While most businesses have standard employee departure policies that address how an employee exits the company—usually turning in keys, clearing out personal items, and a final visit with human resources—IT support companies note that some businesses fail to consider the information security portion of the process.  Does your corporate employee departure policy address information security?

What it should include

IT companies encourage your business to address information security as part of its standard employee departure policy.  Regardless of how your business uses information technology, at the least, the information security portion of your policy should require that the following processes be performed by your IT department or IT outsourcing provider.

• Record all user account information and encryption keys to ensure access to the employee’s machine and for network credentials.  IT consulting companies recommend that account information be kept in an encrypted file that only your IT support team has access to.
• Disable all user names and passwords associated with the departing employee’s accounts for at least 90 days and then delete them.  IT providers recommend that in the event that “group” passwords are used (never advised) those passwords should be changed.
• Deactivate all remote access privileges granted to the departing employee.  IT consulting companies caution that not deactivating remote access privileges gives hackers an easy way to access your company’s IT environment.
• Back up the hard drives of all assigned computers and devices so that your company has access to projects, documents, emails, notes, contacts, etc.  IT support providers suggest storing backups offsite for at least three months.
• Image hard drives of all assigned computers and devices.  IT support providers recommend that this process is done as soon as possible in a forensically sound manner which will ensure that the all hard drives are identical duplicates to the originals.  IT consultants suggest that images be stored offsite for at least one year in the event that legal action involving data from the employee’s computer is needed.
• Forward all incoming emails and phone calls to the employee’s direct supervisor or other designated person to maintain continuity of communication with clients, vendors, etc.
• Compare turned in IT devices against the inventory list to ensure that all corporately owned tools such as smart phones, external hard drives, laptops, etc. have been turned in.  IT companies have identified that loss of intellectual property often occurs when devices such as external hard drives, flash drives, and smartphones fail to be turned in.

Why it matters

Creating a standard employee departure policy should help protect your business from a variety of potential situations which can ultimately cost your company time and money it can’t afford to waste.  With a well written policy that includes information security, IT providers believe that your business can protect itself against the following:

• Capital loss caused by missing inventory which will directly affect your business’s bottom line.
• Loss of data for accounts, tasks, and projects that a former employee was involved with can cost your business time and money to recover.
• Financial loss associated with the need to recover lost data.
• Unauthorized access which could make your business’s information systems vulnerable to outside intrusion.

Learn More

To learn more about enhancing your business’s standard employee departure policy to address information security, please contact the IT services experts at All Covered at 866-446-1133.

Servers have got to be the busiest workhorses within any workplace, running large amounts of business-wide processes and mission critical tasks on a daily basis. They serve as the backbone behind most 24/7 operations, integral in consolidating productivity-based applications and network connections across the workforce.

With their reliability and the number of benefits they bring to the table, servers consume a large chunk out of any organization’ energy bills. And it’s this mounting energy consumption that IT companies should be focusing on reducing, especially in today’s shaky economic climate. Here are a few suggestions on how you can help slash your energy bills (as well as your IT footprint) by cutting down on your server’s energy consumption.

Monitor the Wattage

The first step in server-side energy cost reduction is finding out just exactly how much energy your servers are using during your daily and monthly operations. Create a rundown of all the servers in your workplace and list important details like the energy consumption and how much of their system resources are regularly utilized. Your IT services team can review this information by looking through each server’s control panels or, as with the case of legacy units, by examining their printed documents for power consumption ratings. You can also use power meters.

Organize and Reassign Server Tasks

Using your list of servers, organize them based on power efficiency and their resource utilization capabilities. Reassign tasks by migrating the regularly utilized applications like Web and e-mail to the most efficient machines, and leave the least efficient ones to house the least used connections and services. This could take time to accomplish as sometimes you would need to re-map your network, but rest assured that this strategy will be able to help you save on your IT support costs in the long run.

Virtualize Your Servers

Applications that are rarely used still occupy space and consume resources within your server/s. As part of reassigning tasks, you can simply consolidate these applications into one, high capacity server using a server virtualization software. This significantly lessens the number of physical servers you would need, and solves storage and resource hogging issues across multiple platforms.

Switch Them Off

Unlike the servers of yesteryears, today’s units are far more robust. As such, constantly switching them on and off creates no ill effects on their average lifespan. This would, of course save energy during the nighttime when there is little or no productivity; although it would be illogical for servers running e-mail, Web applications or on-demand services on a 24/7 operation.

