Do you use sticky notes, scraps of paper,  a word processor or spreadsheet to document your passwords?  Or, do you just use the SAME password every time/ every place just so you can remember it or worse yet, use a common word or phrase that can easily be guessed or “cracked” in seconds?  Our digital world is routinely just a password away from being accessible to those who have the “key”.  Even with strong encryption, a password that can easily be discovered will render your secure storage space an open book.  So, what password strategy might we put in place that could work for us – both to make it easy enough, yet strong enough to actually serve a protective purpose?  Some ground rules are in order here.

First, research has proven that the length of a password (i.e. the more characters used no matter what the composition of those characters is to create the password) is superior to a shorter password with random and varied characters.  This leads us to the conclusion that a longer phrase is better than a single word.  The length makes it more difficult for automated password crackers to “hack”.  Statistically, the number of possibilities for each character times the number of characters in the password makes the odds of discovery much lower as the length of the password grows.  So, Rule #1:  Increase the length of your password to make it stronger.

Second, avoid commonly used passwords – those that we might use that are easily remembered such as “123456,” “password” and “12345678.” Adding a “1” to a common password is also a frequent practice when an alpha-numeric password is required.

So, Rule #2: Avoid common passwords, proper nouns, and any word found in a standard dictionary.

Third, once we create a “strong” password, we commit it to memory, then, we make the mistake of using it EVERYWHERE and we NEVER change it.  The challenge with this is that if it gets hacked, it becomes the first password that is attempted at every popular website where you may have an account.  Remember, a hacker just loves to gain access to your e-mail account.  Why?  Because most password reset processes routinely use your e-Mail account to send you a link to do so.  If the hacker has access to your e-mail account, it is very likely your e-mail address will not only be used for SPAM, but to gain access through password reset requests to your other more sensitive accounts where financial data may be stored. So, Rule #3: Use a different unique password for each of your digital accounts, never duplicate it, AND change your passwords on a regular basis so that you don’t give a hacker UNLIMITED chances to break yours.

Fine!  Now you’ve read all this and now say: “How in the world am I going to keep track of all these passwords?  The whole reason I’ve been doing it the way I am is that I just have no way of securely remembering multiple, strong passwords and I don’t even know how to quickly create a STRONG password”   “H E L P!”

Password creation and management has become much easier with the use of software that not only handles the secure encrypted storage, but also allows you to access and use your stored passwords to automatically login to websites and programs on each of your protected devices. These programs allow you to create and remember just one strong master password that then gives you access to the encrypted vault of all your stored passwords.  The software works on multiple platforms including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android and even encrypts and syncs your passwords to a cloud storage site so that all of your devices have immediate access to your most currently added password.  One popular program that does all of this is called “Roboform”.

Other options include

To learn more about Roboform,  why I recommend it, and to get a Free Trial, visit my Backup page and look for the Roboform Banner there:  https://www.askavie.com/boutique/backup/

This is 7th in a series of aSKaVIE articles devoted to your productivity, digital privacy and protection. In future articles, you can look forward to tips and tricks that you can use to make sense out of your digital investments as well as reviews of new and exciting things that will likely provide value to your home and business. I invite you to write me with your questions and feedback. We’ll also be helping and inspiring others by answering your questions and that’s what makes my job so much fun! So stay tuned. Please send your questions to TheRosyReport@askavie.com.

About Avie Uniglicht: For over 30-years, Avie Uniglicht – “Your Tech Concierge™” has provided technology support and solutions to entrepreneurs who don’t have time to worry about the details. Specializing in “White-Glove Remote Room-Service,” Avie’s concept of giving you, his client, virtual “house calls” is cited regularly as invaluable and many of Avie’s clients say they couldn’t live without him on speed dial. Avie graduated Summa Cum Laude from Temple University with a BS in Business Administration. A former auditor for Price Waterhouse and past President of Ace Computer Center Inc., he is also the author of the e-Book, “Your Personal Computer Driver’s License.” Avie’s extensive business background and strong experience in accounting enhances his natural talent for helping his clients see the bigger picture regarding their business. “Your Tech Concierge” helps clients evaluate strategy so that together, they create an action plan with the end in mind. For more information or to “Ask Avie,” please call him at (888)-374-3712, and visit www.askavie.com.

