23rd Jan 2014 | Security and Safety
Remote support: It’s like magic the first time you see it. An IT support person takes over your computer and starts moving your cursor around your screen, even though they are in a different continent.
Here at Cloud Genius we have been comparing different solutions. Finally, we have picked a winner. We have to support people using Macs, PCs and Linux. The product we have chosen does all this admirably. (One of the contenders was particularly bad on Mac to Mac connections.)
Notable:
- It is good with all sorts of computer to computer connection.
- It allows computer to computer audio without the use of the phone or Skype.
- Very fast connection times
On every other feature it seemed to be equal or better than all the rivals. All the connections are encrypted with state of the art encryption. The client can end the ‘call’ at any time. If necessary roles can be reversed to show the support technician’s screen.
It even does video/audio/screen conferencing!
Anyway, you need concern yourself no further – just know that you will get the best remote support from Cloud Genius.
The winner? TeamViewer.com
17th Jan 2014 | Salesforce
Where did you stick all the new stuff?
One of the (many) fantastic things about Salesforce is its amazing pace of development. It is one of the reasons why consultants, admins, etc are subjected to exams three times a year. Some of the changes are new features, others are refinements of existing features. Amazingly, well due to good planning and design, Salesforce manages to introduce these features without down time and without breaking existing customisation. BUT, and its a big but, all of these features have to go into the menu. For some time, the existing menu has been creaking with new features. Many items are in the locations they are, because it made sense when they were developed. It is time for a change!
In Summer 2013 Salesforce introduced a new menu. As with all their new features, it is not forced on you, you just have to switch it on when you are ready. New Orgs have the new menu ‘on’ by default, so it is time to get used to it.
Here, for admins, is a great guide to switching on the menu and, even better, a chart showing you where to find all the old items. (We may have hated the old menu, but we knew where everything was!)
New Salesforce Menu Guide
28th Dec 2013 | General Information, Web Hosting, Websites, WordPress
For some reason (and believe me, I am not complaining) business has been brisker than usual over December. It seems to be that it is a time when people start thinking about the New Year and new beginnings. So, just before Christmas, a friend of mine set me a challenge. “I have a bit of a blog on blogspot.co.uk (Blogger) and I would like it on my new WordPress website.”
[ss_screenshot width=’300′ site=’https://saintlaika.com’]Challenge 1 was the more than 6000 posts. (He and his community has really used his blog.) Now, I could see how to import the items, using WordPress’s import facility but then he said, Challenge 2 ‘…and I need the old blog forwarded to the new one.’
I did say that I would have to look into it. That is not necessarily what I was thinking, but…
Fortunately, there is a BRILLIANT plug-in for that from rtcamp.com.
Not only did this allow the forwarding of his old blog to the new website, but it mapped all the articles on the old site to the new one!
So, if you were to click on:
https://revjph.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-renativity-of-saint-laika.html
You would end up at:
https://saintlaika.com/2013/12/24/the-renativity-of-saint-laika/
The exact right article on the new blog.
So do not fear that you are trapped into your old Blogspot account – it can easily be moved to a shiny new WordPress website. I even managed to import 6000+ posts and 40,000+ comments. (His site has had over 3,000,000 hits!)
What did you do over Christmas?
Whatever you did, have a Happy New Year.
NB Sequences explained in this article do take longer in real life 😉
23rd Dec 2013 | General Information
Imagine losing all of your files… and all of your backups… and not being able to do a thing to get them back unless you pay a ransom.
That is what CryptoLocker does. You may pick it up from an email attachment or from a spurious ‘downloading’ site. It hides on your computer encrypting everything… but letting you access it seamlessly. Finally, it completes encrypting everything and it tells you that you have 72 hours to pay up.
If you do not pay up in time, the decryption key will be deleted and your files will be irretrievable.
Better than that, while your backups were connected it did the same thing to them… and your Dropbox account… and any new files you try to save.
72 hours to pay up or your business goes fizzle.
It doesn’t need you to be logged in as administrator.
It cannot be detected by anti-malware software.
Time for some good practices – no downloading from ‘download’ sites. No opening of email attachments unless you are sure of the identity of the sender. (You may want to institute digital signatures for your email, to guarantee that you are getting emails from who you think you are. We can assist you with that, but really we wanted you to know of this SERIOUS threat.)
Read more about it at:
https://www.zdnet.com/cryptolockers-crimewave-a-trail-of-millions-in-laundered-bitcoin-7000024579/
I was terrified. You should be too.
17th Dec 2013 | Salesforce, Security and Safety
It’s a big, bad world out there. There are people who would claim to be things that they were not! (And I don’t mean claims like Sir Bruce Forsythe being entertaining on Strictly Come Dancing.) With Salesforce, until now, you had no way to find out if your Salesforce consultant was qualified or not.
Shock! Horror!
Salesforce has now brought in Certificate Verification. You can find it at:
https://certification.salesforce.com/verification
Of course, I am quite proud to have held my certification since 2011. The details are here:
https://certification.salesforce.com/verification?&fullname=John%20Dray
You can check up anyone, using either their full name, or their email address.
This should help you avoid dealing with people who are other than they claim to be.
Wishing you safe IT,
John
