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End of support for Microsoft XP
Are your PCs & Laptops running XP SP2, Vista RTM or Windows 2000? If so you should begin planning an upgrade to these operating systems during the 1st half of 2010. Microsoft has announced the date for withdrawing extended support on Windows XP SP2 as July 13th 2010, Windows Vista RTM as April 13th 2010 and Windows 2000 Professional SP4 & Windows 2000 Server SP4 as July 13th 2010. Security Update support and non security related hotfix support will be withdrawn from these dates, leaving these systems vulnerable unless upgraded.
Protect your Business & users from Malware Scams
Malware comes in many disguises; one well documented scam which affected many internet users was the job site scam. Recipients of the e-mail didn't doubt its authenticity since the e-mails were personalised.
The way this fraud event occurred was through an e-mail attachment. The user downloaded what they believed was a toolbar that was said to assist them with their job search. Many downloaded this toolbar and the program infected their computers with a Trojan virus which began collecting all their personal information as they surfed various websites; it logged their keystrokes sending back password information.
Microsoft BPOS
A sunny day in the cloud.. Microsoft's move to cloud computing....
Yesterday I attended an online webinar from Microsoft about their Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) provided by Microsoft Online Services.
Over the last few years and most notably in 2009 there has been a steady move by software vendors to change their business delivery model away from selling software that you install on your computers to providing the functionality of the software via the Internet (or Cloud). This is what the IT industry call “Cloud Computing”.
Email links and security
There are thousands of computers and millions of emails bouncing across the internet from every corner of the world. It is an environment ripe for fraud and tricksters.
I was recently at a client location whilst they were reading some new emails. As I watched they started to move the mouse to click on a link in an email. I recognised the nature of this email as being malicious and suggested that it may not be secure to click on the link.
Windows 7 Released
Today Microsoft have released their new operating system Windows 7, to replace Vista and XP. The Windows® 7 Professional operating system delivers a powerful combination of innovation, improved performance and productivity.
The main themes behind Windows 7 are:
Works the way you want. It's Fast, reliable, and compatible, it delivers a solid foundation for running a business in today’s competitive environment.
Helps you get more done. You'll be able to find what you need quickly, easily connect to your networks, and be more productive-no matter where you are.
Safeguards your work. Better protect your business against security threats and data loss with new security and recovery options.
A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing
In these testing economic times some companies are tempted to try to fix IT issues themselves believing that they will save money in the long run. Whilst on the face of it this seems like an attractive proposition, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
One of our clients was attempting to make some minor changes to their PCs and network to test a new piece of software. We advised that this may pose a security risk if not performed in a particular way, however against our advice the person installed the software onto a PC to test and make available for other users to view it as well.
Identify and Report on Users Internet Activity
“82% of UK employees admit to personal surfing at work for more than three hours per week”.
“72% of UK firms have dealt with internet misuse in the workplace”.
“Disciplinary cases for e-mail and internet abuse at work in the last 12 months exceeded those for dishonesty, violence and health and safety breaches put together”.
BrowseReporter is very small program that runs in the background as a Service. It quietly records every site that has been accessed with or without the users’ knowledge. If you wish to notify your users that their systems are being monitored, then a customizable message can be displayed at startup.
Facebook, MSN, twitter, Youtube
Do these applications affect your network, is the network slowing down because of streaming video? How productive are your staff, how useful are these Web 2.0 applications to your business?
Would you like to manage access to these applications as well as improve the security of your business?
Receive up to £1000 of funding to help your business grow
Northern Star has gained access to up to £1000 of Government Funding through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).
The LSC has been providing Leadership and Management funding to businesses for several years and can now provide funding to our customers for our services.
The programme has now evolved as a Specialist Advisory Service with new eligibility criteria that opens up the offer to previously ineligible organisations. Now even more employers will have access to funded training that enhances their leadership and management skills and in turn nurtures business growth.
Are you paying too much for your Internet connection
In today’s Internet enabled world of email, VOIP, Instant Messenger, Skype, VPN, Hosted software applications, remote access, ITunes and downloading music and video the demands on the Internet connection or bandwidth is increasing significantly. Most businesses have experienced times when the Internet runs slowly and the solution is normally to just upgrade the Internet connection which can be costly and tie the business into annual contracts.
There is now a cost effective tool from DBAM to analyse the internet traffic from your office or between offices to ensure that the bandwidth is being used effectively and that you are not paying for more bandwidth than you need.
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