You are busy.  One of the daily challenges you face is taming your e-mail. Without a system, the task of managing your electronic mail can become a growing burden, slowing down your ability to communicate effectively.  Today, I’ll introduce you to “The STARS™” system– an easy 5-step approach to effectively managing your mail.  STARS™ as you might guess is an acronym and represents the words:   Scan, Trash, Act, Read, and Store.  Let’s break each one down to get a feel for how the STARS™ system might work for you:

Scan It

Many e-Mail servers provide a “pre-delivery” SPAM filter – a way to reduce the amount of unsolicited mail from entering your “inbox”.  This filter can often be adjusted if it is “too aggressive” (i.e. identifying too many valid e-mails as SPAM) or “not aggressive enough” (i.e. allowing too many SPAM e-mails through).  If you are troubled by large amounts of SPAM, and your e-Mail provider doesn’t offer an effective means for controlling it, I recommend a program called Mailwasher Pro™  for Windows users (available via the banner link on  my Anti-Virus page at https://www.askavie.com/boutique/anti-virus/ ).  MailWasher Pro™ lets you preview all your email before it gets to your computer or mobile device, enabling you to read all your email securely, and instantly delete any unwanted or suspicious email. Your remaining good email is downloaded to your PC or mobile device, saving you from receiving any spam or email viruses.

Even without the benefit of a SPAM filter, the “Scan It” process gives you the “bird’s eye” view of your mail so that you can move to the next step:

Trash It

The best way to reduce the e-Mail overload is to use the “Delete” button and TRASH all mail that has no use to you.  Of course, SPAM is the #1 offender and that should be deleted immediately.  The next would be those items that you may have “subscribed to” but no longer serve a purpose.  For the legitimate lists that you have requested via an  opt-in, you can routinely safely “Unsubscribe” and remove yourself from the regular burden of having to trash those you no longer find useful.  I don’t recommend “Unsubscribing” from lists that you don’t recognize, as this simply confirms to the sender that you exist, and the unscrupulous ones will continue to burden your inbox with them and possibly even increase the volume by alerting others of your e-mail address.

Always remember to “empty your trash” folder.  It tends to accumulate if you don’t make the effort to delete its contents.  After you have eliminated the unwanted mail, the next step is to:

Act On It

Here is where you either immediately Reply to It, Forward it to someone who may be better suited to “Act On It”, or Hold it until you have more information to deal with it. The secret in this step is to “Do Something with it”, don’t let it just sit there. Your inbox really should be treated like a “landing strip” in an Airport.  Like an airplane, your mail “lands” in your inbox and needs to have a “destination”.  It can’t just stay on the runway or it will hold up traffic and jam up the works.  So the secret to the STARS™ system is to ACT on the mail as soon as possible – and regular time and attention is needed to deal with your mail.

Read It

Sometimes, your e-mail is a newsletter, document, or other information that is interesting and requires more concentrated time and attention in the form of “reading time”.  Schedule chunks of dedicated “reading time”.  For those “spare minutes” when you are not in front of your computer, you may even wish to use a Tablet and make time to read those pieces that provide valuable information.

Store It

Setting up “rules” or “filters” in your e-Mail client helps to automatically “route” your mail to folders – helping you organize and store those items you know you need for future reference, yet don’t need to deal with during the previous 4 Steps.  Setting up mail folders and organizing them in a way that you can easily locate those “confirmations”, “receipts”, “instructions”, etc. will go a long way to helping you cope with the load.

