CallYourHelpDesk.Com

CallYourHelpDesk.Com When you need your PCs to get you back to work, Call Your Help Desk.
(1)

On Site service, quick response times, and affordable pricing puts Your Help Desk within reach.

Who can keep track of all these words?You did the right thing and you've got a super unique, complex password for everyt...
02/13/2024

Who can keep track of all these words?
You did the right thing and you've got a super unique, complex password for everything. Bravo! But how do you keep track of all that? Spiral Notebook? Rol-a-dex? Trained parrot (beautiful plumage!)? Have you considered a Password Manager? I'm looking at 1Pass and BitWarden now. I've used KeePass but I feel need something with more... ooomph. Like sharing across devices, cross-platform compatibility, backups, you know. Oomph. What are you using? (Its post-its, I just bet it is...)

[Originally seen in my periodic newsletter. Want to subscribe? C&P this link to your browser: https://share.hsforms.com/1iytnuk1EQbui8BRZW13M_Qcb2h8 ]

Who really needs those annoying access codes?You know - the 2-factor codes they send to your phone to prove it's you, ya...
02/09/2024

Who really needs those annoying access codes?
You know - the 2-factor codes they send to your phone to prove it's you, yadda, yadda. Who needs 'em? You needs 'em. If you aren't using multi-factor authentication everywhere possible you are leaving yourself vulnerable to fraud. It's just that simple. Have a look: Go to accounts.microsoft.com, do all the login stuff, click Security along the top, and then click on Sign-on Activity. I can see that in just the last four hours, 6 attempts were made to access my account from Croatia, Vietnam, and Russia. To prevent successful access, I use the Authenticator app for Microsoft and enabled MFA on as many platforms as I can. Remember: security needs to be a little inconvenient for us or it's too convenient for them.

[Originally seen in my periodic newsletter. Want to subscribe? C&P this link to your browser: https://share.hsforms.com/1iytnuk1EQbui8BRZW13M_Qcb2h8 ]

Data Blockers are not optional anymoreHave a look at the device pictured above. The outer two pins are for power, the in...
02/06/2024

Data Blockers are not optional anymore
Have a look at the device pictured above. The outer two pins are for power, the inner two for data. It has been encountered out in the world (airports, coffee shops, etc) that the inner pins link to infected systems that then transmit malware to the connected device. Like your phone. They could even try to take control. A 'data blocker' is a little dongle you put between the USB charger port and your phone. It doesn't have the two inner pins, so it can't transmit data. Simple! What could be more fool-proof? Well, of course, there are fake ones to watch out for. Sheesh!

[Originally seen in my periodic newsletter. Want to subscribe? C&P this link to your browser: https://share.hsforms.com/1iytnuk1EQbui8BRZW13M_Qcb2h8 ]

Protecting Seniors from elder fraud and scams[Are they Norwegian? I think they look Norwegian.] Sadly, senior citizens a...
02/02/2024

Protecting Seniors from elder fraud and scams
[Are they Norwegian? I think they look Norwegian.] Sadly, senior citizens are favored targets for the scam scum out there. They are actively targeted for abuse on all channels of communications, and worse, may not reach out for help from trusted people. Here are some tips to keep your folks safe.

https://lifehacker.com/family/protect-parents-and-grandparents-from-elder-fraud
[Originally seen in my periodic newsletter. Want to subscribe? C&P this link to your browser: https://share.hsforms.com/1iytnuk1EQbui8BRZW13M_Qcb2h8 ]

Bit-waitwhatnow?Bitlocker. It's the hard-drive encryption technology that comes standard on all modern Windows computers...
01/30/2024

Bit-waitwhatnow?
Bitlocker. It's the hard-drive encryption technology that comes standard on all modern Windows computers. It is a Good Thing and you want it, but you must do something for us both first: Click the windows key, start typing 'Bitlocker' and choose Manage Bitlocker. In the management screen, click on Back Up Recovery Key. Print it out and save the print to a safe location. Also copy it to a thumbdrive and put that somewhere safe as well. If recovery is needed for you computer later, we will need that key and be very, very sad indeed if we do not have it.

[Originally seen in my periodic newsletter. Want to subscribe? C&P this link to your browser: https://share.hsforms.com/1iytnuk1EQbui8BRZW13M_Qcb2h8 ]

05/10/2023

Just a quick word about passwords. Passwords are the first line of defense and security online. They have to be fairly long (10-16 characters) and ugly (special characters (cartoon swears like !@ #$%^&, etc)). All of that complexity makes them a burden to users. The sheer volume of attacks and losses that occur due to compromised passwords proves that users aren’t up to the task.

If you can turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) for a given app or website, do it. Today. Using an authenticator app is best; having a code sent to your phone is good enough. Passwords just aren’t enough, and research has shown that accounts using some form of MFA are 99% less likely to be hacked.

Questions? Call your help desk!

03/23/2023

[Read this text then join me in the comments]

The world of PCs has never been more vulnerable to security risks. Whether it's hackers stealing personal information, malware infecting systems, or phishing scams tricking users into giving up their passwords, the risks are higher than ever. And yet, we continue to take a cavalier approach to protecting our computers.

Let me be clear: this is a dangerous game. We are putting our most sensitive data at risk, from financial information to medical records to personal communications. And the consequences of a security breach can be devastating, from identity theft to financial ruin to reputational damage.

So why do we persist in this reckless behavior? Is it ignorance? Laziness? Complacency? Whatever the reason, we need to snap out of it. We need to take PC security seriously and take action to protect ourselves.

That means investing in anti-virus software, using strong and unique passwords, and avoiding suspicious emails and websites. It means keeping our software up to date and being wary of public Wi-Fi networks. And it means being vigilant and proactive in monitoring our PCs for signs of potential threats.

We cannot afford to be complacent about PC security. The risks are simply too great. So let's take action today to protect ourselves and our sensitive information. Our digital lives depend on it.

03/14/2023

I met separately with a couple of clients this week who had similar issues; they each had devices at their offices that had just stopped working overnight. The devices were, by all accounts, just dead. The resolution to that sort of problem can be unit replacement, but it doesn’t always need to be. First, try simply unplugging the device and leaving it alone, unplugged from everything, for about a half hour. That may sound overly simplistic, but it really can be effective if the reason for the malfunction is transient voltage in the boards due to power events. And I think we can all agree that our power does tend to be eventful at times. Questions? Just Call Your Help Desk.

02/28/2023

I met with a client this week who had their Facebook account compromised and the recovery redirected to a malicious actor. The path to recovery through the Facebook support system can be very tricky, burdensome, and even fruitless. Realistically, they may never get their account back. Recent research shows that over 60,000 searches per month are done in Google for FB-hacking recovery. And that’s just in the US. Of course, it isn’t just FB that we need to worry about – Instagram, Spotify, LinkedIn, etc; they are all at risk. It is worth your time to take your security seriously by using a challenging password and MFA. An account that gets hacked (and all your pictures and stuff) might be gone forever.

02/28/2023

I met with a client this week who needed a few techy things done. While helping her out, I noticed a printed receipt for the renewal of a security product. Upon further inspection, it was apparent that the receipt was for a fraudulent purchase, and she had been scammed. I pointed out the ways to tell it was a scam and advised her to call her CC company. To her credit, she had been recently recovering from the loss of a spouse and was trying to put her life back together, so a lapse in scrutiny was more than understandable. It’s good to keep in mind that mistakes will happen to the sharpest of us, and it may be useful to have a second person look over an email that appears suspicious.

Address

Saline, MI

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+17346212093

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when CallYourHelpDesk.Com posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to CallYourHelpDesk.Com:

Shortcuts

Share

Category