Archive for category Technology Tips

Electricity Could Put Your Network and Data in Danger

It seems pretty ironic, but electricity, the very thing that powers your computer, can actually hurt it more than help it.  WingSwept wanted to let you know that electricity can cause your computer network to go haywire in a couple different ways:

 

First there are transients, also known as surges or spikes in service usually caused by weather, animals, or even damage to a power pole caused by a vehicle accident.  Transients can occur pretty regularly, up to several times per week.  Having a surge protector does not guarantee your computer and data safe, however.  According to experts, surge protectors become burned out after just a few months of fighting off transients.

 

At the opposite end of the transient scale is what’s called a sag.  This is what happens when power drops below normal.  Everyone has witnessed a sag as they may come in the form of flickering lights caused by when some piece of equipment turns on or comes out of power saver mode.  Experts say offices can experience up to 30 sags a day. 

 

Another issue is a blackout.  The definition is just what it sounds like—sudden power loss.  No matter how long a blackout lasts, it can cause major problems for your computer to include not even starting back up again.

 

How do you protect your computers and data?  Get yourself an uninterruptible power supply, or UPS.  These devices can sense electrical problems and adjusts accordingly to maintain normal power.  Make sure to get a UPS that will support your computer.  Contact WingSwept with any questions you have regarding UPS compatibility.

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IT Precautions for This Weekend’s Severe Storm

With the pending storm, this is a good opportunity to remind everyone of some standard IT procedures.  Before leaving the office for the weekend, we advise you power off desktops.  All WingSwept client servers have been given peace of mind with preconfigured with battery backup and automated software to gracefully shut down in the event of a power outage.  This is a good opportunity to review your server setup with your IT service provider.  Please feel free to contact us with any questions/concerns.

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Receive an e-mail from the IRS? If so, delete it!

WingSwept would like to warn you about the a identity theft scheme that is being accompanied by tax season.  The newest scheme developed by identity thieves is to send an e-mail posing as the IRS.  According to the Trend Micro Consumer Newsletter, there are different versions of scamming e-mails being sent.

One version of the scam IRS messages has victims receiving an e-mail advising they did not report all of their income to the IRS.  The recipient is then asked to download an attachment which the scammer claims is a portion of their most recent tax return.  When the attachment is downloaded, the victim’s computer has acquired a virus.

Another similar scam plays on a victim’s fear of being audited by the IRS.  A bogus information form is sent to the victim by e-mail who is told they must complete and return it.  If the victim does not complete the form, the scammer will then threaten them with levy penalties and interest.

In order to avoid the newest scam this tax season, it is important to remember one thing:  The IRS uses the US Postal Service to contact taxpayers—they never use e-mail.

Read more about the article this blog entry is based on.

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Are you satisfied with the answers to these questions about your tech support?

In this article by Ray Barber of Kaseya, seven questions are outlined to help you choose a technology partner that will allow you to focus on your business.  The article states that ”you need your IT to work – all the time – and using an outsourced IT service can give small to medium-sized businesses like yours the enterprise-level IT capabilities needed to help achieve business growth, reduce costs and maximize profitability.”

Are you satisfied with the answers to these questions about your tech support?

What level of customer service do they provide you? Can their staff offer expertise? Do they offer fixed monthly pricing? Do they take a proactive approach?

If you aren’t satisfied with the service you are getting, consider WingSwept, an IT consulting firm and managed services provider in Garner.  Customer service and IT expertise are founding principles of the company.

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Looking Back on the Scams of 2009

In 2009, millions of innocent consumers were harassed, defrauded, and robbed of valuable personal information that may have done serious damage to their credit and privacy for years to come. Some of the most memorable scams of 2009 and possible threats for 2010 are:

1. Spoofing Attacks – Scammers ask you to visit a website by pretending to be an official source, and rob you of your personal information.

2. Economy Related Scams – Scammers use the economy and enticing terms like loans, debt relief, etc. to get you to fall for their scam.

3. Work at Home Scams – Do you want to earn fast money while working at home? These are the type of things scammers will say to get you to participate in their scam.  They most always ask for an upfront fee.

4. Social Networking Scams – The continued popularity of social networking sites is a target to scammers and malware makers looking to spread viruses, hack into people’s personal accounts, or con people out of money.

5. Classified Ad and Auction Scams – Although Craigslist can ebay can be a good way to find things you are looking for, it is also a good place for scammers to plot.

This WingSwept article was inspired by one by Trend Micro Read their article here. 

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What are the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of your Technology?

WingSwept’s IT experts offer businesses the chance to better understand their technology.  How efficient is your network? Is your server and technology equipment holding you back? Are you on the brink of a computer crash? These are all easy questions to answer after getting a Technology SWOT analysis by WingSwept.  It is our goal to help you leverage your technology, but first you need to know where you stand.  To find out more, contact our consultants.  This affordable offer could save your business!

