CompuClever Blog

Choosing an Online Storage Solution

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Synopsis: All this talk about “cloud” and sharing files in the cloud. It seems we just got our heads wrapped around the idea of surfing the web. In our most recent article “Cloud Storage” we go into detail about online cloud storage and the reasons for using it. In this article we will shine some light on making the choice to use online storage and what to look for with cloud storage providers. We will give our recommendation once again and provide a clear outline of how to use a cloud storage system so you can get up and running. It is our intent that you take full advantage of this technology by using it for free and having fun with it.

Making a Decision That Works for You:

Before you begin using a cloud storage provider, it is best to consider the determining factors.  Here are a few of the items to consider.

Cost:  Many storage providers will offer an entry level for free.  You can then upgrade to a larger storage package based on various levels of cost.  Some subscription levels will also get you very large amounts of storage or even unlimited storage and perhaps more functionality (as would be the case if you want an enterprise subscription).  For entry level users we suggest free.  When you compare you will want to pay close attention to whether it is a monthly or annual payment plan.

Storage Size:  If you are going to be using cloud storage for the purpose of sharing files and accessing files via mobile devices, you will not likely need a lot of space.  As most providers offer 2 to 5 GB of space for free this will likely work for you.  However, if you are considering backing up all your files or if you have a considerable amount of multi-media files to backup, you will need to take inventory of how much space you are currently using for these files.  If you have little experience about file size, we suggest you see the “Space It Out” section below to get an idea of file space needs.

Access:  Most providers will work if you are using a Windows operating system or Mac.  If you are using Linux then you will want to pay closer attention to what options are available.  This is also true if you want to access your files from a mobile device such as from Android, Blackberry, or iOS.  Dropbox for instance supports all of these platforms.

Sharing, Backup, or Both:  This factor relates to the prime reason for using online storage.  If you want to share files easily then the most basic levels of cloud storage will work for you (that is, something free with 2 to 5 GB of storage).  If you decide that this form of online storage meets your needs, then you would want more storage and begin looking for a payment plan that works for you.

Recommendations:

We do not have any affiliation to the companies we recommend nor do we benefit from our recommendations. We feel free to pass on our experiences when the use of a given solution is considerably beneficial.  Our recommendations with respect to cloud storage use:

  • We recommend that you do not rely solely on cloud storage as a means of backing up your data.  We suggest instead that you use a combination of your PC, external hard drive, and online storage.  While keeping in mind that all hard drives will eventually fail, it is a safe bet to have data on more than one device as simultaneous failure is very unlikely.  This way you will have the best of all worlds… being able to back up your important files, share any files via the cloud to others, access file on your own mobile devices, and feel secure in the knowledge that your data is safe from the most common forms of loss.
  • If you are using an external hard drive you will need to synchronize your files periodically.  We suggest trying out Microsoft’s Sync Toy.  This free tool makes synchronizing your files fast and easy.  You can avoid duplication and feel assured that you haven’t missed backing up all your files.

The Solution:

Now that we have made some recommendations on cloud storage use, we can proceed in helping you get started by by answering some basic questions and coming up with a cloud storage provider that is safe and meets the requirements.

Free:  We like free.  However it is best to check out what exactly free is.  Some companies are able to provide free services through the use of advertisements.  Most frequently the provider will charge you once you have exceeded the storage capacity.  These companies also stand to profit by converting you to a paid level of subscription usually through a monthly fee.  As we have stated in our newsletter article, free is not always free.  We see constant prompts to purchase as incurring a cost.  This is called “nagware” and is very annoying to contend with.  We advise looking closely at the storage solution and examining what they consider to be free.  You can check customer reviews for an indication of nagware as you will not see it coming beforehand.  Free should also be without any time restrictions.

Space it Out:  For you to determine how much space you need you will have to assess what kinds of files you want to store in the cloud.  There are several types of file types with varying sizes.  So how many files can you store with 2 Giga Bytes (GB) of space?  The answer… it depends (of course).  Here is a way of thinking about it:

File Type: Average Size: # of files (for 2 GB of storage):
Word Document: 15 KB per page 69,905 (2 page documents)
Emails: 10 KB 209,715
MP3: 3.5MB 585
Image (TIFF) 65 KB 32,263
E-Book 1-5 MB 410 – 2048

Note:  For images… the range of file size is considerably variable based on compression and quality of photo as well as the type of format used (compressed JPG format compared to lossless TIFF or GIF files).  These examples are to provide a way of wrapping your head around how much space you require. We have not included movie files here as they are typically close to 1 GB and can go upwards for high definition movies.  It is not advisable to store movies using cloud storage as upload times are slow, storage space is at a premium, and some providers place limits on file size.

Multi-platform:  We prefer to have a system whereby it does not matter if you access files via your PC, a Mac, or a mobile device.  The other consideration is some providers (like Google Docs), have a web client interface where multiple users can edit a file.  However, once you attempt to use this file with your computer software you have formatting issues.  In effect it becomes only a working file.

The Choice – Dropbox:  Given that the other options are likely similar between these providers (web interfacing and integration with Windows Explorer), we recommend Dropbox.  It offers 2 GB of free space with no time restrictions or nags, you can get more storage for free (as we outline below),  it sets up very well with Windows Explorer, and it has very good cross platform support (for example, Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, and Android) so you can synchronize between computers and devices.

