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Android 8.0: significant security upgrades

Android users will want to take a bite of the latest OS’s features, and with good reason. Oreo is packed with enhancements and add-ons, including a significant interface overhaul, a picture-in-picture mode, smart text selection, and other nifty features.

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10 Nov, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Security category
Android 8.0: significant security upgrades

Android users will want to take a bite of the latest OS’s features, and with good reason. Oreo is packed with enhancements and add-ons, including a significant interface overhaul, a picture-in-picture mode, smart text selection, and other nifty features. In case you’ve missed the equally important security updates, we’ve listed some of the most noteworthy ones here.

More secure booting

Android's Verified Boot feature was introduced in 2013 and has been fine-tuned since. In Oreo, it performs a quick inspection of a device's software before it starts up.

The Verified Boot functionality prevents the device from starting if it detects that its OS reverted to an older version, which can expose it to security risks resulting from the older version’s vulnerabilities. With this upgrade, any attempts to exploit your device and data can be foiled by a system reboot.

Chip-embedded security

If you’re worried about physical attacks compromising your device’s security, Oreo covers that front by enabling a chip-based feature that fortifies security for Android devices. Integrating chip technology into supported devices’ security system makes tampering and other forms of physical intrusion extremely challenging for hackers, giving users greater protection.

Stricter app permissions

It’s tempting to simply click ‘OK’ whenever downloaded apps request permission to access your data and perform certain functions during installation. Android has limited what apps can actually gain access to your data with the System Alert Window feature.

The system alerts on previous Android OS were supposed to allow apps and programs to interact with the users by sending pop-up boxes and similar elements that usually cover up the device’s entire screen. However, Android developers detected a potential for its abuse. For example, hackers can easily use similar pop-up boxes that purport to be from legitimate apps.

With the new System Alert Window in Oreo, the pop-up boxes have been modified so that they’re easier to dismiss, limiting what malicious apps can do to trick users into clicking them.

Two-factor authentication support

Two-factor verification has become a standard feature in cyber security because it adds a much-needed layer of protection in accessing a password-protected account. It typically works by prompting a user to enter another piece of information in a separate device (e.g., a smartphone) or any physical token, which only the account owner would have.

Android 8.0 integrates a two-step verification that allows the use of a security key, which can easily connect to an Android device. Currently, it works only on apps that support it, but it won’t be long before more apps adopt it as an essential security protocol.

Stronger Sandboxing

Sandboxing essentially does one crucial thing for security: isolate compromised or problematic areas within a software or system so that they don’t infect the rest of the system.

Android Oreo beefs up its sandboxing capability by deploying a filter that prevents malicious apps from accessing the OS’s command center, thereby limiting their interaction with the system and other safe apps.

These security improvements aren’t the most noticeable features in Android Oreo, but they’re worth paying attention to. If you need to learn more about your systems’ and devices’ security features, get in touch with us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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SMBs benefit from serverless computing

“Serverless computing” sounds like a dream come true. It conjures images of a world where business owners don’t need to worry about purchasing expensive hardware or configuring complex software. But serverless computing isn’t just a dream, it’s the next big thing in cloud computing.

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09 Nov, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Uncategorized category
SMBs benefit from serverless computing

“Serverless computing” sounds like a dream come true. It conjures images of a world where business owners don’t need to worry about purchasing expensive hardware or configuring complex software. But serverless computing isn’t just a dream, it’s the next big thing in cloud computing.

What is it?

Outsourcing workloads to the cloud -- like websites and apps -- requires just as much hardware as if the computations were performed in an on-site server. The only difference is the location of the server.

Office 365 or Google Docs are great examples of this model. Thousands of servers are set up to run these apps so there is always enough capacity to handle the millions of people who use these apps at any given moment. Microsoft and Google need to manage and maintain these servers 24/7 to keep up with demand so they’re always on and always ready to handle more workloads, even during off-peak hours.

Serverless computing changes everything by allowing developers to create apps and websites that use cloud resources only when they’re needed. So, if you were to create a web app, you wouldn’t need to pay for a dedicated cloud server. The cloud provider would host your app’s programming code and run it only when a user requested it. The cloud provider would take care of allocating the appropriate resources and charge by the second for what you use.

Who can benefit from it?

Serverless computing is for users who use cloud resources for processing power. If you’re using the cloud only to store files, serverless services aren’t going to help you. However, if you use the cloud to process information and turn it into something more useful, serverless computing will help you immensely.

An everyday example of this is Amazon’s Alexa. Every command the AI assistant responds to is nothing more than an app that sits dormant until a user tells Alexa to run it. Small businesses are creating apps in Amazon’s cloud that can be processed by the voice assistant without the burden of setting up a dedicated server.

Serverless computing isn’t about getting rid of servers; it’s about using their raw computing power without being forced to fine tune them first. It falls under the umbrella of virtualization technology and is another step in the right direction for small businesses working with limited budgets.

For more information about how virtualization can help you lower costs and increase efficiencies, give us a call today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Unified Communications: How they help

Efficient communication is urgently important to any business looking to succeed. Communication breakdowns lead to downtime and inefficiency, among other intangible expenses. Thankfully, all of that can easily be avoided with unified communications.

