Your Firewall

Posted on by ccsretail

A firewall, when properly configured, blocks access to your computers from outside sources. However it will still let you browse the Internet, do your on-line banking, and whatever else you need to do.

Most routers and modems that connect to the Internet have a built-in firewall.  This may be the best place for your firewall, in that access attempts are blocked before they get to your computer. So they do not add any load to your system.  However, if your firewall is on your router/modem, make sure that you have access to it. 

Many service providers will install this hardware, and not give you access to change the configuration.  If this is the case, it is better to have them turn off the firewall, and move the firewall function to your system. By having access to your firewall configuration, you can tune it to meet your needs.  One of the biggest points being, you can allow access to your system for support purposes. 

Whether your system is Windows, or UNIX/Linux, it has the ability for outside support to connect, and troubleshoot your system.  This is to your advantage, in that help is immediately available, instead of having to schedule a time, and have someone dispatched to your site.  This outside access is almost always blocked in a standard installation.

We have a great deal of experience with configuring firewalls to allow support access, but still be safeguarded from hack attempts in general, and are happy to help you.  Contact CCS Retail Support to schedule an appointment.

Keeping your media

Posted on by ccsretail

It’s important to keep all of the media, such as CD’s and Reference Manuals, that come with your computer.  These are the operating system disk, and other software disks, that are shipped with your system. As well as any other media that was created at the time your system was staged.  Particularly important, is the disaster recovery media that should be included with a new system.

These need to be clearly marked with which machine they go to with the date, and kept together in a safe location.  Along with these, any license keys and other paperwork for your system, should be kept with them.

If you ever have any type of system failure or any of your software becomes corrupt, then you will be able to bring everything that is needed to rebuild your system to your support techs.

Of course, backing up your system is the final part of being able to recover if anything does go wrong.  If you would like to have an audit of your readiness for disaster recovery, contact us at CCS Retail Support.  This may be an essential part of your system administration.

Recent Outbreak Of Scareware – Internet Security 2010

Posted on by ccsretail

Over the last week, I have worked on about 6 different PCs that have been infected with the latest "Scareware".  All of us in the CCS Support Department have written about viruses and malware, the latest threat is really nasty.

This threat is one of those false "Your Computer Is Infected" type pop-ups. No matter if you click the "yes, no, or X out" this will get installed.  Once this software gets into your system, it is difficult to remove.  I have seen many Internet posts that try to help remove this threat. Most of these techniques require knowledge of multiple tools and scanners that will print a report.  These will usually need to be posted at one of the removal sites so they can help you remove this pest.

This Scareware threat can be picked up at just about any site right now, legitimate or otherwise.  Recently a customer of CCS, who is a USC football fan, mentioned that he thinks he got the malware from the USC fan site. Later he found other users complaining about the same problem.  The best way to prevent getting this malware is to not click anywhere on the pop-up and just shutdown your PC with the Control_Alt_Delete  and shutdown menu link. 

If you do get infected you will know it..Besides the numerous pop-ups you receive, most removal programs will either fail to run, or come back with a message saying the "The file is infected and will not run".  This happens in "Windows Safe Mode" also.  I noticed that when searching the Internet for a removal program, the first hit in Google will usually lead to an infected site.  Please look at the actual link that you are clicking on to make sure it is going to the site you intended.

In trying to remove this virus, I have used about 4 different programs just to get to a point where actual removal can begin.  These special tools find the process that is running, that prevents other software from removing the virus.  That’s how nasty it is.  I have also found that there are different levels of infection.  Some of the worst infections can take up to a day of scanning and deleting to fully clean your PC of this pest, Less infected PC don’t take as long but seem to be harder to find and remove the virus.

If you think you may be infected with the latest "Internet Security 2010" malware.  Please call the CCS Support Department at 800-672-4806 or send me an email. I will guide you through the removal steps.  If the infection is bad, we might suggest bringing the PC into CCS to complete the removal.

Bryan alt

Science Fiction to Science Fact

Posted on by ccsretail

Science Fiction to Science Fact

Often some seemingly unrelated technology can actually drive changes in hardware and software development.  Things that used to be considered science fiction  20 – 30 years ago, have now  become science fact.

Some examples of these are:

  • Technology that can bend light waves to make an object distorted to the naked eye, or possibly disappear altogether.  An example of this is the recent "Invisibility Cloak".

  • Chameleon-like body armor that morphs it’s color scheme and patterns to match whatever the wearer is next to at that particular moment.

  •  Infantry weapons with intelligent ammunition systems.  When shot over the heads of hidden  enemies, detect the surroundings, determines the hard and soft target’s, and then take out multiple targets at one time.

