|
CYBERGURU NEWSLETTER - WINTER 2009
Welcome to the CyberGuru newsletter!
This has
been sent to clients, prospective clients, family and friends who have
used or shown an interest in CyberGuru's computer solutions.
Information on how to unsubscribe appears at the bottom of this email.
We hope you enjoy this email and look forward to serving your computer
solutions needs in the future.
In this issue:
A Word from the Chief Guru: Our new look coming soon to a screen near you
Firstly, a warm welcome to our newest subscribers since the VETnetwork
Queensland Validation Seminar! To those who have been reading us for
little longer (at least since the last CyberGuru Newsletter!), we have
been busily developing ourselves and redeveloping our newsletter and
website with a new look!
I have upgraded my Microsoft Small Business Specialist qualification to
cover the new release of Small Business Server 2008, one of the first to
receive the qualification. I am also now preparing for the range of
Windows 7 exams expected to be launched in the next few months.
Thank you for your suggestions to our questions regarding a new blog to
replace this newsletter. Indeed many liked our current presentation and
range of content provided, some also suggested new ideas! With such a
variety of thoughts and opinions we are working out a suitable layout to
cater for the majority of needs. You may be asked to view some new designs
before it goes live, so please let us know what you think if you receive
an invitation!
In addition, work has continued on the new look website, which is
starting to take shape! At the same time, we are preparing to also
redesign and refresh our corporate branding and identity (don't worry, our
name isn't changing!) to be phased in. The new look will be progressively
be introduced on our promotional material including business cards and
letterheads and throughout our publications. If you have any feedback,
positive or negative, on our current look and feel, please feel free to
drop us a line and let us know!
Also, just an update from our previous newsletter: The upgrade website
to download the latest Norton 360 3.0/Norton Internet Security 2009 for
your computer has moved from the Symantec Store to the Symantec Update
Centre website. The Symantec Update Centre website can be found via
Symantec's website at
http://www.symantec.com/en/aa/home_homeoffice/support/special/upgrade2007/vista/migration_start.jsp?site=nuc.
My apologies for any inconvenience.
Chris Jeffery
Proprietor/Chief Guru
News: New
Microsoft products and updates now available
Over the past few months, CyberGuru has been testing out Windows 7,
both in its Beta form and the Release Candidate. Following Microsoft's
recent announcement that it has been released to manufacturing and will be
out in stores on October 22, we'll be providing a review in the next
CyberGuru Newsletter! Also closer to the time we're preparing to launch
our updated how-to guides to continue you on your way to when you are
ready to upgrade!
As Microsoft puts the finishing touches on Microsoft Windows 7, it has
also commenced beta testing of Office 2010, also known as Microsoft Office
14. Microsoft Office 14 will include the ribbon-based menu which was
launched in Office 2007 in all applications. It also will have strong
links with the internet, so much so a web-based edition of Office 2010 is
due to come out around the same time as the launch! We are also testing
out the latest technical preview of the Microsoft Office 2010, as well as
Office Virtual! (For technology enthusiasts who would like a little bit of
trivia, Office 14 is actually the 13th version of the suite, however due
to some superstition at Microsoft, it was decided to skip version numbers
for the sake of it being unlucky!).
Speaking of Office, the latest Service Pack for Office 2007 (Service
Pack 2) and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 have arrived. Both these products
provide a single download for the latest updates and feature some
additional functionality. Importantly though, it provides protection from
the recent vulnerabilities found in these products. It is highly
recommended you install these when prompted by to do so Windows Update.
Microsoft has also recently released a new version of Internet Explorer
8, which comes as a highly recommended upgrade as well. Internet Explorer
8 provides a raft of new features. For more information on Internet
Explorer 8, please visit
http://www.microsoft.com/australia/windows/internet-explorer/welcome.aspx.
Hints, Tips and Tricks: Protecting yourself on the internet against
scammers
Previous articles have covered a range of advice as to how to be aware
of scammers. Unfortunately these emails continue to be commonplace, so we
thought it was time for some proactive advice on how to protect yourself
against them:
 | Should you receive such an email, it is recommended that you do not
click on any of the links or respond to the email and immediately
permanently delete it by clicking on [SHIFT] and [DELETE] keys. |
| If you do feel an email sent could be legitimate, contact the
organisation to verify the information first. However, do not use the
phone numbers contained within the email if any are provided. Search for
the organisation’s contact details using the White Pages or Yellow Pages. |
| If you confirm that the email is legitimate, manually enter the
address into your website browser (or copy and paste), rather than
clicking on a link. |
| If a pop-up appears on your screen don’t click on it, or even clock
on in the "Close" button as this may result in additional pop-ups
appearing! To remove them, press [CTRL], [ALT] and [DELETE] to use Task
Manager to close program running. |
| Ensure you have internet security software (antivirus, antispyware
and firewall) as well as most up-to-date updates installed on your
computer. In addition, use a pop-up blocker to prevent pop-ups appearing
on your computer. |
| Don’t open attachments unless you can verify the sender and you trust
them. |
It is equally important to know the warning signs and be aware of the
content of the email or any changes made to your computer. Some of the
warning signs include:
| Spelling and grammar mistakes, or broken or oddly phrased English. |
| Suggestions to pass on message to everyone you know. |
| High pressure sales tactics to convince you to purchase the
software. |
| The appearance of additional alerts (even if you are offline) or
warnings than usual. |
| Message not being addressed to a recipient, or with a different
email address it being sent. |
| Decreased performance of your computer, or additional icons,
wallpapers or a different home page than usual. |
Much more can be said just about phishing, particularly as some of our
clients have reported unsolicited emails claiming to be from a reputable
source, such as the recent "Commonwealth Bank of Australia" email which
appeared in many inboxes. Whilst some emails may appear genuine in
appearance, it is important to realise that it is likely to be fraudulent
email. For details on this and how to protect yourself, visit
http://www.cyberguru.com.au/about_news.htm.
