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Windows 8.1 Updates Suspended by Microsoft

As everyone is still accepting the end of Windows XP, Microsoft announced that Windows 8.1 Updates for Business will no longer receive security updates after 13 May. Let the 4 week countdown begin.

Microsoft has temporarily suspended the rollout of Windows 8.1 Updates for Business.

Computers after discovering a Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) problem that prevents scanning for future updates.  The problem only shows up if a client PC has Windows 8.1 Update KB 2919355 installed and then attempts to scan against Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.2 while running on Windows Server 2003 SP2, 2003 R2 SP2, 2008 SP2, or 2008 R2 SP1.

It also only affects systems where HTTPS and SSL are enabled, while TLS 1.2 is not enabled on the server.

Some workarounds for those who have already deployed the update include disabling HTTPS on WSUS or enabling TLS 1.2.  These can be changed back when Microsoft releases a fix.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

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What Website Were Compromised by Heartbleed Threat? But Not These Ones!

Facebook
It is unclear if it was affected however the site has implemented a patch so you can go and change your password.

Twitter
It is unclear if it was affected however the company has yet to comment.

Google
It was affected but Google said users do not need to change passwords however best practice is to change it, period.

Tumblr and Flickr
It was affected however Tumblr has fixed the problem. You should change the password immediately.

Yahoo
It was affected and Yahoo has deployed patches on all major services. You must change your passwords only once Yahoo announces all have been secured.

Hotmail, Outlook and LinkedIn
It was not affected however if you use the same password as the affected services, it is better to change them as a precautionary measure.

So what can I do to protect myself?
Easy, change your passwords! Also do not use the same password on every website. It is very inconvenient however it goes a long way to helping protect your online presence.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading iT consulting firm offering industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support, IT OutsourcingCloud Services and VoIP services in the Toronto and surrounding GTA areas.

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Canada Revenue Agency Shuts Down Online Tax Returns thanks to Heartbleed Threat

The security flaw allows potential attackers to get passwords, credit card information, and other information that’s usually encrypted.  This flaw makes it possible to snoop on Internet traffic even if the padlock had been closed. Interlopers could also grab the keys for deciphering encrypted data without the website owners knowing the theft had occurred, according to security researchers.

Some popular sites that may have been affected include The CRA, Yahoo, Flickr, OkCupid, Eventbrite, Indiegogo and Imgur. For a full list, please click here.

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has halted online filing of tax returns by the country’s citizens following the disclosure of the Heartbleed security vulnerability that rocked the Internet this week.  Until this issue can be fixed, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will not be apply penalties to those filing 2013 tax returns after April 30 for a period equal to the length of the service disruption.  Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has also suspended public access to its online services while it investigates the potential impact on tax payer information.

The services affected include EFILE, a Web service that permits filing of income tax returns by third parties directly from tax preparation software, and NETFILE, a personal tax returns program.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States is still continuing to accept tax returns ahead of an April 15 deadline. IRS said it continued to monitor the situation.

Canada Revenue Agency anticipates restoring services by weekend.

Industry experts are recommending that users change all online passwords as a precautionary measure.

365 iT SOLUTIONS provides industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support, IT OutsourcingRemote IT Support, Cloud Services and VoIP services in the Toronto, Mississauga, Markham, Concord, Richmond Hill and surrounding GTA areas.

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Windows XP is DEAD and Google is on the Attack

April 8th 2014 was the end for Microsoft support.  There is no need to panic as your computer will not immediately shut itself down or self-destruct.  Most users will not even notice besides the pop ups that Microsoft has been pushing to Windows XP users to notify them of the end of support date.

Now Google is making an attempt at business users with Chromebooks.   In the past, Microsoft has tried to make the case that Chromebooks with Google’s Chrome OS are not real laptops.  Google is using Microsoft’s tactics by using the end of Windows XP support to make the case for Chromebooks for businesses.

For some businesses, they are scrambling out there and the natural thing to do is to go with Windows 7 or 8, but Google wants folks to consider another option.  Google claims that Chromebooks are ready for enterprise thanks to the advent of offline office apps, virtual machine emulation and more however most IT Support would rather stick to more familiar footing.

Most IT professionals feel that Chromebook’s are not ready for business.

What is a Chromebook?

A Chromebook is a Google invention that pairs hardware manufacturers with software from Google that essentially creates on OS based off of the Chrome browser. The idea is the cloud is your storage and you are always connected to the internet. Google is theoretically claiming businesses can save resources and lower costs.

