November 2018
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The Windows 10 October 2018 Update was released Oct. 2nd. The release was then paused (cancelled till they figure out a fix). For now, avoid this update. Clients on maintenance are protected, as we review updates before they are installed.
Details: By removing Known Folder duplicates, the original October 2018 update removed any files in the old “Known Folder” – their files were deleted If the old Known Folder was synced to OneDrive, the files were deleted from cloud storage as well. This also affected users with folders redirected to a server. More information here. Timeline of what happened – including another data loss bug discovered Oct 23rd.
Win 10 October Updates with affected Intel Audio drivers will see a ‘What needs your attention’ warning message outlined in this support document for KB4465877. Intel has a fix available in the Intel Graphics Driver version 24.20.100.6286 and newer.
Office 2019 Standalone will not have all the features of Office 365 (the MS Office online subscription).
The branding for the Office subscription is changing – it will no longer show a version:
Reminder: Computers which are not on the internet with an Office 365 subscription will see their copy of office as unlicensed, with reduced functionality if they don’t connect at least once every 30 days. This change has affected several of our clients. How MS Office 365 is licensed.
Server 2019 configured for Remote Desktop Users will not support MS Office Pro Plus.
OneNote desktop has already been dropped from the Office lineup – replaced by the Windows 10 only app, which is less capable. You can leave OneNote 2016 installed. Be cautious if you upgrade to Office 2019.
Windows Server 2019 has been released but was then pulled when problems were found with Windows 10. Certified hardware for Server 2019 is not yet available.
Exchange Server 2019, Skype for Business Server 2019, SharePoint Server 2019, and Project Server 2019 are now available. Office 365 (online) versions will be updated. Standalone versions of Exchange 2019 require Server 2019 to install.
Again, there is strong marketing emphasis on moving to Office 365 servers.
Apple released a new MacBook Air, and a new iPad Pro.
Apple IOS 12.1 is out. Details here. There is already a critical security update – install both if upgrading.
Robocalls are on the rise. Verizon provides the Caller Name ID App, and also recommends Nomorobo. Xfinity also suggests Nomorobo. ATT offers the Call Protect App. These Apps will also block known Robocalls on your smart phone. More tips. The FTC also has resources including Apps for other cell providers.
Christmas tech gift lists are already showing up online. As well as shopping apps.
Beware of fake apps and misleading social media posts during the holidays. Think twice before entering your credit card data. Safe holiday shopping tips.
(note the link is not to Macys.com)
The explosion of AI and machine learning is changing the very nature of computing,
The number of internal projects focused on AI at Google is doubling every 18 months. The number of floating-point arithmetic operations needed to carry out machine learning neural networks is doubling every three and a half months as AI technology advances.
Ways AI Will Benefit Or Harm Society
A Google bug exposed the information of up to 500,000 users
The bug in Google’s developer platform on its Google Plus social network left information including user’s name, email address, occupation, gender and age vulnerable to a breach.
Google is shutting down its Google Plus social service for consumers due to lack of interest.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/gemalto-reports-4-6-billion-record-breaches-in-the-first-half-of-2018/
90% of breaches start with social engineering/phishing attacks. Ransomware containing emails have increased 6000% between 2016 and 2017.
You can run attachment files and web links through www.virustotal.com before opening them.
“Voting machines are terrible in every way: the companies that make them lie like crazy about their security, insist on insecure designs, and produce machines that are so insecure that it’s easier to hack a voting machine than it is to use it to vote.”
How Political Advertisers Target You – See the Facebook political ads you and others are receiving, and who they target.
“Grit” as a predictor of success – Recent TED talk on how to succeed (15 minutes).
StaySafeOnline webinar on small business scams (30 minutes).
The entire CyberSecure My Business Webinar series can be viewed online. Visit https://staysafeonline.org/resources/ and select “videos” under the “all types” drop down menu. There may be some to have your staff watch. Free, and good material presented simply.
Comic of the month
Jay (Jose) Almarez has joined us part time. He will start out answering phones in the mornings and assisting where possible with remote support. He is finishing his IT degree from COS.
by Tim Torian