May 11, 2010

What Every Business Owner MUST Know To Protect Against Online Identity Theft

All it takes is one innocent security slip by you or one of your employees to instantly give online criminals the information they need to access your network and steal your identity. In no time at all, they can gain enough information to max out your credit cards, wipe out your bank accounts, and completely obliterate your business and personal credit. They can even use your identity to commit further crimes such as forgery, stealing from other businesses, or online scams. This nightmare can take months - sometimes years - to clean up and can destroy your credit and good name.

That’s why for a limited time I’m giving away FREE copies of my eBook,"What Every Business Owner MUST Know To Protect Against Online Identity Theft" (a $19.97 Value, FREE during May).

This critical eBook will reveal:

• The 3 most effective tricks online identity thieves use to gain access to your business and personal information - and how to avoid them.

• Sneaky e-mails you should delete IMMEDIATELY upon receiving them (you’ll want to share this list with your friends, family and staff).

• One super-easy, sure-fire way to make your computer network impervious to online identity thieves.

• How to protect yourself against NEW scams being spread through social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.

• How to keep your employees from accidentally giving away passwords and other “keys to the kingdom” to Internet criminals.

To download your free copy, click the link below. Copies of this eBook will be made available for FREE until May 31, 2010.

FREE eBook

March 24, 2010

Charge your portable devices with Solar Panels

For everyday portable electronics that are powered by a rechargeable battery -- cell phones, BlackBerries and iPods -- solar portable chargers can recharge them at home or the office. When your electronics aren't in use, you can plug them into a Soldius Universal charger (http://www.soldius.com/ourproducts.html).

March 15, 2010

Our choices can make a difference, we just have to try.

So as a Dad I love to buy toys for my Son but I worry about environmental stewardship and responsible enviro-social behaviors around waste and over-consumption. I have looked into how recyclable most children's toys are to find out almost NONE are either recyclable OR are made from recycled plastic.

In my search for less guilty purchases I have found my favorite toy/educational store not only knew about recycled plastic toys and sustainable products, but they also carried these toys.

After some research I ended up picking up a Sprig Toys Discovery Rig. This is one cool toy that has a dynamo built in it so it never needs batteries again, it is made from recycled plastic and wood fibers, is colored with soy-based dyes and is plain cool, check out the action shots.

It comes with a little figure that has a headlamp that lights up, sings songs when it is in the moving truck, and interacts with my Son telling him a story as he pushes the truck along.

Kool and Child in Nanaimo, BC, Canada is the store I speak of, go to www.koolandchild.com or drop in and ask one of the helpful and informed staff. They carry several lines of toys that are great for the environment, safe, colorful, fun and made from recycled plastics and wood fibers.

At Linkatech we care about Efficiency in Computing as much as we care about the communities that we live and work in. We encourage everyone to choose responsible Eco-friendly toys and also to participate this March 27 at 8:30 pm for Earth Hour 2010.

Join hundreds of millions of people around the world when they will turn off their lights for an hour to demand action on climate change.

March 12, 2010

Imagine not being able to send or receive e-mail for days, possibly weeks.

Don't think this could happen because you have a reputable anti-virus software installed? If so, you're operating on a false sense of security and hackers are praying that you keep thinking that way. Here's why...

Most business owners think that because they have anti-virus software installed and a software firewall, that their network is "secure." Not so. One of the most common stunts hackers pull is breaking through a software firewall to hijack a server. Once they're in, they use YOUR server to relay spam and other viruses to millions of users in a matter of seconds, starting with your contact lists and clients.

This is double bad for two reasons:

1. In no time flat, your company's server and email gets "blacklisted", which means the big email delivery hubs (like Comcast, Google, Verizon, etc) flag ALL e-mails coming from your server as "dangerous" and won't let them through; and on the net, you're guilty until proven innocent, which means it could take days or weeks to get your name cleared. During that time, you are completely without e-mail.
2. Your clients, prospects and vendors start getting Viagra ads and invitations to XXX-rated web sites from your company. Not Good.

