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Avoiding data loss and computer crashes. US-CERT

Take a proactive approach to protecting your data. Here are some great tips that can save frustration and potential loss of data and productivity.

The links will take you to the US-Computer Emergency Readiness Team website, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Safeguarding Your Data

When there are multiple people using your computer and/or you store sensitive personal and work-related data on your computer, it is especially important to take extra security precautions.

 

Why isn’t “more” better?

Maybe there is an extra software program included with a program you bought. Or perhaps you found a free download online. You may be tempted to install the programs just because you can, or because you think you might use them later. However, even if the source and the software are legitimate, there may be hidden risks. And if other people use your computer, there are additional risks.

These risks become especially important if you use your computer to manage your personal finances (banking, taxes, online bill payment, etc.), store sensitive personal data, or perform work-related activities away from the office. However, there are steps you can take to protect yourself.

How can you protect both your personal and work-related data?

    • Use and maintain anti-virus software and a firewall – Protect yourself against viruses and Trojan horses that may steal or modify the data on your own computer and leave you vulnerable by using anti-virus software and a firewall (see Understanding Anti-Virus Software and Understanding Firewalls for more information). Make sure to keep your virus definitions up to date.

 

    • Regularly scan your computer for spyware – Spyware or adware hidden in software programs may affect the performance of your computer and give attackers access to your data. Use a legitimate anti-spyware program to scan your computer and remove any of these files (see Recognizing and Avoiding Spyware for more information). Many anti-virus products have incorporated spyware detection.

 

    • Keep software up to date – Install software patches so that attackers cannot take advantage of known problems or vulnerabilities (see Understanding Patches for more information). Many operating systems offer automatic updates. If this option is available, you should turn it on.

 

    • Evaluate your software’s settings – The default settings of most software enable all available functionality. However, attackers may be able to take advantage of this functionality to access your computer. It is especially important to check the settings for software that connects to the internet (browsers, email clients, etc.). Apply the highest level of security available that still gives you the functionality you need.

 

    • Avoid unused software programs – Do not clutter your computer with unnecessary software programs. If you have programs on your computer that you do not use, consider uninstalling them. In addition to consuming system resources, these programs may contain vulnerabilities that, if not patched, may allow an attacker to access your computer.

 

    • Consider creating separate user accounts – If there are other people using your computer, you may be worried that someone else may accidentally access, modify, and/or delete your files. Most operating systems (including Windows XP and Vista, Mac OS X, and Linux) give you the option of creating a different user account for each user, and you can set the amount of access and privileges for each account. You may also choose to have separate accounts for your work and personal purposes. While this approach will not completely isolate each area, it does offer some additional protection. However, it will not protect your computer against vulnerabilities that give an attacker administrative privileges. Ideally, you will have separate computers for work and personal use; this will offer a different type of protection.

 

    • Establish guidelines for computer use – If there are multiple people using your computer, especially children, make sure they understand how to use the computer and internet safely. Setting boundaries and guidelines will help to protect your data (see Keeping Children Safe Online for more information).

 

    • Use passwords and encrypt sensitive files – Passwords and other security features add layers of protection if used appropriately (see Choosing and Protecting Passwords and Supplementing Passwords for more information). By encrypting files, you ensure that unauthorized people can’t view data even if they can physically access it. You may also want to consider options for full disk encryption, which prevents a thief from even starting your laptop without a passphrase. When you use encryption, it is important to remember your passwords and passphrases; if you forget or lose them, you may lose your data.

 

    • Follow corporate policies for handling and storing work-related information – If you use your computer for work-related purposes, make sure to follow any corporate policies for handling and storing the information. These policies were likely established to protect proprietary information and customer data, as well as to protect you and the company from liability. Even if it is not explicitly stated in your corporate policy, you should avoid allowing other people, including family members, to use a computer that contains corporate data.

