Speed Up Your PC

If you have been using your computer for a while, you’ll notice that it starts to slow down after a while. It does not work as fast as it used to and it takes a while for files to load and open. You are not alone. This is something that many experiences especially when they are using an older computer model. Even those who are using the latest models will also experience this slowing down of their PC system with all the updates being released as of late. No matter how careful you are in using your device, you are bound to experience this mild discomfort especially once you start accumulating files on your device.

It helps if you make it a habit of clearing your files and transferring it to an external hard drive, for instance, or the cloud for convenience because the files no longer consume space on your device allowing it to run smoothly and without any more lags. A slow PC won’t just frustrate you but affect your efficiency and performance as well. These factors are crucial for people who use the PC on a day-to-day basis. Any delay in their work can cost them money or something just as valuable.

Over time, as you download files, browse the Internet, remove programs, leave applications open, and do pretty much anything else on your computer, it slowly collects junk and causes behind-the-scenes problems that are not always so easy to catch at first.

File fragmentation is a really big culprit as well as the accumulation of cached web browser files, a cluttered desktop, a full hard drive, slow hardware, dirty hardware, and many other things.

However, your computer itself may actually not be slow. You may just be experiencing a slow Internet connection due to a faulty router, a bad connection, or limited speed offered by your Internet Service Provider. In any case, you may just need to speed up your Internet access.

(Via: http://punchng.com/best-ways-to-speed-up-your-computer/)

Don’t always point fingers to your device if it is slowing down and not meeting your expectations. Sometimes, the problems have to do with your Internet connection or anything in between your router/modem to your device. But once you got that addressed and fixed and the problem persists, it is about time you check on your device and find out what the possible cause is. Having too many downloads can take its toll on your computer and make it sluggish and unresponsive at times. Delete files or programs that are no longer used to lighten the load your hardware has to bear.

Don’t also ignore the idea that your device may have been infected by a malware, which is pretty common lately. If you don’t take actions on it, you’ll end up with a broken device and the need for expensive data recovery service. If ever you’ll need help on this one, https://www.harddriverecovery.org/raidcenter/dell_poweredge_data_recovery.html and https://www.harddriverecovery.org/raidcenter/hp-proliant-data-recovery.html offer reasonable charges for data recovery services that are likely the only chance to salvage your device.

1. Restart your PC

While this may seem an obvious step, many users keep their machines running for weeks at a time. Windows 10 will automatically put the display to sleep, but any processes which have previously been started will continue. These can accumulate over time and slow down your computer.

You can fix this issue by shutting down your PC each day once you have finished using it, by clicking on the Windows button and selecting the 'Power' button. 

Make sure to close any running programs and save your work before you do so. If your PC has slowed down to the extent that you can't display the Windows menu, manually hold down the Power button until the computer is fully powered off.

(Via: https://www.techradar.com/how-to/how-to-speed-up-windows-10)

Most PC users right now are using Windows 10. It is undeniably cool and efficient but alongside these features and benefits is an added strain on your hardware. The post above will come in handy if you are a Windows 10 user because you’ll learn how to address system slow down through the 10 tips provided that are sure to boost your device’s speed and efficiency. Some of these tips are so simple and common that just about everyone knows about it but still overlook doing them when faced with PC slow down issues. However, don’t hesitate to reach out to a computer professional if you already tried your best but your PC is still as slow as a turtle because there are some problems that require more extensive technical knowledge that you may not have.

Speed Up Your PC was initially published on Hard Drive Recovery Group Blog

source https://www.harddriverecovery.org/blog/speed-up-your-pc/

Disaster Recovery Service

Nobody can’t stop disasters from happening wherever you are in the world. They are natural phenomena that is as old as time and has been a big part of our existence all-year round. However, we have learned to adapt to these changes in order for to human race to survive and flourish. But knowing about them does not make our lives any easier. They are still major headaches when they come and still pose a big risk to everyone especially when they arrive with such force and fury. Even your homes are at risk of crumbling to the ground and human lives are lost as well. Businesses suffer just as much since resources are lost and damaged and employees aren’t able to work too since they have to take care of themselves and their families first.

