Should you upgrade to MacOS 14 (Sonoma)This year's MacOS update has been a mixed bag for us. If you are using a Mac with a "M" series chip (Apple Silicon) we are recommending the update now. If you are running a Mac with an Intel chip we suggest waiting at least for version 14.1 to be released as we have seen enough issues to cause some concern. Should you upgrade to iPadOS 17?Like iOS 17 we found this years beta releases to be very stable and we are recommending users upgrade to iPadOS at this time. Should you upgrade to iOS 17?This year's beta of iOS 17 was possibly the most stable we have seen and so we are recommending all users upgrade to iOS 17 at this time. Some updates were critical for the iPhone 15 so make sure you are updating frequently with new hardware. Virus Woes
Ransomware is a real threat these days. Security software may only partially protect you from the worst of this but when it doesn't it is in those instances where the malware tries to trick the user into clicking on something or approving something as an authorized addition that will ultimately encrypt your hard drive until you pay a ransom. The key here is to not be tricked. While you are casually browsing the web there is just no reason to do what a popup tells you to. Close them or your web browser if you have to but BE CAREFUL. |
Our HoursWe monitor our services 24/7 but can actually be found in the office for technical support, billing questions or new accounts etc. Monday - Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Our technical support line is answered from 8AM to 6PM however. We are closed weekends and most holidays.
If you have an after hours emergency our technical support voicemail will provide you with number to page an on-call technician. When calling technical support please make sure to let the phone ring several times as we are often working away from our desk in a noisy server area and need time to get to a quiet area to answer the phone.
Protect Your Passwords!!!It's now 2024 and we STILL have customers giving up their passwords to third parties! Please KNOW that OWT will NEVER EVER ask for your password in any abnormal way. If something doesn't look right IT ISN'T! When we see compromised accounts we will immediately lock the account and you will need to call technical support for a new password. Phishing ScamsWe continue to get queries from customers about this. Please remember OWT sends out billing via Email to many of our customers but otherwise almost never Email our customers. We will NEVER EVER ask you for any of your account information via Email. EVER!!! Do not fall for these phishing scams! In reality no one does this! If any Email wants you to verify anything and you didn't just interact with them recently then it is probably bogus. If for some reason you think it might be real just login to that site THE WAY YOU NORMALLY DO AND NOT FROM A LINK IN THE EMAIL. Online scams to lure customers into providing account, personal or other sensitive information are on the rise. OWT takes several steps to help prevent this sort of thing but there is only so much we can do. Most phishing scams look very legitimate. Our MailScanner will alert you to any Email where a web link points to a different web address than the address it shows you in the Email. This bright red message might be annoying in harmless Emails where the marketer put a different link in just for tracking purposes but this feature has save many from clicking on harmful links that lead to malware installation. We would like to remind our customers that OWT, and really almost everyone that runs a legitimate business, will NEVER ask you for sensitive information via Email. If they do require additional information they will ask you to login to your existing account and THEN request that information. Even very legitimate looking requests should be intensely scrutinized and we ask that everyone think long and hard before clicking on a web link from any Email that you are not sure about. 
From the Net12/21/2024
Plus: Google’s U-turn on creepy “fingerprint” tracking, the LockBit ransomware gang’s teased comeback, and a potential US ban on the most popular routers in America.
12/21/2024
On Christmas Eve, NASA's fastest-moving probe will come closer than ever to the surface of the sun.
12/21/2024
Microbes found in green spaces can transfer into your body, increasing bacterial diversity and potentially boosting the strength of the immune system.
12/21/2024
It’s past time we applauded the creative skills of LLMs—and it might make us appreciate humans more too.
12/20/2024
Check out our deals for Nike this month, including up to 40% off select styles.
12/20/2024
Check out our deals for Nike this month, including up to 40% off select styles.
12/20/2024
Save an extra 20% on furniture, lighting, accessories, and more with our Design Within Reach coupon.
12/20/2024
Save an extra 20% on furniture, lighting, accessories, and more with our Design Within Reach coupon.
12/20/2024
From layoffs to the return of Gamergate, video games—and the people who make and play them—had a rough year.
12/20/2024
Oropouche virus has posed little threat outside South America in the past, but land-use change, the climate crisis, and international travel all appear to be spreading this insect-borne disease to new places.
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Despite advances in anti-virus and anti-malware software virus and malware issues are as significant as ever. What's changed the most is the severity that these infections can damage your system. In the past even the most infected systems could be cleaned in no more than a few hours work but today we are seeing systems that are just too badly damaged to be properly cleaned.For this reason we are encouraging Windows users take certain steps to help minimize the impact of these infections: