At some time or another, your PC will have Mozilla Firefox problems!

If you use a certain secure Internet browser for your office, business or home, you will have problems with slow response, and a high amount of your CPU’s resources being unnecessarily consumed.————————————

In other words, your computer will drastically slow down (or even freeze) due to the processor being “bogged” down with unnecessary processing cycle tasks caused by Mozilla Firefox not responding. If you enter into Task Manager, you will find the processor usage often at 100%, causing whatever you are in the process of doing–to be halted until the computer decides to get back into action.

Let’s explore what causes instances of Firefox not responding, and what can be done to eliminate this inconvenience.

1.) Disable:  Plugin-container.exe

The plug-in container was created to separate the plug-in processes within Firefox from the other necessary processes needed for FF to run. When plug-ins crash, the plug-in container will crash instead of crashing the entire browser and spoiling your Internet searching vibe. Disable the plug-in container if you have low memory or an older computer. This can be done by:

Heading up to the Firefox address bar, then typing:     about:config

Next, navigate to the lines:    dom.ipc.plugins.enabled…….. (you can type dom.ipc in the field under the address bar labeled: filter, for quicker access to the line needed)

Double click four of the lines as shown in the picture, to change their values from true to:   false.  (If there is only one value to change, which is the value listed above, change that only, and close your browser)

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2.) Update Mozilla Firefox

Sometimes there are no problems contributing to Firefox not responding other than an outdated version that needs to be updated. Updates are helpful because they help fix acknowledged problems such as bug, crashes, hacker vulnerabilities, instability and more. Firefox can easily be updated by visiting Mozilla.

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3.) Remove Firefox and reinstall it

If Firefox still refuses to cooperate and is causing problems with your productivity while working, feel free to uninstall Firefox and reinstall it. First, you should take measures to backup and important bookmarks and favorites, to avoid losing any important information. Removing and reinstalling cures many problems that are related to the software, if no other solutions prove adequate.

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4.) Check for virus infections

When you find no other reasonable causes for Firefox not responding, you should consider checking for viruses and malware. A good, currently updated program is recommended; a full scan is encouraged for best detection.—————————–

However, if you are still experiencing problems with unexplained browser crashing or other problems after you’ve followed the methods above and checked for/removed any malware, you could still have an infection. In that case check out The PC Tech’s Virus Removal Manual for step-by-step, detailed, proven information to fully clean your system.

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Having additional problems with Firefox not responding that I didn’t cover here? Feel free to leave a comment for further assistance; comments are highly appreciated!

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Happy Computing!

Jarvis Edwards – TekTime

If you can actually remember ANY of your passwords, you are indeed at risk…

Yes, I know. Your password has to be memorable; if it weren’t you wouldn’t be able to log into any of your many accounts–email, bank, work, etc. Right?

Also, your password(s) reflect the love that you have for your kids, or parents and for other sentimental reasons.Unfortunately, if any of these situations sound like something you are doing, now is the time to stop. Here’s why:

The majority of passwords that most people use can be easily deciphered (guessed) using computer software tools, within hours or even minutes. In other words, using the same password for email accounts, financial accounts and other sensitive accounts can spell disaster if someone (bad) gains access to those accounts and realizes the password is the same!

Imagine having your email hacked, your money stolen, your identity stolen and your credit ruined; simply because you never learned how to create a secure password and your simple password was figured out?

Here’s a real life example of how failing to create a secure password can be bad:  When Using Facebook!

Yes, everyone has–at some point in time–noticed weird postings on other friends’ walls that the friend actually never posted, hence a hacking took place.

• A person was fooled into typing log-in information into a rogue application
• That application was controlled by a person or another application intending on wrecking havoc
• If personal information was located in any of the emails within the Facebook account, the hacker now has more information to exploit using his newly found password..

This is all a result of failing to create a secure password to begin with. A password that is too much of a hassle to even type each time! A password that upsets you every time you have to type it.

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Here are a couple of tips to use in order to IMMEDIATELY protect your interests, your money, your reputation, your identity, your sanity and more:

Check out the strength of your current password by clicking here and entering it in the Password box.

Notice your score and if your password is not read as strong, immediately keep changing it until it becomes strong.

