Welcome to the SnapStreak "SnapTips" Technology Forum

Content Filtering : Protect your Employees Today!

2008-08-08T13:44:00.004-05:00

An Urgent Alert To Business Owners

With Employees Using E-mail And The Internet For Work:

Right Now, There Is A Good Chance You Are Paying 90% of Your Employees An $8,600.00 A Year “Bonus” To Download Porn, Search For Another Job, And Infect Your Network With Viruses

Another Monday morning and you look over your office of busy employees hard at work on their computers. What you may not realize is…

§ Angela from sales is searching for another job. She surfs all of your competitor’s sites and uploads her resume to their HR department…

§ John in production is reviewing this weekend’s game highlights play-by-play on his favorite sports news page…

§ Bill in accounting is busy reviewing her portfolio and researching which stocks she should invest in next…

§ Jeff in customer support is making the entire network run slow by downloading huge MP3 files of Mega Death live in concert…

§ Mary, your secretary is accessing her personal hotmail account via your network and accidentally downloading virus carrying e-mails…

§ Dave from shipping is on hotdate.com looking at questionable photos…

So What’s The Harm In A Little Personal Web Surfing And E-mailing Now And Again?

Staggering When You Look At These Alarming Statistics:

§ 73% of employees who use the Internet are fully aware that they are consuming valuable bandwidth and hampering critical business activities with inappropriate Internet usage – but do it anyway.

§ 70% of all Internet porn traffic occurs during the 9-to-5 workday (SexTracker) and 27% of Fortune 500 companies have been accused of sexual harassment stemming from inappropriate e-mail and/or Internet usage. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that companies can be held accountable for their employees forwarding offensive messages and viewing pornography. For example, the Chevron Corporation was ordered to pay $2.2 million to employees over a joke e-mail which they considered offensive.

§ Secret monitoring by the U.S. Treasury Department of Internet use among Internal Revenue Service employees found that activities such as personal e-mail, online chats, shopping and checking personal finances and stocks accounted for 51% of employees' time spent online.

§ According to a survey conducted by Vault.com, 90% of employees use the Internet for personal reasons while at work.

§ 31% of employees accidentally or intentionally send confidential information and trade secrets outside of their organization. The New York Times reported that the stock of Cerner Corp. dipped by 22% after a confidential e-mail from its chief executive chastising his managers was posted on a public site.

Does All of This REALLY Affect You and Your Company?

There are no shortages of studies and reports that talk about soft costs of lowered productivity. As a business owner myself, I consider a lot of this “cowboy math” that is truly hard to quantify. After all, it’s the hard dollars that really matter at the end of the day.

However, if you have employees with unmonitored access to e-mail and the Internet, there are a number of activities they can participate in that are far more damaging than a few hours of lost productivity:

Bandwidth Costs: Heavy graphics, video clips, and audio files are particularly notorious for clogging digital pipelines. If your staff is e-mailing photos of their family vacation to their friends, paying bills online, or downloading music, they are using up a huge amount of expensive bandwidth and slowing down your organization as a result.

Legal Liability: A lawyer at a London firm forwarded an explicit e-mail he received from a female acquaintance to several co-workers as a joke. Unfortunately, they sent it on to a few of their friends and within a short period of time, thousands of people from around the world, including the press, received it. Because of this simple e-mail, this law firm ended up in a huge controversy that hurt their image and credibility.

All it takes is one off-color e-mail to hurt your company’s reputation and land you in an expensive and potentially devastating lawsuit. The US Supreme Court has ruled that companies CAN be held accountable when their employees use the Internet and e-mail inappropriately. To date, 27% of Fortune 500 companies have faced accusations of sexual harassment because they were not properly monitoring and policing employee activities.

Viruses and Internal Security Breaches
Eighty-seven percent (87%) of all viruses enter a company network via e-mail. Even if you have virus protection, employees using free web-based e-mail services like Hotmail and Yahoo can unknowingly introduce dangerous viruses by circumventing your company’s virus scanning software at the gateway.

Another overlooked security threat employee pose is accidentally (or intentionally) sharing confidential files and data to the outside world. Items such as price lists, internal memos, client databases, and business plans can easily find their way into the hands of competitors. Once recent company received a full list of their biggest competitors clients via e-mail when a sales person accidentally carbon copied every recipient into the “to” field.

