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Springtime for us means it’s time for none another than…spring cleaning! And if there is one thing we love to clean, it’s PCs. Just like those nasty spaces between your bed and the wall, over time our devices fill up with junk and filth – in the form of unnecessary files, over-crowded desktops, and over-burdened Startup menus. In the good spirit that crisp, light spring air, we offer tips to help you tidy up your PC and clean up your act.

**Get rid of unused startup menu items**

Does it take ages for your PC to boot up? As if you could have been to Winter and back before you could get onto the internet? Maybe you just have too many programs starting when you boot up.  
Lots of programs, including printers attempt to start up upon booting up and they continue to run in the background even though they don’t need to be running at all. To really speed things up, keep those programs from starting up, and open them when you need them.  
To do this, go to your [Reason Core Security client](https://www.reasoncoresecurity.com/product.aspx) and choose the “Tools” tab on the top right corner. Once inside Tools, you’ll see four different options on the left side – Programs, Startup Browser Addons and Remediation. Choose Startups and it will display all the different programs that turn on automatically upon booting up. Go through the list and turn off what you don’t need.  
RCS even makes recommendations about what to turn off and what to leave. One piece of advice though, If there is a program you don’t recognize, the best thing to do is to leave it there – You don’t want to turn off something you need.

**Remove unused, unnecessary, and questionable programs** 

We all have some programs hanging out on our devices that just don’t need to be there. Sometimes they came with your PC and others you downloaded intentionally or unintentionally. These programs use resources and slow your PC down – so get rid of them! Again, go to the tools tab in your RCS client and this time pick the Programs option. Find the program you want to get rid of there and click on it. It will be on its way to program heaven in just a second. For a change of pace you can also remove unnecessary programs with our very own [Should I Remove It](http://www.shouldiremoveit.com/), which also offers helpful explanations on what programs are and whether or not they can be beneficial.  
Once you’re done with the purge, don’t forget to empty your recycle bin regularly to keep it from taking up resources.

**Clean up your desktop and files**

Do your desktop a favor and tidy it up by putting files in the right places. Keeping files on your desktop isn’t only a messy habit, (Tsk tsk, if that’s what your desktop looks like, your bedroom must be a disaster!) it also eats up memory, because the files are stored in images – put them where they go to save some memory. While you’re at it, make sure you don’t have duplicates of files – if you do, merge or delete the ones you don’t need, which will free up even more memory.

**Install and maintain your antivirus and antimalware suite**

Nothing eats speed like a nasty piece of malware – whether it’s the latest banking trojan or a zero-day attack masquerading as a Java update, malware not only puts your data at risk, it uses up resources. Keep your device malware-free with a top-notch anti-malware program like RCS that scans your PC for intruders and helps you dispose of freeloaders.  
**Cut down on downloads** 

When was the last time you looked at your downloads file? Um… like never? Well, now is as good a time as any to check it out and see whatcha got there. Chances are there are lots of things that were downloaded by accident or that you clicked on as a whim. Go through them and get rid of the ones you don’t need or want, like the download for the _“How to Get Ripped While Eating Brownies and Potato Chips in Just 10 Days!”_ ebook.  
**  
Update them updates**

If you want to keep your PC working as fast as it can, you need to keep up with updates. To check for updates to your OS and software, go to your Control Panel and choose the System and Security option. Then go to the blue “Check for updates” option under the “Windows Update” section and follow the instructions to install the recommended updates.

**To defrag or to not defrag – that is the question**  
Then there is the idea of defragmenting your hard drive to speed things up. The idea behind defragging is to collect all the little bits of fragmented data strewn about your hard drive – so is this a good idea to do or not?  
[It depends on the kind of hard drive your computer as](http://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/20179/HDD-vs-SSD-vs-SSHD-Which-storage-device-should-you-choose-for-your-Laptop-and-PC.html) – if you are working with a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), then go and defrag away. Newer computers though have Solid State Drives (or hybrid SSHD’s, which combine both kinds) SSD’s have no moving parts and are super durable, which means that there really isn’t much of a need for defragmenting. So If you do have an HDD, you can defrag all you like but if your PC has an SSD, don’t do it. As a side point, there are a lot of companies out there that try to sell software to help defragment – but Windows has its own built-in defragmenter so stick with that one.  
Another word to the wise regarding programs you really shouldn’t waste your money on, you might have heard of “PC cleaners” or registry cleaners. These programs claim that they can make your PC feel _good as new_ with a click of a button – but they don’t really do very much and some can actually be harmful to your computer, so stay away.  
If all else fails, you can try sucking up all the dust from the vents of your PC. Then take that vacuum to your bedroom, and for goodness sake, clean the spaces between the walls and your beds!  
Now if anyone can offer us any tips on how to keep our closets nice and tidy, we would be all ears…

a56fc854-f839-472f-91fb-c7cc1e231ab8.jpeg

Remember that time that you, channeling your inner diva, began to belt it out on the very top of your lungs in the shower? Just singin’ like nobody’s business, because there was no one to hear you… Until you stepped out of the bathroom, robe-clad, wet-haired and got a standing round of applause from your mom’s co-workers who had been invited over for an impromptu meeting…Sound familiar?