Customize Energy Management Suites

Whether you are using the energy management applications embedded in your servers or you prefer to utilize third party suites, it’s best to customize their settings to correspond with your usage. Naturally, you should enable any power-saving options such as auto-shifting to low power mode when your server is idle for a certain period of time. Standardize these settings and instruct your IT support team to employ this across the workplace.

Keep Server Refresh Cycles

Scheduling a hardware refresh cycle offers many opportunities for IT companies and their overall data infrastructure. On the server-side, upgrades and replacements will allow you to take advantage of the latest energy-saving technologies—either built into newer servers or third-party solutions that would have been incompatible with outdated machines. Make sure to include these factors in your considerations when selecting new units for purchase. New units can provide better scalability and enhanced capabilities that may allow them to take on multiple tasks, and occupy significantly less server room real estate.

These suggestions should be able to help you get started in cutting your servers’ energy consumption. Contact All Covered at 866-446-1133; our IT experts are at the ready to help you devise a plan to help you reduce your spending and optimize your IT budget.

If you take a look at all the different IT companies involved in computers, hardware, software, networks, servers and other computer-related products; very quickly, you realize there is an amazing conglomeration of different types of technology companies. After looking at all the different components required for IT, one can easily understand why so many companies choose to outsource their own IT needs to specialized IT Companies rather than try to learn and do everything on their own.

If you own a small or medium-sized business and are looking for IT products and services you’ve probably encountered the decision of hiring an outside agency to handle your IT needs or have contemplated facing the tasks of handling the IT yourself. But in either case, the realization and importance of IT in helping address small businesses challenges has been proven.

But how do you find the best IT companies’ to fit with your particular needs?

We are now living in an intensely technology-laden world. We are actually saturated with not just a few, but literally thousands of IT companies all over the world. There are just so many out there and all of them seem to claim that they are the best.

This is why you need to make a few business assessments before you engage any IT firm. Here are some guidelines to help you choose the best IT Companies for your needs:

1. Make an IT item checklist. Write down the most important and specific IT products/services that your company needs. This will serve as a template for your requirements, and will guide IT service providers as to what exactly needs to be addressed when they finally send you their proposal.
2. Check if the company can meet your specific requirements. Before you can get into the details of their product or service quality, you have to determine if they have the capacity to address your minimum requirements. Make sure the company you are looking into fits the right criteria in which your needs are in, if you’re looking for IT software solutions don’t ask a firm who specializes in hardware manufacturing.
3. Experience matters. Ask the IT companies about their experience in their fields. Find out how many organizations they’ve worked with and how long they’ve been in business. Inquire about their IT solutions team and what work it has done, especially for companies that are similar to yours.
4. IT support and training. Ask about how much IT support you will receive. Will your staff get training? Check if it will be hands-on training, especially if there will be a total systems change. Will they have consultants to monitor what changes should be made to fit your needs? If your business plan includes an expansion plan in the next 2 to 5 years, then you need this level of IT support.
5. Help Desk. Excellent IT management should also have a good help desk in place that can readily assist you if you run into any problems. The best IT support system should also be able to ensure that you don’t have to worry about service downtimes. Time is gold in any business and any downtime in your IT system could affect your entire operation, which is tantamount to business losses. Be very particular about their promised response time and make sure that you have something agreed upon for response time issues in your contract for service downtimes.
6. Price. Once all the details are accounted for, mind the price. Every small business takes price into consideration. However, this should not be the only criterion for choosing an IT company. Remember to compare companies and get multiple quotes. For a company that fits better with your company’s budget, needs, and processes, try looking for the personalized service that smaller IT companies can easily provide.

Looking for an IT company? Turn to All Covered.com, the leading provider of computer network services and technology solutions for small to medium-sized businesses. Call us at 866-446-1133.

Though the path of least resistance can carry you in unruly directions – as it so often does – it can empower you to effortlessly flow towards your goals.

It’s a given: all things that matter are usually the ones that costs a lot most of the time. Companies that pride themselves to be frontrunners in their own fields of expertise are usually the first to say that they invest a lot in technology to propel their businesses to accelerated growth and expansion. In hindsight, these same companies are aware that at any point of their business’s existence, downturns could affect their operations and could domino into crucial decision-making of whether to cut or not to cut IT costs.

