Some businesses don’t need the presence of a formal office building to be successful. If your services are primarily delivered at your client’s place (e.g. for trades like electricians, plumbers or even professional services like bookkeeping) or if you are a sole trader or small family partnership, there are benefits and disadvantages to running your business from home. This month we take a look at 5 technology considerations for home-based businesses.

The computer:
We’ll ignore comparing brands and the Apple versus PC debate, but let’s look at ‘workstation versus laptop’. If your computer really doesn’t need to move from your home office, you’ll get more computing power for your money with a workstation. Consider investing those savings in a dual-monitor setup if your work involves a lot of data entry, writing or graphic design. But remember, there’s nothing stopping you using a laptop if you want to sit outside in the sun occasionally!

The printer:
As with any office, the key consideration for a printer is how much do you print and how often, and is that printing primarily text or pictures? Home offices also may have to consider how much space they have, so a printer with a smaller ‘footprint’ would be better. It’s also handy to have the ability to send faxes, especially when dealing with signed documents, so either look at software for faxing and a document scanner, or consider a multi-function printer with a built in fax. If you occasionally need to print large volumes, it may be cheaper to use a printing service at a store for large volumes, instead of buying a fast, high-volume laser printer that hardly ever prints more than 5 pages at a time. Remember to also compare replacement ink costs before you commit to a printer purchase.

The Internet:
A home office can feel quite isolated, so your internet connection is an important gateway to the outside world. Out of all of your technology components, this one will drive you the craziest if it’s slow or if it drops out. Use a reputable internet provider and invest in the fastest internet speed you can afford with a monthly data limit that matches your needs.

Email:
Without a corporate email system, you still have a few choices for email services. Don’t think that you have to resort to using @hotmail.com or @gmail.com for your business email communication, when you can have @yourbusinessname.com without the expense of your own email server.

File sharing:
Do you need to share files with anyone outside of your home office? Instead of just emailing attachments, consider other file sharing methods if you collaborate with others on large documents or if you regularly need to send large picture files. Your options vary from USB storage with security mechanisms (e.g. encryption & passwords) to secure internet file sharing services or even direct file transfer between computers.

Next month, we’ll look at backups, security and other considerations for your home office. If you are thinking of starting a business from home, or moving back home, or if you’d just like some advice on your current home office setup, talk to your local Computer Troubleshooter.

“My Computer is running slow” In our business we hear those words all to often, mainly at dinner parties or over a beer. But what exactly does it mean & why do you care?

Did you know if your computer runs 2% slower than normal it costs almost a week in time a year.
That’s right just take 38 X 48 X.02 = 36.40 hours a year. Now at the average wage of $50K per year this means you can lose around $1,000 in productivity just by having a small dip in computer performance.

Of course by the time you tell me or your local Computer Troubleshooter you are sitting in front of your perceptively slow computer (which to be perceived is around 10% slower than normal) you are sitting in front of a $10,000 per annum issue.

Imagine if you are running an office of 20 people all just experiencing just a small dip in productivity at 2% which would cost your business $20,000 a year.

So this is why we talk about proactive maintenance of computer networks, you don’t wait for your car performance to drop perceptively to get it serviced (or maybe you do and push it to the service agent), computers are exactly the same by getting your local Computer Troubleshooter to do regular maintenance we can actually help you perform better. This is why we recommend you do regular tune ups on your computer.

So next time you think “my computer is running slow”, think this is costing me $1,000 a year, or even better this is costing me a week of time where I could be sitting on the beach or smelling the flowers.

Ask your local CTS Team about their B.E.S.T. Managed Services, where they guarantee your Business Uptime 24 X 7.

It is imperative that you understand what will get you blacklisted in the first place, and what to do if you end up there.

Some Of Google’s Rules For Websites

According to Google, “If an SEO creates deceptive or misleading content on your behalf, such as doorway pages or ‘throwaway’ domains, your site could be removed entirely from Google’s index”. The search engine combats obvious spam by asking users to submit spam reports. These are “used to create scalable algorithms that recognize and block future spam attempts”.

Google has quite a few guidelines listed. It states that your pages should be accurately described and should not contain excessive links (more than 100). Make sure that the Googlebot crawler can access your site via your robots.txt file.

