Don't get Hacked!

Imagine one day you log into your Facebook account and you see a bunch of posts and messages from “you” that you definitely did not write. Then you notice that your email account is filled with people telling you that you’ve been hacked. You log into your online banking and notice that your money is gone. What happened? You got hacked!

If you are like 99% of us, you have the same password for just about everything. You’ve tried to use “stronger” passwords, but you always forget them and end up wasting all this time resetting your password so you just go back to the tried, tested and true.

I’ve got bad news for you if that is you. News about a security vulnerability called Heartbleed in many websites such as Yahoo, Google, Facebook, and Dropbox were all affected. This means that if you have an account with any of those sites and you use that same password across other sites then someone could have your password, especially since you likely have the same username or email address on other sites as well.

What can you do?

I strongly recommend you start using a password manager. You can do your research and find the best one for you. During my research, I’ve found that the best one so far I can find is LastPass. Last pass is a secure way to keep track of all your passwords automatically. Best part is that you only have to remember one Master Password and the application will automatically fill in all the passwords as you visit sites on the internet.

That way, when something goes wrong you can easily see all the sites that you use and change passwords accordingly.

Here are a few tips from Google, Microsoft and wikiHOW on choosing a super secure password:

The longer the better. Creating a password with more than eight characters is recommended since it’s usually the minimum required, and nearly everyone sticks with the minimum.

Form a seemingly random sequence of words and/or letters. Create a phrase or series of letters that isn’t common but is easy to remember. Use this as your base word. For example, if your children’s names are Cindy, Susan and Rob, pick ‘cisuro’. Or if you grew up on Elm St., choose ‘houseonelm’.

Use numbers you will remember. You are usually required to add numbers or symbols to your base word. This time pick your kids’ ages in sequence rather than your birthday, i.e. cisuro5710. Or the house number on your first address i.e. houseonelm214.

Get complicated. Use punctuation and symbols to mix it up a bit this time. For example, type in cisuro_5710 or houseonelm#214.

Make the case complex. Throw in some upper and lowercase letters, like CiSuRo_5710, or houseOnElm#214.

Keep it simple, with memorable alterations for multiple passwords. Stick with the same or similar base word each time you create a password, altered slightly so you remember it but no one else can crack it. CiSuRo_5710 can become mykidsCiSuRo_5710. Or houseOnElm#214 can easily revert to myfirsthouseOnElm#214.

I very strongly recommend you do this now!

Windows XP Support Ends in April

Well, it is the end of an era.  A glorious era.

I have been using Microsoft products ever since Windows 3.1... When Windows 95 came out, I held onto it as long as I could... The next decent version of windows was Windows XP and I haven't moved since.

However, the time has come.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows/enterprise/endofsupport.aspx

I've done a fair bit of surveying to find out what people think of Windows 7 or Windows 8 and it really seems like everyone is divided.  It also seems like you like one and hate the other, there's no in between.

If you liked Windows XP, then I would suggest that you go to Windows 7.  It is more familiar.  However, if you are a new user or if you don't mind the look and feel of the smartphone apps in a computer, then go straight for Windows 8.

Bottom line is that everything appears to be moving towards the Windows 8 feel, so the sooner we can accept it and become accustomed to using it the better.

I do strongly recommend that you make the move as soon as possible so that you can be in control of the time line since if something goes wrong after the support has ended you may experience unscheduled and very inconvenient downtime.

How to synchronize your Desktop Computers, Laptops, Smart Phones, etc.

If you are like me, you have a smartphone, a laptop and a desktop computer... Who knows, you might even have an iPad and maybe even a work computer too.  You likely spend more time synchronizing all these devices than you'd like.

Luckily there is a solution!

I recommend you use a few different solutions to keep it all together.

Contacts, Mail and Calendars:

You can easily synchronize all devices by using Gmail for your calendars and contacts.  This way all of your contacts are immediately available on all of your devices.  You can also use a Google calendar and that way you can set up appointments from a computer that is automatically pushed to your phone.  You even have the ability to share calendars with friends, colleagues and even your spouse.  No excuse for not picking up milk (or wine in my case) on the way home.