  • Voice reactive computer systems that can make intelligent decisions based on previous experiences.  This Includes such things as opening doors and windows, getting directions, turning on appliances, automatically making shopping lists for replenishment of common  things in your refrigerator..

  • Nanotechnology – Insect sized ROV’s (Remote Operated Vehicles).

  • AMS (Autonomous Mobile Sword)  A land based version of a Predator Drone (Remember the movie Screamers?).

  • Bionic Limbs (Remember the Bionic Man series?). 

Based on some of the recent technology changes in military equipment, cell phones,  and notepads, it probably won’t be long until some of these changes start to filter back into the Point of Sale realm. An example of this is Touch Screen technology. This was originally only found in the military applications and some retail monitors. It has now made it into cell phones, and the latest IPad.

As more of this type of technology is developed  some of the things that you are likely see as standard software/hardware features in future accounting, and Point of Sale Systems are: 

  • RFID (Radio Frequency ID) integration to your POS system.  – Auto-creation of receiving documents created by scanning inbound boxes located in your loading bay.  Wireless shopping bags/baskets that prescan all of the items a customer inserts. This then auto-creates a register ticket for items as they are collecting them. 

  • Portable POS Touch-pad Terminals. –  Wireless Hand-held POS touch pad devices with attached scanners that allow you to walk around and create customer orders.

  • Voice Command Software – Simply reading off what you want to purchase as you encounter it, creates a sales ticket.

  • Point of Sale Glasses – Using the same technology developed the military for weapons guidance helmets and putting it into what appears to be a pair of normal glasses.  The glasses have built-in computer screen, that like a touch screen, responds to your eye movements to control it’s functions. 

If you are curious about up-coming technology that might affect you, please contact the CCS Retail Systems Sales Department.
 

Logo’s in CounterPoint Version 7

Posted on by ccsretail

I have had a few calls from customers lately about printing their logo on receipt’s, invoices, and statements.  Although CounterPoint V7 does not have that functionality built-in, there are ways to accomplish this task.

Some receipt printers (Epson TM-88, Star TP700) support the ability to upload an image file to the printer that will be printed at the top (and sometimes bottom) of the receipt.  If you are wondering if your receipt printer has this capability, check the manufactures website for an "upload" type program.  Make sure to check the documentation for the maximum size and image type that it supports.  You may have to "tweak" your image file with a program like Paint (built-in Windows Program) to get the right size and file type.

On invoices and statements we have a couple of choices.  One is to get pre-printed forms with your logo on them.  Once you get your forms, it may be necessary to modify the form design in CounterPoint to match the pre-printed form.

Another option is similar to the receipt printer method.  Some laser printers support a type of memory card that can be inserted into the printer. With the right commands sent to the printer it will print the logo.

The last option is to use a third party program like Unform.  Unform acts like another printer on your system and when you send a document to it, it reads what Unform calls a "rule" file that manipulates the data to come out as you setup in your rule file.  Unform requires a little bit of programming knowledge and has a learning curve but is a very powerful piece of software.

If you have questions about printing your logo on receipts, invoices, or statements, give the CCS Retail Systems Support Department a call at 800-672-4806 or send me an email .

Bryan alt

Strange things found inside computers

Posted on by ccsretail

Strange things found inside computers.

There are very good reasons for periodically cleaning-out the insides of computers. Often some very unusual things accumulate there.  Some examples of things that I have personally found inside CPU cases over the years are:

  • Spider webs.

  • Gecko Eggs.

  •  Both dead and live Grasshoppers.

  •  A nest fried cockroaches, complete with baby roaches and unhatched egg casings wedged between the heat sink vanes.

  •  A dead field mouse, complete with nesting materials.

  • Red volcanic mud (Iron Oxide dust exposed to moisture).

  • A loose hard drive sitting on top of a large folded-over envelope.

  • CPU Fans, Heat Sinks, and Power Supply fans completely clogged with lint.

  • Caramelized soft-drink syrup.

  • Old Band-aides.

  • Dried bread crumbs and cookie crumbs.

  • Paperclips and rubber bands.

  • Drywall chalk. 

As you can probably guess, most of the above items would be extreme fire hazards when exposed to enough heat.  Even if no fire was started, other internal components could be damaged of fail completely under these conditions.

If you are afraid to open-up your computer for fear of what you might find, please contact the CCS Retail Systems Support Department to schedule your annual cleaning.
 

Another Tip for Saving Money

Posted on by ccsretail

Looking for another way to save money in your small business?  Here’s an idea that could help you accomplish this!  Reduce energy costs by choosing a surge protector that automatically powers down outlets when not in use and powers back up when necessary.