Get Started with DropBox:

We are going to outline how to get started, how to get more storage space while maintain the free entry level, how to interact with Windows Explorer, uploading and downloading via your web browser, and how you can recover files that you accidentally deleted.  To begin, you will need to first set up an account. Instruction 1 – Getting Started: Here are the steps to downloading and creating Dropbox:

  1. Open a web browser and go to the Dropbox.com website.
  2. Click the Download Dropbox button.
  3. Click Run to begin the download.
  4. Once downloaded click Run.
  5. Click Install.
  6. Select “I don’t have a Dropbox account” and click Next.
  7. Fill out your account information (name, email, password) and click Next.
  8. You can now select the size of Dropbox you want to create.  Confirm the 2 GB free option is selected and click Next.
  9. Choose either the Typical or Advanced setup (to choose custom options), and click Next.
  10. You can go through the tour or skip the tour and see it later to gain more storage space for free.

When you are done, a Dropbox folder is created on your computer.

Instruction 2 – On Your Computer:
You now have Dropbox on your computer and you will be able to interact with the files there like any other folder with files.  Any time you want to interact with your Dropbox folder we suggest the following:

Right-click the Dropbox icon (the blue box shown below) located in the lower right of your system tray (bottom right area of your taskbar), and select Dropbox Folder.  Or, you can simply double-click the icon.

Your Dropbox folder opens up and you can interact with all the files there as you would if they were stored on your computer.  Simply drag and drop files to upload them.

Note: You will notice that these files are identified with a green check mark in the file or folder icon.  This will give you an indication of the synchronization as well as your original file and the Dorpbox file are now two separate items.  Also, when you single click (or right-click) the icon in the system tray you open up recently changed files and you can go to Dropbox.com.

Instruction 3 – Sharing: To share a file or folder you can simply locate it on your computer hard drive, right-click the item and select “Share Dropbox link”.  Dropbox provides you with two sub-folders to get you started: Public and Photos.  Let’s take a look at instructions on how to share photos as provided by Dropbox.   With the Dropbox photo galleries you can share photos with anyone including non-Dropbox users. These photos are available in a photo gallery that is viewable online.

  1. Make a folder inside the Photos folder, and give it a name (this will be the name of your photo gallery).
  2. Put photos inside the folder you just created (drag and drop them there).

You can easily share a folder by right-clicking and selecting “Share this folder”.  That’s it!  You can view this photo gallery online by going to: www.dropbox.com/photos.

Instruction 4 – Web Interfacing: You can go to someone else’s computer and access your files.  The way to do this is to open a web browser and go to Dropbox.com .  Log on using your account information.  You can now view your files, share them, or you can download or upload them.

Instruction 5 – Get Space: As mentioned, you begin with 2 GB of free space.  There is an incentive program available to increase your storage up to a maximum of 18 GB.  For example, if you refer a friend to Dropbox you earn 500 MB of space.  Taking a tour is a good idea.  You can learn about Dropbox and earn 250 MB of space.  For more information on this see: Dropbox.com/getspace.

Instruction 6 – Recover a file: Dropbox uses a feature called “Packrat”.  Every change made in your Dropbox folder over a 30 day period is preserved.  If you accidentally delete, lose, or erase a file you can recover it using the Packrat feature.  Here’s how:

  1. Open your web browser to the Dropbox.com website.
  2. Click the “Show deleted files” icon located at the top right of the page (it looks like a trash can with the lid off).
  3. Deleted files will show up in gray.  Select the file you want to recover and click the Restore link.

For more information on how to use Dropbox, go to: Dropbox.com/help.

Cloud storage can be useful and fun – you can keep your files safe and get the most out of new online technologies like sharing files and accessing your files on your mobile devices.  We hope you are well on your way to taking full advantage of current technologies – advanced technologies you can get for free.

Cloud Storage

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Synopsis: Data loss can be a hardship and being an informed PC user requires knowing about backing up data as a means of prevention. We focus here on informing our readers about a new technology that is available. This new technology has become a buzz word and drawn considerable attention – cloud storage. Here we will look at what it means to be in the cloud and we will highlight some examples of cloud storage and provide our pick for a cloud service provider.

Data Loss:

As the creation of data on PC’s increases so too does the need for storage and for the chance of loss of data.  In a recent article we introduced basic information about your PC Hard Drive.  Having your PC turn off or crash can result in data loss.  This usually results in data loss from the time you last saved a document or an email that was open – not a great loss overall.  However, the most common cause of data loss is hardware failure.  According to one study [1] 40% of data loss incidents occur from hardware failure including power surges and hard drive failure. Human error accounts for 30% of data loss (accidental deletion of data and accidental hardware damage). Software corruption accounts for 13% of data loss incidents and computer viruses account for 6% of data loss occurrences.  Then there is theft of hardware which is especially prevalent with laptops accounting for 9% of data loss and hardware destruction (damage caused by floods, lightning and fire) account for 3% of all data loss.

One thing is for certain – all hard drives will eventually fail.  Data loss from hard drive failure is more common than expected.  Here are some related statistics:

Hard Drive Failure

  • It is estimated that 15,000 hard drives fail every day.
  • The odds of a hard drive failure are 1:118.
  • While hard drive manufacturers claim less than a 1% failure rate, research shows that a 2%-4% failure rate is more common and under some conditions the failure rate may reach as high as 13%.
  • Drive quality has diminished over time as the result of price competition in the industry.

