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When you hear about Microsoft adding security apps to M365, it’s often the business versions. But the pandemic has changed the way that we see the workplace. It’s now a hybrid world. One made up of several connected “mini-offices” located in employee homes. The outsourcing market has also contributed to the change in company networks. Freelancers are often contracted to work the same hours as employees. This means less overhead and taxes to pay. Approximately 66% of large consumer products companies outsource a part of their workforce. What we’re getting at is that the need for home devices and network security has never been greater. Company data is now at the mercy of employee devices, situated in homes across the globe. 55% of employees use their own devices and software to work from home. Microsoft has been at the forefront of this huge shift in the work environment. Its latest release is another example of how it has positioned its products to address new needs. The latest security offering by Microsoft is not for business plans. It's for Personal and Family users of Microsoft 365. The company announced Microsoft Defender for Individuals on June 16, 2022. This is a brand-new digital home security tool. The Basics of Microsoft Defender for Individuals Microsoft Defender is a new app that Microsoft 365 subscribers can download. Anyone with a Personal or Family plan can access it for no extra cost. According to Microsoft, there was a main driver for offering Microsoft Defender. It was to protect the digital life of small businesses and families. Small companies will often use consumer Microsoft 365 plans. This is because they are less expensive than the business plans. This app brings many digital protections together into one dashboard. These include the following. Online Security Visibility Most families have several devices connected to their network. This includes computers, tablets, and smartphones. It can be hard to know which are vulnerable before a hacked device infects the others. Microsoft Defender gives you visibility into the security status of your devices. It does this in a single place. So, you could see if that new phone of Sally’s has antivirus enabled. You can also easily add or remove devices. Device Safeguard The app includes extra protections from online threats. These are in the form of help from antivirus and anti-phishing protection. You can use it to continually scan devices for threats, both new and existing. You also gain control of scanning customization. For example, you can note certain apps as safe and tell Microsoft Defender what to scan. Real-Time Alerts & Recommendations Hackers use automation and AI to unleash their attacks and help them spread. This means that it’s often a race against the clock to stop a breach from getting worse. To react fast, you need to know something is wrong. Microsoft Defender helps you by giving you real-time alerts. These also come with recommended actions. So, you not only know something is wrong, but you also know what to do about it. What Else Should You Know? Here are a few other important things you should know about using Microsoft Defender for Individuals. Where Can You Download It? You can download Microsoft Defender for Individuals from Microsoft here. You need to have a Microsoft 365 subscription to either the Personal or Family plan. What Devices Can Use It? You can use Defender to secure and monitor the following devices: Windows: Windows 10 version 19041.0 and higher Mac: Intel Macs from Catalina 10.15 and higher, and Apple silicon-based devices from 11.2.3 and up iPhone: iOS 13.0 or later Android: Android OS 6.0 or later How Many Devices Can You Add? Microsoft Defender allows you to watch the security of many of your home or work devices. The M365 plan you have will dictate how many. If you have Microsoft 365 Personal plan, you can receive protection on up to 5 devices at the same time. If you have Microsoft 365 Family plan, you can receive protection on up to 30 devices at the same time. (5 devices per person, 6 people total) What Are the Key Differences Between the Personal & Family Plans? Both plans can access the many different Office and other Microsoft applications. The main difference is how many people and devices can use the Microsoft 365 services. Microsoft 365 Personal: $69.99 US/year, 1 person, 5 devices Microsoft 365 Family: $99.99 US/year, 6 people, 5 devices per person So, if you want to sign up even 2 people, you’re saving quite a bit with the Family plan. Even more, if you have six people total using the service What’s the Difference Between Microsoft Security on Windows & Microsoft Defender? Most Windows users are already familiar with the Microsoft Security app. It comes pre-installed on Windows. Microsoft Defender differs from this app in several ways. Microsoft Defender: Is not pre-installed on Windows. You must download it. It’s a cross-device application used on many different devices It includes features for online security It includes alerts and security tips Learn More About Defender & Microsoft 365 Today Are you looking to get more from your Microsoft 365 subscription? We can help! Reach out today to schedule a technology consultation with our M365 experts. Republished with Permission from The Technology Press

