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May 2008
In this issue...
►SLPowers
Promise
►Extend
the Life of Your
Laptop Battery
►Broadband
Blues
►Weakest Link
in Network
Security
►Barnacleware
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Barnacleware
by Mark D. MacLachlan, itSynergy
Keeping up to date with security patches for non Microsoft applications can
be a daunting task. Redmond Security Watch author Russ Cooper recently referred
to applications that come pre-installed on new computers as barnacleware. The
name is apropos, these pre-installed utilities cling to new PCs slowly eating
away at resources (both hard disk and memory) in the same manner that barnacles
cling to a ship's hull, slowing it down and slowly eating the hull.
Our engineers have long made it a standard practice to remove as many
pre-installed applications as possible. The process can be very time consuming,
but often ensures a better performing computer that is less likely to be
exploited because some never used application has a newly discovered back door.
Ideally when purchasing a new computer consider ordering without any
pre-installed applications or even without a pre-installed Operating System.
Although this may add a bit to the initial price, you will more than make it up
in lower setup fees from our engineers.
Often times these pre-installed applications are not required and in many
cases will never even be utilized. If you find you really can't do without that
fancy calculator or that little application that takes the red eye out of your
photographs then we recommend that you be sure to check that application
for updates on a regular basis. Keeping computers up to date is a crucial start
in keeping your network safe and secure.
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The SLPowers Promise
Most IT support companies
are different, but SLPowers is different from most. We have a
culture that we are very proud of, and that is the primary reason
why we do great work here. Providing IT support to demanding clients
is actually quite simple. It’s hard work and it demands that we give
it our top game, but it is simple. You see, our philosophy is that
in this complicated world of technology, our job is to keep things
simple for our clients, to save you money and to make sure that you
always see the value in our services. We want you to be a raving
fan. In a nutshell, our promise is that: "If we fail to meet your
expectations, you don't pay. If you ever become dissatisfied with
our service, we’ll tear up your contract.”
SLPowers will always
strive to exceed client expectations. However, “The SLPowers
Promise” is that, in the event that we are unable to meet your
needs, we will gladly pro-rate, reduce or (if appropriate) eliminate
your bill and terminate any contract that you may have with us. We
only want happy customers, and we know that you’ll be one...but in
the rare case where we are unable to keep you happy, we will gladly
assist you in transitioning to a service provider that you believe
will be more suitable to your needs.
Read more |
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4 Tips to Extend the Life of your
Laptop Battery
by Christopher Elliott
reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center
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On
a recent stopover at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, I flipped
open my laptop PC, hoping to chip away at the 7,000-some e-mail
messages that had accumulated since leaving Anchorage, Alaska, four
hours earlier.
"Don't even think about
it," my laptop screen flashed back at me contemptuously (I'm
paraphrasing the error message a little here). "I'm out of juice."
And then, before I
could find an electrical outlet —
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Sea Tac has
recently increased the number of available outlets, by
the way; finally a reprieve for business travelers whose
budget for airline club membership has been cut — the
laptop expired.
Read
more for tips
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4 tips for Troubleshooting your Broadband
Blues
by Kim Komando
Reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center
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Many small-business owners shell out
big bucks for high-speed Internet access. The savings in time are usually
rewarded with higher productivity.
If your high-speed system happens to
be running slower than a clogged drain, don't complain just yet. Before you pay
for an expensive in-office visit from your Internet service provider's tech
support, here are four things you should consider.
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1. Know your speed. You can sit
at your computer with a stopwatch to see how long it takes to connect to your
favorite Web site. But this is not a very good indication of download speed.
Believe me, I've tried it. There are too many variables involved. I suggest you
call the ISP and ask. The ISP probably can check download speeds on your line
remotely. The number you get from the technician will probably be a best case
figure; real-world Internet traffic can be bogged down. Or, you can also easily
check your speed online, through MSN Tech & Gadgets' Internet speed test. Two
other good sites are at BroadbandReports.com (formerly DSLReports) and
Bandwidthplace.com. All three sites send data to your computer. The tests
calculate the connection speed based upon the elapsed time it takes to download
and upload the data.You may receive different results based on which test you
use and where that test's server is located.
Read more tips |
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The Weakest Link in Network Security
By Peter Alexander
Reprinted with permission from Microsoft Small Business Center
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Your
small-business network may be protected by firewalls, intrusion detection and
other state-of-the-art security technologies. And yet, all it takes is one
person's carelessness, and suddenly it's as if you have no network security at
all.
Let me give you an example. In March
2006, a major financial services firm with extensive network security disclosed
that one of its portable computers was stolen.
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The laptop contained the Social
Security numbers of nearly 200,000 people. How did it happen? An employee of the
firm, dining in a restaurant with colleagues, had locked the laptop in the trunk
of a SUV. During dinner, one of the employee's colleagues retrieved an item from
the vehicle and forgot to re-lock it. As fate would have it, there was a rash of
car thefts occurring in that particular area at that particular time, and the
rest is history.
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