* How do you change your password to a secure one? *

Use the WPA encryption key generator. This doesn’t have to be used only as a tool to create WPA security encryption for wireless Internet access; it can be used to create secure passwords for any purpose.

Click here to visit the Create WPA Key Website.

Once on the site, choose the security type and press Generate WPA Key. I recommend using the Light Security option (button) as it is sufficient for secure password creation (you can always test password strength here). I usually recommend 12 characters and up for passwords but that’s not absolutely necessary.

If the link doesn’t work, here’s the URL:

http://www.yellowpipe.com/yis/tools/WPA_key/generator.php

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Now that you have the tools and the knowledge to create a secure password that hackers cannot guess (at least they will take a long time to do so if they could), go secure all of your passwords with a strong, complicated, peace of mind bringing password.

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Happy (and safe) Computing!

Jarvis Edwards – TekTime IT Consulting LLC

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If you liked that post, you won’t hate these at all:

Internet and Privacy: How to Protect Your Privacy While Online

Internet Identity Theft: Are YOU a Victim Without Even Knowing?

How to Clean Up Viruses That are Secretly Stealing Your Information

Contrary to popular belief, writing good online content is not easy!

When browsing the Internet, what do you first notice? Most likely–text. Yes, text! The words that appear on the screen; the words that compel you to buy things, to view things, to download things–so forth and so on.——————-

Now, here is a true and scary fact: writing good articles can increase your website traffic! Crazy fact isn’t it?  No, actually it isn’t, however, people ask the traffic questions constantly, wondering how to get more visitors to their websites!!

Some swear on using pay per click (PPC), others focus solely on word-of-mouth, others rely on blog and forum posting, and there are some who practice a wide variety of things to increase website traffic. One tried and true method of getting consistent traffic, while watching the traffic increase steadily over time (possibly in a short time)  is writing articles!

But, there are rules to writing articles if you want your traffic to actually increase and not stagnate, or even drop! Here they are:

Low competition keywords

So everyone is ranting about having quality keywords that people are searching for. Okay, that may be true. It also helps to know that LOW competition keywords should be chosen for best results.

If your keywords are also popular among marketers, huge companies and people with tons of dinero to spend, your articles will have a meek existence with little opportunity of being read. Too much traffic, not enough targeted traffic. If a keyword has low competition, you will know by searching terms using Google Keyword Tool (or others).

High traffic keywords

If you are using low-competition keywords to write articles to increase your website traffic, you should also focus on keywords with decent traffic. For instance, if you are searching for keywords with less than 1,000 monthly searches, you may not get enough traffic to make that keyword worthwhile.

However, if your website is getting good Search Engine Results Page Ranking, a significant amount of those 1,000 searches could be coming to your site. I’d recommend choosing keywords with 5,000 and up monthly searches and low competition.

Compelling titles

So, you now know how to use the keyword tool to see what people are searching for. You know how to tell how many are searching so you can optimize your keywords for higher-quality traffic. What next? Your title! It’s actually THE most important piece of the puzzle, and for one good reason; your article title is the first introduction to your article in most cases. If your headline (also known as your title) doesn’t get people interested enough to click on it, all the work in the world is not going to get your poor-little article any reads! Here’s an example:

Horrible title:  “Something Wierd Happened With The Sky Today”

Great title:      “The Sky Has Just Fallen: Details Here!”

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Long-tail keywords

Using short, one or two term keywords may not be a good idea at all. For example, using the keyword phrase “big boats” is going to yield a huge amount of competition, compared to using the keyword phrase “big boats denver colorado.”

Long-tail keyword phrases will help you narrow down your market more specifically because there is less chance for being vague. Using the term “big boats” may not work for you if your customers are looking for “big boat covers made on Mars.” See what I’m getting at here?

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If you are perplexed about all this and would rather have someone create content for you, I strongly understand. If that’s the case, feel free to contact me to write articles to increase your website traffic, while you sit back and relax. You can do that by visiting me at:   http://www.articlewriter4you.com

If you find this information to be useful and helpful, feel free to leave a comment. Hopefully you are better armed to write articles for the sake of increasing the traffic on your website, without spending tons of money on ineffective marketing strategies!