What is the Chromebook used for?

Google wants it to replace your computer however it is more like a smartphone or tablet. The Chromebook you will allow you to access websites for financing, accounting marketing tools, etc.

How well does a Chromebook work?

The idea is that you can do everything you need on a computer with Chrome as it builds localized storage and caching that essentially buffers your online work so as a network comes and goes temporarily you can continue to work seamlessly but there are many other systems that already do this in a business class industry.

Why Chromebook is flawed for Business?

Every IT professional will agree that nothing out there is 100%.   It is a great upcoming tool but still needs a bit more maturing for business class use.  As for costs, most Chromebooks start around $200-$250 whereas a notebook with Windows Professional operating system starts around approximately $400.  The notebook is a bit pricier however their capabilities far exceed the Chromebooks for business use.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading iT consulting firm by offering industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support, IT OutsourcingRemote IT Support, Cloud Services and VoIP services in the Toronto, Mississauga, Markham, Concord, Richmond Hill and surrounding GTA areas.

Please visit us at 365itSolutions.ca and please feel free to visit us on Google+LinkedInFacebookTwitter and YouTube.

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Free Network and Security Assessment

365 iT SOLUTIONS specializes in technical IT Support and Managed IT Services in Toronto and is now offering businesses a Free Network and Security Assessment using our proactive IT infrastructure maintenance program. 

In order to qualify for our Free Network and Security Assessment, you must be a Toronto or surrounding area business and must have at a minimum one (1) server and multiple workstations within your infrastructure.

Our expert IT Support team will conduct a complete Free Network and Security Assessment which will include multiple areas of your IT Infrastructure to identify risks to your company IT infrastructure.

Once our assessment is complete, we will provide you with a simple overview outlining any problems, security risks and even what areas of the network are running within Industry Best Practices.  We will also include how to leverage your current infrastructure to increase productivity.

Interesting Facts:

  • 60% of companies that lose their data will shut down within 6 months of the disaster
  • 62% businesses do not properly secure sensitive or confidential data
  • 67% businesses do not have updated Antivirus software
  • 56% employees store sensitive data on laptops, smart phones and tablets

We can give you a second opinion from your current IT support provider.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

Visit us on Google+LinkedInFacebookTwitter and YouTube.

Welcome to Worry-Free iT!

 

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Microsoft Bringing Back the Start Menu to Windows

Microsoft has announced to restore the classic Windows Start menu that dates back to Windows 95.  The absence of the menu Start button has been by customers and industry experts.  The change to remove the Start menu was too drastic plus it was forced upon users which then brought down productivity and required users to relearn basic Windows navigation.

So why is Microsoft bringing back the “Start Menu” to Windows?

Microsoft showed two features of upcoming updates to Windows 8.1 including a Start menu and windowed “Modern,” ne “Metro,” apps on the desktop.  Both had been rumored to be coming to a future version of Windows.  The new Start menu will be a blend of the traditional and dynamic tiles that evoke the Windows 8.1 Start screen.  Windows 8.1 included a pseudo-Start button and gave users the option of circumventing the tile-style Start screen by booting directly to the conventional desktop.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

 

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Microsoft Releases Final Windows XP and Office 2003 Security Patches

Support for Windows XP and Office 2003 will no longer be supported as of April 8th, 2014.  Microsoft has released the final security patches for the two discontinued products. 

Today Microsoft posted security bulletins on its plans to release security patches on April 8th for Windows XP and Office 2003.

There will be several patch releases for Windows XP and Office 2003.  Microsoft has left out details behind these security patches so as to not give any help to potential hackers.  Unfortunately, consumer are among the 27.69 percent who still use Windows XP worldwide and they can face major issues after April 8th as Microsoft won’t be releasing any more software updates for the 12 year old operating system.

Complete details for the final release are posted here on Microsoft’s website.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading iT consulting firm. We offer industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support, IT OutsourcingRemote IT Support, Cloud Services, Cloud Storage and VoIP services to the Toronto, Mississauga, Markham, Concord, Richmond Hill and surrounding GTA areas.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is committed to provide our clients with Worry-Free iT!

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How Can Tablets Help Small Businesses?

When tablets were first introduced few businesses could have predicted how the technology would impact business.  There are many benefits to consider on how this technology benefits businesses and now many companies are integrating this technology into their daily business practices.  

