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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Important AVG Update fix

AVG Antivirus and Security Software - Support overview

Here's a solution for the dreaded "Invalid update control CTF file"message that sometimes appears when you update AVG. This is a link to a file that automatically fixes the problem, and a manual fix should that not work. It's a known issue, which is the best kind of issue to have!

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Checkfree service compromised Monday/Tuesday

The Checkfree payment service was hijacked in an effort to get private information. Read the details in the link above.

Makes clear the need for a basic awareness of what you are doing on the Internet. You can't get away with a sleepy attitude while surfing the 'net. Pay attention to what you are doing and have a basic understanding of how things are supposed to work and look.

The most powerful security protection available will not prevent you from providing your personal information to the bad guys, if you are not paying attention...

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Ongoing Myth Greatly Hurts Apple Users

Apple Pulls Anti-Virus for Macs Note from Web Site - News and Analysis by PC Magazine

Apple did a TV ad months back that was pulled, it implied that Apple products were immune to malware. I was incredulous. At least they pulled it.

Now they pull a rational warning to Mac users on their web site. It may not be fun, it may not be in step with Apple's marketing plan, but they need to educate and protect their users. They do not want to be a accessory to the upcoming attacks on their systems.

If you are an Apple user please protect yourself, it's cheap, it's easy and it only makes sense.

Monday, December 01, 2008

ChaCha. Just Call. Just Text. Just Ask

Get Answers and Ads!

Could be a great service, but I am VERY wary of having my cell phone turn into the mobile equivalent to my e-mailbox. In other words - SPAMMED!

If they do it like Google or OpenDNS, it will work. If they start spamming, they will have big trouble. I have a feeling they get that, but economics are everything, especially now, so they may get desperate and less committed to the clean, helpful type of advertising Google, OpenDNS and even Spiceworks are known for.

I have a call into the company executives to get the straight scoop. I'll update you here when I've got it...

Ignorance or Bliss?

Poll: Millennials tend to ignore IT policies

System Administrators have known and struggled with this reality for years. Unfortunately the people that pay the price are not just the IT guys and gals. Management, shareholders and even the users themselves pay a steep price for ignoring the user policies. Broken networks, email servers, and users PC's often can be directly attributed to user ignorance and/or apathy. Of course elevated support costs, legal liability and data security and user privacy issues are common, too.

To you management types - you are leaders, be prepared to deal with the facts if you think the rules don't apply to you, you are part of the problem and you are creating a problem among your employees.

Sure IT is a pain. Computers suck. But just try to get along in business today without it. A little planning, education and discipline can go a long way toward mitigating the negative experiences.

Stay away from large capacity hard drives!

Storage - IT Channel News by CRN and VARBusiness

We've talked a lot about the issues Seagate and other manufacturers have had with hard drive reliability in the last 2 or 3 years. Seems Seagate is finally responding to an issue appropriately. Historically silence or denial have been their tactics of choice.

If you have one of these drives, contact Seagate immediately to get your firmware update. Too bad this new more responsible response is coming so late. Seagate has really blackened Apple's eye as the result of the recent Momentus laptop drive fiasco. Although a firmware update would not have fixed that problem. I am still expecting a class action lawsuit on this issue.