My IT Business -- Part 1
My Business is Sometimes Not All Business
Hi. My name is Mike, and I am a self-employed IT tech and software developer. I have built a business of over 100 customers where I support their computer systems and keep them safe. My customers are predominantly small, local businesses but I do have a few homeowners who I do work for to keep their systems up-to-date and secure from hackers. I work from my home with a high-speed computer network I built myself.
Oops, my doorbell just rang. Got to go.
I opened my door and was greeted by a middle-aged woman who I think I have seen before while she was walking her dog. She introduced herself as Emily, who lived about 8 houses up the street. She asked if I was "the IT guy." She had gotten my name and address from another customer of mine. She explained that her husband had been messing with their computer, and he doesn't really understand computers, and had messed it up so bad that she could no longer get onto the Internet. Could I help? I told her that I had several video meetings that afternoon but that I could come check her system out tomorrow. "How about 10 o'clock," I asked. Her reply was quick and sincere, "Oh bless you. I need more help than you know. I will explain it all tomorrow."
At 10 o'clock sharp I rang Emily's doorbell. She slowly opened the door and ushered me in. The sight of her was something to behold. She was casually dressed and left little to my imagination with a deep cut blouse sans bra that made her jiggle when she walked. Her short skirt showcased her well-toned legs. Hardly the same woman who had rung my doorbell the day before.
"OK, show me what you have," I said and then thought, well that didn't come out quite right. She gave a short laugh and pointed into the office where her computer sat. She fired it up and after it initialized, she gave me the seat. I went into several of the system files and yep, her WIFI was improperly connected to their network. Her husband, in ignorance, must have changed the settings. I corrected the connection error and then asked her for her WIFI password. I could only shake my head when she replied "1234567." "Emily, you realize that password can he hacked by a third grader. You need something much more complex. I'll design one for your system that is virtually unhackable." I wrote down a complex password on a notepad next to her computer and we exchanged email address so we could communicate.
"Now, I need to head back to my place and run a few diagnostic programs on your system to make sure nothing worse is happening. Don't be surprised if your computer does a few strange things over the next several days as I remotely check all the corners of your system." Emily cleared her throat, thought for a minute and then explained, "Don't be surprised by anything you find on our hard drive. You may see more than you want to see." I told her, "Don't worry, I think I have about seen it all when it comes to computers."