Here is a quick summary of how tablets help the business process:

  • Marketing Materials. Tablets always allow your employees to have access to all company material.  With a tablet, that’s history. A designer can carry a lightweight tablet anywhere, from meetings to home and everywhere in between.
  • Estimates and Invoices. Tablets have most of the same capabilities as traditional desktop or laptop which means you can conduct business from almost anywhere.                                                                                                                                                                     
  • Create and Edit.  With a tablet you can manage and edit contracts right from your tablet reducing the chance of any misunderstandings and quickly moving through the process.                                                                                                                                        
  • Finalize Sales. Using a tablet as a mobile sales platform is a great way to modernize a business while reducing business costs. While traditional point-of-sale systems usually charge an up-front fee of approximately $3,000, tablet POS systems often cost around $1,000 or less to get off the ground.                                                                                                                                                  
  • Conduct Training. You can create presentations and display them on your tablet where you can set up training sessions for an entire staff to stream on their own mobile devices and tablets.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto. We provide industry leading Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Take advantage of our Complimentary Network and Security Assessment by 365itSolutions.com

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New Features Coming to Microsoft 365 Outlook Web App

Microsoft revealed more Outlook Web App features that will be added in the coming months in Microsoft 365.

Clutter is a new feature will attempt to learn which emails are important to a user based on patterns of reading and replying.  This feature has to be turned on and as a result the inbox of this user now has been reduced to just the important emails. Any messages deemed unimportant have been moved to the “clutter” footer at the bottom which can be expanded so that the user can quickly skim over those messages to see if any might need attention, if not, they can be deleted at once.

Another feature in Outlook Web Apps will improve document collaboration.  Email attachments can now be offered as a link to a file stored in OneDrive for Business. Any Word, Excel or PowerPoint file sent via email can be opened via the free Office Online app. The document can be edited and then sent back in an email reply.

There will also be Groups features for Yammer that will be put into Microsoft 365 for business users.  Some of those features were previously revealed at the recent SharePoint Conference.  Also, an Office Web App port for Android smartphones is in the works which will join the previously released apps for iPhone and iPad.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is offers industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support, IT OutsourcingRemote IT Support, Cloud Services, Cloud Storage and VoIP services to the Toronto, Mississauga, Markham, Concord, Richmond Hill and surrounding GTA areas.

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How Can You Improve Your Network Security?

IT support professionals are always looking to protect their networks from unwanted guests.  As an IT support professional, your obligations not only include maintaining a network but also protecting it.  We have put together some basic security precautions you can take for the wired side of the network.  We will address the wireless side of the network in a future post.

  • Maintain Your Network.  You should always maintain your network up to date using industry best practices.  This includes a network audit as well as firmware and software updates of all network devices.  This includes the basics such as OS, driver updates and antivirus.
  • Network Encryption.  Many organizations are encrypting the entire network.  Many IT support professionals are now creating a Windows Server to serve as an IPsec server.  The encryption process can be take up network bandwidth however there are many solutions out there that can reduce latency and overhead.
  • Network Audit. You should always have a clear understanding your entire network infrastructure.  IT support professionals practicing Best Industry Standards always have a clear layout of their networks layout including vendor and model of system, location and configuration of firewalls, routers and switches. , Ethernet cabling and ports, and wireless access points. Plus know exactly what servers, computers, printers, and any other devices are connected, where they are connected, and their connectivity path throughout the network. Many IT support professionals use Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools so they can scan the network and start to produce a network map or diagram.
  • Secure the Network Physically.  The most overlooked issue is to physically secure your core network assets.  Without strong physical security of your building and network, a hacker or employee can plug a wireless router into an open Ethernet port, giving them and anyone else nearby wireless access to your network.  But if that Ethernet port wasn’t visible or at least disconnected, then that wouldn’t have happened.  Verify that Ethernet cabling is run out of sight and isn’t easily accessible; the same with wireless access points. Disconnect unused Ethernet ports physically especially those in the public areas of the building.
  • MAC Address Filtering.  One major security issue of the wired side of network is people can just plug in and use the network.  Although MAC address serves as the first layer of security, it will not completely stop a hacker but it can help you prevent an employee from causing a serious security risk. Always keep an updated MAC address list.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading iT consulting firm. We offer industry leading Managed IT Services, IT Support, IT OutsourcingRemote IT Support, Cloud Services, Cloud Storage and VoIP services to the Toronto, Mississauga, Markham, Concord, Richmond Hill and surrounding GTA areas.

Take advantage of our no obligation Complimentary Network and Security Assessment.

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