The Octagon Team

A picture of a frozen spider web taken this morning – better than looking at the lost work on a frozen computer screen! (photo credit Clive https://www.clivecatton.co.uk/)  You have your morning drink in hand, you have to send some emails before that Zoom call. You sit down at your computer and wiggle the mouse and nothing happens. Or perhaps it […]

Malware short history In 1971 Bob Thomas wrote a program for BBN Technologies and unlike most programs at the time it had no productive purpose other than for research. It was designed to slowly fill up the storage of a computer until it was so full that the computer could no longer operate properly. They

It’s frustrating when your computer isn’t keeping up with your work pace but unfortunately it’s a common problem. Here are a few most common reasons your computer is slow and a few tips on how to fix the problem. 1) Too many programs and/or browser tabs are open How to fix it: Shut down or quit

Computers are great tools, especially for business or education purposes, but they may give you a headache and the relationship with them may be difficult at times. When they work well everything is great but when there are technical issues, things can get frustrating. Some of the technical problems can be fixed by you but

Here is an interesting blog about Blue Screen of Death, what it is and what it can be caused by with tips by Ira Friedman. I was working in my shop one day and I was really focused on a problem with a laptop computer. I was then interrupted by a neighbour who had a

Shopping has never been faster and easier for consumers. In the age of COVID-19, online shopping is safer than going out even if you are fully masked and gloved. Unfortunately, there are bad guys out there too! Here are some basic guidelines you can apply to shop with confidence. Use up-to-date anti-virus and anti-malware software

Today, the selection of available antivirus software is impressive. There are many options available and businesses have a wide choice but also a dilemma about which one to choose. Hackers have not been passive and nowadays they can reach your data in multiple ways, often by crafting sophisticated attacks. Malware can now spread very fast from one device to another and may

Cyber-attack prevention is a new reality for the businesses of today. Yes, the selection of available antivirus software is impressive but hackers have also progressed! Today they can reach your data in multiple ways, often by crafting some very complex attacks.   Mechanisms they may be using to reach your data vary but broadly this is how they can be classified:  File viruses – infect program files, for instance .exe files. These can then infect other files

In 1971 Bob Thomas wrote a program for BBN Technologies and unlike most programs at the time it had no productive purpose other than for research. It was designed to slowly fill up the storage of a computer until it was so full that the computer could no longer operate properly. They called this program “Creeper”. Later on, Ray Tomlinson created