How to Clean and Optimize Your Windows PC/Laptop

There are times when you might feel that your PC is running slow, web pages are taking too long to load and folder are opening after some time. All of these are signs that your PC is struggling with something that is not usual to happen. These things can happen to any new PC as well if it has been used for few months as well. Do not blame your PC for this kind of stuff, there are chances it might have collected lots of junk items or files that's why it is taking too much time to process your request. This is the time to optimize your PC.
Although there are many PC optimizers available on internet these days and most of them are paid software but you really don't need to pay for those software, you can do PC optimization by yourself without paying anything. It's very easy to clean your PC without any kind of technical knowledge. You just need to do few things mentioned below and your computer will be back to normal as it was, its matter of few clicks only.
Remove Unnecessary Programs: Go to Control Panel and them Programs and Features and this will pop up a list of currently installed software on your PC. Look at the list closely and remove any program that you are no longer using. This will also free up some disk space on your hard drive that you can use to store important files.
Disk Cleanup: Click on Start button then Accessories then System Tools and look for Disk Cleanup Utility. This little tool will help to delete junk items and temporary internet files from your PC, this will also free up some disk space for you.
Optimize Startup Items: If your PC is taking too much time to start consider reviewing startup items. Press Window+R to open run box, type MSCONFIG command and go to startup tab. Carefully check all startup items and disable unwanted application from being run at startup.
Hard Disk Optimization: Click on Start button then Accessories then System Tools and look for Disk Defragmenter Utility. This might take some time to complete to relocate files and optimize your disk drive.
Windows Update: Make sure Windows Updates are turned on and your computer is checking for new updates regularly. This will fix most of security issues on your computer as well as will keep your computer up to date. Your computer should be able to check for new updated at least once a week.
Antivirus Scan: Make sure you are using a reputed antivirus protection and it is also being updated with virus definitions regularly. Most of the good antivirus softwares today have built in PC Optimizer utility to optimize your computer time to time. You should run a full scan of your computer at least once a week.
Apart from the above things you can also increase virtual memory on your PC if your PC is low on RAM, this might also affect performance of your computer. You might also consider optimizing windows registries but remember incorrectly editing registry item might cause damages to operating system, if want to do so consider using a good PC optimizer or registry cleaner utility.

I am qualified computer expert having years of experience with windows computers. I frequently write articles about PC Optimizer and Registry Cleaner utilities.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9256189

Keeping Staffing Data Secure Is Not a Lost Cause

Your staffing business provides an appetizing target for hackers: social security numbers, salary data, and other personal information. Cybercriminals are just champing at the bit to access them. Last year alone, there were 781 reported data breaches and the average incident cost the affected business $3.8 million. We wish that our industry was immune to targeting, but wherever private data exists, hackers will be hungrily circling. However, keeping staffing data secure is not an act of futility.
We have reviewed the many data breaches of 2015 looking for common tactics and sources of fraud. With that information, we hope to help you implement data security best practices that can minimize the damage done and possibly even prevent big losses. And we even have a few ways that your staffing software can help keep your data safe.
Not Getting Hooked By Phishing
This hacking trick has been employed since the beginning. Cybercriminals pose as a trustworthy source by creating fraudulent emails or copy-cat websites as a way of getting you to reveal your personal information, sometimes even acquiring passwords. These strategies tend to open up access to email accounts, your critical staffing software databases, and even network credentials.
Anthem Inc., the nation's second largest healthcare insurer, may very well have fallen victim to a phishing attack during their highly publicized data breach last year. The credentials of five of their employees were compromised, a sign that they may all have been duped by a phishing style strategy. Worst yet, at least 80,000,000 people had their personal data exposed through this tactic.
How do you prepare your employees to avoid phishing attacks? The SEC has a number of tips for keeping your data secure. If an email or link appear fishy, pick up the phone and contact whoever the email appears to be from (your internal IT team, a vendor, etc.). Also, rather than clicking links, take the extra step and try to find the same request online. And always double-check web addresses. If your web browser cannot certify it as secure, give out any personal information with caution. Keeping staffing data secure depends on it.
Emphasizing the Use of Good Passwords
You can never overemphasize the power of a strong password. Some IT departments issue passwords that users cannot change. Some software requires strict parameters. Dictionary attacks from hackers become out of the question. Blind guessing or brute force attacks become much harder to pull off.
Also, there's considerable value in presenting hard facts and cautionary tales like the one above. Give your end users a practical reason to avoid simple passwords and a memorable story to cement the consequences. That way, your warning has the teeth it needs to sink in.
Keeping Staffing Data Secure with Staffing Software
As we've mentioned before, the strength of your staffing software is key to keeping staffing data secure. Complex mandatory passwords are only the start. One essential precaution is limiting back office access to essential personnel only. The fewer people who can be compromised, the greater security you ensure for yourself.
You may be asking about the branch, division, or line-of-business managers need to access paychecks, invoices, and gross margin reports? Your option is to find a staffing software option that provides easy andsecure access to that information in the front office dashboard.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9339852