Everyone in the IT industry knows that talk of cuts on IT expenditures will always resurface, especially if the economy is not as robust as we all would prefer. The board of directors and executives of a company are wont to immediately look at the IT costs and drastically cut its budget. IT investment and expenditures are not for the fainthearted. It is substantial enough to warrant a concern from the management. However, management knows that it cannot do away with IT altogether and there just must be some reason to just minimize its impact in downtrodden times.

So, what should be done as a compromise? Increasing IT productivity while maintaining operational efficiency through simple money-saving suggestions:

1. Take stock of what you have. Before you do anything else, it is best to make an inventory of all the things that you already have. Check all applications and make a checklist of the things that you really need and those that may have no value to the company anymore. Learn how to maximize necessary usage. You may already have redundant software that you can eliminate.
2. Use Web-based applications or open source software. Where appropriate, go for the cheaper one and one that is accessible online for free and for everyone. Why pay when you can get it for free or at the least amount possible? Always look for alternative options.
3. Consolidate servers. Look for ways where you can swap smaller servers performing the same task with a larger server. Initially, it may cost you a little more but its long term investment will be worth it.
4. Exchange deals. We are living in a symbiotic world and more often than not, exchange deals really work. Some hardware shops may accept your products and/or services in exchange for discounts, upgrades or lowered or waived service and maintenance fees.
5. Hold off on upgrades. Needless to say, if the current updated version of the software you are using can still do the work, hold off onto buying the latest version in the meantime.
6. Skip the top-of-the-line hardware for now. It may be very important that you get the best quality hardware, but if the second-best can perform just as well for you, why think about paying more?
7. Offer training options for your IT staff. Training seminars and workshops may sound expensive, but you will realize that investing in employee training can drastically improve productivity and efficiency.
8. Outsource selected services. Sometimes, the best way out is really out. Consider outsourcing some of the services that you need. You can save money by not having to deal with extending your staff to meet certain needs.

In the long run, companies cannot do away with IT, and a dramatic cut in its budget will not really cure the problem. There are surefire creative ways of minimizing cost with the least impact, both for the company in general and for the IT department at whose hands the wheels of technology are being churned for the company’s growth. Outsourcing IT services to companies such as All Covered is one path to a better, more economically sound IT that should not be ignored.

How do you select a Web hosting services provider?

There are so many to choose from on the Internet today, and whether your website is for personal or professional use, there are a few key things you need to take into account before you pick a host. If the site is going to be utilized for as a small or medium-sized business or is this for a larger business where you may need exchange server hosting for multiple lines of communications with customers and employees.

Web hosting companies are companies that offer leg room on a server they own or lease for use by their clients as well as offering Internet connectivity, normally in a data center. As an alternative of providing access to the Internet,  Web hosts provide server storage space for websites online. Each website online is hosted on a server at a data facility. It is far too expensive for people to have and keep their own server, so the best thing to do is to lease space on a server that is efficiently maintained by a different company. These are the businesses known and recognized as Web hosting providers.

There are many things to consider when choosing a provider, and here are some tips to help you decide on which web hosting company to use:

• Come to a decision as to what is essential to you and what you can carry out. This implies you have to make up your mind about how much you’re willing to spend for a professional service. A lot of these companies will let you pay on a monthly basis. Usually, the primary apprehension is the money. Review your needs and your budget, and discern if you can afford to pay for a plan yearly or if you could do with monthly payment plans.
• Address other issues after you’ve made a decision on the financial part. There are several things you should consider such as:

1. Do you want a domain name? If this is a professional business enterprise, don’t you want your business website URL to end in .com, .net or .org? Some hosting sites will include domain names as part of their packages.
2. Email accounts
3. Storage and transfer storage
4. Process features such as paying by credit cards
5. An auto-responder for email communication
6. A simple format to construct your site with
7. 24/7 support, and the capability to chat with a service tech

• Create a list of the things you absolutely need. Most companies can now customize their services according to your needs, so investigate and evaluate your list. After creating a list of your needs, create a list of potential hosting providers. Record the names of the ones you’re interested in, and compose remarks on each of these sites, what they propose and their prices. Don’t just settle on the first site that fits your search criteria. Keep reading through different sites until you can honestly select the one you think would best fit your needs.
• Match up to your new lists of potential host sites. With a list in hand it may be effortless to make your mind up. If you continue having trouble deciding, go to a testimonial page and see if you can actually get in touch with some of those clients. Email and inquire how much they really like the sites they have.
• Choosing a good website hosting company can take a lot of work, but once you’ve done your homework and picked the right company, you won’t regret it.