Google also may take issue when a domain is registered using a common misspelling of a well-known company or site, since this is a deceptive practice. Link cloaking and redirects, link schemes (which may link to spammers), irrelevant keywords, duplicate content, and automated Google queries can all be considered black hat SEO tactics. Of course malware such as phishing schemes, viruses, and Trojans will definitely get a website blacklisted.

You may not be aware that your association with an affiliate program can also be a way to get on Google’s Blacklist. The company you partner with must “provide unique and relevant content” and your own site must do the same, providing a relevant gateway to the host site.

What Happens When You Are Blacklisted?

The worst thing that happens is that your site does not appear on the Google search result pages. Since the majority of internet users prefer Google for searches, this means a drastic drop in your traffic. You may even experience a blocked site message when the URL is entered directly into your browser. As an internet marketer, that can have a dramatic impact on your income.

What To Do About It

First, check your site for obvious reasons it was Blacklisted By Google. Look at all your files and links for signs of infection, or violation of Google’s policies. There are some online tools you can use to help with this process and Google itself provides a page where you can put in your website address and receive a report detailing all issues and problems. Be sure to remove or rework any pages with the noted issues.

After that, access your Google account and go to the link for Webmaster Tools (under ‘My Products’). Ensure your site is included in your account and verified. Verification is simple via uploading an .html file. Once your site is verified by Google, you can then ask the company to do a review and state the reason as being it is blacklisted. At this time you can also request that Google unblock the URL.

After you have done the above, all you can do is sit back and wait. As long as you have corrected all the problems, your can typically expect to be restored. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to speed up the process.

The best offense is a good defence. Be careful about your SEO techniques. When in doubt as to whether a tactic could be considered black hat SEO or not, skip it. The loss of revenue you could incur as the result of being blacklisted by Google simply isn’t worth the risk

We have all probably heard and seen evidence of co-ordinated attacks on the internet, well at last a major sponsor of these attacks has been identified and moves are happening to close it down to make the internet a safer place for us all.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation wants access to computers in the United States, but this might be a good thing.  In an unprecedented move, the FBI has gained access to the ‘command and control’ servers that have been controlling the internet nasty ‘Coreflood’.  With this control, the FBI could use these servers to send a command to all infected computers to uninstall the Coreflood software.

Coreflood has actually been around since 2002. Known as a ‘botnet’ it works by infecting your computer through a file that you open or a link that you click on, which is disguised as something you might want to read.  In the background, the software embeds itself into your computer and starts communicating back to the control server, doing whatever it is told to.  These commands could range from the annoying (changing your wallpaper, opening your CD tray, randomly playing sounds or shutting down your PC) through to the dangerous (recording your keyboard strokes & sending your personal information back to the command servers).

With an estimated 2.3 million infected computers, a command to uninstall itself would be a very effective way of eradicating Coreflood. However, the FBI has to watch its step and is working with the US Department of Justice to ensure it doesn’t violate the USA’s privacy protection laws.  It is currently seeking ‘request and authorization to delete’ from government agencies and corporations and may issue ‘notice of infected computer’ alerts through internet providers to home users.

In the meantime, Microsoft has added a further update to its Malicious Software Removal Tool to tackle the latest instances of Coreflood and this will be released to Windows computers with Microsoft’s next batch of security updates.  Most anti-virus software manufacturers will now also detect Coreflood on an infected computer.

While it’s interesting to see the FBI taking this approach to clean millions of computers, it once again highlights the need for computer owners to be vigilant about security measures.  It’s easy to forget about older, rarely used computers and if their software isn’t kept up to date, they can easily be targeted by botnet infections.  Your security strategy needs to include regular updates to your operating system software and your security software, as well as checking that your security software is functioning correctly and performing regular scans.  You also need to practice safe internet habits, such as being careful about suspicious-looking file attachments and not visiting dubious websites.

Coreflood is one of thousands of examples of botnet software currently in existence. Talk to your local Computer Troubleshooter about the best protection strategy for your computers or about any of your technology needs.

1 Prepayment of IT Services

For Small Businesses turning over less than $2 million a year prepayment of the following years IT services is a great way of tax effectively managing your future IT costs and having a complex area of your business effectively outsourced to an expert.

A prepayment is not apportioned but allowed in full as a deduction in the year in which it is incurred if all services in respect of the prepayment are provided with 13 months of incurring the expenditure.

