POST
Welcome to POST by ResTech Solutions
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Every week we will bring you new content covering recent events and news related to technology, Microsoft, Apple, Google, tips & tricks, useful information, and more! To read the full articles in our newsletters you can either click on the image or article headline. We've had a great response each week to our newsletter and we've been hard at work to bring you even more great information this week. Please let us know what you've enjoyed thus far about our newsletter. To see past issues click on the archives link above.
Why the name POST? In the world of computers POST stands for Power On Self Test. This is the action computers take when they are first powered on to check their basic functionality prior to loading the operating system. We decided to take this same concept and to provide you with useful technology information at the beginning of your week to help get you started. POST is also a term associated with news as well and we felt this was an appropriate and fitting name.
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POST by ResTech Solutions
News
70,000 SSNs, 600,000 Credit Card Records Leaked After Stolen-Data Hub Gets Hacked
Image from Gizmodo
Recently there has been a new round of high profile data breaches. It is very likely you have heard about the Facebook breach where millions of users' phone numbers were compromised. Now we have another round of social security numbers and credit card records that have been leaked. As much as we would like to believe this will stop at some point common sense tells us that this will continue for quite a while. How can you protect your data?
While you cannot control the security measures other companies put in place to protect your data or reduce the appeal they may have as a target, you can limit your exposure. Do not give out any personal information unless it is absolutely necessary. You should also use an identity monitoring/protection service as well as monitoring your credit reports and credit scores. Don't wait until you have a problem as it will be too late and you will be in for a mess.
If you need help setting up monitoring or would like more information on how you can protect yourself, please reach out and we will be happy to help.
gizmodo.com
Cyber Security
Cybercriminals Bought Facebook Ads for a Fake Clubhouse App That Was Riddled With Malware
Image from Gizmodo
As you may be aware, you should not trust everything you see online. Always do your research if you are not sure if something seems legitimate or seems too good to be true. In this case cybercriminals took advantage of a new app's popularity to get people to download their fake app that was actually malware.
Always remember that your anti-virus and anti-malware applications will not catch everything and you need to be aware of what you download onto your computer. This is also a good reminder to ensure that you do have virus and malware protection and it is kept up to date. Be vigilant and always err on the side of caution if you are unsure about something.
gizmodo.com
Microsoft
Microsoft’s cool new Outlook Calendar board view will be rolling out soon
Image from MSPoweruser
If you are a user of Microsoft Outlook this may be a welcome enhancement. Check out the linked article for full details.
mspoweruser.com
Is Microsoft 365 Actually a Security Risk?
Image from MUO
There is always risk associated with using any cloud based software/application. There are several factors to consider:
- How easy is it to access the account and data?
- What security measures does the vendor have in place?
- Can you integrate third party software?
- What security is built into the software?
There may be other items you will want to consider as well. Always do your research before entrusting your data to any application.
With Microsoft 365 we are very confident in the security provided by Microsoft to keep their systems secure and the features built into the platform. We also use a third party service to help secure our account even more. We also train our employees on how to use the system and train them on how to handle the data on the system. Any business can do the same and should feel confident about using the platform.
If you'd like to know more about Microsoft 365 we are here to help and provide guidance. Please reach out to learn more.
makeuseof.com
Windows
Windows 10 "Access Denied" Folder Errors: 5 Easy Fixes
Image from MUO
Do you ever have issues accessing your files and get an access denied message? As frustrating as it can be there are ways to get around this to resolve the issue. Check out the linked article for steps on how to do this. If you are not an administrator and try to access files and folders that require admin permissions then the access denied message will be expected.
If you need any assistance resolving any access issues to your files please reach out and we will be happy to help.
makeuseof.com
How to Change Your Email Name and Address in Gmail
Image from MUO
Need to make changes to your Gmail account such as your display name? While there is some information you cannot change you can change some of the information on your account. This linked article is a great how-to guide with screen shots to help you update this information.
makeuseof.com
Tips & Tricks
Security tip: The right way to clean out your smartphone apps
Image from Kim Komando
Over time our phones build up a lot of apps we've downloaded to try and apps we no longer use, as well as apps that are no longer supported. Maybe you are not sure what apps to remove but you know you need to remove some because you are out of space on your phone. This linked article has a great process to help guide you through determining the apps to remove and how to remove them. Happy Spring Cleaning!
komando.com
Useful Information
Does Zoom Notify Me If Someone Takes a Screenshot?
Image from MUO
The answer to this question is no. A flat no. If you need to take screenshots of Zoom meetings or have others that do this article provide some useful information on how to handle Zoom screenshots. Consider sharing with your team.
makeuseof.com
10 Free Reverse Phone Lookup Sites to Find Out Who Called You
Image from MUO
If your phone number was part of the recent data dump from Facebook or if you get a lot of calls from unknown numbers then the resources in this article will be very helpful. If you find enough information you may even be able to report the individual or business that is spamming your phone. You may find the call could have even been a legitimate call. Many people do not answer calls from unknown numbers but by knowing where a call came from you may be more inclined to answer in the future or block the number altogether.
makeuseof.com
FAQ of the Week
How to Completely Wipe a Hard Drive on Windows
Image from MUO
Each week we will address a frequently asked question. This week we are addressing how to wipe a hard drive.
Why would you want to wipe a drive? Perhaps you are passing a computer on to a family member and just want to remove your data. Maybe you are donating the computer and want to securely remove your data to prevent it from being compromised. You could also just be upgrading to a newer and larger hard drive and want to remove the data securely from the old drive before recycling it.
Whatever the reason may be you have options. With Windows 10, Microsoft added a built in refresh feature. This can remove your data but some of the data could potentially still be recoverable. You can also use third party tools to securely erase all data. Many of these tools use DoD standards or higher.
Check out the linked article for details on this process. If you need help to wipe a drive please reach out and we will be glad to help.
makeuseof.com