Just like regular trips to the doctors, computers need their regular checkups and updates to keep them running in optimum condition. Regular updates, start up checks, clean-up of running process and hardware checks by your MGS specialist can save you money in the long run. MGSoft offers monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly and bi-yearly checkups for our clients. So if you have not done so, set up a PM schedule for you or your company.
There you go my fellow readers, you now have another cleaning chore to add to your weekly todo list. I hope this was beneficial and keeps you virus free forever :). As always if you have comments or question don't hesitate to drop us an email or call.
Backup?Why Should I?
I know I sound like a broken record when I say this but I can not stress enough the importance of backing up your data on a daily or weekly basis. In this column, I will go over the many forms of backup that are available for users in this day and age.
Why Backup?
Before I explain the many forms of backup, let us take a brief look at where your data is stored. All information on your computer is located on your hard drive. The hard drive digitally encodes data on rapidly moving platters which are run on magnets. These platters spin at 5200, 7200 or 10000 revolutions per minute. So anything that spins that fast is bound to break. It is not "if" your hard drive will fail but rather "when" will your hard drive fail.
Backup Type
Full Backup
Full backup is the starting point for all other types of backup and contains all the data in the folders and files that are selected to be backed up. Think of this as your 'reference set'. You might need to perform a full backup occasionally or regularly. Ask your MGS specialist to determine how you should backup your data.
Pros:Provides a complete copy of all your data; makes it easy to locate files which need restoring.
Cons:Takes a long time and the most space on backup media; redundant backups created, as most files remain static
Differential Backup
Differential backup contains all files that have changed since the last FULL backup. The advantage of a differential backup is that it shortens restore time compared to a full backup or an incremental backup. However, if you perform the differential backup too many times, the size of the differential backup might grow to be larger than the baseline full backup
Pros:Takes up less time and space than a full backup; provides for more efficient restoration than incremental backups.
Cons:Redundant information stored, because each backup stores much of the same information plus the latest information added or created since the last full backup. Subsequent differential backups take longer and longer as more files are changed.
Incremental Backup
Incremental backup stores all files that have changed since the last FULL, DIFFERENTIAL OR INCREMENTAL backup
Pros:Uses the lease time and space as only those files changed since the last backup are copied; lets you back up multiple versions of the same file.
Cons:Makes the job of restoring files more difficult, as you have to reinstall the last full backup first, then all subsequent incremental backups in the correct order; also makes it hard to locate a particular file in the backup set.
Backup Howto
Copy and Paste
There are many types of backups that are available today. The easiest and most common is just a simple copy and paste. This type of backup is done by users copying their important documents onto a Flash Drive or external hard drive.
Pros:Fast, easy and
simple.
Cons:Unreliable. No set schedule. If users forgets to copy, there is no backup. Not resistant to natural disaster like fire, flood or theft.
Third Party Software
There are many softwares out there either free or paid that can help in keeping your data safe. Software like Karen Replicator(Free), Allway Sync(free), Acronis (Paid) and Norton backup Exec (Paid) are only some of the software that will keep your data safe. These software all have their pros and cons but all will backup your data on a regular schedule. Ask your MGS specialist which is right for you.
Pros:Fast, reliable and can be schedule to backup automatically.
Cons:Need a little know how to set up. Can be expensive. Have to check backups on a regular basis.
Windows Backup Software
For those who have Windows XP Pro, Windows Vista Business and Windows 7 Pro Microsoft was kind enough to include a backup utility. Windows backup is located in your systems folder and can be set up in a few easy clicks. Pros:Fast, easy and simple to use. No extra cost to user. Can be scheduled to run on a regular basis.
Pros:Fast, easy and
simple to use. No extra cost to user. Can be schedule to run on a regular basis.
Cons:Can be difficult to restore. Must keep up on logs to make sure backup complete regularly.
Offsite Backups
Basically, off-site backup is what it sounds like: You have a backup set of data that is nowhere near your main place of business. Some or all of the data that flows from computer to computer each and every day is also stored on a server that is physically far away from your office. That way, in the event of a catastrophe, you will not lose every shred of your important data. There are many different companies that offer off-site backup. Users need to be aware that only certain companies can offer database and Quickbooks backup. Ask your MGS specialist which off-site backup is right for you.
These are only some forms of backup that are available out there. In the computer world redundancy is what keeps your data safe. So if you are still not backing up, please remember that a couple hundred spent today investing on a good backup strategy can save you a couple thousand tomorrow trying to recover lost data.
MGS Employee Profile: Jan Aloi
We would like to introduce to you our latest addition to the MGSoft-Net family, Jan Aloi.
Jan has recently been hired as our Office Manager. She is currently managing our MGSoft-Net store in Beaver and is getting awesome reviews.
Jan currently lives in South Beaver with her husband Sam, and her 2 Boxers Daisey and Geno. She has three daughters and four wonderful grandkids that are the love of her life.
Most of her spare time is spent with her grandkids Madison 4, Tyler 2, Emma 3, and Grant 3 months. She also enjoys spending time walking and playing frisbee with her dogs. She bowls in a mixed couple league with her husband Sam, and also in a ladies league with her friends. She is currently learning how to golf! Wow what a busy woman!
If you haven't said hi to Jan yet, please don't hesitated to stop by the store or drop her an email at jan@mgsoft-net.com.
In Case You Do Not Know!
MGSoft-Net provides all these options and services and More:
- PC Optimization & Diagnostics
- Software & Hardware Installation
- Data Recovery & Automated Data Backup
- Security & Performance
- In-House PC & Network Setup (including wireless)
- IT Support including: Phone systems, Printers, Fax and Wiring
- Router Configuration & Support (Cisco, Sonicwall, Netgear, etc.)
- Customized Programming (.Net, PHP, C+, etc.)
- Website Services
- Preventive Maintenance & Troubleshooting
- Offsite Backup
- Home Theater Setup
- We Build Custom PC
- We are a Dell Reseller
- Small Business Server Setup
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