Don’t make it “easier”, make it “easy”.
I read that in an article and it really spoke to me. My clients have repeatedly asked me to make the update process “easier.” Sadly, Microsoft still won’t give me full access to their source code, and even if they did, I doubt I’d have the time to fix their update system to do everything it should do. Even then – different users have different needs, and Microsoft is only one software vendor. The typical computer has consumer software from dozens or even hundreds of different companies, each with their own release schedule.
I publish regular update notifications because most people simply don’t know when to update what. They don’t even know what to update. Over the last 30+ years, I’ve always tried to make this process “easier”. But…
Easier isn’t good enough.
Throughout any given month I remove malware and viruses from dozens of computers. In every single case the malware used either a known software exploit (for which a patch was available, but not installed) or used a common social engineering tactic that the user could have easily been trained to avoid.
These infections take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours to remove, often costing clients upwards of $200 labor per event. But that’s only the direct costs, there are indirect costs, too. When your computer is infected, chances are good that it was a remote access trojan (RAT) that has shared your activity, usernames and passwords with the author of the malware. Your email, Facebook, Apple, Google, and banking accounts are compromised. Chances are your files have been accessed and shared as well. This all adds up to a total invasion of your privacy, added liability and an increased risk of exploitation.
You’ve no doubt received an email from a close friend or family member that’s been “stranded in London” or needs an “immediate cash transfer” to avoid a default judgment? Perhaps you were called by “Microsoft” who has told you that you’ve got a virus, and all you need to do to let them fix it is visit a website and type in a code…and just days later discover thousands of dollars missing from your bank accounts or fraudulent credit card transactions. It happens…and far more often than you might think.
I post update notifications regularly – at least one or two per month – and people look at the list of updates and are simply afraid to go below the top section, so most of the updates that apply to their systems are never installed. Most people often don’t even know what software has been installed on their computers!
I want to fix that. And it’s going to be “easy”!
Now that broadband access is far more widely available in Tuolumne County (and much of the rest of the world, so don’t be shy if you’re not local), I’m expanding my SaferPC Subscription services and lowering prices! For the low price of $30/month I will now perform all updates, security, and software maintenance for any single personal computer throughout the month. Additional computers are only $20/month. If that’s not a sweet enough offer: If you do get a virus or other malware while a subscriber to this service, I’ll remove it for free. You’ll still come out ahead – and more secure. We even include 24/7 tech support and much, much, more.
You can read the fine print here, which details what is and what is not covered.
Not a Windows user? That’s okay – I also do Mac, Linux and more.
Interested? Call or email now.
209-565-12PD
shawn@12pointdesign.com