What is the answer then? If you have a business, you should know more about disaster recovery service by now because you are missing out on a lot if you don’t practice it in your business just yet. Your business also suffers because you face the risks of disasters without any assurance that you’ll be able to recover in its aftermath. Disaster Recovery Services offers a comprehensive IT solution to ensure the continuity of a business no matter what disaster it faces at a given time, whether the calamity is natural or man-made. If damage can’t be prevented, these services allow businesses to recover by salvaging what is left and enabling them to gradually function once more. They make use of the cloud in the restoration and saving of data, so you have enough to make your business work despite the damage and loss you have to incur.

Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) Market Report provides an analytical assessment of the prime challenges faced by this industry currently and in the coming years, which helps market participants in understanding the problems they may face while operating in this market over a longer period of time. This market research report is a professional and in-depth study on the current along with future state of Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) Industry.
These research report also provides overall analysis of the market share, size, segmentation, revenue forecasts and geographic regions of the Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) Market.

(Via: http://www.coherentchronicle.com/disaster-recovery-as-a-service-draas-software-market-by-technological-advancement-competitive-insights-till-2025/)

It is a growing industry in itself right now, disaster recovery as a service DRaaS seeing how global warming is becoming a major threat to the world and everyone else living in it. Business owners see the big picture about the state of their business, so they can decide how to proceed with recovery and continuity of business operation. However, this is better taken care of prior to the advent of a disaster. After all, prevention is better than cure. Why go through all the hassles when it can be prevented in the first place? You’ll save yourself from all the headaches and the extra money you’ll end up paying in sabotaging your business and ensuring that life goes on even in the wake of a terrible disaster.

According to figures from ITI Consulting, in 2017/2018, the average cost per hour of enterprise server downtime is between €257,000 and €343,000, with estimates from 2015 of up to €6 billion a year lost across the globe, according to IHI.

However, the cost, complexity and resource commitments of traditional disaster recovery (DR) systems are causing issues for many organisations, pushing them towards alternatives.

According to Auxilion, the challenges for an organisation in running traditional disaster recovery solutions are that costs, including data centre capacity, resources for support and management and hardware, combined with the complexity of running fail-over sites and testing and re-testing fail-over and recovery policies, all within regulatory and compliance obligations, are becoming unwieldy.

(Via: http://www.techcentral.ie/time-look-disaster-recovery-alternatives/)

Imagine the costs of having to get your devices checked and fixed. For instance, hard drive recovery services are expensive and there isn’t always any assurance that they can fix your device and restore your data. Right now, big data rules the world. The rise of the Internet of Things has made it possible for everything and everyone to be interconnected despite the distance and all the difference we all have. Aside from that, there are a lot of scammers out there, so you can’t always count on them to get you out of trouble especially when you are in a rush to get things done in the wake of a major tragedy you fail to notice all the little things anymore.

Some contractors will rip you off of your hard-earned money without really delivering the services they promised. And there are very costly too. Only a few like https://www.harddriverecovery.org/clean_room.html can be trusted and charge for reasonable fees for the services they deliver. They will even give tips like https://www.harddriverecovery.org/blog/hard-drive-failure-recovery-three-major-user-mistakes/ to ensure you don’t encounter the same problems again.  Your business will be up in no time and you’ll start making money once more to recover whatever you have lost due to these unstoppable phenomena.

Disaster Recovery Service See more on: HDRG Blog

source https://www.harddriverecovery.org/blog/disaster-recovery-service/

Problem With Smartphone Obsession

Almost everyone right now can’t live without a smartphone. If you have the cash to burn, you can even buy more than one smart device to satisfy your digital needs. Perhaps the reason they become such popular staples in today’s modern world is because everyone can now easily connect to the web with ease. You don’t even have to spend that much for an online connection or even to pay for your data consumption because Internet charges have significantly gone down over the years and the service has gotten better too. Aside from that, the rise of the Internet of Things has made people more tech-savvy and more inclined to give technology a try.