Your Computer Troubleshooter can provide prepayment of IT services using either a Managed Services Contract or a Block Time Services Agreement.

• A Managed services Contract has a defined service level and a monthly management component. This allows your network to be proactively managed & serviced like an outsourced IT department.
• A Block Time Services Agreement is an agreement to provide a specific number of hours of services at an agreed rate. This is a responsive contract where you use your Computer Troubleshooter as your service provider on a pay for service basis over the year. Generally this must be expended within the 12 month period.

Example – A Small Business decides to contract Computer Troubleshooters for it’s 2011/2012 IT outsourcing contract for $500 a month. The $6,000 contract covering 12 months is signed and paid prior to end of June 2011. The business can claim the $6,000 deduction in its 2010/11 tax return.

2 Depreciation

The depreciation rate on IT equipment is quite high due to their low expected life compared to many other depreciable assets. For depreciating IT assets over $300, the effective life is 4 years and 3 years for laptop computers. Small Businesses using the simplified depreciation rules in many cases can claim an immediate deduction for a depreciating IT asset costing less than $1,000.

The Federal Budget in May 2010 announced that in the 2012/13 tax year this instant write off for small business will be increased to $5,000 which will save on depreciation calculations and improve cash flow.

However in the meantime the existing rules apply, which means while equipment may last beyond it’s depreciated life you may no longer have depreciation tax benefits.

So, if you upgraded your IT equipment you could be experiencing the benefits of the latest technology tax effectively with a lower downtime risk and better running costs.

Example – A Small Business has a fully depreciated server which is five years old and expensive to maintain with a high risk of failure. It replaces the Server with a new one purchased & installed for $3,000 & depreciates the equipment on an ongoing basis. Depreciating the $3,000 over the life of the asset moves some expenses from cash to non-cash and reducing business continuity risk.

3 Education Tax Refund

The Federal Government’s education tax rebate for primary and secondary students has continued for this tax year with the amounts eligible indexed from last year.

Eligible tax payers will be able to claim 50% for costs up to $794 for primary school students (i.e. a rebate of up to $397), and 50% for costs up to $1,588 for secondary school students (i.e. a rebate of up to $794).

• To be eligible, the taxpayer must receive Family Tax Benefit (‘FTB’) Part ‘A’ or  the child receives certain payments or allowances such as Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY or Disability Support Pension

Computer equipment and computer running costs (such as internet service provider fees, laptops, home computers, printers, toner, and stationery) used by students can be claimed.  Home Computer Services are also eligible. Make sure you keep receipts and tax invoices for inclusion for the claim.

Example – A family receives Family Tax Benefit Part ‘A” and have 2 children in school one in primary, the other in secondary. They purchase a $2,000 home computer for use by the children and pay $60 a month for ADSL. Total spending of $2,720 on IT for the students is incurred before end of June 2011. In their 2010/11 tax return they claim $780 for the primary student & $1,558 for the secondary student. This equates to a rebate of $390 plus $779, so the rebate of $1,169 will be included in their 2010/11 tax return.

4 Home Computer Services

If you have used Computer Troubleshooters for servicing a computer that has been used for deriving income or managing tax affairs a proportion of the amount may be claimed as a deduction for tax purposes. IT costs such as internet access, printer consumables (toner & paper), depreciation, and computer security subscriptions may be proportionally deductible in the same circumstance.

Like all personal tax deductions you would need to provide proof of the expense and verify the proportion of the cost that is deductible.

Example – A home user who uses their home computer for managing their tax & financial affairs has previously verified with their tax consultant that 30% of the costs associated with the computer are tax deductible. The home user has used Computer Troubleshooters during the year and spent $300 in repairing the computer and has a tax invoice & receipt. The owner can include the $300 in their computer running expenses & gain a $90 deduction for the costs (30%) in their 2010/11 tax return.

5 Get Tax Advice & Make a Plan

Often we wait until the end of the financial year to think about tax. This year why not be proactive and plan your tax outcomes in advance. Why not take advantage of tax incentives and ensure your IT is up to speed

Talk to your tax advisor and your local Computer Troubleshoooters to find a tax effective IT plan for your circumstances.

