Specializing in information technology outsourcing for small and medium businesses (1-50 Employees). "It's like having your own IT department"
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Welcome to this month's issue! The Technology Advisor provides technology advice, strategy, tips and trends to help you manage and grow your business! |
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"Patch Tuesday" - October 9
"Patch Tuesday" is the day each month that Microsoft releases their newest security updates, typically the second Tuesday of the month. This month included seven updates, including one "critical" update involving Microsoft WORD:
- Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word Could Allow Remote Code Execution (Critical)
- Vulnerability in Microsoft Works Could Allow Remote Code Execution
- Vulnerability in HTML Sanitization Component Could Allow Elevation of Privilege
- Vulnerabilities in FAST Search Server 2010 for SharePoint Parsing Could Allow Remote Code Execution
- Vulnerability in Windows Kernel Could Allow Elevation of Privilege
- Vulnerability in Kerberos Could Allow Denial of Service
- Vulnerability in SQL Server Could Allow Elevation of Privilege
For a full breakdown, check out the Microsoft Security Bulletin posted on line.
A "critical" patch is defined by Microsoft as "a vulnerability whose exploitation could allow the propagation of an Internet worm without user action". As a general rule, all critical patches should be installed as soon as possible. Also, if you have a managed service support plan with us, all patches are tested before installation.
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Remember to Reboot!
For the laptops and desktops we monitor with managed services, we are seeing a large number of systems that need reboots to be fully up to date with the latest security patches. Some patches require reboots to fully take effect and it is important to reboot occasionally. If you tend to leave your system on for remote access, or just "hibernate" or "sleep" your laptop, remember to reboot at least once a week. We can set up scripts to reboot on a specific schedule if you'd like, but we generally don't to protect users with open files that aren't saved. We are continuing to monitor this and will send reminders.
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Watch out for Phishing Scams
We continue to hear reports about phishing emails. These are "fake" emails pretending to be from UPS, JetBlue, eBay, ATT, LinkedIn, Microsoft, etc that are designed to get you to click on links that will possibly infect your system with malware or try to trick you into submitting your personal account information.
Stop and think before opening a suspicious email. If you didn't book a flight on Jet Blue and receive an itinerary with a (fake) credit card charge, DON'T open the link on the email. The variations of emails we're seeing are carefully worded to trick you into clicking links when you're busy. Slow down. Even if you have a strong spam filter, some messages will get through before they are morphed again.
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Tech Headlines
Google Throws Open Doors to its Top-Secret Data Centers - The photos are really cool - check out the artice. Read more on Wired.com
Lenovo Takes Top PC Spot from HP - The overall market is down, but Lenovo has emerged as #1, according to the new Gartner report. Of the top four PC vendors, only Lenovo was able to grow its shipments. Read More on InfoWorld
Inventions that Changed the World - Rubik's Cube - Math Fun : The Rubik's Cube is the most popular toy in history. Read More on CNN
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New! YouTube Training Videos - We also just started a YouTube Channel for training videos - please check it out at www.youtube.com/user/EkaruIT If you need to do an "out of office" reply for an upcoming vacation, check out the video! |
 Happy Halloween October 31
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Introductory Technology Assessment Over 450 local small businesses have chosen Ekaru to manage their computers and networks. We offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation to get started. We'll visit your office, review your network, and make recommendations. Call us at 978-692-4200 or email us to schedule a no-obligation assessment. If you know someone who could benefit from this offer, simply forward this email to them. Thank You!
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
©2012 Ekaru, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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