Another company, France Telecom, accidentally sent an incomplete, rough draft of their financial results one week early. This was a huge financial relations mistake. Accidents like this happen all of the time UNLESS messages sent to the outside world are monitored and filtered for certain keywords.

What You Need To Do Now To Protect Your Organization

At a minimum, there are 2 things you need to do immediately to protect your organization from these disasters. They are:

1. Craft and distribute an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) to all employees. This policy should clearly define:

§ Where employees can and cannot go online.
§ What types of files employees can and cannot download to your network.
§ Appropriate use of company e-mail.
§ When and to what extent they can surf the Internet and use e-mail for personal reasons.
§ Which types of activities are strictly forbidden and…
§ What the consequences are of violating these policies.

2. Set up content filtering software for e-mail and Internet usage. You cannot possibly police all the activities your employees engage in. However, you can automatically enforce a number of the rules outlined in your AUP by installing software that will filter employee access to certain sites and monitor your employee’s activities online, including e-mail.

FREE Employee Usage Audit
Protects You And Your Organization

During the month of August and September of 2008, we will be giving away a FREE employee usage audit to the first 3 companies who contact us from this blog posting.

At no cost or obligation, we will come on site and install a Surf Control demo server that will monitor inappropriate employee usage of the Internet and e-mail, spam, and bandwidth usage.

This simple audit will reveal how much time your employees are spending on non-business related web activities, what sites they are visiting, as well as your exposure to e-mail viruses.

To do this type of audit on your own would cost over $4,000 in hardware and software. However, as a SurfControl reseller, we have a dedicated server in house that we can give you on a trial basis to perform the audit.

By letting us perform the audit for free, you get an easy and accurate way of determining whether or not you even have a problem. If you discover that your employees are “behaving”, we can remove the SurfControl server and you don’t owe us a dime. However, if we discover that inappropriate usage of e-mail and the Internet are affecting your organization, we can help you craft a plan for resolving this situation quickly and cost-effectively.

Regardless of what we discover during our audit, you will be under no obligation to buy anything or to ever use our services again. But don’t delay! Time and staff limitations force us to limit the number of free audits we can give away to three.

How To Secure Your FREE Employee Usage Audit:
Call us today at (281) 377-0981 or email sales@snapstreak.com to schedule your FREE AUDIT TODAY. And remember, to "Manage IT Better" with SnapStreak.

A Beginner’s Guide To Computer Networks

2008-05-18T18:13:00.002-05:00

Try to talk to most small business owners about setting up a computer network and their eyes will glaze over. Either they fear the complexity of the topic and the mysterious acronyms, or they simply fear the cost of setting up and maintaining one.

But computer networking isn’t as expensive or as complicated as it used to be. Lower costs and “plug and play” devices have made it extremely easy for even small Mom and Pop shops to take advantage of the increased speed, accuracy, and ease of doing business offered by a computer network.

What Is A Network?

A computer network is nothing more than a system of computers and computer devices (like a printer or scanner) that are connected together to share files, information, and resources. If you connect your computer with another computer with a cable, you’ve got a small, peer-to-peer network in place.

The most common network for small businesses is the LAN or Local Area Network. This type of network is usually connected within the same building via cables. Another common small business network is a WAN or Wide Area Network, which is a LAN extended to other geographic locations using the Internet.

Which Network Is Best For You?

If you only have two or three computers, you may want to start off only with a simple peer to peer network where all machines are directly connected to one another. However, there are drawbacks to this set up.

Peer to peer networks make it difficult to backup and manage files because everyone has to store everything – software and data files – on their own machine.

This type of network can also become sluggish and unstable causing unexpected downtime, and makes it difficult to adequately protect against viruses.

A better option is the client-server network where a powerful computer called a server stores and “serves up” the information and software applications (databases, word processing, accounting, etc) to all the machines in your network or office.

This type of network configuration is much faster, secure, and stable. Backups are not only easier to perform, but they are also far more reliable and accurate. Security is improved because virus protection and Internet access can be managed from one central location. Sharing software applications and large files between workers and offices becomes easier, and you can allow for remote access (people working from home).

There are other benefits such as lowered software costs, increases in productivity, and the ability to get practically any device (such as a printer or scanner) to talk to just about any other device, including your phone.

Of course, if the server goes down your entire network (and business) stops. Therefore you want to make sure you have a emergency plan in place (like a second back-up server) and a fast-response service agreement with a local computer support firm like the ones I offer to my small business clients.

