Technology Psychology

Kulhanek, LLC exists to support home, home office, and small business owners in planning, purchasing and maintaining technology.  We work with our clients to address their unique needs around business processes, home user needs for life management and the use of technology for fun and entertainment.

We find that small business owners and residential users often rely on retail sales staff when making a purchase, and retail repair services when problems arise. Often, there is little or no discussion at the point of sale or repair about the customers particular user habits, preferences, past use and forward planning. Unfortunately, without this conversation, business and home users often find the purchase or repair is not tailored to their specific goals.

Our clients frequently express embarrassment about what they don't know, and usually feel like other users are more knowledgeable. We empower our clients to develop confidence in what they know and assist with ongoing education as technology advances. This leaves our clients with a sense of control and direction when considering the numerous technologies available to them and how to care for their investment properly from the start.

Kulhanek, LLC has 17 years of experience in computer networking, and would like to thank our patrons for their continued loyalty since our business opened. We celebrate our 6th year in business on February 9th, 2013.

 

Security Obscurity

“Today is a new day.” Computer users please keep this in mind when thinking about security. It does not matter whether you are a Mac user or a PC user. Security is more than just preventing malicious software from interfering with normal computing functions and wreaking havoc on your computer. Security includes making sure computers are not vulnerable to the outside world regardless of the operating system in use. Security also pertains to protecting your personal and business information, and avoiding misuse of your computer by others to access other computer systems.

People often become accustomed to what they know about what makes a computer and network secure. This leads to trouble for many users because security needs change. For example:

• Do you remember learning not to open an email attachment unless you knew who sent it? Then things changed and people started to receive emails with an attachment from someone they did know, but it turned out the known sender did not generate it?

• Do you know what a phishing email looks like? How about the new trend in phishing where you, the user, is directed away from a legitimate site like your bank, and redirected unbeknownst to you, to a phishing site that looks exactly like your bank site. The site is identical to most people and even has the green security bar at the top of the browser showing the site is secure. The only telling sign for most is a slightly modified request for not only the user name and password, but also a field for debit card or account number information and a request for your PIN.

• Do you feel your computer is secure when you have an up-to-date firewall and antivirus solution? The general discussion about this has been that these two very important solutions secure your computer. A clean scan does not mean your computer is secure. However, in the past, being aware of this fact seemed less important than it is today. This is more important to understand now because more people are getting into the networks of others and they are doing it without anyone’s knowledge. Cybercrime always seems a step ahead of the solutions available.

The shift in understanding computer and network security begins with knowing how cybercrime is changing. The most damaging hackers today do not want to impress others with their ability to get into networks. They want to get in undetected and remain that way for as long as possible.

Changing trends makes it more difficult for the solutions you use to be effective. The following sites provide useful information about security issues that affect you and your computer network:

For Mac users:

http://www.apple.com/support/security/

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

For Windows users:

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/

Other Resources:

https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/resource-center/cyber-insecurity/cyber-insecurity-hub.htm

These links do not cover everything. However, they are a good place to begin brushing up on things you may not already know. Consider this!

Start Maintenance As Soon As You Buy Your Computer

The best place to start minimizing your headaches with computing is to start at the beginning. You can take steps to maintain your computer at the time of purchase. Many people do not know what to do first.

Think of your computer as an investment if you do not already. Start your plan for future repairs as soon as you bring your computer to your home or work. Read the documents that come with the computer and check your model on the manufacturer’s website. Determine from these two sources what you need to restore the computer to its original factory settings. Check these resources before using your new computer. They are your best guide to early preparation required in order to recover the default configuration that comes with your computer.

There is always a possibility you will have to reinstall your operating system sometime during ownership. Do not talk yourself into thinking this will not happen to you or believe that waiting to see if it happens is an easier approach. You will find all solutions online begin with your knowledge of the specific needs of your computer and the requirement that you have the tools to get your computer back to working condition. You can ask the sales person that sold you your computer to inform you or look to other online resources outside of the manufacturer to get your information, but you will not know if what you find is accurate or complete until it is too late. Take the time to confirm what you find using the information created specifically for your computer.

Computers should come with a recovery CD, a restore partition, or a way to create a onetime set of recovery discs. Beware of assuming that a second partition includes the ability to restore your computer without the assistance of a disc. Sometimes these partitions only allow you to get to a place on your computer where a disc is then required.

Create a space to store all documentation, licensing, and software together. Keep your old driver software (software that helps your operating system communicate with your hardware). Original drivers become hard to find when the manufacturer retires a part.

You may find an updated driver and at times will be intentional in your search to keep your computer up-to-date or to correct an issue not related to a fresh install. However, when you are trying to recover an operating system, you want the option of using your old drivers.

Using a new driver on an old system when you are trying to restore it from scratch may require other upgrades to work properly. It is usually not worth the extra effort when you are trying to get back in service unless the driver is the source of your problem.

Remember, the likelihood of having to recover your operating system from scratch exists as a possibility throughout the life of your computer. People often file documentation and software away or toss it after a year or two passes. It is not easy to predict what will be important down the line, but accurate information and the ability to recreate what was there at purchase will save hours and money. Please keep your resources accessible as long as you own the computer. Consider This!

My First Day on the Blog

This first post is to suggest you return to this blog once you find it. The intention is to help those who own computers avoid paying to have them fixed. The computer is often the first opportunity to understand a user's philosophy about care of their technology. People who own computers typically have internet connections that set the stage for networking and mobile needs, etc. The goal of this blog is to provide information that will support an alternative to waiting for things to break before taking action.

Many small business owners and consumers historically have not made a commitment to care proactively for their technology assets. This is often due to lack of resources including the availability of affordable providers. Consequently, purchases can lead to disappointment; equipment does not always last as long as it should; owners have less control over information (i.e., business data, photos, music, etc.) that belongs to them.

This blog is about hands on experience and observations. The aim is to encourage small business owners and consumers to make a different kind of investment in their technology.

Consider changing the way you think about your current approach. Here you will find information that will help. People willing to commit to preventive maintenance, understanding current security threats, wise purchasing, and protecting stored information will benefit in the end. Investing time to learn and be involved has a pay-off.

Many people feel ill prepared or uninterested in knowing more. Often there is not time. The more you rely on others to manage your technology without your involvement, the less you will get for what you pay.

Please stay tuned for the next post.