Wintertime is Remote Access Time!

Winter in Washington, DC is the best time to think about your remote access needs. End users need a more flexible schedule with children home for the holidays, bad weather restricts driving, and with possibly 5 million visitors coming to DC during the inauguration don’t even think about coming into office on January 20th!

If you run Windows Small Business Server you probably already have some simple yet powerful remote access capabilities through a program called Remote Web Workplace. It allows you to access your email, office PC, and intranet or SharePoint site all remotely. If you are not sure you are taking advantage of this great feature, check with HLP.

When you are ready for more advanced remote desktop capabilities, upgrade to Citrix Access Essentials. Access Essentials, designed for business with up to 75 remote users, delivers secure access to programs and files on your network. Remote users can access assigned programs through a web browser regardless of the age or speed of their home PC. It even works on Macs. All users access a Windows Server rather than individual PCs but are delivered just the applications they need, increasing access speed while keeping your network secure. The solution is faster and has more management capabilities than the basic Windows Terminal Services. And an unsecure home PC can’t infect files on the company server. The price for this software is $249 per user and it includes the Windows Terminal Server Client Access Licenses.

If you want to allow users to work from home, or have an employee that lives far from your main office, these remote access tools allow everyone to access server resources no matter what kind of computer they have. In fact you don’t even need an office, HLP can host these solutions at our hosting facility.

Mike Tanney
Product Manager
HLP Associates, Inc.
www.hlp.net

Malwarebytes - Not just a clever pun!

If you have ever seen a pop up windows on your computer warning that your PC is infected, proceed with caution. You may fall victim to “rogue” security software with names like “Antivirus 2009.” This and other rogue programs are scams to get you to give up your credit card and purchase fake software to remove a virus that doesn’t exist. The software or web site ads try to trick you into thinking your PC is infected and you need to download their program to fix it. Even more insidious, they often take the look of Microsoft’s Security Center to appear “official”.

The good news is you don’t need to be a tech to get rid of these programs. Simply download and run Malwarebytes from www.malwarebytes.org. And yes, it’s free! Malwarebytes is a program designed to get rid of spyware, adware, trojans and other nasty things that infect your PC. The free version is a cleaner only (so it doesn’t include a real time scanner like most common antivirus programs) but does a remarkable job in getting rid of junk off your PC. It takes only a few minutes to download, install, and update the program. Once installed simply run the quick scan first, it will usually remove any malware. If your PC is really in bad shape, run the full scan. The full version of Malwarebytes includes real time protection and scheduled scans and updates. The price for one license is $24.95.

So why didn’t your existing antivirus program catch the “Antivirus 2009” adware? Your antivirus program may not consider that a “virus.” These rogue programs scare you into downloading and installing them while your regular antivirus software believes you are installing a program you actually want. If your antivirus software is not up to date it may not detect these new threats.

As always, if you have any questions, give us a call!

Mike Tanney
HLP Associates, Inc.
www.hlp.net