Archive for October, 2008:


It’s Not the Drive-Thru: Online Banking Differences

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Recall your last drive-thru banking experience. There was a transport system of some sort that carried your transaction into the bank where a teller greeted you, processed it and you were done. ...

SPAM: The New Electronic Junk Mail

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

It arrives in your mailbox along with your subscription to Newsweek, your utility bill and a letter from Aunt Susan; unwanted and unsolicited and in your box nonetheless. We all recognize it; ...

How Secure Are You: Security Settings for the Internet

Sunday, October 26th, 2008

You’ve heard it before; make sure your security settings are configured properly for the Internet. You have your spam blocker filter on your email account. Your browser is has its trusted sites ...

Just Ask Somebody: E-Mail Scams and How to Recognize Them

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

During the course of perusing your morning email, you discover an email that appears to be from Microsoft and declares you’re a lottery winner. If you’re using a split-screen viewer to see ...

Taking Your Business to the World: E-Commerce Considerations

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

Have you been thinking about taking your business online? Do you offer a product or service that would benefit from being online? Even if you are an established traditional business owner, there ...

Hackers Don’t Ask, They Ax!

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

If you’ve ever experienced a home invasion or theft of your personal belongings, you already understand how hackers operate. A hacker is one who intentionally violates, disturbs, or otherwise breaks into your ...

Don’t Do That in Public: Using a Public Computer

Monday, October 20th, 2008

Remember as a child when you did something unsavory in public your mother would tell you not to do that in public? Using public computers is sometimes the only way we can ...

Wireless Isn’t Without Strings: Protecting Your Wireless Network

Sunday, October 19th, 2008

I have a Gateway wireless laptop. As soon as I power on the computer and log in, my wireless connection establishes itself and I am able to connect to my wireless network ...

Where Did THAT Come From: Understanding Toolbar Downloads

Friday, October 17th, 2008

You simply have to have that 3D picture with the moving waterfalls on your desktop as your background or screensaver. So you click on the download button, hastily check the box to ...

Volatile Viruses

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

You’ve just received an email from a business partner and the subject line reads “URGENT REMINDER”. You don’t recall anything and proceed to open the email because it’s from your partner and ...

How Much Are You Willing To Pay: Online Purchasing Safety

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

Because there are certain risks associated with making purchasing online as compared to purchasing by mail or over the telephone, one needs to understand the fundamental difference between the types of purchasing ...

E-Mail: Your Personal Electronic Post Office

Monday, October 13th, 2008

Once upon a time, the only way to receive a letter was by the traditional post office. Thanks to the Internet, electronic mail (e-mail) allows you to send a receive mail from ...

Trusted Is Earned: Trusted Websites

Saturday, October 11th, 2008

You’ve probably heard the old saying about trust not being given until it is earned. Trusted websites carry the same responsibility that the adage admonishes us to take with those we do ...

Network Security: Whose Responsibility Is It Anyway?

Friday, October 10th, 2008

A network can be as simple as several computers connected together by a common drive or server or as complex as many computers, servers, drives and other equipment. No matter the size ...

Spyware: Not Just A Sneaky Peek

Wednesday, October 8th, 2008

True to its name, spyware attempts to take a look at the contents of your computer without your permission. Depending on the spyware’s definition, it may report back to the originating user ...

Let’s Play: Understanding Active X

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

If you don’t remember back in the day when a computer game was a monochrome monitor bouncing objects back and forth across it, it’s okay. Perhaps you may not recall the little ...

Congratulations, You’ve Been Scammed! How to Deal With Internet Scams

Sunday, October 5th, 2008

Whether you’re looking for a recipe, planning to purchase an item from e-Bay or just surfing the net, there are scams of all sorts designed to do just that: scam you. You ...

Computer Hiccup? Get a Checkup!

Saturday, October 4th, 2008

It’s happening again and you don’t understand; your computer should be performing with ease and yet it’s freezing. The hourglass keeps turning until you finally attempt to close the browser only to ...

Are You Protected: Virus Protection Programs

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

Would you leave home without locking the door or turning off the coffeemaker? Chances are you would not. Your computer requires the same protection to maintain optimal performance. The best way to ...

Where’s The Fire: Understanding Firewall Limitations

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

What is a firewall? What does it protect and how? Do you understand the limitations of it? When should a firewall be down and why? All of the answers to these questions ...