Technology is undoubtedly a double-edged sword. While it can save us time and money, it can also pay us pack for those conveniences in frustration and “do-over” time… and then some! Be smart about the types of things you use technology to simplify, and also identify the shortcuts that you shouldn’t allow it to make for you. Some shortcuts and mistakes can prove unforgiving. Unfortunately, so can some old habits. Read on to find out how to protect yourself from common technical mishaps.

1. Storing everything in your smartphone, and then losing it – A big no-no for most business people. If you’re like most of us, you store everything in your smartphone. Losing your phone most likely means losing sensitive information such as credit card info and maybe even bank account numbers or private development plans for your company. How to reverse a big blip like this?  Well, I can’t get you your phone back, but I can tell you about password-protecting programs such as MobileMe for iPhone. Programs like this allow you to erase contacts, notes and more in your iPhone remotely. Talk to your smartphone provider to explore the security options for your phone, before it’s too late.

2. Working directly off of an attachment – Your boss sends you a document to collaborate on via email, so you open it, roll up your sleeves and begin plugging away. Seems so quick and easy, doesn’t it? You could spend hours revising that document, and then save the file and forward the message along with the revised attachment back to him. You’d probably assume you’re all set. But  don’t be surprised if he emails you back, asking where your edits are. Although you can see your edits on your end, that’s not always the case once you send it to someone else. To be safe instead of sorry, don’t just open the attachment, download it to your own computer and/or server, then make your edits and hit save, attach the new file to an email, and then send it back.

3. We’re just not compatible – Some Office 2007 users are unaware that .docx files are not automatically compatible with everyone you may exchange files with. If you’ve recently upgraded, make sure you’ve installed the Office Compatibility Pack too, so everyone you do business with can also continue accessing your files. If you’re working off 2007 and you’re unsure if others are or not, simply change the file when you hit “Save as.” Changing the file extension to .doc instead of .docx will ensure that almost everyone can access your files. Also, converting your file to a PDF usually does the trick.

4. Trusting batteries that haven’t been recently used – This one is classic. You flew across the country to give an inspirational speech to Girl Scouts in the middle of the woods at an outing, and you haven’t used your laptop since you left home, so you know it’s fully charged. What you forgot to consider was that sometimes electronic devices have a way of turning themselves on. Make sure you test EVERYTHING that uses a battery hours before you need them, preferably while you still have time to do something about it if need be. When possible, reverse batteries in devices where this is an option when traveling to ensure they don’t get used up accidentally. Simply switch them back the right way when it’s time to use them.

5. “I don’t need to buy Antivirus, I am careful online and know what I’m doing” – In this day and age, EVERYONE needs antivirus. Hackers and phishers are criminals who make ruining your life via the internet their number one priority. You can do everything right, avoid all the “wrong” types of websites, and still be a victim. Pay the small price of keeping a current version of a trusted Antivirus software running on all your machines. Trust me, it’s well worth it. To find if you’re currently doing enough to protect yourself online, please contact your IT provider.

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I don’t know about you, but sometimes when it comes to Excel I can get pretty lost. I finally felt like I had a handle on 2003 when 2007 rolled out and had me re-learning the program all over again! The other day I read a great post on “10 things I can never remember how to do in Excel.”  Enjoy, compliments of TechRepublic:

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=1192&tag=rightCol;topRated

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We recently had a partner, Ryan Hickey from NSK and Associates, out at a client site to perform a presentation on the dangers of spyware, viruses, and other malware due to unchecked Internet usage.  A lot of small businesses have no active Internet browsing policies, leaving a lot of ambiguity on what users can or cannot visit as work-appropriate sites.  There are a lot of great tips that I wanted to share with you all. Feel free to pass this post on to your employees and co-workers.  Your bottom line will thank you.

Please consider yourself warned: Viruses and malware have such a huge negative effect on your productivity, and have real costs associated with troubleshooting, rebuilding, or replacing computers.

