Minute Thoughts » Computer Help

Tech Tips for the Basic Computer User

by Drew on October 9th, 2008 in Computer Help, Did you know?

The following is borrowed from David Pogue of the New York Times:

Last week, I wrote an entry on my blog that began like this:

“One of these days, I’m going to write a book called, ‘The Basics.’ It’s going to be a compendium of the essential tech bits that you just assume everyone knows–but you’re wrong.

“(I’ll never forget watching a book editor at a publishing house painstakingly drag across a word in a word processor to select it. After 10 minutes of this, I couldn’t stand it. ‘Why don’t you just double-click the word?’ She had no clue you could do that!)”

Many readers chimed in with other “basics” that they assumed every computer user knew–but soon discovered that what’s common knowledge isn’t the same as universal knowledge.

I’m sure the basics could fill a book, but here are a few to get you started. All of these are things that certain friends, family or coworkers, over the years, did *not* know. Clip, save and pass along to…well, you know who they are.

You can double-click a word to highlight it in any document, e-mail or Web page.
When you get an e-mail message from eBay or your bank, claiming that you have an account problem or a question from a buyer, it’s probably a “phishing scam” intended to trick you into typing your password. Don’t click the link in the message. If in doubt, go into your browser and type “www.ebay.com” (or whatever) manually.
Nobody, but nobody, is going to give you half of $80 million to help them liberate the funds of a deceased millionaire…from Nigeria or anywhere else.
You can hide all windows, revealing only what’s on the computer desktop, with one keystroke: hit the Windows key and “D” simultaneously in Windows, or press F11 on Macs (on recent Mac laptops, Command+F3; Command is the key with the cloverleaf logo). That’s great when you want examine or delete something you’ve just downloaded to the desktop, for example. Press the keystroke again to return to what you were doing.
You can enlarge the text on any Web page. In Windows, press Ctrl and the plus or minus keys (for bigger or smaller fonts); on the Mac, it’s the Command key and plus or minus.
You can also enlarge the entire Web page or document by pressing the Control key as you turn the wheel on top of your mouse. On the Mac, this enlarges the entire screen image.
The number of megapixels does not determine a camera’s picture quality; that’s a marketing myth. The sensor size is far more important. (Use Google to find it. For example, search for “sensor size Nikon D90.”)
On most cellphones, press the Send key to open up a list of recent calls. Instead of manually dialing, you can return a call by highlighting one of these calls and pressing Send again.
When someone sends you some shocking e-mail and suggests that you pass it on, don’t. At least not until you’ve first confirmed its truth at snopes.com, the Internet’s authority on e-mailed myths. This includes get-rich schemes, Microsoft/AOL cash giveaways, and–especially lately–nutty scare-tactic messages about our Presidential candidates.
You can tap the Space bar to scroll down on a Web page one screenful. Add the Shift key to scroll back up.
When you’re filling in the boxes on a Web page (like City, State, Zip), you can press the Tab key to jump from box to box, rather than clicking. Add the Shift key to jump through the boxes backwards.
You can adjust the size and position of any window on your computer. Drag the top strip to move it; drag the lower-right corner (Mac) or any edge (Windows) to resize it.
Forcing the camera’s flash to go off prevents silhouetted, too-dark faces when you’re outdoors.
When you’re searching for something on the Web using, say, Google, put quotes around phrases that must be searched together. For example, if you put quotes around “electric curtains,” Google won’t waste your time finding one set of Web pages containing the word “electric” and another set containing the word “curtains.”
You can use Google to do math for you. Just type the equation, like 23*7+15/3=, and hit Enter.
Oh, yeah: on the computer, * means “times” and / means “divided by.”
If you can’t find some obvious command, like Delete in a photo program, try clicking using the right-side mouse button. (On the Mac, you can Control-click instead.)
Google is also a units-of-measurement and currency converter. Type “teaspoons in 1.3 gallons,” for example, or “euros in 17 dollars.” Click Search to see the answer.
You can open the Start menu by tapping the key with the Windows logo on it.
You can switch from one open program to the next by pressing Alt+Tab (Windows) or Command-Tab (Mac).
You generally can’t send someone more than a couple of full-size digital photos as an e-mail attachment; those files are too big, and they’ll bounce back to you. (Instead, use iPhoto or Picasa–photo-organizing programs that can automatically scale down photos in the process of e-mailing them.)
Whatever technology you buy today will be obsolete soon, but you can avoid heartache by learning the cycles. New iPods come out every September. New digital cameras come out in February and October.
Just putting something into the Trash or the Recycle Bin doesn’t actually delete it. You then have to *empty* the Trash or Recycle Bin. (Once a year, I hear about somebody whose hard drive is full, despite having practically no files. It’s because over the years, they’ve put 79 gigabytes’ worth of stuff in the Recycle Bin and never emptied it.)
You don’t have to type “http://www” into your Web browser. Just type the remainder: “nytimes.com” or “dilbert.com,” for example. (In the Safari browser, you can even leave off the “.com” part.)
On the iPhone, hit the Space bar twice at the end of a sentence. You get a period, a space, and a capitalized letter at the beginning of the next word.
Come up with an automated backup system for your computer. There’s no misery quite like the sick feeling of having lost chunks of your life because you didn’t have a safety copy.

