There are starting to be a few more articles out on the Interwebz, from different news sites and lots from bloggers too. Once the public beta is released (which I personally expect to be announced around the end of next month, February 2012) then the hype will surely start building to its typical stupid proportions.

Business should pay attention, if for no other reason than the fact that this will be the third operating system released since Windows XP, and the last one to be released while XP is still getting any sort of attention from Redmond. If you run a business using Windows XP then you owe it to yourself to start looking at upgrading to Win7, or pay close attention to Win8 and plan to upgrade to that. XP hotfixes will be around for a few more years yet, but not so long that you can rely on XP as aa long term option for your business

As different articles and news tidbits start coming out for Windows 8 we’ll be posting them to our Facebook page and our Twitter feed. Those two locations each receive different content, so be sure to like us on one and follow us on the other. And if there is anything business worthy to be said about Windows 8, we’ll be sure to keep you up to date on it.

The part that surpises me is that you don’t hear about this happening more often. I mean, it’s the anti-virus software that often stops the hackers in the first place. So why don’t the hackers target the anti-virus software directly?

I expect that since this item has made it to the near-mainstream media, we may start hearing more about attacks of this type, where the anti-virus software itself is the target. If  hackers can defeat the AV software, but still make it look like it’s running properly then there are some big problems in store. One of the things IT folks look for when diagnosing strange behaviour is, “Is the anti-virus running properly’.

Business managers should know exactly what they are running for anti-virus, and should be able to generate reports based on when the computer last updated with new virus definitions. It’s not much, but it’s something at least to show that the anti virus is working the way it’s supposed to.

In many cases, it works. But is the solution worse than the problem?

The problem is two fold, in my opinion. First, it makes mediocre computer techs look good, which dilutes the perception of those techs that actually are good. All you have to do is search for almost any error on the Microsoft Support site, and you can find one of these Fix-It tools. 5 clicks later and a reboot, and you’re done. So the tech fixes the problem, without actually knowing how it was fixed, or without really knowing how to prevent the same problem in future.

The other concern for me is phishing attacks. If people start getting used to the Fit-It tool, how long do you think it will be before the Bad People start creating something that looks exactly like Fix-It? Only they won’t be using it to fix your computer, they use it to install viruses, spyware and other bits of nastiness on to your computer.

A real tech knows how and why computer problems happen, and they can explain it. They do more than just run some automatic tool, which may or may not come from a malicious source. So next time you have a problem, ask them what steps they took to fix the problem you had. You’ll learn a lot more about them than you might think.

CPG Systems doesn’t do that.

A large part of CPG’s corporate ethic is based on social awareness. So instead of sending gift basket, we made a donation to a non-profit, in the name of our clients’ companies.

And in doing so, nearly $2000 was given to non-profits. To our clients, we say “Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to make these donations on your behalf”. To our competitors we say “What have you done lately to give back?”.

From the BCTIA website:

The BC Technology Industry Association is an industry-funded organization supporting the growth of British Columbia’s strong knowledge economy. Our membership of 2700+ member companies, employs over 60,000 workers and represents companies of all sizes and sectors

The fact that people are asking the question and doing the research on the web suggests to me that if you’re on the fence about making the jump, you’re looking for information to sway you one way or the other. So here are some key points to consider in jumping up to Windows 7 from either Vista or XP:

• It’s tons better than Vista

.Since the company has some new offerings (that we’ve just perfected, or have just learned about), it was time to add some new content to the website as well. We now have new content about Office 365 from Microsoft, as well as standalone hosted Exchange services.

So take a look around and tell us what you think!

“My computer has crashed. I took it to a shop, and they said it’d be $300 just to look at it. What do I do?”

You might be surprised at how simple the answer really is…

What many people don’t think about is that the important part is actually the data, not the computer. People figure ‘my computer crashed, oh no, woe is me’. The fact of the matter however is that it’s the data that really means something, not the computer. The computer is just a tool that you use to access the data.