Sources: [2][3][4]

Reasons for PC hard drive failure are varied.  Not only can it occur from manufacturer defects but the cause of failure can be exasperated as a result of how you operate your PC.  Examples include exposure to detrimental environmental conditions such as adverse temperature and humidity as well as workloads and powered-on patterns.  There are technologies available to keep your data safe.

The Technology:

Cloud storage is also known as “file hosting”, “online file storage”, and “cyberlocker”.  These terms refer to an Internet hosting service designed to host your data files.  The service includes enabling users to upload files to “the cloud” that can then be accessed over the internet from a different computer, tablet, smart phone or other networked device.  This data can be accessed by the same user or by other users once the required password or authentication is provided.  The reasons for using this kind of service are primarily for backup purposes, to share files with others, or to access the files from a range of devices.  An example would be to have online storage that you can view and interact with multimedia files without having to store the data on a device that has limited storage.

Cost:

As can be seen from a Wikipedia[5] description, there are a variety of storage charge options with cloud service providers.  Including the following:

  • Some online file storage services offer space on a per-gigabyte basis, and sometimes include a bandwidth cost
  • Some companies offer the service for free, relying on advertising revenue.
  • Some hosting services do not place any limit on how much space your account can consume.
  • Some services require a software download which makes files only available on computers which have that software installed; others allow users to retrieve files through any web browser.
  • Some sites offer free unlimited file storage but have a limit on the file size.

See the section on “Free” below for what we consider “free” and what service offers you need to beware of.  Taking into consideration the value gained from using cloud storage with respect to the cost of the service is a crucial factor in making the decision to use cloud storage and to choose a provider that is right for you.

Security and Reliability:

Another equally critical factor in determining if the service provider is right for you is whether the data you are storing is safe.  You need to determine if the data is secure and if the provider is reliable.

Security:  This deals with the aspects of being able to access your data on a continual basis while only allowing others with the proper credentials to access the data.  Being certain that your provider uses some form of encryption is vital to the decision of cloud storage.  This means that your data encoded in some manner and digital signatures are required so that hackers cannot access the data.

Reliability:  You need to rely on having someone store your data and make it available for you.  Continual access of your data will depend on several factors including how good the storage providers physical systems are (they also use hard disk drives), as well as the stability of your provider as a company (a financially stable company that will continue operations).  In this way you need to feel assured that the organization you are choosing will stay around and not go “belly-up” any time soon.

The Downside:

There are some disadvantages to using cloud storage which need to be identified.  This includes the following:

  1. You do not have direct control of your data.  While a cloud storage provider may even be more reliable and secure than your home PC system, you still have to rely on a third party to interact with your data.
  2. You are at the mercy of the Internet and have to deal with connectivity, bandwidth, and potential outages.  This can have an impact on performance.
  3. When you save your files online you transfer them to the storage service.  This involves uploading data and it is slower than downloading files.  Large files and numerous files can result in slowing down your computer.

However, despite these disadvantages, if you are interested in the benefits of cloud storage including sharing your files with others, accessing your files from many different devices, and benefiting from having your files stored on a system that is less vulnerable than what your home PC system in terms of theft, damage, or loss… then you will want to know the top contenders.

The Contenders:

There are numerous storage providers available and making an informed choice is not easy.  In this article we examine four “top contenders” – the providers what we deem reputable and provide a good service.  We will examine: Box, Google Drive, Microsoft SkyDrive,  and Dropbox.  Each of these has web browser interfacing.

Box:

While Box looks similar to other services (such as Dropbox), and while it has some of the same basic features it lacks a desktop client in the free version.   The mobile client displays a list of files and folders and a history of changes.  After uploading multimedia from your cell phone you can send them to box.com and share to email or Skype.

Cost and Storage:  They provide 5 GB of space free but they limit the size of the files you can upload to 250 MB.  It then goes up to $9.99 per month for 25 GB and $19.99 for 50 GB.  Business and Enterprise packages are also available. Visit Box.com for more information.

Google Drive:

Google Drive is offered by Google.  Google has multiple redundant storage facilities to ensure reliability.  There are applications that are native to Google – such as Google Docs – for Windows and Mac but there is no Linux native client but this is expected to be supported.  It does have Insync and native clients for Apple iOS, Android, and a web based interface for universal access.  There are those that consider the Google online suite to be advantageous as you can view a Google doc in the browser and share and collaborate on it with a group of people.  It also has some good revision features and editing functionality including the ability to instant message others working on the file.  However, there are disadvantages.  The downside to using an online application in this manner is that formatting differences exist.  For example, you can create and share a Google document and then attempt to put the file into a Word doc.  The formatting will not line up and you are left doing a lot of work formatting.

Cost and Storage:  They provide 5 GB of space when you sign up for free and further storage can be purchased as required.  There are a variety of monthly plans with varying storage options. Visit Google Drive for more information

Microsoft SkyDrive:

With respect to access, SkyDrive includes Windows, Mac, web, and remote access.  Mobile options include iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone, Android, and Mobile web.  You can collaborate with others on files as it includes online editing and version tracking.  There are also a variety of image showcase options such as online slide shows, posting to Facebook and Twitter, captions, and geotags.

