SAFETY
& SECURITY
At Taunton Home Tech we’re always keen to make sure our customers stay safe online and are taking sufficient measures to keep their precious information and files secure and backed up.
Get in contact if you require any assistance with your online safety and security. I can offer free recommendations and competitive prices for setting up a suitable solution tailored to your needs.
• Firewall setup
• Anti virus protection
• DNS
• Password Managers
• Network security checkup
• VPN
• Kids safety setup
£65 for the first hour then £45 per hour charged every 1/2 hour
Need some guidance on online security topics? We’ve put together some handy explanations below...
VIRUSES & MALWARE
Many of the major antivirus companies offer a free version which is perfectly adequate for most home users as is Windows built in security. Antivirus companies also offer subscription services that offer more additions to the software, for example computer clean up or password managers. All have their pros and cons and can vary with how effective they are.
DNS (Domain Name System)
DNS protection works by adding a layer of security between a user and the internet. This prevents visits to websites used for scams, phishing, and malware and ransomware distribution. It is also an excellent way to help keep kids safe online by blocking unsuitable content. If this is added to the router then it protects everything that’s on the network without the need to install any extra software. DNS can also filter out adverts and reduce the amount you are tracked online. Many internet providers offer this as either a free or paid addon. BT has Web Protect, Sky Broadband Buddy. These are often an on/off with little or no configuration which can be useful but if you want more control then there’s third party providers.
PASSWORD MANAGERS
Password managers are also great for helping with online safety. Having a strong and unique password for every site you have a login for would be impossible without having them written down somewhere. Password managers are a secure solution to keeping these with you. They are also a useful tool to stop you entering your passwords into a phishing website.
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
While home networks are private and our data is considered safe, when it leaves our network and goes off to the World Wide Web it can be far less secure and compromise our online safety. It could be intercepted and seen by people you didn’t intend. This is where a VPN comes in. It extends your private network over the public www. Your data is encrypted so it can’t be read by prying eyes. It is very useful when using public Wi-Fi spots and if you are concerned about privacy. Many companies offer VPN services, personally I wouldn’t recommend the free ones as some actually sell your data. A VPN is also used if you wanted to connect to your work network from home.
UPDATES
Remember to keep all software up to date, including on your home router. Often new security vulnerabilities are patched helping to keep your devices safe. Many things update themselves or prompt you to do it.
KEEPING YOUR INFORMATION BACKED UP
It is one of the less glamorous parts of tech to spend money on, but backup is one of the most important. If you take photos, have videos, home media or important documents then keeping a backup copy is a must!
CLOUD BACKUP
There’s a whole host of online backup solutions. Depending on what you are backing up would make a difference in what service would be suitable for you. Google drive, Onedrive, iCloud and DropBox are a few that have limited free storage so are great for documents. These, along with many other services, offer subscriptions for a larger data allowance. Cloud or online backups have the advantage of being offsite, extremely secure, offer ransomware protection, automatically backup photos from smartphones and keep multiple copies so if the worst was to happen your data would be safe. The downsides are it costs (unless you only have a small amount of data), you need an internet connection and it can take a long time to upload and download large amounts of data.
NAS & EXTERNAL HDD
Backing up to a NAS (Network Attached Storage) or a USB Hdd can be a cheap and easy way. Once you have brought the hardware then there’s no ongoing charges and no requirement for the internet. If you want the process automated then some software will be needed. For home use free software or paid for is available.
A USB Hdd or stick is the cheapest and easiest option but needs to be directly connected to a computer. Being connected by USB means that the data transfer can be far quicker than the other options.
A NAS is always connected to your network so multiple computers or phones can backup to it. NAS can also have multiple drives so they back themselves up incase of a Hdd failure, but they are more expensive and take a little more to initially setup.
Some home routers allow a USB Hdd to be attached and shared out to computers on the same network. This would then work like a single drive NAS.
Contact me to discuss your requirements, I don’t supply the hardware but can advice what you would need, set it up and show you how to use.
SETUP AND DEMO - £65* first hour then £55 per hour, charged every 1/2 hour
*Extra charges apply for callouts outside Taunton.
Jane Warner
"I've had a nightmare week of being wrongly locked out of an account and going through probably the most frustrating experience of my life. I needed to speak to a real human being and not a chat box. Your response was so reassuring, calm and friendly. I was even nervous about picking up the phone to seek help as I expected a sigh followed by a lot of IT jargon being fired at me at a rapid rate. Massive thanks. I've reconnected to the world once more."