For your small or medium-sized business’ IT needs, you can always turn to All Covered.  Contact us at 866-446-1133.

New Year, New Computer: What To Do To Make Sure it Runs Well Right from the Start

If you’re one of the lucky people who just got a new computer for Christmas, or will be getting one as a kick-off to the New Year, your work will not be done after taking the components out of their boxes and setting them up on your desk or workstation.Here are the things that you absolutely have to do after you have turned on your brand new PC and set up your Internet connection for the first time.

Install the Right Antivirus Software

Most desktop computers nowadays come along with a free trial version of an affiliate antivirus software provider, but this usually only lasts thirty days. Afterwards, your computer could be prone to many corruptive programs. If you do not have the means to buy the full version immediately after you have set up your new computer system, or if you are not too fond of the antivirus program, then we suggest you scrap it and install a powerful free antivirus program like Microsoft Security Essentials, which is available for a free download on the official Microsoft website. The antivirus program can protect computers from the major known threats, and a good antivirus solution can even safeguard against new ones. AVG is also a good alternative.

Uninstall the Applications You Don’t Want

Just because some applications came with your computer does not mean that you have to keep them. If you do not plan on using some of those programs, then uninstall them. Do not let them clutter up your hard drive and take up precious memory space. Include, but only if you choose, free trial applications and e-mail or network set-up programs.This could take quite a while, depending on how many applications you wish to take out, how big those files are and how embedded they are into your computer system.

Be very careful when you are doing this task. Take a good long look at the applications listed on your Add/Remove Programs portion of the Windows Control Panel. Do not remove any program you think you might need in the future. This is not yet the moment for getting completely miserly with your disk space.

Run Windows Update

If the icon does not automatically pop up on your task bar then manually visit the Windows Update URL and install all of the current Windows patches. Set up your PC to receive automatic updates. This way, you can ensure that your computer system will always be updated and relatively secure.

This process may also take a while and require a number of reboots.

Download Microsoft Office

This is the heart of every PC. You will most likely be doing the bulk of your work in at least one of the software compilation’s major applications such as MS Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. If your PC came with a trial version of the MS Office Suite then it is highly recommended that you buy the full version as soon as possible. If you cannot or do not have the means to purchase it, then you can consider comparable free downloadable office suites such as OpenOffice.

Download a Good Internet Browser

Sticking with Internet Explorer is fine but there are other options out there. Both Firefox and Google Chrome make for faster, more customizable alternatives to the PC’s default Web browser.

Check Input-Output Compatibility

After covering all the basic software configurations, see if your Windows desktop computer has a digital output that is better than the standard VGA (15-pin) output. If this is the case, look for the corresponding input on your monitor and buy the right cable. You will find your monitor displaying better picture resolution because of the input-output compatibility.

If your business needs help with your IT or IT strategy contact the IT consulting experts at All Covered – 866-446-1133.

Although its importance can’t be stressed enough, many people tend to take for granted the importance of securing their wireless routers when they implement wireless systems in their business. It is actually the first thing that people should do as soon as they have installed a wireless system in the workplace.

Securing your business’ wireless network is of the utmost importance. Why? An unsecured wireless access point could leave your company’s network and data wide open. Anyone with access to your network can view sensitive information from your servers and other networked computers. Add to the fact that since your network is open, other people can use your network, which can use up your network bandwidth and affect your company’s operations.

So be sure to have your network safely secured from outside threats. To secure your company’s wireless router or access point, here are the basic steps that you need to do:

• First, know how your wireless network works. Today’s wireless technology uses radio signals when transmitting data and these could be transmitted over great distances. People with greater technological capabilities could sniff out data transmitted from your wireless systems and take them away.
• Most wireless routers come with a default username and password. Change it right away! This can never be overemphasized. Make sure that you choose a complex combination of characters for your username that only you can remember, but don’t lose it. Ideally, passwords should be at least eight characters long. However, be sure to choose a strong password with a combination of alphanumeric characters. Stay away from passwords that are associated with birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
• If your wireless router supports WPA2, use it. It is by far the strongest encryption technology to date. If you haven’t purchased a router yet, stay away from routers that only support WIFI Protected Access or WPA and Wired Equivalency Privacy or WEP. Only choose routers that support WPA2. Why? WPA and WEP can be easily cracked, and many of these tools are available online.
• Immediately change the default SSID of your wireless router and disable broadcasting. Your router’s SSID is nothing more than your network’s identity. Routers use generic manufacturer SSID upon purchase by default such as Linksys, default, etc. Change it to something that is not common or can be remembered easily. When choosing a strong network identity or name, the best practice is to stay away from anything that are associated to your business’ name, birthdays, anniversaries, spouse’s name, etc. A poorly configured SSID is very prone to attacks that could lead to devastating results. It is also very important to do is turning off broadcasting. By doing so, you keep your routers out of sight from prying cyber criminals.
• Enable Media Access Control or MAC address restriction. A MAC address is a 12-character ID that is attached to network devices. Enabling MAC address restriction will allow only specific devices to access your wireless router. This can add more security to your system.