Cost and Storage:  There is 7 GB of space offered for free and you can add 20 GB for $10, 50 GB for $25, or 100 GB for $50 per year.  As a per year cost this is better than the others that offer monthly costs. Visit Microsoft SkyDrive for more information.

Dropbox:

Drop Box supports web interfacing as well as having generic clients for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems and includes native client support for Android, Blackberry, and iOS.  This integration across platforms has given Dropbox a considerable competitive advantage over other providers.  The dropbox.com mobile app is fun to use as it has a modern look and fancy graphics.  Dropbox also has a very good recovery feature in case you need to recover accidentally deleted files. In terms of security, Dropbox uses modern encryption methods for transfer and storage of data – Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and AES-256 bit encryption.  They also use a two-step verification process at login.

Cost and Storage: Free storage starting at 2 GB of space. You can get 500 MB of additional space for each friend that you refer as well as using other methods of promotion such as taking a tour, providing feedback, or connecting to Facebook and Twitter.  You can earn free storage space up to a limit of 18 GB.  You can upgrade to 100 GB for $9.99 / month, or you can save money by paying the yearly fee of $99. Visit DropBox.com for more information.

 

In Common:  All four provides examined here have web interface functionality meaning you can upload and download files through your web browser.  To the best of our knowledge, all four also provide a client side application that integrates with the operating system.  For example, you can access the file using Windows Explorer as if they were local to your computer or device.

Free:

Free is free.  Free software is not “nagware” – nag the user with popup messages until their will is broken and they reluctantly buy the product.  Let’s look at the levels of free software as we experience them:

Freeware: Software that is completely free with full functionality.  There may be a way for users of the product to donate to the creators of the program.  There are no time constraints and upgrades and offers are available and free as well.

Free with add-ons included: Some software vendors generate profit by including add-ons that are downloaded and become a part of your computing experience.  These can be toolbars, ActiveX controls, or Browser Help Objects.  (See our “How to Reset IE” article for more information on removal of add-ons.)

Free Trial version: This is software that enables the user to try the product to see if they want to buy the full version.  There can be some functionality disabled or partially in place (such as using watermarks on images).  These can be for a limited time and then you can choose to no longer run the trial version or you can buy the full version.

Nagware: Software that makes the claim that it is free and it is true there is no initial cost.  However, popup messages appear every time you use the software, messages for upgrading appear and do not provide you the option to configure to not bother you again.

Our recommendation:

To begin, we feel that as a user first entering into the cloud storage world, baby steps are in order. Trying one or more of these services for free is a good way to start.  We also recommend that you do not rely solely on cloud storage as a means of backing up your data.  We would suggest instead that you use a combination of your PC, external hard drive, and online storage.  While it is true that all hard drives will eventually fail, it is a safe bet to have data on more than one device as simultaneous failure is very unlikely.  This way you will have the best of all worlds… being able to back up your important files, share any files via the cloud to others, access file on your own mobile devices, and feel secure in the knowledge that your data is safe from the most common forms of loss.

We do not recommend that all your data be backed up online until you feel more assured that this is the solution for you.  In which case, you will need to look at a whole new set of features such as how well the service interacts with Internet Explorer and how well it synchronizes your files.

For a free online cloud storage that offers good storage, has multi-platform support, offers a variety of access to devices, and is easy to use… we give Dropbox the nod.  The reasons include:

  • It offers 2 GB of free space with no time restrictions or nags and you can get more storage using their incentive promotions.  This leaves the choice up to you as to whether you want to get more space if you feel you need it.
  • It sets up very well with Windows Explorer in that you get the sense that the files are local to your computer and you can easily upload and download them.
  • It has very good cross platform support so you can synchronize between computers and devices.
  • It is easy to use, secure, reliable, and one of the least intrusive programs of its kind.

One More Recommendation:

Don’t just take our word for it – do some due diligence.  You need to feel that the service and the company you are dealing with can be trusted.  We suggest examining their website and finding out where they are located, what contact information they have, what support they offer.  These factors indicate stability and actual proof of existence.  We are of the opinion that it is still possible to have a relationship to vendors even if they are part of our digital world.  While there are many scam artists out there, we feel that the best way to profit in any industry is through long term established and trusting relations.

We hope this information has been helpful to you, our readers.  In our blog article we will provide some instruction on how begin using an online cloud storage such as Dropbox.  We have no affiliation with the vendors we recommend and do not profit in any way through our recommendation.  Our views here are based primarily on our experiences and we hope to pass these views forward.

Reference

[1] http://gbr.pepperdine.edu
[2] http://channelnomics.com
[3] http://www.deepspar.com
[4] http://www.pcworld.com
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org

Secure Computing Practices

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Synopsis:  This blog article focuses on the privacy and personal security functionality of PC Clean Maestro– the removal of personal and private files.  There are numerous examples of cybercrime and online hacking which exemplify damages that can be lost in terms of financial wealth, private data, and personal information that can be used against your will.  In this article we will offer some examples of how you can prevent falling into malicious traps.  For more detail of cybercrime examples refer to our newsletter.  While encryption and firewall techniques are available, experts agree that there are always vulnerable points of entry.  We emphasize eliminating the risk by removal of data where possible.