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Pulling Into Port

by Drew on August 27th, 2008 in Computer Help, From Our Techs

USB - Plugs in printers, keyboards, iPods, speakers, and other computer peripherals. USB stands for Universal Serial Bus and most computers come with at least two of these ports.
Firewire 400 - Plugs in external hard drives, video cams, and older iPods. The 400 means that 400 megabits per second can be transferred using this port. It’s ideal for large file transfers like video and presentations.
Ethernet - This port is the most easy to identify as it connects internet systems or networked printers. The ethernet is slightly thicker than a phone cable and grants access to a cable or DSL modem.
DVI - The digital video interface is native to Apple computers and are a female port. They are used to connect external video viewing sources.

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Wars. Famine. Plagues. Disease. Cell Phones and Laptops on Airplanes.

by Drew on August 5th, 2008 in Computer Help, MinuteThought

Yes, they are all signs of the Armageddon and at least two of them are coming to a terminal near you! That’s right. In the very near future cell phone and laptops will be allowed in the friendly skies. In fact, he European Union on Monday opened the way for air travelers to use mobile phones to talk, text or send e-mails on planes throughout Europe’s airspace. Sounds like a perfect way to maximize time while in the air. However, I am not sure I want to be on the receiving end of the monthly bill for mid-air calling using GSM technology or be the one sitting next to Ms. Jabber Jaws as she talks about her vacation in Boca with her daughter-in-law and her good for nothing son. As it stands now the United States and other countries forbid the use of these devices during flight for fear it may interfere with the airplane’s instruments. I, personally, think this is a good thing. However, Delta did make a bit of an announcement today saying that during the next year they would be providing Wi-Fi for 330 planes (covering 1000 flights daily) when flying above 10,000 feet. I think I am not against Wi-Fi on planes but the cell phone situation just seems to toy with the tranquility that is sometimes offered during long-distance flights.

Should this come to pass though I fully expect for MinuteFix to be assisting with support issues from “somewhere about 20,000 feet over Singapore, I think.”

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How Many Days ‘Til School Starts

by Drew on July 23rd, 2008 in Computer Help, From Our Techs, Did you know?

Today is July 23. That means that most school systems have roughly 5 weeks before that first Autumn bell rings. For many of us that means nothing. Our school days have given way to 9 hour work days, 30-minute lunch breaks, hour-long commutes, paid vacation (of 10 business days or less per year) and a future of middle management. But to students that means it is time to check out the latest, greatest batch of PCs; desktop and laptop.

