Your Tech Guys

01/24/2025

Something to pay attention to in February is staying logged into Microsoft. Starting in February, you will no longer be auto-logged-out. So if you sit at a shared computer, or a public computer, your login info will stay logged in. You will need to manually log out to make sure someone else can't get into your account. And don't forget, we support your small business in Southeastern Massachusetts. Give us a call at 617-823-6370

It’s time to make logging out or using private browsing a regular habit

11/29/2024

Stay safe online while shopping. Try to setup MFA everywhere you can (MFA, or Multi Factor Authentication, is having a secondary method for authentication, Like an app, or a text message) This keeps your accounts safer since even if a bad guy gets your password, you can still block them from signing in to your accounts.

09/24/2024

Remember to update Windows. There are lots of times when I get to a customer's computer for some weird issue, and it's waiting for a reboot after an update. Then, when I update the computer, the issue is resolved.

07/07/2024

Do you still have a floppy drive?
Maybe your computer isn't that old, but is it too old? If you spend time waiting for your computer to do basic things, it might be time to upgrade. We can help! call Your Tech Guys at 617-823-6370

Move part of government efforts to modernise old-school office practices, with fax machines still ubiquitous

03/28/2024

Here's your reminder to change your passwords. It's also a good idea to setup MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication), which means that you will need your password, and then something else, like a text or authenticator app. Having MFA setup will help keep your accounts secure. If someone happens to get your password, they still will not get into your account without that other authentication check.

01/26/2024

So, I was contacted yesterday by someone looking for me to "hack" into their old Facebook account that he seems to have forgotten the password to. I promptly told them I couldn't help them since I would have a hard time determining if he actually owns the account.
TIP: have a recovery method on your accounts. Include your cell phone on your Facebook and email account. This will allow you to verify your identity with your cell number if you forget passwords. "Be kind to your future self" by putting recovery methods on accounts where you can.

11/14/2023

Hopefully you don't see a signup like this at work. But I know for a fact that plenty of you have a notebook or piece of paper next to your computer with all your passwords written down. I admit that a notebook in your home is fairly safe from hackers. If you want to move towards storing your passwords in a better manner, I use and recommend Bitwarden. They have a free level of service that will meet most people's needs. They have a mobile app that allows access to your passwords on your phone. And as always, call us if you need help getting that setup, 617-823-6370

09/15/2023

Summer's over! Time to start thinking about those computer projects for work, like networking those computers, and sharing files. Nowadays, a file server might not be the best solution. OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox provide some good benefits for file sharing. They also allow people to easily work remotely and still share files. When you're looking to get setup, give us a call: 617-823-6370

09/01/2023

Computers have gotten a little cheaper. You can get a computer for as little as $200. BUT... If you're using this computer in your business, you probably want something better. Depending on your needs, a good computer can run between $1k and $2k. The higher end would be helpful if you were doing heavy CAD, or photo/video editing.
I figured out how much you possibly SAVE by getting a better computer. For round numbers, let's say you spent an extra $1k on your new computer. Now let's assume that this good computer will save 30 seconds off of some tasks. And let's assume that you are doing that task 20 times a day, and let's assume you make $50 per hour. This means with a slow computer, you lose 50 minutes a week (30 seconds X 20 times a day X 5 work days), which equals $41.67 per week in lost productivity. If you are able to not lose that $41.67 per week, you'd recover your $1k in 24 weeks ($1,000 / $41.67).

04/26/2023

Unfortunately lots of 'high security' applications force complexity that's hard for humans. I was in an office that holds medical records, and they had their passwords in barcode format on the back of their nametags, so they could just scan them. They have very complex password requirements, and are forced to change them every couple months. this makes passwords hard for people to remember, and causes people to write them down, or have them as barcodes. Better to have a long password that you'll remember than a "complex" one that you'll have to write down.

To anyone who understands information theory and security and is in an infuriating argument with someone who does not (possibly involving mixed case), I sincerely apologize.

03/14/2023

Had a customer contact me this morning because this was in their inbox. This is a common scam tactic. If you get this, you can safely ignore it. There are threats that take your files, but normally they encrypt your files, then charge you to decrypt them. If you have a proper backup, you can easily restore your files. Be vigilant.

02/16/2023

Microsoft disables IE. It hasn't been used by most people in a while, but it's nice to see Internet Explorer go away permanently. If your setup is so old that you are still using Internet Explorer, give use a call to upgrade. 617-823-6370

Now, when users attempt to access Internet Explorer, they will be redirected to Microsoft Edge.