Example - A Small Business turning over less than $2 million a year decides to develop an IT plan, with its tax advisor they determine to bring forward a planned $10,000 total network upgrade and appoint Computer Troubleshooters as their outsourced IT department for next year for $6,000. The business is able to reduce the 2010/11 tax liability by $6,000 by prepaying the managed services contract for 2011/12 and gaining depreciation benefits from the date of installation. Giving the business a financial boost for the 2010/11 year, but also having upgraded the IT infrastructure and outsourced the IT management they have reduced business continuity uncertainty and improved efficiency.

For more information talk to your local Computer Troubleshooters – your Trusted IT Advisor

Audit your Systems

At Computer Troubleshooters we always prefer to manage your IT systems rather than your IT problems.

Are you worried about future problems?

Then get us in to do an Audit so we can review your current situation and recommend courses of action.

We offer Audits in 3 areas – System, Security, & Disaster Recovery.

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before you decide if you need an expert IT Audit

Are your IT systems older than 3 years?
Has your network been built gradually over time?
Do you think there is a better way to operate?

IT System & Network Audit

• Review your current hardware & licensing
• Report on system performance
• Recommend actions to manage your network to protect & improve performance

Do you wonder if your Network is secure?
Do you have multiple access points to your system?
Have you experienced any system slowdowns or outages?

Security Audit

• Scan your network for current incursions or issues
• Pinpoint any exposure or risk form hackers, viruses, spyware, spam and even employee sabotage
• Recommend alternatives to improve your network security

Do you have a daily backup routine?
Do you know what will happen to your business if your hard drive were to fail?
Do you know how long your business would take to recover from a disaster that affected your IT systems & network?

Backup & Disaster Recovery Audit

• Review your current backup routine and test your data can be actually be recovered?
• Review your disaster recovery procedures to ensure business continuity?
• Recommend improved methodology, technology, or routines to enhance business disaster recovery.

JUST ASK US HOW?

All advice contained in this communication is of a general nature and should not be relied on as a reliable source for Tax advice. The IT Tax Tips contained in this document were regarded as correct at the time of writing, changes to legislation or proposed legislation may alter these Tips. We recommend you contact the Australia Tax Office, your professional advisor or a registered Tax Agent for advice in respect of your personal or business situation.

Recent news reports have surfaced about the internet running out of space.  I.T. people have known about this limitation for some time, but there has been little incentive to do anything about it.  This month we look at what the problem is, what impact it may have and how it may be fixed.

When your computer connects to the internet, it is given a unique ‘IP address’.  It’s like being given a room number when you check in to a hotel.  Some computers (e.g., email servers) get to keep the same room number all the time so people know where to find them, but your computer might actually get a different room number each time you connect.  Your room number will look something like ‘216.27.61.137’.

The problem is that computers talk in binary (ones and zeros), so in binary your address looks like 11011000.00011011.00111101.10001001.  With a finite number of ones and zeros in this 8 character.8 character.8 character.8 character number, that’s a total of 4.3 billion unique addresses. But now that’s not enough and some of those addresses are reserved for internal company networks and other reasons, which make the usable number even smaller.  The world now has too many computers that want to be on the internet and we’re running out of hotel rooms.

If we did nothing about it, we would literally not be able to connect any new computers to the internet.

But the internet boffins have been aware of this problem for some time and in Dec 1998 they launched a new standard for hotel room numbers (called IP v6).  This new address would look like 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334 and would allow for 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 unique addresses!!  If you want to read that out loud, it’s 340 undecillion, 282 decillion, 366 nonillion, 920 octillion, 938 septillion, 463 sextillion, 463 quintillion, 374 quadrillion, 607 trillion, 431 billion, 768 million, 211 thousand, four hundred and fifty six.

The challenge is that the old address and the new addresses can’t natively talk to each other. If your computer can handle a new IP v6 address (Windows XP Service Pack 2 or newer software like Windows 7), it won’t be able to talk to anything on the internet that’s still using the old IP v4 address. And because the internet is literally a collection of other people’s computers, we can’t just pick a date and change every computer over at the same time.

The whole situation then is kind of similar to the Year 2000, ‘Y2K’ bug.  The good news is that the internet boffins know about this problem too, so they are working on transition mechanisms to allow the old and the new to talk nicely to one another.  There has been no sense of urgency until now to do anything about it, as it’s going to cost them time and money to fix, but it’s not going to make anyone any money.

As users we all need to make sure we have IPv6 compliant devices, generally most modern computers are configured to handle, however some older hardware, switches and routers may need firmware upgrades or replacement hardware.

