Tech Tips

Got a general question about computers and technology? Tech Tips is a collection of articles from our advice columns in other media, so you may find your answers here:

What type of PC should I buy?

There are many different PC types on the market these days we always get asked what we would recommend. In this Tech Tip we have described each computer type with some recommendations to follow.

Traditional System Unit with external screen

Dating back to 1982, they come in tower and desktop cases. These are designed to be setup permanently with a separate monitor.

All-in-one system

Similar to the traditional system unit but the screen and system unit are combined. An advantage is it takes less space but can be less cost-effective as the entire unit may need to be replaced if a part breaks or fails.

Notebook or laptop

Dating back to the early 90s, the screen, system unit, keyboard, mouse, speakers, webcam and microphone are all built in for mobile computing. These systems have the processing power of a desktop system but can be less cost-effective, like the all-in-one system.

Netbook

Light weight ultraportable systems, these are designed with low powered processing units. Their main function is accessing the internet and on the fly note-taking. Due to their limited performance they are usually used as a second system to a desktop or notebook.

So what PC type should I buy?

It’s all about choosing the solution that meets your needs. For mobile computing, you will need a Notebook or Netbook. If not, then go for a desktop which tend to be more robust and reliable, and if they breakdown are easier and cheaper to fix. Here at EnZed PC Services we take you through a PC needs analysis to help you find the best solution for you. Please go to our hardware page for information about our Hardware Solutions.

Closing the loopholes Internet Security Protection

Computers are now an essential part of the technology of most New Zealand homes. EnZed PC Services provides support to hundreds of homes and small businesses throughout the Wairarapa.

One of the most important issues is internet security. You must be protected by a reputable Internet Security Product to start with, but in addition all users must be vigilant whenever they have access to the Internet. Clicking an untrustworthy or hoax web-link or email attachment can create security breaches which can create chaos for the unsuspecting computer user and open doors into your computer for malicious programs.

Email and Facebook accounts can be hacked and used to send spam to the addresses in your contacts folders, and it will look like it came from you!

Malware can be inadvertently downloaded from unsafe websites, and this can make your PC inoperable, disable access to the internet, remove your data, and trigger a host of other faults which causes mayhem to the computer user and can cost many dollars to get fixed. As an all purpose anti-malware solution, we support Trend Micro which is consistently rated as the "International no 1" in Internet Security Protection.

Please go to our security solution page for information about our Internet Security Solution.

Worried about losing your valuable information? Backup Solutions

Now that the world has gone digital, people are now digitally backing up family photos, video and important business documents on their computers. If there is a virus attack, a hardware failure, a fire or computer theft, what happens in the worst case? It means that you have lost your data.

Backing up your data is important because when disaster strikes you will have your company records, or your family pictures safely tucked away on an external storage medium. These are useful because as the name suggests your data is not inside the computer, it is stored in an external, preferably off-site location.

This can make things less stressful when you need your PC repaired as you still have all your files - documents, photos, emails and contacts ready to be loaded back on to your PC.

Please go to our backup solution page for information about our Backup Solution.

How secure is Internet Banking?
There are many tales on the internet about security fraud and the clearing out
of bank accounts. How is these carried out? The common theme in these exploits
is a violation of trust.

Internet banking fraud is a good example of this, and as on-line transactions
become more common, similar exploits are being applied to many other websites.

The main problem is site authentication, or more specifically trust. Do you
trust the site you're at? Do you trust the email you receive? Criminal elements
on the internet exploit the user's trust in order to gain access to a person's
account, username and password. Methods of getting it range from simply posing
as a bank and asking for them, to other very sophisticated scams.

The most common trick on the internet is the venerable 419 scam, which exploits
people's greed. Versions of this have existed since the 1920s. They promise
great wealth, but only if you send some money in advance. No need to break into
accounts: just persuade people to send you the money. 419 emails can come from
any country and frequently exploit local current events, as seen in the recent
bogus Christchurch charity emails news stories.

More sophisticated trust exploits can get really technical and employ "Man in
the Middle" attacks and keylogger software. A Man in the Middle attack occurs
when a fake version of a trusted website pretends to be the bank (or other
website) and intercepts your internet connection to them.

Keyloggers are software applications which record the keystrokes entered on a
keyboard. Keyloggers are installed using "Trojans." Like the Trojan horse, a
Trojan program pretends to be something else like a game or free music or a
video, thereby tricking the user into installing the keylogger instead. This is
often done through scam emails with bogus links in them. Once a keylogger is on
a system they are very hard to remove (or even detect) as they frequently
disable anti-viral software.

Banks around the world are continually improving their sites to counter
keystroke loggers through the use of virtual keyboards, password hash tables,
one time password generators and website encryption.

Encryption means adding a secret code to the transmissions between a computer
and a bank, and is very effective. Current techniques use 128 bit encryption,
also know as 1024 RSA encryption. This encryption can be broken, but doing so
requires a vast amount of computing power - and time. Most major internet
services are now moving to 2048 RSA encryption as a minimum and this is
projected to be uncrackable for the next 20 years. Breaking encryption is
always carried out by developers in order to improve the levels of encryption,
and as a mathematical exercise.

Internet banking has come a long way since it first started over 10 years ago,
and it is getting more secure all the time. However, if the user does not follow
simple precautions then they are exposing themselves to internet fraud, and no
amount of encryption can help. Users can always take basic steps to protect
themselves whilst online though.

Always run anti-virus software on your computer.
Install the latest version of your web browser, and only download it from a trusted location.
Do not click suspect links in emails, even if they appear to originate from someone you know.
Beware of "warez" sites.
If the browser reports a website security warning, leave the site immediately.
If it seems too good to be true, it is probably a scam.
Be extra careful if using an internet cafe to connect to your on-line accounts.
If a bank is not taking sensible online security precautions, change banks.

If you have any questions or would like some training on how to be safe on the internet, please contact Enzed PCs.