5 ways you can get viruses, spyware, malware, etc. from visiting the Internet:  How to protect yourself with common sense, and some general tips to tighten up your overall Internet security plan:

1.  Peer to peer networking sites

• Bit torrent, Kazaa, Limewire, and Sharezaa shouldn’t be used.
• Loaded with viruses and misleading content.
• Also, they have very little relevance in the business environment.

2.  Social Networking sites: Facebook and Myspace

• Automated malware attacks hit Facebook and Myspace constantly.
• Don’t blindly trust Facebook and Myspace as they are a great breeding ground for viruses and social engineering hacks.
• Be wary of fake profiles that send you messages asking you to click on them to “view videos” which prompts you to install “special software” to view them.
• There are Facebook applications that contain malware. Especially some that can tell you who has been visiting your profile.
• Unknown links can either download a virus right away or say something like your video player Adobe Flash is out of date and needs to be updated and that’s when the virus downloads.

3.  Web browsing

• Be careful about how far down a path you go, clicking on link after link
• Don’t download “smileys” or special “emoticons”
• A lot of websites have been set up by hackers to try to trick you to download things on your computer when you go to them
• Depending on your browser settings things may get automatically downloaded or it may ask you to install an update or active x control or something like that
• When possible, make sure you have the most updated web browser out there (not always possible when you have specific business software that needs an older browser like IE6 or 7)

4.  IM

• Don’t click on links in an IM from someone you don’t know
• If it is from a friend ask them if it is OK to open or try a different method to send it
• Don’t open attachments unless you know who it’s from and you are expecting it
• Don’t download applets when it asks you to view pictures, etc.

5.  Email

• Don’t click on a link if you don’t know the sender and the email is unsolicited.
• Don’t click on links from services you don’t recognize that want you to update your account info or verify membership or something.
• Don’t click on a link if you know the sender but the message is strange.
• Don’t open attachments unless you know who it’s from and you are expecting it
• Never open .exe or .scr attachments. Typical attachments are doc, xls, pdf, jpg.

General tips and friendly reminders:

• You have a lot of control over the safety and security of your computer
• Most viruses and malware need your help in getting installed
• Remember the “Trojan Horse” story?  That’s why some viruses are referred to as “Trojans.”
• Don’t believe everything you see in pop-up windows, especially offers to:
  • Optimize your computer
  • Protect your computer
  • Your computer is infected and you need Win Anti Spyware to clean it
  • These things will always download malware into your computer that will make it unusable, steal your information, use your computer to send spam, etc.
  • Hitting “cancel” on some popup windows is not enough. Sometimes the way it is worded will install the program if you click cancel.
  • Close it using red X in the top left corner of the window or going to Windows task manager (Ctrl-alt-del and click “Task Manager).

If you are unsure about doing something, call Everon right away. It is better to attempt to stop something before it gets into your computer than to have us try to remove it or have to rebuild your computer. The old saying “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” definitely should apply to computer usage, especially when you’re on the Internet.

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Sick and tired of having to open new tabs in Firefox?

You can have all of your favorite and most commonly used pages open in tabs each time you open a browser very easily.

1. Open Firefox and all of the tabs that you wish to have automatically opened when you open the browser
2. Click “Tools”, then click “Options”
3. Within “Options,” select the main option, next select “Use Current Pages” button.
4. Click “OK”

The next time you open your Firefox browser all of those tabs will be automatically opened for you!

Want a customized home page made just for you?

Use iGoogle! A service from Google that lets users have all reverent information matching their interests on their home page. You can customize this page, setting your account to display, news, weather, your Facebook account and more!

1. Login and open your main Google page. In the top right of the window, you will see an iGoogle link. Click that.
2. Simply custom select the options you’d like, and create your own homepage for your account. Click “Save”

Now each time you log into your google account, your favorite information will be right there at your fingertips without your even having to type a single thing to get there.

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