First thing?s first; you?ll need a can of compressed air, as well as some lint-free wipes. For more heavy-duty cleaning, you?ll want to pick up a small screwdriver, cotton swabs, and isopropyl alcohol. It?s especially important that you make sure it?s isopropyl and NOT ethyl-based. Cleaning the DesktopBefore we get started, you should be aware that there?s a chance you?ll be dealing with complex, electrical equipment. Therefore, be sure to power down your system before you get started. This means that you?re powering down the machine, turning off the surge protector, and unplugging all components from the outlet. Take a static-free dust cloth and wipe the dust off of the case?s exterior. You can use the cans of compressed air to blow dust away from any external vents you see. Go in with cotton swabs to soften the dust up and use the compressed air to get rid of the rest. When you use the compressed air, be sure not that you don?t blow air on the components for too long. Some of the more sensitive parts of a computer won?t appreciate the pressure. In general, you should be careful when dealing with your electronics, as you might be in for a shock when you come into contact with wires. Be sure to frequently touch metal and plastic frameworks so as to keep your body equalized–this helps you avoid static shocks. Once you?ve finished cleaning the innards, close the case back up and go over it once more with a cloth. Clean Your ScreenSome people like to use their fingers to point to objects on their screen. While this is helpful for identifying things, it?s bad for your monitor, as this inevitably leads to fingerprints and smudges on the screen. Cleaning your screen isn?t much more complicated than wiping down your home?s windows, but there are still some specifications to account for. If you?re using an LCD display, start by mixing together a half-and-half solution of distilled water and white vinegar. Use this mixture and a microfiber cloth to wipe down the screen. You?ll be surprised by how well this works to get rid of dust. On another note, never spray liquid on a device. Always use a damp cloth, as you?ll have better control over the liquid this way. Key-ping the Keyboard and Mouse CleanOut of your entire PC, the keyboard and the mouse will probably take the most abuse. Keyboards are often cited as carrying more bacteria than your average toilet seat, which is alarming, to say the least. Unplug the keyboard from the system and turn it upside-down. Then, gently shake your keyboard. This will let loose any crumbs or skin particles that were trapped under the keys. If you?d rather just use compressed air, that?s also an option. If you think you?re finished with the keyboard, think again–we?re just getting started. If your keyboard uses a membrane style, you can remove the keys to get a thorough cleaning underneath. Just make sure that you have some sort of record of the keyboard?s layout. Otherwise, you might accidentally misplace keys, which could lead to all sorts of problems. Removing the keys is as simple as placing a small flat-head screwdriver underneath each of them and gently prying them from their place in the keyboard. Just note that […]

You might be surprised by the reason, and it?s the fact that hackers quite simply don?t care what the size of your company is. They don?t care which industry you?re in or what you do. Regardless of whether or not you?re a startup or a major service provider for your region, your business holds information that hackers will find valuable. This is what hackers care about most–how much value you can provide them with, and you can be sure that it?s a dangerous gambit to not prepare for the worst. But what data do you have that could be so valuable to hackers? Information that?s managed by human resources, like Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, are all great ways to either steal an identity or attempt targeted spear-phishing attacks. Furthermore, the finance department might have access to payment information for both your business and your clients, which could lead to a major problem should this information get out of your grasp. Still, it?s worth mentioning that hackers can use plenty of other tactics at their disposal to find a way into your network, be it through viruses, malware, spyware, or otherwise. They probably won?t target specific data, and in most cases, it?s not even your particular business they?re after. Often times, these types of scams are designed to be one-size-fits-all in nature, and the spam message that you see in your inbox was probably sent out to a bunch of other businesses, too. Think of it like a fisherman; they don?t necessary know what they?re going to catch, but they?ll do whatever it takes to catch at least something. In this case, it?s a literal phishing email, which convinces the user to click on a link, download an infected attachment, or navigate to a malicious website. It will be rare that your business experiences a legitimate, direct hack tailored to infiltrate your specific network. Thanks to this oversight, it?s possible for your business to cover plenty of ground in the cybersecurity department by following a few easy steps. The first is that you implement a plethora of proactive security measures that are designed to keep issues from both happening in the first place, and from escalating into major problems. This includes firewalls, spam blocking, and content filtering to minimize exposure to threats and to keep them out of your network, and an antivirus solution just in case things go south. You might be a smaller target, but you?re still a target nonetheless. Be sure that your small business implements these security solutions, or you could be putting your entire network at risk. White Mountain IT Services can help you implement enterprise-level security measures, like our Unified Threat Management solution, that can handle all of the above threats and then some. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

