How Are the Hackers Connecting?

One of the most common methods is accessing RDP ports and points on computers and devices that share the SMB protocols in Windows 10. The hackers are acting as brokers to help other scammers and cyber attackers alike. They aren’t just ethical hackers or cyber attackers these days – now people are giving the job a title: initial access broker. This is because they get the data and sell it to bidders on the dark web and other areas, government offices, countries, and even your competitors (yes, this happens).

RDP Endpoint Sales

RDP connections are a hacker’s dream come true when spreading computer viruses.

This is when cyber criminals succeed with brute force cyberattacks on your servers or workstations configured to use the Remote Desktop Protocol. They then sell these remote desktop connections.

Hacked Network Equipment

Believe it or not, there are more and more vulnerabilities becoming persistent with this. As major ISPs worldwide are getting slammed with lawsuits regarding the issue, it still happens. Hackers exploit vulnerabilities of your network routers and modems, or even VPNs, and get access into the network and to the central data unit.

BOTNet Sifters

The malware and ransomware botnets go through the computers they infect and encrypt all their data. This allows them to be sold to other ransomware teams.

Fortunately, there are some defenses regarding these computer viruses. Still, the biggest problem is that many of these emerging viruses have never been seen before – let alone in the volume in which they are modified these days. Here are some of the most common computer viruses cyber attackers use nowadays.

MARS Virus

The MARS ransomware computer virus digs its heels into your data and encrypts more files than you think.

The MARS virus is extremely new – only being discovered in November 2020. What’s interesting about this is that the primary attacks seem to be coming from Russia and the surrounding areas. This ransomware acts like many others, but there is no fix for it yet (many others have decryptors for files already, but not this one).

Emotet

The Emotet malware strikes when you click the “Enable Editing” button and is one of the more complex computer viruses to remove.

This is one of the most popular and largest malware botnets out there. While most of these attacks are with ransomware teams directly, this attack is a chain of other ransomware infections. The compromised system’s data is then sold.

Trickbot

Trickbot has been making a comeback during the pandemic and is one of many computer viruses reaping havoc on RDP accounts.

Trickbot is a pretty similar botnet. Like Emotet, it is malware that allows cybercrime to take place. However, this one infects the victims but gets access to Emotet-infected systems.

BazarLoader

This one’s a doozy but acts like the backdoor trojans of yesteryears. However, it linked to the original Trickbot hacking group and became a spinoff of that project. What’s the most important problem is that they install the Ryuk ransomware.

Qakbot/Qbot

QakBot/Qbot is one of the most devastating computer viruses you can get infected with.

This one goes by multiple names. Infosec has deemed this one a slower infection than older systems. At the same time, the QakBot groups end up taking their time with their infections. However, they collaborate with other botnet networks to make them even more lethal.

SDBBot

You need to audit your network immediately if you see any computer viruses.

This one’s a more recent malware infection. It’s tied to a cybercrime group that has been seen where Clop and other ransomware computer viruses were inserted.

Dridex

Dridex helps distribute computer viruses to unsuspecting individuals.

This backdoor trojan is more of a malware downloader program. It is one of the most used spam email campaigns today and distributes the ransomware called Locky. However, they are using other newer ransomware strains to hit larger companies.

So How Do I Stay Protected?

First, you need a network solution to protect your business’s data and preserve its security. Finding the right IT support team is one of the most important things you can do. Ransomware hackers aren’t just sticking to computers and emails anymore. These days, exploits in various items around your offices can quickly become a target. And if they get access to your router, you’re in for a world of hurt. The most important thing you can do is contact your team to install some very secure firewalls, then increase your device security with a high-powered sentinel to protect your computer.

Important January 2021 Update

How One Malware Chain Became the Most Costly & How to Defend Against It

Emotet is one of the most dangerous computer viruses we have seen in a long time.

We’ve mentioned it, and you’ve probably heard about it elsewhere. Still, Emotet – the super virus of 2020 – has become the most impactful and destructive threat to small and medium businesses, government organizations, and larger corporations. While it’s not a new virus, it’s more heavily modified. It is evolving beyond a banking trojan – including selling information to other cyber attackers and infecting users with ransomware. But what is it? And how could one initially just an email phishing virus become this big?

Much Like a Worm

The super virus known as Emotet is similar to past computer viruses called worms.

Like the old viruses called “worms,” Emotet often uses phishing emails to infect other systems on a network, other people’s contacts, and much more. And just like computer viruses of the past, users don’t know that they’ve been attacked until after.

However, Emotet is not a worm, even though it acts like one. And it can be spread in similar fashions, and other attackers have been delivering it with other methods. It was initially made as banking malware but has made its way to personal and small business computers, making it one of the most widely used and dangerous computer viruses.

Trickbot is the Second Most Dangerous

Out of all the current computer viruses, the Trickbot banking trojan ranks second regarding how much damage it produces.