Adobe Flash and Internet Explorer used to rule the internet. But if you still have them on your PC, it’s in danger! Learn why you need to remove these and other discontinued technologies from your devices. One constant about technology is that it changes rapidly. Tools that were once staples, like Internet Explorer and Adobe Flash, age out. New tools replace those that are obsolete. Discontinued technology can leave computers and networks vulnerable to attacks. While older technology may still run fine on your systems that doesn’t mean that it’s okay to use. One of the biggest dangers of using outdated technology is that it can lead to a data breach. Outdated software and hardware no longer receive vital security updates. Updates often patch newly found and exploited system vulnerabilities. No security patches means a device is a sitting duck for a cybersecurity breach. Approximately 1 in 3 data breaches are due to unpatched system vulnerabilities. Another problem with using discontinued technology is that it can leave you behind. Your business can end up looking like you’re in the stone ages to your customers, and they can lose faith and trust. Important reasons to keep your technology updated to a supported version are: · Reduce the risk of a data breach or malware infection · Meet data privacy compliance requirements · To keep a good reputation and foster customer trust · To be competitive in your market · To mitigate hardware and software compatibility issues · To enable employee productivity Older systems are clunky and get in the way of employee productivity. If you keep these older systems in use, it can lead to the loss of good team members due to frustration. 49% of surveyed workers say they would consider leaving their jobs due to poor technology. Following is a list of outdated technology tools that you should replace as soon as possible. Are any of these still in use on your home computer or within your business? Get Rid of This Tech Now If You’re Still Using It Internet Explorer Many moons ago, Internet Explorer (IE) used to be the number one browser in the world. But, over time, Google Chrome and other browsers edged it out. Including its replacement, Microsoft Edge. Microsoft began phasing out IE with the introduction of Microsoft Edge in 2015. In recent years, fewer applications have been supporting use in IE. The browser loses all support beginning on June 15, 2022. Adobe Flash Millions of websites used Adobe Flash in the early 2000s. But other tools can now do the animations and other neat things Flash could do. This made the tool obsolete, and Adobe ended it. The Adobe Flash Player lost all support, including security updates, as of January 1, 2021. Do you still have this lingering on any of your computers? If so, you should uninstall the browser plugin and any Flash software. Windows 7 and Earlier Windows 7 was a very popular operating system, but it’s now gone the way of the dinosaur. Replacements, Windows 10 and Windows 11 are now in widespread use. The Windows 7 OS lost support on January 14, 2020. While it may still technically run, it’s very vulnerable to hacks. Microsoft Windows OS is also a high-value target for hackers. So, you can be sure they are out there looking for systems still running this obsolete version of Windows. macOS 10.14 Mojave and Earlier Because of the cost of iMacs and MacBooks, people tend to hang onto them as long as possible. Once these devices get to a certain point, updates no longer work. This leaves the hardware stuck on an older and non-supported macOS version. If you are running macOS 10.14 Mojave or earlier, then your OS is no longer supported by Apple, and you need to upgrade. Oracle 18c Database If your business uses Oracle databases, then you may want to check your current version. If you are running the Oracle 18C Database, then you are vulnerable. Breaches can easily happen due to unpatched system vulnerabilities. The Oracle 18C Database lost all support in June of 2021. If you have upgraded, then you’ll want to keep an eye out for another upcoming end-of-support date. Both Oracle 19C and 21C will lose premiere support in April of 2024. Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Another popular database tool is Microsoft’s SQL. If you are using SQL Server 2014, then mainstream support has already ended. And in July of 2024, all support, including security updates will stop. This gives you a little more time to upgrade before you’re in danger of not getting security patches. But it is better to upgrade sooner rather than later. This leaves plenty of time for testing and verification of the upgrade. Get Help Upgrading Your Technology & Reducing Risk Upgrades can be scary, especially if everything has been running great. You may be afraid that a migration or upgrade will cause issues. We can help you upgrade your technology smoothly and do thorough testing afterward. Schedule a technology review today! Article used with permission from The Technology Press.