If you have any questions or concerns about the Internet or any technology need, talk to your local Computer Troubleshooter

Apple’s much hyped iPad gave a boost to a now thriving ‘tablet computing’ industry.  And with the recent launch of the iPad2, many business owners are wondering if this technology should be invested in or not.

The latest iPad is thinner, lighter and faster than the original and now boasts a front camera in addition to the rear-facing camera. Other manufacturers can also be found in the small, touchscreen computer market, including Samsung, HP, Toshiba, Motorola, Dell, Lenovo and Sony. They predominately use either Google’s Android software or Microsoft’s Windows.

But is this technology just for nerds, high flying corporate executives and people addicted to the Angry Birds game?  If you’re thinking about a tablet computer, learn about its limitations and focus on what benefit it could add to your business.

With a tablet, you can read information on a screen much larger than your phone, without having the weight and start-up time of your laptop.  You can browse through documents, emails and websites, check your calendar or find telephone numbers or directions.  They can also handle small amounts of data entry easily, replacing your paper & pen at the meeting table.  However, they would never replace your ‘full-function’ computer completely as they are not suitable for long hours of data entry, printing can be problematic and not all of your preferred software titles will run on them.

So, let’s look at how tablets are being used in the small business market:

Real estate – A great website is a realtor’s dream, enabling them to showcase multiple images of many properties.  Add a good search function and you can narrow down your portfolio as you discuss the needs of the prospective buyer that’s in front of you. The tablet now gives you that website on the road, ready to hand to the prospective buyer for them to thumb through property images as you sip coffee between open home sessions.

Anyone in sales – As many small business sales meetings are conducted at coffee shops or at the buyer’s premises, see ‘Real estate’ above, but add the ability to showcase product presentations and customer testimonials during your meeting.

Competitions – If you are running a promotion where people have to enter their details to win, the tablet is a great device to have at fairs and trade shows. Let people enter their own details and save you the data entry. This works even better if your entry form is already on your website anyway.

Subscriptions & registrations – See ‘Competitions’ above, but think of newsletters, sports teams etc. In fact, this can apply to nearly anywhere that you need to get capture people’s information. Just make sure they’re not going to run off with your tablet!

As with any technology purchasing decision, you want to know that your investment is going to enhance and improve how you do business. Talk to your Computer Troubleshooter about your technology needs and whether a tablet is right for your business, or whether it’s just another gadget.

Sounds simple……like choosing a new car !

Raise the subject of anti-virus software with a group of computer experts and you will get many different opinions.  Here are some things to consider when selecting security software for your computer:

Retail box or download – Many good software products are not sold in retail chain stores but are available for secure purchase and download from the internet.  This sometimes makes it harder to ask questions about the product, but remember that the retail sales person has a vested interest in recommending the product that they stock.  Just because a large chain store stocks the software doesn’t mean it’s the best software for your needs.

Impact on PC performance – This can be a tough area to gauge just by looking at the software description.  Check out the ‘Minimum System Requirements’ to see which software needs more resources (e.g. memory).  Also, consider installing a time-limited trial version of the software (if available) to test it for yourself before parting with your money.

Updates & upgrades – All anti-virus software should entitle you to download the latest information (updates) about any new viruses for free, for the duration of your license subscription.  Some software products also entitle you to upgrade for free if a newer version of the software is released, whilst others make you pay an upgrade fee.

Price – Software licensing comes in many different configurations, so make sure you are comparing the same kind of software license when you are comparing prices.  Factors that influence the price include how long your subscription is for (allowing you to download those free anti-virus information updates), how many PCs can use the one license and whether the software is being installed in a student/academic environment, home, business or not-for-profit entity.

Management – If you run a business with more than one PC, a ‘network edition’ may be right for you.  This allows the updates to be downloaded by one of your computers and distributed to the rest of them, instead of each PC downloading the update.  It also provides an overall view of whether the software is working on each PC and if any infections have been found.  These features reduce the time (and cost) it takes to manage your anti-virus software across multiple computers.

Additional features – Many anti-virus software vendors now also produce ‘security suites’, which include firewalls and protection against spyware, malware and spam.  It may be more cost effective and resource effective to run one product to handle all of these security aspects.