Also, banking trojans are constantly being manipulated, and “improved” (more like tailored to do more damage) to the point that it’s become one of the other leading ways that cyber attackers can install ransomware on individual computers. Many of these trojans are being used to take advantage of exploits in network routers, home and business network computers, and even Microsoft products. This allows users to access any educated exploit they can use against the system to damage it.

Can an Antivirus Stop the Attack?

Installing an antivirus like SentinelOne can assist in keeping computer viruses at bay.

Although it’s highly reported that most attacks can be stopped with Windows Defender and other antivirus programs, many of these trojan viruses have protection to keep the user unaware that the virus is being installed. Even many advanced firewalls are not detecting the attacks. That’s where full-service solutions like SentinelOne come into play.

SentinelOne can offer a large defense against these attacks and even prevent them. At the same time, it can also aid in recovering data that may have been breached – and many ransomware attackers know it. Numerous companies are threatened when the attacker realizes they’re ignoring their ransomware attacks. We’ve even mentioned in a previous post that some hackers are cold-calling their victims when they know that their demands are being ignored.

So How Can You Protect Yourself?

Aside from using a full-service solution, it would help if you instilled maximum security. This is sometimes hard to do when you’re busy working. Therefore, you must have IT specialists that provide multiple services to implement these different security solutions. This could include, but not be limited to:

• Local cloud backups of your company’s financial and critical data
• Increased email security
• Advanced knowledge of cybersecurity that they’ll happily share so you can teach your employees
• A defense and helpdesk solution lets you keep busy doing what’s important – running your business.
• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems and phone services that extend outside of your office to local home offices
• Dedicated local web hosting solutions
• And much more
• Whatever you decide to do, it’s crucial that you avoid getting these “deadly for business” computer viruses, and give us a call at Infinity DataTel today!

Are You Keeping Up to Par with Your Cybersecurity?

While many companies think that they are, the truth is (and we mean no disrespect to anyone by this) you’re probably not. When it comes to cybersecurity, you never stop learning. This is huge because as technology emerges and constantly evolves, so do the dangers of cyber attackers. They’re always learning new methods (and even old methods, such as software exploits) to develop new ways to get into business systems and steal information, data, and of course, the worst thing they can steal – money.

Some cyber attackers even go one step further to get their money from you by hijacking emails and conversations on the phone and even installing crypto-mining software on your computers at work. Do you know how you can stop this from happening? Two words, security training.

So, How Can I Be Sure I’m Up to Par?

First off, there are many things you can do to ensure that you’re keeping up to speed with your cybersecurity. Train your employees in cybersecurity methods (if you don’t know where to begin, we’ve got a post all about it as well). Once you train your employees, you can ensure that your systems are all set up with the top defense to thwart attackers.

Network Security

Endpoint security does many things, but what it does well is catapult your network security solutions to a whole new level.

You must have the right network security. With the proper equipment and network security protocols, like advanced firewalls, you can ensure that you are taking the first step to increasing your company’s protection. This also goes with having state-of-the-art networking that your managed IT team can install for you.

Device Security

Ensure all your devices are secure to keep your data safe from hackers.

Don’t think that you’re safe just yet. Every single device needs to be able to be secured so that you can guarantee your company’s safety. This includes email protection and even antivirus software to protect your computers and stop hackers before they can connect to your systems. Securing your devices can ensure that you are protected even when your employees use them.

Employee Security Training and Monitoring

Sometimes you can’t just think that every employee will know they’re not doing anything that may cause a security breach. They may not mean to, but having security monitoring to see their every move can help trace cyberattacks to where and when they started if they happen so you can get it cleared up quickly.

Data Backup Services

No matter your business, you’ll need a data backup solution and disaster recovery plan. Because even with the best employee security training, nothing is 100%.

A local service to provide complete data backups for your company is essential to your business security. You don’t want to keep all of your customer and company info-account data, confidential information, and even payroll info. You want to ensure that your company can get the full service of data backups regularly. And by them being locally owned and operated means that if there’s ever a problem, they can retrieve anything you’re looking for if you can’t find it rather than calling some helpdesk overseas.

Voice over Internet Protocol Phone Systems

With an Infinity DataTel managed phone system running 3CX software, VoIP exploits will be kicked to the curb, and your employee security training will be given a jolt.

The systems you choose are critical when it comes to security. Not only are VoIP systems extremely secure with the proper devices and cybersecurity practices, but you can also guarantee that you’ll save a lot more money. Having VoIP rather than using landlines and fiber is a win-win situation. It also helps in this current world where remote work is becoming a more viable option for employees.

Using the Right Managed Services Provider

With Infinity Solutions/DataTel as your managed service provider, you’ll sleep well knowing the best MSP in Arizona is handling your network and employee security training.

When you look at everything you need, you’ll want an all-in-one technology solution rather than having to pay for every service separately. That’s where the right managed service provider comes into play. They’re very much different than IT departments and IT support technicians – they’re masters at being able to give you every one of these services – and often have packages to provide them to you so you can save at the same time.