Many of the most devastating data breaches are caused by a lack of good cybersecurity hygiene. Let's look at the top 5 cybersecurity mistakes that leave your data at risk... The global damage of cybercrime has risen to an average of $11 million USD per minute, which is a cost of $190,000 each second. 60% of small and mid-sized companies that have a data breach end up closing their doors within six months because they can’t afford the costs. The costs of falling victim to a cyberattack can include loss of business, downtime/productivity losses, reparation costs for customers that have had data stolen, and more. You may think that this means investing more in cybersecurity, and it is true that you need to have appropriate IT security safeguards in place (anti-malware, firewall, etc.). However, many of the most damaging breaches are due to common cybersecurity mistakes that companies and their employees make. The 2021 Sophos Threat Report, which looked at thousands of global data breaches, found that what it termed “everyday threats” were some of the most dangerous. The report stated, “A lack of attention to one or more aspects of basic security hygiene has been found to be at the root cause of many of the most damaging attacks we've investigated.” Is your company making a dangerous cybersecurity mistake that is leaving you at high risk for a data breach, cloud account takeover, or ransomware infection? Here are several of the most common missteps when it comes to basic IT security best practices. NOT IMPLEMENTING MUTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION (MFA) Credential theft has become the top cause of data breaches around the world, according to IBM Security. With most company processes and data now being cloud-based, login credentials hold the key to multiple types of attacks on company networks. Not protecting your user logins with multi-factor authentication is a common mistake and one that leaves companies at a much higher risk of falling victim to a breach. MFA reduces fraudulent sign-in attempts by a staggering 99.9%. IGNORING THE USE OF SHADOW IT Shadow IT is the use of cloud applications by employees for business data that haven’t been approved and may not even be known about by a company. Shadow IT use leaves companies at risk for several reasons: Data may be used in a non-secure application Data isn’t included in company backup strategies If the employee leaves, the data could be lost The app being used might not meet company compliance requirements Employees often begin using apps on their own because they’re trying to fill a gap in their workflow and are unaware of the risks involved with using an app that hasn’t been vetted by their company’s IT team. It’s important to have cloud use policies in place that spell out for employees the applications that can and cannot be used for work. THINKING YOU’RE FINE WITH ONLY AN ANTIVIRUS APPLICATION No matter how small your business is, a simple antivirus application is not enough to keep you protected. In fact, many of today’s threats don’t use a malicious file at all. Phishing emails will contain commands sent to legitimate PC systems that aren’t flagged as a virus or malware. Phishing also overwhelmingly uses attachments to send users to malicious sites. Those links won’t get caught by simple antivirus solutions. You need to have a multi-layered strategy in place that includes things like: Next-gen anti-malware (uses AI and machine learning) Next-gen firewall Email filtering DNS filtering Automated application and cloud security policies Cloud access monitoring NOT HAVING DEVICE MANAGEMENT IN PLACE A majority of companies around the world have had employees working remotely from home since the pandemic, and they’re planning to keep it that way. However, device management for those remote employee devices as well as smartphones used for business hasn’t always been put in place. If you’re not managing security or data access for all the endpoints (company and employee-owned) in your business, you’re at a higher risk of a data breach. If you don’t have one already, it’s time to put a device management application in place. NOT PROVIDING ADEQUATE TRAINING TO EMPLOYEES An astonishing 95% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error. Too many companies don’t take the time to continually train their employees, and thus users haven’t developed the skills needed for a culture of good cybersecurity. Employee IT security awareness training should be done throughout the year, not just annually or during an onboarding process. The more you keep IT security front and center, the better equipped your team will be to identify phishing attacks and follow proper data handling procedures. Some ways to infuse cybersecurity training into your company culture include: Short training videos IT security posters Webinars Team training sessions Cybersecurity tips in company newsletters WHEN DID YOU LAST HAVE A CYBERSECURITY CHECKUP? Don’t stay in the dark about your IT security vulnerabilities. Schedule a cybersecurity review to uncover vulnerabilities so they can be fortified to reduce your risk. Article used with permission from The Technology Press.

