Glad we could get Signs back up and running after a direct lightning strike took out most of their network. They're back online and better protected from future lightning surges. Stop by or call IT Xpress to see how we can protect your network from lightning damage and downtime!

https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-ash3/174678_174168875954335_3094182_s.jpg

Signs
We want to give a big shout out to Mike from IT Xpress in Mebane for coming out and getting us up and running again after Zeus decided to strike us with a bolt of lightening. Thanks Mike

Save up to $75 on new RingCentral phones this month! Give your small business a Big Business phone system with Interactive Voice Menus, Call Queueing (great for restaurants!), Different messages and call handling when you are open/closed, eFax, a smartphone app that lets you check voice mail, faxes, and even call people from your smartphone as your *business* number, and much more! Call IT Xpress today to see how RingCentral phone service can help your business!

This was an impressive hack, exposing millions to malware as they tried to access popular websites like NY Times and Twitter. Also impressive was how companies with the power to limit the impact of the attack took action (Google, CloudFlare, GoDaddy). This type of attack is likely to become more common, as many registrar accounts have weak credentials. One way for average users to benefit from this collaboration is to stop using your ISP's DNS servers and use Google's DNS or use OpenDNS. OpenDNS is great, because you can use it to filter some Internet traffic from your kids. I use Google's DNS servers for my business and home, with OpenDNS for my kids computers and public WiFi at work. Here are some links with info on how you can too.

http://www.howtogeek.com/167533/the-ultimate-guide-to-changing-your-dns-server/

http://www.opendns.com/parental-controls

Details Behind Today's Internet Hacks | CloudFlare Blog
blog.cloudflare.com
Details Behind Today's Internet HacksPublished on August 27, 2013 08:15PM by Matthew Prince. TweetWhen I woke up this morning I had no idea I'd be on a video conference with CloudFlare, OpenDNS, Google, GoDaddy, Twitter tech folks all day— Rajiv Pant (@rajivpant) August 28, 2013At 1:19pm (PDT) today…

Excited to be configuring a new phone system for a new Mebane business this week. Powerful business class phone features like interactive voice menus, call queues, and more for $30/mon or less per line!

Timeline Photos
Ever want to see whether a colleague’s phone line is busy?

@[133333713988:274:RingCentral] now offers a new presence feature that can keep you in-the-know on the availability of everyone in your office! http://ringcentr.al/1dTr8oz

Yesterday was Patch Tuesday – so many of you should see the Windows Update icon in your system tray by now. Go ahead and install them when you reach a stopping point or head home so you don't get forced to restart later! Lots of Internet Explorer fixes.

Patch Tuesday for August 2013 – 3 critical, 5 important
nakedsecurity.sophos.com
Patch Tuesday for August 2013 includes three critical fixes and five important ones. The focus for this month is certainly the Internet Explorer cumulative patch which fixes 11 vulnerabilities and …

My ITXpert now supports Windows Servers, iPads, and iPhones! Let us ensure your Windows Server is secure, up to date, and monitored in real time. Using iPads in your business? We can remotely install/update apps, monitor activity, and remote lock/wipe the device if it's lost or stolen. See our latest My ITXpert brochure for complete details!

http://itxpress.biz/files/2012/01/My-ITXpert-Handout-Aug-2013.pdf

Like toolbars – Free 'Security Scanners' provide little to no protection from malware and exist only to promote the full paid versions of the associated anti-virus. Uninstall them!

Timeline Photos
46% of users uninstall McAfee Security Scan Plus. 16.2% of them uninstall it within the first week of installation.

This software is being pushed with Adobe Flash updates, and obviously users are making a clear statement – we didn't want it, we just didn't notice that tiny checkbox, please stop.

www.soluto.com/lp2

Do you still have an old wireless router you bought years ago? Is it using the latest WPA2 encryption for security? IT Xpress has a variety of WiFi Routers that not only support the faster 'N' type WiFi, but also can act as file servers and turn a regular printer into a networked printer. They even come with dual WiFi radios to support all the latest types of WiFi. We can transfer your network settings to your new router and make the upgrade seamless.

Are you still leasing a cable modem from Time Warner? They are planning to raise their monthly lease fees for cable modems. We have a selection of cable modems that can pay for themselves in 1-2 years! They're easy to install and Time Warner configures them quickly. Stop by today to see our expanded selection!

