Victrix Solutions

04/06/2023

Just wrapped up a 12-hour day with a screen replacement on an HP Laptop (14 DK0028WM model). Before the replacement, the screen was flickering and displaying a faint image with cracks running through it. The hardest part of the job was trying not to break the plastic clips or the new screen while mounting it. Very tedious job, but I'm *very* happy with the results.
If you're having computer problems, give me a call.

02/02/2023

I've been asked about recovering data from hard drives a few times in the past couple months so I wanted to give this mini-public service announcement:

If your hard drive is over 5 years old, it's time for a backup. Do not wait 10-15 years. Newer types of hard drives can last a long time, but they've just recently become a standard offering. There's a lot of great storage solutions out there, but the classic hard disk drive that we all used through the 1990s and 2000s is not one of them.

01/08/2023

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-cybersecurity-director-the-tech-ecosystem-has-become-really-unsafe-222118097.html
This article was published on Yahoo Finance on January 5th.

A Brief Summary (followed by my opinion): Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly attended the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and voiced her concern that the burden of cybersecurity has largely been placed on Consumers due to the proliferation of technology in our daily lives.

Easterly: “We've essentially accepted as normal that technology is released to market with dozens or hundreds or thousands of vulnerabilities and defects and flaws,” Easterly said. “We've accepted the fact that cyber safety is my job and your job and the job of my mom and my kid, but we've put the burden on consumers, not on the companies who are best equipped to be able to do something about it.”

As someone who works in cybersecurity for a private company while building a technology business on the side, I tend to agree with her. From what I’ve seen in my experience, private sector security practices (or lack thereof) tend to cut corners where they can in an effort to save costs. Burden on the consumer aside, if you’re running a business that gets hacked and loses consumer information because you wanted to take shortcuts and save costs, you better be putting that saved money into a legal fund, because you’re going to get sued when you lose customers’ data. May not happen today or tomorrow, but it will happen.

I’m very pro-small business and very anti-big government spending, but this is one area where both the government actually needs to spend more money and the private sector needs to get more serious. The National Institute of Technology and Standards (NIST) provides a list of objectives *for free* that businesses can you use to bolster their cybersecurity posture, therefore saving themselves the headache of legal fees and fines, and giving their customers the peace- of-mind they deserve.

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Director Jen Easterly says companies need to work more diligently to ensure the software they put out into the world can't be targeted by hackers.

12/23/2022

There's no better gift than Peace of Mind. If you believe that you or a loved one may have been affected by a data breach, visit https://haveibeenpwned.com/

This is not an endorsement or solicitation. This is a free and reliable resource that I have used for my own data concerns. It was created and is maintained by legitimate cyber security professionals and I think it's a great tool that is worth checking into periodically to make sure that your information isn't compromised. Happy Holidays!

Have I Been Pwned allows you to search across multiple data breaches to see if your email address or phone number has been compromised.

11/22/2022

Cybersecurity certified, DoD approved.

10/25/2022

Victrix Solutions 2022 Price Guide

“I want my computer to run faster.”
General Tune-up: $90

Install Updates: $20 - $60 depending on the amount of updates and time to complete.

“I think my computer has a virus, can you fix it?”
Remove virus/malware: $70

Hard Drive Repair: $80

Hard drive Replacement with new Operating System: $120 - $150 (time dependent, Hard Drive price not included)

“I don’t know what’s wrong with my computer/printer, can you help me figure it out?”
General Troubleshooting: $65/hour for Drop-Offs, $75/hour On-Site

“I just bought a computer for my home, can you set it up for me?”
Home Computer Setup: $90

“I recently purchased internet service, are you able to help me get set up?”
Home Internet/Office Internet Setup: $90

“I want to swap or add parts to my current PC such as RAM, or a new processor.”
Part Swaps and Upgrades: $65/hour Drop-Offs, $75/hour On-Site. Part price not included.

“I have some pictures and documents on an old phone/computer, can you help me put them on my new one?”
Data Transfer: $25/hour

“I just bought a program that I would like to use for business, can you help me set it up?”
Software Configuration: $25 flat rate.

Please feel free to get in touch by emailing [email protected]

Send a message to learn more

09/14/2022

Victrix Solutions is a veteran-owned provider of computer and information technology troubleshooting and repair services in the local Indiana County area.

We provide the following services:

*On-site services and individual services within Indiana County
*PC Tuneups
*Data Backup and Retrieval
*Home Computer Setup
*Wifi Network Setup
*General Troubleshooting
*Component Replacement/Addition
*Virus/Malware Removal
*Operating System Updates & Installation
*Mobile Phone Troubleshooting

Interested in requesting a service? Contact Alex @ [email protected] or call 814-421-6077.

08/17/2022

The story:

As a previous technical support employee of a large office supplies corporation, I have firsthand experience with the one-size-fits-all cookiee-cutter approach that big businesses use to "fix" customer issues and concerns, often to the detriment of the customer's pocket book and, in worse cases, their device. The model of big business is designed to keep a customer returning again and again in order to maximize profit without fixing the problem.
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The underhanded business practices of these sorts of organizations touched me on a personal level when my own grandmother purchased a "new" laptop from one such retailer that had been previously used but sold to her at premium price. This experience inspired me to use my expertise and experience to start my own technology business founded on principles of integrity, practicality, and cost efficiency so that I can provide legitimate and fair services to those who need it.
Victrix Solutions does not use use the 'big business' approach to solve your issues. Our customers are unique individuals with unique circumstances, and in an age rampant with identity theft, online fraud, cyber crime, and price gouging, we are happy to not only provide repair and troubleshooting services, but also suggestions on best practices tailored to you and your unique situation.
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We not only want to fix your device, but also empower you with the knowledge to prevent future issues.
- Alex, Managing Principal