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Happy Writing!

Jarvis Edwards – Articlewriter4you.com

Apple has been fighting to legally ban Samsung from selling tablets in the US….

In the ongoing court battles of Apple vs Samsung, Apple has been pressing hard to stop Samsung from selling four different devices in the United States.

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They have been seeking a temporary ban, which would have prohibited Samsung from selling their Droid Charge, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Galaxy S 4G and the Infuse 4G.

In the Apple vs Samsung case, Apple has alleged that Samsung’s tablets are infringing upon their patent, and copy the iPhone and the iPad.  Well, Samsung has brought forth their own suit against Apple, which claims patent violations against the Cupertino company.

For now, Samsung will continue operating as normal, and their lower-cost tablets will most likely continue to outsell the more expensive iPads.

Apple vs Samsung – click to read more on this story.

Tune in next time for more news, tips and tricks!

Ray Mackie  -  TekTime

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This post is sponsored by: The PC Tech’s Virus Removal Manual!

Removing viruses manually is a must at some point in time, so let’s learn more now!

In the last post titled “Manual Virus Removal Instructions..” we discussed how to remove PC viruses without using virus removal/scanning software. Did you for one second think that the job was complete after applying just those few tips? If so, read on–the job is not yet done! If you haven’t yet read the first article, please click here before continuing.

Below are some more proven tips to help you to remove viruses from a computer manually:

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Look for “foreign” desktop icons

Many idiotic malware types will actually leave an icon on your desktop that wasn’t on the desktop prior to the infection. Icons with wierd names such as: dropper, or asf$%Q#$%)I or $MicrosoftWord$. —————

Those are just examples, but desktop icons can be infections that are just waiting to be clicked.————————————

One way to prevent foreign icons from being clicked and causing damage to the computer, is to copy and paste the icons on the desktop into a folder (with a location and name that YOU choose) to keep track of what icons are on your computer.

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Check the C:/ directory for “strange” files

Click on Computer in Vista and Windows 7; in XP and prior click:  My Computer.

Double click on the C: directory (the “C” hard drive) and start viewing the files that you see. Look for any file that you don’t “think” should be there. Better safe than sorry–check Google for search results for the files showing in the directory. If you have to search them ALL, search each and every file by the exact name showing in the drive directory.

This will yield results of previous searchers that may have encountered a problem with the files, or you will be alerted that no threats have been reported and the file is most likely (or definitely) valid. Moving on….

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Use Task Manager to search for “strange” processes

Task Manager is similar to Process Explorer, as explained in the previous post found here. Task Manager is helpful for those looking to remove viruses manually, although not as effective as Process Explorer. However, task manager can easily be accessed by simultaneously pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del.  After bringing up the manager, click the Processes tab.

Look for any strange processes that you can identify. If you have NO idea what you are looking at, once again…your favorite search engine or Google is your friend! Look up each and every process if needed to learn what is running on the computer(s).

You can right click each of the processes shown to and choose Open File Location, to get an idea of where the file is located, which is very important in determining if you there is a malware infection.

You can also attempt to end a process by choosing End Process. Many viruses, trojans etc will not allow removal unless their processed is stopped (or ended), which can be done in Task Manager.

So……that’s about it for now. If you want to learn more action-packed, detailed, step-by-step, superb, proven instructions on how to remove viruses manually, download your own copy of The PC Technician’s Virus Removal Manual. You won’t be disappointed–GUARANTEED! Any questions? Feel free to comment or contact me. In the meanwhile….

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Happy Computing!

Jarvis Edwards – TekTime IT Consulting LLC

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There has been a “rumor” floating throughout the Internet suggesting that websites with Google Maps will soon be charged to use their maps feature.

The truth is: Google will begin charging to use the map services, but only for businesses that use the Google Maps link on their websites.

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It is speculated that the charge will be introduced only to websites who get 25,000 Google Map clicks within one day. Now…once the 25,000 clicks quota is reached, there is a $4 charge for every 1,000 clicks generated!