How to Avoid Telephone Tricksters Calling About Viruses on Your PC

The phone rings, you answer, and someone says they are from Microsoft or your Internet provider and have detected a virus on your PC. What next?
Well, it depends on how much time you have on your hands and your sense of humour, but before we get to that let's just explain what is going on here.
I've been plagued with these calls, often once or twice a week. Someone, usually with a heavy Indian accent, calls and reports that they are calling from 'Microsoft Security Centre', stating that they have 'detected viruses on my machine over the internet'.
Myth buster number one: This is not possible! Firstly, Microsoft never phones people to tell them that their PC is infected (assuming it actually is). Secondly, how would a company get your phone number based on your PC?
I had one such call recently and had a bit of time so I thought I'd a) waste their time so that they weren't conning some unsuspecting old lady, and b) find out exactly what they were doing in order to 'prove' to people that there were problems with their PCs. I had what is known as a 'virtual machine' installed - this is like Windows running as an app in Windows. It is totally ring-fenced, and to the outside world they could not tell any difference. By letting them run in a sand-boxed system I knew that my main system was completely safe.
Step 1 - they gain access to your PC
After you've admitted that you have a PC they'll start saying things like 'have you noticed it going slow recently'. Let's face it, all Windows PCs get slower over time, especially without a little bit of house-keeping, and they are never as fast as we want them to be. They will then ask you to go to a website and run an app. This part is actually legitimate as they are using a third party product that allows for remote support. You run an app, it displays a set of numbers which you then read out to the person on the phone, and they enter it into the software at their end - they can then see your desktop and control your keyboard/mouse as if they were in front of the PC. Note that at this stage your PC is not infected with anything - you've simply allowed remote control so that they can prove that your PC is compromised.
Step 2 - the convincer
Now they have to prove to you that there is a problem. The person that connected to me did two things:
a. They ran the Windows Event Viewer. This is an app installed on all versions of Windows that logs any errors that happen on the system. Note that an error to Windows is not always what we would consider an error. For example, when Windows boots up it'll check to see what printers are available. If you have a printer driver installed, but the printer is switched off that will log an error. So our friendly 'Microsoft Technician' told me to go into the Event Viewer and proceeded to show me all of the errors on my PC. He told me on no account to click on any of the line items as he said that this would damage things further. In reality he was concerned that I would read the error log and see that it was telling me that my printer was not switched on...
b. Next he opened a Dos window by running 'CMD' from the Start/Run option. He typed TREE /S, which is a simple command that shows every single file and folder on the PC. As you can imagine on even a fresh install of Windows there are tens of thousands of files, so this takes a few seconds as they go whizzing up the screen. And while that is going on he's typing something in the background which is only displayed once the computer has finished listing all of the files and folders. So at the end of this I could see 'System Error: Antivirus software disabled'. Of course, this was not actually the case!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9307875

important Considerations for Mobile App Designing!