 

    • Dispose of sensitive information properly – Simply deleting a file does not completely erase it. To ensure that an attacker cannot access these files, make sure that you adequately erase sensitive files (see Effectively Erasing Filesfor more information).

 

  • Follow good security habits – Review other security tips for ways to protect yourself and your data.

iPad, not for everyone, but for many it is just what they want and more.

As a technology tech, I receive many inquires about every conceivable gadget from folks with all levels of technical expertise. I am an iPad owner and a Mac user, but I also have my share of PC’s and android devices, so I try to give recommendations on experience and not solely on brand preference.

The iPad is a great device, the biggest flaws I have found is the lack of flash and limited printer support. Where apple shines is the GUI or graphical user interface. It is polished and well thought out and rather intuitive. The touch experience is implemented with precision and with each new ios release becomes more functional and feels  very natural to use.

The touch interface is in my opinion a major leap forward in how we interact with our data. We will see in the next decade a change in how we input our information. Speech recognition and touch will continue to grow, not that the mouse and keyboard will disappear any time soon, but as we develop a level of comfort with the new interfaces, more advances will lead us to a new user experience.

Will we find ourselves screaming at our future devices and using gestures that may not be acceptable in polite company, you bet. I am sure we will be looking back in 10 years at the iPad with as much nostalgia as we remember the palm pilot of 10 years ago. You do remember the palm pilot?

Holding on to XP till the last gasp?

The end is approaching for Windows XP… in 2014. The already decade-old operating system is still the main base for much of the world’s PCs, despite Microsoft’s efforts to hold those users away from Internet Explorer 9 (though the latest Firefox and Chrome work just fine) and the other latest Microsoft software.

In its latest push, Microsoft has made and published “Windows XP End of Support Countdown Gadget” – essentially a desktop gadget with a countdown clock until the classic OS is no longer supported.

Microsoft gives it the following overview: “Looking to get off Windows XP? Use this handy gadget to count down the number of days until Windows XP End of Support (EOS) in 2014.”

The desktop gadget, however, is only supported by Windows Vista and Windows 7, which makes it somewhat puzzling as such users have obviously eradicated Windows XP from that particular system.

Sure XP will work after April 8th 2014, but with out any security updates, it will be open season for malicious code writers. Not that it isn’t already, but without the patches from Microsoft any XP machine connected to the internet will be a huge target.

So if you were lucky enough to skip the Vista debacle, it might be time to consider getting familiar with Windows 7…The clock is ticking.

Running out of space?

Here is something to think about, generally as long as the computer is working, we don’t give it much thought. When a virus strikes many jump into action as their data may not be backed up and they run the risk of losing pictures, music, video, documents, spreadsheets, tax info Quickbooks, you get the idea. Something else to consider is disk space. Modern computers generally come with much larger hard drives then those we say even 5 or 6 years ago. As the computer becomes the catch all for our memories and in some cases business life we need to keep an eye on how much storage we have. Windows itself, takes more and more space with each update, compound that with the files that may get stored from emails, programs you install and may never use space disappears rapidly. If you have large video/music collection that is stored on your main hard drive and/or have an older XP machine that may only have a 40-80 GB hard drive you run the risk of running out of space.

What can happen? On older machines with limited physical memory (RAM) as you open more programs windows needs more resources to keep things going and it tries to use hard disk space (swap file) to execute your commands. When this is limited windows grinds to halt, some folks will delete a few files here and there to try and keep things going, what happens is the drive becomes more and more fragmented, slowing you down even further. I recently ran into a situation that required extensive data recovery due to file system corruption from running out of space.

What are some of your options?

  • When purchasing a new computer go for a big hard drive! Setting up a second partition for data files can simplify things for data management and if you need to recover files.
  • For desktop computers there is usually space and accommodations for multiple hard drives.  Hard drives can be “cloned” to the larger drive to increase space or transfer the data files to the new hard drive.
  • Laptops generally have space for one drive, again we can clone the drive to a larger one, or set up an external drive or network storage drive to store the files.
  • Cloud storage is an inexpensive way to back up or store data files.

