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MR to be removed from Google search

Google has recently made changes to its personal information policy, including a major one for the healthcare industry. The search giant has begun removing private medical records from its search results, preventing cybercriminals from taking advantage of these resources that were previously available after only a few keystrokes.

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03 Jul, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Security category
MR to be removed from Google search

Google has recently made changes to its personal information policy, including a major one for the healthcare industry. The search giant has begun removing private medical records from its search results, preventing cybercriminals from taking advantage of these resources that were previously available after only a few keystrokes.

If an individual's medical records were leaked, that could be both emotionally and financially damaging. For example, hackers that use ransomware to extort money from hospitals can gain access to private medical data and hold it for ransom. Whether the ransom is paid or not, they could still release it online, where Google’s search engine would pick it up.

Traditionally, Google had a hands-off policy to search results and rely on its algorithm to do the work instead. In the past, this policy was heavily scrutinized for releasing fake news and other forms of false information. All of this changed when Google combed through the search results and removed private medical information.

Before making potentially sensitive information available on search results, Google now assesses their level of sensitivity using this series of questions:

  • Is it a government-issued identification number?
  • Is it confidential, or is it publicly available information?
  • Can it be used for common financial transactions?
  • Can it be used to obtain more information about an individual that would result in financial harm or identity theft?
  • Is it a personally identifiable nude or sexually explicit photo or video shared without consent?

Ensuring the security of private data is paramount to the success of businesses operating in every industry. Whether it be on-site or online, if data were to fall into the wrong hands, not only could that cause financial and reputational ruin, it could even close down your business for good. If you want to know more about how to keep your data safe, feel free to call or email us!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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VoIP redefined thanks to 5G data

Communication is an integral component to any small- and medium-sized business. To ensure the success of your SMB, utilizing the right technology resources is key. Short for fifth-generation wireless systems, 5G is changing essential technology solutions like VoIP. Here are three key changes you need to look out for.

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30 Jun, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in VoIP category
VoIP redefined thanks to 5G data

Communication is an integral component to any small- and medium-sized business. To ensure the success of your SMB, utilizing the right technology resources is key. Short for fifth-generation wireless systems, 5G is changing essential technology solutions like VoIP. Here are three key changes you need to look out for.

Improved video conferencing
The major factor holding web and video conferencing back is how fast current networks can transmit data. Fortunately, innovations like Web Real-Time-Communications (WebRTC) and 5G networks will enhance VoIP for businesses. Providing open and stable streaming as well as sufficient transfer speeds will soon allow businesses to accommodate higher quality, even 4K and 8K resolution videos.

Virtual and Augmented Reality
With 5G network speeds, virtual and augmented reality will become more common for small- and medium-sized businesses. 5G will blow past 4G’s Gbps (gigabits per second) limit, which is currently holding back the adoption of VR and AR applications.

VR and AR need to process significantly more visual data because of the freedom of movement they allow, and this puts an enormous strain on mobile networks. 5G is also set to ensure a better user experience by lowering latency levels that simplify and smoothen daily business operations, preventing network delays from affecting your bottom line.

Mobile VoIP
VoIP calls rely heavily on sufficient download and upload speeds. For example, when mobile VoIP users on 4G networks are limited to 12Mbps upload and 2Mbps download speeds, they experience unstable and poor call connectivity and clarity. These limitations could also lead to packet loss, which happens when one or more “packets” of data traveling across a computer network fail to reach their destination, typically caused by network congestion.

When businesses decide to adopt the up-and-coming 5G network, businesses can expect to see significant improvements when it comes to VoIP. Ensure the success of your SMB with increased network speeds, better call quality and conversations with consistent connectivity. If you’re looking to set up a VoIP system for your business, call or email us today!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Changes to Office 365

Whether it’s for the sake of aligning with Windows 10, or not, Office 365 Pro Plus will be upgraded twice a year, in March and September. But what does this mean to business owners like yourself? Will the new update schedule affect how Microsoft plans to deliver and support ProPlus in the future? We’ll answer all that and more.

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29 Jun, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Office category
Changes to Office 365

Whether it’s for the sake of aligning with Windows 10, or not, Office 365 Pro Plus will be upgraded twice a year, in March and September. But what does this mean to business owners like yourself? Will the new update schedule affect how Microsoft plans to deliver and support ProPlus in the future? We’ll answer all that and more.

Why the new schedule?

Feedback has almost always been Microsoft’s impetus to make changes of any kind, and this is no exception. The software giant wanted to simplify the update process and improve coordination between Office 365 and Windows, and the new schedule should handle both of those aims.