Before starting designing a mobile app, it is extremely important to understand the need of a mobile app. It is also useful to know whether a website alone is needed for the company, or both. Make sure that the difference between a mobile app and a mobile website is well known. A mobile app is specifically designed for mobile devices whereas a mobile website provides instant access to mobile users as well as to users accessing the website from several other platforms.
If you go for standalone mobile strategy for your organization, it can be extremely beneficial if you know your target audience, your target market and purpose of app. It is also considerable to know about the features and offline accessibility of the app.
Design Basics
The design of a mobile app mainly depends upon the expectations of users. For instance, if an app is aimed to provide online buying facility, a shopping cart feature needs to be there. However, before beginning with mobile app development, you must ensure that following factors are known and considered for better design making.
Purpose
Knowing the purpose of the app helps to select the right platform for development. For instance, Android is one of the leading platforms of the market which is highly preferred for business promotion and hence increasing revenues whereas iOS is largely preferred for generating profits.
Grid
When designing for a mobile app, it is important to consider because grid is present on every mobile surface and helps establishing space between elements. Whether it is a dot, line or word, consideration of space is essential and making it consistent with respect to length and width is more important.
Colors
When developing a hierarchy of elements, the value of colors is not avoidable. Similar color can be used with different shades to create importance of elements. For instance, dark shade can be used to feature important elements whereas lighter shade of same color shows less importance of the element.
Fonts
When it comes to typography, you need to be very tidy and clean. Whether you are going to use Roboto, Arial, Helvetica or Avenir, the aim should be to select the most tidy and clean font so that it gives best readability and visibility.
Logo
It is not necessary to add in a logo to your app. A logo does not break or make your app but if you add a logo, make sure it is visible, clean and attractive.
Speed
Make sure that your app is not loaded with unnecessary elements and it becomes difficult for people to use your app due slow loading. Successful apps don't freeze frequently and don't take very long to load.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9326591

Computer Crime, Can It Be Stopped?

Computer Crime and My Personal Experience
I decided to research the subject of Computer Crime on the internet because I, like many consumers, pay bills, shop and perform other types of personal and business transactions on the internet. Two years ago, my credit card information was stolen after paying a cell phone bill on the internet. Therefore, the question of whether or not computer crime can be stopped is one that I continuously have concern about and ponder over.
First, let me define computer crime: "Computer crime, or cybercrime, is any crime that involves a computer and a network. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target" (Wikipedia). If I were asked two years ago whether or not I thought computer crime could be stopped, I would answer the question reflecting my negative experience and that answer would have been no.
However, I believe it depends upon the type of cybercrime. For example, if someone uses a computer to illegally obtain financial information, sell drugs, bullying or solicit sex, locating and stopping those individuals would be a matter of tracking the CPU's unique identification numbers and the location of the unit and either blocking or deleting the website. Depending upon the severity of the computer crime, the perpetrator could be arrested and convicted.
Today, there are various types of security software available for websites that detect suspicious activities and helps to filter spam. However, if the crime has to do with hacking, whether it is because the hacker's intent is to test his/her hacking skills, hacking to make a statement, or to destroy a particular website, this type of cybercrime is proving to be more challenging to prevent. Hackers are usually highly skilled technicians.
Also, every time advanced malware becomes available, it is a matter of time before hackers discover ways to breach the encryption and hack websites. "Most companies encounter multiple cyber attacks every day, many unknown to the public and many unknown to the companies themselves" (Walters, Riley).
Cyber Attacks on U. S. Companies in 2014
In 2014, a disturbing amount of major corporations experienced website hacking resulting in hackers gaining access to consumer's personal information. Until today, recovering and implementing security measures to prevent security breaches has proven to challenging.
Just to provide an idea of how serious and prevalent the crime of hacking is, here is a list of corporations that were hacked in 2014: Target, Neiman Marcus, Michaels, Yahoo Mail, Aaron Brothers, AT&T, and eBay. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, "The spate of recent data breaches at big-name companies such as JPMorgan Chase, Home Depot, and Target raises questions about the effectiveness of the private sector's information security." FBI Director James Comey stated, "There are two kinds of big companies in the United States.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9311999