What better device to use than a smartphone that fits the palm of your hand and something you can conveniently take with you wherever you go since you can simply slide it in your pocket and you are good to go. There are even people who would rather go back home to get a smartphone they left behind than continue to their destination. They feel empty without it and the presence of these smart devices has essentially wiped out the word “boredom” in most people’s vocabulary. Seeing how many people are so into their devices right now, one can easily conclude that this habit has already become an obsession and may be bad for one’s health and well-being.

Hot on the heels of “smart email”, grumbled about in this column recently, comes “digital wellness”, the umbrella term for trying to fix our addiction to technology – and its grim effects on our health, productivity and politics – by means of that technology itself. One hugely popular app, Forest, displays a tree on your phone when you put it down, which then gradually begins to grow, only to die if you pick it back up. Android phones have Wind Down, which causes the screen to fade slowly to black and white as bedtime approaches; then, last month, Apple announced features designed to help you monitor, and limit, the time you spend staring open-mouthed into its range of glass rectangles. Using fire to fight fire in this fashion is an appealing thought. And given the endless data these firms collect about how we use their products, nobody could be better placed to help us use them more healthily, if they chose to.

(Via: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jul/13/can-big-tech-cure-you-smartphone-habit-oliver-burkeman)

It is about time we start becoming conscious about our habits involving technology because it has a big impact to our health. You may not see it yet now but soon enough you’ll start having eye problems because of overexposure to harmful blue light emitted by the screen. A major issue here is the addiction to these smart devices that people can’t seem to put their smartphones down and have an incessant need to check on it 24/7. This is especially worrisome for the young ones who are already hooked to tablets and smartphones despite their young age. Their busy parents just hand them these contraptions so they can entertain themselves while they are busy juggling multiple tasks of their own they no longer have time to talk and bond with their own children.

Changing these habits is easier said than done though, since we’ve become a population of addictive phone checkers. A recent study by Asurion found that Americans look at their smartphones 80 times each day on average, or every 12 minutes. Some are even more dependent on their devices, with one in 10 people admitting difficulty going longer than four minutes without checking their phone. Another study found that younger users put even these numbers to shame, with millennials checking their devices 150 times a day.

If you’re nodding your head in recognition, then it’s time to learn strategies to break your smartphone habits to improve your focus. Whether your guilty pleasure is frequently glancing at texts, tweets, email or social alerts, this repetitive behavior can quickly morph into a near obsession, destroying your chances at optimum productivity toward your more important career goals.

(Via: https://wtop.com/tech/2018/07/always-checking-your-smartphone-at-work-heres-how-to-break-the-habit/)

It may take a lot of discipline and self-restraint to break away from this modern addiction. However, you must do it for the sake of your health and your own productivity. Your career and future are also on the line alongside your health and well-being. An employee’s productivity right now has decreased because their eyes are glued on their smartphone screen as often as they can. They are distracted and lost in their thoughts. They can’t concentrate at work because of social media and many other apps they have installed on their smartphones.

If there is one bright side to your use of smart gadgets is the fact you no longer have to deal with costly and stressful tech issues like hard drive problems. But if you do encounter it because chances are you also have your own personal computer or laptop aside from your smart device and experience problems like https://www.harddriverecovery.org/raid-pricing.html, you can always count https://www.harddriverecovery.org/pricing.html to save the day without putting a strain on your finances.

The article Problem With Smartphone Obsession was initially seen on HDRG Blog

source https://www.harddriverecovery.org/blog/problem-with-smartphone-obsession/

The Rise Of Pornography Through Digital Medium

Humans have different sets of needs and want. Some of the ones crucial to life are food, sleep, water, and air. Then there are secondary necessities that we need but even if we don’t meet them does not necessarily mean it can lead to our demise. If you are familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, you can see the progression of our needs from the most basic to self-fulfillment. Sexual needs are among these human needs that perhaps the majority needs but some who practice celibacy have learned to live without.