The fee, which will be charged starting in January 2012, will affect roughly .35% of Google Maps users. Real estate agents and travel companies typically use Google Maps to show locations to customers, and will be affected most by these upcoming changes. Companies such as Apple who use Google Maps features on devices such as the iPhone, iPod and iPads will also be highly impacted by the new fees. Apple may soon circumvent this issue as they are currently engineering their own maps systems.

Google Maps is an “API” – a script that allows webmasters to integrate Google Maps into a website or application. Currently, over 1 million websites use Google Maps, and over 75,000 of those sites have the highest amount of Internet traffic, meaning Google can earn large sums of money from this decision, especially if competitors such as Bing decide to charge a premium for their map services as well.

Looking for an alternative to Google Maps? 

There are several alternatives to using Google’s services, for those that do not want to pay a premium for exceeding the usage quota. Microsoft released their Bing maps (developer)  service in 2009, and it has been used as a viable alternative as opposed to having a website with Google Maps.

Nokia has an offering known as OVI SDK/API, that can be integrated by a webmaster with HTML and Java-script programming knowledge, which can be integrated into any capable mobile application or web application.

Currently, more than 18% of websites using Google Maps are news sites, nearly 15% are business-related sites, and nearly 10% of the sites are travel related. Time will tell how this change will affect websites and businesses as we move into the year 2012. Will YOUR website with Google Maps be affected? Leave a comment if you think it will, as well as how this might affect your business (or your employer’s). 

See ya next time,

Ray Mackie – TekTime

YOU just might be a victim of having your wireless network stolen without you even knowing!

Yes, it’s true. Your internet connection, otherwise known as your WiFi connection, can be used at this very moment by a sniffer, thief, neighbor or a program running on your computer without you having any clue. Scary isn’t it? If you don’t find this fact appalling, I beg you to think of the following circumstances:

1.) You get a knock on the door from the friendliest police office in the world arresting you for purchasing online goods with a “stolen” credit card (you are innocent by the way).

2.) You take a look at your credit report and notice “you” bought a new Mercedes last month that you have no recollection of purchasing.

3.) Your Internet service provider contacts you threatening to shut off your Internet due to illegal downloading and sharing of files (you have never downloaded such things in your LIFE…hopefully).

4.) Your Internet is always super, duper slow and for no good reason; your ISP provides a speed that’s much faster than what you have been experiencing behind your computer(s).

Those are just several examples, with #4 being the best case scenario. How can all of these things happen you ask? Or, who is using my wireless network without my permission? Also, remember that your network can be compromised without you having wireless Internet, so it’s important to learn how to monitor Internet activity so you are not affected negatively by any unscrupulous activity.

Here’s how to tell:

1. Go into your start menu and click into the search bar.
2. Type command
3. Right click on the icon labeled Command Prompt
4. Choose Run as administrator, then press Enter
   
5. Type netstat -f

After typing the command above, you will see a screen with a lot of numbers and text, with a black background. Click on the picture on the right for an example of the netstat -f command. This command shows you (in IP address format) what URLs are being connected to from your computer. This will effectively let you know if there is spyware or malware on the computer, or if someone is connecting to your computer or network.

The column Active Connections lists the various addresses from your computer and network connections. 127.0.0.1 signifies the “local host” and basically is the address that “loops back” to a given computer. In other words, if someone tries to connect to 127.0.0.1, they will be connected to their own computer.The 192.X…..address is the IP address of your computer; the address that you will need to learn more about — below.

Under Active Connections, take a look at the 192 addresses. For instance, 192.168.1.4 is the IP address of your computer. On the column to the right labeled: Foreign Address, you will notice all active connections that are going out from your computer. Any connection from your wireless network, from software, remote connections; any of these connections will show on the right column under Foreign Address. If your computer is part of a domain you will notice the domain address in the right column as well.

Alongside the addresses in the Foreign Address column, you will notice numbers. For instance:

www.google.com: 59154  ESTABLISHED

59154 is the port which is used to make the connection in the above example. Ports are significant because certain ports are known to handle certain functions. For example, Port 80 is the port used by email clients and providers. Learn which ports are commonly used by hackers and viruses etc, to better identify if certain applications are using suspect ports to connect to the internet.