Introducing – PC Clean Maestro:

The CompuClever application PC Clean Maestro has more than one major function.  It is used to remove junk files, to uninstall programs, and for removal of data for purposes of security and retaining PC privacy. Removing private data that is sensitive or can be stolen is done in the same manner as removing junk files with minor differences.  We will outline the procedure here in step-by-step fashion.  Before we begin, let’s start with a best practice tip.

Best Practices: 1. BackUp Data

As we stated in our previous article… backup your data!  This article deals with removal – permanent removal – of sensitive and private items.  As can be seen in the list provided below, these are items that are automatically created by ongoing functions of your PC including passwords, personal credentials and ID’s that you have entered when online.

It is good practice to make a copy of all files that are important to you and safer practice to keep these stored on an external hard drive. Today’s hard drives are often more gigabytes than the average person needs – and some are now terabyte in size (1,000 GBs).  External hard drives prices are very reasonable and there the added advantage of having a good backup and storage strategy is that you are working toward optimizing free space on your PC so that it can run faster.

Try out Microsoft’s Sync Toy.  This free tool makes synchronizing your files fast and easy.  You can avoid duplication and feel assured that you haven’t missed backing up all your files.

Best Practices: 2. Configure Your Browser Privacy

You can configure your browser settings to better restrict the privacy controls.  Refer to your browser settings and look for “privacy” or “security” (or both).  By configuring these settings you choose what items to block or restrict including cookies and Private browsing or Do Not Track (DNT) browsing traffic.  In recent years all major browsers have included a Do Not Track (DNT) option.  This enables a user to choose to not have their online activities tracked.  This applies to Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Opera.  The one shortcoming of this: “The Do Not Track system is completely voluntary, and there are no legal or technological requirements for its use. As such, not all websites and advertisers will honor the request or may completely ignore it altogether.”[1]

The Personal Security and Privacy Scan

By using PC Clean Maestro you can detect personal data items that are automatically stored on your PC.  Any of these items on their own may not constitute a substantial threat.  However, these items together – personal addresses, passwords, account information, and more – can be used together to provide an intruder what they need to gain access to perform financial transactions or use your data unlawfully. Here is a summary of the items that PC Clean Maestro scans:

Personal Security

  • Personal Identity Information: IDs and passwords used for Windows and for Internet access.
  • Saved Forms Entry Data: name, address, phone number, credit card information.

Privacy

  • Chat & Instant Messaging History: Skype and Windows Messenger messaging content.
  • Internet Browsing History: visited URLs, downloads, search history, cached images.
  • Multimedia History: videos watched.
  • Windows & Application History: Windows clipboard, document history, applications used.
Note: For a complete list of categories scanned, including sub items, see this knowledge-base article. As we will see, you have the option of choosing only the items you want to scan and remove.

The Steps:

There are three areas of cleaning using the Clean Tool.  We are staying focused on the privacy and security aspects of PC Clean Maestro.  The following instructions detail how to remove items that are a threat to personal security and privacy.

Step 1:  First you need to open the program.  The window will appear similar to as seen below.  We have expanded the Personal Security and Privacy sub-item sections to get a closer look at the items listed.

Select Items to Scan - PC Clean Maestro

Step 2:  Select items to scan.  Of the check boxes available you can review and clear items you want to remain on your PC.

Note: You can refer to the help file for instructions on how to use the three-state check box system.

Step 3:  Initiate the scan using the “Start” button.

Step 4:  Review and Clean.  A summary of the scan is displayed including the number of detected items found in each category, the size that can be reclaimed, and a “Details” link.  The link will provide the complete list of items found and the location of each item.  You can clear any selected items before moving on to the next step.

Privacy and Security Scan Results - PC Clean Maestro

Step 5: Clean.  Click the “Clean” button to permanently delete the selected items.

Note: Once you begin the Clean process, PC Clean Maestro presents a warning dialog when certain privacy items are selected from the Scan results.  This is a preventive step, a safeguard measure, so as to not unintentionally remove items.  Refer to the help file for a description of the warning, the list of items, and recommendations about what you need to do before choosing an option.

Best Practices:  3. Regular Use of PC Clean Maestro

Create an automated schedule.  Use the Options button in the Main window and select the Clean Scan Schedule.  From here you can configure when you want an automated scheduled scan to run.

Question Period:

What browsers do you support?
We support Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Windows Internet Explorer.  We also support the cleanup of history information recorded by Skype, Adobe Flash Player, Microsoft Excel, Power Point, Microsoft Word and several Windows items.

What are cookies?  Do I need to remove them?
Web cookies are used to identify you and prepare customized web pages.  Here is an example: you do online banking and it involves entering your account and password.  When you do a cookie is created that will store the account information so that when you next visit the site you only have to press the first letter or number of your account and it displays the rest.  This is pretty handy right?  This is where you have to decide if the convenience is worth the potential risk of having your account information passed on to someone who can access your PC without your knowledge or approval.

How often do I need to clean personal and private data?
Much of this depends on how often you perform certain functions on your PC.  For example, when you do online banking a cookie is created when one is absent (even though you removed it from the previous session).  You can look into not having your browser store web cookies but this is only one aspect of what you may want removed from your PC.  Regular removal of your browser cache is good practice – it maintains your privacy and frees up space.  Browser caches and a history of your online activities are automatically stored by your web browser.

