The Bottom Line on Updates and Security
You're going to see a recurring theme over the next several months - until April 8, 2014, to be precise. That's first "Patch Day" that will NOT include an update for the Microsoft XP operating system. You can call our theme the Microsoft XP Good-bye Tour, but when the tour ends, a new "good-bye tour" could begin. You might want to call that the Good-bye to the Data on Your Computer Tour; it will last until every hacker who can has sucked all the data they can monetize from your computer.
We're starting the discussion this month with articles on XP and security, browser security and WordPress security. The threads that tie them together are updating programs, backing up data and planning prudently and well enough in advance to protect your investment in technology and everything it does for your business.
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When They Pull the Plug on XP
Back in 1999, everyone worried about what would happen with Y2K. Would major data systems worldwide crash when on Jan. 1, 2000, when the first digit of the New Year changed from 1 to 2? Fear of the unknown greatly motivated fixes and preparation, and the moment passed without a pause. On April 8, 2014, Microsoft will pull the plug on the XP operating system, still a workhorse for many small businesses. We know exactly what will happen, and we know how to prevent problems. If you don't heed the warnings, here's what you're in for.
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Update for Security, Performance and ROI
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Avoiding WordPress and 'Cloud' Pitfalls
From its beginnings as a "blog engine," WordPress has grown to be one of the most popular systems for building large websites. Their beauty is their content management capability. Once a website is set up and published, anyone who can type and work with images can update the content. The ugly part is that many WordPress users don't understand the basics behind the system. I know. I learned some hard lessons when revamping our site. Here are some things that deserve your attention.
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