SandraNet, Author at Sandra Network

Avoiding a Virus in the New Year

SandraNet on January 10, 2017

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There are times when even the smartest and most careful people fall into a trap and are duped into pushing that “save” or “open” button, creating a Virus on their machine. The message looks plausible, but before you push the button check a few things out…

What is the URL? Does it show the page displayed is being sent from Firefox/Mozilla?
An executable file has the extension .exe. In this example, notice this is .js. This is a (java)script the site is attempting to run on your computer and it may collect personal information, or be a virus ready to spread into your system.

If any of this seems suspicious or you think it’s a scam, the best thing to do for assurance is to actually navigate to the Firefox download site. https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/?v=1
If this installer is downloaded it will be called: Firefox Setup Stub (version #).
If you have this version installed, you will be alerted to that.

What is your best course of action if this page comes up?
Close the browser, reopen it and delete all temporary internet files. This will prevent your downloading a virus.

With that, we at Sandra Network hope everyone finds a healthy and successful New Year in 2017!

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Special November Deal – Fine Tune Your Computer!

SandraNet on November 9, 2016

Thank You for Being a Loyal Customer

For that we would like to make you and any of your friends an offer for some fine-tuning for the computer.

If at this very moment, you or someone you know have clicked on a file to open it, and you have time to run a load of laundry AND catch up on your favorite television show … you are who we are looking for!

With daily use the computer stores many processes, temporary files and other non malicious files. The longer the computer is running the more piles up. At some point, you will select an application to open and it will either fail to open or it will take an inordinate amount of time to do so.

The solution to this is to contact someone to help you fine tune your computer, if you do not already know how to do this.

That being said, for the month of November, we at Sandra Network will give you a free hour of maintenance for your referral of a new customer who signs up.

If you are a new customer, there is probably more of a need for the cleanup, so we are offering two (2) hours for the price of one, then potentially set up on a schedule for monthly/quarterly or yearly maintenance to keep running smoothly.

If this is of interest to you, or you know someone who might benefit from this, PLEASE contact us at Sandra Network and we will get you productive again!

[email protected]
978-535-0202

It’s A Trap, A Scam!

SandraNet on October 19, 2016

Recently, a great many people have asked what to do if they receive calls where someone asks to connect to their computer to resolve some issue. the quick answer is: It is a Scam!

Did you already sign a contract with this company?
How do they know you signed onto your computer?
Have you recently seen any suspicious activity on your computer?

If these questions create a long list of additional questions, please DO NOT allow them access to your computer, it is a scam. Please contact us first!

This is how it tends to happen:

You are sitting around, your computer is on, but not being used and the phone rings.

“Hello this is Peggy from Microsoft, I noticed that your computer has been sending error messages. There are problems with the internet connection or phone line and this has affected your computer’s recent performance. On top of that, the broadband connection has been hacked. May I have remote access to the computer to find out what the problem is?”

Your first thoughts should be… I don’t know anyone named Peggy. WHY are they monitoring my system, I didn’t hire them and if I didn’t, who did?

These are all valid and you are correct in being suspicious of this call. This is not a technical support service, already hired (such as Sandra Network) then the scamming call should be ended immediately.

What is the best way to protect yourself?

Never give an unsolicited caller remote access to your computer. This is ALWAYS a scam!
Never give your personal, credit card or online account details over the phone unless you made the call and the phone number came from a trusted source; otherwise, this is a scam!
Receiving a phone call out of the blue about your computer and remote access is requested – hang up – even if they mention a well-known company such as Microsoft.

If you have questions or think you may have been hacked, or have given out pertinent and private information:

Please call your financial institutions and have your accounts monitored or closed.
Change your passwords for your email, login.
Call us at Sandra Network and with your permission, clean out the machine of any suspicious activity.

FALL into Savings, with a New Printer!

SandraNet on September 8, 2016

Although Fall is not quite here… Why not get ahead of the game with a new printer.

Do you have a student who is always trying to print their homework and it is just never coming out right
Do you have a document you need to scan (tree saving) and fax the scan to a friend, while also keeping a copy for yourself?
Or, so you have a slow printing device that smokes a little more each time you hear it start?

We, at Sandra Network have a solution for you … A Dell Smart Multifunction Printer – S2815dn we would like to sell to you.

Specifications

Mono Printing
Print, Fax, Scan and copy
Scan to PDF, TIFF and JPG up to 9600×9600 dpi
Up to 200 speed dial entries for Fax
Compatible with Windows, Windows Server and Apple
Three (3) Month warrantee with Sandra Network

Originally Priced at $359.99

WE have it priced at $259.99

All YOU need to do is call us at Sandra Network 978.535.0202

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What do you think about working remotely? LogMeIn lets you!