Best Practices:  4. Staying on Guard

  • Take note of drastic changes to your PC!   If there is a malicious item that has infected your PC, chances are it will alter the functioning of your PC. Make sure your vital financial information is not accessible as stated in this article.  Next, consider using a trusted anti-malware application that can scan and remove the intrusion.
  • Be aware of suspicious emails and phone calls.  Here are two examples:
    1. An email arrives in your mailbox saying that your PayPal has been suspended (or your credit card is blocked).  The email looks very authenticate.  The same font and colors that PayPal uses on their website.  The email uses your email address in the “From” column.  The email goes on to instruct you to click a link to activate your account.What do you do? Not getting an actual email address from the trusted company is your first clue that something isn’t quite right.  An informed PC user will hover the mouse cursor over the link and look in the bottom of the window (the status bar) to see if the link that is displayed is in fact one belonging to PayPal.  To verify this is a potential hack or scam of some kind, you can also right-click the link – being very careful to not actually left-mouse click and get taken directly to a web page that may download unwanted items to your PC.  So… you carefully, right-click the link and select “Copy Link Location”.  You can now open your browser and check the validity of the URL by going to a site like URLVoid.  Simply paste the link and submit it for verification.  Even if it does come up clean… you can always go to the source.  Contact the trusted company and give them the details.  In this case… they will ask you to forward the emails so they can follow up with this spoof.
    2. You get a phone call (with no phone ID displayed) and someone says they are from “Windows” and states they have detected that there is a virus on your computer.  They immediately ask you if you are by your computer and if you can follow some instructions.  You are directed to go to a web site and run some tests.  What do you do?You do not have to follow their instructions if you do not trust who is on the other end of the phone.  Ask for verification of who they are.  Ask how they obtained your phone number.  Ask them for their name and phone number so that you can call them back.  You will find that the phone call will end quickly by them and you have protected your personal data and the integrity of your PC.

Keeping your PC safe requires a bit of effort and a whole lot of vigilance.  Hackers are like predators – they will prey on the weak.  In this case the weak are the uninformed.  We hope this has helped you gain an upper hand in defending your PC safety.

Reference

[1] www.Wikipedia.org

Privacy and Security – Touchless Cyber Crime

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Synopsis: Our goal in presenting the following information is not to scare our reader base but to inform. With knowledge of real and potential PC crimes and threats you can take steps to guard yourself. Brace yourself for the real world as we take a look at some of the trends in cybercrime and security breaches. After that we introduce the privacy and security features available with PC Clean Maestro.

Cybercrime has been a growing concern since the onset of the first computer virus. The very first PC threats were more about status and cyber geeks flexing their brain muscle as they penetrate computer defenses and proliferate in typical virus fashion. These days there is much more to lose. Personal information and finances can be stolen with the use of more sophisticated and stealthy technology. One recent hot topics in this field is “skimming wallets” – theft which involves just walking past someone and picking up there credit card information. We will look at this and other forms of cybercrime and speak to how to guard yourself from PC cyber attacks.

Trends and Threats:

Researchers and security professional are in agreement: breaches of PC security are on the rise.  This is not only at an individual level but even with institutions and businesses that have considerable expertise and finances directed specifically at cybercrime prevention.

Here are some outstanding examples:

  • In 2011, Sony failed to protect over 100 million user records and suffered losses of over 1 billion dollars along with customer relations.
  • Google, Yahoo, and dozens of Silicon Valley companies were hacked by the government of China in 2009.  It was announced that it was for the purpose of gathering information on Chinese human rights activists although Google also stated that intellectual property was stolen.  The exploitation took advantage of a weakness in Internet Explorer.
  • NASA experienced 13 security breaches in 2011.  This occurred after spending just over a third of its 1.5 billion annual IT budget on cybersecurity.  The attack resulted in hackers gaining full functional control of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory systems.
  • 134 million credit and debit cards were exposed in March of 2008.  This occurred despite the fact that security analysts had warned online retailers of the vulnerability.  The attackers were able to install spyware via a SQL injection and obtain Heartland Payment Systems data.
  • April 26, 2013 – the website LivingSocial which offers online deals suffered a database hack and compromised the personal information of over 50 million people including names, email addresses, and encrypted passwords. The attacks utilized web applications to access the databases.

There are numerous examples and the instances will go on despite the fact that continual research and money goes into prevention.  The fact is cybercrime is innovative and exploits mistakes and takes advantage of technologies that are designed for our convenience.Several of the above examples involve institutional, corporate or business attacks – systems that were fortified by well-financed security systems.  If these can fall prey to cyber attacks, it becomes easy to imagine how personal PC attacks can occur.

Identity Theft:  This form of theft is considered one of the fastest growing crimes.  Some reports[1] state that 9 million people in the US fall victim to identity theft and that in 2010 there were $37 billion in losses.  For the most part online hackers are able to avoid being caught as less than 700 crimes lead to an arrest.  One of the most challenging thefts in terms of detection is that of child identity theft:

Child advocates, regulators, financial services and other professionals agree it is a particularly damaging crime that can go undetected for years, only to be discovered when the victim applies for a student loan or credit card.[2]

At Stake:

There are those that feel there likely isn’t much at stake with respect to data obtained from a PC.  However, with identify theft you stand the chance of a thief running up thousands of dollars in charges, committing crimes using your name, opening up a bank account and running up bills on credit cards that are charged to you.  Identify theft can result in financial fraud involving frauds related to credit cards, tax refunds, social programs, mail fraud, and even other computer crime.  What could be worse than becoming the victim of a cybercrime and be held accountable for other cybercrime?  An example of this is the case in December of 2000 where a U.S. Air Force system was hacked and code for controlling communication and spy satellites was downloaded to a computer in Sweden.  The Swedish destination had no idea and cooperated with the investigation and further activity was traced to Germany which was also believed to be used by a distant hacker

Then there is a loss of private information.  On March of 2013, a website titled “The Secret Files” became public.  It exposed personal and private information of numerous public figures and celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher, Jay-Z, Tiger Woods, Bill Gates, Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton.  The information included social security numbers, credit reports, addresses and phone numbers of celebrities and public figures.