Computer equipment saps energy even while in standby.  The right surge protector can not only protect your equipment from  electrical spikes and surges, but can also reduce standby power by up to 85%!  In addition, some surge protectors may also include USB power ports to charge all of your mobile devices.

At CCS, we can help you with many questions you may have about CounterPoint Software and the hardware used with it.  Call us at 800-672-4806 or email us for more information.  We can help you setup the best power schemes by evaluating your needs and usages.

5 New Year’s “To-Do’s” To Start Your Payroll And Payables Right

Posted on by ccsretail

OK, so now you’ve completed your 2009 Payroll tasks and gotten your employee’s W-2’s and your vendor’s 1099 forms to them. You are vowing that this year you’ll handle payroll more efficiently – but how? Here are 5 steps to get you started.

1. Give every employee a new W-4 form (Employee withholding). That way you’ll have updated addresses for all of your employees.

2. Check to see if every employee has an I-9 form (are you a citizen?) in their file.

3. Send out a W-9 form (Request for tax payer ID) with every new vendor purchase order. When you fill out 1099s at the end of the year, you won’t spend days collecting the data.

4. Get new employment law posters from both State and Federal Departments of Labor. You can print them off the Internet for free. You don’t have to buy pretty laminated ones – unless you don’t have a better use for your money.

5. BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER DATA EVERY SINGLE DAY. Always take the latest backup off-site. I know of some companies that have different management personnel assigned to take a backup home on rotating days. This is your protection against natural or man-made disasters and in case of either, it will allow you to get up and running with a minimum of stress and lost data.

Contact CCS to have us help  you make a complete Payroll plan and check that all of your software and systems are up to date.

How To Manage Store Expenses In The Coming Year

Posted on by ccsretail

Now is the time to think about how you’ll manage your expenses in the coming year. If you’re NOT thinking about it, you should be. This is something you can’t afford to ignore.

Managing expenses in the upcoming year is going to be a make or break activity for retailers – no matter what happens to the economy. The more intelligent planning you do, the further ahead of the game you’ll be. My recommendation is to start "Open To Buy Planning" .

Running an "Open to Buy Plan" for your store is the most important expense management tool any retailer can have. Why? Because your inventory is your biggest expense and probably your biggest asset. Too much inventory means either high markdowns and low/no profits, or you don’t have money to pay your vendors. At a time of flat or decreasing sales, this is a short path to closing your doors.

On the other hand, too little inventory means you don’t have the merchandise that your customers want – a sure way to send them to your competition! Losing customers to your competitors because of merchandise you should have had in stock but didn’t, is a longer path but it eventually leads to the same destination – closing your doors.

To be successful, you need the right amount of the right stuff at the right time. That is what an Open to Buy Plan will help you achieve. Our CounterPoint Software has a excellent, easy to use Open To Buy (budgeted or planned) Purchasing module.  Contact us to discus how you can add this to your operations.

More people are falling for Anti-Virus Software Scams.

Posted on by ccsretail

More people are falling for Anti-Virus Software Scams.

 A common tactic among hackers and scammers is to include code in specially crafted web-sites, or hacked links in legitimate websites that point to an already compromised site.  Generally, a user accessing a compromised web page will be directed to click on a pop-up window box that recommends clicking  on "OK" for a "Free Scan" to remove detected viruses.

Sometimes, these pop-ups are crafted to look like legitimate software applications, including the anti-virus software program that you already have installed on your computer. The problem that comes with this is that even if you didn’t click on the "OK" option, clicking on the "X" to close the window may still install the fake Anti-Virus software.

Once the fake anti-virus software is installed, the scammers will prompt you to fix the issue with a varying charge to remove the software that they just put on your system.  If you give them your credit card  or banking information, you get the double whammy – You paid for something that you won’t get, and they  now have your credit card or banking information, so they can steal even more from you.

Generally, the "fix" solution that the scammers provide involves randomly deleting portions of the Windows Registry and associated files.   As the computer hangs and behaves erratically, there may be other attempts to extort more money, until your computer eventually ceases to function.

Examples of sites that scammers are using to accomplish this type of scam are:

  • Social websites such as Facebook and YouTube

  • Dating sites

  • News websites

  • Advertisements on any site.

     

The best thing that you can do when encountering these types of messages is to do a CTRL-ALT-DELETE,  bring up the Windows Task Manager, go to the "Processes" tab and end all tasks associated with your web browser.  As a further protection you should clean out all of your browsers temporary files, and do a full anti-virus system scan.

Remember you should only be purchasing Anti-Virus software from legitimate sites or shrink-wrapped product from legitimate suppliers.

If you need assistance or have further questions related to the above issue, please contact the CCS Retail Systems Support Department.