A good rule of thumb is when your free disk space is less than 30% of the total drive it is time to start looking into options.

 

Need help? Call, email or check our website, we have a live chat feature and can help find a solution that works for you.

Virus “appears” to make everything vanish.

If many of your files have randomly disappeared, don’t panic! First off, there is a good chance your files are still there. A variation of the rogue antivirus programs that have been plaguing Windows and now Mac operating systems is playing hide and seek with your data. The tough part is when people can’t see their files, they assume all is lost and subsequently reformat their drive and reinstall their operating system in order to have a functional computer again. Before you take that drastic step, which will destroy your data call us at Computer Doctor of Maine and we will diagnose the problem and secure your data, then remove the virus for you. You can also bring your computer to have us install anti-virus software to protect your data.

In addition to protecting from viruses and malware, we can help you set up a backup plan for your data, in case you lose it. There are many ways to implement a successful disaster plan to recover from hardware failure, loss, or software corruption. Don’t roll the dice with your files, your hard drive could fail, making it difficult to restore the information from your hard drive.

The Five stages of data loss grief

This is an old post from the Computer Doctor of Maine in Bangor. This could still be relatable to you today, but we can recover your lost data. In addition to this, solid-state drives, SSDs, have been replacing hard drives, for their improved speed, reliability, and at a cheaper price. Nowadays, many more computers use SSDs, but some of your older computers may still be using hard drives. Bring in your computer to the Computer Doctor of Maine in Bangor, and we can recover your data from your failed hard drive. Or, we can replace it with an SSD, greatly improving the productivity of your old computer.

So your hard drive just died, and you didn’t back it up. I’m so, so sorry. You can expect to go through the following five stages once you discover that all of your photos, files, and music are gone forever.

Stage one: Denial
“No. No, there’s no way. This is probably just a software issue, maybe if I try rebooting again it’ll work. I’ve only had this hard drive for two years, there’s no way it just died. I’ll get all that stuff back. This silly computer always freaks out but is fine after a reboot. Even though I’ve tried rebooting five times and it sounds like a fork is stuck in a garbage disposal in there, it’s probably just the CD drive.”

Stage two: Anger
“Are you kidding me, Western Digital? I’ve lost everything! I trusted you, and for what? How does a company that sells such crappy products stay in business? I will murder the first WD employee I see. And what the hell is wrong with me that I didn’t back this stuff up? I am the biggest idiot in the world and I want to punch myself in the face. I hate myself and don’t deserve to be happy.”

Stage three: Bargaining
“OK, so maybe I can download some software and boot this drive as a secondary drive and try to recover some stuff. I mean, I’ll have to go buy a new hard drive and install it and then figure out how to hook this one up as a secondary drive, and I’m not sure where my OS discs are, but hey, I’m a smart guy, I can figure this stuff out, right? Or maybe professional data recovery services have gotten much, much cheaper lately. Yeah, I’ll bet they’re affordable now, they’ve gotta be.”

Stage four: Depression
“All those photos. I’ll never, ever get them back. I’ll never see those faces again. And my essays from college, I was going to share those with my kids someday. And man, all that music, it’s taken me years to collect all that. Why did I even bother? It’s like the last ten years of my life have just been erased.”

Stage five: Acceptance
“Ah, none of that stuff was that important. Most of it was uploaded to various sites like Flickr, anyways. At least the really important stuff. Regathering all that music will be fun, too! And hey, you know what? Maybe it’s good to start fresh every once in a while. And man, hard drives have gotten a lot cheaper since I last bought one. This is really just a good way to put things in perspective; none of this stuff was all that important. Except for those photos. Why the hell didn’t I back them up?”