Wireless Networks – The Next Generation of Small Business And Home Computing

Thanks to major advances in wireless technology, now even small businesses on a small budget can benefit from the new wireless networks. If you’re confused, just think of it as a computer that works like a cell phone (look Mom, no wires!).

The only difference between a wireless network and the “old fashioned” cable connected networks is that wireless networks communicate with other computers, devices, and the Internet without any messy cable installations.

This is especially popular in businesses that require mobile workers to enter and access data where wired devices would be inconvenient (or impossible) to carry around, such as a warehouse, a large store, or even in a hospital.

If your head is spinning from all this talk about networks and you just want all of this “computer stuff” to just work, then you can always give us a call, and we'll make IT all work for you.

And always remember, to "Manage IT Better" with SnapStreak.

http://www.snapstreak.com/

SnapStreak on the Doctor's Channel

2008-05-18T13:16:00.003-05:00

Take some time to visit our blog on the Doctor's Channel:

URL: http://www.thedoctorschannel.com/group/technology.html

Hello Healthcare Colleagues:

We live in a fast pace, ever changing laws and regulations regarding electronic personal health records (PHRs). Such lukewarm reception has left many physicians with the disconcerting vision of elderly patients handing over "Glad Bag" filled 3.5” floppy disks of archived DOS-based medical information.

Assuming, as far reaching as it can be, that the data provided was accurate to begin with (and hopefully readable), now the good Doctor must figure out how to integrate all of this new patient information into an EMR/PHR system that he, unfortunately, has not purchased yet, much less, has even begun to research.

Even more daunting, however, are the iconic hallways of manila folders that collectively total a hundred or more years of Patient Data. You ask yourself, “How in the world am I going to integrate all of this into an EMR/PHR system (that ideally would be easy to use and learn), train my staff, and audit the entire process so that I do not risk being sued for missing a small piece of vital information?”

So, welcome to our Technology Group. We will take a Q/A Journey and Review everything from desktops to laptops, printers, and scanners to diagnostic imaging, EMR to PHR, Business Process Automation, and even the next generation of Unified Communications and the future of Telemedicine in the office.

My goal is to help you learn to "Manage IT Better." Why? Because IT is beyond technology. IT is about simplifying your business workflow. IT is giving you the ability to see more clients. IT is about making you profitable. IT is about giving you more time with your family, and never missing that softball game again. IT’s about you as much as IT’s about caring for your Patient.

In our Technology Group, we will discuss the industry's best practices of leveraging technology to your favor. You will learn to focus on leading edge, and not "bleeding edge", technology. You will learn to become proactive, instead of reactive, when it comes to your business technology as to avoid expensive repairs and recovery costs. You will learn how to experience faster performance, fewer issues, and practically zero downtime in your office. IT's time for physicians to succeed in their practice and focus on what matters most – quality patient care.

Let's make IT happen. A place you can “technically” call home and get all of your IT related questions answered, by yours truly, Mr. SnapStreak. I look forward to chatting you online.

Best personal regards,

Mr. SnapStreak
"SnapTips" Editor of iPortal.MD
http://snapstreak.blogspot.com/

Been told to cut down on your IT budget?

2008-05-02T15:39:00.001-05:00

Has your company gone into 'recession mode'? It's time to review these expensive Antivirus maintenance contracts, and not renew them. You can now get CounterSpy Enterprise and upgrade to VIPRE Enterprise when it comes out in Q2. VIPRE is a high-performance, new and true next-generation Antivirus + Antispyware in-one for an excellent price. Less RAM usage, small footprint, highly efficient and a robust, enterprise architecture that runs on thousands of sites. Need to protect 20,000 desktops at lower cost? Here is the answer; Get CounterSpy Enterprise! The upgrade to VIPRE is fast, smooth and easy. Save your valuable IT budget now.
Learn more by calling SnapStreak Inc. today at (281) 377-0981, or visit us online at www.snapstreak.com

Economic downturn will increase offshoring, Gartner says

2008-05-01T21:02:00.001-05:00

While the U.S. IT sector has shown signs of resiliency in recent months, a new report by Gartner predicts the current economic slowdown will accelerate the offshoring of IT jobs to countries such as India

read more | digg story

Always Be Courteous when you Email ...