Another useful source for finding more about phishing is the Australian
Government's SCAMWatch website at
http://www.scamwatch.gov.au.
However, a new form of scamming is known as vishing, short for voice
phishing, which are scammers who call you on the telephone stating they
are from a organisation (such as a finance institution or charity)
requesting personal or financial information. A page on FIDO, Australian
Securities and Investments Commission, provides a page devoted to vishing,
as well as a whole range of information on scams and warnings which is
worthwhile visiting. It can be found at
http://www.fido.gov.au/fido/fido.nsf/byheadline/Vishing?openDocument.
For additional information on phishing and how to avoid being
"phished", more tips are available from our website. Check out
"Identifying a hoax/phishing email" and "Be Wary of Phishing" articles as
well as our other advice from our Helpdesk page at
http://www.cyberguru.com.au/helpdesk.htm.
This article is available from our Hints, Tips and Tricks page at
http://www.cyberguru.com.au/helpdesk_hintstipstricks.htm.
Hints,
Tips and Tricks: The dangers of software piracy
Microsoft classifies "software piracy" as illegal copying of
applications, or counterfeiting and distributing software. However, piracy
has more dangers than in just breaking the law, it isn’t protecting you
and your computer effectively.
As access to the internet, burners and is becoming more rapidly
accessible, there has been a large increase in the software piracy by the
sourcing illegal software through "underground" websites. However, as a
result, a large amount of software being downloaded contains viruses,
malware and spyware - costing more than the software to clean up and
recover from afterwards!
It is also becoming increasingly easier to accidently purchase illegal
through online stores and auctions. Microsoft provides some tips as to how
to protect yourself when shopping online for software on the internet:
| Stay alert: not everyone is as honest as you are!
|
| Be certain you have the full company addresses and phone numbers
before buying. |
| Always ask for full details regarding return, service or
warranty policies. |
| Keep records, and keep them safe. |
| Check product prices. |
| Stay cautious of unusual or special deals. |
For additional details, please visit
http://www.microsoft.com/australia/piracy/basics/whatis.mspx.
To see if you are a victim of software piracy, It is highly recommended
that at your next opportunity, you confirm your Microsoft Windows and
Office software is genuine by validate your software using Windows Genuine
Advantage.
Windows Genuine Advantage checks to ensure you are using legitimate
software which is able to be upgraded, supported and managed effectively,
long after your purchase. It also enables you to download products only
available to users running genuine versions.
You can read more about Windows Genuine Advantage and download it from
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine.
This article is available from our Hints, Tips and Tricks page at
http://www.cyberguru.com.au/helpdesk_hintstipstricks.htm.
How-to Guide: Saving your Microsoft Outlook details using
Microsoft Office Personal Folders Backup
One of the most common requests we have when clients are using
Microsoft Outlook is they wonder how to backup and save their details,
such as emails and contacts.
Unfortunately, there is no built-in utility provided with the software.
However it is possible with the assistance of Microsoft Office Personal
Folders Backup for Outlook 2007, 2003 and 2002. If you are using Microsoft
Outlook Express or Windows Mail, steps are also provided as to how to save
your details.
This how-to guide is available from our How-to Guides page at
http://www.cyberguru.com.au/helpdesk_howtoguides.htm.
How-to
Guide: Using Secunia Personal Software Inspector
Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) enables you to protect and
secure your computer against vulnerabilities by scanning whether the
software installed on your computer has the latest security updates and
patches applied.
This how-to guide is available from our How-to Guides page at
http://www.cyberguru.com.au/helpdesk_howtoguides.htm.
Joke:
Things you
don't want to hear from technical support
| "Do you have a sledgehammer or a brick handy?"
|
| "That's right, not even McGyver could fix it."
|
| "So...what are you wearing?" |
| "Press 1 for Support. Press 2 if you're with 60
Minutes. Press 3 if you're with the ATO." |
| "Hold on a second...Mum! Timmy's hitting me!" |
Thanks!
Thanks again for your
interest and custom in our solutions. You are receiving this newsletter
because you contacted have CyberGuru, use or have used our solutions in
the past or signed up for the mailing list.
You are welcome to send this newsletter to your friends, family,
colleagues and associates. However, please send the entire message
including this message.
Archives of the newsletter are available
at
http://www.cyberguru.com.au/helpdesk_newsletter_archives.htm.
If you wish to stop receiving these newsletters, please email
cyberguruDONOTSPAM@cyberguru.com.au
with UNSUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER in the subject line or fill in the
unsubscribe form at
http://www.cyberguru.com.au/helpdesk_newsletter.htm.
If we can assist you in any way through our solutions, please
contact us.
Christopher Jeffery trading as CyberGuru
Web:
http://www.cyberguru.com.au
Email:
cyberguruDONOTSPAM@cyberguru.com.au
|