Final Security Training Thoughts

If your systems are outdated, or you are still running old software and network systems in your business, then make sure you get up to speed. Employee security training is not just a one-off event. Employee security training should be done continuously throughout the year. For more info about our employee security training methods and to get the right cybersecurity solutions that your company needs, send us a message or give us a call.

Why is it so bad? First, this is one of the rare advanced ransomware infections that you can find very little (but often duplicated content) about this nasty ransomware installed on your computer. According to the information that you get with the virus in the infamous !!! MARS_DECRYPT.TXT file that goes into every folder and attacks your Microsoft Office files. But wait, there’s more.

What is this MARS Ransomware Virus?

The MARS ransomware acts similarly to other ransomware viruses out there. You can get it in numerous ways, but the most common practice these days is thanks to the SMB: CVE-2020-0796 exploit in Windows 10. Fortunately, Windows versions 1903 and 1909 have these patches available in the Windows Update store. Still, there is only a workaround (which isn’t even guaranteed to work) using a PowerShell command that ends up blocking SMB protocols.

The easiest way to deter the MARS ransomware is to turn off your computer’s SMB.

Want another workaround? Turn off SMB in your Microsoft Windows system. No. Really. All of it. Unfortunately for businesses and even home office networks, this makes file sharing between computers a pain in the butt. You can also disable Windows Services (or port 445) on your router network – but then this also can break the ability for Windows to download data from Windows services.

The virus is installed, and apparently, it seems that it is a Russian hacker with complete access. It tells you that you have so many of your office files and infects different file types. They list all that the virus is supposedly encrypting – but this isn’t all the files that get encrypted on your device. The virus then installs other malware into browsers and causes chrome to go haywire in the background, loading extremely malicious websites and installing other viruses.

However, the tricky thing is that you don’t even see what websites open because the windows are invisible (Malwarebytes can catch this happening if you’re infected in real-time).

What’s MARS Ransomware’s Goal?

Like most ransomware, the MARS ransomware is after Bitcoin. Image by Aaron Olson from Pixabay

The goal of these types of ransomware is to steal bitcoin. These days, small businesses have been getting hit harder and more often regarding ransomware. The reason? It’s much easier to charge many small companies, LLCs, and freelancers these days a small amount than to go after a big company with more robust security. More people get infected for no reason – more people pay smaller amounts. This is a business tactic on its own (think about customer service. Charge less, get more customers).

The MARS ransomware infection attacks your system when malicious attachments containing malicious files are downloaded, demanding bitcoin (usually anywhere from $500-800. The encryption process happens swiftly, and you are in big trouble if you don’t have a cloud backup. They tell you to send the unique id and three files for test decryption to an outlook or Russian email address. After decryption, they send you the decrypted files and give you a bitcoin wallet to send the money to.

What Files Are Affected?

“All your important files are encrypted.
To recover encrypted files, you need:1. Buy bitcoins. The easiest way to buy bitcoins is the LocalBitcoins site. You must register, click “Buy Bitcoins,” and select a seller by payment method and price. https://localbitcoins.com/buy_bitcoins

You can also find other places to buy bitcoins and a beginner’s guide here:

“They claim that they’re only infecting office documents, but it gets much worse than that. According to their “ransom note,” they encrypt the following filetypes:

The MARS ransomware digs its heels into your data and encrypts more files than you think.

XLS, XLSX, DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, ODT, ODS, PDF, PSD, FPT, PHP, and MDB files. However, it gets much deeper than that. If the virus runs for a while, then you may notice that even these files get encrypted: .bmp, .jpg, .mp4, .sav (emulator saved games), .dat, .ini, .txt, .rtf, .dotm, .cs (C#), visual studio files, .wav, .mp3, .wma, and many others.

So What Am I Supposed to Do to Be Safe?

Want to keep the MARS ransomware away? Make sure your password-protected sharing is turned on.

If you think you may be at risk, we already gave you a basic idea. Ensure that you don’t have password-protected sharing turned off, but most importantly, disable the SMB protocol on your computer. You can do this currently (until the future Windows Update) in Control Panel > Programs and Features > Windows Features and uncheck both boxes showing SMB in the title. Restart your computer after this and apply the changes. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re safe.

Can I Restore the Encrypted Files?

There are numerous types of file decryption programs released by multiple companies. This ranges from Kaspersky Labs to even Trend Micro and more – but they haven’t created a decryption key for this virus, and we don’t recommend one decryption program over another. It was just discovered this month, and while some say you can use things like Stellar Data Recovery, many users complain that it doesn’t work to recover their files after decryption.

If you have a Shadow Copy from the Windows Shadow Volume Copy service, you may be lucky enough to get some of these files back if you restore them to a specific date. However, you may end up losing some files in the process still.

While a restore point may restore your programs before the attack, this may leave you vulnerable. This is why we urge all of our users to perform a cloud backup daily and, at worst, a weekly backup because it makes the recovery process much more straightforward. In many cases, the only way to fix the solution is to reset your computer using the Windows 10 Recovery Tool.