What about the ramifications with respect to loss of data?  In 2006 a laptop in custody of a data analyst was stolen that contained personal and health data of about 26.5 million active duty troops and veterans. The agency has estimated that it will cost between $100 million to $500 million to prevent and cover possible losses from the data theft.[3]

The Technology:

Advancements in computing technology can lead to both convenience and, when used for fraudulent or harmful purposes, invasion and loss of proprietary data and personal finances. There are those referred to as “black hat” hackers that can carry out targeted attacks (possibly picked at random or for personal gain).  They will scan the network to determine how vulnerable it is by testing all the ports on a host machine.  Any open ports that do respond can allow access to the hacker.

Even more prominent is the onslaught of a new breed of hackers that have little to no expertise.  These hackers are referred to as a “script kiddie” or skiddie. They simply download from the web pre-made automated tools to break into other’s computers.

Near Field: Smartphones and mobile devices can use Near Field Communications in such a manner as to conduct data exchange, contactless transactions, and more complex communications such as Wi-Fi.   Hackers are using this technology to brush by someone to gain credit card information.  It’s a form of pick pocketing without even touching someone.

More widespread and well-established techniques involve stealing ones laptop or gaining online access to ones PC.  Accessing the data is a matter of getting past and security and encryption by means of hacking the code.

All websites and computer-related programs are run by some sort of code. Whatever program was used to design it, such as HTML, C++ or JavaScript, hackers try to exploit the code and find its weakness. They try to find a way to get around the security codes by using special programs or writing their own codes to try and alter the original. [4]

Drive-by Downloads: A special note must be made for the drive-by download method of hacking.  This involves the following steps:

  1. A hacker injects code into a vulnerable website that is malicious in nature.
  2. The injected code exploits vulnerabilities in the browser of those people that surf to the infected website.  This can also occur through commonly used plug-ins such as Flash and Adobe.
  3. The malware silently works in a way that, in some cases, can evade antivirus detection.  It launches malicious applications that control the infected machine and steals private and personal information.

If you are interested in reading more on the subject of hacking we recommend that you take a look at the PC World article that describes the process used by a 23 year old white hacker (an ethical security expert) and a 19 year old black hat hacker.  This describes the use of programs that can identify the computer information, ones to crack passwords, and other tools to examine the content of the PC being targeted. [5]

Private Data: One important note about information that can be collected and used by companies: there are public and private databases that gather up statistics about you: “everything from your shopping habits to your health history”.  This information can be made available, even bought and sold “to creditors, employers, landlords, insurers, law enforcement agencies, and, of course, criminals”.[6] This can have life-changing impacts on you or it can merely be used to direct advertisements in your direction when you are browsing online.

Solution – Guard Yourself:

Common strategies to guarding yourself from attacks include – what else – using technologies designed to protect your PC.  This includes security firewalls, data encryption, and using passwords (and regularly changing passwords).  However, it is commonly agreed that utilizing security tools alone, such as antivirus software, firewall and intrusion detection applications, will not suffice.  You need to patch up vulnerabilities.  Commonly used programs, including your web browser and your operating system, need to have the latest security patch upgrades.

Those that are self-proclaimed hackers will state that there are no safe places to hide your personal information once hacked.  For this reason alone, we recommend the most effective strategy – remove confidential and private data on your PC.

Remove and protect Confidential Data:

Although you may not be aware of it, your PC stores personal and private information such as passwords, credit card information, email, chat communications, and more.  This exposes you to identity and security threats.  The need to completely remove confidential data from your PC is fundamental but requires some understanding of the fact that data can be recreated even after you have supposedly deleted it.

Tip – Deletion:  Complete deletion of data needs to occur when throwing out or re-selling devices including PC’s, laptops, mobile devices, USB keys, external data storage, and the like.  You need to look into methods of file deletion and reformatting of the drive.

Keep in mind that standard deletion of files in most cases will not be sufficient.  When you delete something it is removed to the Recycle bin so that you have the opportunity to re-claim it.  You need to empty it periodically.  We recommend that your use the technology available with PC Clean Maestro as an effective method of cleaning your PC as we have outlined in our previous article, and to remove private data to safely protect yourself from losing private information as a result of a malicious incident of cybercrime.

Tip – Configure Your Browser:  You can configure your browser settings to better restrict the privacy controls.  By doing so you choose what items to block or restrict including cookies and Private browsing or Do Not Track (DNT) browsing traffic.  In recent years all major browsers have included a Do Not Track option.  This enables a user to choose to not have their online activities tracked.  This applies to Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Opera.  The one shortcoming of this: “The Do Not Track system is completely voluntary, and there are no legal or technological requirements for its use. As such, not all websites and advertisers will honor the request or may completely ignore it altogether.”[7]

For a list of items identified as private and related to personal security, please see our blog article along with complete instructions on how to safely remove these.

