Cyber criminals, hackers, phishers and other ne’re-do-wells will never stop devising new ways to part honest citizens with their money. Bogus websites are another way these fraudsters are tricking people out of their hard-earned pay. These criminals create web pages for businesses that look perfectly legitimate. They offer incredible deals on expensive items. They even use the widely recognised Trusted Shop Trustmark. They are far from reputable, however. How can you tell the difference? There are a few clues to look for. The first one is, if it seems to good to be true, then it probably is.
Ways to Protect Yourself from Bogus Websites
Run the company name through a search engine and examine the results. Check and see if anyone else is talking about them online. Do the words ‘fraud’ and ‘ripoff’ come up quite a lot? Find out why that is. Try to find a business address and phone number as well. Call the number if you’re still unsure.
Consult the Trusted Shops Facebook page to see if there is any mention of the website you are suspicious of. Contact Trusted Shops on 0203 364 5906 or email them at emailservice@trustedshops.co.uk.
Use your best judgement. Be wary. Never send cash or check. Use a credit card or Paypal to give yourself some protection.
Verify the website is authentic by checking it against the lists available athttps://who.is/. This site provides the name and address of website owners.
An example of a fraudulent website would be site which has advertised high-end merchandise well below market value. The site will offer to accept credit cards. When the user clicks to provide card information, the only payment option is to pay via bank transfer. The user may be assured as to the site’s legitimacy due to the fraudulent Trusted Shop Trustmark. Needless to say, providing funds to these fraudsters does not result in anexchange of goods.
AGT Computers can perform a full security audit of your business to make sure you and your network are safe from hackers, phishers and thieves. We can also offer solutions for all your security needs including antivirus, anti spam and malware protection. We would also be more than happy to provide you with a number of affordable solutions for all of your information technology needs. We not only provide full IT support, at AGT Computer Services we also provide cloud storage to businesses in the Blackpool, Lancashire, Lytham and Fylde area. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.
The days of kidnapping and piracy have transferred effortlessly into 21st century technology. In the digital world, ransoms are now being demanded in exchange for unlocking a device after a “ransomware” virus has unknowingly been downloaded.. This virus, developed by hackers, locks its victims out of their computer files. It is no longer the Windows user who is affected, as the virus has evolved to target Apple devices, which it had previously been unable to do.
The malware that is attacking Macs is known as “KeRanger” and the currency it demands from its unsuspecting victims is one bitcoin, or roughly £280. After the payment is received the files are unencrypted. The malware has infected users who were attempting to download a piece of software called Transmission. This programme allows users to transfer data on the peer-to-peer protocol Bit Torrent. The virus remains inactive on the hard drive for about 72 hours after which time it begins to make files inaccessible. The victim will start to notice their important files are now cannot be opened, including photos, videos and other documents.
It is believed that the malware was first introduced on 4 March 2016, so users may have started to notice this lockout around the 7th of March. For Apple’s part in dealing with this problem, they have revoked the digital certificate which made it possible for the ransomware to be download to a Mac device.
Apple users who have downloaded the Transmission software should install an updated version immediately. Many Mac users have long relied on the faulty premise that their machines are immune from viruses. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case, if it ever was in the first place. While hackers continue to expose vulnerabilities in PCs, they are no longer solely focused on Microsoft Windows users.
If you suspect your Mac or PC has been infected with a virus, or if you have any software or security questions, give AGT Computers a ring. We provide updates, install new software, perform repairs and take care of all the computing needs of individuals and businesses including backups and upgrades. We serve the Blackpool, Lancashire, Fylde, Lytham and surrounding areas with cloud storage, cyber security and system upgrades. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.
If you’ve read our two previous posts on the subject of outsourcing IT support, then you know two of the major benefits of doing so: saving time and money.Increased productivity is another benefit. This third installment highlights a few of the advantages of using a third party to provide IT support to your business, including keeping systems updated with the latest software and virus protection. Increased productivity is another benefit.
Increase Your Employee’s Output
In addition to saving time and money by outsourcing your IT support, there’s another reason for doing so. This may not be as obvious, but outsourcing IT can help your staff be more productive in their own work. When your employees no longer have to spend time dealing with technical issues, installing updates and combating malware and viruses, they can concentrate better on their work. This undistracted focus increases productivity which in turn strengthens the bottom line of any business.