Another important thing that you should do to keep your wireless network secure is to keep yourself abreast with the latest in wireless technology. Doing so will keep you informed of the latest trends in network security, as well as potential vulnerabilities that can affect your company’s IT infrastructure.

To learn more about how you can safely secure your company’s wireless network, visit All Covered or call 866-446-1133.

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If you’ve noticed that your computers are less efficient than they used to be, how can you extend their lifespan? Most small businesses usually don’t have the budget to invest in new hardware or software, so how d you keep them up-to-date and protected without it costing much?

There are a number of possible reasons why your company computers might be slowing down, such as the amount of software installed, the lack of in-house IT know-how, and the fact that one’s focus is usually more on growing the business than worrying about IT.

Many other factors can adversely affect your computers’ performance. But even if you don’t install programs or tinker with computers in other ways, their performance is likely to get reduced over time. Files start to build up clutter so they take longer to load, and various system software and hardware components may need to be updated. So what can you do?

Perform simple maintenance tasks

Slow computers don’t necessarily need to be replaced: a bit of regular maintenance and protection will keep them running just fine. You can do any of the following:

• Deleting unnecessary files by running Disk Cleanup regularly

• Running ScanDisk once a week to check the integrity of your hard drive and file system

• Defragmenting your hard drive every month or so to speed up your hard disk by consolidating files and placing frequently used system files together on the disk

Routine maintenance tasks like this take just a few minutes, but they’ll help keep your machines up to speed.

Get free protection from viruses

With Windows Defender, you can protect your computers from pop-ups, slow performance and security threats by detecting and removing ‘spyware’ and ‘malware’. Defender continually monitors your computer and finds unwelcome programs that slow it down, and recommends actions to minimize interruptions and help you stay productive. Windows Defender comes free with all versions of Windows Vista. It’s also available to download for genuine copies of Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later.

Try patching

Another way to keep your computers secure is by installing software updates as they become available. Software “patches” are small programs that fix potential system problems and security issues which become known after the product has been released. Patching can repair software ‘bugs’ and remove or prevent viruses that get onto your computers via the internet, helping improve the overall performance of your computers.

Get firewalled

Your computers also need a reliable firewall in place. We recommend a hardware firewall for perimeter network security, but you can also use a software firewall to protect your computer. For instance, Windows Vista and Windows 7 both come with a built-in firewall – just make sure it’s switched on, and it will stop 90% of viruses, spyware, spam and other threats reaching any of your computers.

Consult the experts

No matter how busy you are handling customers and taking care of business, it’s very important to maintain and protect your computers. There are many solutions out there to help without spending much, and of course there are those which are totally free! Those listed above is a good start.

It’s also worth making your employees aware of the need for regular maintenance and security. If you don’t have the right experience yourself, then consult an IT specialist for small businesses, such as All Covered to give them some training. By using and maintaining computers sensibly, your employees will not only be more productive, but you also avoid exposing your company to unnecessary risks. Contact us at 866-446-1133.

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Check out our guide to choosing the best IT companies

If you are a small business owner, chances are that you have at least one computer and employee working for you.  In order to protect your business and maximize your employee’s happiness, consider creating a fair and practical computer usage policy.

Begin by researching how your business operates and what sort of data it generally uses on a computer.  Key points to consider are as follows:

• Understand the risks- Define the sort of information you need to protect and determine how cyber threats might affect that data.
• Understand your system- Learn about the IT security protections (firewalls, antivirus, etc) your company uses and understand how they work to protect your data and IT network.
• Understand your users- Learn how tech savvy your employees are—find out how informed your users are to the risks of internet usage and project how their behaviors create risk to your company’s data.