Now that you are in the know about the potential of hacking and about keeping your personal computing private, we will provide some instruction on how to go about it in our blog article including how to use the Security and Privacy tools.  We hope the PC Clean Maestro operations will help you feel more confident about operating your PC safely.

References

[1] www.InvestingAnswers.com

[2] www.IdentityTheftAssistance.org

[3] Wikipedia.org 

[4] www.ehow.com

[5] PCWorld.com

[6] www.consumerreports.org

[7] Wikipedia.org

The Clean and Uninstaller Tools

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Synopsis: This blog article focuses on the free functionality of PC Clean Maestro – the removal of junk files and the Uninstaller.  There are considerable advantages to be realized by cleaning your PC which we cover in our newsletter.  In a nutshell, systematic cleaning can improve PC performance and responsiveness.  It is also a highly recommended step in the process of defragmentation.

Introducing – PC Clean Maestro:

With PC Clean Maestro you can remove junk files and uninstall programs so as to free up space.  By doing so you clear up PC clutter which can bog down the system and lead to poor system performance.   We will provide two sets of instructions for the Clean tool and for the Uninstaller.  Some best practices are provided so that your experience can be simplified and more trouble-free.  Before we begin, let’s start with a best practice tip.

Best Practices:

Backup!  This article deals with removal – permanent removal – of unwanted items.  The key is “unwanted”.  We strongly recommend that you make a copy of all files that are important to you.  The price of external hard drives makes this a no-brainer.  Today’s hard drives are often more gigabytes than the average person needs – and some are now terabyte in size (1,000 GBs).  The added advantage of having a good backup and storage strategy is that you are working toward optimizing free space on your PC.

Recommendation: Try out Microsoft’s Sync Toy.  This free tool makes synchronizing your files fast and easy.  You can avoid duplication and feel assured that you haven’t missed backing up all your files.

The Tools:

1. The Clean Tool

There are three areas of cleaning that can take place using the Clean Tool.  We are staying focused on the free aspects of PC Clean Maestro.  The following instructions detail how to remove junk files from your PC.

Step 1:  First you need to open the program.  The window will appear as seen here:

Scan & Clean Junk from Your PC - PC Clean Maestro

 

Step 2:  Select items to clean.  We are going to focus on junk items only so clear the checkboxes for Personal Security and Privacy.  You can then review and select any of the items in the Junk section (Installer Files, Log Files, Temp Files, etc.).

Note: You can refer to the help file for instructions on how to display all the individual items that are categorized.  You can also get information on the three state check box system.

Step 3:  Initiate the scan using the “Start” button.

Step 4:  Review and Clean.  A summary of the scan is displayed including the number of detected items found in each category, the size that can be reclaimed, and a “Details” link.  The link will provide the complete list of items found and the location of each item.  You can clear any selected items before moving on to the next step.

Step 5: Clean.  Click the “Clean” button to permanently delete these junk items.

Best Practices:
Create an automated schedule.  Use the Options button in the Main window and select the Clean Scan Schedule.  From here you can configure when you want an automated scheduled scan to run.

2. The Uninstaller

The second tool we are outlining in this article is designed to uninstall programs.  As you will see, you also have the option of modifying and repairing certain applications.  Let’s get started.

Step 1:  Open the program and click the “Uninstaller” button in the navigation panel located on the left side.  The window will appear as seen here:

Uninstall Application Cleanly - PC Clean Maestro

 

Step2:  Review the list.  You can select items in the list and refer to the information that is displayed in the right panel.

Step 3:  Select one of the available options in the right panel.  In some cases an application will provide the options of “Repair” and “Change”.  If you are certain you no longer use an application you can click the “Uninstall” button.

Note: This procedure cannot be undone.   You would need to re-install the program to restore it to your PC.

Question Period:

How do I know if a program can be removed?

The rule of thumb is to only remove items you know are not required.  For example, A third party application that is not part of the operating system and is rarely used can be removed without too much impact to you or the system.

There are a lot of Windows Driver Package items in my list.  Can I remove them?

It is best not to remove Windows drivers as this can have an impact on how your computer and peripherals function.  In most all cases these are not large in size and you would not gain much by removing them.

How do I know if a program is from a trusted source?

Select the item in the list and make sure that the manufacturer of the application (refer to the “Publisher” portion in the information panel on the right), is a trusted one.

Best Practices:

  • Vigilance!  Use caution when installing programs.  Sometimes add-ons can come with programs and there are cases where you are not getting what you expect.  Make sure to do your homework before you commit.  Look for a digital signature from the manufacturer during installation.  These are obtained from only a few security companies that issue digital signatures that go through rigid methods of testing. You can also perform Google searches to display objective customer reviews.  Be careful that these are from valid sources.  With a little effort you can better authenticate the validity of an application and the manufacturer of the program.
  • We also recommend that you keep your programs up-to-date.  Make sure to check that you are running secure programs with all the latest patches and updates.
Keeping your PC clean is like house chores… it is something we all tend to avoid but when you make the effort the rewards are really noticeable and can be maintained.  We hope this article brings you closer to a more positive PC experience.