2007 was the first year that laptops outdid desktops with 57% of computer purchases being for the former. The lives of todays tech generation is one that is constantly on the go and somehow lugging around a monitor, tower and peripheral devices just doesn’t seem attractive any longer. But how does one know what to buy? What will offer the biggest bang for the buck? What is a solid investment and what is junk that will have to be replaced by mid-terms? Allow me, if I may, suggest the seasons two best purchases - 1 Dell and 1 Apple.

Starting at $499 the Dell Inspiron 1525 is a solid computer. Not only can you choose the color you prefer (I would love to have an olive green laptop…just seems extra eco-friendly for some reason) but you can choose from a bevy of extra options. For this exercise though I want to make mention of the standard features.

Intel® Celeron® 550 (2.0GHz, 533Mhz, 1M L2 Cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® SP1 Home Basic Edition
Glossy, widescreen 15.4 inch display (1280×800)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
Size: 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
CD Writer / DVD player (Combo Drive)
Dell Wireless 1395 802.11g Mini-Card
No Webcam Option
6 cell battery
High Definition Audio 2.0
McAfee SecurityCenter with anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, 30-Days
Microsoft Works
1Yr Ltd Warranty and Mail-In Service
Included 3 GB DataSafe Online Backup for 1Yr
6 Months FREE EarthLink Internet Access
Integrated 10/100 Network Card
Integrated Modem
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 8.1
Windows Vista™ Basic
Intel#174; CELERON#174; Processor

For $500 more the stylish student can go for the Macbook by Apple which gives a bit more creative juice to the average computer platform. You can either purchase the PC in black or white and a barebones model boasts:

MagSafe power port
Gigabit Ethernet port
Mini-DVI port
FireWire 400 port (up to 400 Mbps)
Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
Audio line in
Audio line out
Kensington cable lock slot
2.1GHz or 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB on-chip shared L2 cache running 1:1 with processor speed
800MHz frontside bus
1GB (two 512MB SO-DIMMs) or 2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB
120GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive; optional 160GB or 250GB 5400-rpm drive⁴
24x slot-loading Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
Built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi wireless networking² (based on IEEE 802.11n draft specification); IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible
Built-in Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools)
iLife ’08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand)

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Verizon EVDOn’t Technology

by Drew on July 15th, 2008 in Customer Service, Computer Help

EVDO
EVDO is one of those technologies that finds its way into our lives and causes us to not be able to imagine life without it. Currently offered primarily by Verizon and Sprint, EVDO (Evolution Data Only/Evolution Data Optimized) is a technological gift that essentially allows you to be your own hot spot providing fast wireless broadband (3G) internet service directly to your laptop. In other words, you can take the internet with you and surf the web in your car, on the train, in the airport, at a convention, on the beach, etc.

One of the more popular forms of EVDO is found in the Verizon USB720 EV-DO USB wireless modem adapter. It is a nice little device and has received great reviews in the past year or so. I personally use one and have had great connections in places as remote as Death Valley, California as international as Paris, France and as mundane as Terminal B22 in Atlanta’s Hartsfielf Jackson Airport. In face, my folks who live in rural middle Georgia use their 720 for complete Internet access as an alternative to dial-up, sattelite, or no ‘net at all. They too have had great success….until recently.

This past Monday both my folks and I woke up to no ‘net connection. I was on the Carolina coast and she was at home in Georgia. We were receiving an error code: 913 generated by Verizon and their VZAccess Manager software. You can imagine at least my dissapointment. I quickly called Verizon for help in troubleshooting. Unfortunately, “Debra” was no help. She walked me through a reboot, a reinstall, another reboot…she even tried to have me download the latest update (had she forgotten my initial problem? I COULDN’T get on the web at all.). After about 45 minutes of tech support she told me my computer had a problem and I should take it to a technician. Only that would fix the issue. I simply was not satisfied. I went up to the public library and began searching forums and such to find this mysterious error code that perplexed even “Debra”.

