Windows Server 2008 has enjoyed a 12-year run, but after multiple extensions, Microsoft will officially cut off support on January 14, 2020. Windows Server 2008 R2, which is just one year younger, will also reach end of support on that date. It should be quite the retirement party with the Windows 7 desktop operating system reaching [...]
As we discussed in a previous post, the clock is ticking on Windows 7. The old reliable operating system that provided relief during the Windows 8 debacle will be unsupported after January 14, 2020. You can accept the risk, pay through the nose for Extended Security Updates, or migrate to a new operating system. Migrating [...]
In January, an image-based malware threat that targets Mac users was discovered. The malware campaign, called VeryMal, uses malicious payloads embedded in ad images, which are delivered through an ad-serving domain. The URL added to the image attempts to trick Mac users into installing a fake Adobe Flash update. When installed, the user contributes to [...]
According to the 2018 BSA Global Software Survey, unlicensed software accounts for 37 percent of all software installed on personal computers, down slightly from 39 percent in 2016. However, the majority of countries in the survey still have software piracy rates of at least 50 percent, and unlicensed software still creates significant risk. More specifically, [...]
With the clock ticking towards Windows 7 end-of-life (EOL) on Jan. 14, 2020, Microsoft recently announced that it will offer paid Extended Security Updates on a per-device basis through January 2023. The key word here is “paid.” Windows Enterprise and Microsoft 365 customers will have to cough up $25 per device for the first year, [...]
The number of successful endpoint attacks is up, the number of unknown threats is up, and the financial consequences of these attacks are more severe, according to the 2018 State of Endpoint Security Risk survey from Ponemon Institute. To make matters worse, organizations aren’t particularly confident in their ability to detect, prevent and respond to [...]
Wired magazine recently reported on the months-long struggles of a large East Coast animal shelter that had its Facebook page hacked. Using social engineering and phishing links, the hacker repeatedly accessed the account of the organization’s director, wreaking havoc on the organization. Despite exhaustive efforts to control access by implementing two-factor authentication, new antivirus software, [...]
Given that large enterprises with the most advanced IT security defenses in the world suffer major data breaches, no organization should assume it could never happen to them. Sure, these are high-value targets, but a growing number of hackers are going after smaller companies with weaker defenses. Organizations should always operate under the assumption that [...]
You wouldn’t ask Anne in accounting or Sam in sales to configure your firewalls, install an encryption solution or apply security patches. Yet most companies consistently make regular employees responsible for one of the most critical pieces of security — the password. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t work very well. Despite greater focus on improving security [...]
Some people might think warnings about IT security threats are overblown. That’s how they justify their “it will never happen to me” mentality. But what about the Equifax breach last year that exposed the personal data of nearly half of the U.S. population? What about the WannaCry ransomware attack that affected more than 200,000 computers [...]
