Divergys, LLC - IT Consultants

We Have Moved!!!

2010-02-17T22:12:00.000-06:00

We have upgraded our blog and have moved it's location. Please visit our new blog at: http://divergys.wordpress.com.

Thank you!!!

New IRS Phishing Scam! BEWARE!!

2010-02-05T14:46:00.003-06:00

Well we are coming into tax season and as happens every year around this time, scammers start sending out e-amils in hopes of tricking you out of sensitive information that they can then use to steal your identity, infect you with a virus or malware or any number of things.

Below you will read an actual e-mail received be a client. This e-maill also contained an attachment called "balance_report.doc". THIS ATTACHMENT SHOULD NOT BE OPENED!!!

Please be aware that the IRS will NEVER e-mail you anything. Should you receive an e-mail similar to this please take the time to report it to the IRS by going to their website at: http://www.irs.gov.

Here is what the e-mail looks like:

Dear business owner,

We have recently received a complaint against your company. The complaint was filled by a former employee of your company and containts evidence that your company performs tax evasion.

Due to a confidentiality agreement signed between your formed employee and IRS we are unable to reveal his identity.Before we initiate a deep investigation of your company we wanted to be sure that the data provided with this report is authentic.

That's why we have sent you this e-mail , please check the balance report attached to this message.

If you discover any errors in the report ( check the income/outcome section ), please e-mail me as soon as possible to get this situation solved before criminal prosecution is initiated.

Thank you
George Hastings
Tax Evasion Prevention Department
Internal Revenue Service

Please take the time to read this and remember to be aware, be informed and be safe!

Get the 411 with 46645

2010-02-02T16:56:00.002-06:00

...In case you didn't know it, Google offers a free "information" service to text users. Rather than dialing 411 from your cell to get the nearest restaurant's phone number, text your next query to 46645 Read More Here...

Malware is Killing me!

2010-01-22T14:48:00.002-06:00

This is just a little reminder of how important it is to keep your Windows updates current as well as antivirus and malware protection up to date. Although the following threat is under control and being handled by the proper authorities, we should all be vigilant to the threats that we expose ourselves to daily when surfing the web.

Recent Hydraq cyber attack: What you need to know

A zero day vulnerability identified in Microsoft Internet Explorer was used as an entry point for a coordinated set of cyber attacks that has been carried out on dozens of large enterprises. the malware behind most of these attacks, "Trojan.Hdraq" appears to have been part of a sophisticated attack pattern designed to steal large amounts of intellectual property. You may have become aware of this event from the heavy media coverage about the attacks on Google.

The underlying vulnerabilities used in this attack are now widely known and likely to be exploited by other cybercriminals even though the Command and Control infrastructure behind this attack has been taken down.

It is important that all computer users take action to prevent themselves from future attack.

All users that have current virus definitions from their respective software providers are safe at this time. The source for this particular attack was Google and Gmail. I know many of you out there have Gmail accounts so please beware of strange e-mails and do not click on links unless you are absolutely sure they are from a trusted source.

Surf Safe!

Windows 7....so far......very nice!

2009-08-25T20:22:00.003-05:00

Have you had a chance to see Windows 7 yet? No, well take the time, it is really cool. There are several things that have changed in regards to look and feel from Vista. Internally we are all using it and so far we have been pretty impressed. I like to refer to it as "Vista Fixed".
There are a few really cool enhancements too. Got to many windows open, just grab the one you want hold on to it with your mouse and start shaking. The rest of the windows will fall to bottom, minimized and you are left with only the window you were holding. Kind of cheesy, sure, but, neat nonetheless. Want to see Windows 7 or learn more about it, ask any of our Divergys staff, we look forward to talking to you about it.

Happy computing
Tom

No Cell Phones In School Zones

2009-08-25T19:51:00.002-05:00

In case you haven't heard, Sept. 1, 2009 a new law goes into effect that makes using a cell phone in a school zone illegal.

Unless you are stopped or using a hands free device, House Bill 55 says that you could receive a class C misdemeanor citation and a fine up to $200.

Whether or not this new law will be enforced remains to be seen however I recommend getting and using a good hands free device regardless. Safer all around!

Thanks.

Dewayne

Follow up to: So You Think You are Safe......

