2010
The often humorous trials and tribulations of tech-support specialists have been well-documented since the mid-'90s, when the Internet and home computers became part of our daily lives. Things have greatly improved since the days of the hapless users who mistook their CD-ROM drives as cup holders or didn’t realize that there is another definition for ‘mouse’ other than a small rodent.
These tales of woebegone consumers calling tech support have been frequently shared by many a patient (though frustrated) tech-support representative who no doubt marvel at the ability of the computer to instill such fear and intimidation in the average new user. Some of these stories are now urban legends, so much so that the website Technical Support Inc. (tsishow.com) is a comedy program that spoofs a tech-support division at a fictional company and stars real-life tech-support reps.
“Hello? Is this the Internet?”
Rob McDonald, a program director who previously worked as a tech-support rep, recalls a few such conversations he and his colleagues had with users calling the call center:
One of the most typical calls tech support specialists receive is the one from the panicked husband or kids: “How do I delete all these websites from my computer? Please hurry! My wife (or parents) will be home any minute!”
There is also the incident of the customer who claimed that he had signed up with the Internet service provider and that “You took my credit card and you won’t give it back.” It took the call-center rep a while to figure out that the guy had inserted his credit card into the 3.5-inch floppy disk drive on his computer where it had become stuck.
The Wall Street Journal also reported the case of two Dell customers: One user, in an effort to clean his keyboard, had run a bath and soaked the keyboard in soap and water. Another had been using the mouse as a foot pedal.
Another caller -- who didn’t own a computer and had no interest in signing up online -- called McDonald about “the Internet mall.” She had purchased a packet for $100 that provided information on how to get rich on the Web. The caller assumed that she had contacted said mall: “It says right here, ‘Sell your product on the Internet mall’….That’s you, right? That’s who I’m calling -- the Internet?” No Virginia, “the Internet” does not have a phone number or street address.
How to approach Tech Support
Even for savvy computer users who may run their own personal websites or fix minor system glitches, it’s best to approach tech support intelligently. When your system crashes, or you are forced to deal with a glitch that doesn’t make sense, simply describe your exact actions that led to the failure. Sometimes system messages can be difficult to decipher, and it’s best to ask an expert who can guide you through it. The New York Times for example, reports the case of a user who received the message “Error Type 11” and repeatedly typed 11 on his keyboard, thinking that this would fix his computer.
An ounce of prevention
There are certain preventive measures you can take to boost your computer’s health, so to speak. If your system has slowed down to a snail’s pace or keeps crashing, it’s time for a tune-up. Delete old documents, photos, music files, and so on, clear your web cache, and refrain from clicking on suspicious links. Programs like System Mechanic and PefectSpeed also help repair various problems, clear up unwanted clutter on your PC and boost Internet speed. If your computer starts making strange noises, call a tech rep or show it to a professional who can then figure out whether the hard drive has been damaged beyond repair.
There are times when glitches will inevitably occur, but at least you can attempt to fix them and not end up like the user whose monitor started emanating smoke and was eventually referred to 911 by the tech-support rep.
2010
Notion Ink, the plucky Indian startup intent on shaking up the tablet industry, was most recently spotted turning over the sofa cushions looking for spare change, but that isn't stopping the company from announcing pricing for its mythical first product. The Adam, it has now been revealed, will be available for $498 with WiFi, 3G, GPS, and a Tegra 2 system-on-chip powering things, with prices dipping down to $449 if you exclude either the 3G or Pixel Qi display option, and $399 if you drop both and make do with a WiFi-only LCD-based tablet. That certainly adheres to the promise of aggressive pricing, but the Q3 launch -- which in itself was a slip from a Q2 pledge -- has now also been definitively scratched off the board of possibilities, as the device won't be submitted to the FCC for certification until November. Notion Ink claims that from there on it'll be just a matter of waiting on the FCC to clear the Adam for its US launch, which could happen in late 2010 or CES 2011 at the latest. Or, you know, never.
2010
Author: Becky Roberts
Your users don’t need an encyclopedic knowledge of how their computers work or how your network is configured — but they may need a little technical enlightenment here and there. This list includes some of the basics that will help them (and you) work more effectively.