2008-05-01T17:55:00.002-05:00

Tips For Staying Out of Trouble When Sending E-mail Messages

E-mail is quickly becoming the #1 way we communicate with friends, family, co-workers, employees, and clients. But be careful! E-mail messages cannot accurately deliver the tone of your message and what you thought was funny sarcasm by be interpreted as an insult to your reader. Here are some e-mail etiquette tips to help you be a better e-mail communicator:

¨ Take a little time to explain your message and use adjectives or adverbs to clarify tone. Short, blunt messages may come across as being rude.

¨ Always address the person with a salutation such as “Hi Name” or “Dear Name”. Using someone’s first name without a salutation may appear brusque.

¨ Using ALL CAPS is the equivalent of screaming at someone. Only use this were it is appropriate.

¨ Don’t send large attachments unless you’ve gotten permission from the recipient to do so. If the file is too large, it could take up a lot of space in their inbox and prevent them from getting
other messages.

¨ Make sure you have up-to-date virus protection. E-mail is the number one way viruses are spread. You’ll lose a lot of brownie points if you send someone a virus that wipes out their hard drive.

¨ Get to the point quickly and avoid rambling. Use a short description in your subject line to make filing and referencing your message easy.

¨ If you are sending a message to a large group of people, do not cut and paste everyone’s e-mail address into the cc (carbon copy) field. Most people are very sensitive about giving out their e-mail address to strangers. Either create a group in Outlook or use the bcc (blind carbon copy) field.

¨ Do not send off-color jokes, profanity, private information, or other messages that you wouldn’t want other people seeing via e-mail to anyone. Once you write it down and send it, you lose all control over where that message goes. Even if it’s a trusted friend, they may accidentally forward it on to someone else or it may get found by another person. This goes double if you are using your company e-mail address.

Speaking of email, if you are ever needing secure email or secure instant messaging, visit us at SnapStreak, www.snapstreak.com to learn more.

Remember to always "Manage IT Better" with SnapStreak!

LifeLock - A very valuable ID service everyone should have

2008-04-30T08:51:00.000-05:00

Tired of Dumping Money Into Your Computer Network?

2008-04-29T20:41:00.003-05:00

Read On To Discover How You Can Make Those Darn Things Finally Pay Off!

If you ask most business owners why they invest in computers and technology, you will hear things like “to increase employee productivity”, or “to improve customer service” or even to lower operating costs, make information more accessible, and give them a competitive advantage.

But the question is, are the computers in your office actually contributing to your productivity, or do they act as a money-sucking stumbling block to your businesses success?

In this dog-eat-dog world, you cannot afford to have anything slowing you down or interfering with your day to day operations. Especially the tools you rely on in your computer network.

If you want to learn how we can help you experience fewer interruptions, problems, and downtime, AND lower the overall costs associated with your computer network, then you’ll want to know about our “Network Optimization Plan”.

This program was designed specifically for small business owners that do not have a full time IT staff taking care of their computer network.

For a small, fixed monthly fee, we will monitor and maintain your computer network 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to make sure all systems are running at peak performance. We’ll also make sure critical network maintenance such as security and virus updates, back ups, and system optimization happens when it should to avoid bigger, more expensive problems from happening.

My Free 60 Minute “Technology Tune Up” May (Finally) Make Those Computers Pay Off

To introduce this new program to all of our clients and prospects, we are offering a free, 60-minute “Technology Tune Up” to the first 5 businesses that contact us this month.

In less than 1 hour, I can come in and examine your computer network, talk to your employees, and provide a very revealing analysis of all the under utilized or overlooked capabilities being wasted in your current computer system.

We’ll also look for security loop holes, check your system back ups and virus protection, and look for other hidden problems lurking in the background, waiting to turn into bigger, more expensive disasters.

After doing this analysis, I can not only advise you on how to improve the speed. Reliability, and security of your computer network, but also on ways you can improve your overall office productivity.

Normally we charge $250 for this type of service but we are giving it away FREE as a special promotion this month to demonstrate our Network Optimization Plan.

To secure your spot, simply call our offices on 281-377-0981 or e-mail me at sales@snapstreak.com and we’ll schedule a convenient time for us to come out and conduct this tune up.

No Risk, No Obligation, No Hassles

I also want to point out that you will be under zero obligations to do or buy anything if you sign up for a FREE Technology Tune Up. This is just our way of introducing our new network maintenance program to you and we certainly don’t expect everyone to sign up.

So what are you waiting for? Call us right now while you’re thinking about it. Remember, we are only giving away 5 Tune Ups on a first come, first serve basis so call now while there are spots left!