One of the most devastating elements of any disaster is not knowing if affected friends and loved ones are safe. Safety Check meant to reduce the fear of this unknown by giving users a simple way to confirm that they are okay, and to check in to make sure the people they cared about were safe as well. However, when Facebook retained total control over the tool?s activation, it was put into effect a total of 39 times worldwide between December of 2014 and December of 2015. Unfortunately, this number is clearly far too low for a tool meant to chart disasters around the world. As a result, Facebook took steps to put the power to activate Safety Check in the hands of those who would need it most–the communities affected by the crisis in question. Utilizing a two-step system, Facebook will first receive confirmation that an event is taking place through a network of third-party organizations, and then analyze the chatter put out by the community in the affected area to determine if Safety Check is warranted. This new, fully-automated process has been put to use 328 times since first being tested in June of 2016. Disasters, unfortunately, are a terrible fact of life on this planet. It is difficult to be prepared for anything, but with tools like Facebook?s Safety Check, we can at least be informed that our loved ones are safe.

We?re talking, of course, about a Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution. It?s a well-known and exceptionally helpful security tool that manages to take care of most threats that can access a network. However, unlike some other security solutions, the UTM not only focuses on eliminating current threats to your infrastructure, but also preventative measures designed to keep your system safe and secure. We?ll discuss the components of a quality UTM, so that you can know what to look for when shopping around for a security solution. FirewallA firewall is a basic security measure that anyone who uses a computer should be familiar with. You can think of a firewall as a virtual bouncer that keeps the bad data from entering your organization?s network, while still allowing good data through. A firewall, however, needs to constantly be updated with threat definitions in order to remain effective, and some seemingly-benign data might still get through. AntivirusAn antivirus solution works well alongside a firewall; it can detect and destroy potential threats before they can do harm to the infected system. Alongside a firewall, antivirus software is a critical component of any computing infrastructure–particularly in the business sector. Spam BlockingSpam is one of the preferred modes of transportation that hackers use for their malware, and there?s a very good reason for that. It?s because spam allows users to ?go incognito,? so to speak, and mask their identity through the use of email spoofing and other methods. Hackers commonly use what are called phishing attacks to trick users into downloading malicious files or accessing suspicious websites. A spam blocker can keep the majority of spam out of your inbox, eliminating this threat. Plus, spam is just annoying in general, even if it?s not malicious. Content FilteringNot all web content is safe to browse, and even a good employee could accidentally visit an unsafe website that contains malicious code. In instances like this, a content filter keeps your infrastructure safe. Also of note is that content filtering can restrict access to specific sites on a per user basis–perfect for the problem employee who can?t seem to stay off of social media. To learn more about UTM solutions and other security measures, be sure to reach out to us at (603) 889-0800. Our professional technicians can work with your business to assemble the ultimate security package.

Step One: Check YourselfBefore you get started, make sure that your router is located far away from other electronic devices. This is because devices can often hamper your router?s ability to broadcast a signal. When there are devices or other obstacles between your own device and the router, like walls or floors, the signal is further weakened. Therefore, a simple fix is to elevate the router, especially if its signal needs to reach a higher floor. This cuts down on the distance between point A and point B, allowing for both a stronger signal and a more efficient router location in general. Hopefully, this resolves the problem, as there will be fewer places where the connection can get caught up. Step Two: Antenna AdjustmentsIf your router or device has an external antenna, you can try to adjust it to find the ideal Internet connection. It?s hard to suggest an optimal antenna orientation, but chances are that you?ll be able to figure it out pretty quickly with a little trial and error. If you still can?t get out of the dead zone, you can replace the antenna entirely. You may even have to resort to a standalone antenna/extension cord combo. The idea is to extend your device?s reach to a place far beyond the dead zone. With any luck, you should be able to pick up the signal that you need, even if you technically shouldn?t be able to. If the equipment you?re using just doesn?t have an antenna, you can use USB adapters for a similar effect. Yet, if these adjustments still aren?t helping your technology connect, it might be time to buckle down and go all-in on a Wi-Fi extender. Instead of figuring out the optimal position for a router, a Wi-Fi extender takes your signal and extends it even further, effectively repeating the signal so that any devices within range of the extender can connect to the Wi-Fi. It?s great for getting around an immovable object like a wall. Step Three: Upgrades and UpdatesThe final step is to make sure that your router and any adapters are all up-to-date themselves. While you may not notice significant problems at first, there is the possibility for significant trouble down the road. Like all office solutions, it?s important that you keep your connectivity technology updated with the latest patches, firmware updates, and drivers. Doing so can help you considerably extend the lifespan of your technology. With these best practices, you should have no trouble with your Wi-Fi connection troubleshooting. If you still have difficulty, however, let White Mountain IT Services give you a hand. To learn more about the services we offer, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.