**Public Wifi = Exposed**  
Our apologies if the story above triggers searingly awkward memories. (And please don’t hit us with your therapy bills.) If you think you can’t relate though, you should probably think again – This “exposed-to-everyone-and-you-didn’t-know-it” phenomenon is what takes place virtually every time you log into a public WiFi hot spot (albeit, minus the water). See, you think you’re all alone and nobody can hear or see you. But logging in to public WiFi unprotected is like letting the world know whether you could be a contestant on The Voice… or not.  
Public WiFi seems great because it’s free and plentiful. It’s much better than paying for expensive data plans and it’s everywhere you go. It means you can grab a coffee at your local Starbucks and have a meaningful few minutes with your significant other – you know, your smartphone or iPad. And you have lots of important things to do in your free moments, like check your bank account or log on to Amazon.com to buy that pair of Michael Kors spring lace-up sandals for you or your “other” significant other, or say hi to your mom on Skype. All the while, you’re exposing your login credentials, passwords and contacts to any person with malicious intent who happens to be around. And, be warned, they are around because they are counting on people like you to remain blissfully unaware of the dangers that exist on public WiFi.

**Is public Wifi really so bad?**  
The problem with public WiFi is that the information you transfer while using the network is available and potentially visible to everyone else on the network – including the creep sitting five tables away. According to David Maimon, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the U of Maryland, “What attackers do is try to intercept the communication between your computer and the computer you’re trying to get information from or send information to. They can get passwords, usernames, you name it.” Using the right “sniffing tools” or [a packet analyzer, which is any hardware or software designed to intercept data](http://www.veracode.com/security/packet-analyzer), they can begin to collect all your sensitive data. And once they have your information, they can use it to steal your identity in a whole number of ways.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/shutterstock_1016244181-scaled-e1583060749699.jpg)

**Password-protection doesn’t help**  
And don’t think that you’re in better shape if your local coffee place gives out passwords to access their network – because if they gave it to you, they’ll give it to the creepy guy too, which means that in the end, you’re both on the same network.  
Sounds crazy, right?  
Well indeed, it’s not great but it’s just another one of those things you need to be aware of in a world where everyone wants a piece of your money. But fret not, you can still have your deep meaningful moments with your device of choice, you just need to learn how to play it safe while on the go. Here are some tips to stay safe and enjoy your coffee date:

1.  Only access websites that begin with HTTPS. [As we have mentioned before](http://blog.reasoncoresecurity.com/2015/04/15/help-senior-citizens-stay-safe-online/), that little “S” at the end matters a whole lot. It means that the webpage you are accessing uses the protocol for secure communications over networks and your connection is safe. Nowadays, many but not all websites use HTTPS to maintain secure communication. While on public WiFi, keep away from the ones that don’t.
2.  Even using HTTPS-protected sites can be tricky because some websites only use the standard when it comes to payment gateway pages or other critical pages but other pages within the site aren’t covered by the HTTPS – they employ the less secure HTTP standard. To correct this and extend the same heightened level of secure communication to the entire site, you can use the [HTTPS Everywhere browser extension](https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere). HTTPS Everywhere can only be enabled on websites that already employ some level of HTTPS on at least some pages. This is important in general and it’s super important on Public WiFi.
3.  Installing [a solid Antimalware program like RCS](https://www.reasoncoresecurity.com/download-free.aspx) is critical for using public WiFi safely. Once a hacker can see your logins, it’s easy for him or her to plant malware on your device. Your Antimalware software will block their malicious efforts.
4.  Log out of all accounts on Public WiFi as soon as you are done using them.
5.  Consider setting up your own VPN, or Virtual Private Network. Sounds complicated? It’s not really, it just requires some planning and legwork. It works like this – When you have a VPN, you are connecting to the VPN provider’s servers via an encrypted connection, creating a network within the existing network. This means you can use public WiFi and remain entirely invisible to that creepy guy over at table five. To set up a VPN of your own, check out this [step-by-step tutorial](http://www.wikihow.com/Set-Up-a-Virtual-Private-Network-with-Windows).

Just like you don’t need to ditch being a diva, you also don’t need to quit using public Wifi – you just need to know how to do it right.

#Unwanted Programs

How to spring clean your PC!

The dangers of public WiFi

Curiosity killed the computer

Adware goes rogue