Our Take on the New Surface 5… I Mean New Surface Pro

Many people are already asking whats with the new surface pro?  Is it worth an upgrade?  Well after a quick review of what the new surface can do we came up with a short list of items that we thought brought the most value to the New Surface Pro.

Our Top 3 reasons we would consider an upgrade from a Surface Pro 3 or Surface Pro 4

  1. Connectivity – With the arrival of the New Surface Pro Microsoft is finally adding the option for integrated 4G LTE.  This has been long overdue for a business tool such as the surface.  We all want to compute on the go and now we can much more easily.
  2. Battery Life – Microsoft claims that the New Surface Pro will last up to 13.5 hours on a single charge. This compares to nine hours with the Surface Pro 4 which is a significant improvement.  This claim is based on figures that refer to video playback so I’m hopefully optimistic that it translates to similar increases overall.
  3. Size Matters – Surface Pro is both lighter and quieter. There’s no longer a fan inside the m3 and i5 models, thus reducing the weight of the i5 version from 1.73 lbs to 1.7 lbs.  And if you’re upgrading from the Surface Pro 3 you go from 1.76 to 1.7 and get a larger display to boot.

Interesting and notable mentions: Though price is similar to the Surface Pro 4, Microsoft’s actually charging more because the Surface Pen ($99) is no longer included.

Our Opinion: The New Surface Pro is likely a practical and worthwhile update for Surface 3 Owners.  Surface Pro 4 owners are unlikely to be motivated to upgrade unless battery life and 4G connectivity are essential or important deciding factors.

It’s the season of giving but scammers are taking

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for scammers and many Americans are putting themselves at risk. Don’t be one of them.

Here are 10 tips on how to protect yourself from holiday scams:

holiday-security-tipsCheck the charity: Before donating to a charity, make sure it is registered with the Secretary of State and ask how much of the money goes to the charitable fundraiser and how much goes to the charitable purpose.

Travel Safely: Millions hit the road, rail and sky during this holiday season. But with the cost of travel on the rise, especially airfares, passengers are easy prey for a host of scams.  Some seem legitimate. But there are some warning signs. For example, you want to travel to Europe or the Bahamas and a travel site offers you a hotel or apartment rental at a great price in a city you want to go to. It seems perfect, except you can’t pay with a credit card. They want cash, a bank or wire transfer. DON’T do it. It’s a scam.  Also, during the holidays, you can often be targeted using familiar e-mail addresses of your friends. You may receive an e-mail purporting to be from friends saying they were traveling and had their wallet stolen and that they’re in a hotel, unable to pay their bill. This is a travel scam that uses details taken from social networking sites (such as Facebook) to send phony distress e-mails to family and friends. And of course, these e-mails ask that money be wired or transferred.

Gift Card Fraud: Only purchase gift cards from reputable sources and try to get them directly from the store they’re from.  Ask the store cashier to scan the card to ensure it has the correct balance and provide a receipt before leaving.  Look at the back of the card to ensure the area with the protective scratch-off is intact.

Surf safely: Do not use public Wi-Fi to check sensitive financial information, or to make purchases using your credit card.

Package Theft: Require a signature on all package deliveries. You can also write specific instructions for the delivery company on where to leave your package, and don’t forget you can always have your package delivered to you at work.

Use credit: Use a credit card instead of your debit card when making holiday purchases.

Fake checks and free gift offers:  Websites may offer free gifts if you “click here,” and letters in the mail could ask for personal information in exchange for a $500 check.  Believe us, people you don’t know don’t want to give you free money. Remember the adage that there ain’t nothing in life for free. Similarly, the emails and shared status updates on social media saying “click here for your free gift” are likely phishing schemes or malware-laden, and letters asking for an advance payment to receive your free check for thousands of dollars are bogus.

skullBeware Suspicious Emails: Pay special attention to emails you receive from sources such as your bank, retailers and shipping companies such as FedEx or UPS. Scammers use the names of reputable companies to try and get you to open attachments containing malicious software or enter logon credentials to your accounts.  Never click links from emails or open the attachment in an email, especially if you’re not expecting a message from the source.  Instead, close the message and visit the site by manually opening it in your browser.  Call the source directly if you are suspicious or believe the message to be false.

Beware of deals: Watch out for deals offered by companies with unfamiliar websites. Look for reviews on Yelp, Google and the Better Business Bureau or search the retailer’s name and “scam” to see if it checks out before giving your payment information.

Secure your systems: Take added precautions with your security.  Make sure your antivirus and malware software’s are up to date and functioning. Ensure your windows and java security patches are applied and your firewall is configured correctly.  Backup your data!  These steps along with some simple common sense can help mitigate your exposure while online.

If you need assistance securing your systems or help cleaning up from a suspected scam contact us.

