So, here are some Internet Security flaws that are critical to take care of:

Weak or default passwords: It has been observed that organizations and enterprises tend to use default authentication passwords for their computer systems and work stations. However, they need to understand that this is an easy entry point that could lead to various virus and malware attacks. To avoid culminating this into any serious nightmare it is important to use a password that is manually created, tough and hard to remember. It should have combination of lower and upper cases letters, numbers and special characters. All these combination make your passwords more secure and safe.

No regular updates: Computer software and hardware field is an ever-changing field. Companies keep on updating their software and products. Technologies and software that are doing well today may become obsolete tomorrow and will be futile for your system. Updating your system software and other installed software not only help you keep your system fast but also help you prevent plenty of virus and malware that could otherwise damage your system and Internet network.

No data storage policy: The way a data is stored in a computer system matters a lot when it comes to Internet security. We usually take care of where the data is stored ignoring completely how it is stored in the computer. However it is equally important to look at how the data is stored in your system and on the network

Less trained personnel: It is usually seen that not all members and employees of an organization are trained enough to handle complexities of a computer hardware and network. However, it is very important to impart adequate knowledge to these people so that they can manage and handle day to day problems that they usually face with their network.

No disaster planning: Creating an efficient and robust data back-up system is something that is of utmost importance for companies and organizations. A proper well-thought data recovery system or disaster recovery planning should be there in the data networking policy of the organization.

Viewing the growing incidence of computer hacking and threats it is important for organizations to protect their intellectual assets data from possible threats and stealing. Loopholes that present in a network should be prevented out-rightly without any delay because a single disaster could ruin your whole business goal. Hence, it is important to go for a Computer Network Security Company that could help you achieving these goals.

It is important to underline here that your remote computer support team is accessing from somewhere else and the only means through which they would be able to fix the problem is by interacting with you and examining your computer network from there. It is critical for these online technical supports companies to determine how the error evolved and what errors your computers are coming with up. Viewing the importance of adequate knowledge of computer network and various technical layers that it consists of we have come-up with this article that will help people understand what goes on in the backend when you are doing your work on your work station.

Basically, every computer network is made up of 7 different layers that form the circuit of information exchange mechanism. Each layer has a distinct and different function to work on and information can only be exchanged when all these seven layers work smoothly and in conformity. These seven layers are:

• Application Layer
• Presentation Layer
• Session Layer
• Transport Layer
• Network Layer
• Data Link Layer
• Physical Layer

Now, let us understand what the functions of these layers are and what they actually do as an indispensable component of the whole process. So, let’s start with the first layer:

Application Layer: Application layer is the first layer that the whole circuit starts with. This is the only layer through which a user accesses information from the network or in other words we can say that the application layer is the only means and instrument through which users seek information from the network. For example when we type in the word http://www.superpccare.com on the address bar we are using the application layer to let the server know that we are looking for web pages of superpccare website.  Some of the important examples of application layer implementation are:

• IP/ TCP Protocol (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
• HTTP (Hyper-text Transfer Protocol)
• FTP (File Transfer protocol)
• POP (Post Office Protocol)
• IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol
• SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
• UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

So, each time when you browse something on the internet, or sending mail to some, using your outlook client, or using Yahoo messenger you are using any one of these above mentioned protocols that constitutes the application layer of your computer network.

Presentation Layer: Presentation layer is also called as Syntax layer and you can simply call it as Data Translator. Just like a language translator converts one form of language to another similarly the Presentation Layer converts one form of data to another form and here it is digital data. It is the layer that substantiates a particular format of data into an appropriate format so that the local host could understand what kind of data is to be served and same as the case other way round where the data on the receiving end is also substantiated. Putting it simply it is involved with data encryption and makes the data generic so that servers could understand the query or data in question.

Session Layer: The session layer is the 3^rd layer and it helps in managing, establishing and terminating communication sessions. Sessions are important because data is shared through small data packets and when a computer system using more than one application there are chances of intermixing of data packets that can create chaos. So, it is the virtue of session layer by means of which it is ensured more than one application runs simultaneously on a single network.

Transport Layer: Transport Layer is the 4^th layer in the OSI (Open System Interconnection Model) and is very important one. In fact this is the main layer with which the main computer network starts off. This is the layer that dictates how the data is sent and it is the only layer where port numbers are determined. This is the layer where datagram from higher level of a network is broken down into substantial and manageable datagram. Once the datagram is broken into appropriate format important header information like port number, sequence number and other identifiable elements are attached so that computers can understand where the data is coming from and where it needs to be delivered.

