Backup, Backup, Backup.......

So you are proud of your (or your children’s) iTunes collection of downloads. You have lots of pictures and memories from you digital camera and you’ve built some nice slide shows with them. You have several years of emails saved from Aunt Martha......well you get the idea, there is data on your computer that can be costly if lost, both monetarily (@ $1 a song on iTunes!) and sentimentally. I am always reminded of the old saying when dealing with computers, “Software will eventually work and hardware will eventually break.” The latter is very true of hard drives, the part of the computer that stores your data. Today the hard drive is still a mechanical part that is spinning for hours and hours. Make no mistake, it will eventually fail and, when it does, you will breathe a sigh of relief if you know your data is backed up safely (or cry if it’s not).

There are countless ways and methods to backup your data. Solutions to the backup dilemma vary based on many factors, like how much data do you have and how often does it change, how many computers do you have to back up, and do you need to have a backup offsite? So, until these questions are answered the solution cannot be decided on 100%. At a minimum, you will want to have two copies of your data at all times.

My approach to data backup is: the simpler to use, the better. It starts with making sure your data is organized on your computer. Know where your data is, in your My Documents folder, in your My Music folder, etc..... If you are backing up just one or two computers then an excellent solution is an external hard drive or if you don’t have that much data, then perhaps a 4GB flash drive will do. Both of these solutions are very affordable.

Another solution I like is a backup appliance. These attach to your network and you can install the software on each computer. You configure the software by telling it what folders you want to backup and maintain, the software then makes backup copies of all of these and monitors them for updates. As soon as they are updated they are copied and backed up on the appliance. Besides the fact that this solution is automatic and can be used for multiple computers on your network, there are also some other benefits. One is that you can also access your data from the web, so if you are away and have access to the web, you have access to your files or you can share them with others over the internet as well. This is a more costly solution. The device I am talking about is called Mirra from Seagate and starts at $379. If you have more than two computers, have the need to access your data over the internet, or want the convenience of not having to do anything once you are set up, you should consider this type of backup solution. There are other similar devices that perform the same functions as well.

These are just two available solutions. There are a variety of ways to backup your data based on how you use your computer. Whatever solution you have, remember that just because you think you are backed up, you may not be. It is important to test and verify the files are backed up, regardless of the solution you deploy. So, not only backup, backup, backup, but also verify backup, and verify, verify, and verify again to make sure the solution is working and protecting you..

**COMMERCIAL** Backup, in my opinion, is not an option. Remember, you will miss your data and wish you had it once it’s gone. So don’t wait for a problem to strike; backup your data today. For help picking the proper solution for your computing habits and getting protected, give us a call or see our Services/Products page.

Security Part 2 – Wireless

Wireless access is pretty standard now, it’s hard to find a laptop that does not come with built-in wireless. If you are switching or installing broadband for the first time, many providers supply a wireless router as part of the package as well. In any case, if you are using wireless today or plan to in the future pay close attention. Although it is simple to install with defaults and open access, this is not my recommended approach. Whether it’s you neighbor using your internet connection (both intentionally or unintentional) or a hacker getting his or her kicks, it’s best to secure your wireless access for not only security reasons but performance reasons as well. You see, maybe the reason your internet connection is slowing down at times is your unauthorized guest stealing your wireless is downloading some big files, movies or music or ??????. So even if you think you have nothing worth stealing on you computer, someone can still steal your bandwidth. So let’s talk about the different security types. There is WEP, both 64 and 128 bit, this is an older technology and is most commonly used. Since WEP is older, if you are using older computers or devices chances are they can communicate wirelessly using this type of encryption. The downside to WEP is that it can be broken into by experience hackers, still it does provide good protection against accidental use or the novice hacker trying to have some fun. The WEP password that you will use is either a 13 or 26 hexadecimal number depending on if you are using 64 or 128 bit keys. These are a bit hard to remember you will have to document the key and have it handy if you have guests that bring their laptops and want to access the internet at your house.

If you want to be more secure there is the WPA encryption option that is available on later devices and routers. WPA is more secure and if you are using newer computers and routers is the recommended way to secure your wireless network. WPA uses a pass phrase that you can make up to generate it’s encryption key. This is a little easier to share with people you want to gain access to your network.

To secure your network you must first configure your router by turning on the type of security you want to use and supply the key for the encryption type you choose. There are many types of routers and different instructions for each on how to perform this configuration so I am not going to attempt to explain how to actually to the configuration. It is fairly straight forward and you can consult your routers documentation or web site to get detailed instructions for your particular router.

Once your router has been configured with a key for secure wireless connections, then any wireless devices you have must supply this key in order to connect. This includes any wireless computers or wireless printers you may have. Again these instructions vary by devices, but if you try to connect to a secure wireless network from your computer, you will be prompted to supply the key to connect. Once you successfully connect to the network, the computer will remember the key for this network and you will no longer be asked for it and you will connect automatically in the future.

There are other measures to securing the network that are recommended also, like changing the routers default password and it’ SSID. The SSID is what the router broadcasts as its name so you know what network you are connecting to.

**COMMERCIAL** This blog entry, like my others, is meant to educate and make people aware, not necessarily to make you an expert on security. Securing a wireless network may or may not be something you want to try yourself. HCC has a service that we provide to check the security of your network and secure it if necessary.

Security Part 1 – Anti Virus

Security Part 1 – Anti Virus

There are many facets of computing security that one needs to be aware of in order to provide a safe online experience. One of the most misunderstood issues is anti-virus software and keeping it up to date. When I have customers that acquire a virus I am frequently asked, “How can this be, I have the anti-virus software that was on my system when I bought it?” You need to be aware that AV software comes with a timed subscription to updates that expire and leave you open to new viruses if you don’t renew or upgrade it. As viruses are created and start to spread there are AV companies busy finding them and creating solutions to prevent them from infecting your system. Without these updates, new viruses infect computers that you may think are protected. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the expiration notices that appear on your computer warning you to renew your anti-virus subscription.

Another important and frequently asked question is, “How do I know if these notices I receive are for real or just a ploy to get me to buy something?” This is actually a good question and one that is not easily answered. There are many companies out there that produce pop-ups or windows that are made to look like legitimate requests to upgrade software or messages stating that your system is infected and you MUST take immediate action. The safest thing to do is to always click on (X) in the upper right hand corner of the window to close it. It is important that you never click on anything inside of the window because it might be one of those phony offers. First of all, Windows is not going to tell you that it is infected with a virus, so if it looks like Windows is providing the information it is most likely bogus. The best thing to do is close the window and run a complete virus scan of the system, one that you initiate. You can launch your anti-virus software and check to make sure your virus definitions file is up to date and your subscription is valid. So if in doubt, you should launch the anti-virus program to initiate scans and check subscription status. That is the only surefire way to tell if you are protected, don’t reply to unsolicited pop-up messages. It’s always good practice to periodically launch your anti-virus software to check if it’s fully active and up-to-date. Most programs have an easy to read status screen that gives a good summary of your AV protection and if you have a security suite package that has a firewall and anti-spyware it will give you the status of these as well.

In general, I strongly suggest to my customers to use one of the security suite software packages and my top recommendation is Norton Internet Security 200x. The latest version is for 2008 and it has all the necessary functions to secure your system via anti-virus, firewall, spyware, and, according to the latest independent tests, seems to have the best performance as far as catching the latest threats. When your subscription runs out for your current protection, it is usually the same cost to upgrade to the latest version instead of just renewing your subscription. You can never be protected enough against these threats as anyone who has had them will attest to.

Don’t forget to check back for my next blog installment when I will discuss the latest in wireless security and my recommendations in this area.