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Chris Allard

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Top 5 Essential Remote Work Utilities & Software

Posted by Chris Allard on Thu, Apr 30, 2020

Before we start naming some essential, low-cost (or free) work-from-home apps and services, we need to talk about security. And this should be the way you approach everything you do online. Think about security first. And then consider it in the middle, and then review it at the end also, but mainly... SECURITY FIRST.

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Tags: Teamviewer software, Remote PC access, Remote desktop, cloud, password security, productivity, Dropbox, OneDrive, google drive, remote work, Multifactor authentication, 2-factor authentication, working from home, video conferencing, zoom, COVID-19, Office 365, Microsoft Teams, iCloud, lastpass

What is two-factor authentication (2FA)? And why you REALLY should use it

Posted by Chris Allard on Tue, Apr 07, 2020

The concept is simple, you prove who you are when logging into your accounts by proving two things: something you know (your password) and something you possess (your smartphone, as an example). A lot of users have caught on to two-factor authentication (AKA multi-factor authentication, or abbreviated as MFA or 2FA) and it's adding a ton of security to an inherently insecure internet. 

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Tags: privacy, Security, internet security, remote work, encryption, 2FA, Multifactor authentication, 2-factor authentication, MFA

Let's be clear, computers are stupid (A message of hope)

Posted by Chris Allard on Tue, Mar 20, 2018

I thought it would be worth some time to get a couple of quick things said about computers and how they work. Computers are stupid. They are actually entirely useless unless humans tell them exactly what to do. Forgetting this can lead to a lot of misunderstandings about what computers and smartphones are capable of. Many people see them as smarter than humans, that they are at the mercy of the machine, and in some ways, that they are infallible. They very much are not.

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Tags: Computer Repair, computers, Artificial intelligence, AI

VIDEO: Someone told you you need more RAM, what does that mean? What does RAM do?

Posted by Chris Allard on Fri, Nov 10, 2017

In our video segment today, we do a deep-dive test into what RAM looks like when you don't have enough, and we get to have a lot of fun making our Windows 10 environment have about the same capabilities as a 1996-era PC ;)  

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Tags: Windows 10, Video, PC performance, RAM, PC upgrades

How to download an older version of an app when it requires a newer iOS than you are using - QUICK FIX

Posted by Chris Allard on Thu, Jun 02, 2016


If you have an older generation iPhone (4/4s/5/5c/5s) or iPad (1st/2nd/3rd generation) that has an older version of iOS than the most current one, you may run into a problem trying to install apps made for higher version of iOS. You will get an error saying "This app requires iOS version 8.xx or later" or something similar.

Don't give up until you've tried this quick and easy workaround.

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Tags: iOS, apple

Network Security: How can I keep my printers from being hacked?

Posted by Chris Allard on Mon, Mar 16, 2015

Why would a hacker want my printer?

Networked printer security is often an overlooked security vulnerability area and being overlooked is what a hacker with malicious intent (we'll call them "black hats" here) looks for when wanting to penetrate a network or subnet.
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Tags: Hacking, wireless security, Hackers, Security

Pros & Cons of Free Vs Paid Antivirus Software

Posted by Chris Allard on Mon, Mar 16, 2015

The complicated, and sometimes dangerous world of the internet means that is makes very good sense for you to invest in some type of virus protection software. There are many companies offering a myriad of solutions that will help you keep your PC or laptop free of dangerous viruses, that are so prevalent on the internet. Some are free and some paid for; so it is important to consider the values of both.

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Tags: Antivirus, Malware Prevention, antivirus software

The 3 Most Important Factors when Choosing the Best Antivirus

Posted by Chris Allard on Thu, Jan 22, 2015

Choosing which anti-virus protection is best for you isn't always that easy. There are a lot of options out there, with varying price tags. What makes one anti-virus program better than another? There are usually 3 important factors that you should judge them by.

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Tags: Viruses, Hackers, Antivirus, Protection, Virus, internet security, kaspersky lab