Here is a resource to help;
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/3008051?hl=en

Dropbox for files:

This is an excellent tool to share files between multiple computers.  There is also a smartphone app that you can use as well.

Download Link:
http://www.dropbox.com/

TeamViewer for remote control:

I've been using this tool for years.  You can use this to transfer files from computer to computer, but more importantly, you can use it to control a computer remotely.  This is excellent, for example, if you want to do your banking but don't want to do it from a work computer.  You can log into a home computer from work and do your transfers.  Another use is for printing at home.  You can easily log in to the home computer and print on your home printer from a coffee shop and your document is ready when you get home.

Download Link:
http://www.teamviewer.com/

If you need any additional support for your computers and networks feel free to contact me
Tim Melanson
tim@timmelanson.com

Free "photoshop" type software to edit photos

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and any social network platform is FILLED with photos and images and there are actually some great features within programs like Instagram that allow you to add effects and text to images.  However, what if you want to do something a little more complex AND you are working on a budget.  Photoshop licenses can be a little expensive.

I've been using a free program called "Paint.Net" for quite some time.

This program is quite simple to use especially if you've used a program like photoshop before.  It allows you to add layers, merge images together, resize, add text, effects.

I use this program to create small adds for businesses.  I'm no graphic designer so I keep it quite simple however, this program creates professional quality images that you can share on your social media platforms.

If you would like more info feel free to comment or subscribe.

Creating Photo Collages... for FREE

If you are looking for a way to create great photo collages for a social event or promotion but you are running on a tight budget then you've come to the right place.

I found a great program called CollageIT. It is quite easy to use and of course it's Free. You simply upload all the photos to the program, decide what settings you want to use and save it. You can rotate the pictures or have them all print out straight and lined up.



I think this is a great option for anyone who needs to put flyers together quickly and easily.

Spyware & Malware

Are you noticing that your computer seems to be running slower than normal? Has it become a waiting game when you are surfing the internet?

Chances are you have fallen victim to a problem sweeping the internet. Spyware!

Spyware is a type of Malware that is installed on computers and collects information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user. The spyware is usually secretly installed on the user's personal computer.  Sometimes spyware programs such as keyloggers are installed on shared, corporate, or public computers on purpose in order to secretly monitor it's users.

There are programs out there that can stop Spyware and Malware from hitting your computer, but the problem is that once it is there, it is quite tricky to remove. Many times it is far more efficient to re-install your operating system. This is a very tedious task, and it is especially difficult if you do not have anywhere to backup your data.

You may want to hire a computer technician to fix it for you. They have the required tools to backup your data safely and restore it back onto your computer.  They can also upgrade all the software for you and give you some of the latest new free gadgets.

How to avoid computer virusses

Of all the problems that can occur with your computer, I've seen that the most common root cause is some type of virus or spyware. In this day an age, it is absolutely necessary to have an up-to-date virus scanner running on your computer. However, there are a few other things you can do to avoid viruses.

1. Don't click on Links in emails AND Messenger
   I know how hard this is... You get an email from a friend that says "is this photo really you?", and curiosity gets the best of you. Sure enough, it turns out to be a malicious website and now you've just sent that message to your contact list.
   TIP: Ask your friend if they meant to send the message before you click on it.
   
2. Update your virus definitions regularly
   Most anti virus software packages will automatically update the virus definitions. DO NOT disable this feature!
   
3. Set up a firewall (windows firewall is fine)
   By default, Windows has a firewall program. Keep it enabled! It will save you a lot of grief.

As for Virus Scanning software. There are some big leaders in this field. I've used both Norton and McAfee for a number of years, and I believe that both are mostly a waste of money. For the last few years I've been using a product called AVG. It is free and it is fantastic. I install it on the computers that I maintain and I've never seen a problem with this software.