Ekaru Technology Advisor Blog - New Location

We've move our blog to www.ekaru.com/blog. Also, we're now on twitter at www.twitter.com/ekaruIT. Follow us for tech updates for small business.

Windows 7 + Outlook 2010 - They're Grrrrrrrreat!

I waited way too long to upgrade! My new system with Windows 7 and Outlook 2010 is working out great. So much of my time is spent in eMail and it was a bit tough to get used to the "ribbons" in Outlook, but so far so good. I ended up loading my "old" mail as archives so my new inbox would be completely free of clutter. All of my legacy emails are available when I need them, just not in my "inbox". One thing to look out for is that the latest version of Outook places the "pst" file in your Documents folder. This is a good place for it to be (people won't miss backing it up anymore), but if you were used to the old way of doing things where the pst was in some hidden folder, it takes a bit of getting used to.

Microsoft Office 2010 - What does small business think?

Every month I send out an e-newsletter to our clients updating them technology tips and strategies for small business. Recently, we posted news on the Microsoft Office 2010 release - whats new, whats the same.... A few minutes later I got the following response from one of our long term customers: "I hate Office 2007 and wish I could go back to 2003!!!! A new version?? NO WAY!!"

I have to confess I'm still running Office 2003 on my own laptop, but in the next few days I'll be getting my brand new laptop with Office 2010. Can't wait to find out how I'll adapt to the "latest and greatest". Stay tuned...

eMail Encryption - MA Data Protection Law

One of the requirements of the new Massachusetts Data Protection Law (201 CMR 17.00: Standards for The Protection of Personal Information of Residents of the Commonwealth ) is encryption of all emails containing personal information. For the "do it yourself" folks, here is a link to purchase Voltage eMail Encrytion software which integrates nicely with Microsoft Outlook: http://www.ekaru.com/vsn/purchase.htm

Tech Companies Help Survivors of the Haiti Earthquake

Several tech companies have stepped up to help survivors of the Haiti earthquake. Notably, Google has donated $1 Million and is offering free Google Voice calls to US families with relatives in Haiti. Also, if you're looking for a way to contribute, check the link "Information, resources, and ways you can help survivors of the Haiti earthquake" on the Google Home Page for many different ways you can help.

Is Your Business Ready for the New Massachusetts Data Protection Law?

The countdown to March 1, 2010 goes on!

After a number of extensions, the new MA Data Protection Law goes into effect March 1, 2009. Are you prepared to help your organization get into compliance with the new data security regulations? Massachusetts has enacted one of the most onerous data protection laws in the country. The regulations apply to every individual or entity, including those outside Massachusetts, that maintain personal information regarding Massachusetts residents, and regardless of whether the information is stored in paper or electronic form. To be in compliance, covered entities must ensure that such data is maintained securely, and develop Comprehensive Written Information Security Policies (CWISPs).

Take our quick poll (10 seconds!) and find how your business readiness compares to others.

Windows 7 is leaving the Microsoft Help Desk Quiet

One of the measures of success of Windows 7 is that call volume to Microsoft's help desk is down. According to Barbara Gordon, Vice President of Customer Support for Microsoft: "Overall we are finding our call center volume is down significantly more than we expected." Most Microsoft watchers would say this is because Windows 7 is a big improvement over Vista (definitely true!), but Microsoft also points out that two new support channels (worth checking out!) are also making a difference: Microsoft Answers and MicrosoftHelps on Twitter.

With Microsoft Answers, users can submit questions to the help community, and Microsoft employees validate answers. So far, Microsoft has validated about 60,000 inquiries.

The Microsoft Twitter help site went live in October. Users can post a tweet with "@microsofthelps" in the message and Microsoft will respond. Seven employees work full time on creating responses by either providing a simple answer (hard to do in 140 characters!) or pointing to a place where people can get a more detailed answer. The goal is to answer a question that 1000s of users may have with one response. "It's really like a customer megaphone," Gordon said.

AntiVirus - Full Disk Scan - Just Do It!

My Antivirus software kicks in to annoy me periodically for a full system scan. It slows me down, and like a lot of people, I'll admit that I often stop the scan because it takes to long, and it slows my system down! I know it's important, but if I'm working on five different things, it's an inconvenience. My Antivirus is always checking incoming and outgoing emails, and all the files I open, but the full system scan on top of that what bothers me.

With a laptop, it's tough to make sure you're doing everything you need do do to protect your system. When my system is on, I'm working and I'm busy! When I'm not working, my system is off and in my computer bag.

Last night - PANIC - I had a warning about a Virus. I quickly checked to make sure it wasn't one of those spoofed threats (that are actually viruses, and if you click on ANYTHING it just makes it work). This was a REAL warning, but my Antivirus software caught it (I was on the web, and going through a lot of emails so it could have been anything).

So... time for a full system scan. I left my computer on overnight. It took 5 hours and 45 minutes for the scan to complete, but two threats were discovered and healed by the end. Bottom line, make the time to run those full scans!

New Years Resolution for your Domain Registration

Do you know when your domain name expires? Is your contact information up to date? Make a resolution today that you will check on your renewal date and make sure your contact information is up to date.