This is fourth in a series of weekly aSKaVIE articles devoted to your productivity, digital privacy and protection. In future articles, you can look forward to tips and tricks that you can use to make sense out of your digital investments as well as reviews of new and exciting things that will likely provide value to your home and business. I invite you to write me with your questions and feedback. We’ll also be helping and inspiring others by answering your questions and that’s what makes my job so much fun! So stay tuned. Please send your questions to TheRosyReport@askavie.com.

About Avie Uniglicht: For over 30-years, Avie Uniglicht – “Your Tech Concierge™” has provided technology support and solutions to entrepreneurs who don’t have time to worry about the details. Specializing in “White-Glove Remote Room-Service,” Avie’s concept of giving you, his client, virtual “house calls” is cited regularly as invaluable and many of Avie’s clients say they couldn’t live without him on speed dial. Avie graduated Summa Cum Laude from Temple University with a BS in Business Administration. A former auditor for Price Waterhouse and past President of Ace Computer Center Inc., he is also the author of the e-Book, “Your Personal Computer Driver’s License.” Avie’s extensive business background and strong experience in accounting enhances his natural talent for helping his clients see the bigger picture regarding their business. “Your Tech Concierge” helps clients evaluate strategy so that together, they create an action plan with the end in mind. For more information or to “Ask Avie,” please call him at (888)-374-3712, and visit www.askavie.com.

By Avie Uniglicht

You’re a daily producer in your digital world. You use your computer, your smartphone, your Tablet to connect with the Universe and to create and store your personal information. Some, if not all of your “stuff,” is very important to you, even irreplaceable. So, are you caring for it in such a way that you’ll never be disappointed?

You see, the most important key ingredient to your tech arsenal – the first thing we MUST address is protecting your data from disasters – yes, that means BACKING IT UP. See, you can always replace a broken device or even repair it if it’s reasonable to do so. However, the personal creations that YOU have made or accumulated AND the financial and business records that you keep can’t be bought and are often priceless in terms of business continuity, time investment and even sentimental value.

Unlike other “gadgets” in our lives that we have become familiar- computers store our “treasures” on mechanical and magnetic mediums that are vulnerable to failure, corruption, erasure, human error, theft, malicious software, disasters of all sorts. I can’t over emphasize the importance of multiple duplication of your important information. Backing-Up means storing copies of your data in such a way that no matter what, you won’t be left thinking – why didn’t I protect this stuff sooner?

“Many horror stories could have been prevented if only a simple, easy to implement backup strategy had been in place.”

There are many ways to store copies of your data files and no one way is best. Your Tech Concierge™ recommends MULTIPLE methods of backup, and certain methods should be considered depending upon the frequency of change in your data. Pictures, music and documents that are not modified on a regular basis can be stored on secure Cloud backup where the information is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access. There, it is professionally managed on redundant servers where if one system fails, others are there to take over the duties – all without your worry or concern.

What is the Cloud?

The “Cloud” is an often misunderstood place. “Cloud” is a term used to describe an Internet accessible “place” – not a specific computer or physical location per se, but a “service” that we pay for (and sometimes it’s even free) that provides storage and other data services to accommodate our needs. You may have heard of Cloud backup providers such as Carbonite, SOS, Mozy and Crashplan. These providers offer software that automatically monitors and sends your files via the Internet to their storage facilities. Each provider offers different techniques, storage limits, pricing models, etc. Depending upon your needs, one may offer a better fit for you. Storage providers such as Bitcasa, Dropbox, Skydrive, Google Drive and others permit storage of data and if you desire- authorized sharing of that data with co-workers, etc. They tend to provide hard-drive like functionality, albeit in the Cloud, so your risk of mechanical failure is virtually eliminated.

The major benefit of “Cloud” storage and backup is that if anything were to happen to your local devices, you can always gain access to another device and access your information with your security credentials.

“For business owners who need to have disaster recovery plans in place, an off-site backup solution is a must.

