Business Building Ideas
August 2006, Volume 1, Issue 7

Dear Friend:

The summer so far has been one of record heat and rising gas prices. In fact, today is one of the hottest days we have had so far. And, as I sit here looking out the window I am very thankful that we live in the age of air conditioning and other modern conveniences. But, like most things, modern conveniences require care and maintenance or they won’t continue to work as well.

Your office computers are no exception to this rule. Believe me, this is one lesson that you do not want to learn the hard way. By taking a few precautions you can protect yourself against many potential hazards. This month’s article focuses on ways to protect your computers and data. This is important information that you don’t want to miss.

- Mitch Lapides, Executive Editor,
HomeTech Business Building Ideas

P.S. Don’t forget that we’re waiting to hear from you. Please share your success stories, great ideas, or pressing problems. We want to write about what can help you most!! Please contact us at feedback@hometechonline.com.

In This Issue

Feature Article

5 Ways to Protect Your Computers and Data

Computers have become one of the most important tools in any office. We have all become dependent upon them for many tasks. They are a great source of increased productivity in the office. But, they can also be a drain on productivity when they are not working properly or they have a problem.

By taking a few precautions you can protect your computers and your data from many potential threats. Below are five steps that you can take to safeguard your computer systems.

1. Update Regularly
Many software vendors offer free updates or patches that repair problems or bugs that may make your computer vulnerable. By keeping up to date with these improvements you will help keep your systems in top condition. The most important software to keep updated is your operating system. Microsoft offers Windows XP updates free to registered users. Click here to go to the Microsoft Windows download center. Keep in mind that it’s always a great idea to backup important data before updating.

2. Install Anti-Virus Software
Viruses are a serious threat to your computer hardware and software. Therefore, it is critical that you protect yourself by installing anti-virus software on every machine. It is also critical that you keep your virus definitions up to date by downloading any updates from your anti-virus software vendor. Updated definitions will protect your machines from new viruses. If you are a Comcast subscriber, you can download McAfee Anti-Virus software for free from the Comcast web site. Just click here. Another popular anti-virus program is Norton Anti-Virus from Symantec. Click here for more info.

3. Take Precautions Against Spyware and Adware
Anti-virus programs such as the ones mentioned above will offer some protection against spyware and adware, but there are additional precautions that you can take. If your computer has gotten progressively slower over time, spyware or adware may be to blame. There are several free spyware and adware removal programs that you can download which will scan your computer for potential problems. One example is Ad-Aware (click here for download).

Another precaution which helps to reduce adware and spyware is to use a less popular browser. Internet Explorer is the most popular browser and is, therefore, the most targeted by these problems. Consider trying an alternative browser such as Mozilla Firefox. It is available as a free download: Click here.

A final, and maybe the most important precaution that you can take against spyware and adware is to be extremely careful about what free software you download from the Internet. Be sure that you only download from reputable sources or you could find your computer so loaded with spyware that it hardly runs.

4. Be Sure that You Have a Firewall
A firewall is the protective system located between your computer or network and the Internet. It prevents unauthorized access. A firewall can be hardware or software. Many routers already have a hardware firewall built in. But, some experts recommend that each individual computer also has a software firewall installed. Windows XP, in its most current version, contains a firewall. If you are running XP, be sure that this firewall is enabled.

5. Always Backup Your Data
Although you should do everything on this list, if you choose to do only one, make sure it is backing up your data. If any problem arises, your backup is what will save you. Effective backups have three important features. They are:

  • Automated (you’ll never forget)
  • Offsite (fire or flood and you still have your data)
  • Restorable (test it to make sure it works)

There are many different formats for backing up your data. Which one you choose will depend upon the amount of data you have and the configuration of your system (server or peer-to-peer network). Some options for individual computers include CD, DVD or a removable hard drive (these have become relatively inexpensive). For a server you might want to consider a tape drive. Each of these options are easy to transport offsite—don’t forget to do it!

One other very affordable option is online backups. Once you sign up with an online backup service, you simply download client software to your computer and set it to backup as often as you’d like. These services have the advantage of getting your data offsite without someone remembering to do it. And, they can cost as little as $10 a month or even less. Listed below are a few Web sites that offer this service.

If you have trouble with any of the above suggestions, it is always helpful to seek the services of a professional. An IT professional will help to ensure that your computers are functioning as well as possible and can solve your problems if you do run into any.

HomeTech ADVANTAGE Tip

Build or Customize Reports

Have you ever wished that you could change the standard reports that are available within HomeTech ADVANTAGE? Well, you can. And, it’s easy. Use the BUILD…OR CUSTOMIZE REPORTS feature to select the data that you want to appear in your print reports. Depending on what options you choose, this feature can be used to either shorten or lengthen a report.

For more detailed instructions on this feature, Click Here.

Did You Know?

The top 20% of U.S households now account for 51% of all remodeling expenditures. Such households spent $70 billion on remodeling in 2003. That’s up from about $45 billion or 44% of all remodeling expenditures in 1995 (in 2003 dollars). As income inequality continues to increase, remodelers who focus on high-income homeowners can expect their market to grow more than those who focus on middle or lower-income households.

Source: State of the Nation’s Housing 2006, page 14,
Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

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from Mitch Lapides, Executive Editor Click for CostEstimator Refer a friend... HomeTech ADVANTAGE, click here

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