What is unified communications?

Unified communications (UC) allow you to manage all your communications from one architecture rather than separately.

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08 Nov, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in VoIP category
Unified Communications: How they help

Efficient communication is urgently important to any business looking to succeed. Communication breakdowns lead to downtime and inefficiency, among other intangible expenses. Thankfully, all of that can easily be avoided with unified communications.

What is unified communications?

Unified communications (UC) allow you to manage all your communications from one architecture rather than separately.

It integrates computer-related communication technologies, like instant messaging and video conferencing, with voice over internet protocol (VoIP) which allows you to make and receive calls using the internet.

What can be integrated?

Just about everything can be integrated. This includes voice communication in all its forms -- voicemail, email, or fax -- as well as multimedia services like video chat and web conferencing.

Real-time communication like call screening and call conferencing can also be integrated. But what many might not know is the fact that even data services and transactions like e-commerce and online banking can also be added to the UC system.

What are the benefits of UC to small businesses?

One of the most evident benefits is that you’ll have a single and flexible communication infrastructure that allows you to streamline and enhance business communication, and easily manage all the components.

Features can be scaled up or down to support your business needs without hassle. Other benefits include:

Hypermobility

UC gives access to your office via a wide array of smart devices, like laptops, smartphones, tablets, and more. This means you can literally create your office environment and satisfy customers from anywhere you please. This opens up a world of opportunity for employing remote workers.

Improved productivity

Your employees will be equipped with productivity-enhancing communication features, like call info, call routing, and more, that allow them to work more efficiently and better tend to customers’ needs.

Web and video conferencing calls, for instance, not only allow for real-time interactivity, but also for better collaboration. Delayed response times and gaps between dispersed teams are also minimized.

Real-time updates

You and your employees will be able to see important presence updates in real time, including how to contact colleagues and how to see their locations. This makes getting the right information from the right person at the right time quick and easy.

Single contact point

Clearly defined points of contact ensures that stakeholders can reach you by email, phone, SMS, and more regardless of the channel they’re doing it from -- softphone, IP phone, email, or IM.

Reduced costs

UC eliminates the cost of travel and reduces your monthly phone bill since it uses the internet to make calls. It also limits the need for expensive on-site hardware as one UC server keeps everyone connected using the aforementioned communication features.

Even better, you can potentially save thousands of dollars on office overheads by allowing employees to work from home since they’ll remain connected with their softphones even when they’re not at your office.

It’s only a matter of time before unified communications become the norm for day-to-day office interactions. If you’re interested in learning more about how UC or VoIP can transform your business, just give us a call. We’re happy to explain everything to you in plain English.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Beware of sneaky Microsoft Office malware

Cybersecurity systems are getting better at identifying and preventing attacks coming from all directions. At the same time, hackers are coming up with new ways to bypass these systems. While online scams are the most common ways to do this, cybercriminals have discovered a new attack method using Microsoft Office.

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07 Nov, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Microsoft Office, Office, Security category
Beware of sneaky Microsoft Office malware

Cybersecurity systems are getting better at identifying and preventing attacks coming from all directions. At the same time, hackers are coming up with new ways to bypass these systems. While online scams are the most common ways to do this, cybercriminals have discovered a new attack method using Microsoft Office.

What’s the new Office threat?
The Office exploit takes advantage of Microsoft’s Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE), a protocol that sends messages and data between applications. For example, DDE can be used to automatically update a table in a Word document with data collected in an Excel spreadsheet.

The problem with this is hackers can create DDE-enabled documents that link to malicious sources rather than to other Office apps. Theoretically, this allows hackers to launch scripts that download Trojan viruses from the internet and execute it before the user is even aware of the attack.

And unlike most malware-embedded Office files, which are usually blocked by security protocols from Microsoft, DDE exploits are instant. Once a compromised Word file is opened, it automatically executes the hack.

Outlook at risk
What’s even more alarming are the DDE vulnerabilities in Outlook. Recent reports found that hackers can embed malicious code in the body of an email or calendar invite, allowing them to perform phishing scams without a file attachment.

Fortunately, Outlook DDE attacks are not as automated as Word or Excel DDE attacks. Two dialog boxes will usually appear when you open the email asking if you want to update a document with data from linked files and start a specific application. Simply clicking ‘No’ on either of these boxes will stop the attack from executing.

Defending against DDE attacks
Beyond saying no, you can protect yourself by following these security best practices:

  • Evaluate the authenticity of unsolicited emails before interacting with them and don’t open attachments from unfamiliar contacts.
  • View emails in plain text format to completely stop DDE attacks embedded directly in emails from running. Note that this will also disable all original formatting, colors, images, and buttons.
  • Use a strong email security system that prevents phishing emails, spam, and other unwanted messages from reaching your inbox.
  • Get in the habit of checking for Microsoft updates, as they're usually quick to release patches after vulnerabilities have been discovered.

Last but not least, consider working with our team. We’re Microsoft Office experts who can keep you safe from the latest threats. Call us today to get started!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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