SandraNet on August 15, 2016

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Close your eyes… Come on… Close ‘em. No wait.. you need to read this!

Imagine this scene: You are sitting in a cubicle, in an 8-way adjustable chair and pulled up to a dark wood desk with all of the papers imaginable, Hard drive, keyboard, mouse, monitor(s). Yes, you have your coffee on the desk, your lunch and pictures of your friends and/or family in the area maybe even your red stapler (purple, in my case). All piled into your cubicle. You can escape the scene with Logmein Tool and work remotely.

Let that soak in for a second.

Now, imagine THIS scene:
You outside at the campground sitting in a lounge chair, the sun is warm the breeze is cool and the smell of the water is wafting by. You have your laptop in your lap, and a Bloody Mary in the cup holder of your chair. Or, wouldn’t it be nice to bring that laptop to the beach? Up to your cabin in the woods? Anywhere but the office?

BOTH of these people are working. One person is using remote access and the other is not. Not only can we, at Sandra Network set you up for remote support but we can also set you up to be able to remotely log into your machine in your office and have all your programs, you can print, access your files and have the ability to perform and do everything as if you are in your office at your boring cubicle. In 3 short months you will be stuck back inside again. ~~THREE SHORT MONTHS it will be time to shovel again!~~

Logmein direct from the Logmein website is $99/year per person. We can offer it to our customers for $50/year per person.

This month only – Logmein Tool Remote Access is $40 per year.

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Last Chance for Windows 10 upgrade for 10% off labor costs

SandraNet on July 15, 2016

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Thanks for being a loyal customer.

We hope you enjoy this discount on our Windows 10 upgrade support and solutions like our previous special deal. We still have a special for support in the upgrade for 10% off labor costs, ending July 29th, 2016.

The new information that can come out from Microsoft is, it will be a subscription. There has been MUCH speculation on what is to TRULY happen in the next few last weeks for the upgrade once it is no longer free. One of the options now is a $7/mo/seat subscription.

windows-10

More Update on Windows 10

From PC Magazine, in an interview with Microsoft:

“Windows 10 Enterprise E3 for CSP is for business customers of any size (including one person) to get enterprise features and functionality on a per monthly/per seat cost,” a Microsoft spokeswoman said via email. “This new subscription model is not associated with our current upgrade offering or applicable to the Windows 10 consumer edition.”

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Now, About These Passwords…

SandraNet on June 27, 2016

In past months we have discussed not opening email that has come from an unknown source, being sure you save often and have your system backed up, and even about malware and what to do if you download it. One thing that is one of the more important things to stay on top of is your password! Read the blog to avoid using some of the common passwords as mentioned in the blog.

First things first, do NOT write it on a piece of paper and stick it under the keyboard or monitor base, or even put it in a notebook that is “easy to get to”.
It needs to be something secure and it needs to be a SECRET! It ALSO needs to not be something obvious. For example, some of the worst and common passwords of 2015 were:

123456
password
12345678
qwerty
12345
Starwars

Let’s talk about what makes a GOOD password.

Create a password of twelve (12) characters or more
Use a different password for each website you log into. Though this is cumbersome for many, it is a safe practice, preventing easy access to all accounts and personal information.
If memory is the issue, there are many password managers that store and protect the passwords
Use a Letter/Number substitution. For example, instead of using:
- Password (DO NOT USE. JUST AN EXAMPLE)
Instead use
- 9@s$w0rD (DO NOT USE. JUST AN EXAMPLE)

SandraNet Forest

One thing that may also be used to test is Password Meter. This website checks the integrity of the password and in addition shows suggestions on what could make it better than a common password on a security level.

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Cracker Jack Bookkeeper and Office Manager Wanted – Mother’s Hours

SandraNet on May 24, 2016

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Did you just break the internet?

SandraNet on May 13, 2016

Where it is very unlikely you actually broke the internet, there is always the fear and anxiety that something may be very, very wrong when you are unable to access any of the websites you need at that particular moment. Is it the internet? Is it you? Is it them? Is it your provider? Who is to blame?

Well, unless you posted a photo of one of those characters from that ~~Kard***ian~~ family, chances are you have not broken the internet by “Urban Dictionary” standards. But, there are certainly factors that could cause difficulty in connecting to the ISP (Internet Service Provider). One of the first things is ALWAYS to check the light on your router, and make sure it is plugged in and connected, and none of the cables have been disconnected or sliced.

There are unfathomable miles of cables wrapped around the planet, and many of the biggest are unprotected and in a lot of cases they are underwater. Generally, this is not the cause of the inability to connect to the internet. The problems are more than likely far more simple.

