Staying Safe Online Feb 2019

Staying Safe Online Feb 2019

We had a phone call recently from an elderly man who said:  “We’ve just had a problem with our computer that was described in your article – your ‘stay safe online’ alarm bells rang and we’ve turned the computer off – can you fix it?”

We removed over 700 viruses from his computer, along with some malware and programs he hadn’t downloaded and didn’t know he had.  We repaired the damaged files and his computer is working perfectly now – and a lot faster without all that junk slowing it down! 

Never use Facebook to log into anything – i.e. don’t click on links from Facebook – if you are interested in a product – type in the website address yourself so you can check it is a secure site – shown by little green icon in the task bar:

If your website doesn’t have that little green icon – it needs an SSL Certificate (secure socket layer) which verifies the identity of the company that owns the website.  And, if your website has not been updated in the last year, there may also be some security issues that need attention.  Websites with outdated code are liable to be hacked – and – if this happens – your website will very likely be taken down by your hosting company until it is secure.  An SSL certificate should only cost around £50.

Another scam we heard about recently was about a website design company who took stage payments but never did any work – they never even registered the domain name for the client.  This company was based in Cornwall but had come recommended so when stage payments were requested they were paid.  When no progress was made on the website the customer became concerned, but the designer pleaded illness, and the client felt sorry for him – until she found out that other customers were being sent the same emails – and it was a complete scam.  Always check credentials properly before paying up front – better still – use a local business. 

Rainford-IT are part of Strawberry Fields – Nominet Channel partners and Cisco network partners.  We manage our own servers, email, IT and website hosting.  We can fix most hardware – including I-phones and I-pads.  We can design and program e-commerce websites – or simple websites, we create videos, take professional photos, create bespoke music, write blogs, and create WordPress websites you can update yourself.  It’s a family business and provides personal service.

Any questions?  Ring us – advice is free. You can also check out our website for the latest scams – including 22 Android apps that kill your battery life, 22 hidden tricks inside Windows 10 and a new tech support scam.

www.rainford-it.co.uk           01948 840102