Anti-Virus 101

Below is some excellent information provided by the US Department of Homeland Security US-CERT Security TIP. Although this post from the Computer Doctor of Maine is a bit old, the information is still relevant today. You can bring your personal computer to the Computer Doctor of Maine in Bangor and have us install anti-virus software for you, so you can keep your information safe without the threat of a virus ruining it.

What does anti-virus software do?

Although details may vary between packages, anti-virus software scans files or your computer’s memory for certain patterns that may indicate an infection. The patterns it looks for are based on the signatures, or definitions, of known viruses. Virus authors are continually releasing new and updated viruses, so it is important that you have the latest definitions installed on your computer.

Once you have installed an anti-virus package, you should scan your entire computer periodically.

  • Automatic scans – Depending on what software you choose, you may be able to configure it to automatically scan specific files or directories and prompt you at set intervals to perform complete scans.
  • Manual scans – It is also a good idea to manually scan files you receive from an outside source before opening them. This includes:
  • saving and scanning email attachments or web downloads rather than selecting the option to open them directly from the source
  • scanning media, including CDs and DVDs, for viruses before opening any of the files

What happens if the software finds a virus?

Each package has its own method of response when it locates a virus, and the response may differ according to whether the software locates the virus during an automatic or a manual scan. Sometimes the software will produce a dialog box alerting you that it has found a virus and asking whether you want it to “clean” the file (to remove the virus). In other cases, the software may attempt to remove the virus without asking you first. When you select an anti-virus package, familiarize yourself with its features so you know what to expect.

Which software should you use?

There are many vendors who produce anti-virus software, and deciding which one to choose can be confusing. All anti-virus software performs the same function, so your decision may be driven by recommendations, particular features, availability, or price.

Installing any anti-virus software, regardless of which package you choose, increases your level of protection. Be careful, though, of email messages claiming to include anti-virus software. These messages, supposedly from your ISP’s technical support department, contain an attachment that claims to be anti-virus software. However, the attachment itself is in fact a virus, so you could become infected by opening it (see Using Caution with Email Attachments for more information).

How do you get the current virus information?

This process may differ depending on what product you choose, so find out what your anti-virus software requires. Many anti-virus packages include an option to automatically receive updated virus definitions. Because new information is added frequently, it is a good idea to take advantage of this option. Resist believing email chain letters that claim that a well-known anti-virus vendor has recently detected the “worst virus in history” that will destroy your computer’s hard drive. These emails are usually hoaxes (see Identifying Hoaxes and Urban Legends for more information). You can confirm virus information through your anti-virus vendor or through resources offered by other anti-virus vendors.

While installing anti-virus software is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect your computer, it has its limitations. Because it relies on signatures, anti-virus software can only detect viruses that have signatures installed on your computer, so it is important to keep these signatures up to date. You will still be susceptible to viruses that circulate before the anti-virus vendors add their signatures, so continue to take other safety precautions as well.

Tablet Talk

This is an old post from the Computer Doctor of Maine, discussing the release of the first Apple iPad. Since then, iPads have become more and more advanced. You can bring your iPad to the Computer Doctor of Maine in Bangor, and we can help with repairs, setup, data transfer, and more.

Phone screen too small to meet all your needs? Laptop or netbook too bulky to carry? You may be ready to delve into the latest tech rage of tablet computing…

Apple had been rumored to be developing a tablet device since the days of its Newton line of PDA’s. With the release of the iPad it has started a juggernaut of tablet development. Much more than a Nook or Kindle, the tablet device has great potential for those who would benefit from what it does well and whose form factor fits in with their lifestyle. Small, light, and dazzling, navigating pages effortlessly with a casual flip of the wrist, tablets must be experienced first hand to really get an appreciation for how they work and what they do. Pinching, zooming, auto screen rotation, multitouch features, while there is a lot of hype, there is just as much function and convenience if you need and will use it.

Sure the uber geek factor is tremendous, pulling out a tablet device in any social or business situation will always generate attention, but it’s when you start harnessing its power and not just checking Facebook that the devices truly begin to shine.

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