The last column labeled: State shows the status of the connection. You will notice several:

• Established  (There is a current active connection; research it if needed to determine if it is legitimate–an enabled session)
• TIME_WAIT  (There is a “wait” status on a connection; not necessarily active but is waiting)
• CLOSE_WAIT (A passive connection. The client is not sending data but can receive data from the server)

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Netstat -n -b

Now that you are familiar with the command netstat -f and how to read the results, you can also use the following command in the command prompt: netstat -n -b

This will allow you to identify the following:

• Which IP address your computer is using
• What connections your computer are actively making to the Internet
• What other connections are made without you knowing
• Which ports are actively being used

Hopefully, the next time you ask “who is using my wireless network without my permission,” you can open up a command prompt, type your command and check out those IP addresses, ports and connections. Remember: ALWAYS use your favorite search engine to type in the IP addresses EXACTLY as you see them ( but without the ports and status) to get an idea of who/what those IP addresses belong to. Again, ALWAYS check a search engine for IP addresses that you don’t know of, to be sure there is no “foul-play” on your network.

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Happy, Secure Computing!

Jarvis Edwards – TekTime IT Consulting LLC

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People that love this post, may absolutely love these as well:

Internet and Privacy: How To Protect Your Privacy Online!

Why Is My Internet So Slow All Of a Sudden?

Removing viruses manually is easier than most people think; alas…software is not necessary!

Sometimes using software to remove viruses isn’t possible. Either the malware (trojan, virus, spyware, rootkit, etc) duplicates itself and creates multiple versions of itself to avoid being totally removed by software, or the antivirus software that is used gets deleted by the virus before having the opportunity to scan the computer. In other cases booting the computer to even get the chance to install software is nil, as the computer may not boot at all.

Let’s discuss manual virus removal and how to remove viruses without needing to use software. Please remember, software is often needed to remove remnants of infections and rogue registry entries; however, these steps will help largely in removing a bad infection, or restoring proper operation to a PC that fails to work properly due to infection. Here are the steps you should take to remove viruses manually:

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Streamline the “start menu”

I won’t get into details on how to get into the msconfig menu, but you will need to go into the start menu search box and type msconfig. Next, press enter. When you get into the menu,remove the check marks from anything that looks “suspicious.”————————-

For instance, any software without a manufacturer should be considered suspect. Often, anything that reads “RUNDLL…” is suspect. When in doubt, check out Google or any search engine of choice with the name of the entries in msconfig. After removing the checks, click Apply and Ok. Allow the PC to restart.

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Check the System32 folder

The System32 folder in Windows is notorious for housing malware such as viruses, trojans and rootkits. Manual virus removal and software removal tips should always direct you to this folder, to check for threats. First, go into the System32 folder, located at:

C:> Windows >  System32

Next, sort the files/results by Date (Date Modified) so the most recent files are closest to the top of the folder. Afterwards, look for any files that look suspicious, with dates on or near the assumed infection date. I won’t go into detail on what makes a files look suspicious; you can find out that information in full detail by checking out The PC Technician’s Virus Removal Manual.

In this folder, the search engine is your friend. If you need, run a search on each recent file in the System32 folder, to help identify possible infections. This can take a looooooong time, but that’s the cost of learning to become a manual virus removal pro! Once you find these malicious files, either rename them or delete them. Do this at your own risk and with extreme caution, as deleting the wrong file will render your computer scrap metal. Again: Google (or any other search engine of choice) is your friend here.

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Check browser settings

Depending on the browser that you use, you have the option to change settings that allow connecting to a server to use that server’s connection to the internet. This is known as a “proxy server” and is exploited by malware frequently. If you don’t know how to get into  the Internet Options for your browser, you may not need to continue trying manual virus removal! For instance, in Firefox go to Internet Options, then Advanced. Next, choose Network, and afterwards choose Settings (or other wording).

If Manual Configuration Proxy is checked and has an IP address listed, and you didn’t make or authorize these changes, a virus or other malware can be to blame. Remove any addresses showing and choose “No Proxy” or “Auto-detect” or similar. In other words, remove the proxy address from the browser and apply the settings. Next, close and restart the browser.

