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Remote Workers Do Better (We Support Remote Workers)

October 25, 2018 by doctordave

More and more, businesses are supporting working from home. It used to be a luxury. Only cushy jobs let you work from home. So-called “real jobs” required you to go into the office. No more!

This article from Stanford Graduate School of Business shows that remote workers have a 13% improvement in performance. The reasons are obvious, but it’s nice to have some data behind it. You don’t have to worry about a commute. The main reason they mention resonates with me the most: control over the environment.

When you’re working from home, you have control of everything: the noise level, the temperature, the furniture, etc.. At the office you not only don’t have control of the environment, but others invade it. Coworkers stop by to chat. My problem was people’s lunches that would stink up the place!

With work-from-home, your internet connection is your expressway into work. No internet = no work. We get that. Too many companies feel that residential computer repair customers are a lower priority than businesses. They miss the fact that people work from home and get business done. According to this study, 31% of remote workers missed work due to technical problems. How frustrating!

That’s why we focus on small office, home office, and residential customers. They need computer support outside of the traditional office.

Photo by Matt From London

Police Using Fitbit Data Against You?

September 22, 2018 by doctordave

I’m not talking the fat police either. I’m talking about someone going to jail based on what a fitness tracker told police.

The details are explained here . It should give everyone pause for concern. The obvious thing is “don’t do anything wrong,” but the problems go deeper than that. For example, given that people know how these trackers are used, what could stop someone from switching yours out and framing you. I know I’ve accidentally picked up my spouse’s tracker before. The Supreme Court is already grappling with issues of cell phone towers and privacy. Their decision might impact cases like this as well.

Photo by Bekathwia

Security Thwarted Through Forgetfulness

August 15, 2018 by doctordave

I forget where my keys or wallet is all the time. I’ve got Tile to help me with that. I always know where my laptop is though. Forgetful people can ruin the best security measures.

For example, a lost USB flash drive in London caused a massive panic and Heathrow Airport. That drive had critical security information. Of course, the drive wasn’t password protected and encrypted (like my laptop is!)

Lost hardware is more common than you think. For example, Washington State University lost a hard drive and had to inform over 1 million people their identity was at risk.

It’s easy to set passwords on flash drives, hard drives, laptops and desktops. Just give us a call — we’ll show you how. Unless, of course, you want to be in the headlines like these people! I guess it’s fortunate they didn’t name the people who lost the drives.

Photo by slgckgc

An Easy Way to Get Computer Support

August 12, 2018 by doctordave

Too often when we’re at clients we have trouble reproducing a computer problem. The client remembers some error message, but of course we can’t make it do it when it’s out there.

That’s why we recommend the Windows Problem Step Recorder. It’s built into Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10. This link from Microsoft explains how to use it, although I think this one is written more from a non-technical perspective.

If that doesn’t work, just use your smartphone to take video of the screen and then email it to us. That phone isn’t only for checking social media and making phone calls.

Photo by theglobalpanorama

Computer Security For Business Owners

July 29, 2018 by doctordave

If you own your own business, you’re responsible for your company’s computer security. When there’s a breach, it’s your name in the newspaper. We can help protect you, but ultimately it comes down to the business owner.

This blog post does an excellent job of giving bite-sized (or tweetable) tips from a non-technical perspective. That best tip is the last one:

“Keep asking ‘What Else Can We Do?’”

Just like everything in your business, protection is an ongoing struggle. New threats and new technologies call for new methods of protection. We’re here to help!

Photo by perspec_photo88

Could Your Business Suffer an Equifax-Type Hack?

July 8, 2018 by doctordave

It’s been close to a year since the most significant hack in cyber-history that we know of. The last thing you want for your business is to inform customer their information has been taken. You can avoid some common mistakes to reduce your chances.

This article on Inc.com goes over some common mistakes businesses make. The overall theme though is keeping up with technology is required in business. Just because something is working doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be looked at. Older software that isn’t getting security updates is the prime target (the Equifax hack as of this writing was determined to be a missed update).

Probably the most common problem we see is malware (viruses, trojan horses, rootkits, etc,). These are systems that take credit cards, and those internet nasties are stealing your customer information. You don’t even realize it as a business owner.

Although much less common, a disgruntled employee can cause you a world of hurt. They know your systems and where vulnerabilities are. Even if they aren’t technical, they might report your lack of security to others.

If you’re not familiar with updated security software and firmware on things like Point of Sale (POS) systems and routers, it’s time to contact us before you have to contact your customers about a preventable breach.

Photo by Got Credit

The Science Behind Tech Support Scams

July 1, 2018 by doctordave

Tech Support Scams are a common problem we help our clients with. It’s a significant part of our computer repair business in Lawrence and Kansas City. Ever wonder how these criminals can steal so much money? There’s science behind it.

This rather dense academic study from Stony Brook University explains how the scams work. They spent over eight months talking with scammers and seeing where the scams lead. They found that it’s mostly ads causing people the problems, not browsing habits or anything the users do wrong.

The best part of the paper is the suggestions for companies like Google, Microsoft, and Apple to prevent these problems. As end-users, we don’t have much influence. However, the authors also suggest Public Service Announcements to inform the public.

I think local media should give back to the community by running PSAs teaching people how to avoid tech support scams.

Photo by Media Club South Africa

Overselling Internet Service Now Illegal

June 24, 2018 by doctordave

Well, at least in the UK. Gotta leave it to those Brits for holding their Internet Service Providers (ISPs) accountable.

Last year, the regulatory authorities in the UK announced they’ll make sure that the speeds a company promotes are what the customer gets. They’re always a little variation, but you can’t sell and advertise Jumbo speeds and just give average to slow speeds in return.

Those changes are in sharp contrast to US laws. The FTC last year when it repealed Net Neutrality also reduces some of the accountability requirements for ISPs. Here in Lawrence, we’re seeing clients all the time getting much less speed that they’re paying for. It’s a shame and it’s not right.

If you’re not getting the speeds you think you should, give us a call. We can run some independent speed test and help you hold your ISP accountable. Short of that, you can always move to the UK. I hear London is lovely this time of year.

Photo by JeepersMedia

Emotional People Most Likely to Get Hacked

May 6, 2018 by doctordave

Sadly we deal with a ton of tech support scam victims at DoctorDave Computer Repair in Lawrence, KS. Too many! I’m always interested in how these scammers work to train clients to avoid them.

The secret, according to Stanford research is emotions. That’s good news. You don’t have to be tech-savvy to avoid it, just level-headed. These scammers seem to have more success with older clients. The study explains that older people when emotional, are often more likely to get taken in by tech support scams.

The take-away from this story is not to panic. Just give us a call. Calling us will interrupt the emotional cycle. You know you trust us to tell you if it’s a scam or not. Spoiler: it’s almost always a scam.

Photo by hang_in_there

ISPs Have to Issue Refunds for Service Problems

April 29, 2018 by doctordave

Don’t you wish we had this in Lawrence, KS? Every time Midco or AT&T had an outage, they’d be required to give us money.

In the UK at least, companies have to pay if they don’t deliver on service. Not only do they have to compensate you for outages, but if they miss appointments or don’t fix a problem in a timely fashion. So cool!

What’s stopping us from having these rules in Lawrence? Absolutely nothing, except our city commission. We as voters can ask our legislators to enact these laws on a local level.

That is, unless you like these delays and paying for service you’re not getting. I thought so!

Photo by Images_of_Money