Take Advantage of the Knowledge of Others
By outsourcing IT, companies can also take advantage of the latest training and technology. Using a reliable third party is a way to capitalize on the knowledge and skills of these workers who must stay up-to-date on the latest developments in software and hardware. IT is continually changing, most small and midsize businesses don’t have the time or resources to keep up. With outsourced IT solutions, they don’t have to. There are also the added benefits of things like disaster recovery plans that will keep things running even when networks go down.
Is your company ready to outsource some or all of its IT needs? If you are, or if you still have questions, give AGT Computers a call. We would be more than happy to provide you with a number of affordable solutions for all of your information technology needs. We not only provide full IT support, at AGT Computer Services we also provide cloud storage to businesses in the Blackpool, Lancashire, Lytham and Fylde area. Let your employees focus on their work while we focus on your IT issues. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.
Just how important having is reliable IT support to your business? Just imagine operating without it. That means there would be no one to install the latest software updates across your network. There would be no one to help protect your network against malware and viruses and attacks and theft from hackers. No one who would get your computers and network back up and running after a power failure or natural or manmade disaster. How important is reliable IT support to a business? It’s absolutely critical.
Businesses, no matter what size, cannot hope to survive in today’s digital world without IT support, but keeping full-time IT workers on the payroll can be prohibitively expensive. Is outsourcing the answer for your company? This is the second installment of AGT Computer’s three part series on outsourcing IT support to a trusted third party.
Time is Money
You’ve no doubt heard the term, time is money. Nowhere is this more true than in business. Training new IT employees takes both time and money. It is an ongoing cost of doing business and it’s an expense that adds up over time. Many businesses cannot afford to cover this constant need for training, but neither can they afford to employ in-house IT support staff who lack the right skills and knowledge to fully benefit the company. Proper training is added insurance against being left in the lurch when systems go down.
Another aspect of keeping IT support on staff is the time it takes for the recruitment of new IT workers. That’s time that your employees could better spend on other things. Even if you do have a trusted IT employee or several on staff, outsourcing can complement their skills even further. This provides a higher level of support, and the outsourced help won’t take a holiday or call in sick.
Check back for more information on the benefits of outsourcing IT support for small and medium-sized companies. Until then, if you have read enough and think your company might be ready to outsource some, or all, of its IT needs, then give AGT Computers a call. We would be happy to provide you with a list of affordable solutions for all of your information technology needs. In addition to full IT support, at AGT Computer Services, we also provide cloud storage to businesses in the Blackpool, Lancashire, Lytham and Fylde area. Let your employees focus on their work while we focus on your IT issues. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.
Information technology support is essential to any business looking to stay competitive in the digital age. Any disruption to your IT can have a lasting effect on your business, whether it’s one terminal that goes down during peak productivity or a whole network. Your business needs to get back up and running quickly. Lost productively is lost revenue. Lost communication is lost opportunity. IT support professionals aren’t just digital emergency responders either. They help prevent attacks from malware and viruses and keep software up-to-date. They are essential to businesses in Blackpool, Lancashire, Lytham and Fylde.
The question then is who to trust with your company’s IT support. Is having a full-time IT staff worth the cost? Perhaps outsourcing this support would provide a better solution for a company on a tight operating budget. There are many benefits to outsourcing IT support. This is the first of a three part series exploring the benefits both small and medium-size companies can gain from outsourcing their tech support.
It’s All About the Bottom Line
The biggest single reason to outsource IT support is money. The costs of keeping a full-time, or even part-time, IT workers on staff can be prohibitively expensive, especially for a business just starting out. If your company is paying the salary of a full-time IT Manager this may mean additional costs of £30 to £40 per annum, not to mention the costs of training and any company benefits provided. For small or medium-size companies this is an enormous sum, but the company can’t operate without their expertise. There may also be the problem of a lack of space. You may simply not have the room to spare for any more in-house staff members.
Is Outsourcing the Answer for Your Business?
If your are thinking about outsourcing your company’s IT support but have questions about what this entails exactly, give AGT Computers a call. We can provide you with a list of options and develop an affordable solution to meet your needs. At AGT Computer Services we provide IT support and cloud storage to our customers in the Blackpool, Lancashire, Lytham and Fylde areas. We allow your employees to focus on your business while we focus on your IT issues. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.