Along with the rise of technology is the growing popularity of pornography on the web. While most websites exercise prudence and refrain from posting any videos, images, or texts that suggest a sexual innuendo because they have a wider audience demographics, some sites focus on this alone and are visited by lots of people daily to satiate their carnal desires. The problem here now is that both the young and the old can access these websites. And if you dig deeper into the dark web, there is an even more atrocious network of molesters and pedophiles that take pleasure in the many perks offered by modern technology.

Several hundred images of child pornography were also found on the hard drive of Paddock's laptop, according to the report.

"This report is not going to answer every question or answer the biggest question, which is why he did what he did," Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said at a news conference today before the report's release.

Paddock opened fire on the music festival crowd from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. A total of 851 people suffered injuries directly related to the shooting and its aftermath, and 422 of them specifically suffered from some kind of gunfire injury, Lombardo said.

(Via: http://abcnews.go.com/US/las-vegas-gunmans-computer-child-pornography-disturbing-search/story?id=52467413)

If you look closely into cases of famous people who have either been caught or killed over the years, a lot of evidence point to their involvement in the dark web’s porn network of individuals who simply don’t get contented in watching people perform sexual acts on screen but have created a virtual experience for themselves where the victims do the deed with them virtually. For them, it is almost as good as the real thing as they can communicate with the person on the other end and explicitly ask them to do specific acts according to their liking. People who patronize this illegal network are often criminals themselves or low-key sexual predators that may be openly mingling with the public without us knowing.

Finger Lakes Health fired one of its doctors a day after he was arrested on child pornography charges.

In a statement sent to media outlets Friday, Lara Turbide, Finger Lakes Health’s vice president of community services, said the agency initially suspended Dr. David Blasczak’s medical staff privileges after learning of the federal investigation that resulted in his arrest Thursday.

“Following additional information obtained and based upon our policies and his employment contract, we have since taken decisive action terminating employment with Dr. Blasczak and revoking his medical staff privileges,” Turbide said.

(Via: http://www.fltimes.com/news/doc-fired-after-child-porn-arrest/article_c18f93e9-ff86-50c3-9687-0d965385f6e6.html)

For you to find out that a professional as prestigious as a medical doctor is guilty of child pornography. It is indeed a scary world we live in now. How can you sleep peacefully at night knowing that people like them exist and worse, they’re disguised as ordinary and respectable citizens but in reality, they hide a very dark secret? Most of the time, these people know very well how to conceal their real nature but once you see what’s inside their computer’s hard drive, you won’t be able to stomach the images you’ll see there. And it does not end there, the parents of these children are often paid by sexual predators so they themselves take these disturbing photos and videos of their young kids to satiate the carnal desire of people like Dr. Blasczak.

Even if they delete their files to prevent getting themselves incriminated, it is still possible to have these data retrieved. There are data recovery services that can uncover whatever they are hiding. http://www.harddriverecovery.org/blog/data-recovery-tools/ is a fine example. But if you yourself are struggling with lost data, http://www.harddriverecovery.org/blog/how-to-choose-a-hard-drive-recovery-service/ can help you overcome this issue without the need to spend a lot of cash.

The following blog post The Rise Of Pornography Through Digital Medium is available on http://www.harddriverecovery.org

source https://www.harddriverecovery.org/blog/the-rise-of-pornography-through-digital-medium/

More Mac Bugs Are Being Discovered

We love the many perks technology offers us. It has definitely changed our lives and managed to bridge many a gap that the world that it practically made the world one big place that is interconnected in the web. We no longer feel bored anymore with the countless apps we have on our phones and the multitude of things we can do on our computer. It is even possible today to work at home just as long as you have the gadgets you need to do administrative tasks and connect to the web especially for work that requires making or taking calls. Unfortunately, it is not always a walk in the park when we are dealing with technology.

