Computer safety - Old City Web Services

E-Mail: 5 Tips You Need to Know

November 9, 2011 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

1. Customers prefer an email address at your domain.

You may have had your Yahoo, Hotmail or Bellsouth account for years, but when it comes to doing business online in 2011, customers prefer the professional touch of an email address at your domain. For example, if your website is bobswidgets.com, your professional email address should be something like owner@bobswidgets.com or talktous@bobswidgets.com.

2. You can still have your email forwarded to your old address.

As an Old City Web Services customer, you have the option to choose whether you check a separate inbox for your website email online or have it forwarded to another email account. If you’d prefer to save time and only have to check one inbox, let us know and we will forward your business email (like owner@bobswidgets.com) to your personal email account (bob@bellsouth.net). You can also have up to 10 business email addresses with each domain you host with OCWS.

3. When selecting an email account, don’t be afraid to get creative!

It’s common to see email addresses on the web like contact@bobswidgets.com or info@bobswidgets.com, but common isn’t always good. Those email addresses tend to get spammed more than others, so we advise injecting a little creativity into your email address. It will also make your address more memorable for your customers.

4. Send photos as attachments instead of pasting them into your email.

If you’re sharing pictures with someone over email, they will receive a higher quality image if you attach the file to your email instead of pasting the picture itself into the body of the email. In

WorldClient, it’s as easy as clicking on the paperclip button, choosing your file, and clicking the “Add as attachment” button! In Microsoft Outlook you can click the paperclip, select the file and press “Insert.”

5. Don’t forget about your junk mail!

While the filters on your email might catch a lot of spam and add it to your junk folder, it can also catch a few emails that are not junk. Make sure you check your junk mail folder once a week to see if there’s anything that was put in there by accident.

5 Tips for Protecting Yourself with Passwords

November 2, 2011 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

1. Don’t save passwords in smart phones and laptops.

Sure, it’s more convenient to save your passwords for certain websites on your mobile device so you don’t have to enter it every time. But imagine how easily you could lose your phone or laptop, either by accident or at the hands of a thief. Now you’ve given a stranger direct access to your personal accounts. Take the extra time to enter your password, you won’t regret it.

2. Change your passwords often.

Again, even though it’s not always convenient, you should change your passwords often. For personal data such as bank accounts, credit cards, etc. you should change your password every 60 days. For email, social media sites, etc. you should change your password every 90 days.

3. Write your passwords down and store them safely.

It can be easy to forget your passwords, especially when you change them often. Keep a current list of your passwords in a safe location at home just in case. You may also want to write down answers to security questions (some sites use them for added protection) in case you need to reset your password. Each time you update the list, shred the old one.

4. If you share it, change it.

If you have to share your password with someone to get assistance with your computer, make sure you change it after your computer is fixed. Even if it’s a friend or family member, it’s better to be safe and start fresh after someone has had access to password protected parts of your computer.

5. Where possible, use computer generated passwords.

It’s tempting to create passwords from pet names, birthdays, kids names and other important monikers and digits in your life. But sometimes those passwords can be easy to decode, making them unsafe. Instead, consider using a computer generated password. There are several websites available that can create a random group of letters and numbers for you–just make sure you write it down (as we said in #3) since they can be difficult to remember!

5 Tips for Protecting Your Computer

September 7, 2011 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Avoid viruses and protect your identity with these helpful tips.

Every day when we check our email, surf the Internet or play an online game we are exposing our computers to potential dangers. To help keep your computer safe we have put together a quick list of protection tips:

1. Change your passwords: Most computer experts advise changing your password every 90 days and using computer generated passwords with a mix of letters and numbers instead of something you create yourself.

2. Don’t open suspicious emails: If you don’t know the sender, don’t open the email! If the subject line seems odd, even if it’s coming from a friend or relative, don’t open the email! Be especially wary of emails with attachments as they could be viruses that will be downloaded to your computer.

3. Get good virus protection software: A top notch virus protection system is a must and there are many to choose from. Just make sure that you understand what options are available and how they will affect your computer. Some programs have strict spam blockers and firewalls that can affect your email, software and web access. If you run into a problem, consult a professional for advice.

4. Update your operating system: Computer viruses are constantly evolving and finding new ways to break into your system. Keep your software up to date to stay protected against the latest viruses. This includes your operating system (Windows 95 and anything older should be updated) and your Internet browser (Internet Explorer 7 and anything older should be updated).

5. Back-up your data often: There are several affordable options on the market for backing up your data including external hard drives, flash drives and even online data storage. It’s always a good idea to have back-ups of your computer documents, photos and other items just in case!

Do you still have questions?

For technical support questions about your computer and computer software, we recommend The Computer Guys. This local shop has been offering computer services and advice since 1995 on site and at their location in St. Augustine Beach. You can contact them at (904) 471-6703 for residential questions or (904) 471-6746 if you have a small business question.