2009-04-09T10:53:00.002-05:00

To any and all that read this, take 10 minutes, go online and for a very small fee buy the full version of Super AnitSpyware.
Get it at: www.superantispyware.com
Why, well it is the only product right now that can protect you against the rash of malware infections running rampant on the web.
We have no affiliation with the company, they just make a good product and we are recommending it.
For your own protection, if you surf the web, get this product.
Surf safe.
Tom

So you think you are safe...guess again!

2009-02-11T15:18:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the long break between posts, things have been a bit crazy.
So you do a Google search and you click on one of the many links that are returned, suddenly you get a bunch of pop-ups that say you are infected by viruses and spyware, click here to purchase Antivirus 360 or Antivirus 2009 or something similar.
Guess what? You weren't necessarily infected, but, you are now!
Even with the best antivirus and spyware protection you aren't safe if you click on a link because when you click you are basically saying ok, go ahead, I grant you access to my machine and when you do that your products can't protect you.
There has been a rash of infections over the past 6 months and they are just getting worse and worse.
Be careful when you surf the web, don't just click on any old link that comes along. also, watch clicking on links in e-mail, the same thing applies here as well.
Can you ever be 100% safe? Sure, unplug your network cable or turn off your wireless connection.
In reality, none of us are going to do that.
So, be smart, be careful or you're going to be calling us and it's going to take a minimum of 2 hours to get you fixed, if it can be fixed.
I don't know about you but, I dislike having to fix these issues almost as much as you dislike having to pay to have it done.
So hey, let's be safe out there!
Tom

SMB Summit

2008-05-02T14:37:00.003-05:00

Dewayne and I recently attended the SMB Summit in Dallas.
A 4 day event that highlighted the best and the brightest in SMB sector.
The first 2 days were spent getting up to speed on Microsoft's latest version of Small Business Server, Small Business Server 2008, as well as a new offering for the medium business sector, Windows Essential Business Server 2008.
We were both impressed by time and energy that has gone into creating these 2 products as well as very excited by the offering.
There are some pretty big changes coming when these 2 products get released. SBS 2008 is slated for release in late 2008, EBS is yet to be announced.
Our final 2 days in Dallas were spent meeting with vendors and peers and learning plenty about technical issues, marketing, sales and business in the SMB sector.
We look forward to discussing everything with our peers and clients in the coming months. Please ask us about it when you see us.

Want to know more about SBS2008 or EBS2008, e-mail us or give us a call. Check us out online at www. divergys.com

TA

XP Antivirus 2008...Sounds Great!...Guess Again

2008-04-08T13:19:00.002-05:00

I recently discovered a brand new Malware/Spyware.
While checking a machine, XP Antivirus 2008 popped up and told me the computer was infected with several types of spyware programs.
This was interesting because I had never heard of XP Antivirus 2008. As it turns out, this is just one of the latest attempts by the spyware producers to fool you the user. This program is actually spyware itself.
There are detailed and somewhat complex instructions on the web for removing it.

So, don't be fooled, this is not an add on for XP, it is not something that was added via Windows Updates, if you have XP Antivirus 2008 on your machine, you have a problem and it needs to be removed.
Give us a call, we'll get rid of it for you.

Tom

How much SPAM do you get? Is it more than you think?

2008-03-07T10:09:00.002-06:00

Everyone that uses e-mail has received SPAM. Today most of us receive a lot of SPAM. The question is, do you really understand how much SPAM your organization is receiving?
Divergys uses a Barracuda SPAM/Firewall in-house and we have virtually eliminated SPAM on our network.
Recently we installed a new Barracuda for a client and in the past month since installing the Barracuda, that client has received 62,133 total e-mails. Of those 62,133 e-mails, their Barracuda blocked 59,878 e-mails that were SPAM. That means that this particular company received only 2,255 legitimate e-mails in the past month. That translates to being only 3.6% of the e-mail coming to their server being legitimate. Which in turn means that 96.4% of the e-mail coming into their system is Junk! Those are e-mails that are clogging the system, tying up bandwidth and slowing user productivity.
With the Barracuda in place, the user never has to deal with those bothersome e-mails. The Barracuda stops them before they ever get to the mail server or the users inbox.
As another illustration, this same client today in the first 4 hours of the day has had 972 e-mails that have been sent to them, 18 of those e-mails were actually good and were delivered to the users.
Bottom line, want to increase your users productivity and reduce the load on your mail server? Consider having a Barracude SPAM/Firewall installed.
Call Divergys today to find out how.
281-852-5129

Tom

Are you backing up your data? Are you sure?