A fire, theft, flood, etc. can destroy an office including all local backup equipment. Without an off-site backup, no matter how diligent the local backup strategy might be, it would become inaccessible.

The major concern for many is that “Cloud” backup tends to be slower and for large amounts of data that frequently changes, this can hinder productivity.

A combination of local backup to other computers, hard drives, Network Attached Storage devices, etc. along with off-site Cloud solutions will likely serve to protect your needs. For specific assistance with your personal or business backup needs, review and implementation, Your Tech Concierge™ is available to help support you and your business.

This is the first in a series of weekly aSKaVIE articles devoted to your productivity, digital privacy and protection. In future articles, you can look forward to tips and tricks that you can use to make sense out of your digital investments as well as reviews of new and exciting things that will likely provide value to your home and business. I invite you to write me with your questions and feedback. We’ll also be helping and inspiring others by answering your questions and that’s what makes my job so much fun! So stay tuned. Please send your questions to TheRosyReport@askavie.com.

About Avie Uniglicht: For over 30-years, Avie Uniglicht – “Your Tech Concierge™” has provided technology support and solutions to entrepreneurs who don’t have time to worry about the details. Specializing in “White-Glove Remote Room-Service,” Avie’s concept of giving you, his client, virtual “house calls” is cited regularly as invaluable and many of Avie’s clients say they couldn’t live without him on speed dial. Avie graduated Summa Cum Laude from Temple University with a BS in Business Administration. A former auditor for Price Waterhouse and past President of Ace Computer Center Inc., he is also the author of the e-Book, “Your Personal Computer Driver’s License.” Avie’s extensive business background and strong experience in accounting enhances his natural talent for helping his clients see the bigger picture regarding their business. “Your Tech Concierge” helps clients evaluate strategy so that together, they create an action plan with the end in mind. For more information or to “Ask Avie,” please call him at (888)-374-3712, and visit www.askavie.com.

By Avie Uniglicht

You’re a busy person, wearing several hats and running your own business.  You don’t always make time to think about actions that may have a serious impact on potential outcomes. Today, I introduce “The 2 minute pause™” – a practice that if put to good daily use can work wonders not only for you, but your employees who play an important role while working on your computers.

It is with all too much frequency that I help new clients who have experienced computer infections as a result of encounters with Malicious Software (i.e. Malware).  The type of software created and circulated by criminal types that attempts to either modify your Internet browsing by misdirecting your searches or worse yet –  robotically control your computer and/or steal information.  Much of these disruptive situations can be avoided, if the thoughtful “2-Minute Pause™” is put into practice.   I also combine “2-Minute Pause™” with the “the Push-Away Technique™.”  I am referring to practices that help us focus on our “mouse click” activities that invite much of this Malware into our digital environment.

Today, human-engineering techniques are used to trick us into doing things we normally wouldn’t do. 

In the heat of our work-flow, we often don’t “think” before we act.  We impulsively click on links or file attachments in e-mail or on the web that look “somewhat real” and gain our attention making us wonder “what’s behind the curtain.”  The Malware distributors are always staying a step ahead of us in terms of ways to garner our attention and to make us want to grab their bait.  If we only took the time to “pause” and think about what we are actually doing, or even if we stopped and asked someone if it actually made sense to do some of the things we do, we would be much better off. Taking 2-minutes to stop and push away from the keyboard and mouse provides us with time to evaluate and gain our perspective, preventing the interaction that causes the damage from many of these “pests”. By removing our “human element” from the process, we can reduce much of the spread of Malware.

I recommend a multi-layer approach to protecting our computers and the software and data on them. (Be certain to see my article on “Backup” https://www.askavie.com/2014/01/15/never-make-this-common-mistake ) Remember, there is no one Internet Security product available that blocks 100% of all potential Virus and Malware threats.  The first layer of protection is keeping all installed software up-to-date, from Operating Systems to device drivers, plug-ins, utilities and programs.  When an Operating System or Program becomes unsupported (think Windows XP SP3  on April 8, 2014), it is time to upgrade!