The absolute best way to make sure this never happens is to invest in a managed firewall and security solution. A top-grade managed firewall solution will also pay for itself by integrating with your incoming and outgoing e-mail, instant messaging and also social networking. The tiny monthly investment is worth twenty times the cost in peace of mind and saved time. Software firewalls that come with most servers and operating systems are better than nothing, but they're a weak lock that any hacker can easily pick.

Contact Linkatech today to get your Network Security Audit FREE,

Mention you saw this on Facebook, Twitter, Gigpark, LinkedIn, Bebo, or any of our other Social Networking Profiles and win a free month of managed firewall and communication security.

March 1, 2010

Cut down on Waiting for your PC to load.

Here are some free tips on how you can speed up your computers start-up process so you can get right to business:

1. Remove auto-loading software. If you've got any programs that start up when you power your computer on, you are significantly adding to the time it takes to be ready for use. Take these programs off the start menu or, if you don't use them, simply delete them off the machine.
2. Let the computer hibernate. When possible, leave your computer on and simply put it in Hibernate mode. This tells the computer to restart where you left off and while hibernating it uses very little electricity - about the same amount if it was plugged in and shut off.
3. Consider switching to thin client. Thin clients are "dumb" computers that connect to a server which houses all the software, programs, and even processing power. Because nothing is loaded up onto these thin client machines, they can be ready to go in as little as 5 seconds after pressing the power button. Thin clients do require your network be set up in a certain way thought, so be sure to check that before you install one.
4. Take off any "trial-ware". Some computers come with software already loaded on them, like photo software or other utility programs. These programs, most of which don't even show up on the list of available software you can remove, are called "trial-ware" because they came with the machine. Typically, they run processes in the background while you boot up your computer, delaying the start-up process of your computer.
5. Make sure your anti-virus and firewall protection are up to date. Malware and other malicious software can also slow down start times. These programs can embed themselves into the start-up menu and keep you waiting longer than necessary as your computer boots up. They also wreak havoc on your general use of the computer. So, it is important to protect your system from these kinds of attacks.
6. Upgrade your computer. Older versions of Windows will look for a CD or floppy to boot from before the computer actually begins the process of starting up. Lower amounts of memory installed on a computer can also impact its ability to start quickly. And, of course, simply having a fresh, clean and fast computer eliminates any miscellaneous software programs you may have installed that can bog down a machine.

Contact Linkatech today to get your Computer Optimization Tune-up

February 4, 2010

Downstream IT

Do you have an IT staff? Get the Most from Your IT Resources Using DownStream IT. Improve Your Processes and Gain Efficiencies.

Downstream IT provides full visibility into critical project management functions so that IT managers can gain tighter control of network issues and improve response times. The capacity for handling service and support, project management, and business development increases dramatically and time-consuming, routine tasks become automated so that important information is readily accessible.

With DownStream IT, several key function enhancements enable IT managers to better monitor project progress and manage workloads to ensure maximum productivity through out the work day.

• Service Board – Immediate insight into the scope and significance of open IT issues is provided in order to more effectively prioritize projects. Results may then be delivered based on what’s most important to stakeholders.

• Dispatch Portal – Resources are organized so that IT managers immediately see which staff members are fully, over or under utilized, helping maximize staff resources and monitor important project milestones.

• Reports – Detailed, key metrics of both employee and department performance validate the IT department’s contributions. Additionally, it becomes easy to identify where improvements are needed, or to provide direction for replicating past successes in new arenas.

• Projects – Insight into strategic company initiatives allow IT managers to more effectively work to meet key deadlines and business objectives.

• Configurations – Visibility into to fixed IT assets lets managers know exactly how systems are integrated — providing optimized utilization, functionality and performance. Ultimately the IT department becomes the model of efficiency for your entire company.

DownStream IT dramatically streamlines workflow and exponentially expands the capabilities of IT department’s resources. Department heads can do more with the resources at hand and that wish list moves front and center of your attention.