If you haven't made your registration private, all the information is readily available (you don't even have to remember any logins!): http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp

Make sure your registration isn't expiring in the next few months. If if is expiring, renew it right away so you don't forget?

Is your contact information correct? A common pitfall is that people register a domain name with a generic email (like hotmail or yahoo) because they haven't set up their "real" email yet (because the domain wasn't even registered yet!). You may have stopped using this address years ago. If your email address isn't up to date, you won't get the renewal warnings!

If your domain name expires, and you haven't trademarked it, you could have a tough time getting it back. Also, the domain registration should ALWAYS be in your full control. It should NOT be registered to an employee or a webmaster or anyone else. Make sure you protect it.

Unfortunately, over the years we've gotten panic calls from folks with expired domain names... one day, your email stops working, and your web site is gone... DON'T let it happen - check your registration status TODAY!

Swine Flu (H1N1): Prepare workers to work from home

It's in the papers every day. Updates and instructions are being sent home from school. This will be a BAD flu season! During the week of September 13-19, indicators show that flu activity is increasing. Check out the CDC web site for detailed information: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

Wash your hands frequently, cough and sneeze into your arm or a tissue (not your hand), and get prepared NOW to be able to work from home with remote network access in case you need to. The CDC is advising everyone who gets sick to STAY home. Maybe it won't be you, but your children may be sent home for a week.

There are MANY great options to work remotely, so just pick one and don't make it a last minute panic. LogMeIn, Remote Desktop, GoToMyPC, VPN (Virtual Private Network) -- all are great options that don't cost a lot. A small effort today to configure remote access will mean less down time when/if schools are closed or you get sick. Pick a solution, get it configured, and you will have one less thing to worry about.

MA Data Protection Law Extended AGAIN (Really!)

Massachusetts Governor Duval Patrick announced yesterday that the Massachusetts Data Protection Law deadline has been extended once again to March 1, 2010 - http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=ocatopic&L=3&L0=Home&L1=Consumer&L2=Identity+Theft&sid=Eoca

One of the big considerations in the latest extension is to take into account the need to balance consumer protection and business expenses, especially for small businesses who don't have the resources for an extensive network overhaul (in the midst of a bad recession).

The guidelines in the new law - firewall protection, antivirus protection, anti-spyware protection, and encryption all make business sense right now. Getting a new law into effect is a complicated process, but this should NOT be a signal to businesses to be lax about security measures. The budgetary estimates on the Mass web site are WAY over-stated. A few simple measures right now could vastly improve small business data security, and it doesn't need to be complicated! We are continuing to urge all clients to evaluate their security loopholes NOW and take the simple strategic actions that don't need to cost a lot.

Alt+F4 – First Line of Defense Against a Virus

Do you have a computer virus? Big trend these days is that a pop-up appears that looks like a real Windows dialog box, but it's actually just a disguised web pop-up trying to trick you into clicking on some message like "update my AntiVirus now". Sometimes, even if you hit the "x" to close the window you get into trouble (becuase its NOT a real Windows dialog box).

What can you do? Use the keyboard short-cut "Alt+F4"– to close windows without touching them – the first line of virus defense once it has hit the desktop

HP Notebook Battery Recall

HP is voluntarily recalling about 70,000 Lithium-Ion notebook batteries which pose a fire and burn risk for consumers.

The affected models include:

HP Pavilion: dv2000, dv2500, dv2700, dv6000, dv6500, dv6700, dv9000, dv9500, dv9700
Compaq Presario: A900, C700, F700, V3000, V3500, V3700, V6000, V6500, V6700
HP: G6000, G7000
HP Compaq: 6720s

Visit the Consumer Product and Safety website for more details:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09221.html

Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications - Installation Wizard

Many users have asked us about this, and perhaps it's happened to you... Have you turned on your computer recently to find a pop-up from Microsoft on your screen for Windows Genuine Advange Notifications - Installation Wizard?

We advise all clients to be VERY cautious when they see something they don't recognize on their system. This recent deployment by Microsoft is unfortunate, because the window that pops up looks just like all the bogus AntiVirus 2009 and other malware threats that have circulated around recently. Many users have been alarmed by it.

The Window Genuine Advantage program is Microsoft's Anti-Piracy program. The sofware detects if you have a legal license, and will warn you if you don't. If your software is not legal, then you won't be eligible for automatic updates (except for Critical updates). The problem is that if you are an honest customer, you've already paid and this is a real nuisance. If your system is set to get Automatic Updates with Automatic Installation, then this would have been automatically installed. Typically, we recommend selectively installing updates to avoid things like this.

Microsoft is getting some angry feedback from customers, so I would hope they'd change this in the future.

An Easy Way to Send Photos to Non-Techies

As much as I love technology, I haven't been able to get my parents to fully embrace the digital age. A while back, I was talking to my parents about some pictures I had emailed them.... I was disappointed to hear that they hadn't seen them yet! My parents just aren't on their computer all the time. Then my mom complained that the pictures are hard to print and they never come out right.... too big, no ink...