Mars Ransomware Removal

There are two ways to remove Mars Ransomware from your system. One method involves removing the malware manually with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium or a similar program. Another option is to purchase an anti-malware tool such as SpyHunter, which has been proven effective against similar threats. Both methods require downloading software onto your PC. We highly advise against installing any unknown applications found online without first reading about what they do.

Manual removal requires opening each folder where the malicious application resides and deleting everything. This method is time-consuming and risky since there’s no guarantee that you’ll delete every single piece of data associated with the threat. If you’re unsure how to proceed, contact us immediately to help guide you through the steps involved.

Spyhunter will scan your entire hard drive and display a list of items detected during its analysis. Click “Next,” review the results, and “Remove Selected.” The program should automatically reboot when complete. Note: SpyHunter does not provide real-time protection; therefore, please ensure you run scans regularly.

There Are Still Infinite Solutions

Suppose you feel that your cybersecurity is lacking or that your systems may be threatened by the MARS ransomware(or the possibility of getting it). In that case, you’ll want to get ahold of your local service provider and ensure that they have a full-circle IT solution ready for you to stop the attackers at the gates and not let them in. An advanced threat protection solution that offers active anti-ransomware protection is a good start.

You may even have the date on local cloud backups with your MSP provider to help you get your old files back. But suppose you see that you get infected with the MARS ransomware. In that case, you must first disconnect that infected device completely, possibly even disable or shut down your internet, and call your service provider. They can help you with the proper steps from there!

It didn’t always use to be this way, but one thing has been made certain – their customer service sucks! You can ask them a question about what happened to your computer after a Windows Update, and they tell you it was your fault and that you did something to corrupt your own files, right? Wrong. Well, don’t be that guy! And here are some tips that can keep your customer service up to par.

1.   Don’t Outsource

Stop outsourcing your customer service and try bringing more projects back in-house for better results.

While we know that it’s often a cheaper solution to outsource, hiring freelancers for everything from writing to graphics and web design, or even a virtual assistant, there must be limits and standards. If you’re based in the U.S. and the majority of your customers are American, then you should consider hiring Americans for your customer service. Many businesses have gone downhill after outsourcing to other countries because the services are cheaper, but if you’re losing customers or they aren’t happy, is it?

2.   Answer Those Calls!

To really make a positive impression and to score customer service brownie points, always answer the phone.

Understandably, you may have trouble answering your phone calls when hundreds every hour are rolling in. One thing you can do is incorporate a message center, hire a call center, or one better – invest in a VoIP service provider that can deliver local solutions so you can always get your messages, answer phone calls from anywhere, or even have scheduled web conferences with your customers.

3.   Increase Your Security

Beefing up your security will not only keep you safe, but it keeps your customers’ info safe as well. Allowing you to add to your customer service arsenal.

Having your systems up to date and completely locked down from viruses, ransomware, and other hijack attempts are extremely important in data protection these days. Many small businesses think that it’s simply to protect their own data – this is a huge mistake. Investing in a solid data corruption solution or local cloud storage company can make a huge impact on your customer’s data protection as well, and this should be your main priority.

4.   Customers First

Another great tip to knock your customer service out of the park is to listen to your customers and fix their problems promptly.

There are two ways to handle customers’ needs and problems. The first is to operate on a first-come, first-serve basis, and the other is to handle things on a tier-based necessity (almost like a triage) basis. Of course, the main thing is that the customers come first, and they’re always right (even though they may be wrong). The best thing you can do is to make sure you listen well to their needs and requests. If they are worried about their data, or more importantly – if they have a problem that needs to be resolved, it must be handled promptly.

Always make sure that you make your customers feel wanted, not needed. The need is there because no business operates without having customers and clients, but they need you to do what you have to do to make them feel satisfied first and foremost.

5.   Improve Your Website

Believe it or not, your website design affects not just your web traffic. An outdated design could lead to a poor user experience, thus making your customers less likely to use your services or your products.

With WordPress becoming the standard, there are a billion sites out there that are just out of the norm and completely outdated. This is especially true when it comes to local businesses. Everything needs to be optimized for mobile devices first, and then you can work from there to create your desktop mobile sites. Want to do one even better? Hire a freelance web designer, and then utilize your managed service provider’s web hosting package. This will give you an edge against your competition on the market – and can even help your business grow into more than just a small business!

Conclusion: It’s Not That Hard

One of the worst things you can do is hang up on a customer (without plenty of warnings), so definitely don’t do that – like the IRS, every state’s Unemployment office during the pandemic, or companies like Microsoft (yes, they have hung up on their customers for no reason, not just got disconnected). Aside from this, you can do everything above (which Microsoft, Apple, and other large online organizations have forgotten, it seems), and your customer service should be fine!

The Pros of the Dropbox Password Manager

The Dropbox password manager has quite a few pros and benefits of interest to your business.

There are many benefits to using password managers for business applications.

