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How to keep your children safe online?

June 11, 2019by Euclid Networks in Atlanta, How-To, News / Blog

Summer is here and your kids are home for long stretches of time. Here are our tips on keeping your home and children safe online.

Our number 1 tip is talk to your children! Communication is essential in maintaining a safe environment.
  1. Have a conversation with your kids: warn them about malware, dangerous websites, and sex offenders. Let your kids know you’re looking out for them, speak honestly with them, and listen. After all, if it’s just you talking, it’s not a conversation. It’s a lecture. And no one likes a lecture.
  2. Keep your computer in a common area of the house: it’s more difficult for sex offenders and online bullies to harass your child when you can see what your child is up to. So make sure your kids aren’t going to bed with their laptops and phones. Keep internet time in the common areas.
  3. Know which other computers your children are using: your children most likely have access to computers at school or their friends’ houses. Ask them where they go online, and talk to their friends’ parents about how they supervise their own kids’ internet use.
  4. Remind your children, “Don’t talk to strangers — or meet them”: Remind your children that people often lie about their age, and online predators often pretend to be children. Emphasize that your children should never reveal personal information like their name, address, phone number, school name, or even their friends’ names. Knowing any of this could help an online predator find your kid in real life. And under no circumstances should your child ever meet up with someone they met online without your permission. If you do agree to a meeting, go with your child and meet in a public place.
  5. Make internet time family time: You watch movies together. Why not browse the web together? Making it a family event can be fun. You’ll learn more about your kids’ interests, and can guide them to websites that are more appropriate to their age.
  6. Know your children’s passwords: If you’ve got a younger kid, create an account for them in your own name to avoid exposing your kid’s name — and so you’ll have the password. But please respect the age limitations on accounts. If a site says you should be 18 to sign up, then maybe your child should wait. Whatever your choice, though, make sure you get their passwords and warn them that you’ll be checking their accounts from time to time to make sure everything’s kosher. (Spying on your kids’ accounts without their knowledge could weaken their trust in you.)
  7. Watch for changes in your children’s behavior: Being secretive about what they do online, withdrawing from the family, and other personality changes could be signs that an online sex offender is preying on your kid. So keep an eye out for any behavioral changes.
  8. Pay attention to any gifts anyone gives your children: Sexual predators may send physical letters, photos, or gifts to children to seduce them. Stay alert, and ask your kids about any new toys they bring home.
  9. Check your children’s browsing history: Open your child’s web browser and look for “History” to see a list of websites they’ve been to. Also check the recycle bin to see if any files have been deleted. You may be surprised.
  10. Set rules — and stick to them: As a parent, it’s your job to limit your kids’ screen time, set boundaries for inappropriate content, and make sure your children stick to them. Talk to your internet service provider about filters you can use to block pornographic or violent websites, or invest in a Wi-Fi router with parental controls.
Searching and using the internet together is a great way to teach your children about navigating the multilayered online world.

Here’s What We Know About WannaCry / WannaCrypt / Wcry Ransomware

May 15, 2017by Euclid Networks in Atlanta, Networking, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server, Windows XP

Over the weekend, businesses, institutions, and individuals in 12+ countries have fallen victim to a ransomware program known as “WannaCrypt”, or a variant thereof. For those unaware, WannaCry is fast-spreading form of malware that remotely targets nearby computers running on unpatched or unsupported versions of Windows.

Once infected, computers with this malware being encrypting all the user files they can find on the network, displaying a red ransom note (below) demanding $300 for a decryption key, with the cost increasing as time goes on.

From a technical perspective, the malware spreads via SMB – that is the Server Message Block protocol – typically used by Windows machines to communicate with file systems over a network.

Microsoft released a fix for the exploits (MS17-010, used as a part of its March “Patch Tuesday” release), but unpatched Windows systems remain vulnerable. If you are certain your PCs were updated after March 28th, you should be safe – if you’re unsure and would like to schedule an assessment, please contact us today!

 

Euclid Network’s Partner Update

For current partners of Euclid Networks, our proactive monitoring and maintenance software ensures all computers on service plans have critical Microsoft patches regularly reviewed, whitelisted by our partner NOC, and deployed to our client’s machines. We strongly believe in a proactive approach to IT Support, and ensuring software is up to date on business systems is our top priority.

Due to the seriousness of this particular outbreak, we are also manually reviewing our partner’s machines to ensure Microsoft security bulletin MS17-010 has been implemented across the board.

Additionally, our Antivirus partner, Webroot, has announced they have deployed preventative measures for this ransomware – and our partners using Dell Sonicwall Firewalls with Comprehensive Gateway Security Suite licenses should rest assured they have another layer of protection, with Sonicwall having discovered this malware and its variants as of mid-April.