(561) 404-9251 | TMDTechnology.com

Keep the Ghosts and Goblins out of your Computer

ghosts-goblins-pcHere are some tips to help protect your computer and keep the ghosts, ghouls and goblins out! All devices no matter the Operating System (Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, etc) are susceptible to being hacked or having malicious software put on them. Your computers, smartphones, tablets, and even TVs all can be hacked and used to collect information about you that can later be sold or posted online.

1. Using the same password over and over again
This may come as news to you, but whenever there is a breach in a company’s database or information, emails, passwords, names and other confidential information is what usually gets posted online. You can check if your information has been posted online here, just type in your email address and it will tell you if your account is posted online somewhere.

2. Visiting questionable or vulnerable websites
Whether you mean to or not, you may end up at a questionable website. You might click on a pop-up ad or a bad link in an e-mail. Either way these types of websites do NOT have your best intentions in mind. To avoid pop-ups or other questionable blockers, check out services such as Adlock Plus for Google Chrome or Firefox.

3. Failing to patch and update software
One of the easiest ways for hackers to access your computer is by not updating your software. Software makers are always plugging security holes to prevent this from happening, but if you don’t have the latest version, you can be more likely to become a victim.  Hackers are always trying to exploit the known issues first, after all they are known.

skull4. Downloading illegal and pirated online content
Sure it is easy to get the latest music, movies, or games online but resist this temptation.  First, it’s illegal. second, it can cause some serious issues. Hackers know lots of people are searching for free content like this online so they put viruses and Trojan viruses into illegal content. It is just waiting for you to download and run it.

5. Unsafe web searching
Make sure you use the real Google, Yahoo or Bing as your search engine rather than another browser. Sometimes a toolbar will change your search engine to theirs so they can make some money from advertisements. Browser redirection can be a real drag.  Search results are typically paid for and likely not what you expected.

6. Clicking unknown links or opening attachments in your e-mail
This one is very essential now-a-days because everyone gets a few hundred e-mail messages a day. Most of them are spam but a few of them look legit because they claim to be from your bank, courier services or some other well-known company. They are just there to get you to click a link then steal your login information.  Never click a link in an email and be cautious when opening attachments (especially zip files)

7. Installing junk software
Free is not always a good option and that old adage you get what you PAY for comes to mind.  Ask yourself does it make sense for someone to spend all that time making a program then just give it away? Nope…Most of the time they expect you to just hit next when installing and also install their partner advertisements and other junk on to your computer.

8. Not keeping virus or malware scanners or software up-to-date
By not updating your scanners you are basically scanning your computer for viruses that are old. Most scanners now update their virus definitions hourly or at least daily. So it is very important to check in with your scanner at least once a week and make sure all is running smooth. Generally they have a dashboard that will let you know.

9. Work with Computer Professionals
For an easily budgeted, fixed monthly fee — TMD Technology Services can take away the worry, frustration and considerable cost of managing your IT environment.  Our managed IT services solution keeps watch over your systems 24/7, and includes built-in virus and malware protection.  We can step in the moment we discover anything amiss. In most instances, you won’t know there was ever an issue. This proactive approach to IT maintenance keeps small problems from becoming big … and expensive!

www.TMDTechnology.com

Delray Beach Chamber Member Computer Support Offer

If you’re looking for computer support and you’re  Delray Beach chamber of commerce member you’re in luck!  We are extending an offer to all fellow Delray Beach chamber members.  Free initial consultation and 25% off your first service call or 50% off your first month of managed services when selecting one of our monthly computer service plans.  TMD Technology Services is committed to ensuring our clients receive superior computer support by leveraging their current technology investments and selecting superior solutions to take their business to the next level.

To receive this offer please mention that you’re a current Delray Beach chamber member when scheduling your appointment. (561) 404-9251

*For new clients only, offer subject to change without notice.  Please call for additional details.

https://www.TMDTechnology.com

Badlock Bug

On April 12th, 2016, a crucial security bug in Windows and Samba will be disclosed. This flaw is called Badlock.  Little is known about the Badlock flaw other than it’s a “crucial security bug” in Windows and Samba, and it was hinted on Twitter that it can give an attacker administrative-level privileges on a local network.

Engineers at Microsoft and the Samba Team are working together to get this problem fixed. Patches will be released on April 12th.

Admins and all of you responsible for Windows or Samba server infrastructure: Mark the date. (Again: It’s April 12th, 2016.)

Please get yourself ready to patch all systems on this day. We are pretty sure that there will be exploits soon after we publish all relevant information.

If you are a managed services TMD client you have nothing to do as we will address this as soon as we have better insight to its impact.  If not, you should address this issue or reach out to us (562) 404-9251 to schedule assistance before April 12th.

www.TMDTechnology.com