1. The Dropbox password manager can protect your employees’ information.
2. It allows you to have particular concrete policies that protect your business.
3. It allows you to have the ability to set and enforce your passwords that may change regularly – but still allow employees to sign in seamlessly as if nothing has changed.
4. It can improve productivity and overall workplace efficiency.
5. They’re often more secure for your business. You’re more likely to have a cyber attacker try to phish the pertinent information from you than they are to get into your password manager.

Is Third-Party the Best Solution?

Not all password managers are created equal; some are downright awful regarding security. The Dropbox password manager is still in Beta, but it’s looking to change the game.

While you need to know that any third party may be liable for the information should you have a data breach, you want to ensure all of your company’s passwords are safe. Therefore, you must do homework before signing up for a service like the Dropbox password manager. These third-party services are always subject to attack. At any given point, they aren’t as good as dedicated services designed to provide ONLY password management to your company.

Software Solutions for Password Management

Partnering with the right MSP can be highly beneficial for password management and all facets of IT.

There are other things that you can have instilled into your business for security. These are often browser-based, but if you talk to your IT team, you may be able to have them find a quality software solution that can protect you more on the local level. These services are just as secure because you have everything stored on a local server, but you still run the risk of attacks if you don’t have one of the best cybersecurity suites to keep hackers out from the base of their attack points.

With the right managed service provider, you can get a locally owned solution rather than trust some third-party corporation that you may even have trouble calling customer support. And they’ll be able to provide cloud backup services and password management software. What’s the downside to this? If you have all your passwords stored on a local device, you are ultimately waiving the right for another company to maintain responsibility.

How to Protect Yourself

Network security is dependent on employee education, first and foremost. But did you know that password security is just as important? The Dropbox password manager will make it easier and safer to store different passwords for every site and program you need.

First, when you sign up for a service that uses a password manager, you will have a master password in place. You may want only to give your IT support team access to this and nobody else. Otherwise, your IT team may be able to have one, and you need it to be completely secure and nearly impossible to thwart and discover. There are all kinds of hacker tools that can try to find string passwords, so you need to have a good mix of capital and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers to protect yourself.

If you forget the master password, you may have some trouble. And what’s worse? It doesn’t mean you’re safe. Suppose your attacker should find a Windows Office exploit to operate your system remotely or even install a keylogger on your system. In that case, they can end up getting that master password and gaining access to EVERYTHING that you have secured in your company. Not even The Dropbox password manager can protect against something like this.

How Can I Avoid This?

It never hurts to have your passwords stored somewhere, but you want to ensure that you have them in the safest place possible. Talk to your network or secure VoIP provider to see what you can do regarding password maintenance and see if the Dropbox password manager is right for you. While you may want to get with the times and utilize these services, sometimes it’s best to have those million post-it notes or a spreadsheet printed out in a secure place or file cabinet!

Windows 10 Tip #1 Cleaning the Clutter

Over time, the temporary folders in Windows become cluttered and other areas of the computer. To make them speed up, older versions of Windows had an easy-to-find Disk Cleanup feature that would clear this clutter up, empty your recycle bin, and more.

This tool can still be accessed if you are running a small business or have a lot of data going back and forth, adding or removing, etc., regularly. Hit the Start button, and type Disk Cleanup. Then all you have to do is perform the cleanup and defragment of your hard drive as normal. It is highly suggested that if you run with SSD drives or defragment your computer fully (at least once a week), you do it at the end of the office day or have your IT team do it after hours.

Windows 10 Tip #2 Special Start Menu

You’ll see another Windows 10 tip in the left-hand corner, the special start menu.

Windows, of course, has a start menu when you hit the “Start” button on your keyboard, but many users don’t know that there are many things they can still access using a special start menu by pressing the letter X with the Windows key. It gives you an enhanced but slimline version of the Start menu that lets you access Apps and Features, Disk Management tools (including disk cleanup), Device Manager, Task Manager, PowerShell, and more.

Windows 10 Tip #3 Taskbar Hotkeys

These are not the shortcuts we are looking for, but if you hold down the Windows key and hit a number, you’ll be able to open up your taskbar programs, which is a pretty cool Windows 10 tip.

Aside from Alt+Tab, one of an IT professional’s best friends, you can also access different apps and windows on the taskbar according to the number they’re pulled up in. If you hold the Windows key and type the number of the window’s location on the taskbar, you can switch to it instantly. For example, if your browser is the fourth window on the taskbar, you’ll hold Windows & hit the number 4.

You can see all your open programs in one place by holding down the alt and tab keys simultaneously.

Windows 10 Tip #4 Shake it Down

If you have many different windows open, which is pretty standard in the workplace, you may need to do something such as access the desktop quickly or minimize multiple windows at once. To do this, you must click the top Status bar in your Windows app and then shake your mouse back and forth quickly. This will minimize all of that program’s windows so you can do what you must in other areas.

You can always restore the windows later by doing it again. However, you must have this setting enabled via the Windows Settings ->Multitasking area or the Group Policy Editor (something for the IT Pros out there).

Windows 10 Tip #5 The Powerful God Mode

Learning how to get into your computer’s God Mode folder is an invaluable Windows 10 tip.