My point in this post though is not to criticize Verizon and their tech support team. It is rather to point out that because “Debra” didn’t recognize the error code she immediately launched into the Tech Support Trifecta: reboot, reinstall, replace. Has this, in fact, become the only cost effective way of providing such support? I simply could not accept that my computer needed to be fixed and/or replaced. All of my hardware diagnostics were returning without error.

About an hour later I called Verizon back with a larger sense of urgency and much more verbal aggression. I felt as if the customer service had given up on me and was ready to just mask the problem and have me replace my computer. After asking to speak to someone a little higher up I finally found out that Verizon had indeed been experiencing some connection problems in the Southeast but was unable to release that information to the public as it was being fixed immediately. My question is this though…why didn’t they at least tell their techs there was some issues with the region and ‘net connectivity? How can quality customer support and Tech support be offered when the Technician is completely uninformed. I felt so bad for “Debra”. She was clueless and was operating on an issue that she simply had not been informed of.

This experience was eye opening for me. I realize now that communication between all tiers of Tech Support is essential and that at MinuteFix we are right on with humbling ourselves to actually solve some problems for our customers.

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The Big Mac Attack

by Drew on May 21st, 2008 in Antivirus and Security, Computer Help

A question has been posed for some time about the likelihood of Apple computers becoming infected by viruses. The issue has become even more relevant since Mac invited Intel to the table and started producing dual boot systems through programs like Parallels Desktop for Mac and Boot Camp. The question, itself, is simple enough. Do Macs get viruses?

In short, yes, it is possible for an Apple Macintosh to get a virus. However, the likelihood of an Apple Macintosh user getting a virus when compared to a Microsoft Windows user is little to none. In fact, many Apple Macintosh users (including myself) don’t even run an antivirus protection program.

Some of the reasons why Apple Macintosh computers do not have as many viruses as Microsoft Windows are:

Newer Macintosh operating systems, such as the Mac OS X, is built on the Unix kernel, which is one of the oldest and most secure operating systems available.
Microsoft Windows is used by a lot more users. Because more users use Microsoft Windows, it is a lot better of a target than Apple computers.
Most of the virus writers are familiar with Microsoft Windows, and therefore are capable only of creating a virus for that platform.
Many of the tools and scripts used to help users create viruses or other malware are most frequently designed for Microsoft Windows.

There is certainly no lack of virus protection programs for Macs.

Note: If you’re running a virtual PC on your Apple Macintosh, because it’s emulating Microsoft Windows, it can become infected with Windows viruses and you should be running an antivirus protection program on it such as Norton or Macafee. In addition a Mac can serve as a virus carrier, meaning that a virus could be stored on an Apple computer yet not infect it. But if that computer were to connect to a network or a user was to forward an infected e-mail to a Windows computer that could become infected.

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10 Ways To Safeguard Your Privacy

by Diego on May 16th, 2008 in Antivirus and Security, Computer Help

As technology evolves, and people become more sophisticated at using it, so the threat posed by computers and the internet. More and more, the real threat lies in social engineering, and not so much in technological attacks.

Phishing is one of the most common forms of modern security threats, causing people to unwillingly compromise their identity and privacy.

Here our top 10 ways in which you can reduce the risk of being phished:

1. Don’t ever click on a link in an email that comes from any financial institution. Banking is the most vital data you can lose, so it is the most common form of phishing. It is very easy to generate an email that spoofs the “from” address, and a logo and design can be made to look like communication coming from real companies. These emails are skillfully crafted and links can be “masked” to hide the true address. The security lock on a browser toolbar can also be falsified. A rule of thumb, is don’t ever answer to any financial institution email unless you are expecting it. When in doubt, pick up the phone and call.

These emails often warn of some dire consequences (eg: “Your account will be closed” or “There has been fraudulent activity”) and require some sort of immediate action. A good solution is always have bookmarks to the financial institutions you deal with, or always type the company’s web address directly in the address bar.

