August 2018
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Cisco to Acquire Duo

Duo allows you to use your smart phone to increase security for website and remote desktop logins. We have been recommending Duo. For now, the service will be unchanged. When Cisco purchased OpenDNS they raised the price, so we will be watching closely.

Office 2019, Server 2019 and Windows 10 Enterprise prices will go up about 10%
All are planned for release sometime after October of this year – as well as Exchange 2019, Skype for Business Server 2019, SharePoint Server 2019 and Project Server 2019.

It’s likely that this will be the last version of Office that will be available as a desktop purchase – It will be available only through Office 365 once Office 2019 (the perpetual version) is forcibly retired from support after just seven years.

Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 go into extended support (no new features, but security patches are still offered) on the 9th of October this year.

Get Microsoft Teams for free

Teams is an enhanced version of Skype for Business, with chat, file sharing, and video calling.

More details on the Free Version of Teams

101 Useful Websites – tools for just about everything

The Best Android Apps of 2018

Top 30 free apps for Windows 10

Skype version 8.0 that will replace version 7.0 (aka Skype classic), which will no longer function after September 1, 2018. If you’re on version 7 or lower, select the Launch Skype to Upgrade button.

The OneDrive team just released Known Folder Move which allows you to store your documents and photos in OneDrive. This may be a good option for home users.

Preparing for the mandatory use of TLS 1.2 in Office 365

As mentioned last month, older browsers will no longer be supported by many websites, as the SSL and TLS  (HTTPS:// ) security standard evolves.

By October 31, 2018, all client-server and browser-server combinations should use TLS version 1.2 (or a later version) to ensure connection without issues to Office 365 services. Microsoft Office 365 (online apps) will no longer support TLS 1.0 and 1.1.

Google is Labeling All HTTP Sites as ‘Not Secure’ 

Be sure to update your website  Contact us for help if needed.

California passes strictest online privacy law in the country

The law, which takes effect in 2020, gives consumers more control over their personal data. It grants them the right to know what information companies like Facebook and Google are collecting, why they are collecting it, and who they are sharing it with. Consumers will have the option of barring tech companies from selling their data, and children under 16 must opt into allowing them to even collect their information at all.

The bill applies to any “business that collects a consumer’s personal information.” – any entity that might share personal information of 50,000 or more consumers, households, or devices for commercial purposes (which is one of the thresholds of being defined as a business), as well as any business that makes more than 50% revenue from selling this data. Because personal information is broadly defined, it could be very easy for a small business with a modestly popular website or app to be wrapped up in this definition of “business” under the law, even if they aren’t meeting the monetary threshold of the definition.

The bill requires “a clear and conspicuous link on the business’ internet homepage, titled “Do Not Sell My Personal Information,” More details..

OTT stands for “over-the-top,” the term used for the delivery of film and TV content via the internet. You may also have heard of “cutting the cord” – referring to dropping cable service. Online services are competing to be the one stop source for your viewing.

Amazon Prime Video to Stream to Comcast’s X1 Boxes.

Consumer reports guide to streaming video services

MoviePass is in trouble, and has changed their offering. They shut down briefly due to lack of money.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will be announced August 9th.

Fiber cables and data centers could be decimated by sea-level rises in less than 15 years

Sea Level Rise Inundation (SLRI) tables.

Cryptominer malware is now the No. 1 threat from cybercriminals.  This malware uses your computing power to generate Bitcoins in the background. If not caught, your computer may work, but be much slower. During the first half of 2018, roughly 42 percent of organizations suffered from cryptominer malware attacks.

Connected Car Apps Open Privacy Hole For Used Car Owners

“The previous owner of my car has control over it, they can unlock it, they can remotely set the climate control …and there appears to be nothing that the manufacturer will do about it.”

This Month’s Security breaches.

Be sure to use unique passwords, and especially protect your email password, as it can be used to recover other passwords.

LifeLock Bug Exposed Millions of Customer Email Addresses

If you’ve ever created an account with Adidas’ American website, change your password for that account and any others that share that password.

Under Armour announces data breach, affecting 150 million MyFitnessPal app accounts.

Hackers Breach Network of LabCorp, US’ Biggest Blood Testing Laboratories

“They have hundreds of networked labs across the United States and all of them are likely interconnected centrally with LabCorp headquarters. This may be one of the largest healthcare networks in the world with connections to many thousands of physician offices, hospitals and their testing facility offices worldwide.”

UK admits it spied illegally for 17 years, is sorry, won’t stop

The bulk collection, which includes collecting a year’s worth of location records and call data from every cell phone in Britain, was kept secret from the public and outside the reach of courts.

We will be changing the Remote Management agent we use. It is a more capable product from the same vendor (SolarWinds). If you are set up for monthly maintenance, we will be contacting you to schedule an upgrade if it can’t be worked in to the regular maintenance schedule. There is no charge for this upgrade.

By Tim Torian

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The Torian Group Times Newsletter is a service to our clients, and anyone who finds it useful. Topics include security updates; known problems with recent patches; new and upcoming software and hardware that might affect your business; and information about technology in the Visalia area.  It is free to anyone who wishes to subscribe by providing their name and email address. We will not do anything with this information other than sending the newsletter – no unsolicited marketing of any kind.

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