It’s the year 2012, the last time I checked, and yet here are some of the top issues our first-time clients all over are still facing a regular basis:

• No shared calendars.
  
  Of course this one is only important if you have team members you work with.
  • One member may be on their own desktop calendar.
  • another operates on a mobile.
  • till another likes and uses and old paper calendar.




• Many different contact files.
  
  • The accounting software has the right address, hopefully.
  • The phone contacts have the right phone number.
  • The computer address book has the right email addresses.

  But nothing is centralized with any accuracy.




• Disjointed customer data.
  
  • Accounting software has sales data. Only a few have access.
  • Email is in salesperson’s mailbox. He’s on vacation.
  • Product information is on the supplier’s portal. Who knows where the password is.
  • Serial numbers of installed equipment are in good old-fashioned binders. You’d be surprised how much information is still in non-digital format!




• Islands of information.
  
  • Peter keeps track of customer service issues in a Word file.
  • Everyone’s work schedule is circulated in a spreadsheet.
  • Passwords are safely stored in the accountant’s smartphone.

  
  

• A mobile experience that isn’t mobile.
  
  • Missing contact info.
  • Cannot access office sent items.
  • Cannot preview attachments.
  • Calendar invites don’t work.

Many business owners just assume that this is the way it must be. You just may want to check out MYbusinessOS.com.

If you operate or work at a small business, having the ability to print is vital. If your printer is simply hooked up directly to one of the computers, you may notice a bit of a delay in printing, or that you can’t print when that computer is turned off.

Your computer is acting as a middle-man. Although it may be a functional and practical setup most of the time, it can also be annoying. If something were to happen to that computer, no one would be able to send documents to that printer.

A better approach is to hook up the printer directly to the network. This is only possibly if the printer has an ethernet port, and if there isn’t a spare ethernet port, an ethernet cable may need to be connected it to the router or switch. Your network may also need other changes to make this a reality, so it’s best to talk to your IT department, or contact Nerds On Site, and we’ll be happy to set things up for you.

Having the printer hooked up directly to the network allows anytime access to that printer, making it easy to quickly send documents to it.

We’re putting together a list of Blackberry, Android, and iPhone apps that members of Nerds On Site use, which we will feature in future blog posts. Right now, though, we want to know what YOUR favorite apps are, and why you like them so much. We’ll make a random list out of the suggestions and put them in a blog post each month.

Please leave suggestions in the comments. Thanks!

image source: ehow.com

[this post is from Dennis Houseknect, West Virgina USA]

Businesses large and small have to manage risk. They invest in measures to prevent risk, including fire sprinklers, alarm systems, security cameras, employee training, and insurance.

What is the single biggest risk businesses face? Fire – no. Break-ins, shoplifting, or other traditional crimes – no. Floods or other natural disasters – no.

For the past two years, the biggest risk faced by businesses is……..Cybercrime.

Cybercrime has become more profitable than the illegal drug trade.

Cybercrime is not perpetrated by casual hackers or “script kiddies”. It is perpetrated by highly organized and very well funded criminal organizations. These are the same criminal organizations that rob banks, run illegal gambling operations, and smuggle illegal weapons. Smart criminals go where the money is. The word “cybercrime” suggests something less nefarious than extortion or drug trafficking. That is unfortunate, because cybercrime is as ugly and malicious as it gets. Lives are ruined and companies put out of business by cybercrime.

Who is helping you understand the risks? Who is helping you understand the importance of investing in security? If you don’t talk about your organization’s security, who will? Nerds On Site is here to answer your questions, and provide quality solutions to protect your organization from digital threats! Call us today! 1-877-696-3737

Many keyboard shortcuts come built into Windows. Some are gimicky, like the “Aero” view in Windows 7 that shows a real-time view of open programs and allows you to quickly flip between them (Alt+Tab). Other key combinations are more practical, allowing you to quickly “lock” your computer from unwanted access, or easily zoom in for a better view of a webpage.

Locking Your Computer

Whether you want to leave your desk for five minutes or take an hour for lunch, it’s important not to leave your computer with different programs open on the desktop, as this can be a privacy and security risk. That said, you may not want to turn off your computer either, though that may be wise when you’re leaving the office for the day, in order to conserve power.

A quick way to protect your computer, and prevent even the temptation of others to snoop around on your system, is to quickly press and hold the Windows logo key while tapping “L”. This will lock your computer, and prevent it from being used until you enter the password to re-enter Windows.

Zoom Into A Webpage

Whether you are having a hard time reading an article, want to see an image more clearly, or need to focus exclusively on a section of a web page during a presentation, this is a handy shortcut to know, and can be used in any modern browser.

Press the CTRL key while tapping the “+” or “-” keys (beside the backspace key) to zoom in or out of a webpage. You can also find the option in the “view” menu, but that can be a hassle, especially if you want to zoom in quite a bit.

Select Multiple Documents

It’s easy enough to click and drag the mouse over several items to select them, but sometimes you only want some of those items selected in order to drag and drop them elsewhere or delete them.

Click one of the items, then hold down the CTRL key and click the other items in the folder to select multiple items.

Alternatively, you can click the first item, press and hold the “shift” key, and click another item to select both items and every item in between in that folder.

What are your favorite keyboard shortcuts? Let us know in the comments, on our fan page, or send us a tweet!

[thanks to Mike Duffy, a Nerd in Calgary, Alberta for this post]

Being proactive when it comes to your Technology and Information is becoming more and more important.  Reactivity to system issues results in Downtime, Loss Money, Productivity, and not to mention Undue Stress and Anxiety.

Nerds On Site is making it possible to be proactive with your Technology and Systems no matter what your budget is!! For a low monthly cost, Nerds On Site will monitor your computer, printers, servers and many other Network connected devices and inform you by email if there is an issues or concern you need to be aware of. We can even notify you that your printer is low on toner!