 

Your Mitigation Strategies for Ransomware : Backup

In today’s technology environment, having good preventative measures in place is only the first step to having a comprehensive disaster plan in place.

Ideally, you want to have a 3-2-1 backup strategy in place. This means having at least 3 total copies of your data, 2 of which are local but on different physical devices (such as external storage drives) and 1 of which is offsite – preferably cloud based, with versioning capabilities.

If you don’t have a backup strategy in place, or want to re-evaluate your current plan, please contact Euclid Networks for a consultation!

If you’re unsure of how to assess your current needs, just consider your ability to recover from the following scenarios:

  1. All your files become corrupted (or encrypted) and replicated to your backup devices before anyone realizes.
  2. You have backup on one machine or server which is protected, but envision other devices that can communicate with your machine, and how they might be affected by the spread of malware.
  3. Envision a scenario where all your physical devices have been stolen, or your home or business is subject to fire or flood.

Resilience against all of the above scenarios is not difficult, but it takes careful planning, and continually reassessing your technology environment!

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Delegate to an Expert – An IT Provider can Help Your Small Business!

March 18, 2016by Euclid Networks in Atlanta, Networking, News / Blog

If you own a legal practice, design firm, or other small business and have a decent grasp of technology, you might be tempted to “go it alone” – and handle the technical side of your business yourself. As a business owner, it’s only natural to try and do so – after all, you’re great at what you do! But, don’t think that your ability to solve problems and get things done is enough to keep your computer systems running in all cases – many technological problems can be complex and require a trained professional to solve.

At some point, a network glitch, virus or software issue will threaten to bring your entire business to a halt, costing you what you thought you’d save – or even more – by going it alone. Even a simple problem can require hours of troubleshooting and shift your focus away from other important business tasks, possibly leading to unplanned downtime and unnecessary expenses.

To keep your applications, network, servers, computers and other technology running, it’s worth considering contracting an IT provider. If you don’t have the money to hire a full time IT manager to work on staff, an outside provider can just as aptly handle the day-to-day management of your small business’ technological needs. Euclid Network’s Managed IT Support Plans do just this! A competent IT provider can offer deployment, maintenance and proactive IT management assistance, and will be there when you need solutions for simple but important questions and problems – all for a reasonable fee.

In many cases, an IT provider can help manage your technology better than you – a busy small business owner with many areas to supervise – can. The provider will minimize irksome tech issues that slow productivity and increase costs, and will look for ways to maximize your technological tools so that you can get the most for your IT spend, increase productivity, and help your business grow.

If you’re ready for a new technology partner for your Atlanta based business, give Euclid Networks a call – helping solve your tech problems is our forte!

Euclid Networks is Hiring : Part-time Desktop/Systems Support Technician

July 22, 2014by Euclid Networks in Atlanta, Networking, News / Blog

Part time Desktop/Systems Support Technician needed for small but growing Managed
Service Provider in Atlanta, GA.

The primary role will be providing technical support and research assistance for our
Senior Systems Administrator. Job expectations will include providing courteous and
professional phone and onsite support for end-users, assistance with diagnostics and
support of Windows Server networks, software/hardware troubleshooting & installation,
trouble ticket management, timely remote support, technical documentation, and
providing research assistance and expertise on technical & company projects.

The ideal candidate will be self-starting and require little supervision, be enthusiastic
about working with and learning new technologies, possess excellent verbal and written
communication skills, and have strong attention to detail.

Hours will vary, with an expected average of 20/hours per week. A flexible schedule is
required. Initial schedule will be morning shift, (M – F, 9:00 am-1:00 pm). Opportunity
for the right candidate to become full time as company continues to grow.

For complete job listing and details, please click here to download job description.

Please provide cover letter and resume by emailing
resumes@euclidnet.com – no calls please.

Windows 8.1 Update 1 released, Official MS Support for XP Ends

April 8, 2014by Euclid Networks in Atlanta, Windows 8, Windows XP

Today marked two important milestones for business Windows users – the release of Windows 8.1 Update 1 (KB2919355), and the official end of Microsoft support for Windows XP as of April 8th. If your company is still actively using Windows XP, contact us to learn more about what this means for your office’s computers.

Windows 8.1 Update 1 includes some relatively major changes – concessions for folks not using the operating system with a touchscreen. Most notably, the “Start Menu” has been more widely embraced – something MSFT has been reluctant to do, and an option business users have been demanding. Now, even when modern ‘metro’ style apps are in use, the taskbar remains visible. For multi-tasking business users, this feature was sorely missing.

taskbar-improvements-windows-8.1-update

As well, there are updates for the metro style interface – bringing some of the ‘hidden’ right sidebar features (such as search) out into the open. This has been, in our experience, one of the biggest confusing factors for new Windows 8.1 users.

start-screen-revised-small

For our Atlanta business IT support partners running Windows 8.1, rest assured we’ll be rolling this patch out ASAP! For those holding off on upgrading to Microsoft’s latest operating system, this is a small step in the right direction.