And as always, remember to "Manage IT Better" with SnapStreak.
www.snapstreak.com

2008-04-28T17:27:00.000-05:00

Off He Goes into the Murky Brown Yonder.

2008-04-28T17:26:00.000-05:00

Here is the aforementioned Bad Boy before he was released back into the wild.

2008-04-28T17:25:00.000-05:00

This has absolutely nothing to do with Managed IT Services,
But take a look at the size of this CrawDaddy!
Simply SnapStreak quality :) lol

About half the price of WebEx, AccuConference offers great plans for toll-free conferencing, conference bridges, and web sharing applications

2008-04-24T14:12:00.001-05:00

Just some insight on Mexico IT and Nearshoring

2008-04-24T00:33:00.003-05:00

http://mexicoit.plaxogroups.com/

Nearshoring in Mexico provides US companies with access to a large pool of highly skilled professionals with familiar culture and values trained in education programs similar to those in the United States. More importantly, this nearness allows for easy verification that the service provider's resources are in fact being effectively utilized to meet the client enterprise's needs. Trust is therefore established in a true nearshoring environment through the establishment of effective control, developed much more quickly than in partnerships with providers in remote offshoring locations. MexicoIT is an initiative executed by the National Chamber of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technologies (CANIETI), an industry association of leading IT companies in Mexico, and is supported by the Mexican Ministry of Economy through the Program for the Development of the Software Industry (PROSOFT).

Google at HIMSS 2008

2008-04-21T00:05:00.001-05:00

Eric Schmidt gives the keynote speech at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Annual Conference in Orlando, on February 28, 2008.

Hillary on Healthcare, Google, and EMR

2008-04-21T00:01:00.001-05:00

SnapStreak creates Microsoft Small Business Specialist Healthcare Group

2008-04-16T19:37:00.002-05:00

Sign up today on LinkedIN and join SnapStreak's Microsoft Small Business Specialist: Healthcare Group and discuss issues pertaining to today's healthcare technology. This group is FREE to join for those members that are interested in sharing best technology practices with other IT Directors and/or Systems Integrators.
http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/88559/72C33C6D4A99

Why you should consider Managed IT Services on Squidoo

2008-04-12T23:20:00.001-05:00

A good resource for learning about the value that a Managed Services Provider (MSP) , such as SnapStreak Inc., brings to the table of a small to medium business enterprise.

read more | digg story

2008-04-09T13:24:00.003-05:00

TECHNOLOGY ONLY ON THE DOCTORS CHANNEL

Rising health care costs, increased patient expectations, changing regulations and market consolidation are increasing the pressure on your physician practice to decrease costs while at the same time improving the quality of care you provide.

Unfortunately, running your business means spending less and less time with patients. Administrative overhead does not make you profitable.

I'll share with you over 15 years of comprehensive technology tips and trade “secret solutions” learned through my consulting experiences and project management. I will teach you “best practices” that will not only let you practice medicine, the way you want to, but make you more profitable!

I'll be your “back-pocket” vendor liaison and technology guide. I'll show you how to put together technology solutions that include one source of accountability, with simplified, predictable financial outcomes and ROIs. No finger pointing, No “compatibility issues”, No worries.

We live in a fast pace, ever changing laws and regulations regarding electronic personal health records (PHRs). Such lukewarm reception has left many physicians with the disconcerting vision of elderly patients handing over "Glad Bag" filled 3.5” floppy disks of archived DOS-based medical information.

Assuming, as far reaching as it can be, that the data provided was accurate to begin with (and hopefully readable), now the good Doctor must figure out how to integrate all of this new patient information into an EMR/PHR system that he, unfortunately, has not purchased yet, much less, has even begun to research.

Even more daunting, however, are the iconic hallways of manila folders that collectively total a hundred or more years of Patient Data. You ask yourself, “How in the world am I going to integrate all of this into an EMR/PHR system (that ideally would be easy to use and learn), train my staff, and audit the entire process so that I do not risk being sued for missing a small piece of vital information?”

So, welcome to our Technology Group. We will take a Q/A Journey and Review everything from desktops to laptops, printers, and scanners to diagnostic imaging, EMR to PHR, Business Process Automation, and even the next generation of Unified Communications and the future of Telemedicine in the office.

My goal is to help you learn to "Manage IT Better." Why? Because IT is beyond technology. IT is about simplifying your business workflow. IT is giving you the ability to see more clients. IT is about making you profitable. IT is about giving you more time with your family, and never missing that softball game again. IT’s about you as much as IT’s about caring for your Patient.

