Jeff Durbin

All computers should have anti-virus software installed. Your business depends on your computers. Defend your computers from viruses and malware. Are free ant-virus and malware programs safe? The answer is, it depends.

Some of the free anti-virus programs are more effective than other’s at protecting your computer. Most of the free offerings lack something over their paid counter-parts. Most will protect you from viruses fairly well, but sometimes they are not as good at removing viruses once they get on your computer. Most won’t protect you from all of the malware/adware/spyware. So, you will need some kind of ant-malware program. The problem with most free anti-malware programs is they only clean-up the infection. If you purchase the software it will pro-actively protect your computer.

So, yes, it is safe to use free anti-virus software. Is it better to purchase your anti-virus and anti-malware programs? The paid-for versions of most anti-virus software are more reliable at removing infections. Also, they tend to get definition updates more often. Anti-virus and anti-malware programs are only as good as the most recent update. So, the paid versions are definitely more effective at protecting your computer.

Using free anti-virus software at home is fine. Using free anti-virus software in a business environment is against the EULA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EULA) of most free anti-virus vendors. That being said Microsoft Security Essentials (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/security-essentials) has pretty generous EULA. You can use Microsoft Security Essentials on up to 10 computers in your business.  Microsoft Security Essentials is my current free anti-virus software of choice. It seems to do an adequate job of protecting the computers it is installed on. I usually suggest, if you have more than 5 computers a paid solution with management capabilities should be installed on your network. Less than 5 computers in your business, then the choice is up to you.

Tips:

Update your anti-virus as often as possible. Keeping your anti-virus or anti-malware software up to date is crucial for it’s effectiveness. If your anti-virus software is out of date, you are no longer protected against the newest threats.

Never install more than one anti-virus software. Installing more than one anti-virus software package can cause lots of problems. The least of the problems is the fact that it reduce the performance of your computer.

Installing multiple anti-malare packages is OK, only if they are not pro-actively protecting your computer. If you purchase something like MalwareBytes Pro, you should not install, another pro-active anti-malware package. If all you are doing is scanning manually then using multiple malware packages is fine.

Remember, if you pay for your anti-virus software, you have support available. If you have problems you can use the software companies support options to solve your issues. If you use a free option usually there is no support or limited support. Usually, with the free options you are on your own if you have problems.

Keep your browser and browser add-ons up to date. For example, if you use Chrome as your browser make sure that it is the latest stable version. Keep Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader, Java, Silverlight up to date as well.

Make sure that Windows has automatic updates enabled. This will help keep your system safer.

Always, use good strong passwords.

Remember, using a free software package like Microsoft Security Essentials (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/security-essentials) should be adequate for home users, but using a paid-for program like AVG will protect you better.

Local Web Site Spotlight:

This week I chose Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce (http://taylorvillechamber.com) as the Local Web Site Spotlight. President & CEO Patty Hornbuckle is working hard to keep things running smoothly at the Chamber. For more information about what the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce has to offer check out their web site at TaylorvilleChamber.com

Last episode we talked about cleaning the physical hardware. This episode I talk a little about how to clean up your PC from a software standpoint.

I suggested using Speccy (http://speccy.com), using this utility to evaluate whether you should upgrade or replace your PC.

If your PC is more than 5 years old it needs replaced. I use the guideline of 3-5 cycles. It just depends on the use case. Laptops I recommend every 3 years, but desktops can go up to 5 years.

If you have a computer that is running Windows Vista, then upgrade to Windows 7. Your computer will perform better, with Windows 7 than it does with Windows Vista. Always. Always. Purchase the Professional version of Windows for business use. Trust me it will save headaches in the long run. If you choose not to purchase Professional, it more time and license money to upgrade to Professional after the fact.

______________________________

Programs talked about in this episode.

CCleaner (http://ccleaner.com)
Defraggler (http://defraggler.com)
Malware/Bytes (http://malwarebytes.org)

______________________________

1. Clean-up Temporary Files

2. Remove Old Programs

3. Organize your files

4. E-Mail

5. Web Browser

6. Organize your bookmarks

7. Defrag

8. Scan for Viruses and Malware/Spyware

9. Install Updates

10. Back up your data

______________________________

If you are uncomfortable doing any of this or just don’t have the time, Call and Schedule to have Computer Technique, Inc. take care of it for you. Schedule one of our technicians to on your site to take care of your technology. Call Computer Techniques, Inc. at 217-824-6398. Schedule your onsite service, Today.

Spring is the perfect time to clean out all of the dust bunnies that are hibernating in your computer.

Before you clean your PC hardware, keep these general tips in mind:

Shut down the computer

Remove the battery (if applicable)

Unplug the power cable

Ground yourself

Do NOT Spray anything directly onto the computer.

Never use cleansing agents like window cleaners, soap solutions etc. on screens.

Do not use Tissue paper, newspaper or paper towels

—

1. Clean Your Keyboard

2. Clean Your Mouse

3. Clean the Fans

4. Clean Your Monitor

5. Clean your Network Equipment

—

If you do not feel comfortable doing any of these things, call Computer Techniques, Inc. at 217-824-6398

We can have one of our technicians come out and perform these spring cleaning duties for you.

Jeff Durbin talks about using your new web site or blog to build your reputation.

Use your blog or web site to put the personal touch into your web presence. Share your opinion on industry related topics. Build a community around your web presence. Start a conversation with your readers.

This week on Talk Tech with CTI Jeff Durbin and Adam Vocks talk about RSS Feeds. RSS Feeds or Web Feeds allow you to subscribe to your favorite web sites. Using a feed reader such as Outlook or Google Reader you can keep up on all the new content from your favorite web sites.

RSS Feeds save you time by allowing you to get all the new content from the web in one place. You no longer have to visit every site just to see if there is anything new.

This week on Talk Tech with CTI Jeff Durbin and Adam Vocks talk about web hosting. How to host your web site can be very confusing. Adam and Jeff lay out some of the options and what they mean to you and your business.Web hosting can be as simple as buying space on a shared hosting provider or as advanced as buying a server and hosting it yourself.

Every business has different needs for web hosting. Plan your web site and then pick the option that suits you best.

This week on Talk Tech with CTI Jeff Durbin and Adam Vocks talk about creating web sites. Adam and Jeff talk about the things you need to know to start planning a web site. Should you do it yourself? Should you hire a professional.

Create a plan. Decide on what you want it to do. Make a decision on whether to do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you.

This week on Talk Tech with CTI Jeff Durbin and Adam Vocks talk about domain names. We talk about how to register your own domain name and why. Promote a more professional image by registering your own domain name.

Your domain name should be registered in your name not your hosting companies name.

This is part three of a multi-part series on backups. Jeff Durbin and guest host Adam Vocks talk about the many ways we should be backing up.

You should have at least four ways you are backing up your data.

This is part two of a multi-part series on backups. Jeff Durbin and guest host Adam Vocks talk about what we should be backing up.

Any activity that creates data is a good candidate for backing up.