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Check programs

Next, it’s good to check the programs installed on the computer. Believe it or not, several STUPID forms of malware actually install themselves as a regular program (in the add/remove programs category of the Control Panel) and can be simply removed by choosing uninstall! Always check here for threats that weren’t smart enough to conceal themselves properly.

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Use Process Explorer

Process Explorer works wonders. Use it to stop viruses that recreate clones of themselves to prevent removal. Use it to find malware that is hidden from the most skilled professional and concealed from the highest-tech of software applications.———

Use it to find programs that don’t have normal “antivirus” behaviors. Process Explorer can be downloaded here. To learn how to use this excellent program, you can learn through trial-and-error or you can download The Virus Removal Manual.

Using these manual virus removal instructions will get you one step closer to removing any threat that comes your way without necessarily needing software. It’s also useful to know these steps to troubleshoot a computer that fails to boot. More information on manually removing viruses from a computer that won’t boot…next time!

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Happy Computing!

Jarvis Edwards – TekTime IT Consulting LLC

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Things are getting ridiculously out-of-hand. This is not your ordinary blog post, but a rant on why you should start taking precautions to protect your privacy on the Internet because it’s getting bad out there.

In case you haven’t become aware, the Protect-IP act is circulating through the white house and is a dangerous threat to the Internet as we know it. I won’t go into detail on that act because it deserves a totally new post of it’s own.

I will tell you however, why your Internet privacy is important, and how the government has unlimited plans to destroy your rights to privacy by using lobbying, corporations and sneaky bills that many people are too “busy” to pay attention to.  Does The US Patriot Act ring any bells?

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Here’s a true story.

I got a call from a client last week. The person was upset because their Internet connection through Time Warner wasn’t working. That’s not the worst part. The reason her Internet wasn’t working is because Time Warner received a notice from the MPAA (Movies and Pictures Association of American – or something like that) that she was downloading movies using torrent software and her connection was “quarantined” until she contacted the MPAA. What upset my client so much is the fact that she doesn’t even have torrent software installed on her computer (I advise all my clients to avoid this software), and all of her movie viewing is done by DVD rentals, Netflix and Hulu.

Time Warner cable never contacted my client to inform her of any “violations” and simply shut off her Internet without warning. She only realized it was off because she noticed it wasn’t working and called in. I advised her to contact the MPAA phone number given to her, and upon calling she listened to a prerecorded message advising her connection could have been compromised, and to create a password for her WiFi after removing any copyrighted movies (if any) from her computer.

The morale of the story is these huge conglomerates that provide Internet service are becoming quick to shut off your Internet with no warning, no judge, and no jury. Additionally, they are also snooping on your Internet usage, browsing habits and are turning your information over to third parties.  If just an accusation by the MPAA police can cause your Internet to be shut down without legal process, its time to start taking your Internet anonymity seriously.

Here’s are several must-use tips to protect your Internet privacy:

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Take precautions to secure your wireless connection

Your wireless connection needs several things to be secure. First, it needs a strong password. Second, it needs a good encryption type (avoid WEP). Third, it should be isolated from the rest of the outside world, as hackers and sniffers are abound. Learn more steps to secure your wireless connection here.

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Use a secure proxy for internet browsing

You have absolutely no privacy at all when you’re using your Internet browser. Your IP address is like your physical address. It is a unique identifier that can lead back to your connection, at your home or workplace. An IP is automatically assigned by your ISP and it’s tracked by several companies and untrustworthy individuals.

Additionally, each website you visit can possibly store (log) your IP address. What to do? Use HideMyAss! It is a proxy service that “disguises” your true IP and it works with your current browser. Just click this link to visit HideMyAss and search anonymously to your heart’s content!

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DON’T install peer to peer applications

This is my number one suggestion to clients regarding Internet and Privacy. Installing a Peer to Peer file sharing application on your computer (such as the defunct Limewire) opens up your computer to various attacks, not to mention the snoopers are checking these sites for the IP addresses of people who download copyrighted music and movies. So if you install Peer to Peer applications and use them to download, your IP is exposed the whole time and you just might get that call from the MPAA, or the RIAA–your connection may as well be rudely interrupted.

