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Data Doctors: Realities of paying ransomware thieves 03/25/2022 09:39pm • Q: A business associate’s organization was hit with ransomware. Can they trust that they will get their data back if they pay the ransom? A: The financial incentives for ransomware attacks are estimated to top $1 billion this year, which means that this lucrative cybercrime is going to continue Data Doctors: The dangers of macros in Microsoft Office 03/17/2022 04:38pm • Q: What are macros in Microsoft Office and what makes them dangerous? A: Macros are one of the oldest and most valuable tools in the computer world, because they allow complicated instructions to be performed with a single command. You can essentially record a long series of commands and save Data Doctors: Is Facebook Protect a scam or legit? 03/11/2022 02:16pm • Q: I keep getting emails that say that I need to turn on Facebook Protect — is this a scam or is it legit? A: We’ve all been warned that phishing emails are one of the most common methods used by hackers to compromise our accounts, so it’s natural to suspect anything that looks like it’s Data Doctors: Do you actually own your website domain? 03/04/2022 02:31pm • Q: A friend is being held hostage by his former IT company because they have ownership control over his company’s website domain. How do I make sure that I am the sole owner of my domain? A: Creating and maintaining a website is an essential component of being in business in the digital age, bu Data Doctors: Ditch your scanner with these apps 02/25/2022 03:03pm • Q: I want to get rid of my desktop scanner in hopes of finding an app that will do the same thing for me. Any suggestions? A: The quality of the optics and the power of the processors in today’s smartphones allows them to do extraordinary things, includ Data Doctors: Today's Inkjets vs. Laser Printers 02/18/2022 04:20pm • Q: I need to replace my old inkjet printer and can’t figure out if a Laser or inkjet makes more sense for me. I don’t really print much, so the cheaper the better. A: As with most technology decisions, your personal needs will determine what is the best choice, and with printers, there’s the Data Doctors: How to handle 'Unknown Accessory Near You' iPhone notifications 02/11/2022 04:46pm • Q: What do I do when my iPhone gives me the notification “Unknown Accessory Detected Near You” and it looks like something is following me around? A: This message is most likely being generated by the “Find My” app, which was initially designed to help users locate devices that they may h Data Doctors: How to enable Windows 10 storage sense 02/04/2022 12:57pm • Q: Is it still necessary to use Disk Cleanup if I enable Storage Sense in Windows 10? A: Maintaining a computer isn’t something most users think about, but it’s just as important as it is for your car. More from Data Doctors One of the more important items to watch closely Data Doctors: Wi-Fi range extenders vs. mesh networks 01/29/2022 02:49am • Q: I need to improve the Wi-Fi signal in some parts of my house and want to understand the difference between using range extenders and switching everything out to a mesh network. A: There are several variables that may be causing weaker signals in various locations in your home, that include the Data Doctors: Decoding Wi-Fi router tech specs 01/21/2022 07:09pm • Q: I’m shopping for a new Wi-Fi router and want to understand what all the numbers and letters mean. A: Shopping for a Wi-Fi router can be one of the most confusing experiences until you can decode all those numbers and letters. Wi-Fi generations The first thing to understand is which generat Data Doctors: Using dropped pins in Google Maps 01/14/2022 04:32pm • Q: What can I do to make dropped pins more accurate in Google Maps? A: Dropped pins -- which is done by pressing on any point in a map view -- are very helpful for locations that don’t have a physical address, such as a remote hiking area or in regions of the world that don’t have physical ad Data Doctors: Cox to Gmail migration tips 01/07/2022 06:18pm • Q: I’m trying to switch from a Cox email address that always seems to have some sort of issue to a Gmail account and need help figuring out how to get all my contacts to make the change on their end, too. A: It’s been obvious for a couple of years that Cox isn’t really interested in being a Data Doctors Column: Comparing private search engines 12/24/2021 11:17pm • Q: Which private search engine is better, Startpage or DuckDuckGo? A: Search engines are an essential navigation tool for the endless number of websites on the Internet, which is the main reason Google has become one of the titans of tech. Google’s search engine is considered the most powerf Data Docs: What you need to do about the Log4j threat 12/17/2021 02:56pm • Q: What should I be doing about the Log4j vulnerability? A: In what is considered one of the most widespread and dangerous vulnerabilities to be discovered in a very long time, the Log4j problem is going to be a threat that will likely linger for a long time. The reason this discovery is consi Data Doctors: Tips for learning keyboard shortcuts 12/10/2021 04:15pm • Q: I’ve been a Mac user for a long time, but have to use Windows for my new job, which makes it confusing when I try to use shortcuts. A: Operating on both the Windows and Mac platforms on a regular basis has become a lot more common and for those that use a lot of keyboard shortcuts can be a b