One phishing attack can mean hours of costly downtime. Stay on top of the newest phishing trends so you can prepare your team... In 2020, 75% of companies around the world experienced a phishing attack. Phishing remains one of the biggest dangers to your business's health and wellbeing because it’s the main delivery method for all types of cyberattacks. One phishing email can be responsible for a company succumbing to ransomware and having to face costly downtime. It can also lead a user to unknowingly hand over the credentials to a company email account that the hacker then uses to send targeted attacks to customers. Phishing takes advantage of human error, and some phishing emails use sophisticated tactics to fool the recipient into divulging information or infecting a network with malware. Mobile phishing threats skyrocketed by 161% in 2021. Your best safeguards against the continuous onslaught of phishing include: Email filtering DNS filtering Next-gen antivirus/anti-malware Ongoing employee cybersecurity awareness training To properly train your employees and ensure your IT security is being upgraded to meet the newest threats you need to know what new phishing dangers are headed your way. Here are some of the latest phishing trends that you need to watch out for in 2022 PHISHING IS INCREASINGLY BEING SENT VIA TEXT MESSAGE Fewer people are suspicious of text messages than they are of unexpected email messages. Most phishing training is usually focused on the email form of phishing because it’s always been the most prevalent. But cybercrime entities are now taking advantage of the easy availability of mobile phone numbers and using text messaging to deploy phishing attacks. This type of phishing (called “smishing”) is growing in volume. People are receiving more text messages now than they did in the past, due in large part to retailers and service businesses pushing their text updates for sales and delivery notices. This makes it even easier for phishing via SMS to fake being a shipment notice and get a user to click on a shortened URL. BUSINESS EMAIL COMPROMISE IS ON THE RISE Ransomware has been a growing threat over the last few years largely because it’s been a big money-maker for the criminal groups that launch cyberattacks. A new up-and-coming form of attack is beginning to be quite lucrative and thus is also growing. Business email compromise (BEC) is on the rise and being exploited by attackers to make money off things like gift card scams and fake wire transfer requests. What makes BEC so dangerous (and lucrative) is that when a criminal gains access to a business email account, they can send very convincing phishing messages to employees, customers, and vendors of that company. The recipients will immediately trust the familiar email address, making these emails potent weapons for cybercriminals. SMALL BUSINESSES TARGETED MORE FREQUENTLY WITH SPEAR PHISHING There is no such thing as being too small to be attacked by a hacker. Small businesses are targeted frequently in cyberattacks because they tend to have less IT security than larger companies. 43% of all data breaches target small and mid-sized companies, and 40% of small businesses that become victims of an attack experience at least eight hours of downtime as a result. Spear phishing is a more dangerous form of phishing because it’s targeted and not generic. It’s the type deployed in an attack using BEC. It used to be that spear-phishing was used for larger companies because it takes more time to set up a targeted and tailored attack. However, as large criminal groups and state-sponsored hackers make their attacks more efficient, they’re able to more easily target anyone. A result is small businesses receiving more tailored phishing attacks that are harder for their users to identify as a scam. USE OF INITIAL ACCESS BROKERS TO MAKE ATTACKS MORE EFFECTIVE We just discussed the fact that large criminal groups are continually optimizing their attacks to make them more effective. They treat cyberattacks like a business and work to make them more profitable all the time. One way they are doing this is by using outside specialists called Initial Access Brokers. This is a specific type of hacker that only focuses on getting the initial breach into a network or company account. The increasing use of these experts in their field makes phishing attacks even more dangerous and difficult for users to detect. BUSINESS IMPERSONATION IS BEING USED MORE OFTEN As users have gotten savvier about being careful of emails from unknown senders, phishing attackers have increasingly used business impersonation. This is where a phishing email will come in looking like a legitimate email from a company that the user may know or even do business with. Amazon is a common target of business impersonation, but it also happens with smaller companies as well. For example, there have been instances where website hosting companies have had client lists breached and those companies sent emails impersonating the hosting company and asking the users to log in to an account to fix an urgent problem. More business impersonation being used in phishing attacks mean users have to be suspicious of all emails, not just those from unknown senders. IS YOUR COMPANY ADEQUATELY PROTECTED FROM PHISHING ATTACKS? It’s important to use a multi-layered strategy when it comes to defending against one of the biggest dangers to your business's wellbeing. Get started with a cybersecurity review of your current security posture and identify ways to improve. Article used with permission from The Technology Press.

