Keeping your machine well protected

 

Passwords

A password is the most important thing you can create, note down and keep with your important papers. This protects your device and your personal information. Passwords although many people don't take seriously, are the easiest and most effective way to protect, your electronic device. Neglecting to set-up a password is just like leaving your front door or car unlocked! A password should be something easy for you to remember such as the name of a street you like, your best friends first name, the name of a pet, combined with a favorite number or color. Using unusual wording or words not found in the dictionary, and the length of a password ensures you have a strong password that will be difficult to guess or crack.

 

Antivirus

A critical part of any computer system or device that accesses a network (the Internet) is to have active and up-to-date antivirus software installed. And yes, this also applies to Apple computers, Iphones and Ipads.  The Internet is a huge network with billions of people from all over the world... It is also where most malware (bad software) and viruses comes from. Antivirus software, updated regularly, and completing weekly scans is the best way to protect your computer and other digital devices from outside threats. There are many free and effective antivirus & malware software's available on the internet.. But watch out for fakes!

 

Keeping your machine running well over time, just like

a car, requires some regular maintenance.

The more you use your computer, or the more the machine is running,

the more frequency at which your machine will need maintenance.

For light users, those who only e-mail and do minimal web surfing a

4 to 6 month maintenance servicing is enough. For average users a

3-month maintenance is recommended. For heavy users; that is

someone who uses their machine everyday and who e-mails, transfer

pictures and watches videos on-line, we recommend a simple weekly

maintenance, with a heavier monthly maintenance to keep your system

running smoothly. At  TECH933  we can perform this maintenance for

you or we can show you how to scan your machine and interpret the

results.

 

Back-ups

An often neglected part of using technology is backing-up data.

So many people loose precious documents, family photos, videos,

e-mail massages, contacts and favorite website links, because

they have not created, and regularly backed-up the information

on their computer or mobile devices. A USB key or an external

hard-drive (also called a back-up drive) are two easy ways to

conserve a duplicate of your information. A back-up should be

done every week for those using their machine daily and monthly

back-up for those using their machine once-in-a-while.

 

Keeping yourself, children and grand-children safe on the internet
People often forget that just because you are home, behind a locked

door, that you are safe.. People let down their guard and tend to forget

common sense. Children for example should only be chatting with friends

they have actually met or who are from school. Tell children that you care

about what they do on the internet, and that if anything ever feels scary or

"icky" that they should turn off the machine and immediately tell a parent,

teacher or trusted adult. Adults and seniors should not divulge personal

information such as: last name, age, date of birth, address, workplace,

or any other personally identifiable details to strangers on the internet.

 

Some people are also "tricked" by e-mail or by phone calls they receive. A bank, the police and/or a major computer manufacturer will never call you and ask for personal information.

If someone is sending e-mail or calling you on the phone asking for personal information       THIS IS FRAUD. Do not answer the e-mails and hang-up the phone. Forget being polite, these are fraudsters and scammers, they can be both men or women, they can sound foreign or

sound local.. They are specialist at defrauding people so don't believe what they say to you. If you feel unsafe call a family member, friend or community resource, if someone knocks at your door that you do not know call the police, if you are a victim of fraud report-it to the police.

These people are after your banking, credit card, date of birth, social insurance number and home address, to commit a fraudulent act, or to take over your machine to extort money for you. For more information about internet safety visit the RCMP website

www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or go to the police

station in your local community to obtain anti-fraud information.