The first layer of protection is keeping all installed software up-to-date.

The next is protecting the “perimeter” using a secure router that prevents direct access to the connected devices.  In addition, a 2-way software firewall installed on each computer designed to monitor the “traffic” going in and out over the Network is another important layer of defense.  Combined with a tested and proven Anti-Virus / Anti-Malware product that is constantly updated to identify zero-day attacks is a must.  Old techniques of protection included Anti-Virus programs that locally downloaded and stored “signatures” that were designed to be used to identify unwanted software and to block or remove it from a computer.  With the proliferation of tens of thousands of variants released daily, keeping up with signatures and distributing them to all protected computers has not only become ineffective but quite burdensome on the individual computer’s storage capacity and overall performance.  I have opted for “Cloud-Based Internet Security protection.” This type (think Webroot™) places a small foot-print client on the protected PC.  This client interacts with super-computers which host the “intelligence” that is efficiently and constantly updated. The super computers “talk” to the protected “PC’s” to monitor and keep them protected with a much stronger algorithm and defensive base of protection.   Additionally, we use 2^nd opinion scanning and digital cleaning products that provide additional “eye-balls” on our systems to test and compare results.

Even these steps are still not enough to provide 100% protection.

Again, no one product, no matter how good, can detect and remove all variants of infection.  I utilize a “10-Ingredient Malware Protection Cocktail” when setting up a new PC or when hired to cleanup and protect an existing system.  You can learn more about this approach and more at my website referenced in the credits below.

This is second in a series of weekly aSKaVIE articles devoted to your productivity, digital privacy and protection. In future articles, you can look forward to tips and tricks that you can use to make sense out of your digital investments as well as reviews of new and exciting things that will likely provide value to your home and business. I invite you to write me with your questions and feedback. We’ll also be helping and inspiring others by answering your questions and that’s what makes my job so much fun! So stay tuned. Please send your questions to Contact Us.

About Avie Uniglicht: For over 30-years, Avie Uniglicht – “Your Tech Concierge™” has provided technology support and solutions to entrepreneurs who don’t have time to worry about the details. Specializing in “White-Glove Remote Room-Service,” Avie’s concept of giving you, his client, virtual “house calls” is cited regularly as invaluable and many of Avie’s clients say they couldn’t live without him on speed dial. Avie graduated Summa Cum Laude from Temple University with a BS in Business Administration. A former auditor for Price Waterhouse and past President of Ace Computer Center Inc., he is also the author of the e-Book, “Your Personal Computer Driver’s License.” Avie’s extensive business background and strong experience in accounting enhances his natural talent for helping his clients see the bigger picture regarding their business. “Your Tech Concierge” helps clients evaluate strategy so that together, they create an action plan with the end in mind. For more information or to “Ask Avie,” please call him at (888)-374-3712, and visit www.askavie.com.

You’ve invested in a Computer (or several) to help manage your business.  Notice that it just may not be as fast as it used to be?  Would you like to keep that new PC running like new and setup a way to keep those files neatly organized? Today, I’ll introduce you to “The PC-Freshen Up™” – a practice and system that if followed, will keep your machine running like new and keep your data easily accessible. In my consulting practice, I have a setup protocol on new Windows PC’s that I follow that helps my clients maintain like-new performance for the life span of the machine – which in business, is typically about 3-years.

Why 3-years you may ask. It is not that the machine is necessarily ready for retirement, however, manufacturer warranties tend to have expired and the state of technology for business users mandates that for optimal productivity – faster, more dependable, more secure options exist after that amount of time.  In my previous article (https://therosyreport.com/small-business-owner-take-the-2-minute-pause/), I stress the importance of a multi-layer approach to keeping a machine secure.  That always includes updates to existing software.