2. Consider having 2 levels of password security. As much as it would reduce your chances of being victimized, changing your top-level security password every three months for every website you use would just not give you any time to check your email. People often use a single password for everything we use to make it easier to remember, but we propose this: use the same password you already use, but add a variation to it. For example, if your password is city of birth (a no-no, more on this later), you could add the last 4 digits of your social security to the end. So, if you kansas is your password, add some extra security by adding those digits, for example, to kansas9876. Then, use this new variation (which will be very easy to remember) to any web service that may have sensitive information. These might be your email and your online bank and credit card accounts, for example. Now, you can use your standard password for everything on the net and not worry that your password can be potentially accessed by a teenager who runs one of your social favorite networks. Best of all, this keeps it simple you don’t have to remember more than one password.

3. Don’t use the password reminder feature in your browser to store your login information to your email or financial institution’s website. Remember that intruders can’t only access your computer over the Internet, but some may be lurking around you at a cafe or at the office. If you remain logged in, or save your access data in your browser, it makes finding your private data, a breeze. Which takes us to…

4. Always use the Windows password protection when logging into your computer (same applies to Mac). Share it with your family, spouse or co-workers if you need, but keep in mind that a computer can be stolen or lost. Especially if you use a laptop, you can safeguard all your information by keeping Windows locked down. It is nearly impossible to access Windows without the password, and this would guarantee that if your computer gets the five finger discount, that your data is lost, yes, but safe.

5. A very recent form of phishing can be found on some social networks is trying to phish for your email password. Disguising themselves as helping you “invite your friends” a social network might ask you enter your email address and password. Many users do, giving these networks access to your inbox. This is one of the reasons why you should use a secondary password for your email and financial websites. Don’t ever share that password.

6. For goodness sakes, don’t use your pet’s name, city of birth or your spouse’s first name. Your city of birth is also a common one too. Try to stay away from obvious passwords, these are the first things hackers might attempt. Try to think of something people don’t commonly know about you, like a place you’ve always wanted to go, the name of someone you admire, or your favorite restaurant. These are easy to remember, and hard to guess.

7. Be careful giving out information over the phone. With the advent of voice over IP, crooks are finding more creative ways of fooling people. Vishing (phishing over VoIP) commonly uses caller ID spoofing, where a caller can fake the origin of the call. For example, a criminal can spoof an outboud call, to seem like it is coming from your bank, or from a person who you know. Don’t give out your personal details to any in-coming caller. Dial back to the institution if you are suspicious.

8. Be careful about downloading any software from unknown sources. Trojan horses often lie inside software packages. Check the validity of the website before downloading. Google the company. If people are saying good things about it, it’s probably safe.

9. Consider security software to detect phishing sites. Haute Secure and McAfee’s free Site Advisor are the ones we recommend.

10. Lastly, use your common sense. Hackers and cyber thugs are people too. They think of obvious ways to abuse the system and most of these can be mitigated by using your common sense. If something seems urgent, or overly impressive, stop and take a second look.

We are giving out $10,000 to the first 10 people who read this post. If that’s you, please enter your bank account number and your password in the comments below. Got ya.

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And An Open Mic It Was

by Diego on May 14th, 2008 in Computer Help

Tonight Phil Gerbyshak and the MinuteFix Certified Technician community hosted Tuesday Open Comment night over at Liz Strauss’ blog, Successful Bloggers. About open comment night, in Liz’ words:

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME. The rules are simple — be nice.

We had a great evening of hardware-talk, wireless support, Mac vs. Windows wars, thoughts on Windows Live Update, and even conversation about our Certified MinuteFix Technician Jenn, who was caught in the Florida fires. Over 300 comments were posted, many smiles were had and new friends were made.

Thank you, Liz, we had a great time.

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Top 5 Ways to Get Solid Tech Support

by Drew on May 9th, 2008 in Customer Service, Computer Help, Five For Friday

Tech Help Questions We have all heard the adage “Do unto others….”. We go into a fast food restaurant and we want to assure our food is both good and fast. So we naturally turn the charm up a bit more or we conduct ourselves as professionally as possible. Not too much is different when seeking computer tech support from a live technician. A good technician is already aware that if you are bringing the issue to get help on it, there is a problem. It is his job to fix it. However, it always help to deal with a courteous and patient customer and perhaps these five tips will help us all become that courteous and patient person in crisis.

