AJR's Top Tech Resolutions For 2014

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From identity theft to online scams to just plain laziness–2013 got a lot of people in t including some of our customers in trouble. If you got through 2013 without a single virus, being scammed, or if you did not suffer a catastrophic hardware issue, then consider yourself lucky. We have listed our top tech resolutions you should follow to make this year more secure and productive for you.

Feel The Need For Speed

There’s nothing more frustrating than a really slow running computer. Start the new year out right. Consider backing up your computer and re-installing your Operating System. If that seems a bit drastic, consider upgrading your RAM. If you have a 32-bit Windows installation, max it out to 4 Gigs of RAM. If you’re running 64-bit, consider upgrading your RAM to 8 or 16 Gigs.

To see whether you have 32 or 64 bit installed, right-click My Computer (or Computer) and then select Properties. You should see what version of Windows you’re running. If it doesn’t specifically say 64-bit, then you have a 32-bit OS installed.

In addition to RAM, add a super fast sold-state hard drive. SSDs have extremely fast load times, do not suffer from disk fragmentation and will increase the overall performance of your machine.

Update Or Remove Old Software

If your computer is more than a year old, chances are you have a lot of outdated and insecure software running on your system. Less and less bad guys are looking to break into computers that do not have the latest Windows updates because Microsoft has done a great job in making sure newer computers update automatically. It’s software like Java and Adobe that might not automatically update that you need to worry about. Update any software you haven’t used in a while or uninstall them from your computer if not in use.

Secunia is a great free tool to use to help find and keep track of software running on your system. Read more about Secunia here.

Add Passwords To Mobile Devices

You do you banking on your laptop. Your entire life is on your phone or tablet. Yet you do not have a password setup to log-in to your device. Ask yourself what would happen if you lost your phone, tablet or laptop and it didn’t require a password to log-in. Would you want complete strangers having access to all of that data? Take a moment today to add passwords to your mobile devices.

Change Your Passwords

If you’re the type of person that uses the same password for multiple websites, or if you haven’t changed your email or computer password in a while, then now is the perfect time to re-think your password strategy. Having complex passwords is important, but using the same password for every site is extremely dangerous. Instead, use a password manager like LastPass to create difficult and unique passwords for every site you visit. All you need to remember is a single LastPass password–it does the rest. Read more about how to setup LastPass here.

Backup Your Files

Backing up can be a chore. Most of us don’t find the time to backup and before we know it the computer has crashed and the drive is toast. In order for you to have a reliable backup strategy, you need to make it as easy as possible for yourself. So here’s how: Buy a Network Attached Storage device such as the Seagate 1TB Backup Plus Portable Hard Drive and then install the free program AOMEI Backupper on your computers.

AOMEI Backupper is a great set-it-and-forget-it program that is easy to configure. Tell it what folders to copy also includes full disk image and partition and disk clone, tell it when to copy them, and then specify the NAS as the destination drive once a full back up is finished change to an incremental this will then continue to monitor and back up just the files that have been modified and new files added. That's it Done!.

Activate Device Locator Software

If your phone has GPS, then likely there is a way to track its whereabouts in case it ever gets lost or stolen. We recommend Lookout for the iPhone and Android or pray for a free alternative. In addition to being a phone locator, Lookout scans new apps to make sure they are safe when downloading. In addition to being able to find your phone, it has remote wipe and lock features that can turn your phone into a useless brick in the hands of thieves.

Be More Diligent

There are cyber-criminals everywhere. Your email is under constant assault, they are calling you on the phone and now even hacking into the credit card processing centers of major brick and mortar retailers. Mitigate your damages. Carry fewer cards on you, be wary of links in emails and do not fall prey to phone scams like this one.

Don’t Text Or Talk On The Phone While Driving

This is something that really bugs me and if i see you on a mobile phone while driving i will personally give you a blast on the horn and telling off i hate people that use a mobile phone while driving. There is also an app for this, If your initial response to your phone ringing or buzzing from a text is to immediately reach down and grab it, then you have a problem. Your problem can get you or others killed.

Install the Android app DriveOff if you have an Android phone or install Drive Safe Mode which is also compatible with Apple iPhones.

These apps turn off text and phone notifications when the car reaches a certain speed, allowing you or your teen to drive without temptation.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, we all need to stay ahead of the game as technology advances and security vulnerabilities impact our lives. If you have recommendations of your own, please share them below.