Trusted recommendation – There are many independent testing laboratories and software review websites that publish the results of their anti-virus software comparisons.  Your local Computer Troubleshooter also deals with a significant number of computers every year and will have developed a preference for the software they believe does the best job with the least amount of problems.  Find out what software your CTer recommends – chances are they know it well and use it in their own business.

Talk to your local Computer Troubleshooter about the best anti-virus solution for your specific requirements.

So if you businesses IT requirements have grown over time it maybe worthwhile having an IT Audit. So what is an IT Audit & what would your business get from doing one…………….

Audit – it’s a very painful word that conjures up images of the taxation department.  If done correctly though, an audit of the technology in your small business should be quick and painless and yield you with some valuable information.  Here are our top 5 reasons why your business would benefit from a technology audit:

1. Find immediate areas for improvement - If you’re thinking of replacing your computer, an audit may reveal that upgrading the memory would give you a significant performance boost.  It could also highlight incorrect system settings or poor security configurations that could easily be fixed.  With a clear picture of what technology you have, it might be easy to find some quick, inexpensive areas for improvement.

2. Budget for longer-term areas of improvement – An audit may reveal out-dated hardware that should be replaced with newer, faster components.  It could also highlight disks that are close to their capacity, but still have some spare space.  You can then plan and budget to address these areas in the future, instead of having to react tomorrow to an unforeseen full disk.

3. Know what software is on your computers – If your employees are able to install software onto your computers, do you know what they have been installing? An audit will reveal if your computers have illegal file sharing software or other programs that may be relevant to their hobbies, not their work (e.g. share trading).

4. Know you have the correct software licenses – In some cases, it is a software manufacturer’s right to randomly audit your business and check that you have the correct license number and the right kind of license for their software.  If you’ve taken on more staff since you started, or you’ve had employees installing software on your computers, an audit can reveal where your software licensing might need some attention.

5. Compile an asset register – Your business will have certain assets listed for accounting purposes.  That audit may not include many of your IT devices that are under a certain monetary value.  If a theft or natural disaster hit your business, wouldn’t it be great to have a full list of all of your technology components? Ask your I.T. guy to store a copy of your audit results, off site, in case you need to refer to that asset list to make an insurance claim.

The outcomes of your audit should be a comprehensive list of your I.T. assets and recommendations for improvement that fit in with your business plans (both short and long term).  If you current don’t use our services then call Computer Troubleshooters for an independent trusted second opinion.

Across Australia over the last few months we have had a huge number of complaints from clients who have been duped by the this telephone based scam – be aware & only deal with someone you know for advice on computer repairs & viruses.

If you answered your phone and it was Microsoft, telling you that your computer had a problem and they could fix it, should you believe them?  What if they said they were your internet provider?  Unfortunately this telephone scam leads innocent computer users to hand over their credit card details and allows an unknown person full remote access to their computer.

The caller pretends to be from some reputable internet provider or Microsoft itself, telling the victim they are following up on a report of a computer problem or virus infection that has been detected on their computer.  They then direct the victim to visit a website to install software that allows the scammers full remote control of the computer.  Then, they spend some time opening log files and other system areas to show where the problems are and convince you to pay a subscription fee for them to fix everything.

They now have your credit card details and full access to your computer and all of your personal information.

Computer Troubleshooters franchisees worldwide have seen a recent increase in this alarming scam, especially in the USA, the UK and Australia.  Law enforcement agencies, Microsoft and other major technology companies have issued press releases warning of these calls.  Stuart Strathdee, Microsoft Australia’s chief security adviser says “Do not be fooled.  Microsoft is not cold calling consumers in regards to malfunctioning PCs, viruses or any other matter.”

In reality, Microsoft, your internet provider and other third-party companies do not have access to see any errors on your computer.  They also can’t match your computer to your home telephone number.

If you or someone you know has fallen victim to this scam, call your local Computer Troubleshooter.  We can thoroughly investigate your computer and remove all traces of their remote control software, to give you peace of mind that they can no longer access your system.  You may also want to consider calling your credit card company, cancelling your current account, and requesting a new account number.

To combat these spammers, the best thing you can do is to spread the word to your friends, family and colleagues to never give an unknown person remote access to their computer.  If you receive a call of this nature, simply hang up on them.  Develop a trusted relationship with your local Computer Troubleshooter.  They can use secure software tools to remotely monitor your computer for problems and give you the best advice on how to address them.