Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last twelve months, it wouldn’t take a genius to work out some of the most commonly used words of 2020.

So today, I’ll go through my list and how you can use them to your benefit with your IT.

1) COVID / VACCINE

Starting with the most obvious. Just like the vaccine, you also need to protect your PC or Mac from infection. A free AntiVirus program won’t cut it these days. So for peace of mind, install an AntiVirus Suite like Norton 360, that has all the bells and whistles.

2) LOCKDOWN

With the kids at home schooling, there’s a quick shortcut I use to lock down both the PC & Mac if I leave the screens unattended for some time. This way, I don’t need to worry about those tiny little fingers accidentally deleting a few emails or altering some of my Excel formulas when I’m away from the desk.

To quickly lock a PC screen, while holding down the Windows key (next to the left Alt key), just tap the L key.

On a Mac, you can either select Lock Screen in the drop-down menu when you click on the Apple icon in the top left of the screen, or use the shortcut keys Ctrl + CMD + Q.

3) ZOOM

This has been a big game changer for most people in 2020. From Zoom Fitness Classes, Zoom Dating, Zoom Quizzes and Zoom Cooking. Last week, a client of mine needed help fixing his Zoom, after he failed to attend a Zoom Funeral for his good friend in South Africa.

Zoom is free to use, and if you haven’t installed it yet, you can download it from here.

4) ESSENTIALS

I can’t emphasise enough how important data backups are. No one wants to lose documents or photos, but I come across it week in week out where there’s no backup in place. Taking backups and applying all the Operating System and Security updates on your computer is essential.

5) REMOTE

Remote working has been a godsend for my business; allowing me to take remote access of a customers’ PC or Mac in any location in seconds. I’ve also helped a few clients take remote access of their own computer at work from their home system during the pandemic. If you’re in this position, I can highly recommend the TeamViewer software.

6) SOCIAL DISTANCE

Keeping a distance and minimizing social contact has and is still critical. In some cases, it’s not possible for me to fix the problem remotely, and if the sight of me wearing a mask for a home visit doesn’t sit comfortably with you, there’s a third option; a FREE Collect and Return Service of your equipment.