This is something that many IT and managed service providers know about, but it is something they are keener on using compared to regular users. You can create a shortcut with every single setting for Windows in one convenient folder – including control panel shortcuts and more advanced features. To do this, you have to create a folder (you cannot create a shortcut to this anymore like you could with older versions of Windows) and name the folder: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

Once you do this and hit enter, the icon will change to a new symbol, and when you open it, you need to be extremely careful. You can jack up your computer if you don’t know what you’re doing in this advanced control panel.

Windows 10 Tip #6 Boot Your Systems Faster

If you follow this Windows 10 tip, you’ll be able to boot up your system faster.

One of the best options that you can find is the task manager’s Startup tab. It allows you to enable or disable startup items (not services) that slow down your bootup and loading process. If you want the most out of this, you can always open the Windows Run command prompt (using the Start Menu we mentioned), then type MSConfig into the box, and then hit enter. This will pull up advanced configurations. You probably want these settings at the least:

Normal startup

Boot Tab->Timeout 8 seconds

Services Tab -> Check to Hide All Microsoft Services
Turn off Any Program services that aren’t system or Antivirus (Google, Adobe Acrobat, etc.)

Hit OK, or Apply-> OK, then restart your computer to see how much faster Windows loads. Do note that if you have an Antivirus causing slower computer speeds (this is common), you may not see much difference.

What Other Windows 10 Tips Can I Get?

If you have a good managed service provider or VoIP service team member that’s a true professional in everything IT, then all you have to do is ask if there’s a shortcut that you can use. Numerous tools can be used to speed up productivity. We highly recommend using them, such as if you’re a writer who needs to operate quickly with word processing or have many windows up for processing data. Just ask, and they’ll let you know!

Have you ever lost your data because you accidentally deleted it from your hard drive? What if you needed to pull up an old document or a photo that you may have removed a while back?

I Thought Windows Came with a Recovery Solution

Many people fail to realize that there is a time limit to using Windows File Recovery, and they tend to find out after it’s too late, and their files are gone forever.

This puppy isn’t like your operating system repair and recovery. Instead of downloading special software, Microsoft aims to help you recover lost or deleted files. Of course, you can’t wait forever to recover your files. Otherwise, they may be gone entirely and overwritten to the block. But is this file recovery any good? Or is it better to have another file recovery tool or a professionally managed service provider do it for you? Let’s find out!

Limited Options

There are now file recovery options for everything technical and IoT, including phones, computers, camera systems, and even smart toasters.

File recovery programs are not only a dime a dozen, but so are their features. From mobile device recovery to PC or Mac recovery (even Linux has recovery apps), what you need in a file recovery system may vary, and you may not get the right one the first time. On top of that, you may have particular files that you need to recover, program files, installation files, and other pertinent data.

Microsoft’s tool recovers a lot, but it doesn’t recover everything. They’ve stuck their tool about so-so with much other mediocre software on the web – allowing you only to recover MP3s, MP4 vids, Documents (including text files, rich text files, and Office Documents), and JPEG images. If you want more recovery options, you may want to leave that to the pros or spend cash on another program.

Only for Certain Hard Drives

Depending on which hard drive you have installed may be the difference in Windows File Recovery retrieving your data or being lost forever.

Windows File Recovery can do an excellent job at retrieving the types of documents above on an NTFS file system, but it lags when extracting data from other hard drive signature types. This means that if you have a FAT32 or a ReFS file system, it may take much more time to retrieve less data than you would if you used an NTFS filesystem.

What does this mean for the average user? It means you can help recover lost files that are important to you if you accidentally wiped your hard drive or deleted something. Of course, Microsoft already put this into Windows 10 if you have File History turned on (you have to enable it manually).

Is It the Best Option for File Recovery?

Windows File recovery is probably not the best method of recovering your files, and you should look elsewhere if you can.

We’re going to answer that question with a loud and resounding no. Why do you ask? First, your limitations with Windows 10 make it even harder to recover files. There are also a bazillion other file formats than the ones that software applications create, and this file recovery tool can’t recover everything you may need. There is plenty of higher-end software, but as mentioned earlier, that may not be the best option for your business or personal needs.

Hidden Dangers of File Recovery

When attempting to use Windows File recovery or any file recovery, there is always a possibility that something may go wrong, so plan accordingly and be safe.

If you’ve noticed, since Windows ME and even Windows XP existed, file recovery and any recovery can be potentially dangerous. There are millions of viruses out there, and even though your virus protection (unless it’s a beast provided by your MSP) is working full force, it may not pick up on erased or super-compacted-and-encrypted data. In other words, Windows Recovery partitions and even the infamous System Restore has and always will be necessary for essential things but dangerous because they can harbor old removed viruses.

Therefore, it’s best not to do the work yourself if you can avoid it. Get ahold of your team of IT pros and let them get cranking – you’ll always have the insurance of knowing that you won’t harm your disk drives with their help!