Much to our dismay, tech problems occur far too often now than they did in the past perhaps because even cybercriminals themselves realize how much potential there is to wreak havoc among the public and take advantage of those who are clueless about technology. Malware is a common problem reported by tech users; especially by Windows users as Apple devices are less vulnerable to these modern-day bugs, or so we thought. In reality, Apple gadgets are just as vulnerable as that of its competitors it’s just that not many hackers take the time to develop bugs for it because only a few are Apple users as these gadgets are often pricey and not accessible to the general public.

Apple’s macOS is reportedly the target of a new DNS hijacking exploit. As noted by The Hacker News, the malware is being likened to the DNSChange trojan that affected over four million computers in 2011…

This sort of malware works by changing DNS server settings on affected computers, thus routing traffic through malicious servers and logging sensitive data in the process. This new version is being referred to as OSX/MaMi.

News of this malware first appeared on the Malwarebytes forum, prompting ex-NSA hacker Patrick Wardle to do a deep dive into it. Wardle found that the malware is indeed a DNS Hijacker, but actually goes further and installs a new root certificate to hijack encrypted communication.

(Via: https://9to5mac.com/2018/01/15/macos-dns-hijacking-malware/)

Despite having relatively few users, there is still a market that can be exploited and it is something that criminals have realized over the years, which is why you are hearing more Apple bugs these days than in the past. This malware is set to affect as many if not more than the number of PCs affected by Trojan back in 2011 that has reached up to four million. The numbers will definitely go higher now as there are computer users today, even Mac ones than it did six years ago. And since the attack is fairly new, even the experts aren’t that well-versed yet about it, so much to our misfortune.

Apple’s macOS users can check if their machines are affected by the malware by launching System Preferences and heading into the Network menu. Under Advanced, users can toggle over to the DNS menu and need to keep an eye on 82.163.143.135 and 82.163.142.137 DNS addresses. Also check for malicious ‘cloudguard.me’ certificate, which will appear in the System Keychain, if installed.

Since malwares are capable of installing other malware and allowing remote attacker access to the system, Wardle suggests fully reinstalling macOS on machines affected with this malware. Wardle also plans to release a free open-source firewall for macOS called Lulu that will prevent the OSX/MaMi malware from stealing user data.

(Via: http://www.bgr.in/news/apple-macos-attacked-by-dns-malware-capable-to-taking-screenshots-and-simulate-mouse-events/)

No one is really safe these days whatever device you are using because sooner or later, the hackers will find a way to get through your defenses and steal your valuable data or do something similarly sneaky because someone clueless enough will eventually fall prey to these scams. A lot of Apple users are complaining right now about various bugs affecting iOS devices and they are increasingly becoming aware that owning an Apple device isn’t an assurance that they will be free from the hassles and headache of malware, hard drive failure, data loss, etc.

While not common, Mac data recovery exists. Apple PC users should be familiar with https://www.harddriverecovery.org/mac-data-recovery/ in the unfortunate case that their device gets infected by a nasty bug. At the rate that cybercrimes are happening lately, both Mac and Window PCs are at risk. Data recovery services become more in-demand. Anyone who is using a computer these days should know about these services https://www.harddriverecovery.org/hard-drive-recovery-service.html so they don’t get ripped off because even these companies can also scam you of your hard-earned money.

More Mac Bugs Are Being Discovered is courtesy of http://www.harddriverecovery.org

source https://www.harddriverecovery.org/blog/more-mac-bugs-are-being-discovered/

Computers Remain At Risk From Cryptocurrency

Cybersecurity is becoming a more pressing issue as time goes by especially now that the Internet of Things has virtually dominated the world and extended its influence to almost each and every home in this world. I’m sure you have noticed by now that almost all homes have their own personal computer or laptop. If not one, even more. People go online almost daily now and at all hours of the day especially that smart gadgets easily connect them to the web. The Internet is the place to be and access to it is now considered as a necessity rather than the luxury that it was before. It is pretty understandable knowing how much of the world’s transactions are done on the web and much of the world’s data are now digital. Data loss problems are such a pain, so you try to protect yourself from such misfortunes whenever possible but these things happen because, life. When it does, this may come in handy for you: http://www.harddriverecovery.org/blog/data-recovery-tools/.