Think your business is too small for hackers to worry about? Think again! Smaller companies are being hit 3x more than larger ones. Let's explore the reasons why this trend exists... Have you felt more secure from cyberattacks because you have a smaller business? Maybe you thought that you couldn’t possibly have anything that a hacker could want? Didn’t think they even knew about your small business. Well, a report by cybersecurity firm Barracuda Networks debunks this myth. Their report analyzed millions of emails across thousands of organizations. It found that small companies have a lot to worry about when it comes to their IT security. Barracuda Networks found something alarming. Employees at small companies saw 350% more social engineering attacks than those at larger ones. It defines a small company as one with less than 100 employees. This puts small businesses at a higher risk of falling victim to a cyberattack. We’ll explore why below. Why Are Smaller Companies Targeted More? There are many reasons why hackers see small businesses as low-hanging fruit, and why they are becoming larger targets of hackers out to score a quick illicit buck. Small Companies Tend to Spend Less on Cybersecurity When you’re running a small business, it’s often a juggling act of where to prioritize your cash. You may know cybersecurity is important, but it may not be at the top of your list. So, at the end of the month, cash runs out, and it’s moved to the “next month” wish list of expenditures. Small business leaders often don’t spend as much as they should on their IT security. They may buy an antivirus program and think that’s enough to cover them. But with the expansion of technology to the cloud, that’s just one small layer. You need several more for adequate security. Hackers know all this and see small businesses as an easier target. They can do much less work to get a payout than they would trying to hack into an enterprise corporation. Every Business Has “Hack-Worthy” Resources Every business, even a 1-person shop, has data that’s worth scoring for a hacker. Credit card numbers, SSNs, tax ID numbers, and email addresses are all valuable. Cybercriminals can sell these on the Dark Web. From there, other criminals use them for identity theft. Here are some of the data that hackers will go after: Customer records Employee records Bank account information Emails and passwords Payment card details Small Businesses Can Provide Entry Into Larger Ones If a hacker can breach the network of a small business, they can often make a larger score. Many smaller companies provide services to larger companies. This can include digital marketing, website management, accounting, and more. Vendors are often digitally connected to certain client systems. This type of relationship can enable a multi-company breach. While hackers don’t need that connection to hack you, it is a nice bonus. They can get two companies for the work of one. Small Business Owners Are Often Unprepared for Ransomware Ransomware has been one of the fastest-growing cyberattacks of the last decade. So far in 2022, over 71% of surveyed organizations experienced ransomware attacks. The percentage of victims that pay the ransom to attackers has also been increasing. Now, an average of 63% of companies pay the attacker money in hopes of getting a key to decrypt the ransomware. Even if a hacker can’t get as much ransom from a small business as they can from a larger organization, it’s worth it. They often can breach more small companies than they can larger ones. When companies pay the ransom, it feeds the beast and more cyber criminals join in. And those newer to ransomware attacks will often go after smaller, easier-to-breach companies. Small Company Employees Usually Aren’t Trained in Cybersecurity Another thing is not usually high on the list of priorities for a small business owner. We're talking about ongoing employee cybersecurity training. They may be doing all they can just to keep good staff. Plus, priorities are often sales and operations. Training employees on how to spot phishing and password best practices often isn’t done. This leaves networks vulnerable to one of the biggest dangers, human error. In most cyberattacks, the hacker needs help from a user. It’s like the vampire needing the unsuspecting victim to invite them inside. Phishing emails are the device used to get that unsuspecting cooperation. Phishing causes over 80% of data breaches. A phishing email sitting in an inbox can’t usually do anything. It needs the user to either open a file attachment or click a link that will take them to a malicious site. This then launches the attack. Teaching employees how to spot these ploys can significantly increase your cybersecurity. Security awareness training is as important as having a strong firewall or antivirus. Need Affordable IT Security for Your Small Business? Reach out today to schedule a technology consultation. We offer affordable options for small companies. This includes many ways to keep you protected from cyber threats. Article used with permission from The Technology Press.

