LANcom Technology Blog

Microsoft has a great computer security checklist available on the website designed for small businesses. So what do they suggest?

1. Keep your software up to date
2. Protect yourself against viruses with anti-virus software
3. Set up a firewall
4. Implementing a regular backup procedure.
5. Set rules about internet usage
6. Set strong passwords for remote access (to learn how to create strong passwords click here)
7. Protect your servers by keeping them in a safe place i.e. a secure, well-ventilated room
8. Make sure that software critical to your business operations is fully secure around the clock.
9. Manage desktops and Laptops from the server

To learn more about each of these points click here.

Back in April we blogged about the Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 , well now it has a cousin The Mobile Memory Mouse 8000. This mouse is designed to make using your laptop on the go much easier.

The Mobile Memory Mouse shares some features with the Notebook Presenter Mouse such as:

• Wireless technology that means the mouse will work from up to 9 meters away.
• A battery indicator light that ensures you won’t get caught with a dead mouse.
• A magnifier button that allows you to quickly and conveniently increase the size of the area the mouse is pointed to
• High Definition Laser Technology, which means your mouse will be more precise, more responsive, and deliver smoother tracking.

But perhaps the biggest difference is that the transceiver of the Mobile Memory Mouse 8000 is also a 1GB USB flash drive allowing you to store and transfer files. This means that both your mouse and your USB flash drive only take up one USB port freeing up your other USB ports for other uses. The mouse can also be recharged while you work simply by hooking it up to the transceiver with the charging cable provided.

Click here to learn more about the Mobile Memory Mouse 8000.

If you would like to learn more about the features of the Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 click here.

LANcom now has three lenses on Squidoo. These are Remote working for your business, Things to know when buying a server, and A checklist for your website.

A lens is a page on the Squidoo website. Squidoo was created as a means to collate what experience people believe to be the most important things to know about a topic. This makes it a great way to learn about a topics you are unfamiliar with.

To learn more about Squidoo and what it could do for you Click here.

To visit any of the LANcom lenses click on the one you would like to visit above.

Phishing scammers send out electronic messages (usually emails) claiming to be reputable companies in an effort to gain your personal information e.g. passwords and credit card numbers.

Often these emails will express a sense of urgency in order to get you to act quickly, without thinking. For example, a phishing email may claim to be from your bank and ask you to click on a link and then verify your account information in order to keep your account active. While this website may look just like your banks one it is actually a fake.

So how do you tell whether an email you receive is legitimate or not? It can be very difficult as phishing scammers employ a number of techniques in order to deceive you. Scammers usually:

1. Registered similar domains to the companies they are claiming to be.
2. Copy logos and content from the real site
3. Point all links on the website to the real site in order to trick you.

Carnegie Mellon University has recently developed a simple online game called Anti -Phishing Phil, which is a great way to test your ability to spot phishing scams and learn extra techniques on how avoid them. To play the game click here.

The best way to tell if the email you receive is a fake is to look at the URL of the site it directs you to. To view the URL without actually clicking on it simply hold your mouse over the link. The full URL will appear either at the bottom left of your screen or just above your mouse.

Here are few tips from Anti –Phishing Phil on how to identify a fake URL.

1. URL’s with all numbers in the front are usually a scam
2. Look at the address part of the URL this is the part between the http:// and the first / , look to the right of it, is this the correct site name for the company that supposedly sent you the email?
3. If you are unsure whether the address is the correct address for the company, Google it and find out.

Lowndes Jordan Barristers and Solicitors have put together a great flow chart titled ‘Will sending this message breach the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007?’, which could be quite useful in helping you to comply with the Act. Click here to see this two page PDF.

Hat tip to Rod Drury for the idea for this post.

If you would like to read our previous post on this issue ‘Could the new anti-spam law affect you’ click here.