This is particularly helpful for those using Secure Productive Enterprise (SPE). SPE was bundled with Windows 10 and Office 365 ProPlus, meaning subscribers had to deal with two separate upgrades prior to the new schedule. Moving forward, things will be simplified as a single update twice a year will suffice.

What else changed?

Microsoft is extending support for ProPlus from 12 months per update to 18 months. This means you can technically update once or twice a year, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.

They’ve also changed the following terminology used in their updates:

  • Current Channel → Monthly Channel
  • First Release for Deferred Channel → Semi-annual Channel (Pilot)
  • Deferred Channel → Semi-annual Channel (Broad)

The Semi-annual Channel (Pilot) and Semi-annual Channel (Broad) describe the twice-a-year feature updates and how they will be deployed: the former to be used as deployment testing and the latter for actual deployment to an organization’s users.

When will the first ProPlus upgrade be released under the new schedule?

The first Pilot channel will be available on September 12, 2017, the same day as that month’s Patch Tuesday. The first Broad channel will be available four months later on January 9, 2018, also on a Patch Tuesday.

The second release will bring a new Pilot on March 13, 2018 and a new Broad on July 10, 2018.

Can you skip a ProPlus features upgrade?

While you can in fact choose only to upgrade once a year, you will eventually have to conduct a second upgrade to get the most up-to-date support. Microsoft is giving you two months of overlap in the next update to do this.

So, say your firm deploys the Broad channel in January 2018, but skips the July 2018 upgrade, you would have to upgrade within the two-month span between January 2019 and March 2019 to be eligible for the latest support.

What happened to the ProPlus upgrade for June 2017?

Microsoft released new Deferred Channel and First Release for Deferred Channel upgrades on June 13, 2017. You will have three months to conduct enterprise pilots and validate applications with this upgrade before the final Deferred Channel release on September 12, 2017. The last Deferred Channel will be supported until July 10, 2018.

Changes to the support life cycle of Office 365 ProPlus will ultimately save you time and reduce the hassles of conducting upgrades. That said, it might take some time getting used to the new schedule and nomenclature, so if you have any questions about Office 365 or the new schedule, just give us a call.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Microsoft issues security patch for XP

When a Microsoft product reaches its “end-of-life,” the tech developer no longer provides feature updates, technical assistance, and automatic fixes for that product. Support for Windows XP, for instance, ended in April 2014. That said, recent malware attacks have caused Microsoft to continue support for their outdated operating system.

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28 Jun, 2017 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Windows category
Microsoft issues security patch for XP

When a Microsoft product reaches its “end-of-life,” the tech developer no longer provides feature updates, technical assistance, and automatic fixes for that product. Support for Windows XP, for instance, ended in April 2014. That said, recent malware attacks have caused Microsoft to continue support for their outdated operating system. Read on to find out more.

More WannaCry copycats
The primary reason why Microsoft reassessed their update policy for Windows XP was due to the success of WannaCry, a ransomware worm that encrypted hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide. Even though the attack did not affect XP computers, Microsoft anticipates increased risk of similar attacks for the outdated OS being developed in the near future.

According to Microsoft’s Head of Cyber Defense Operations Center Adrienne Hall, cyberattacks by government organizations and copycat hacking groups are imminent; and this time, they’ll improve upon WannaCry’s shortcomings. In fact, shortly after WannaCry was stopped on May 12th, other strains with more sophisticated code popped up seeking to exploit the same weaknesses.

NSA leaks
Many security experts also suspect that Microsoft is releasing security fixes for outdated systems because of leaked NSA hacking tools. Over the years, the NSA’s ‘hacking’ department, Equation Group, has been storing cyber exploits in its arsenal. But a group known as the Shadow Brokers found these exploits and publicly disclosed them, which led to the WannaCry outbreak.

Right now, the Shadow Brokers are promising to leak more NSA exploit tools to hackers in the Dark Web who are willing to pay $10,000.

The update
Since a significant portion of businesses are still working with XP, Microsoft believes that their recent security update is the best way to protect all Windows users. The new patch fixes 16 critical vulnerabilities, many of which seem to defend against the exploits leaked by the Shadow Brokers.

Windows 10 users can find the critical update in the Microsoft Download Center. Alternatively, they can simply check for updates in Windows Update, which can be found in the Settings menu. But to install the update for unsupported operating systems, users should visit Microsoft’s security advisory page for tips and download links.

Although Microsoft has extended support for Windows XP, don’t expect regular fixes for outdated systems. As always, the best protection is to use an up-to-date system that’s equipped with the latest security patches.

“Older systems, even if fully updated, lack the latest security features,” said Hall.

If you’re unsure about your Windows security, what operating system you’re running, or how to protect your company workstations, give us a call. Our certified and experienced experts will help keep your business safe from WannaCry and future malware attacks.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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