Hence, it is but a must for you to protect your device and the data it holds because more hackers are now eyeing your computer for a different purpose: cryptocurrency mining. This is one industry that is also fast-rising. Who would’ve even thought that one BTC will be equivalent to almost $10,000? Now, aren’t just after stealing your data or identity anymore but the literal computing power your computer has. Let’s face it, bitcoin mining takes a lot of computer power and miners don’t have all the resources to keep this vibrant digital industry moving at all times. Hence, miners got the wise idea of tapping other people’s computers to mine BTCs or other cryptocurrencies for them without the owners themselves knowing about it. Yes, it is happening right now and affects an alarmingly large number of computer users.

As if you didn’t already have enough to worry about, there’s this: Your computer may be mining for bitcoin without your permission or knowledge.

If this information makes you scratch your head and think how none of that makes sense, you are not alone. Research shows that instances where computers of random people are hijacked to mine for bitcoins without their permission or knowledge is on the upswing.

McAfee Labs released its annual Threats Report this week that crypto-currency mining is a new strategy for cyber-criminals. Here’s how this works: Bitcoins are ‘mined’ using super-computers that work to solve nearly impossible math equations.

This takes an enormous amount of processing power. Computers built to mine crypto-currency cost in excess of $5,000.

(Via: http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/2018/03/13/hackers-use-computer-mine-cryptocurrency/)

Cybercriminals and BTC miners have everything to gain here since they don’t waste any resources to mine for cryptocurrencies themselves but passing on the job to random people whose computers are already hacked unbeknownst to them. Now, how do they do it? You’ve heard of malware, right? They spell bad news and almost always require you to buy a new HDD along with facing some data recovery issues. http://www.harddriverecovery.org/blog/how-to-choose-a-hard-drive-recovery-service/ can help you make the decision fast so you can get your device working again as soon as possible. The increasing incidence of malware attacks as of late can be linked to BTC and alternative currency miners tapping on the computing power of people from here and there to run their cryptocurrency operation.

Using your office computer for personal use is one thing, but what about installing a cryptocurrency miner? Well, some employees might be doing just that.

In recent months, Microsoft has noticed a number of enterprise systems running coin mining software. One might think that hackers were behind the scheme, but Microsoft found that none of the systems were compromised. Instead, someone—likely an employee—decided to install a coin miner on the enterprise system and reap the rewards, the software giant said in a Tuesday blog post.

In January, Microsoft noticed over 1,800 enterprise machines running legitimate, but potentially unwanted coin mining software, up from just a few hundred systems that Microsoft encountered in October.

(Via: https://www.pcmag.com/news/359814/are-your-office-computers-mining-cryptocurrency)

Now, not all cryptocurrency miners are pro hackers. You’d be surprised to find out that it can be your co-worker or someone you know but haven’t spoken to in the office. It is happening now. Cryptocurrency is being mined in offices even if the network has not been compromised, which only means one thing, it is an inside job. Employees have been inconspicuously installing coin miners as a side job to their legit one, which is actually very financially-rewarding these days and can tempt even the most conscientious worker. The downside here is that computers perform poorly as the mining of alternative currencies require excessive CPU power and drag down the entire network, thereby affecting everyone. Blocking helps but the problem is so huge, so we’ll likely see this happening for a while until a more stable and long-term solution can be found.

Computers Remain At Risk From Cryptocurrency Find more on: HDRG Blog

source https://www.harddriverecovery.org/blog/computers-remain-at-risk-from-cryptocurrency/