You NO longer need for a inhouse server for this type of Monitoring! All you need is one computer to start with Nerds On Site 24/7 Monitoring.

24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Nerds On Site Monitoring will watch over your Vital Information and Technology.  When the first sign something is detected, Nerds On Site contacts you to help you get it taken care of it before it becomes a larger problem.

Being proactive not only save money and prevents down time it just makes sense.  Reduce frustration, and give yourself peace of mind with Nerds On Site 24/7 System Monitoring!

For more information or to get set up please contact us!

[this post from Dennis Houseknecht, a Nerd is West Virginia]

Think worms are the malware of yesteryear? Not so. A new worm has been spreading rapidly. This worm spreads via RDP (remote desktop connection).

This worm does not seem to be exploiting any new vulnerabilities in the RDP protocol. Rather, it gets its foothold in the internal network through other means, such as Adobe flash or Reader vulnerabilities or general phishing attacks.

Once inside the network, it infects other machines through the RDP protocol. It also goes outside the network and tries to find other networks that have RDP exposed to the outside and brute force the administrator passwords.

Prevention really is no different from the practices we have always recommended:

1. Keep the operating system and browser add-ons, such as Java, Adobe, etc. patched
2. Educate all users about the dangers of opening attachments and clicking links in ANY email – EVEN those that come (or appear to come) from friends, co-workers, or the boss.
3. Use strong passwords – on admin accounts, use VERY strong passwords
4. If possible, do not expose RDP to the internet, especially on its default port of 3389. If you are using Level Platforms for remote access, you DO NOT HAVE TO OPEN FIREWALL PORTS TO USE RDP. If you have port 3389 open through the firewall, you can assume that someone is trying to brute force the admin account all day, every day. This was true long before Morto came to town.
5. Disable RDP on machines that do not need to have it enabled.

Want to know if port 3389 is open on the firewall? Want to get weekly reports showing all open ports on the firewall? Want to get an alert any time there is a change in the open ports on the firewall? Nerds On Site offers SafetyNet, an automated port scanning service that does this. Contact us if you are interested in this service. There is a low monthly cost.

1. Thou Shalt Keep it Clean.
No porn, no pictures of your body-business, no sharp language.
Why? Look at this button, it says: “Forward”.
You can’t unring a bell so choose your words (and images!) carefully.
Always use a subject line, appropriate greeting and a smart signature ~ no need for fourteen lines about your academic and professional accomplishments, if we work together every day.

2. Thou Shalt Not Rant.

Freedom of speech is a right, but exercising that right means using it the right way. If you disagree with the recent policy announcement, going off in an email is probably not the best way to convey your displeasure.

How does ranting get any meaningful results? Sure, you may feel better…until your boss comes in to discuss your attitude. Or, your employment! Seeking real change is about putting your emotions and passions into action, not (just) into an email so you can feel better.
Could you convey your ‘elevator pitch’ in an email? Tweet it or tell it – What’s your story?

3. Thou Shalt Not Reply All.
Resist the temptation and it will flee from you.

4.  Thou Shalt not SHOUT AT PEOPLE.
Laziness, plain and simple. Surprising, but people still do it. Why?  STOP IT! (whoops, sorry.  Moving on…)

5.  Plan that time-sensitive info will FAIL, via email.
Planning is not a good use of email. “Who can make the meeting on Thursday?” is an email topic that will create endless spin and rescheduling – assuming everyone sees the message before Thursday.
What works best in email: Information, Instruction (or confirmation) and Documentation.
Let people know that the meeting has been scheduled, and send out the meeting request. Verify key players via telephone or face-to-face. Email can’t do it all!

6.  Beware the “BCC” and use it wisely.
When used with the “Reply All” button, you can get some surprises that no one wants and you didn’t intend. Caution!

7.  Do not covet the ability to cc: 3 or more people.
It’s not always off limits, but it’s a yellow flag if you are cc:ing a multitude. Especially if you are cc:ing your boss’s boss, or otherwise going up the chain. Ranting or other violations, when combined with copying every singer in the choir, can be a real CLM (career-limiting move).

8. Remember that email is never the first/last/only communication tool.
Are you the gal who pontificates via email? Are you the dude who issues edicts, not emails? It’s easy to hide behind the keyboard and assume a different persona. Step out of the Matrix from time to time and don’t let email be your only connection to your team, your co-workers, or others.

9.  Thou shalt not choke your co-workers inbox with enormous attachments.
Just put that file on the server, or use Dropbox or some other service. Be smart about large file transfer. ‘Nuff said.

10. Send commands via email wisely. Please.  And, thank you.
Because even if (or especially if) you’re the boss, how you ask for something is even more important than what you need.
Before you hit “send”, ask yourself if you are being lazy, or being effective, with email.

Set an email policy, or open up a discussion within your department, so that others know where you stand. Email protocol is a bit of an unwritten law – there’s no ‘manual’. But, there are expectations. What are yours?

thanks to moveoutormoveup.wordpress.com for this excellent list!

If you are using Outlook (any version), and you have managed to reset the security level for e-mails, There are two things you need to do to help prevent malicious emails from affecting your computer. The first step is to turn the ‘Reading Pane’ ‘Off’, then turn the ‘Auto-Preview’ on, which will only displays the first three lines of the message, which should be enough to tell if the email is safe to read or simply junk.

Here is how to disable the Reading Pane and enable Auto Preview.

1. Open Outlook.
2. Choose View -> Reading Pane -> Off

1. Choose View -> AutoPreview
2. Now you can see what is Junk, and which ones may have an HTML payload.

Hat tip to www.sans.org for the tips!