Facebook is a huge part of the lives of so many of us. With over a billion users worldwide, this provides hackers with almost unlimited opportunities to wreak havoc. Yes, we may in fact be a little too dependent on social media sites like Facebook, and this does leave us vulnerable to cyber threats, this doesn’t seem likely to change any time in the near future. Given the amount of time most of us spend online, it only makes sense that we would want to stay as safe as possible while we do so. Protecting our devices from malware and viruses should be a top priority for everyone. Learn how to protect yourself on social media sites
At AGT Computers, we are experts in installing antivirus software to help our customers, both individuals and companies, so they can better protect themselves from attack. There are a few things that everyone can do to guard against online threats as well. Facebook offers tools for protection for users of its social media sites. While using any of their recommended products is a good idea, no single product will provide complete protection, but rather, these applications should be used in conjunction with other tools to help ensure security and protection from online threats.
Facebook works with several partners to provide its users with protection. Free anti-malware software downloads are available for use with Facebook’s existing software. Companies such as F-Secure and Trend Micro work with Facebook to help prevent users from clicking on malicious links. When a user of Facebook logs into their account from a device that has been infected with malware, whether it’s a laptop, desktop, tablet or smartphone, a notification screen will pop up alerting them to this fact. Included in the warning are recommendations to use malware scanning to find help identify the issue as well as software for cleanup. If a user chooses to download the scanner, they can still use the site as normal while the application runs. All users of Facebook and other social media sites should educate themselves on the protections offered by the particular site, and they should take full advantage of all the tools these sites provide to combat security threats.
For all your software security needs, give AGT Computers a ring. We are here to help with all of your computing needs from repairs and new service to backups and upgrades. We serve the Blackpool, Lancashire, Fylde, Lytham and surrounding areas with cloud storage, cyber security and system upgrades. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.
The cloud is the future of data storage, email and file server management, or maybe you haven’t heard. If you are doing business in today’s high tech environment and global economy, then you should right now be considering whether the cloud is right for you? Below are five good reasons why you should consider moving to an onsite Microsoft Windows file server with email in the cloud. If your business already operates five or more PCs on a network, then you should be using a domain-based network anyway. Better management and a better bottom line are what every business should strive for and that’s exactly what the cloud offers.
Improve IT Management and Security
IT management becomes easier with cloud-based servers. So does increased security and the disaster recovery options also become cheaper and more effective. Managers can also monitor output and keep track of progress on projects much more effectively.
Automated File Backup
Every business needs to be backup files. This is just a common sense preventive step to avoid disaster. Using a Microsoft File server in the cloud takes the burden off you and your employees and automates it so you can sleep better at night.
Connect to Remote Employees
Employees can access servers on the cloud remotely from anywhere in the world. This makes any business a global one and allows for a single point for companies to connect with clients. Communication and collaboration just got easier because on the cloud everything everywhere is local.
Save Money
Streamlining a business saves money. Using remote employees saves money. Accomplishing more in less time with fewer people saves money. There is no need to throw money away on maintaining a tech infrastructure when moving to the cloud allows for easy access to information and data. Capital costs are greatly reduced without having to spend money on hardware, not to mention new software and licensing fees.
Scalability
Achieving economy of scale is a money saver that increases output, and migrating to the cloud also allows companies to add third party apps on need basis.
Is the cloud right for you? If so, give us a call at AGT Computers and we can make the transition easy. In fact, we are here to help with all your computing needs including repairs to laptop, desktops, tablets and smartphones. We serve the Blackpool, Lancashire, Fylde, Lytham and surrounding areas with cloud storage, cyber security and system upgrades. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.
You get what you pay for so being cheap when choosing your tablet may end up costing you money in repairs down the road. Spending less than £100 will generally not be worth the repair bill, so consider investing a little more into a device that you will no doubt be using every day, perhaps all day every day. So, which is the best tablet? Check out AGT Computers buying guide for tablets.
Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2
The Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 is big. So, large in fact, it almost exceeds what may reasonably be called a tablet, but that’s ok. That just means its better to read your morning paper on and it’s still light and fairly thin. With a choice of including a 32GB and a 64GB model, the Note Pro offers a 2,560 x 1,600 display, flip-board interface and an Android operating system with internal storage and memory card. You connect remotely to your PC which is an added bonus for some.
The Nexus 9
The Nexus 9 is smaller for sure at just a hair under 9 inches. It’s large enough to watch movies and videos of most people and is suitable for game playing as well. The 6700 man Li-polymer battery should get you through the day without charging and with 32GBs of storage and 2GB of RAM are ample for most of us. For people who need to do more than watch Youtube on their tablets the Nexus 9 Keyboard Folio is a nice addition.