Computer underperforming lately? These top signs of malware on your system may reveal the reason why... Malware is an umbrella term that encompasses many different types of malicious code. It can include: Viruses Ransomware Spyware Trojans Adware Key loggers And more... The longer that malware sits on your system unchecked, the more damage it can do. Approximately 34% of businesses take a week or longer to regain access to their data and systems once hit with a malware attack. Most forms of malware have a directive built in to spread to as many systems as possible. So, if not caught and removed right away, one computer could end up infecting 10 more on the same network in no time. Early detection is key so you can disconnect an infected device from your network and have it properly cleaned by a professional. Keep an eye out for these key warning signs of malware infection so you can jump into action and reduce your risk. STRANGE POPUPS ON YOUR DESKTOP Some forms of malware can take on the disguise of being an antivirus app or warranty notice that pops up on your screen. Hackers try to mimic things that users may have seen from a legitimate program, so they’ll be more apt to click without thinking. If you begin to see a strange “renew your antivirus” subscription alert or a warranty renewal that doesn’t quite make sense, these could be signs that your PC has been infected with adware or another type of malware. NEW SLUGGISH BEHAVIOR Computers can become sluggish for a number of reasons, including having too many browser tabs open at once or running a memory-intensive program. But you’ll typically know your computer and the types of things that slow it down. If you notice new sluggish behavior that is out of the ordinary, this could be an infection. One example would be if you don’t have any programs open except notepad or another simple app, and yet you experience freezing. When malware is running in the background, it can often eat up system resources and cause your system to get sluggish. APPLICATIONS START CRASHING Applications should not just crash out of the blue. There is always a reason. Either the software is faulty, there’s been an issue with an update, or something else may be messing with that application’s files. If you suddenly experience apps crashing, requiring you to restart the app or reboot your system, this is another telltale sign that a virus, trojan, or other malicious code has been introduced. YOUR BROWSER HOME PAGE IS REDIRECTED If you open your browser and land on a homepage that is not the one you normally see, have your PC scanned for malware right away. Redirecting a home page is a common ploy of certain types of malware. The malware will infect your system and change the system setting for your default browser home page. This may lead you to a site filled with popup ads or to another type of phishing site. Just trying to change your homepage back in your settings won’t fix the situation. It’s important to have the malware removed. SUDDEN REBOOTS Another annoying trait of certain types of malicious code is to make your system reboot without warning. This can cause you to lose the work you’ve just done and can make it difficult to get anything done. This may happen when malware is changing core system files behind the scenes. With files corrupted, your system becomes unstable and can often reboot unexpectedly. YOU’RE MISSING HARD DRIVE SPACE If you find that a good deal of your hard drive space that used to be open is now gone, it could be a malware infection taking up your space. Some types of malware may make copies of files or introduce new files into your system. They will cleverly hide, so don’t expect to see the word “malware” on a file search. Instead, the dangerous activities will usually be masked by a generic-sounding name that you mistake for a normal system file. YOU RUN ACROSS CORRUPTED FILES If you open a file and find it corrupted, this could be a red flag that ransomware or another form of malware has infected your system. While files can occasionally become corrupt for other reasons, this is a serious issue that deserves a thorough malware scan if you see it. PC “PROCESSING SOUNDS” WHEN THERE SHOULDN’T BE Most of us are familiar with those “thinking sounds” when our computer is processing something memory intensive. You’ll usually hear a type of whirring that will go away once you finish that activity. If you begin hearing this processing sound when you’re not doing anything particularly intense on your computer, this could be a sign that malware is running in the background and it should be checked out. GET EXPERT MALWARE SCANNING & REMOVAL Free online malware and virus scans aren’t very reliable. Instead, come to a professional that can ensure your entire system is cleaned properly. Contact us at Gigabits today and we'll be happy to discuss what we can do for you to get your PC running smoothly again! Republished with Permission from The Technology Press