Microsoft has a great selection of On-Demand Webcasts available on their website to help people learn about the Office 2007 system. These range from basic just getting started videos to advanced tips and tricks. Each recording lasts roughly an hour and there are well over fifty you can choose from. To look through the full list of recordings click here. Otherwise here are the links to a few you might find useful:

• So That’s How!: 10 Tips to Get You Started with the 2007 Office System
• Top 10 Tips for Microsoft Office Word 2007
• Top 10 Tips for Microsoft Office Excel 2007
• Top 10 Tips for Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007

Note: When you go to download these recordings it will ask you to login with a Windows Live ID. If you have an MSN e-mail address, or Microsoft Passport, this is already a Window Live ID, otherwise you will have to click on the Sign up now button and register (It’s free).

Another way you can get up to speed with the Office 2007 system is to subscribe to the LANcom Microsoft Office secret. This is a weekly email we send out every Friday detailing a different Microsoft Office tip. There is one for Office 2003 and one for Office 2007. If you would like to subscribe to the Microsoft office secret please email owner@lancom.co.nz with the words ‘ms secret’ in the subject line.

Here at LANcom we have just recently updated our Plam Treo 750v smartphones to Windows Mobile 6.

Windows mobile 6 has all the previous advantages of Windows mobile 5 such as:

• Mobile versions of Microsoft Office programmes like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Up to date access to you work emails, calendar, contacts, and tasks.
• The familiar Windows interface
• Internet access

But it also makes a number of improvements such as:

• The ability to view emails in their original rich HTML format with live links to web and SharePoint sites
• A rich set of Windows live services such as Windows live hotmail, Windows live messenger, and Live Search.
• More capabilities for the Office applications
• Better security, for example you have the ability to remotely wipe all data from your devise should it be lost or stolen.

Here at LANcom our favourite new features are the ability to flag emails in Outlook and the new search feature that allows you to search through all your old archived emails really quickly without having to have all those old emails on your phone.

Click here for more information on Windows mobile 6.

What is it?

Malware, also sometimes called badware, is a program designed with a malicious intent. This could include things such as spyware, viruses, and Trojans.

Sometimes symptoms will be obvious like frequent popups or your computer crashing. Other times you may only notice small symptoms like your computer slowing down or you may not notice anything at all, meanwhile someone could be stealing your private information.

How do you get it?

In the past users had to be tricked into actively downloading something in order to get malware on to their machines, but now simply visiting a site can cause your computer to pick up malware. This is called a drive-by download and happens without the user even knowing that their computer has downloaded anything.

Most people know that opening emails from a stranger or visiting a less than reputable site will put you at risk, but did you know you can be affected by malware even if you only surf reputable sites? This is because those reputable sites can be targeted by malicious hackers who embed code on them which opens windows to other dangerous sites.

What can you do?

Stopbadware.org, a website dedicated to fighting badware (malware), has just released a great report “Trends in Badware 2007 – What internet users need to know” here’s a quick summery of what they recommend.

1. Install trusted anti-spyware and anti-virus software (Here at LANcom we use NOD32 anti-threat software click here for more information)
2. Keep your software up to date – Often updates to operating systems and internet browsers can fix vulnerabilities that are being used by malware distributors.
3. Stay educated about potential threats

For more information click here to visit stopbadware.org

A couple of quick reminders

Haven’t updated to Internet Explorer 7 yet? Here’s another reason to. According to Microsoft, Internet Explorer 7 isn’t affected by the majority of vulnerabilities affecting Internet Explorer 6 and earlier. So even if you happen to visit a site that has been hacked, the chances of your computer being silently infected are greatly reduced. Click here to learn more about Internet Explorer 7 (to download IE7 go to the ‘Get it now’ section)

Remember even if you have anti-virus software you may still be affected by spyware, click here for more information.

Windows XP will now be available for an additional 5 months. Microsoft had originally planned for retailers and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to stop selling Windows XP after January 31st 2008, but due to the fact that Windows Vista sales have not been as high as expected this has been extended until June 30th 2008.

According to the Microsoft press statement “there are some customers who need a little more time to make the switch to Windows Vista.”

To read the Computerworld article on this story click here.