Trojans, Spybots and Viruses – Oh My!

I am often asked, “Does anti-virus software really work?” or “I have anti-virus software, why did I get a virus?” or “Do I really need anti-virus software?”

The answer is like driving without a seatbelt or getting a flu shot.  There are no guarantees, no silver bullets.  Anti-virus software is a protective measure to help aid and assist in reducing the chance of infection.

Question one:  “Does anti-virus software really work”? 

Answer:  Anti-virus works within reason.

Anti-virus software has to be installed, it has to be updated (or renewed) and you have to be aware of what you are protecting.  What I mean is, if you have some basic protection that lets you know you have an infected file and the software isn’t updated, then you may not have current protection against the new stuff.

Question two:  “I have anti-virus software, why did I get a virus?”

Answer:  Anti-virus software is a protective measure, but not a guarantee.

If you are constantly on the web viewing You-Tube, Facebook, etc. – you are constantly opening video files that your computer may not be protected against.  I compare this to having an alarm on your house – you will get notified if someone comes through a closed door or window.  But if you open that window (like being on the internet), something can sneak through without detection.

Question one:  ‘Do I really need anti-virus software?”

Answer:  It depends.

As long as you are not using your computer for accessing the internet, getting email or opening files from other people – then you should be fine.  Otherwise, anti-virus software is advisable.

The bottom line – it is more effective to have anti-virus software than not.  And remember, please wear your seat belts!  The flu shot…well, that’s your call.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Free Wi-Fi

I have a friend that travels a lot.  She travels so much, that she knows which airports have Starbucks and which ones don’t.  You don’t want to hear from her at the end of a long week, from an airport that doesn’t have Starbucks…but that’s another blog.

One of the things that I hear about a lot, (besides the Starbucks) is free Wi-Fi accessibility in airports and hotels (or the lack of it).  While on the road, she constantly has to check in, check flights, check email, etc. and it is frustrating that the most expensive hotels charge for Wi-Fi, while the less expensive ones offer access for free.  And why don’t all airports offer free Wi-Fi?  People have time to kill and time to surf while waiting for the always prompt airlines.   Free internet access would be wonderful - especially during the winter, when flights are delayed.  Let the people watch Hulu or YouTube.  The little televisions running CNN just don’t cut in for some mindless entertainment.  But I digress…

While I understand the desire for internet access at the drop of the hat, I often have to remind myself (and my friends) of the inherent dangers that involve free Wi-Fi.

Finding available Wi-Fi networks is a good thing in this digitally connected age, but you have to remember that it's a lot more vulnerable than your wired or secured home connection.  So if you're using someone else's Wi-Fi network, be careful about which of your website accounts you access.

Research shows that free wireless public networks located in airports and other public places are ripe for exploitation by hackers. The ability to set up fake "free" Wi-Fi hotspots in public places and potentially use them to steal sensitive data, such as online banking passwords or personal information, is alarmingly easy to do. In fact, hacker Web sites provide instructions on how such frauds can be accomplished.

While free Wi-Fi may be safer for secure websites, highly sensitive activities should only be performed from your own computer. A public computer should not be trusted for anything but casual surfing.  This applies to airports, hotels, malls, parks, and coffee places.

So now, in addition to long check-in and security lines, my friend has one more thing to be anxious about - the identity thieves.  But don’t tell her…not unless she had her Starbucks first!

Have you had any problems with using free wi-fi?  Post your comments and share your thoughts.

Have Flash Drive Will Travel

I am often asked about my constant companion…the flash drive.  For me, it is the portable briefcase, my mini hard drive.  It contains my most used documents and “tools” that I use for work.  Like a familiar commercial says, “I don’t leave home without it.”

I am often asked, “How long does it take for a flash drive to wear out”?

As always, there is no easy answer to this question. The truth is that despite all the protections and features of a modern USB flash drive, it will wear out eventually.

It’s because of how a flash drive works. When data is stored in a flash drive, it is loaded into its memory and then a charge (flash) is sent to the device telling it to retain that information. As soon as the memory is “flashed”, it is capable of retaining that data even after all the power has been removed from the device.

This is what makes the flash drive so useful and versatile. The downside to this process is that a flash drive can only be “flashed” a limited number of times.

Most flash drive manufacturers put that number at around 10,000 to 100,000 times. However, some studies estimate that recent flash drives can tolerate millions of flashes before they wear out. This means that a newly bought brand name flash drive can last for years of daily use before it fails. Moreover, even if the flash drive fails you may still be able to read data from it, you just won’t be able to write any new data to it.

Here are a few tips that will increase the life expectancy of your flash drive.

Always backup your flash drive data on a computer.

Don’t use disk intensive applications (compression programs, installers, databases) from your flash drive. They will constantly write to the drive, severely reducing its life expectancy. A flash drive’s primary role is to copy files between computers. If you use it just for that, it will last you a very long time.

Slowdowns and read/write errors can be considered warning signs that a flash drive is about to fail.

Your flash drive can be a valuable asset.  It is a small data set to back up (even the larger flash drives). Don’t lose your documents because you didn’t take a few minutes to save your data.