Computer Tip of the Day: Reducing the Risk of Malware

a chalkboard with the words think safe written on it

Reducing the Risk of Malware

Believe it or not, most malware incidents that happen in the workplace are very unpredictable. Because you never know when they’re going to happen, it’s always important to be prepared.

For example, what if there was an unexpected power outage in your office, or what if you carelessly deleted an important file? If none of your files or data were backed up, there could be serious consequences.

With that said, another common (and rather unpredictable) incident in the workplace involves malware. Whether it’s found on suspicious websites or a supposedly “harmless” looking email, you always need to be cautious.

There are plenty of ways to avoid becoming susceptible to malware. However, it’s especially important that you know what emails to look for. Many of these viruses show up as attachments in messages. The hacker tricks you into clicking on it, and once you do so, your device becomes infected.

What are some things to look for in these emails that indicate it’s not from a trustworthy source?

First of all, does the message itself contain bad grammar or stilted phrasing? If so, then it might not be from someone you trust. However, even if the message does appear to be from someone you trust, take caution anyway.

Does the tone of the message sound robotic? From what you know of this coworker, employee, or business, do they normally use a similar tone in their emails? If not, then more than likely, the message isn’t from them. When you’re still unsure, seek out the person/business and ask, or simply send a reply email and see if you get a response. If it’s malware, chances are you wont.

For protection from malware, 24/7 it support and managed services, contact us today at Bluwater Technologies. We look forward to hearing from you.

Computer Tip of the Day: GPUs vs CPUs

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The current generation of computer technology gives you the ability to upgrade your graphics technology through the GPU as well as your computer speed through the CPU. In the computer tip of the day, we will go through why you might want to look at a GPU upgrade.

GPU Computing is CPU-Plus

Some GPUs have the ability to improve the performance of a computer system by 100 times the rate of a CPU. You might think that you would pay more for this power, but GPU upgrades are actually cheaper than CPU upgrades. If you are looking for green solutions, GPU upgrades are also more power efficient.

Integrating GPUs into Your System

Both PCs and Apple computers have the operating systems to implement GPU upgrades directly. PCs have DirectCompute and Apple computers have OpenCL. The new operating systems make incorporating a new GPU as easy as installing a new card into the computer.

The Uses of GPU

As 3D functionality and virtual reality become an actual reality to the mainstream computer user, GPU speeds will become just as important, if not more important than CPU speeds. Much of the computational rigor of these new technologies is encapsulated in the graphical output, and this is exactly what GPUs were set up to handle.

Once you have your hardware in order, please contact us when you are ready to take your computer maintenance to the next level. Bluwatertech is the company ready with managed IT services to make sure that your systems continue running well into the future.