It really doesn’t matter what line of business you’re in. Whether it’s legal, construction or retail, the data is far more important than the device. Considering that many computers are just utility items these days, this is a bit of a change of thinking.

Of course, we also need to make sure that the staff person is able to get back to work as quickly as possible. We’ve discussed the actual cost of downtime a few times previously, and those facts don’t change. But being able to work is a different from having the data to work with, and there are other strategies to ensure that your downtime is minimized.

So how do you stay safe? Backups. Lots and lots of backups. And just as important, is testing the backup, to ensure that the data is actually able to be restored. You’d be apalled to learn how often there are errors when restoring data, because no one ever tested the backups to be sure they were working as expected.

So talk to your tech support people, and make sure that your data is safe. It’s the most important asset your company owns.

Ask any marketing professional, and they will tell you that image is everything. So what kind of message does it send if your business email address is through hotmail or gmail? While these are both very good services, free, and very reliable the bottom line is that this could very easily hurt your brand.

There are a couple ways around this difficulty. Firstly, keep in mind that domain name registrations (the rights to use a particular website address, such as acme.com or bobsbuilding.ca) is not expensive. Typically you’re looking at somewhere in the range of $20\year. So financially, the name registration is not an impediment.

Website hosting often comes with email as well. Which means that if you have a website, then you SHOULD have a custom email address as well. There may sometimes be a small extra cost for this, however this is almost always worth it, in terms of the ‘appearance’ of your company (go ahead… go back and ask your marketing friends this… see if they think it’s worth it…).

The big argument I’ve heard in favour of public email services is access; people can get their email through any we-enabled device. However, keep in mind that most web-and-email hosting packages include some form of webmail.

And if, for some reason, you have this strange affinity for google and you simply must use their service, you can look at hosted google. You use the google mail interface, however emails with your custom domain name. Which will make your marketing person happy.

Of course, the big question is often “How much will all this cost me?”. The answer varies from one provider to the next, however the answer is generally ‘not much’. The website registration and hosting of website and email should run you under $200, including setup. Any work that needs to be done to your computer to access the new mailbox can usually be done in about 15-30 minutes.

So talk to your website host, and your tech support people to find out what might be needed to make the change to custom email. It’ll make your company look better and more credible.

Here’s how to help your chances, in 5 minutes or less (and no, we’re not going to tell you to buy a particular brand of anti-virus software).

The people who write viruses know a thing or two about social engineering. They will craft websites or pop-ups to make it look like you have been hit by something bad. The virus writers are good at what they do…. ask around, and if you haven’t yourself been affected by a virus, it probably won’t take much to find someone who has.

So here’s what you do, in 3 quick easy steps…

First, make sure your anti-virus program is up to date and scanning regularly. NEVER open an anti-virus program from the system tray (the area by the clock on your computer). Only open it from the start menu. This way, you’re not accidentally clicking the wrong program. Check the program to be certain it’s up to date, and to be sure that regular scans are happening. There should be a menu item somewhere that has logs of the last few full scans.

Second, if you see a pop up or other message saying “your computer has been infected” DO NOT click on any of the windows. Anti-virus programs, by default, will quarantine or otherwise block viruses. Rebooting the computer will NOT change that fact. If it’s a fake virus message (what us geek-types call ‘scare-ware’) then rebooting the computer will most likely get rid of it.

The final, and most important step, is to not use an administrative account for your regular, day to day use. Having an admin account is like having a master key to your computer. If a virus does get in, it can do what it wants, because it’s running under your authority (that is, the administrative authority). Create a new user account, and make THAT account an administrator. Set a password. Then take your own account, and change it to be a standard user. User management is done from the Control Panel, under User Accounts.

And when in doubt, refer to steps 1 and 2.

Of course, none of this will guarantee that you won’t ever be affected by a virus. Heck, even having a Mac won’t prevent you from dealing with viruses. But what these steps do is make sure you’re as safe as possible.

If you’re unsure about any of these steps, then talk to your tech support people. These steps are not difficult, and should only take about 5 minutes, for all three. And remember… be careful out there!