Yesterday, I went on a service call to help Don (name changed) , a senior citizen having trouble with his computer. During his working life, he was an accomplished business leader, who still dabbles in activities that make a difference. 

He was mystified, as many people are, as to why his computer was not working. 

I arrived to help, and noticed that the computer was installing updates, and periodically, the screen went black. It was at one of those times, that Don saw the black screen, and thought his computer wasn't working. 

It happens to many of us - particularly if we're focused on our work and play, and not the internal, infernal workings of our computers. No longer novelties, they are commodities. But oh, how they have the power to vex and frustrate, when they don't work well.

Having solved his problem(!), I asked him about his other needs, listened intently, and decided to use the remaining time to help solve other problems - like backing up his computer system and valuable documents.

And so, together we backed up his valuable memories.

Frankly, it felt very good to do so. Not only doing the technical, computer backup portion, but helping another person to see the possibilities, to enable a greater sense of control (i.e., this computer serves my needs), and to empower him in his own learning and growth.

I am glad I was able to help Don, and a satisfying and meaningful experience for both of us.

Note: If you know of a senior citizen who needs assistance / support with their computer - whether it needs to be repaired, tuned-up, backed up, or just wants to learn - please let them know about me / digiWise.

​I'll be very grateful for the opportunity to help them.

It's an insidious act, and it makes your head shake, and your blood boil.

​Brian Krebs, an Internet security expert has just written a blog post about how hackers are taking hold of websites - their pages, files and images - and holding them out for ransom. They insert malicious software code that infects the users documents and locks them with another code - that is nearly impossible to break. A ransom is required to be paid, to get the files back. Aargh!

A similar situation happened back in March when CBC aired a report in March, that a family had to pay an $800 ransom to get back their family photos. Ouch!

​The Solution?
What's the solution? It's a simple, yet time-consuming and few people do it on a regular basis. Back up your most valuable documents, photos, websites and more - and there are services for that. (And, keep your computer running in tip-top shape too.)

For business especially - especially startup entrepreneurs and small business which doesn't have a regular IT staff - It's also really important to have a strategy for how, and how often you back up your valuable documents, and for managing where they are backed up (i.e., external drives vs. cloud services; short-term vs. long-term storage; version control; retrieval and restoration and timing).  

Every situation is different and the key is to develop a strategy that works for you and your business, that makes economic and practical sense - and can get you up and running quickly. Otherwise, a disaster can quickly become a nightmare, and an expensive one at that.

Feel free to get in touch with Randy - he can help you create a computer / server backup strategy that works for you and your budget.