Recently a client (and friend) asked me about backing up her computer prior to installing XP SP3. That’s a smart idea considering all the SP3 issues that are occurring. Most people don’t think about data backup, but it is very important even for home computer users. Think of all the information that we store – pictures, email, documents, tax files …

As most of you know, I am no fan of Windows Vista. Arguably, it is on par with Windows ME – which was a total flop. Almost every business customer that I have still runs XP or pays me to install XP on their new Vista pc’s. They can’t stand Vista’s lackluster performance, DRM overhead, absurd RAM requirements, and odd …

I get asked over and over about how to stay safe with computing. After all, my business is keeping my clients safe after cleaning up their computers and networks. My system and recommendations work. Typically, I don’t get much repeat business for spyware and viruses. When I “fix” a computer and give my customers the safety rules, I typically don’t …

This happens all too often. You get forwarded an “Urban Legend” email like the one about Obama being the anti-Christ. One of the 500 people that have forwarded the thing (as attachments no less) has some spyware or adware running on their computer. You think to yourself: “Self, now so-and-so would never send me anything bad.” So you click the …

Well this is a scary thought – employees at utilities companies, government agencies, and other companies just looking through your account information. While the article focuses on Milwaukee-based WE Energies, I should imagine that the practice is very common-place. The IRS took 219 disciplinary actions, including firings and suspensions, against employees who browsed through confidential taxpayer information last year, according …

Recently I had a client forward an email to me. She was concerned that she may have some security problems due to an email she received. These sorts of emails use a social engineering scare tactic to try and entice you. Kudos to her for asking me about it first! This is a perfect example of what a SPAM and …

Well this is definitely a case to watch as it appears it will go all the way to the Supreme Court. Here is the quick scenario. The case arose when Kevin Boucher, a Canadian citizen with legal residency in the US, was traveling from Canada back to Vermont on December 17, 2006. He and his father were stopped by customs …

Well, I had read about this a while back, but a recent Slashdot post brought it to my attention again. Did you know that the US Government convinced printer manufacturers to encode every page of a document with a pattern of yellow dots to identify the printer (and user)? If that doesn’t give you an uneasy feeling about surveillance than …

As I reported previously, the GeekSquad and BestBuy has some serious issues going on such as the porn incident. Unfortunately for them, it serves as bad publicity. Fortunately for me, it drives more business to me. The most recent thing is losing a laptop, and I have to agree with the lady who filed the suit. It’s not about winning …

Over the years, this issue has come up time and time again. Most ISP’s (internet service providers) now block port 25, which is the outbound email (SMTP) port. In the name of trying to “help block spam”, they make it a huge headache for customers who use their own domain or another email provider. If you call Bellsouth or Comcast …