In our Technology Group, we will discuss the industry's best practices of leveraging technology to your favor. You will learn to focus on leading edge, and not "bleeding edge", technology. You will learn to become proactive, instead of reactive, when it comes to your business technology as to avoid expensive repairs and recovery costs. You will learn how to experience faster performance, fewer issues, and practically zero downtime in your office. IT's time for physicians to succeed in their practice and focus on what matters most – quality patient care.

Let's make IT happen. A place you can “technically” call home and get all of your IT related questions answered, by yours truly, Mr. SnapStreak.

I look forward to chatting you online.

Best personal regards,

Mr. SnapStreak

"SnapTips" Editor of iPortal.MD

http://www.thedoctorschannel.com/group/technology.html

When Things Go Technically Wrong

2008-04-08T17:20:00.002-05:00

What To Do When Things Go Technically Wrong

It’s amazing how many things can go wrong with your computer; bad drivers, hardware malfunctions, viruses, software glitches, spyware…and this is only the beginning.

Computer problems always seem to happen at the most inconvenient times and can leave you stranded for hours, even days without a computer. However, vendor “help desk” support can be frustrating and in some cases, expensive. The next time you have a computer problem, here are 5 simple things you can do to try and resolve the problem yourself or to at least prepare and get the most out of your help desk support.

1. Check your connections. This may sound obvious, but check all the cables to make sure they are plugged in securely. Don't ignore this step because USB, printer, and serial cables have a way of working themselves loose and causing problems.

2. Reboot. Windows sometimes gets into a state of confusion or overload and locks up. You can clear the memory and set things straight by simply rebooting your system. Similarly, if you're having a problem connecting to the Internet, try rebooting your cable/DSL modem and router by unplugging them for 15 seconds and allowing them to reset themselves.

However, this isn't something you should have to do often. If you find yourself rebooting your router once a day, the problem is a bit deeper.

If you still can’t resolve the problem yourself, then here are a few more steps to take before calling support that will save a lot of time and get your problem resolved quicker…

3. Try to narrow down the problem as much as possible. Identifying what went wrong is 90% of the journey to the solution. Try to isolate when and where the problem happened and note the last thing you installed, changed, or plugged in to your computer. You’ll also want to narrow down the error message as much as possible.

For example, if you discover your printer isn't working from Word, try to print from another application. Also note the order of events leading up to the problem.

Maybe you can print when you first boot up, but everything seems to go haywire after you scan a document. Does the problem occur all the time or only after the machine has been running for a while? Does the problem repeat itself or is it only occasional? Observing what situations lead up to a problem can be a great help in determining what is causing it.

4. Access crash logs. If you are using a Microsoft operating system, you can access an application called Dr. Watson that will report information about your memory and configuration to a crash log file.

In Windows XP, the default location is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Dr Watson. The crash log is a text file called Drwtsn32.log, which can be read in Notepad or sent via e-mail to a tech-support person. Dr. Watson can also create a crash dump, which contains similar information but is readable only by a debugging utility.

5. Know your system. When you talk to a support technician on the phone, they are going to want to know what specific hardware, operating system, and software you're using.

To save time, know the make and model numbers for all your hardware. You can access CPU and memory info by selecting Control Panel | System. Drill down from here into Hardware | Device Manager for information about other devices such as your sound and graphics cards.

Write down new software, no matter how small or insignificant, that you've downloaded and installed lately, including upgrades, screen savers, emoticon software, and web browser updates. It can also help to jot down any services running in the background.

To access a list of what is running on your Windows XP system, press Ctrl-Alt-Del and select Task Manager. You can also get very detailed info from Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Information.

6. Back up your data. Before you start following directions over the phone from a support technician or tearing your system apart to fix it yourself, make sure you have a backup of all your important documents, e-mail, and other data.

Although many fixes will be as simple as downloading a new driver, you'll be glad you have a backup if you find yourself reinstalling the operating system. You should also have your original CDs around in case you need to reinstall applications.

Remember to “Manage IT Better” with SnapStreak. www.snapstreak.com

WiFi Networking: What It Is, How It Works, And What You Need To Know

2008-04-01T14:14:00.005-05:00

WiFi, or wireless networking, is quickly becoming the preferred method for connecting to the Internet or other computers because of its simplicity. Using WiFi, you can connect anywhere in your home, office, or even your local cafe without the need for wires or Internet connections.