2008-02-15T10:18:00.002-06:00

What would happen if your computer crashed, your hard drive is dead, what now? Was your data on your hard drive or did you you have it stored on a server that is being backed up?
One of the biggest problems for small company's that don't don't have a server is that there is data scattered all over their network on different computers.
One of the best things a small company can do is to obtain a server and use it for centralized file storage. Then you can have a scheduled nightly backup and if your hard drive crashes you have only lost a little time and not all of your company's critical financial data, files, spreadsheets, etc.
Take some time to look at how critical your company's data is and whether or not it is safe. Hardware breaks, Operating Systems crash and become corrupt. A lot of times it's not a matter of if, it' a matter of when?
Even if you have a central file storage and you have a backup running, when was the last time you had it checked to make sure it was working like it is supposed to?
Call Divergys or any qualified IT expert and have your network assessed today. Make sure you protect your business information or you may not have a business to run.

Tom

Remote Control Me

2008-01-11T10:29:00.000-06:00

Having issues with your home or business PC? Need help? Give us a call at Divergys, we can help.
Approximately 80% of issue can be handled over the phone and/or using our remote control software. Many of our clients find it convenient and cost effective to allow us to remote control their computers and servers and correct problems.
Although we know most of you enjoy seeing our smiling faces, we can often fix your problems much quicker and efficiently from our desks in the office.
Want to find out more or give it a try? Just give us a call.
281-852-5129

We are waiting to hear from you.

Tom

Online Shopping - Convenient but be Careful!

2007-12-14T10:55:00.000-06:00

The online retailers love this time of year. Everyone goes online and starts buying all their Christmas presents.
That's great, and it's a very convenient way for us, the consumers, to get our shopping done and avoid the crowds at the malls and everywhere else for that matter.
But, there is a but, you knew there would be didn't you. But, when shopping online, be careful, go to online retailers that you know or have used before or you know others that have used them.
The Spyware/Malware idiots are very busy making sure they inject bad links into shopping sites so you, the consumer, will click on the link and then BOOM you are hit with a storm of pop up ads, offers, warnings that your your computer is infected and you should CLICK HERE to download this great piece of software to clean your computer.
The fact is, it's already to late! You are already infected with tons of Spyware/Malware and at best you are going to be spending some of your valuable time cleaning the Spyware/Malware off your machine. At worst you are going to pay someone else to clean it or end up reloading the operating system to get it fixed.
Moral of the story, be careful, be vigilant, be informed and surf /shop carefully.
Remember: The same thing goes for ads in your e-mail.

Another Certification Earned

2007-12-13T18:11:00.001-06:00

Jason took and passed his certification exam today for Windows XP Professional! Jason is now a Microsoft Certified Professional!

Way to go Jason, keep up the good work!

It's Official!!

2007-12-12T16:53:00.000-06:00

We received official notification from the state of Florida!

Our new location in Jacksonville will go live on 1.1.2008! More to come...

Lots and Lots of Hoaxes Out There

2007-12-11T15:10:00.000-06:00

Just to add to Dewayne's wise words about the cards to the soldiers. Please know that there is hoax after hoax passing around the web and in e-mail. The web is a great source for finding out if something is hoax.
Please before hitting forward on that next Incredible e-mail story you receive, search the web to see if it's true. One good place to start: http://www.snopes.com/
Snopes is a great place to find out the validity of a story or claim.
Have fun and e-mail responsibly.

Soldier Card Hoax

2007-12-11T14:03:00.000-06:00

To all:
I know everyone wants to help out a wounded soldier and appreciates all that the American military does for us at home and abroad. Unfortunately so do the scammers and this time of year is no exception.

I have seen the emails go around and around as people continue to forward the email to their friends in hopes that they can help the wounded soldier by sending them a card. Please know this is a HOAX.

Here's a link to an MSNBC article talking about it: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22114832/.

If you really would like to help out, use the following site instead. And please stop adding to the already over crowded email servers around the world.

America Supports You: http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/americasupportsyou/index.aspx

Thanks.

Dewayne

Divergys To Open New Office!

2007-12-11T11:58:00.000-06:00

We will be opening a new office in January 2008. This office will be located in Jacksonville, Florida.
Please check back for more information on the new office.

Welcome To Our Blog

2007-03-20T23:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Divergys' blog. We hope to provide valuable information to you that you can use to help improve your computing capabilities. Please check back regularly as we update our content.