AYS Technologies Canada - Mississauga, Brampton, Cambridge, Kitchener

29Jun 2017 by Mark No Comments

Using an MSP for your Computer Support

Computers

You might have the mistaken assumption that old Jim from the office can work on the servers and provide computer support whenever your business experiences technology hiccups. While it's true Jim might have some computer support knowledge, he doesn't have the expertise a managed service provider can give you. Not to mention, you can free up your employees to focus on the more pressing issues that keep your business productive. However, when you first begin your search for a managed service provider, you are likely to be faced with a plethora of good and bad choices. What do you look for, and how do you know when a managed service provider will measure up to their promises? Fixed Monthly Cost An MSP with a fixed monthly cost puts you on…

12Jan 2017 by Mark No Comments

Computer Security-How To Protect Your PC

Security

Malicious software, commonly referred to as malware, is any software that brings harm to a computer. Malware can be in the form of worms, viruses, spyware, adware, trojans, and rootkits, among others. The intent of malware varies, but the most common goals include stealing protected data, deleting documents and adding software not approved by a user. Read on for some basic tips on computer security. Malware can cause serious damage to any business, so that’s why we’ve created this guide to help you understand what malware is and how you can protect against it. What types of malware are out there? Some sophisticated forms of malware are intended to spy on the user. These are commonly referred to as “spyware.” Once installed on a computer, spyware can monitor a user’s…

16Jun 2016 by Mark No Comments

Security Best Practices, Pt. 1

Computers, Security

These days more than ever companies large and small need to remain vigilant in the face of the ever growing, ever changing face of internet security threats. Effective computer maintenance has never been more important. There was a time when simply having a reliable antivirus (AV) program on your computer was enough. Nowadays the bad guys are smarter, their tools are better, and the attack surface (amount of ways they can reach you) is greater than ever. What I hope to achieve with this series is to give you a sense of what threats are out there, without fear mongering and hysteria. As they say in the movies, just the facts, ma'am (or sir). At the time the operating systems (usually Windows XP) and more specifically Internet Explorer 6 or…

25May 2015 by Mark

Debunked: Your SSD won’t lose data if left unplugged after all | PCWorld

Computers

If you’re in a panic because the Internet told you that your shiny new SSD may lose data in “just a few days” when stored in a hot room, take a chill pill—it’s apparently all a huge misunderstanding, according to the man who wrote the original presentation all the fear is based on.In a conversation with Kent Smith of Seagate and Alvin Cox regarding data loss and business continuity, the Seagate engineer who wrote the presentation that set the Internet abuzz, PCWorld was told we’re all just reading it wrong.“People have misunderstood the data that they’re looking at,” Smith said. Cox agreed saying there’s no reason to fret. “I wouldn’t worry about (losing data),” Cox told PCWorld. “This all pertains to end of life. As a consumer, an SSD product or even…

18Nov 2012 by Mark No Comments

AYS is a Counterforce Alarm and Security Dealer

Security

These days it's easy to get concerned about your personal security when reading the news on a daily basis. Home invasions, break and enter, people stealing cars. It seems that there is no end to bad people doing bad things. While it's important not to live our lives in fear, the sad truth is that there are many people out there that we do not want in our homes or places of business. Traditionally an alarm system was pretty straight-forward and simple. You put a contact on each door and window, and a motion sensor in your living room, and the system would dial the monitoring station if someone forced open a door or a window. While those traditional options still exist and are the core of the system, nowadays…

08Oct 2012 by Mark No Comments

Some Basic Computer Security Tips

Uncategorized

These days as always it is important to stay safe on the internet. Every day it seems we hear of more and more ingenious ways that crooks and scammers are trying to infiltrate our lives using the internet. Computer maintenance and online backup are more important than ever! Here are some more general tips to stay safe: 1) Unsolicited Tech Support - If anyone claiming to be from Microsoft, or Tech Support, or anywhere else calls you to tell you that they have detected a problem with your computer, just hang up. No legitimate companies can or will do that, so it is definitely a scam. We've heard of that happening to a few clients over the last year or so, so heads up. 2) Are you still running Windows…

12Jun 2012 by Mark No Comments

When It Comes to Your Data…

Computers

Always be prepared. One problem that I see all the time with home clients as well as business clients is that they never think that data corruption or loss can happen to them. Or they just haven't thought through the implications of losing all the information they have stored up over the years. If you running a business, are you prepared to start from scratch with customer lists, account information, order history, emails etc? For home users do you really want to lose all the pictures of your children, vacations and parties? I have had to deliver the sad news before, and it is not a nice feeling, especially when you consider how easy it is these days to think like a scout and be prepared. We need to be…

28May 2012 by Mark No Comments

What are IP or Megapixel Security Cameras?

Security

It is important to first seperate the 2 terms. Not all IP cameras are megapixel, but with few exceptions, all Megapixel cameras will be IP. Basically IP means "Internet Protocol". This is a term borrowed from the computer world since IP cameras are basically cameras with an on-board computer. As such they will run on Cat5 or network cable, will require network infrastructure such as switches and routers, and require a special knowledge from the installer beyond simply installing the camera and pointing and focussing. The term Megapixel refers to the quality of the picture. Standard Analog cameras are on the high end half a Megapixel, or roughly 640 X 480 Pixels. A 1.3 megapixel camera is 1280 X 1024, which is slightly better than a 720P television. At the…

07Sep 2011 by Mark No Comments

Learn to Google like the pros

Computers

One handy and simple tool I find myself using often is the "Site" operator in a Google search. It's a little trick I learned while doing some computer training. Often I find myself needing some info and knowing what site it is on. In those cases I can use Google to help me pinpoint exactly what I want. [caption id="attachment_246" align="alignright" width="150"] google search computer training[/caption] Example: Lets say I am doing some product research for a new set of headphones. I know that I really like the reviews at engadget (www.engadget.com). So instead of just Googling "Headphones", I enter the following in the search bar: headphones site:engadget.com This tells Google to only return results from Engadget. Now if you try the above example, you will see that there are…

08Aug 2011 by Mark No Comments

Why do I need SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?

Web Design & SEO

Search Engine Optimization is the science behind getting your website as near to the top of the search engine results as possible and keeping it there. In todays world the internet is playing a bigger part than ever before in people's lives. Most likely if someone is searching for something, from Auto repair to massage therapy to scrapbooking supplies, they will use the internet. There is no doubt it can be a great way to increase your business, and is vital in today's world. In order to effectively mount an SEO campaign, you need to answer a few key questions: -Who are the people I am trying to reach -What are those people typing into their search engine when trying to find the services I offer? -What is my geographic…