How It Works
A simple way to understand wireless networking is to think about how walkie-talkies work.

These small radios communicate by transmitting and receiving radio signals. When you talk into a Walkie-Talkie, your voice is picked up by a microphone, encoded onto a radio frequency and transmitted with the antenna to the other walkie-talkie which then converts that radio frequency back to your voice.

Where To Connect
Finding a wireless (Wi-Fi) hookup (also called a hotspot) for your laptop is getting easier.

Thousands of free Wi-Fi hotspots are springing up across the country including coffee shops, hotels, and public areas.

Most of these establishments charge a fee for the access but with a little research, you won't have to pay a cent. For example, Shlotzsky’s sandwich shops and Apple retail stores provide access for free to attract customers.

Hotel chains like Best Western, Clarion, Comfort Inn and Omni hotels are also offering free Wi-Fi service to their guests. To find free hotspots in your area or an area you will be traveling to, go to ConnectedHotel (http://www.connectedhotel.com) or Wi-Fi FreeSpot (http://www.wififreespot.com). Wififreespot.com also lists libraries and public parks that offer free access. They are little bit harder to find but you may be delightfully surprised to find one in your area.

If you can't find free service, you can pay for the access. T-Mobile (http://www.t-mobile.com/hotspot/) has nearly 4,600 locations throughout the United States and has hotspots located in Starbucks coffeehouses, Borders Books & Music stores, airports and other areas.

Security Problems With Wi-Fi Hotspots
Internet users beware! Wi-Fi access is not as secure as your Internet connection at home or at work. Most free public wireless networks turn off all security functions by default to make it easier to connect.

Never, ever send a credit card number or personal information of any sort over a wireless Internet connection. The guy in the next car could grab it as easy as your neighbor. And if you set up a wireless network, remember that you must go the extra mile to ensure your network is secure. Police report a big business among criminals who use insecure networks to steal data like credit card numbers.

To safeguard your computer, turn off all file sharing and avoid sending sensitive e-mail or making online purchases.

Want To Go Wireless? We Can Help!
If you want to join the thousands of other computer users who have gone wireless, give us a call. We can install and configure the necessary hardware and software to get you connected in no time flat!

SnapStreak Inc.
(281) 377-0981
www.snapstreak.com

Secure HIPAA Email - Are you compliant?

2008-03-06T13:41:00.002-06:00

SnapStreak Inc. is a leading provider of secure HIPAA compliant email solutions, powered by .mdEmail® - so how exactly does this work?

The .mdEmail® Platform (patent pending) is a secure email solution that has been designed with medical providers and healthcare professionals in mind. All .mdEmail® accounts connect to our .mdEmail® server via SMTP/SSL and can communicate directly with each other without further encryption; providing an unprecedented domain wide networking capability. For communication anywhere over the Internet .mdEmail® users need only type "secure:" into the subject line of an outgoing email which prompts encryption and secures Protected Health Information in transit over the Internet. .mdEmail® enables secure peer to peer, Practice/Physician to Laboratory, Practice/Physician to Insurance Company, or Practice/Physician to patient communications in compliance with HIPAA requirements.

Your intended recipient can respond in an encrypted format as well. .mdEmail® integrates readily with all modern email clients and devices such as Outlook, TREO, Blackberry, Thunderbird, or Mozilla. So there is no work flow disruption or need to switch. One FREE account is included with each .md registration. A .mdSecureIM™ account and secure web mail client is also be included with your registration. .mdSecureIM™ enables you to communicate securely with one or more counterparts regardless of geographic location providing they maintain a .mdEmail® account. The secure web client allows you to access your secure email account when you are away from your desk. As a Health Care Provider your .md domain name establishes your web identity and your .mdEmail® account reinforces your organization as a brand with every email you send.

To learn more, visit our website at http://www.iportal.md/iportal.html or call us today at 888.MYMDNET (696-3638)

So, do you think you are immune to viruses in Cyberspace?

2008-02-08T21:52:00.001-06:00

Just because you don't think it will affect you, doesn't mean you are immune to Internet threats. The number of attacks on small to medium enterprises is growing, leaving many business operations in a state of disarray. Why is that? Simply put, SMB budgets don't seem to ever have enough money to upgrade and protect.

Like many others in the same shoes, cyber security is extremely dependent upon technology and electronically stored data. However, have you ever stopped to consider that many of the steps you need to take to secure your information infrastructure, won't cost your business money, or even much time?

