Wait, don't click on that attachment!

Even with anti-spam software spammers often succeed in getting into your inbox posing as reputable companies to obtain your personal information (AKA phishing) or to infect your computer with a virus. Worse yet, sending emails from your computer to your contacts with the virus! Below are some common "fake" emails we've seen lately:

-Google asking for update information
-Chase asking for update information
-UPS - "Your package was not delivered"
And there are many, many more. It's frustrating sifting through the mass of emails, but always follow these simple rules to protect yourself:

-NEVER open an attachment in an email unless you absolutely, 100% know this is a safe file. Biggest virus culprets: .zip and .exe files.
-Never respond to any sort of email asking for personal information. Call the company to confirm if you think they need this information.
Unfortunately, there is no easy, full-proof way to comletely rid your inbox of spam, but you can increase your security settings in Outlook, or other email programs. If you need help increasing your security setings, or would like to consider a more advanced solution to spam prevention, email 5280 Computers or call us.

What was that password?

Nowadays you can access almost any account you own over the Internet. The problem is, you don't want to use easy password codes that can be stolen or easily guessed, and it's hard to keep track of so many unique passwords. Pageonce is a site that can help you manage your passwords. Simply log into the site from any Internet connection and view your secured passwords for all your accounts. It uses military-level encryption and is certified secure by several third-party services. Regardless, when it comes to your personal information, you should always study the security protections before you register.

Remote access to your computer

Ever wish you could access your work computer from home? Tired of using a CD or thumb drive to transfer documents from different computers? Access any computer from anywhere using your Internet connection. GoToMyPC and LogMeIn are both programs that allow this. LogMeIn offers the program for free. Simply create an account and download the software onto the computer you need access to, leave your computer on and you will have access from anywhere (assuming you have an Internet connection). Contact us if you need help setting up offsite access to your machine.

XP Update

Although Microsoft's Vista Operating System (OS) has been out for over a year, XP has continued to be a popular OS since Vista has had a few hiccups along the way. As of 6/30/08, XP retail edition is no longer available. Some of the challenges people have faced with Vista include:

Increased need for memory, decreasing machine speed (older computer platforms with 1 GB of memory or less have struggled with the robust Vista OS).
Software compatibility.
Windows XP drivers not compatible with the new Vista OS, creating work locating the correct drivers.

Overall, if you are purchasing a new machine, Vista is the way of the future so be sure to purchase a machine with a minimum 2GB of memory. But don't worry, if you truly have not jumped on the Vista bandwagon yet, Microsoft will be supporting XP until 2014.
Have further questions about XP or Vista? Contact us at support@5280computers.com or call 303.596.8567.