Tips To Consider While Looking For Windows Data Recovery Software

Data counts to be the most precious asset for a small, mid-sized or large business organization. Therefore, protecting it from any kind of virtual loss is equally important. In order to prevent your data from risks, you need to adapt a powerful strategy that performs well even in the worst data loss scenarios. The most common data loss situations may arise due to accidental deleting, system failure, logical damage, partition/disk formatting, hardware malfunctions, MFT corruption, virus intrusion and so on. Protecting your business or personal data from such situations can only be done by simply backing up or recovery. This in turn calls the need for an efficient data recovery tool which not only performs well but also guarantees risk free recovery of your lost, damaged, deleted or formatted files.
Over the past few years various Data Recovery tools have helped individuals recover from data loss situations with a greater efficiency. Depending upon the type of data loss, these tools are able to provide a useful means to restore data. Each of these tools have its own unique features, therefore when searching for the best recovery software, you need to go for the one that matches your set of requirements.
In this article, I have shared some tips which will definitely help you pick up the right Windows Data Recovery Application for your business. Let's give a closer look to it-100% Security- Security is a major concern for businesses, therefore it becomes necessary to pick up a software which ensures safeguarding your valuable information throughout the recovery process, thereby maintaining data consistency. A secured recovery application does not cause any damage to your device or overwrite your data.
Advance Recovery Mechanism- Windows Data Recovery Application designed with advanced recovery techniques allow you to recover, scan and restore all your deleted files and folders. The scanning technique specifies recovery file types and previews them before further restoration. Any software designed using these techniques help improve data availability, recovery and data extraction in a quick and convenient way.
Easy to Use and Friendly- No matter how effective and functional the software is, but if it fails to get into the knowledge of users, chances are that it will never be able to produce expected results. So, always look for an interactive and user friendly interface for recovery process. There are various third party data recovery tools available which can be used by a tech as well as non tech user.
System Compatibility- When it comes to compatibility, the software should be able to support all major versions of Windows including Windows 95, 98, NT, ME, XP, 2000, 2003, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.
Supports Multiple Storage Devices- An advanced recovery software should be able to recover data from any kind of external device or removable hard disk including, USB, Flash Drive, Picture Card, SATA, IDE, EIDE, SCSI, Jump Drive, XD Picture Card and so on.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9307413

Make Use of Export Software to Meet Trade Compliance Needs

Exporting activity has slowly spread its wings across many markets. With the rising demand for the customers, increased competition and improvement in the product features, companies are exporting their goods to foreign customers having legal permission to trade. While planning to import and export; customers, vendors, freight forwarder, end-users and all the members in transaction channel and supply chain should undergo screening. In the earlier days, exporters used to check their trade partners by manual means. But it was really time-consuming and ineffective at times. Keeping mind the issues that arise from manual screening, companies are using software applications.
How Software Helps You:
There are various reasons why most of the exporters take help of software applications. Not only online tools help in screening the trade partners, they help in determining export license. The software applications provide solutions for export compliance, trade party screening, ITAR compliance, license determination and trade library maintenance. These online tools are highly effective, reliable, cost-effective and capable of bulk and individual screening as well. There are various companies that offer software for business entities. They are replacing manual methods in terms of time of money and production. The use of the software is increasing day by day for their user-friendly nature and fast results.
International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Compliance and Registration Process:
U.S. Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) functions as the regulator, interpreter and enforcer of the defense article and defense service exports. The main goal is to maintain the national security and safeguarding the export of military and defense end-use items. With the help of the software applications, exporters can secure the US foreign policies, economic and defense objectives as well. In the case of planning to send defense objects, arms, and technical data; the exporters must obey certain rules and regulations. Failing to comply with export rules and regulations can lead to various problems. Situations arise in terms of not having the necessary license that triggers penalties, huge administrative fines and taking the export privileges as well. Apart from these penalties, there is a huge damage to the reputation in the market.
Importance of International Traffics in Arms Regulations
When planning to export technical data, arms and defense items; exports should the rules. It is very important to maintain compliance. Even, when there is no export planned in the before, there is a need to safeguard the technical data from unauthorized dealers. The compliance experts help the business entities in dealing with all the complications in the process.
Thus, ITAR compliance is one of the important regulations in trade. The compliant professionals review the technology and check the export controls, helps in commodity jurisdiction and help in DDTC registration.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9338193