IT's all about "Managing IT Better." So, how do you get the best of both worlds ... enterprise security on a small business budget? Here is what the experts at Symatec have to say about it ...

* Use Strong Passwords — Passwords are the most common method of authenticating users to provide entry into a computer system. Cracking passwords is a way hackers can gain unauthorized access to your computer network. For that reason, you need a strong password that is hard to guess.

A strong password is at least eight characters and includes a combination of lowercase and uppercase letters, digits, and symbols. Sometimes trying to integrate that combination can create some not-so-easy-to-remember passwords.

Here's a tip that might help create a more memorable password: Try replacing S's with dollar signs ($) and O's with zeros (0).

Require users to employ a different password for each service or system they are accessing, and make sure everyone changes passwords every 45-60 days. And finally, do not write down passwords and leave them lying out in the open.

* Be Smart Email User — Email is fraught with potential security risks—in fact, most security threats are spread by email. Even if you have an antivirus solution in place, occasionally an infected message will manage to get through.

To avoid infection, you should never use the preview pane function in your email program, never open attachments in emails from unknown senders, and even if you recognize the sender, you should still scrutinize the attachments before opening. If the attachment ends in an unusual extension—do not open it. Spam is also a prevalent problem and for that reason, you should never open junk mail.

Do not reply to unsolicited emails, even if you are trying to unsubscribe—this only lets the spammers know that you have successfully received their message so they will continue to send more spam. Also, be on the lookout for phishing scams—emails that look like legitimate messages from places—such as banks that try to get you to divulge your personal information. Do not perpetuate spam by forwarding virus warnings and chain letters you receive-via email.

* Be Alert When Browsing the Web — Be careful and alert when you are on the Internet—otherwise you could expose your business to unnecessary threats. Enable the security settings on your Web browser—you can usually find these settings in the Preferences menu.

Do not enable file sharing, which can open the door to viruses and intrusion. You should also be very cautious when giving out personal information online. Even though a Web site claims to be secure, if you don't see a small padlock or key icon in the toolbar, and the page's URL does not begin with https: rather than http:, do not provide any sensitive information. That's because the page is not secure, and the information you provide will not be encrypted and thus vulnerable to interception. And whatever you do, do not click on any pop-up advertisements.

* Use Antivirus Software — Antivirus software is still the best way to stay protected against today's viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Antivirus software should be installed on all servers, desktops, and laptops—including devices used to make remote connections to your network.

Remember, simply having the antivirus installed is not enough—for maximum protection from the latest threats, you should check for new virus definitions daily, and also perform weekly system scans.

*Use a Firewall — Think about all of the important and sensitive information that lives in your small business network. Did you know that whenever you connect a computer to the Internet, a pipeline directly into your network opens up? Without a firewall, you are putting that information at risk.

A firewall is essentially a protective wall around your network that keeps the information inside the network private and secure by constantly monitoring all data flowing in and out, looking for irregularities or signs of trouble. Be sure to use a network firewall, and also install a personal firewall on each computer.

If you or your employees are accessing your network remotely, make sure the remote devices are equipped with a firewall because they will not be protected by the network firewall. Firewalls are available as software or hardware, and although they perform almost the same function, every small business should have both kinds.

... Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of SnapTips. If you are ready to manage IT better, give our SnapTechs a call at SnapStreak Inc. (281) 377-0981 ...

If you like what you read on this week's SnapTips, simply visit us at www.snapstreak.com and register to receive them through our weekly newsletter. This is one of those few times that free advice may actually be worth more than it cost :)

Until next time, stay safe in Cyberspace, and Manage IT Better!

Editors Note: SnapStreak Inc. is a Managed IT Services Provider offering comprehensive IT services on a monthly subscription to small and medium-sized businesses. We'll help you maximize technology to reach your business goals.

Get to know SnapStreak™ with SnapAudit™ ... Our FREE 27 point Network Audit Gets You Started! Visit www.snapstreak.com for more information.

Welcome to the new SnapStreak "SnapTips" Forum

2008-02-07T20:05:00.000-06:00

Having a hard time finding IT tips on the internet? We will welcome techs from anywhere to post tips on any IT related topics. Managed IT Services, Computer Repair, Programming, Help Desk, Remote Backup, Healthcare Solutions, and more. No IT topic is taboo. Things that make a difference. Things that make you think. Things that make you laugh! Things you may want to buy or sell. Let's post away, and have some fun with it! Enjoy our open forum.