5 Quick Tips for Maintaining Your PC

Backup, Best Practices, Company Updates, Ophtek, PC Tools, Updates, , , , ,
31
Dec 2019

Like any other electrical product, PCs are prone to failure due to the number of components involved. But a well maintained PC is likely to last longer.

Your organization’s PCs are likely to be crucial for your day-to-day operations, so you need to make sure they are in good working order. After all, you wouldn’t let your car fall into a state of disrepair. You would make sure your car is regularly serviced and maintained to make sure you could continue getting from A to B. And a PC is no different. But, thankfully, you don’t need to pull on your overalls or take your PC to a garage to maintain it. You can complete regular maintenance’s quickly and easily from your office.

How to Maintain Your PC

If you want to keep your PC working to its full potential and optimize its productivity then make sure you practice the following:

  1. Declutter Your Startup: When your PC starts booting up it also starts loading all the programs which are defaulted to load at startup. However, not all of these are necessary. And the more programs that need to load then the longer the startup time. Therefore, head to Task Manager on your PC and click on the Startup tab. From here you can remove any unnecessary programs and speed up your boot time. 
  1. Install all Updates: It’s important that all recommended updates are installed immediately. These updates aren’t just related to security issues. Sometimes they are released by developers in order to fix bugs in their software and enhance the product. Ultimately, an update is one of the quickest ways to optimize your PC and ensure that it’s well protected. 
  1. Always Shutdown Correctly: The shutdown process on a PC can be a frustrating affair due to the time taken, but it’s important that you follow this procedure to the letter. It may be quicker to turn the PC off at the mains, but this approach can lead to corrupted files. Instead, make sure you save all your files and close each application down before waiting for the PC to run through the shutdown procedure. 
  1. Carry out a Registry Clean: Your PCs registry is a giant database which logs everything that happens on your PC. If you install a program or change your password then this is logged in the registry. And, over time, the amount of data stored here starts building up. This may not be too much of a problem with newer PCs, but if you’re running an older PC this can create performance issues. However, you must proceed with caution and it’s recommended that you use a highly rated registry cleaner to perform the clean to avoid issues. 
  1. Delete Unwanted Programs: It’s natural that your PC will gradually accumulate more and more installed programs over time. But not all of these programs remain relevant. And if you are running programs that are no longer relevant then they are putting an unnecessary strain on your PCs memory. So, every couple of months, make sure that you evaluate the programs installed on your PC. This will give you a clear idea of what can be uninstalled and what can remain. The result will be improved performance for those that remain.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

Read More

The Best Plugins for Browsing Safely in Chrome

Chrome, Google, Ophtek, Plugins, Security, , ,
17
Dec 2019

Google’s Chrome browser is a popular browser and one that it is relatively secure. But it can be made even safer with the correct plugins.

It’s estimated that over half of all web traffic goes through Chrome browsers and this popularity is down to its innovation and simple interface. However, the success of Chrome has made it a target of hackers. And this has been highlighted by the recent WizardOpium vulnerability which required a swift patch from Google. There’s added danger for Chrome users from more generalized online threats such as malicious websites and data security concerns. Thankfully, help is at hand for web users in the form of security plugins.

And, to help you enhance your Chrome experience, we’re going to examine the best plugins for browsing safely in Chrome.

What is a Plugin?

You may not be familiar with plugins, so it’s probably a good idea that we start by explaining them. A plugin is a piece of software which, as the name suggests, ‘plugs in’ in to your browser. Acting as an additional software component, a plugin adds extra features to your browser. The types of plugin availability aren’t just limited to security features either. Adobe’s Flash player, for example, is probably one of the most well-known browser plugins.

Chromes Best Security Plugins

It’s now time to take a look at the best plugins for browsing safely in Chrome:

  • Ghostery: A privacy ad blocker, Ghostery grants Chrome the opportunity to block adverts and stop data trackers from harvesting your data. The plugin allows you to customize which ads and trackers remain active whilst blocking the more suspicious ones. And, best of all, by blocking ads and data trackers you will speed up the load time of webpages.
  • Web of Trust: It’s estimated that there are up to 18.5 million malicious websites online, so you need to be careful where you browse. With a plugin such as Web of Trust you can maximize your safety. Not only does Web of Trust advise you when you land on an unsafe website, but it also displays ‘reputation’ icons next to the results generated by search engines.
  • Blur: Passwords are a crucial element of safe web browsing, but they need to be kept secure. If your passwords are compromised then you’re at risk of having your personal data stolen. Blur helps you to avoid this. It’s a powerful plugin which can generate strong passwords while also encrypting and saving them. This ensures that there’s no need to memorize or write down you passwords; you can just click and go. 
  • HTTPS Everywhere: The best websites are those with a URL which starts with https rather than just http. The additional S of https indicates that it’s a secure website. However, if you have installed the HTTPS Everywhere plugin then, in most cases, it will be able to automatically switch a http site to a more secure https version.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

Read More

WordPress Sites are Quietly Downloading Malware

Hacking, Ophtek, Security, Security Threats, WordPress, , , ,
10
Dec 2019

WordPress is a popular platform for building websites, but this popularity has made it a target for hackers. And it’s now being used to launch hacks.

