Issue No. 20March 2014

Bandwidth Speed 

Take the test:     http://www.speedtest.net/

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is a measure of the amount of data that can be transferred through your network, measured in bits per second (bps). You may think of it like a speed limit on the freeway.  When the roads are clear you are free to drive right at the speed limit without congestion slowing you down.  When there is a lot of traffic on the road the speed of vehicles is affected and reduced, much like the data flowing through your network will be with many active users and downloads occurring. This congestion saps your available bandwidth and the result can be very slow network performance.

 Speed Issues

When large amounts of data are actively being transferred, for example by streaming media, downloading large files or a large number of web site requests, the amount of bandwidth available to remaining users is limited and as a result Internet speed can be very poor, causing you to really feel the effect of the slow network performance.  

For more information on ways to increase your available Bandwidth, or if you would like us to look into your lingering network performance issues, Contact Us!

 

What is Spyware?

 Spyware is a general term used to describe software that performs certain behaviors, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent first, such as: is a general term used to describe software that performs certain behaviors, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent first, such as:

• Advertising
• Collecting personal information
• Changing the configuration of your computer

Spyware is often associated with software that displays advertisements (known as adware), which also often include capabilities to track your internet behavior and capture personal or otherwise sensitive information.

Trading tracking for services

Many times adware is agreed to when you install software downloaded from the Internet and select the default installation options. This is all legal and stated in the Terms of Service (TOS) that you agree to when installing the software.  Unless you are aware of what to watch out for, it’s easy to be misled into installing software you do not want on your computer. As an example, you may sign up for a free music service, but you “pay” for the service by agreeing to receive targeted ads. If you understand the terms and agree to them, you may have decided that it is a fair tradeoff. You might also agree to let the company track your online activities to determine which ads to show you.

What does spyware do? 

Some types of spyware makes changes to your computer that can be annoying and can cause your computer slow down or crash.
These programs can change your web browser’s home page or search page, or even add additional components to your browser you don’t need or want. They also make it very difficult for you to change your settings back to the way you had them. 

How to prevent Spyware 

The key in all cases is whether or not you (or someone who uses your computer) understands what the software will do before agreeing to install the software on your computer. 

 Whenever you install something on your computer, make sure you carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement. Sometimes the inclusion of unwanted software in a given software installation is documented, but it might appear at the end of a license agreement or privacy statement.

 Source: Microsoft

 To learn more about you can protect your company from spyware please Contact Us.