When was the last time that you ran into a problem that was easily solvable, simply by restarting your computer or unplugging a device from the wall, then plugging it back in? Often times, simple troubleshooting tactics can be enough to resolve a problem, but more often than not, there are issues that can?t be easily resolved. It?s these ones that hold businesses back, and we?re here to help. Next time you run into a PC problem that you just can?t wrap your head around, try out these six troubleshooting tips. Keep things simple: You?d be surprised by how often some of the most common problems with technology can be resolved by simply restarting it. Reset the hardware or application, check to see if the machine is plugged in properly, shut the machine down, or reboot it. After all, there?s no real reason to go through in-depth troubleshooting practices if the problem can be easily resolved with a restart. If others tried it, try it anyway: Sometimes you?ll be passed a problem that?s been tested by other people within your organization. Thinking it will help you narrow down the problem, they?ll list off what they have or haven?t done. While this might be helpful, you should trust your own judgement – perhaps they didn?t perform a process correctly, or maybe they say that they?ve tried it, but really haven?t. Don?t leave any stone unturned. PEBKAC (user error): This issue, ?problem exists between keyboard and chair,? is a common reason why you might be unable to diagnose what the real problem is. ZDNet estimates that about 80 percent of problems are due to user errors, which means that the one at fault might not be technology at all. In these cases, it?s important to accept that you might be wrong and work towards whatever the solution might be. Replicate the issue: In order to best understand a problem, sometimes it?s helpful to try to remake the issue. After all, if you know how a problem starts, you might be able to best learn how to fix it. Ask your end-users how the symptoms showed up, and what they were doing when disaster struck. Fix vs replace: Your IT budget needs to be considered when you?re choosing to either implement new technology, or to fix recurring issues with your old solutions. You need to understand where the fine line between fixing or replacing lies. It makes no sense to purchase new technology if there?s still life left in your current solutions. On the other hand, hardware refreshes can be considered when you?re looking for ways to improve operations and get rid of old technology that?s no longer functional or needed. Seek professional assistance: If you can?t resolve a problem on your own, you need to realize that it?s often more advantageous to seek out professional help, rather than waste valuable time and resources by doing it yourself. Remember, there?s no shame in asking for help when it?s needed. Businesses often do this with their IT, as it can get quite technical and challenging for those who aren?t specifically trained on its best practices. Instead, outsourcing it eliminates this responsibility so that you can focus on your business. Info Advantage can be your outsourced IT experts. To learn more, reach out to […]
Cyber criminals will always be eyeing your data regardless of where it?s stored. That means even your trusty Android phone or iPhone isn?t safe. In fact, it may be more exposed to security risks than you think. These tips can help increase your mobile?s security. Set a strong password Whether your device requires a 4-set or 6-set numerical PIN, a fingerprint, or a facial scan, set a lock that?s difficult to crack. This is not the strongest security measure by any means, but they provide a necessary initial barrier for intruders. Major manufacturers like Apple and Samsung are innovating their products? locking mechanisms and you?re doing yourself a favor by using them. To manage your device?s locks, follow these steps: iOS ? Go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, and switch on ?Require Passcode.? This is also where you can manage your Touch ID settings and adjust access controls (Recent Notifications, Today View, and more). If you?re using an iPhone X, go to ?Face ID & Passcode.? Android ? Go to the Settings page > Lock Screen and Security to set your passcodes. These feature names may vary per device. Download applications only from official stores For iPhone users, download only from the App Store, and for Android phones, Google Play Store. Downloading apps only from these platforms doesn?t guarantee that your phone will be 100% safe from malware, but doing so greatly reduces the likelihood of you downloading malicious programs disguised as legitimate apps. Even Apple, which used to be the gold standard for software security, is no longer immune to system vulnerabilities. Despite having a strict policy on downloads (iPhone users can download only from the App Store), those with ?jailbreak apps? are exposed to a multitude of malicious entities. As a further precaution, download only apps that have high ratings and steer clear of downloads from unknown links. Check your apps? permissions When you download certain apps, you?ll be asked to grant permission for it to access your data (files, contacts, photos, etc.). What most users don?t know is that some of these permissions also gain access to hardware controls such as those found in the device?s camera and microphone. And if a malicious app happens to slip through the cracks, these permissions can serve as a gateway for hackers. Android and Apple have already improved their respective OS?s mechanisms to control what apps can access, but you can take it up a notch. Follow these steps to manage what apps can access on your phone: iOS ? Go to Settings > Privacy to see your apps? access level. For example, if you tap on Microphone, you?ll see all the apps that have access to your iPhone?s Microphone. If you wish to deny access to it, you can do so by turning privacy off. Android ? Go to Settings > Apps, select an app, then tap ?Permissions.? From here, you can control every individual app?s access to your devices? files. Update apps and security software We cannot stress this enough: As soon as they become available, download and update your OS and apps? software. In exceptional cases where certain versions of an OS are known to have bugs, not patching your device doesn?t make it any less exposed to risk. And here?s why: Most […]
Details for a security vulnerability thought to affect almost every Intel processor made in the last decade have recently been released, and the outlook is not good. While there are updates on the way to fix the flaws, experts believe that a patch may slow down computers by up to 30%. According to The Register, where the information was first publically released, the Intel vulnerability allows hackers to access areas of the computer that shouldn?t be reachable. The flaws, known as Meltdown and Spectre, directly affects the kernel memory of the Intel chip. Meltdown breaks the isolation between applications and the OS, allowing hackers to access the memory of programs and the OS itself. Spectre breaks the isolation between different applications down, allowing a hacker to trick error-free programs to leaking information. These flaws allow apps to detect and read the operating system codes, look into other app?s memory banks, or even leak personal information such as passwords, login information, files, and more. The patch will make the affected kernel completely invisible, but this comes at a price. According to The Register, making the kernel invisible would add a new process that will increase its overhead, slowing down the computer. Since the problem is with the hardware itself, nothing short of an OS-level fix will be required for the affected operation systems, including Windows, Linus, and Mac. So far Windows has released an emergency patch for Windows 10, with patches for Windows 7 and Windows 8 to come next week. However, there seem to be some issues caused by some anti-virus softwares that can result in bluescreen errors. Apple says they have also addressed the majority of their flaws with their last OS update, and they are currently testing new tweaks for their next update. Linux developers have also created a set of patches. In addition to operating systems, many cloud services companies will need to release updates in order to keep themselves protected against the vulnerability. Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, and Google Cloud Platform have all reported that they are working on implementing new updates to bulk up security against Meltdown and Spectre. However, they have all stated that the impact of proposed update and have found that they have very little affect on performance in their benchmark tests. If you want to know more about how these vulnerabilities may affect you and your business, call us at (585) 254-8710 to learn more about how you can strengthen your technology security.