Network Layer: This is the 5^th layer where logical addressing of the components is done. Commonly it is also called as IP addressing. Asides, this is the layer that determines the best possible path to a destination.

Data-Link Layer: This is the 6^th layer that does the physical addressing of the data packets. This is the layer that constitutes devices like router, modem and other routing devices.

Physical Layer: Physical layer is the most superficial and visible layer in the OSI Model. Anything that you can see and touch is the parts of this layer. So, computer components like keyboards, mouse, wires, cables and Data Interface card all constitute the Physical layer of the OSI Model.

So, with this article you must have realized now that data transmission and communication in a computer network is not a simple task and it involves a lot of technicalities and complexities. It is only for experienced and efficient computer network support professionals to get into the root of the cause and find a permanent and appropriate solution.

If you are looking for some more information related to computer networking, computers, and computer support please visit our blog at http://www.superpccare.com

The UK & Ireland SAP User Group is a non-profit making organization that came into existence in 1988 to serve and co-operate SAP users across the globe. The organization now enjoys a huge membership base of more than 600 organizations that comprise of around 6,000 professionals who have in-depth expertise in SAP related products. The organization was meant at overseeing all SAP related business activities. The organization is also keeping constant eyes on clients, customers, and other vendors. It is the duty of the organization to take and resolve complaint or issues that are coming from them. The organization also offers members with a platform to share ideas, thoughts, knowledge, best practice and expertise with industry experts and members.

The survey that sought opinions of 336 SAP users spanning 150 organizations in the UK and Ireland reveals that users are getting it pretty tough to determine which licenses they needed through the lifecycle of their SAP software. Around 90 percent customers and users said that the company needs to reduce the complexity of their software licensing and should ensure that the software is limited only to one license. One of the biggest problems that they are encountering is multiple licenses and variation in limits in usage rights.

While addressing the issues raised by the survey one of the spokesperson for SAP says “We acknowledge the results of this survey and are continuing to address some of the perceived complexities around SAP’s software licensing through a number of measures,” said Tim Noble, Managing Director SAP UK and Ireland. “These include standardizing our terms and conditions globally so that the same licensing terms apply, no matter in which country our customers reside, as well as publishing our software rights online for all SAP products and services – including the full Sybase suite.”

“We’ve also spent a significant amount of time on simplifying the buying process so that it’s easy to understand, as well as ensuring implementation of SAP’s products and services are tailored to meet our customers’ individual and specific needs,” said Noble. “Our ultimate goal is to make our user’s experiences of software licensing as efficient as possible and we will continue to focus on this.”

Source: techweekeurope

Meanwhile, the company says that frequent changes in company sizes and software piracy are some of the factors that are affecting our licensing policy and norms hugely; nonetheless we are willing to review our policy and are committed in offering services that could help enterprises strengthen their work culture.

Warning signs when your computer is infected with virus or malware are:

• Your PC or client computers are less responsive and are sluggish
• Unwanted shortcuts, icons and folders start appearing on your computer
• Your computer firewalls are often turned off even though you didn’t flip the switch
• Some new and unwanted programs start appearing on your PC
• Antispyware programs pop open and then immediately close again.
• New programs (that you didn’t install) appear on your computer

Virus troubleshooting is important and there are many companies that are doing well in online troubleshooting computer problems still there are some points that users can exercise to get these problems fixed. With the next part of the article we have come up with certain facts and figures that could help users ensure safety to their computer.

Minimize File Sharing: Sharing files and folders over a particular network is important these days for companies and organizations. However, many of us may not be aware of the fact that sharing files and folders over a peer-to-peer network poses many threats to computers like virus and Trojan infections. A peer-to-peer network facilitates an environment where unwanted and undesirable elements of one peer could easily be picked up by the other. One of the easiest ways to solve this is by going for Cloud Hosting Services. With Cloud hosting services one could view and see documents and files without even downloading them.

Scan Email Attachments: One of the easiest ways to avoid getting your computer infected from virus, malware and Trojans is to scan e-mail attachments each time they come. There is plenty of security software available these days that we can use to protect our computer from virus and malware. With these softwares installed the PC can detect a problem with an attachment, a notification will appear rather than having the file opened to infect the computer. If scanning software is updated, it can effectively protect your computer.

Mind Your Downloading: Downloading files and programs directly from website is problematic as it could pose many security threats to your computer. This becomes even more sneaky when a website displays an “Are you sure you want to leave this page” message. Often, clicking on the box, even when you’re trying to close it, can open other windows or initiate downloads. The best way to get rid of such situation is by pressing (Ctrl+Shift+Esc)

Examine and analyze your Software:  There are documents that require you to visit a new website while downloading. These websites are not safe and are meant to inject some undesirable codes to your computer. Hence it is important for users to do a little research first to assess and judge what sort of software is being offered and what it does.