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Are you prepared for the next computer crash?

If you are a business professional of today, then you are most likely on the move and rely heavily on technology to connect you to your work.  When you are traveling, you may transfer important data to your laptop and work on it away from the office.  Perhaps you have to go home at the end of the day, but find your self plugging away on internal corporate documents on your personal PC.  If you are doing any of this, you are not alone! When was the last time you backed up your personal or corporate data on your off-site machines? You are also not alone if you haven’t ever backed it up.

Most people don’t understand how much critical information they carry around in their laptop or personal PCs until they crash, are stolen, or files are accidentally deleted.  Some irreplaceable documents you may be carrying are HR documents, time/expense reports, and client files. Laptops often have a short lifespan and disasters are likely to occur.

Many believe that backing up files on a personal computer is too expensive and difficult to do, but WingSwept is here to clear up the misconception.  Protecting your off-site machines can be simple, affordable, and accessible through the Internet.  If you want to see for yourself, try out WingSwept’s reliable online solution for your laptop or personal PC with a FREE 30 day trial. If you want to know more about the benefits that Data Vault can provide you, click here.

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Most don’t realize how much business relies on data, until it is too late. Don’t risk your data…secure it!

What would happen if there was a flood, fire, or theft? Could your business operate? How long would it take you to be up and running again?

Some don’t realize how much they rely on data until after the fact…when it is too late. That is why every business needs a reliable backup at an affordable rate.

At the very least, business owners need to have data backup on the machines that hold the most critical data. At WingSwept, we offer a very affordable online solution for people like you to put on single computers, such as your off-site machines or coverage for main computers.  It also recommended to have backup to your existing backup, and you can use our Data Vault Services to do so, because it is that affordable.  We are even offering a FREE 30 day trial to test it out and help you protect your business.

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The Necessity of Robust Data Security and Business Continuity

Today’s economy has every business owner questioning their expenses and reducing the amount of risks they take, which is why data security is more important than ever. You may think this is only true for enterprise level companies that can afford expensive plans, but that is fortunately not the case.

It is the small to medium sized business that are at a higher risk of losing business due to major data loss, but rather than invest in a consistent and powerful best practice plan, these businesses often approach data protection in a sporadic manner. 

Data security doesn’t have to be a painful and expensive process.  Businesses of any size can permanently mark data backup off their to-do list, and put it in the hands of IT professionals they can trust.  IT professionals, with the right tools, can make backup simple for you, by helping you chose what data to backup and how frequently you want it to be backed up. Look for top-notch data security that backs up your data in an encrypted form and better protects you from theft.

How would your business fare if your technology failed or a natural disaster hit? How long would it take to recover the critical data like accounting files, emails, company records, and client files? Could you recover it? Ask yourself these questions.

Don’t forget about the loss of data occurs from human errors and is possible with only a couple wrong clicks of the mouse. Unfortunately, without an extremely reliable solution, everyone is at risk.  Data backup is the ultimate business insurance and grants you peace of mind while working on protected technology.  

A majority of businesses close within two years of major data loss. It if it important to you not to become a part of that frightening statistic and reduce as many risks as you can in such an unstable economy. 

My business has data recovery and backup plan, it’s my off-site machine I’m worried about…

On the other hand, perhaps your business has a data recovery plan that you feel secure but it does not include your machines at home or laptops.  Laptops are often not included in corporate backups, but hold critical data that you work on away from the office.  Sources say, over half of critical corporate data resides on unprotected PC desktops and laptops.

If you have hesitation of purchasing extra coverage, try seeking out a free trial. WingSwept offers a 30 day free trial of their online data backup solution (www.wingswept.com/vault). This IT consulting firm understands that you want the ultimate return on investment with a program that is easy to use, always available, and affordable.  With WingSwept’s Data Vault Services, you can pick and choose what machines are covered.  Data Vault Services can be used for secondary protection on your main machines at work, or the primary source of data security for your off-site laptop.

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Having trouble coordinating schedules? Send your Outlook calender via email.

For those of you using Microsoft Office’s Outlook, WingSwept would like to introduce a feature that will help you coordinate with other business professionals by emailing your calendar.  It is a simple process from customizing how the recipient will view your calendar to sending it. 

Click the Calendar icon in the left Navigation Pane of Microsoft Outlook, and then right-click the Calendar that you want to share.  You can then select Send Calendar via Email.

A new window should open where you can clarify what calendar you want to send, the date range to share, and the amount of detail to show to the recipient.

For step-by-step instructions, visit Microsoft Office Online. Select Share your calendar with anyone, and then select Send your calendar via e-mail.  It will automatically scroll down to the final section on the page.

You can find many other helpful tips on Microsoft Office Online. As always, WingSwept provides these tips wants to help you leverage technology.

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