Define the Problem
The first step for anybody seeking help is to define the problem. Perhaps though the biggest stumbling block a customer can put in front of a PC technician is to abdicate any responsibility for participating in the troubleshooting process, claiming that they lack the necessary expertise or it simply saying “isn’t that your job,” rather than defining the problem at hand. Simply put, would you go to the doctor and say “I’m in pain,” and then refuse to respond when the doctor asks, “Where does it hurt?” By defining the problem at the beginning of a help session you can point the Technician in the right direction and thereby save time and resources for both parties.

Eliminate the Obvious
With MinuteFix, specifically, we are more likely to solve a problem through remote desktop assistance than by simple chat or telephone. Therefore, it is incredibly advantageous if log into MinuteFix on the computer you are having issue with. If you can’t get on the internet with that computer but can on another, then the situation will be accommodated. However, the success rate is lessened when a help session for one computer is carried out on another.
If you approach a help session having already gone through the obvious fixes you are steps ahead to a certain fix. We have all sat and listened with frustration as a tech support person asks us if we have rebooted, restarted, refreshed, etc. If you have already gone through a litany of those ‘quick fixes’, be sure to let the technician know immediately. Perhaps you could start the session out by identifying your problem and what you have already done? For instance, you could say, “My computer continues to give me an error message on my desktop. I have no programs running. I have rebooted the computer but still get the same window. I have all my antivirus programs turned off and there are no external devices attached to my computer.” You may not know all of those things but it will help to state what you do know.

Courtesy Never Hurts, And Sometimes Helps
It is important to remember that each live Technician is just that - live. He or she has feelings and can easily be swayed by discourtesy. Therefore, try and ask your question with courtesy. Use “Please” and “Thanks for your attention” and you will be amazed at how far the tech is willing to go for you.

Follow The Leader
As human beings we all tend to get excited and even get ahead of ourselves. In a PC help session you can’t do that. It is best to do only as the technician tells you. Remember, you contacted him because he is the professional. If you knew how to solve the problem all along it would already be solved and you wouldn’t be in a session with tech support. This kind of falls in line with not always questioning the tech. Granted you are generally paying for tech support. However, it severely slows down the help session and confuses the technician when a customer chooses to ask “Are you sure?” or “Have you done this before?” after each instruction given by the tech.

Don’t Go Far From Home
Because a majority of the tech support issues are handled by remote desktop assistance is fairly advantageous for the session to take place on the computer “in question”. If you can log on to the Internet from the computer you are having issues on you are much more likely to get a correct fix and in a shorter amount of time. It is tempting to want to be away from the troubled machine and just log in on one you know works (perhaps at work or a friends house) but the issue will be much harder for you to possibly remember and for the tech to accurately diagnose and fix. Now, if you can’t log on to the Internet with that computer then, of course, you should seek a different computer. However, trying to stay with the bugger machine is probably the best option for a reliable course of action.

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Vista Annoyance #1: User Account Control (And How To Remove It)

by Jennifer on May 6th, 2008 in Antivirus and Security, Computer Help

A few days back we published our community’s Top 5 Vista Annoyances. Our number one was the User Account Control. User Account Control (UAC) is a new security component in Windows Vista. It enables users to perform common tasks as non-administrators, called standard users on Windows Vista, and as administrators without having to switch users, log off, or use Run As…
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work quite like Microsoft describes. What it does is, when you want to install a program, Vista tells you it “Must have permission to run this program”, then you click, and you go on your merry way. I found it a pain. Here is where you turn it off (I found it after much hunting and cussing):

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
In Control Panel, click User Accounts.
In the User Accounts window, click User Accounts.
In the User Accounts tasks window, click Turn User Account Control on or off.
If UAC is currently configured in Admin Approval Mode, the User Account Control message appears.
Click Continue.
Clear the Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer check box, and then click OK.
Click Restart Now to apply the change right away, or click Restart Later and close the User Accounts tasks window.

