How To Avoid Spending Huge On Computer Repair Bills Done by Crippling Pop-ups, Viruses, Spyware, & Spam

As long as your computer has access to the world wide web or internet, especially e-mails, then it may be only a matter of time before you get attacked by malicious spyware program, virus, worm, or (worst) hackers. Every day we get customers coming in who are experiencing computer problems due to these threats, and it is only getting worse.

What’s even more worrying is that several of my customers keeps coming back to my repair shop a couple days or weeks later complaining about the EXACT same computer problems and ends up paying for ANOTHER repair just to get their computer up and running again.

Just imagine having these kinds of problem with your restaurant. POS computers being infiltrated and destroyed by these ravaging viruses, worms and Trojans. You absolutely have no way of protecting your restaurant POS system if you do not take extra precautions.

Here are Three of The Most Dangerous Threats You Must Be Aware Of

One of the deadly aspects of online threats is their ability to cloak their existence. Hackers and the authors of malicious spyware and malware programs really exert vast amount of effort just to create programs that are difficult to identify and remove.

That means a malicious program can be downloaded and do its dirty work on your computer long before you are able to identify them. Below are the two most common threats you’ll need to guard against with a brief description of what they {are|are and how you acquire them}:

Spyware: Spyware is a type of computer program that is secretly installed on your pc, it collect information and other activities you do on the interenet without your consent, then reports such data back to a third party. Sometimes advertisers uses this sneaky program to secretly monitor their customers’ activities. So Better becareful on what website you visit before clicking on that “download” button.

Most spywares are secretly attached to files you download over the internet, like free programs, music files, and screen savers. While thinking you are only downloading a legitimate program to add smileys to your e-mails, you are unknowingly also downloading loads of spyware programs.

Malware: A combination of the terms malicious and software. This type of computer program is specifically designed to infiltrate and disrupt your system, this include viruses, worms and Trojans. Malware is harder to remove and will try to fight back when if clean it from your system. In some extreme cases, we had no other choice but to wipe out the entire hard disk and start with a complete re-install of the operating system. Most of the time, malware secretly attach itself to your emails without your knowledge causing computer damage to your email receipients.

Hackers: Programmers who find breaking in to their friends or coworkers’ computer is fun, but causes no damage, they love the challenge of being able to infiltrate a computer system and brag about it. Today these hackers mostly love to design spyware and malware programs that attacks computer systems causing extreme damage.

So if you’re a restaurant or any other retail establishment owner, having no protection for your POS systems at all, then your system is surely one of the easiest targets.

Some of them may have criminal intent and use their programs to steal money from unsuspecting individuals and companies. Some have a grudge against your software vendor and take their revenge by attacking their customers. While others do it just for fun. Whatever the reason, hackers are getting more intelligent and advanced in their ability to gain access to computer systems and networks.

4 Simple Steps To Secure Your Computer From Malicious Attacks

1. Always remember to regularly update your antivirus software. You ought to make sure it it auto scan and has an update feature that will make sure your computer is running the most current protection available and regularly scanning for threats.

2. Consider using an alternative web browser to Microsoft Internet Explorer like the Mozilla Firefox. Hackers have ways ways to access and easily download malicious programs to your computer via a security hole in Internet Explorer. What’s more disappointing about this is that even if you do not click anything and/or download a program to get infected. You are very susceptible to attacks if you’re using an older version of Windows such as Windows 98.

Mozilla Firefox is a completely free web browser that does not have the same security problems as IE. Many of my clients even report back that they like their Mozilla browser better than Internet Explorer. Migrating from IE to Firefox is a simple and a cost-free way to add more protection to your computer. If you want to download Mozilla Firefox, go to www.mozilla.org.

3. Do not. This goes without saying because most viruses are passed by e-mail. If the e-mail looks suspicious, don’t open it, just get rid of it immediately!

4. Setting up a firewall. A firewall is simply a device that acts as a buffer between you and the big, wild world of the Internet. Many users will get a DSL or cable Internet connection and plug it without a firewall.

Always remember that the internet is a big open field where you are vulnerable from all sorts of things that may come in your way. You have access to the world, but on the other side, the world has access to YOU. Take note that hackers have programs that automatically scan the Internet for computers connected via a cable or DSL connection without a firewall. Once they find one, they access your computer, download vicious programs, and might even use your computer to send their ravaging viruses to your friends or other computers without your permission.

Just one simple click os a mouse and they’ll gain easy access to your restaurant POS system, collect all customer and employee information, destroy your computer system, and sends out virus-infected emails to your customers and friends using your email account! It will surely be the end of your hard work, a huge waste of money on the restaurant POS solutions you’ve bought, and possibly the downfall of your business if you let this things happen to you.

Michael Tash of POS-For-Restaurants, is the author and Vice President of Customer Relations for POS-For-Restaurants.com. With over 20 years of restaurant experience, POS-For-Restaurants.com helps you use your technology to be more efficient and more profitable.