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Lock down your firewall

The [Windows] firewall running on your computer is not enough. You will need a good software or hardware firewall that’s configured to block incoming packets from any unknown sources, and to prevent applications on your computer from sending out information without your authorization. Firewalls are not simple to configure for this purpose if you aren’t technically savvy in that area, so contacting a professional will go a long way regarding Internet and privacy for you.

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Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A virtual private network is one of THE best ways to protect your Internet privacy and to keep your IP hidden from unscrupulous folks and snoopers. When using a VPN service, your computer connects to the VPN server, then connects to the Internet from that server–your IP address then effectively becomes the same as the VPN service (for the most part).

Additionally, the VPN server encrypts your data so anyone trying to “read” it can see nothing in particular, other than the fact that data is being transmitted. VPN is very effective when using “free” hotspots such as hotels and coffee shops, that threaten your privacy as well as increase your chances of being hacked. VPN service can be used regardless of where you live and I personally recommend services outside of the US if you are tired of draconian US laws and privacy issues.

That’s about it for now, I could go on with some more tips on hiding your identity online, but I’d have to charge you.    Put these tips into practice and protect your natural-born rights to privacy.

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Happy Computing!

Jarvis Edwards – TekTime IT Consulting LLC

The answer to that question remains to be seen; however, cloud computing can be beneficial to your business, but it can also be disastrous. It pays to know the pluses and the minuses, of the cloud equation.

First of all, let’s define cloud computing. It is the delivery of computing services, as opposed to selling of computer products. In cloud computing the resources, data and software are “leased” or provided to end-users/companies as a service instead of a product. For example, the relationship between a person and the electricity bill (a utility) signifies the type of relationship with a cloud provider and customer, with the Internet being the “grid.”

Cloud computing allows usage of software, access to data, storage solutions and services, computer processing power and other benefits. In cloud setups, the user or company doesn’t necessarily have to know where the data center (the location delivering the services) is located.  Oftentimes, users do not need to have technical savvy to utilize cloud computing services.

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Privacy Concerns

Privacy remains a big issue in cloud services, since the provider of the cloud platform has access to any digital data and communications stored or served through the user and the providing (host) company. Data can be monitored with or without legal authorization, which creates skepticism amongst companies with sensitive financial documents and other sensitive or “secret” information.

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Contractual Needs

When transitioning to cloud-based services, companies will need to shift from the dependence on their technical staff, to relying on the service provider to address issues and maintain proper operations and communication. To ensure obligations are met and a specific level of service is agreed upon, contracts are necessary. A contract must be created to formalize the duties and responsibilities of both parties, as well as the expectations and limitations of the service relationship.

Additionally, the contract should identify the issues and risks associated with a cloud-based platform and should spell-out a security policy to prevent breaches and exploits. Many contracts also include a clause that defines vendor management responsibilities.

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Data Center Usage

With cloud computing, there is no physical server stored at the location of your company. The service is dependent on an actual data center at a centralized location. Some cloud providers may have more advanced and efficient infrastructure created to support their offerings, while other providers that are less-established may not have the same level of knowledge and efficiency.

Although many cloud service providers will not necessarily want you to know where they are physically located, knowing where your data is being stored is one step in identifying whether or not the company is up-to-task.

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Security Breaches

Security flaws and breaches are a big risk when choosing cloud computing services. Some providers may be less of a risk when handling your data than other companies. It is important to remember that you are depending on a third party to handle your data, and are trusting your personal, financial, government, or other types of sensitive information with a provider who may not necessarily safeguard your data in the same way as you would.

The inability to control the data is a huge consideration when choosing a cloud-based platform for your business. Knowing what the provider has specifically put into place to protect your data is crucial, regardless of the length of time taken for due diligence.

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Final Thoughts

For those not familiar with cloud computing, it consists of a variety of services. These can include:

• Spam filtering services
• Data Backup services
• Software services (shared, hosted software)
• CRM software
• File sharing services
• Firewall services
• Managed hardware/software/network support
• and many more…

If you are considering cloud computing for your business needs, keeping the above information in mind will help you make an informed decision when deciding if public cloud computing is right for your business.

Happy Computing!

Jarvis Edwards - TekTime