You will now be good to go, and won’t get that nagging message anymore. Is there any Vista Annoyance you’d like to see addressed? Let me know in the comments.

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The Best Security Software: You

by Diego on May 5th, 2008 in Antivirus and Security, Computer Help

Today’s computer security threats are not frequently what people think they are. Often times, viruses or so called trojan horses keep people faithfully updating their security software giving them a comfortable sense of security. But the most common security threats today are no longer cousins of the infamous “I love you” attachment, but rather, human deceit. This new form of security threat is a combination of technology and physiology, techniques now known as social engineering. They apply trickery to get people to divulge confidential information.

Kevin Mitnick, one of the most famous security criminals (who served five years in prison—eight of them in solitary confinement—and now runs Mitnick Security Consulting, a computer security consultancy) coined the term “social engineering.” Mitnick points out that that it’s much easier to trick someone into giving you his or her password for a system than to spend the effort to hack in.

Criminal hackers (a.k.a. crackers) simply apply cognitive bias techniques that can people into giving up their personal data, deceived by false information. One of these practices is pretexting, where the criminal creates an invented scenario (the pretext) often posing as an authority, or a trusted source, to trick a person into disclosing their information. The most common expression of these security threats is phishing where a cracker can spoof the authenticity of a website by copying the logo and format of a familiar site, and getting a user to submit their personal information. Unbeknownst to the user, instead of the information being sent to the authentic company’s website, the data is neatly stored by the information thief.

Common phishing techniques target banking institutions where an email might contain an urgent request, such as a request to change a pin number. See, for example a common social engineering attempt to steal your Citibank account information below. This is a real email sent by a so-called Riley Buckner, “Head of Citi© Identity Theft Solutions”:

Recently there have been a large number of identity theft attempts targeting Citibank customers. In order to safeguard your account, we require that you update your Citibank ATM/Debit card PIN.

This update is requested of you as a precautionary measure against fraud. Please note that we have no particular indications that your details have been compromised in any way.

This process is mandatory, and if not completed within the nearest time your account may be subject to temporary suspension. To securely update your Citibank ATM/Debit card PIN please go to:

https://www.citibank.com/signin/citifi/scripts/login2/update_pin.jsp

Please note that this update applies to your Citibank ATM/Debit card - which is linked directly to your checking account, not Citibank credit cards.Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter and thank you for using Citibank!

Regards,

Riley Buckner
Head of Citi® Identity Theft Solutions

Notice that the address in the email seems legitimate; however, the thief has coded the address to go to the page you see below. You will notice that the phisher has actually opened the genuine Citibank website, under the pop-up where they display a page, hosted on their servers, where your personal information is being requested.

Citibank Phishing Page

If you are concerned about security, be careful not to believe that the best way to protect yourself is with an antivirus software or firewall. Keep in mind that modern security threats attempt to play with your mind, not with your computer. And the only antidote to this virus, is you.

Have you been deceived by social engineering? If so, why don’t you leave us a comment and tell us about your experience?

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Tech Support and MinuteFix

by Jennifer on April 4th, 2008 in Customer Service, Computer Help

MinuteFix is well on its way to providing the very best in computer help and support. In the past few months, through our free beta, our dedicated and top-notch Community of Technicians has helped many users with everything from computer virus problems to PC repair, and more. A vast majority of our time has been spent helping customers with Windows problems, although a lot are using the service for assistance with iTunes, as well as advice on purchasing hardware or peripherals. We’re also finding that a lot of people have issues with Windows Vista. We have also added phone support, for those times when it’s not possible to remote into a system, or the customer is having trouble booting their system, or having other hardware or connection problems.

With the vast knowledge our Technicians bring with them, it has been difficult to find a Windows problem that hasn’t been solved yet. We’re always expanding our knowledge, and new Techs are joining our Community every day. With a group like this, there is no doubt we’re going to revolutionize the tech support industry with our expertise, terrific management, and fantastic Technicians!