Exercise Caution: Exercising caution is another important thing to secure your computers from threats of virus and malware. While installing and running new software, users need to move slowly and read the installation agreement thoroughly. Exercising these cautions will help ensure the safety of your personal information and the health of your computer.

Virus troubleshooting is important viewing the importance of a secured and protected computer network it is important to exercise cautions that were mentioned earlier.

With this article our intent is to let readers understand the basic structure of a computer network and its components. Moving on the line we will start off with the definition of a computer network.

Definition of a Computer Network:

When two or more than two computers are connected with each other over a shared network medium to exchange data or to communicate is called as a Computer Network. All the computers that constitute a particular network can also use resources of other computers or in other words we can say that when computers are connected over a common network, users can share files and peripherals like printers, CD-ROM drives, tape backup drives etc.

Each and every computer network should have following components:

• Two or more than two computers connected in a Client-Server model
• A common medium through which computers are interconnected. It could be anything like cable or wire. With advances in technologies wireless communication has also been a reality and companies that are somewhat reluctant in using cables and wires could use this technology to share a common network
• Networking Interface Card’s (NIC)
• A Network Operating system software that are offered by many vendors such as Microsoft Windows, Linux and/or Unix

Components of a Computer Network:

Before we understand the way a network is formed and data is being transmitted it is important to know various components that constitute a computer network so as to ensure PC Care and safety so let’s go over those components:

Client: Any computer that is the part of a common network other than the Server is called as client. The division is based on the storage capacity and responsibility of the computer. For example a Server has a large storage area and its responsibilities are pretty different than client computers.

Server: A server is just like any other computer of the network however it can be distinguished with its large storage capacity and the role that is assigned to it. This is the administrator that controls functioning of other computers and responsible for the division of labor among computers in a shared network.

Media: The physical device through which various components of a computer network are connected with each other is called as the Media it may includes wire, cable or any other thing. However, these days with advances in technology wireless communication between various components of a computer is also possible. Thanks to those scientists and research scholars who work day-in and day-out to bestow us with such technologies.

Network Interface Card (NIC): Network Interface card is also known as Network Adaptor.  The Network Interface Card (NIC) is a circuit board that regulates exchange of data between the network and computers or in other words we can say that it is necessary for receiving and sending data between the network and the computers. Each PC comes up with an inbuilt slot where NIC is plugged in which itself remain connected with a cable or wire.

Protocols: Generally any set of rules is a Protocol. A Network Protocol is usually an agreed-upon or standardized set of rules used for transmitting data and/or establishing communication between them. Just as two people need to have a common language between them to exchange their views, so computers need to have a common language so as to share information and the Protocol is something that offers that platform.

Some of the common Computer Protocols are given below:

• http – Hypertext Transfer Protocol
• TCP/IP – Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
• ftp – File Transfer Protocol
• POP – Post Office Protocol
• IMAP – Internet Message Access Protocol
• SMTP – Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
• UDP - User Datagram Protocol

Resources: Anything that is available to a computer (or client) on a particular computer network is called as Resource. It may include things like Printers, Fax Devices and other network devices.

Users: Any individual that uses client computers in a particular computer network is called as User.

Viewing the complexity of a computer network it is important for businesses and enterprises to take help of PC technical support service providers. These experts are well acquainted with all the nitty-gritty of computer networking and can ensure proper functioning of your computers.

These steps don’t require a person to be an expert in hardware and networking. Any layman with some basic knowledge of computer could do without any hindrance. Here are those points that you can exercise on a regular basis to get your computer work efficiently.

Clean the Hard drive: One of the most important components of a computer is the Hard Drive. It is the only component that determines the longevity and life of your computer system. If it is log jammed with unnecessary files and data it may cripple and corrupt your whole computer system.

Hence, it is very important to clean and organize data in the hard drive so that files load quickly. When a hard drive is fragmented your data and files gets organized into many logical drives which ultimately slows your computer down. Or in other words we can say that when you enable fragmentation your computer data is broken-up and get stored on different areas of the drive which ultimately affects the speed of your computer. Hence, it is important to defragment your computer hard drive should you want your files load faster. Now the question comes how will you do that?