Purchasing a new computer is a big investment. Many small businesses and home PC owners end up struggling with older systems because they want to get as many years out of them as possible. Have you found yourself banging on your keyboard in frustration? Have you tried every tip and trick you found online, only to still struggle with a slow PC? There are some promising upgrades you can do that will cost much less than the price of a new computer, while making your PC feel like new again. Here are some of the options you can try to improve the performance of an older computer. UPGRADE TO A SOLID-STATE DRIVE (SSD) Prices for solid-state drives have come down quite a bit in the past few years, making them an affordable upgrade that can breathe life back into an older PC that might be slowing down. Unlike hard disk drives (HDDs), SSDs do not have any moving parts and use a flash memory that allows for a quicker response time. You can improve your time to boot and your experience when searching files, opening applications, and other activities. Some of the advantages of upgrading your computer’s hard drive to SSD include: SSD read/write speeds up to 2500 MB/second compared to HDD at up to 200 MB/second SSD access time of 0.1ms as compared to HDD at 5.5-8.0ms SSDs use between 2-5 watts of energy compared to HDD at 6-15 watts INCREASE THE RAM (MEMORY) One upgrade that is very low-cost and can mean a significant increase in performance is a memory upgrade. If your PC was one of the cheaper ones that only had 4GB of RAM when you bought it, you likely have trouble opening too many tabs in your browser or using any graphics-heavy program. Upgrading your RAM, if your PC has available memory slots, to 8GB or 12GB can make it seem like you have an entirely new computer due to the big increase in speed. UPGRADE THE GRAPHICS CARD If you play computer games or work in any type of video, imaging, or 3D software, an outdated graphics card can ruin your experience. Instead of replacing your entire computer, just upgrading the graphics card to a more robust model can improve your PC’s performance and give you several more useful years from it. REPLACE YOUR PC COOLING SYSTEM Heat is an enemy of your computer’s internal parts. If your cooling system is getting worn out and not working the way it should be, then excess heat can be building up inside your device. When this happens things can get strange, with programs crashing or your system rebooting on its own. If you suspect excess heat may be an issue, have your computer’s fan and cooling system checked out to see if it needs replacing. CONNECT AN EXTERNAL MONITOR TO A LAPTOP If you’re working on a laptop and having a hard time multi-tasking due to limited screen real estate, consider getting an external monitor rather than replacing your entire PC. Monitors are just a fraction of the cost of computers and having a screen twice the size of the one on your laptop can make all the difference in the world and improve productivity due to the additional screen space. REPLACE YOUR KEYBOARD Older keywords can stick, lose keys, and have the writing rubbed off the keys, making it more difficult to tell a “prt screen” from a “delete” button. If the performance of your PC is hampered by a frustrating keyboard, an upgrade can be a very inexpensive way to improve your equipment. GET AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE Computers can slow down and be more difficult to use when the hard drive fills up with data. Over the years, files build up, and many users never take the time to go through and delete those that are unnecessary. Buying an external hard drive can allow you to offload files that may be slowing you down, while still keeping them easily accessible. Another benefit of an external hard drive is that it’s portable and can easily be carried between home and work and used in both places. GET A PROFESSIONAL TUNE-UP Those free PC cleaner tools you find online aren’t going to give you the type of tune-up that a professional IT provider can give. We will go through things like the Windows Registry, duplicate system files, internal errors, and more to clean up your system and remove all the “junk” that has built up over the years. We can also do a maintenance check for things like failing parts and provide expert guidance on your most impactful upgrade options. GET HELP IMPROVING YOUR COMPUTER’S PERFORMANCE TODAY! Don’t struggle with an older PC! We can help you with cost-effective upgrade options that will fit your system and budget perfectly. Republished with Permission from The Technology Press