Finally, we’ve made some updates of our own to euclidnet.com – We’ve added a dynamic feed of our latest Facebook posts, and our latest Twitter posts, under our ‘about us‘ section. If you haven’t already, remember to Like us on facebook and Follow us on twitter to stay current on one of Atlanta’s best IT support providers, and our tech-tips blog.

How to : Quickly open a command prompt at a location using the Windows Explorer address bar

March 7, 2014by Euclid Networks in How-To, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows XP

Ever needed to quickly open a command prompt at a particular location on your hard drive? In the regular course of providing tech support for our Atlanta business partners, we use this quick trick on an almost daily basis.

Simply type ‘cmd’ into your address bar, and voilà – a command prompt at your computer’s current location – in this case c:\Windows.

2014-03-07 tech support command prompt

 

Ridiculously simple, but something many folks don’t know! You can also open any number of other programs in the same manner – the address bar functions in basically the same way as the search dialog in the Windows 7 start menu.

If we’ve helped you out, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

How to : Fix duplicate pinned taskbar icons in Windows 7

February 3, 2014by Euclid Networks in How-To, Windows 7

A common and annoying problem with Windows 7’s “Pin to Taskbar” feature, is when an application accidentally gets pinned multiple times. You might have run into this issue, resulting in a taskbar that looks something like this :

duplicate taskbar icons

In this screenshot, there are two yellow VMWare icons. The program was launched using the icon on the left, but when it opens, it creates a second duplicate icon on the taskbar. Annoying!

How to remove duplicated pinned taskbar icons :

Taskbar icons get duplicated when a shortcut is pinned to the taskbar, rather than the program itself. The solution is to find and remove the extra shortcut. The most straightforward way to do this is simply to right click and “Unpin” all the icons for the program in question, launch the program via the Start Menu, and then right click the running program on the taskbar to re-pin it.

Sometimes we’ve run into situations where this doesn’t resolve the problem. There’s usually a hidden shortcut that is being referenced by the running program. In this case, the solution is to “Show Hidden Files” in Windows Explorer, and navigate to the system path for taskbar shortcuts. This path is : C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar – there you can attempt deleting the shortcut manually, and re-adding it once again.

Helped you out? Have questions? Let us know in the comments below!

Advisory : Microsoft ending support for XP computers and Office 2003 on April 8th, 2014

January 21, 2014by Euclid Networks in Atlanta, Excel 2003, News / Blog, Windows XP, Word 2003

If you haven’t yet heard, Microsoft is formally ending support for computers running Windows XP, and Office 2003  on April 8th, 2014. Although this date has been announced for some time, we know a considerable number of people who still rely on systems using XP. Read more to find out about what this means to your organization.

2014-01-21 16_51_45-Support ends in 2014 for Windows XP and Office 2003!

Windows XP End-of-Life : What changes?

Although formal support will end for XP and Office 2003, systems will continue running indefinitely. The main changes to expect with XP’s end-of-life event are :

  1. No further operating system patches – Patches keep Windows up to date and at least reasonably protected from malicious attacks. With no further updates being released by Microsoft, XP and Office will become increasingly insecure and vulnerable to 3rd party malware and viruses.
  2. Microsoft Security Essentials will be discontinued for XP – Microsoft’s widely used anti-virus program, and its underlying “Windows Defender” software will no longer be updated. Paired with a lack of new operating system patches, this will only make XP even less attractive to the businesses which rely on it. Luckly (and somewhat bewilderingly), Microsoft just announced (Jan 15, 2014) they would continue releasing updates for MSE until July 14th, 2015.

Analysis and Next Steps

So, what is a responsible business owner to do? The answer, we think, is not simple. A great number of the world’s computers (an estimated 28%) still rely on XP. Integrated systems also tend to rely on XP, as it is a proven and stable development platform. Practically all U.S. ATMs, for instance, are reported to use the operating system. So, the chance Microsoft will extend support for XP is likely – a notion their Jan 15th announcement supports. And others in the community have expressed their disbelief about the true impact of XP’s ‘death’ as well.

But, all the same – while we won’t preach doom and gloom – it does make sense to begin migrating critical business systems from XP to a newer operating system – and of course, we’re here to help.

How To : Remove passwords / editing restrictions on MS Word and Excel Files

January 14, 2014by Euclid Networks in Atlanta, Excel 2007/2010/2013, How-To, Microsoft Office, Word 2007/2010/2013

Have you ever come across a word or excel document that was ‘password protected’ – where certain parts of the document you were unable to edit?