Once you’ve discovered your business’s computing needs and learned more about your employees’ knowledge of threats, create an easy to follow policy that addresses what actions are permitted and be sure to spell out prohibited actions.  Be sure to cover the following areas:

• Mail- Decide how your users deal with business and personal email, and make sure that they don’t affect each other.
• Files and documents- Make sure users save information onto the server so that it can be backed up.
• Laptops- Find the best way to keep the data on company laptops protected, up to date, and available for users’ mobile needs.
• Instant messenger- Many small businesses struggle on what to do around IM.  Using IM can expose your IT network to outside security threats, so balance the possible benefits to your users and business against the possible drawbacks.
• Internet usage- In clear language, state what the company uses the internet for and how users need to use it safely and securely.
• Personal programs- Decide if you will allow users to use personal programs such as iTunes, streaming music, twitter and other applications that have do not impact business but make your employees happy.  If your business is exposed to little risk through the use of personal programs, consider allowing them.
• Applications and piracy- All employees should know your company’s policies against copying or illegally distributing programs.

Once you’ve created your small business’s computer usage policy, introduce it to your employees with some simple actions such as:

• Training- Educate computer users on the new computer usage policy, and provide additional information and retraining when necessary.  A great resource for free online security training can be found at http://www.thinksecurityfirst.us/ .
• Commitment- Once users have received education and training, have them sign the new policy.  Also consider reevaluating the policy on a semi-annual basis, or anytime major changes occur in the IT network.
• Implementation- When possible, enforce the policy indiscriminately by using computer configurations.

Depending upon your business’s specific needs, your computer usage policy may be liberal or restrictive.  To learn more about constructing a personalized computer usage policy that meets your business computing needs, please contact the IT outsourcing experts All Covered at 866-446-1133.

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If you have a computer, you need anti-virus protection.  If your computer is new, it might come with a trial version of a program, but it might not be the right one to meet your computing needs.  If your computer is due for a renewal of its anti-virus software, you might want to check out other anti-virus programs.  Either way, you need to make sure that the antivirus program you choose to install on your computer will do what you want it to.  Here are some points to consider before you purchase or renew your current anti-virus program.

Ensure that the application is legitimate. While online, many users are solicited to purchase applications through deceptive advertising that claims that viruses or worms have been detected on your computer.  Amazingly enough, the company will also have the perfect anti-virus solution to take care of the problem.  If you’re lucky, the solution works great.  Worst-case scenario is that you’ve given out personal information to a company and installed their solution that is actually a Trojan program or other malware application instead of the promised antivirus.

Research the manufacturer’s website before you purchase a specific solution.  Check out the retail website and make sure it meets your computing needs.  Don’t buy a program that is designed for a Fortune 500 company if you are a home or small business user with only one computer.

• Make sure the website provides educational information about their products, services and support.  Avoid purchasing from websites that don’t do anything but attempt to sell a solution at a “bargain basement” rate that will expire if you don’t purchase in the next few minutes.
• Make sure the anti-virus program offers the type of support that you need.   The best applications will provide you with many ways to contact them for help.  Look for the following:
  • an 800 or 866 number to call that is available 24 hours a day
  • multiple email addresses for support and sales, not just one email address listed
  • “chat” support – or the ability to contact a representative in real time.
  • Check the website for awards.  Antivirus programs that have received awards from recognizable sources such as PC World, CNET, and InfoWeek are solutions that have been recognized as providing consistent and dependable antivirus protection to users.  Also check the following web sites:
    • http://reviews.cnet.com/editors-choice/ – consumer products
    • http://www.inc.com/ – small business technology

Check for third party certification.  Make sure the anti-virus protection has received third party independent certification.  Third party certification guarantees that the anti-virus program has been tested against industry-standard compliance benchmarks.  Don’t buy a program that has not received third party certification.

• Go to http://www.icsalabs.com/ and search for anti-virus solutions under their testing area.  Make sure that the application you are considering is on their list.  If it’s not listed, it’s probably not certified.

Seek testimonials.  Testimonials are a good indicator that the anti-virus solution will work as promised.  Most customers won’t take the time to rave about a mediocre application.  Testimonials will point out the superior anti-virus features and will often provide information about how well the manufacturing company provides support.

Follow up with expert advice. When it comes to selecting an anti-virus solution to meet your specific computing needs, there is no “one size fits all” solution.  To find the best solution, shop around and research.  Remember that if it looks too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.  For more information about how to choose the best anti-virus solution for your computing needs, please contact All Covered at 866-446-1133.

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