To be effective in their jobs and contribute value to the business, users need at least a minimal grasp of information technology. Exactly what they need to know varies greatly from environment to environment. But in most organizations, they should at least be able to understand and follow certain computing best practices, including how to effectively report problems and how to safeguard their data.
Frequently, it becomes the responsibility of the support tech to impart this information. Here are the things I believe are most important for support techs to teach their users. Feel free to challenge these suggestions and add some of your own.
1: Rebooting before calling for help
Although telling users to reboot when they experience a problem may seem like a cop out or delaying tactic, it’s an uncomfortable fact that rebooting apparently fixes a multitude of both real and perceived errors. Even if a reboot does not solve the problem, the mere fact that the problem recurs after a reboot can give the canny support tech significant diagnostic information. Rebooting is not a panacea for all computer ailments, and it’s even contraindicated in some cases, but appropriately and correctly applied it’s a useful and simple tool with which to arm your users.
2: Reporting a computer problem
In addition to knowing the correct procedure for reporting computer problems - -e.g., e-mailing the help desk — users need to know what information will help expedite the resolution process. They can easily be trained to effectively report problems if they’re provided with a form that gathers the appropriate information, such as any error messages, open applications, what were they doing when the problem occurred, and whether they can reproduce the problem. Consistently asking users these questions will also serve as training and will help prevent them from either giving too little information or from offering their diagnosis of the problem instead of the symptoms.
3: Keeping passwords safe
There is little point in having a password if it’s written down in an unsecured location or shared among co-workers. I have seen passwords written on post-it notes attached to monitors, inscribed in permanent ink on the side of computer cases, written on the backs of hands, pinned to notice boards, and even displayed as the text of the Marquee screensaver. Instructing users not to write down or share passwords has little impact, however, if they don’t understand why that’s risky or if the password policy is unnecessarily onerous for the environment. On the other hand, an intelligently conceived password policy, suited to the current security needs and well communicated to users, will definitely cut down on the incidence of password carelessness.
4: Constructing secure passwords
While educating users about the importance of securing passwords, take advantage of the opportunity to provide instruction in the art of secure password formation. To a certain extent, password construction is dictated by the constraints implemented through the security system, but in most cases these constraints aren’t sufficient to prevent users from creating easily deciphered passwords.
What constitutes a secure password will vary depending on the environment, but typically, names of family members, sequencing numbers, and obvious words and phrases should be avoided. Random numerals and a mix of cases, punctuation, and spaces is generally encouraged. Obviously, a balance between security and convenience must be found. If the requirements for complexity are too stringent, users will simply revert to writing down their passwords. For more information on secure password construction, check out the PowerPoint presentation “Raise user awareness about password security” and the article “Help users create complex passwords that are easy to remember.”
5: Practicing safe computing while traveling
Taking a notebook, PDA, or other device on the road requires increased vigilance to prevent unauthorized access. Users need to know how to protect their data while out of the office and they need the appropriate tools to do it. For example, remote access tokens should not be carried in the same case as the computer; access codes, names, and passwords should not be written down; sensitive data should be encrypted and/or stored on removable data storage devices, also carried separately from the computer; computers should never be left unattended; and consoles should be secured when not in use. See “10 things you should do before letting users take their laptops out the door” and “End user laptop: Lock it down in 10 steps” for more best practices.
As a footnote, this might also be an opportune time to remind notebook users that they will keep us very happy if they remember to remove all solid objects, usually pens, from their keyboards before slamming down their lids.
2010
Author: Chad Perrin
Three noted “lock hackers” have discovered that a $200 biometric lock is powerless before the might of the simple paperclip.
Wired reports that the “gross insecurity” of high-tech locks has been exposed. Several different expensive, modern locks with advanced design concepts proved ineffective against the efforts of Marc Weber Tobias, Toby Bluzmanis, and Matt Fiddler, who have been exposing the poor security design of physical locks at DefCon for years.