Using Your Watch for Work

There are many things that you can do if you run a small business, are a part of a giant corporation, or even just an entrepreneur. Most of the time, we have a hard time keeping track of our phones, and other times, we’re notorious for just stuffing them in somewhere. This can lead to many things that cause a lack of communication. Some people even forget things like appointments, and they rely on their phones for so much these days.

By using a smartwatch for work, you can do things such as:

Keeping Track

Your smartwatch can keep track of your appointments for you. Thanks to Android and Apple technology (such as for iWatches), you can synchronize them with your calendars and never miss an appointment. You can also use them to organize things like notes, use extended services, and even set reminders to help you keep track of tasks, important meetings, and so much more.

Mobile Solutions

When you’re driving, it’s dangerous to have distractions from using your phone to make and receive phone calls. However, you can use them to make calls. One such watch is the Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch, which you can use for numerous applications. Yes, you can track health, sleep, and much more. But most importantly, for business, is that you can make and receive phone calls and messages. Having these capabilities can be extremely useful for both wireless applications and even remote ones.

Imagine, if you will, being able to walk around your entire house talking without even having to buy a headset or touch your phone. With a useful smartwatch, you can do this and look good while doing it.

The Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch does much more than just making phone calls.

Android-like Applications

Many OS operating systems are integrated into smartwatches, just as they are in their mobile phone counterparts. The applications that you can have on a smartwatch can also help you keep up with correspondence. They can also connect you to your colleagues and supervisors with ease without dropping everything you’re doing. You can even use certain smartwatch apps to sync to your email. So, you’ll make sure you get them no matter where you are.

Depending on what kind of smartwatch OS you get also depends on the manufacturer and what they offer. For example, Fitbits are more directed towards their fitness tracking platform (which is now owned by Google, Inc.). While Wear OS (which used to be called Android Wear) is a Google Android clone that can pair your watches with android smartphones, it is decked out with Google Assistant features and can be very functional. Samsung has its OS, which is called Tizen. It has numerous links on its own to Google applications like Google Docs, Sheets, and even Gmail.

If you’re wanting a Garmin watch, you can find one quite easily. Believe it or not, Garmin smartwatches are more focused on the fitness side of things as well. They also have some of the best GPS tracking (naturally, as Garmin is an industry leader in GPS devices).

The Fitbit is a smartwatch that can track your exercise routine and count your calories.

Final Thoughts: Do I Need a Smartwatch?

There are many benefits that people can gain if they use a smartwatch, even though they’re not necessary. However, how cool is it that we can now live and communicate just like the spies on TV years ago? The innovation that these watches can bring to your business can help you have a fully networked open communication mode that only they can deliver. Of course, you may want to ensure that while you’re sitting at work (or at your home office), you have a sound IT department that can ensure your security.

Is Social Media Networking Truly Needed?

We hear so much about social media and staying connected, but how can it help your business?

Think about it this way – 2 billion users are online on Facebook at any given moment. Now, look at your competitors who are succeeding more than your company is. See if they have a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc., and see where they are getting the most respectable original views and followers.

If you lack in this department, and they’re way ahead of your on-site rankings, as well as revenue and income, then yes, having a Facebook in your marketplace can be a great thing. You can get a lot of potential customers and a positive online persona from using them. But is this needed? The truth is, yes. Do you need to have a dedicated team of Facebook representatives to handle everything? Probably not.

Some Positive Key Points

Let’s look at the pros you can find:

• You can get followers and create an original brand for yourself.
• It’s free and open marketing (until you incorporate advertising, but it’s still open).
• They’re global platforms.
• You can generate more ROI (returns on investments) with social media.
• Stay in the game with competitors.
• You can go hog wild with ideas and concepts.
• With social media, you can get a significant online following.

All of this sounds too good to be true, right? Well, unfortunately, it can get ugly quickly if someone happens to post the wrong thing. Simultaneously, everything comes with a price, and we’ll explain what we mean next.

How Social Media Can Cause Problems

Social Media can be used to impact your business, as well as negatively. McDonald’s decided to take a stand, and it bit them in the behind for a bit, but most people have forgotten.

Everything must have a balance of good and evil.

• It can get too personal (ask McDonald’s about their Trump tweet).
• Some companies that post ads on social media (like Dove) can cause more problems than good when people react to them.  Some people may not like your post, which can cause problems if it’s taken out of context.
• People will like and share anything. Just because it creates leads, it doesn’t mean that someone who puts a “thumbs up” on your post will get you more revenue or customers.
• You have to follow the latest trends.
• Remember that just as you can see your competitors, they can see you too!
• While you can go viral, you can also downward spiral quickly if you get into the Facebook Ads debt game.

So What’s Our Final Take On All of This?

We believe social media can help your business, but you may want to install a chatbot to help you out. Just in case someone is having a bad day.

Anytime you have a generally good following, even with your local community (if you’re a smaller business), you can vary significantly up your game by building the right social media networking solution. However, one little slip, and you’re right back to square one again. Therefore, it may be worth adding some chatbot functionality or automated responses and even have some excellent marketing done on social media – but you need to focus on what’s important, and that’s your work itself.