As we use our computers, we tend to accumulate unwanted temporary files, registry entries, cookies, and other “debris” that can interfere with the overall performance of our systems. Most of these are “hidden” events that we can’t recognize unless we use utility software to remove.  I install a program from Piriform called CCleaner™ and recommend my clients run it daily at the end of their computing sessions. (You’ll find a link to CCleaner™ at my website referenced below. It’s “Step #2 in my “10 Ingredient Cocktail”).  CCleaner™ helps to “mop the floor” so to speak of those unwanted items and keeps things running smoothly.

Another helpful tool that helps monitor your computer for outdated 3^rd party programs and helps to automate the update process is Secunia PSI.  This “Free for Personal Use” program runs in the background and carefully keeps track of any updates available for your installed programs. (see https://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal/ ).

Keeping your PC Backed Up, Updated, Secure, and Clean is “The PC-Freshen Up™” process.

Many consider hard drive defragmentation to be important; however with the advent of hybrid and solid-state drives, it is less critical and often counterproductive.  For those who have older hard drive systems, a program like Piriform’s  Defraggler (https://www.piriform.com/defraggler ) handles the task more effectively than the built-in Windows Defrag utility. Having a smooth running machine is only a part of the efficient computing model.  The information we manage on our clean running PC is likely the most important reason we use it.  Getting to that information easily and remembering where we stored it is often a difficult process.  Many of us are busy, and we tend to save things directly on either the “Desktop” or in unorganized fashion in the “My Documents” or “Documents” locations.  For small amounts of data, this technique is functional.  As our data storage needs grow, we can easily become overwhelmed with the number of files.  I liken it to a metal filing cabinet.  We find that as we create new manila files and place them in a drawer, they need to be “labeled” and organized in hanging file folders to be retrieved later without undue stress.  We wouldn’t stuff all the files in one drawer, nor would we put them all in the same hanging file folder.  We would make room and use a system to make it easy for us to work.

So, using the same idea, we create a similar system on the computer. I’ve created a “Digital Filing Cabinet” for my clients.  This is an easy way to alphabetically arrange files and subfolders so that when we think about a subject, client, or topic, we can go directly to the alphabetical letter that represents that item and drill down right to the file.  This technique not only works for documents, it also is helpful for organizing e-mail as well.  Within each letter, we create subfolders by client name, subject, or topic and save our files in each as appropriate.  If you’d like my FREE “Filing Cabinet” template that works either on a PC or Mac, reach out to me at the e-mail address in the credits below, and I’ll gladly send it to you.

This is third in a series of weekly aSKaVIE articles devoted to your productivity, digital privacy and protection. In future articles, you can look forward to tips and tricks that you can use to make sense out of your digital investments as well as reviews of new and exciting things that will likely provide value to your home and business. I invite you to write me with your questions and feedback. We’ll also be helping and inspiring others by answering your questions and that’s what makes my job so much fun! So stay tuned. Please send your questions to TheRosyReport@askavie.com.

About Avie Uniglicht: For over 30-years, Avie Uniglicht – “Your Tech Concierge™” has provided technology support and solutions to entrepreneurs who don’t have time to worry about the details. Specializing in “White-Glove Remote Room-Service,” Avie’s concept of giving you, his client, virtual “house calls” is cited regularly as invaluable and many of Avie’s clients say they couldn’t live without him on speed dial. Avie graduated Summa Cum Laude from Temple University with a BS in Business Administration. A former auditor for Price Waterhouse and past President of Ace Computer Center Inc., he is also the author of the e-Book, “Your Personal Computer Driver’s License.” Avie’s extensive business background and strong experience in accounting enhances his natural talent for helping his clients see the bigger picture regarding their business. “Your Tech Concierge” helps clients evaluate strategy so that together, they create an action plan with the end in mind. For more information or to “Ask Avie,” please call him at (888)-374-3712, and visit www.askavie.com.