I figured I could go back to the old-fashioned way of mailing pictures of the grandkids, but that doesn't have the immediate gratification effect (for me, anyway). I searched on line and found a really great solution. At www.walgreens.com, you can upload digital photos and submit them for 1 hour processing to be picked up anywhere (over 6,000 locations). For a stack of pictures, you may expect to pay just a few dollars. The prints are excellent, and my parents actually enjoy the trip out to get the photos. It doesn't cost any more than printing them locally (because its all electronic anyway!). Now I just upload the photos, order prints to be picked up in Florida, and then my Dad gets them in an hour!

Major Wave of Computer Viruses

Be aware! Over the past few weeks we have seen a big increase in viruses. We're seeing rootkits that are doing a lot of damage. A rootkit is a collection of programs that enable administrative access to a computer. A rootkit can consist of spyware that monitors keystrokes or web traffic, and it can also create a "backdoor" for altering log files, and altering existing system tools to escape detection.

If you are running a free version of Antivirus protection on your system, be aware that you may not have rootkit protection.

Things to watch for:

1. Check your antivirus program. Make sure it has rootkit protection. Also make sure that its up to date - some viruses disable Antivirus software and you may not even notice it.
2. Take care when you take your work laptop home. Are all the systems on your home network up to date with with patches and Antivirus protection? Typically, people take good care of their "work" systems, but you may be risking your system when you put it on your home network.
3. Watch for a slow system, or things like web site re-directs. These are signs that you may be infected.

Here are a few tools we've found useful for viruses that aren’t removed by the installed AV software:

Root Kit Revealer – Shows you what is starting up (Saves a lot of time of checking the registry, also scans the hard drive).
HiJackThis – More in depth than rootkit revealer (BHOs). I’ve found it missed rootkits most of the time I’ve encountered them.
ComboFix – Good tool to use after running HiJackThis. Also has some built in rootkit removers for common rootkits. I typically use it just for the rootkit removal.

Another helpful thing for badly damaged systems is to remove the hard drive from the system and then run the tools.

I actually had a virus on my own system for the first time ever a few weeks ago, so I know this problem is bad. I am extremely careful with my systems - up to date patches and regular AV system scans, so don't think you're system is safe! The good news is I noticed a problem immediately and was able to remove the malware in "safe mode". Don't panic, take action immediately to solve the problem. If you catch the problem before a re-boot, you may avoid over-writing system files which would cause a lot of damage.

Economic Recovery Package - Funding for Electronic Medical Records

As part of the Obama administration's economic recovery package, $19B will be spent to help accelerate the implemention electronic medical records in physician offices. The goal is to curb costs and provide better care through the efficiency of electronic medical records.

A recent New York Times article http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/business/01unbox.html?_r=1) cites a study in the New England Journal of Medicine indicating that currently only 17% of all medical practices use computerized medical records. In larger practices, use of electronic medical records is widespread, but over 75% of physicians practice in small offices with 10 or fewer providers. The new funds are good news for the smaller practices who may be eligible for up to $40,000 in funding to help implement electronic records.

For more information regarding the economic recovery program, go to http://www.recovery.gov/.

MA Data Protection Law Extended AGAIN!

The deadline for compliance to the new Massachusetts Data Privacy legislation has been extended AGAIN to January 1, 2010. The original deadline was January 1, 2009. Last November, the deadline was extended to May 1, 2009, and just recently the deadline was extended again to January 1, 2010: http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=ocapressrelease&L=1&L0=Home&sid=Eoca&b=pressrelease&f=20090212_idtheft&csid=Eoca

There are no specific penalties for non compliance, but the door is opened for legal action by the state's attorney general. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/021209-mass-data-privacy.html?page=1

We are advising our clients that if they are running an up to date computer infrastructure they are probably already in compliance for most items, and regardless of what the State does, these are good business practices to follow. In many cases only a few relatively small and inexpensive changes will needed for compliance. Its a bit frustrating that the news keeps changing from the State government, but protecting your critical business information makes business sense right now. What would you do if your laptop were stolen and someone had access to all your information? Encrypt your portable devices NOW and don't get caught up with all the political changes!

Keyboard shortcuts that are available in Windows XP

Do you ever need work on your PC in two different windows and its a pain to switch back and forth? For example, you may have an instructional document in Microsoft Word, and you need to follow the instructions to do some work in a browser window or another application. Switching back and forth is easy if you know the keyboard shortcut: ALT+TAB (Switch between the open items). For a full list of keyboard shortcuts that will save you time, go to: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/301583. Take a few minutes to identify the shortcuts that will help you and memorize the ones that will save you time. You'll be glad you did!

New Internet Worm Infects over 9 million PCs!

It took a while for hackers to get their attack ready, but now a new Internet Worm has infected an estimated 9 million PCs! Downadup -- which also goes by the name "Conficker" -- exploits a bug in the Windows Server service used by all the common Microsoft operating systems: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008. Although Microsoft fixed the flaw with one of its rare "out of cycle" patch releases on October 23, 2008, an estimated 1/3 of all PCs have not yet been patched, according to Qualys, an Internet security company.

The Microsoft patch is available at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-067.mspx.

Symantec has a removal tool posted on their web site: http://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2009-011316-0247-99