Why Build A Workstation On A Budget?

When building your workstation, you control the specs. You can tailor the specs of your workstation even to use it for gaming.

We know what you’re thinking – the time it takes, and then I’ll have to learn how to build a computer. Many people believe that building a computer is hard when it’s more of a snap-on job than it used to be! You can quickly build a computer for less than half of the cost of what you would pay for an already pre-built system, and what’s important is the computer’s functionality.

Sure, many gamers may want those flashy computer cases or workstation cases, but are they essential? Do you need costly liquid cooling options with LED lights and the works? Nah, you don’t need all of these. We’re going to cover all of the parts you need while giving you some excellent options.

AMD or Intel?

Which processor is best for your workstation?

Intel is the choice for most gamers because of its compatibility and partnership with NVidia. However, you don’t need to have an intel processor to get great graphics. When it comes to workstations, though, AMD has a higher throughput, meaning that the user’s computers can often handle more elevated rates of production, more memory optimization to allow multiple computers to run faster, and yes – if you wish, you could still game very well on them! Both are great, but what’s most important is that all of your parts can be used together (for full compatibility).

Therefore, all of these builds do use AMD processors and AMD-optimized motherboards. The main thing to know when building a computer is that the socket and the chipset have to match your processor’s capacities and specifications—moving on!

The Powerhouse Work Station

This workstation features the following parts:

·AMD Ryzen 2400G Processor - $149

·Cooler Master Masterbox Q300L Matx Tower – $44.99

·Gigabyte’s AORUS M Motherboard – $74.99

·Thermaltake SMART 600W Power Supply – $46.70

·Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16GB (2x8GB) DDR-2666 RAM – $79.99

·Western Digital Blue 3D 500GB M.2 drive – $99.99

·TP-Link Archer T6E AC1300 Wi-Fi Card – $34.99

·Seagate Barracuda 4TB Hard Drive – $89.57

·AmazonBasics USB Wired Keyboard & Mouse Combo – $14.99

·ASUS VZ247H-P 23.6” Full 1920x1080 Monitor - $119.99

·MSI GeForce GTX 1050 TI 4GT OC Graphics – 169.99

·Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit OEM – $142.99

TOTAL PRICE (before taxes and shipping): $1,068.18

We know what you’re thinking. How can this be a budget PC if it’s over a thousand bucks? Well, fortunately for you, this computer would typically cost you anywhere from $2500 – 3800 dollars if you bought this from individual retailers or manufacturers! This build features a brand new high-speed Ryzen processor for the ability to run multiple programs at once.

The Tower is basic, but that’s all you need. The RAM is a popular gaming RAM, but for the price, it’s a lot cheaper than some other major brands and still offers excellent performance (most pre-built computers only come with 8GB of RAM). The M.2 hard drive snaps into the Motherboard, and that’s where you’ll install your Windows 10 Pro installation (as well as all of your programs). This way, you can have a high-speed system drive that is easy to manage and won’t cause any problems.

What About Wi-Fi, Storage, and Accessories?

Wi-Fi on your workstation? This was unheard of in the past, but now you can plug a USB Wi-Fi adapter right into your workstation.

Of course, you’ll want Wi-Fi, just in case you don’t want to opt to use a cable. Otherwise, the fantastic Motherboard by Gigabyte features numerous USB plugs, sound card plugs, multiple monitor inputs (not to mention M.2 Thermal protection), and of course, an Ethernet port. The Wi-Fi card is dirt cheap!

If you want a powerhouse workstation, you never want to use your System drive for regular file storage. This makes fragmentation more common and can cause your system to slow down. Therefore, we decided to throw in a great 4 TB hard drive (Most manufacturers’ computers only come with a 1TB hard drive), so you have less of a chance to run out of space. And you have a quiet case to handle your needs.

Amazon Basics offers a keyboard and mouse bundle for about fifteen bucks. Who can’t beat that? Not only that, but they’re one of the top-rated packages for a basic USB keyboard and mouse on the internet altogether!

Of course, we need a monitor so that this ASUS monitor will do just fine. If you do not need 4K graphics, then you don’t need anything more than that since most PCs run at 1920×1080 resolution these days anyway.

Finally, the Windows 10 Pro edition (for 64-Bit computers) is a perfect choice. Why the OEM version? Well, other than the fact that you may have to contact Microsoft to register it, there is no difference between the OEM version and the version you buy in a box on the store shelves – except for the price!

What’s Our Take?

So why’s this one considered a powerhouse? Well, it features optimum storage solutions (aside from network and cloud storage, which you may want to opt for in your business or home office), as well as an insane amount of power in a small little package. Whether you’re a graphic designer, web design company, marketing corporation, or more, this master workstation on a budget can handle it for a fraction of the price of what you’d pay anywhere else. It features numerous concepts from various build guides and will handle any graphics-heavy applications that generally run on Windows. If you want even more functionality, you can always use it in conjunction with your VoIP phone system too!