A few may be:

It could be the browser is not compatible with the site.
- Have multiple browsers on your machine (Firefox, Google, IE,
  and now Edge)
- If it does not work on one browser, try a different one.
If an error comes up “Internet may not be reached”, then it is not a
browser issue.
A disconnected wire on or in the house
An outage with the ISP
- The companies usually have a phone number on the bill that may be called to determine if the designated area is down.
Potentially, there is something wrong with the network card, but start with the simple first.

If at any point there is a panic beginning to set in, give us a call and we will determine what the issue may be. Hopefully you will NOT be the one to bring down the internet for everyone else!

When is it a Scam?

SandraNet on April 11, 2016

There are all sorts of scams that come through email, but which ones are scams and which ones are legitimate? In most cases the first sign is its being from an anonymous sender, it is unsolicited and it is generally a mass mailing. All of those signals aside, the subject line tends to give away the suspicious email.

Mark Zuckerberg Is Giving Away Money!

YOU are the Lucky Winner! Free iPads from Mark Zuckerberg, Miraculous drug for weight loss or male enhancement, or sometimes both. The Nigerian prince that is a long lost relative has died and you are the last known family member and will be receiving his millions stored in an off shore account.

As much as we would like to believe these stories are truly meant for us and there is a shred of validity to the email, chances are it is a phishing scam, or it is laced with a virus that is just awaiting your double clicking the attachment describing these awaiting riches or physical enhancements.

In some cases, the emails are far more malicious than promising wealth and other unrealistic notions. Imagine being a company working on a project, in the finance department and trying to get the month closed out. You receive an email from the supposed client letting them know the bank account and routing numbers for transfers had changed, and could $30,000 be transferred for payment as soon as possible. The email has the “correct” logo, mailing address and other pertinent information, yet… it was not. Upon further research, after the $30,000 had already been wired, the domain name was spelled incorrectly and originated in Russia, other than that, it seemed credible. The money is lost and a hard lesson is learned. This is an extreme and a very frustrating and hard lesson to learn, yet there are ways to prevent this. Always check with the sender, even if it means picking up the phone and speaking to someone in their accounting department.

Some things to watch out for

If it is a bank or credit card company, they will NEVER ask you to email your credentials.
If you are asked to logon to a site and verify your information, do NOT follow the link. Open a new browser window in a different browser and loon to the company site to verify. Be SURE you actually have an account in said business.
If you do not know the sender, do not open the attachments or send any personal information.
If there is a phone number to confirm, call it and verify the urgency. Also, find the phone number on another source and verify it.
If the email is garble, delete it.
Garbled phishing email. Click to view example larger
If it is a friend who seems to have lost their wallet in another country and are stuck there without a Visa. Advise them to go to the American Embassy, OR call their cell.
If a window pops up stating what type of damage it will do (steal credit card information, personal information, delete data etc.), it is a scam. Legitimate antivirus programs do not list the destruction they will cause. If that information comes up suggesting you have a virus, then the popup IS a virus.

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Avoiding a Virus in the New Year

Special November Deal – Fine Tune Your Computer!

Thank You for Being a Loyal Customer

For that we would like to make you and any of your friends an offer for some fine-tuning for the computer.

It’s A Trap, A Scam!

This is how it tends to happen:

FALL into Savings, with a New Printer!

WE have it priced at $259.99

What do you think about working remotely? LogMeIn lets you!

Close your eyes… Come on… Close ‘em. No wait.. you need to read this!

Logmein direct from the Logmein website is $99/year per person. We can offer it to our customers for $50/year per person.

This month only – Logmein Tool Remote Access is $40 per year.

Last Chance for Windows 10 upgrade for 10% off labor costs

Thanks for being a loyal customer.

More Update on Windows 10

Now, About These Passwords…

Cracker Jack Bookkeeper and Office Manager Wanted – Mother’s Hours

Did you just break the internet?

A few may be:

When is it a Scam?

Some things to watch out for

4 Critical Security Mistakes That Put Your Organization At Risk

Address:

8 Essex Center Dr Suite 330,
Peabody, MA 01960, United States

Local Phone:

978-535-0202

Thank You for Being a Loyal Customer

For that we would like to make you and any of your friends an offer for some fine-tuning for the computer.

This is how it tends to happen:

WE have it priced at $259.99

Close your eyes… Come on… Close ‘em. No wait.. you need to read this!

Logmein direct from the Logmein website is $99/year per person. We can offer it to our customers for $50/year per person.

This month only – Logmein Tool Remote Access is $40 per year.

Thanks for being a loyal customer.

More Update on Windows 10

A few may be:

Some things to watch out for

4 Critical Security Mistakes That Put Your Organization At Risk

Address:

8 Essex Center Dr Suite 330, Peabody, MA 01960, United States

Local Phone:

8 Essex Center Dr Suite 330,
Peabody, MA 01960, United States