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Introducing: Computer Help Tips From MinuteFix

by Jennifer on February 29th, 2008 in Computer Help

When I think back to 20 years ago, or even 10 for that matter, it’s amazing how far technology has come. Being a Baby Boomer (barely, I was born in 1962, toward the end of the so called “Baby Boomer Era”), I had to learn about computers out of necessity. In 1982 I was a secretary at a college in Florida. I came in one morning and found someone removing my trusty purple IBM Selectric III Typewriter, my best friend, and replacing it with an IBM PC Computer, one of two that was donated to the college by IBM. It was one of the first released by IBM. My Italian blood was boiling, and I said, “You will NOT take my typewriter”. I was told “Yes, we are, and you WILL learn to use it!” That was a life changing moment for me, I realized later, after I got over my resentment.. and frustration. (Italians MUST get the Last Word, you know. It Is Written.. somewhere..)

All of a sudden, words like Floppy Disk, RAM, Monitor, Software and Tech Support all became words used in my every day life, just as much as words like car, family, ice cream, and Happy Hour, as well as the occasional swear word in Italian. Yes, I learned how to use it, it wasn’t easy, but I did it…I needed the job! What I found out was that there were so few people back then that knew how to operate a PC, all of a sudden my “computer skills” (self taught, I might add), were much in demand. There was no such thing as “computer help” or “Tech Support” back then! Now we phone Tech Support just as easily as we call about our telephone bill. (Well, it’s not always “as easy”, but more about that later!) We ask friends, we google it, we have all kinds of sources.

Computer jargon has become an integral part of our every day lexicon. I no longer ask for someones phone number. Now it’s “What’s your email address, MySpace page, etc”. “Google it” has also worked itself into our vocabulary. If you want to know something, google it. We don’t even capitalize it anymore, it’s just a “word”. I realized this when I saw an episode of NYPD Blue quite a few years ago, and a character said it. I also realize as I write this, that it’s probably been at least 10 years since I’ve gotten a REAL letter from someone.. as in.. via the US MAIL… with a POSTAGE STAMP on it!

My mother, (bless her, she’s the best!) is going to be 71 soon. I have to give her credit. She has really tried to join in the computer “craze”, and she hasn’t done half bad! She bought a computer, and promptly said to me, “Now, what do I DO with it”? She will call me up from time to time (she lives about 1000 miles from me), and says, “My computer has an mistake on it (meaning an error message). What does it mean?” “Mom, what does it say?” “I don’t know, I clicked it away.. but now there is a funny thingy in the corner by the time”. “What does it look like, Mom?” “I don’t know.. it’s just weird”.. and so it goes. My mother is rarely at a loss for words, so I know she’s perplexed! (Wonder where I got it from??) I got on her just yesterday for not checking her email. I helped her set up a Gmail account. I asked her why she even bothered to have email, to which she replied, “So people can keep in touch with me!”. I gently reminded her that email was meant to be READ or else it had no purpose…go figure. My two Kidlets, ages 18 and 19 grew up with computers. They never knew a time without them. They can find their way around My Space and ITunes like nobody’s business. To them, not having a computer in the house is just as foreign as the idea that when I was a kid, *I* was the “remote control”, and we actually had a big antenna on the roof of the house. No cable for us, we didn’t even know what it was. We got 7 channels and considered ourselves lucky to have that, since we were in a suburb of New York City.

My point to these ramblings is, technology has changed our lives in ways we couldn’t even imagine years ago. I’ll be sharing some ways that this has occurred, and what the changes are, specifically aimed at us, the “Baby Boomers”, as well as ways they can enrich our lives. There are new “buzz words” flying around, and I’ll (hopefully) help to demystify them for you. We’ll talk about computer support, technical support, references, etc.

Stay tuned, as they used to say on my favorite TV shows growing up, stay tuned!

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