Lanit Updates 03/2021

Let's change the pace a little.


We are going to take a look at "the future" in computing or at least the core principal of it. 


What does everyone want when it comes to computing...speed and reliability. Most people want to be able to come to work in the morning and do their job without hassle or drama from their tools they need to do said job and in most cases that starts with technology.  


The theory in the next big evolution of computing is something you may or may not have heard of already, quantum computing. Okay, okay, don't let your eyes glaze over like my extended family's do after asking me what I do for a living at family gatherings... 


First it's good to know how current computer processors work on the very basic physical level. Computers for the most part are pretty simple when you break it down to their main physical function. The processor or the "brain" is just a bunch of simple circuits that are in 2 possible states, on or off. How fast you can switch those circuits on or off is referenced to as the speed of the processor. When it's in the off state it represents a 0 and when it's on it represents a 1. These are also referred to as bits and this is where most IT people would go crazy about bit to byte conversion, pathways, etc. but I would rather keep the glazed over eyes at bay for now. 


There has been a lot of advancement in computing using this basic principal but at the the same time it's also the biggest limitation. Dealing with small electrical components that switch on or off has hard limitations in the performance aspects of computing. So what's next....


Introducing quantum computing, To truly understand it you would need a degree in physics but I guess the same could be said about the current computing standard and needing an electrical engineering degree. So let's break it down once again to the simplest aspect or the core of it's function. The entire idea of quantum computing is to remove the hard limitations of simple electrical circuits so they use chemical reactions opposed to the old light switch (on or off) method. In Quantum computing they can have a single bit be in multiple different states at the same time...don't think about that too much without a drink nearby. And of course physicist being who they are these are now called Qubit, because they think it sounds cool? Not sure but it brings a entirely different approach to the very basic principles of computing. At this point there is no known limitation to the possible speed this can bring to the computing world and that's a bit of a scary thought to me with AI being in full swing. 


With that being said I highly doubt we will see it as a consumer based option for many generations. There are a few labs that have active quantum computers running today but like our computer ancestors take a massive amount of energy and room to run simple functions. 
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Regular IT Meetings

This is to invite you to invite us to regular IT planning meetings. It's good to have a regular planning meeting or even just an question answer session. We learn a lot about our customers during these meetings and sometimes we can bring ideas to the table that you may not have known about or considered. Everyone usually walks away with a little more knowledge on both sides and may push us to things we haven't considered either such as additional services or conveniences we may be able to offer. 


Onsite or over the phone feel free to reach out to us if this is something you may be interested in, even if it's just once a year.
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iPhone Editing


Another iPhone tip. As phones get bigger it's getting harder to use one hand for quick replies or typing. 


They thought about that too and there's a little known (to me) feature when the keyboard displays while typing you can hold down the emoji icon in the bottom left and shift the keyboard to one side or the other for single hand typing. 
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Identity Theft

.Identity theft happens when a criminal steals information about you and uses that information to commit fraud, such as requesting unemployment benefits, tax refunds, or a new loan or credit card in your name. If you don’t take precautions, you may end up paying for products or services that you didn’t buy and dealing with the stress and financial heartache that follows identity theft.


Your personal information exists in numerous places all over the internet. Every time you browse or purchase something online, watch a video, buy groceries, visit your doctor, or use an app on your smartphone, information about you is being collected. That information is often legally sold or shared with other companies. Even if just one of these gets hacked, the criminals can gain access to your personal information. Assume that some information about you is already available to criminals and consider what you can do to slow down or detect the use of your information for fraud.



How to detect it 

  • Review your financial cards and other accounts regularly for any charges or payments you did not make. An easy way to do this is to sign up for email, text messages, or phone app notifications for payments and other transactions. Monitor them for fraud.
  • Investigate situations when merchants decline your credit or debit cards. Look into letters or phone calls from debt collectors for overdue payments for credit cards, medical bills, or loans that you know are not yours.
  • Pay attention to letters that inform you about unemployment or other government benefit claims for which you never applied.
  • If available in your area, review your credit reports at least once a year. For example, in the United States, you can request free reports from annualcreditreport.com.


What to do when it happens 

  • Contact the organization that is involved in the fraud. For example, if a criminal opened a credit card in your name, call that credit card company to notify it about the fraud. If someone filed for a tax refund or unemployment benefits in your name, contact the corresponding government organization.
  • File a report with law enforcement to create an official record of identity theft. You can often do this online. For example, in the United States you can report at identitytheft.gov. Follow the site’s instructions for any additional steps you may need to take.
  • When responding to fraud, keep records of your interactions with your financial institutions and law enforcement, as well as the costs you incur due to identity theft in case these details will be needed later.
  • Notify your insurance company; you may have identity theft protection included in one of your policies.


How to defend against it

Here are some simple steps you can take to decrease the chance of identity fraud happening:

  • Limit how much information you share about yourself with online services and websites.
  • Use a unique strong password for all of your online accounts and enable two-factor authentication as additional protection for your most important accounts.
  • If applicable in your location, restrict who can get access to your credit reports. For example, in the United States freeze your credit score so that anyone who tries to get a credit card or loan in your name has to first temporarily unfreeze it.
  • Consider getting insurance coverage, either through a dedicated policy or as part of your existing insurance plan, that covers the costs of dealing with identity theft.
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