There is an inbuilt feature in every PC called as “Disk Defragmenter” that user could set to get their hard drive defragmented. This will put all your hard drive files and data into a single logical space and hence will improve the working speed of the computer. To get your hard drive defragmented do these below mentioned steps:

• Click the Start button and select My Computer tab
• Right click the hard drive and go to properties
• Select the Tools tab and click the Defragment Now button
• Select one of the drives that you want to get defragmented
• Click on Analyze button that appears with the pop-up menu
• See what the window is asking you to do, if your hard drive needs to be defragmented click on defragment button and you are done.

Physical Cleaning of desktop: Many a times the problem doesn’t exist in the logical part and no technical work is required to get it fixed rather the problem is very superficial and occurs due to accumulation of dust particles inside the systems. So, before handing over the computer system to some operator or technician it is important to ensure if the problem is logical or physical. Frequent cleaning of the computer can fix the problem without needing you to invest a single penny. The best way to clean is by using a can of compressed air to blow out debris and dust particles that gets accumulated into your computer parts.

A regular use of compressed air also helps keep your motherboard, keyboard and computer fan clean. It will help you blow out dust particles and debris from beneath the keys and other parts as well.

Free your Digital/Disk Space: A hard drive that is full of unnecessary data and files could slow your computer down. The best way to get it fixed is by deleting those extra files and data that are occupying your hard disk. Keep on deleting temporary internet files, files from windows Recycle Bin and uninstall unused applications. It is a good practice to keep a back-up for all your computer data to a portable hard drive. That will not only free your computer drives from unnecessary data but will also ensure you have the back-up data in case your PC goes dead or data is accidentally deleted.

Mind your security software: Using security software to protect your PC from viruses and spyware is important these days. However, we need to realize that, each time a software loads and runs it occupies a huge amount of digital space which ultimately slows our computer down. However, we can minimize it by scheduling scanning of computer or files at a time when the PC is not in use.

Keep a tab on drivers and driver updates: It’s a good practice to check for new updates and new drivers. This usually helps people get rid of bugs that are hampering the speed of the computer. Asides fixing bugs it also helps us enhance and improve the functionality of the hardware and associated software. Most of the programs that we install on our computer come up with an inbuilt feature “Check for Updates” that appears in the menu without needing you to visit the developer’s website.

Drivers those need to be updated frequently include network card, graphics processor and audio devices, because those tend to change most frequently.

Sum-up: No doubt computer is a complex instrument to understand the functionality and pattern on which it works however; in a day-to-day life we don’t even need that much technicalities and subtleties. A superficial knowledge of computer parts is more than enough to fix those problems. Only thing that is required a bit of alertness and willingness to learn. 

Dust and Smoke are the biggest enemies of computers. They reduce the life span of your PC. Keep your Computer in Clean and dust free environment, Dust is a conductor of heat. Dust can damage the vital parts of the computer like processors, Memory etc,

Install a surge protector with modem protection. Lightening and electrical surges can completely destroy your PC. You must use UPS. Voltage fluctuation can damage your computer. So its advisable to use UPS for longer life of your computer.

Avoid spilling liquids like water, coke, and coffee on the PC. The best way to do that is to avoid eating and drinking while working on the PC

Always use some form of Anti-Virus software to prevent virus attack, data theft and avoid precious loss of time. Some of the important Anti-Virus softwares are Norton, AVG, and Avast.

Make sure your PC’s firewall is always ‘ON’.

Always scan your Pen Drive before using it. They are one of the biggest sources of Virus.

Back up your important data regularly and store it in a safe place.

Scandisk and Defrag you computer for better performance.

Delete unwated programs and files that you dont use. This will free up space and improve performance. Empty your recycle bin regularly. The files that you delete end up in the recycyle bin.

Keep the warranty card, manuals and CD’s in a safe place.

Always be organized and store files, documents on your PC with proper names and under proper directories. It makes retrieving easy. Avoid storing files on the drive in which operating system is installed.

If you notice any unusual behaviour, bug, error note, and security warning note it down, and if possible take a screen shot and save it.

Always use a strong password for accessing your PC. the length should be atleast 6-8 characters. It should be a combination of Alphabets, numerals and some special characters like “$” , “@”, “^”, “*”, “_” etc.

While working on your PC it is important to take care of your eyes. Do not work continuosly or look at the screen without blinking your eyes.

If you need any help please feel free to contact SuperPCCare

The biggest advantage with Remote PC Help is that the solution is provided on the real-time basis and the member client can actually see the procedures that are applied. There is no need to wait or go outside to find the help.

Our technical staff is aware of most of the PC problems and solutions that can save your precious time and efforts.

Our technical assistants  also helps you with software installations,  optimizing your computer and removing any unwanted programs that is creating a problem.