Apple iPad Air 2
At 9.7 inches, the Apple iPad Air 2 is even smaller than the Nexus 9, but just slightly. This tablet has enough processing speed to launch iOS quickly while it remains a one-handed device for people on the go. Thin and light, the Air too is .08mm slimmer than its cousin the iPhone 6 and weights 427g.
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 has a nice, crisp touch display. The adjustable kickstand is good when you want to get the tablet off your laps and get some work done on the keypad. The ten hours of battery life is great for traveling around town or the country without a recharge and with Windows 10 and the Surface Pen you may leave your laptop behind for ever.
Check back for updates on these new Windows phones and until then remember that at AGT Computer, we are here to help with all of your computing needs. This includes repairs to laptop, desktops, tablets and smartphones. We can help you install the Windows 10 operating system, as well as software updates. AGT Computers serves the Blackpool, Lancashire, Fylde, Lytham and surrounding areas with cloud storage, cyber security and system upgrades. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.
If you use Google Chrome as the browser on your laptop, desktop or other device, there are many great extensions you can use. Using these apps will make your browsing experience better and will enhance security and help you manage things like passwords and block annoying ads. The following are AGT Computer’s Top 5 Google Chrome Extensions.
1. LastPass
LastPass is a very useful extension that helps users manage the never-ending number of passwords they need to remember on a daily basis. LastPass lets you keep your decrypted database on your computer, but stores it in the cloud as well. Filling out forms is a breeze and so is their great login and password completion tools. LastPass is a smart way to keep your passwords safe and saves time when surfing the web.
2. AdBlock
AdBlock claims to be the best ad blocker out there with over 200 million downloads and counting. If seeing ads on Facebook, makes you see red, then this Google Chrome extension may be exactly what you’re looking for. It blocks ads across all sites and it’s incredibly easy to ad to your browser.
3. Google Image Search
This is a great extension for finding similar images located elsewhere on the web. Once the extension has been installed, you just hover over it and the Google Image Search link will be revealed. Once it recognizes the image it will bring up others that are similar.
4. Earth View
This extension may not help you manage your time, in fact, it definitely won’t, but it is absolutely fascinating nonetheless. The Earth View tab screen features plenty of satellite photos from every imaginable spot on the globe. Open a new tab and find a random location to explore from dizzying heights.
5. Google Dictionary
Feel less like an idiot immediately with this extension. Google Dictionary allows you to double click on any word that appears on a web page and the short definition will pop up. You can also bring up the full definition of any word.
What are your favorite extensions? Try out these great extension of Chrome and let us know what you think and remember AGT Computers also provides IT support to both individuals and businesses in Blackpool, Lytham, and Preston. We can help you backup data, protect your network and keep you updated with the latest tools to prevent hacking. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.
Hackers are very determined individuals who are drawn to hacking for a variety of reasons. Some are data thieves who want to steal your financial information for illicit gains. Some hackers may want to steal your identity, while others may simply want to cause chaos and disruption in the system. Whatever their motives for trying to hack into your computer network or system, there are a few things you can do to reduce the risk of being hacked.
Selecting a strong password and changing it frequently is a good first step. One of the problems with creating multiple, long and always changing passwords is trying to remember them. Using a password management software application like LastPass makes things much more simple. LastPass allows you to keep your decrypted database on your devices as well as stored in the cloud. This useful app also allows you to use an automatic form filling feature and login and password completion tools. The app is available for users of Windows and OS X and has add-ons available for Internet browsers like Firefox, Chrome and Safari.
Dashlane is another great app which can be integrated with your web browser. The basic features are free but syncing passwords with different devices requires an upgrade to a premium account.
Some important things to keep in mind when creating passwords:
Keep your password to a 12 character minimum. Longer is even better.
Incorporate a mix of capital and lower-case letters as well as numbers and symbols.
Don’t use real words or phrases.
Don’t use obvious numerical substitutions for letters, like a zero for an O. That’s not as clever as you think and can be easily cracked.
Make up fake answers to security questions and change them frequently.
Be smart, but never assume you are smarter than a hacker. These tips can be used for a home computer and even for small businesses that can’t afford a to hire full-time IT workers. It’s always a good idea to make sure you are using the current operating system and have all the latest malware and antivirus software installed.
AGT Computers provides IT support to both individuals and businesses in Blackpool, Lytham, and Preston. We can help you back up data, protect your network and keep you updated with the latest tools to prevent hacking. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner for Small and Midmarket solutions and can work with you to meet all of your personal computer or company’s IT needs.
