Welcome to this month's issue! The Technology Advisor provides technology advice, strategy, tips and trends to help you manage and grow your business!  Happy Pi Day (3/14)!

March 1 was the anniversary of the MA Data Security Law which went into effect three years ago.  If you missed our webinar are the end of last month, the slides are still available on line, and we have a worksheet that you can review with your staff - email us for a copy.  We're just trying to remind everyone that security is an ongoing process, and the anniversary of the introduction of the law is a good time to remember.  If you have regular staff meetings, we suggest you spend a few minutes reviewing the highlights - often what we see is that people will "break" the rules for convenience or efficiency, and it's good to remind folks what the security rules are, and why they matter.

"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 four "critical" updates and three "important" updates. The updates impact Internet Explorer, Windows, Office... just about all users are affected:

Bulletin ID, Bulletin title, Maximum Severity, Restart? Affected Software:

• MS13-021 Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (2809289).  CRITICAL, Requires restart, Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer.
• MS13-022 Vulnerability in Silverlight Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2814124). CRITICAL, Does not require restart, Microsoft Silverlight.
• MS13-023 Vulnerability in Microsoft Visio Viewer 2010 Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2801261)  CRITICAL, May require restart, Microsoft Office.
• MS13-024 Vulnerabilities in SharePoint Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (2780176)  CRITICAL, May require restart, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Server Software
• MS13-025 Vulnerability in Microsoft OneNote Could Allow Information Disclosure (2816264)  IMPORTANT, May require restart, Microsoft Office.
• MS13-026 Vulnerability in Office Outlook for Mac Could Allow Information Disclosure (2813682) IMPORTANT, Does not require restart, Microsoft Office.
• MS13-027 Vulnerabilities in Kernel-Mode Drivers Could Allow Elevation Of Privilege (2807986)  IMPORTANT, Requires restart, Microsoft Windows

 For a full breakdown, check out the Microsoft Security Bulletin posted on line.  Note that in the days leading up to Patch Tuesday, there is always an advance notification, which gets replaced by the actual bulletin on the release date.

 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, and we are tracking the updates for you.

Note that several of the security bulletins require reboots!  If you aren't regularly rebooting your systems, this is an important reminder.  Also, while Microsoft Security patches gain the most publicity, third party patches such as Java and Adobe are also just as important.  AND, remember that these days many more devices are connecting to your network - Android phones now account for most mobile malware - Read more at ZDNet.  This is a reminder that security protection is an ongoing process!

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         Happy Pi Day - 3.14 March 14!