It’s estimated that around 75 million websites use WordPress as the backbone for their content. But not even the largest and most profitable tech companies are immune from hacking. Vulnerabilities are present in almost every piece of software ever designed. And when these vulnerabilities are discovered they will be exploited almost instantly by hackers. WordPress has fallen foul of this all too common scenario and, as a result, 100,000 web users have felt the attentions of these hackers.

Due to the ubiquity of WordPress websites it’s likely that your organization engages with them on a daily basis. It may even be that your organization’s website is hosted through WordPress. Either way, the threat presented is one you want to avoid, so let’s take a look at it.

How were the WordPress Sites Compromised?

Security experts Zscaler were the first people to identify that WordPress sites had been compromised. The nature of the hack is sophisticated, but relatively simple to pull off. After discovering a vulnerability in the ‘theme’ plugin, which is included in WordPress sites, the hackers were able to infect the sites with malicious scripts. These scripts were a form of code which redirected visitors to a Flash Player update alert. However, this urgent update was fake and all that would be downloaded was a malicious file.

The file in question was a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) which allowed remote access to the infected PC. And, with unrestrained access, the hackers were granted the opportunity to download and distribute malware as well as the chance to compromise data. But this isn’t the only way in which the malware infects PCs. Those using the Chrome browser faced an additional threat. Upon visiting the infected WordPress sites, Chrome users were prompted to download an update for the ‘PT Sans’ font. Again, this is a deceptive request and downloads the RAT.

Protecting Against the WordPress Hack

If you own a website which is built on the foundations of WordPress then it’s crucial that you update the associated content management system. This will instantly prevent your website from cultivating the hack and protect your visitors.

Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to tell when a website is using the WordPress system, so you should make sure you practice the following:

  • Scrutinize all Popups: The sheer range of dangerous popups means that they should always be scrutinized. Fake updates tend to stress an extreme urgency which is designed to tempt users into clicking them without checking. Instead, users need to take a second and consult with an IT professional to verify the update is genuine. 
  • Install Anti-Virus Software: It’s vital that your organization uses anti-virus software. Not only can it identify threats such as the WordPress hack, but they are regularly updated. This ensures that your organization is protected from all the latest threats. 

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

Read More

The Best Ways to Browse Online Safely

Internet, Online Security, Ophtek, Security, Security Threats, , ,
03
Dec 2019

Browsing online is a part of almost everyone’s daily routine, but the web can be a dangerous place. Therefore, you need to know how to browse online safely.

Malware, ransomware and viruses are just three of the nasty surprises you can find lurking online. These all have the potential to damage your PCs as well as compromising any data contained within them. It’s an unpredictable landscape, but one that can be navigated safely if you know what you are doing.

And we want to keep you safe. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best ways to browse online safely:

  • Use a Secure Browser: To browse the internet you need to use an internet browser. And this browser needs to be secure. The most common browsers to be found in use on PCs are Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer. The good news is that all three are relatively secure. But this security can be tightened further by changing the browser’s safety parameters. So, to make things that little bit securer, turn off any autofill options (to avoid personal data being stolen) and turn cookies off (to enhance your privacy). 
  • Browse with a VPN: A virtual private network (VPN) is a sure fire method of maximizing your privacy online. A VPN will encrypt your data and conceal your location to make sure your privacy is maintained. This method of protection is most useful when you are browsing online through the use of public WiFi. Notoriously unsafe, public WiFi opens your connection up to numerous vulnerabilities. But, with a VPN in place, you can rest assured that you’re as safe as possible. We recommend Private Internet Access as a VPN service.
  • Always Check for HTTPS: The best site to browse safely is a secure site. But how you do you know if a site is secure? Well, the answer can easily be found in the address bar of your browser. A site’s security can instantly be assessed by checking to see if the URL starts with HTTPS or if there’s a padlock icon. If this is present then it means that any data sent to this site is private and secure. Otherwise, you should avoid submitting any data. 
  • Download from Trusted Sources: There are countless malicious websites online which have the potential to cause great damage. Visiting these websites is a dangerous step in itself, but downloading from them is a major mistake. A good rule of thumb for browsing online is that you should only ever download from a trusted source. And, if you’re even just 1% unsure, you should always get an IT professional to verify any potential downloads. 
  • Change Your Passwords Regularly: Passwords for online services are one of the best ways to enhance your security. But you need to change these regularly. A password which is frequently changed minimizes the risk of it being cracked or hacked. Ideally your passwords should be changed every 28 days to keep you one step ahead of any hackers. 

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

Read More