The most egregious example appears to be the $200 Biolock Model 333. It provides a fingerprint reader as its main selling point, but also features a remote for locking and unlocking and a physical key in case the fingerprint reader fails to unlock the door for its user. The whole biometric selling point was trivially bypassed, however, by simply inserting a straightened paper clip into the keyhole. The sort of lockpicking practiced by locksmiths (and private investigators in the world of TV shows and movies) is not required; the whole process simply involves pushing the paperclip into the keyhole and turning the handle.
The Wired article offers a video of the technique, demonstrated by the security researchers presenting their findings at this year’s DefCon. They describe the lock’s vulnerability as a “perfect example of insecurity engineering”.
Another example involves a Kwikset smartkey deadbolt system that can be trivially cracked with a screwdriver. Kwikset has stated that the lock has “passed the most stringent lock-picking standard.” Marc Weber Tobias pointed out that adherence to standards is not enough when it comes to security. The very nature of many problems we face is defined by the unexpected and unpredictable. If we do not expect it and cannot predict it, we certainly cannot standardize it.
A small safe intended for residential use, a battery operated electronic lock operated by an RFID key, and an electro-mechanical lock that keeps an audit log — from AMSEC, KABA, and iLock respectively — were also found to suffer weaknesses in their security functionality.
In addition to the Biolock video, there are videos within the online Wired article showing demonstrations of weaknesses of the other locks and safe as well. All told, the article itself gives a quick and easy glimpse into the world of poor physical security design, and the videos provide a concrete demonstration of the techniques involved. More than a mere warning to avoid poorly designed security devices, these examples should serve as an object lesson in the dangers of uninformed, improperly tested, and inexpert security design.
Wired’s article is definitely worth the price of admission.
2010
We’ve got to hand it to the hackers, phishers and identity thieves: They’re getting good. Their emails are beginning to look so legitimate, they've almost fooled us.
Yeah, the bad guys are getting good. But we’re better. And we’re going to help our members be better too.
Scam emails can often include legitimate company logos, return addresses and even 1-800 phone numbers. It’s understandable that you might think they are real. If you’ve received an email that appears to be from AOL, try applying the SCAMD method to it. Check for:
S – Spelling and grammar. It never ceases to amaze us that a phisher or identity thief will put a good amount of time and effort into creating a truly genuine-looking email and then spell every other word wrong or add gratuitous commas. Rest assured, a real AOL email goes through a rigorous review and approval process. If you’ve received an email with multiple spelling or grammar errors, it’s probably a scam.
C – Certified Mail. Typically AOL sends official communications as Certified Mail. Certified AOL Mail is a feature designed to help you easily identify email that has been sent by AOL. You can recognize certified mail before you even open it by the envelope type in your inbox. If it has a blue ribbon, then it’s certified.
A – Asking for personal information. Almost no legitimate company will email you requesting personal information such as your password or your social security number. If you receive an email claiming you need to update your billing information, check all the other factors first (are the logos correct, is everything spelled right, did it arrive as a certified mail?). If you have any suspicions about the email, call the company before you click on any links within the email or provide any personal information. NOTE: Do not use a phone number provided in a suspicious email. Many phishers have gotten so sophisticated that they will set up fake toll-free phone numbers to collect your information. Go to the website of the company and use the “Contact Us” link to find the company’s phone number.
M – Mass Mailings. If you got an email claiming you’ve been selected to win a prize or your credit information has expired and there are 500 other recipients listed in the “to” or “cc” fields, chances are it’s a scam.
D – Details. You can often find out the true return email address of a sender by clicking on the “Details” link under the “To:” section, in the header of your email. There is typically a lot of information in this view, but if the sender is using a fake “from” address, you’ll see the real one in the details view, usually under “Reply to.”
One final word of advice: Never, ever respond to a spam email. By doing so, you confirm that your email account is active, and you'll likely be flooded with more spam and scam attempts.
If you are unsure of an email's authenticity, forward the email to abuse@aol.com. Highlight the message you want to forward, and then click Forward to ensure that we receive the email along with the original message. If you prefer, you can also provide additional information before sending the email.
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