Did you buy a new computer on Tax Free Weekend in NC? Let us get it setup for you! And with our My ITXpert service, we can not only keep your new computer running like new all year long, we'll get you the Start Menu back!

My ITXpert Service
itxpress.biz
If your primary computer went 'down' – how big of an impact would it have? Could you pay bills? Serve customers? Computers have become a vital part of our daily lives – at home and in business. We …

We're proud to offer Bitdefender Anti-Virus as part of our My ITXpert Pro and Premier service packages. This award winning anti-virus suite not only provides top level anti-virus protection, it also has a very small impact on system performance, unlike many other well known AV suites. Sign up for My ITXpert today at http://www.myitxpert.biz/ and get award winning AV protection along with top level support from local IT professionals.

Timeline Photos
We are, again, #1! /via @[139401985353:274:AV-Comparatives] http://bit.ly/Bitdefender_No1

Remember using these long long ago?

James Mielke's Photos
This is where my programming career began.

And ended. #trs80

Granted, I was only 9 years old, so relatively speaking, that was a pretty good thing, to be programming on any computer at the time (1979). But programming involves things that look enough like numbers that I start confusing it with math, and I'm shit at math, so therefore I fail at programming.

Some of our new My ITXpert offerings include the award winning BitDefender antivirus suite. Even better – you can now get this award winning antivirus PLUS local IT support for PC. See our new My ITXpert support plans at http://www.myitxpert.biz/

Timeline Photos
Hooray! The New Bitdefender Internet Security just got an EXCELENT rating from @[15551698395:274:PC Magazine]: http://bit.ly/Bitdefender_IS_Review_PcMag

"Autopilot mode minimizes user interaction. Good #antivirus scores in PCMag's tests; great scores in lab tests. Excellent #phishing protection. Very accurate spam filtering. Password management. Secure browser. Firewall resists direct attack. Full-scale parental control and Facebook monitoring."

For those of you with kids who have smartphones or access to a computer – this is a MUST read. There has been a huge proliferation of apps and websites aimed at teenagers that allow them to do all SORTS of things, often without your knowledge. This is a great rundown of many of the most popular and what you should know as a parent. Share this far and wide!

Blood, Sweat, and Cheers!: Wake Up and Smell the Sexting, Parents!
bloodsweatcheers13.blogspot.com

Ransomware is becoming more and more common. When your system is infected, it encrypts all of your data (pictures, email, Office documents) and then demands a ransom of a few hundred dollars in order to decrypt your files. Backup to an external drive? It'll encrypt that too, if it's connected. The only way to really protect yourself from something like this is to use an online backup tool like Backblaze (http://goo.gl/z5SDt) or a cloud service like Sugarsync (http://goo.gl/zkQ0I), Google Drive, etc that support file versioning (ie you can retrieve previous versions of a file). And, of course, use a strong anti-virus program (our My ITXpert service http://itxpress.biz/services/my-itxpert/ provides the award winning Bitdefender AV suite). Stay safe and have a great July 4th!

Russian ransomware takes advantage of Windows PowerShell
nakedsecurity.sophos.com
What's a reasonable price to pay to get your data safely returned to you from the guys who stole it? How about 10,000 Rubles? No? According to the cybercriminals behind this new ransomware ta…

Ransomware is becoming more and more common. When your system is infected, it encrypts all of your data (pictures, email, Office documents) and then demands a ransom of a few hundred dollars in order to decrypt your files. Backup to an external drive? It'll encrypt that too, if it's connected. The only way to really protect yourself from something like this is to use an online backup tool like Backblaze (http://goo.gl/z5SDt) or a cloud service like Sugarsync (http://goo.gl/zkQ0I), Google Drive, etc that support file versioning (ie you can retrieve previous versions of a file). And, of course, use a strong anti-virus program (our My ITXpert service http://itxpress.biz/services/my-itxpert/ provides the award winning Bitdefender AV suite). Stay safe and have a great July 4th!

Russian ransomware takes advantage of Windows PowerShell
nakedsecurity.sophos.com
What's a reasonable price to pay to get your data safely returned to you from the guys who stole it? How about 10,000 Rubles? No? According to the cybercriminals behind this new ransomware ta…