Frequently these are used in business settings, and with good reason – to protect formulas, proprietary information, sections of contracts, et cetera.

But, sometimes you need to edit a restricted document, and your colleague is not at their computer or out to lunch, on vacation, or otherwise missing in action. Not to worry, we’ll show you how to remove the password from a restricted Word or Excel document. All you’ll need is MS Office 2007/2010/2013, the free software 7-Zip (which we recommend everyone use for archive management!), and a bit of technical support know-how from your local IT pro.

tech-tip-remove-word-password-protection-1
1. Ensure your file is in the latest .docX or .xlsX format. If your file is in an earlier office format, do a ‘Save As’, select ‘docx’ as the format type, and make sure you leave the ‘maintain compatibilty’ box empty. We want the latest file format.

tech-tip-remove-word-password-protection-2

2. Open windows explorer and find your file. Make a copy of the file, and change the file extension from .docx to .zip.

tech-tip-remove-word-password-protection-3

3. Right click the .zip file, and using the 7zip context menu, ‘Open Archive’ using the 7zip archive manager. This will allow you to edit the .docx archive without extracting the XML files inside.

tech-tip-remove-word-password-protection-4
4. Navigate to /word, and find the settings.xml file. Right click the file, and select ‘edit’. – This is important, do not choose ‘open’ or any other option – only ‘edit’ will work.

atlanta-it-support-remove-word-password-protection-5
5. Find the XML element beginning with w:documentprotection, highlighted in the screenshot above. Remove the entire element, including < and > brackets.

6. Save, close, and update the archive when prompted.

7. Rename your file, changing the .zip extension back to .docx

8. Enjoy!

Hopefully this has assisted someone out there in Atlanta, and let us know if this solved your IT support needs in the comments!

Thanks to this post on Spiceworks, and this helpful blog : http://itintheory.blogspot.com/2012/06/remove-editing-restrictions-in-word.html for the inspiration.

 

Using Euclid Network’s Logmein PRO Remote Access Portal

January 13, 2014by Euclid Networks in Atlanta, How-To

For current partners on IT support plans, we offer a complimentary remote access portal, utilizing a full featured license to LogMeIn PRO. This license is valid for all the machines you currently have on a plan with us, and the remote access portable is configurable in a variety of ways.

VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS HERE : http://youtu.be/XYgXLRi5Ts8

To gain access to your personalized portal, please contact us directly. Once you have received your credentials, please log in and use the portal using the following procedure :

1. Visit the portal at https://user.itsupport247.net/

Euclid-IT-Support-Logmein-Remote-Access-Atlanta-1

2. Enter your portal username and password, as provided by our staff. Select the check box ‘Remote in to Favorite Desktop’ for faster access in the future. You will then be prompted to set up Two-Factor Authentication for your account, along with link and guidelines on doing this using a Google, Microsoft, or Authy smartphone app. If you are in a hurry, you currently may select ‘skip’ to bypass this step temporarily.

3. Once 2FA is set up, on the portal homescreen, you will see a list of computers you have access to. To the left of the computer name, there are three icons highlighted in the screenshot below. In order, they are : “Remote Control”, “System Info”, and “Favorite”

4. Click the star to favorite your most used computer. Then, click the left icon to establish a Remote Control session. The next screen should appear, asking you to install the remote access software. This is a one-time installation, and will not need to be done every time you connect.

Euclid IT Support Logmein Remote Access Atlanta 3

5. This screen may appear differently depending on which web browser you use. Follow the prompts to install the LogMeIn plugin. Once installed, you should connect to the computer.

6. Once connected, you will be prompted to enter the login information for your computer. This is the username and password you normally use while physically at the computer, not the remote access website password you entered earlier.

7. Success! You are now connected to your system. Select ‘Remote Access’ from the menu.

8. You may be prompted to update your windows firewall settings the first time you connect. This is a one time adjustment. Select all the checkboxes highlighted above, and “Allow Access”

9. You can now control your system remotely as if you were sitting in front of it. There are a few notable icons on the top bar, as highlighted in the screenshot above:

  • On the left side, the icon with two overlapping rectangles lets you switch screens on your remote computer, if your office computer has a multi-monitor setup.
  • The middle icon we’ve highlighted looks like a pyramid. This button will send CTL-ALT-DEL to the remote computer.
  • On the right, we’ve highlighted the ‘fullscreen’ and ‘x’ buttons. This will make the remote control session go fullscreen, allowing you to be more productive.

That’s it! If you have questions or need IT assistance with your computer’s remote access software in Atlanta, please contact us directly at 404-593-0083404-593-0083+14045930083+14045930083” data-isfreecall=”false” data-isrtl=”false” data-ismobile=”false”>404-593-0083404-593-0083, or by e-mail at info@euclidnet.com.

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