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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.

The post Microsoft issues security patch for XP appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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 Even though the attack did not affect XP computers, Microsoft anticipates increased risk of similar attacks for the outdated OS being developed in the near future.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Many security experts also suspect that Microsoft is releasing security fixes for outdated systems because of leaked NSA hacking tools.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.

The post Microsoft issues security patch for XP appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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Get more out of Office 365 with Power BI

The benefits of Office 365 have totally changed the way most businesses operate, and it’s hard to believe anything else could have been added to make it even better. But lo and behold, Microsoft has added another excellent feature for getting a better return on your productivity software investment.

The post Get more out of Office 365 with Power BI appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Get more out of Office 365 with Power BI

The benefits of Office 365 have totally changed the way most businesses operate, and it’s hard to believe anything else could have been added to make it even better. But lo and behold, Microsoft has added another excellent feature for getting a better return on your productivity software investment.

What is Power BI?

Released in the spring of 2016, Power BI is Microsoft’s business analytics platform. Regardless of whether or not data is stored within a Microsoft platform, connecting Power BI to a database allows you to create detailed graphs, charts, maps, and more. For example, if you upload sales records, dragging and dropping two columns is all it takes to map out where your product sees the most demand.

Recently, Microsoft announced a brand new feature for business owners who want to get more value out of their software subscriptions. The Office 365 adoption content pack collects information about how your employees use Microsoft productivity software, and feeds it directly into Power BI’s analytics. There are four types of insights you can work with:

Adoption

These metrics give you visibility into how much each O365 platform is being used. You may be paying for OneDrive accounts for the entire organization, only for Power BI to reveal that less than a quarter of your team is using it. Compare enabled users and active users to get a clearer picture of your investments.

Communication

You can also see exactly how employees are using communication solutions. If nearly everyone on the team is accessing Skype for Business from a mobile data connection, it might be time to reduce your investments in cellular-based minutes.

Collaboration

Microsoft has several collaboration platforms, and without proper guidance, employees are likely to use the easiest one rather than the best one. Power BI shows you how much time users spend time in their own Word, PowerPoint, and SharePoint documents compared to the time they spend in documents from colleagues. This shows you which platforms encourage the most collaboration and which ones are struggling.

Activation

- The activation insights give you under-the-hood visibility into which versions of O365 users are running, and what devices they use to access them. That may seem like trivial information, but it can have huge impacts on cyber security.

Power BI comes in three different plans: Desktop, Pro, and Premium. Best of all, both the Desktop plan and the Office 365 adoption content pack are totally free. If you like what you see, consider enlisting us to set up and optimize either a Pro or Premium Power BI deployment -- we’re only a phone call away!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post Get more out of Office 365 with Power BI appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Read More

Get more out of Office 365 with Power BI

The benefits of Office 365 have totally changed the way most businesses operate, and it’s hard to believe anything else could have been added to make it even better. But lo and behold, Microsoft has added another excellent feature for getting a better return on your productivity software investment.

The post Get more out of Office 365 with Power BI appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Get more out of Office 365 with Power BI

The benefits of Office 365 have totally changed the way most businesses operate, and it’s hard to believe anything else could have been added to make it even better. But lo and behold, Microsoft has added another excellent feature for getting a better return on your productivity software investment.

What is Power BI?

Released in the spring of 2016, Power BI is Microsoft’s business analytics platform. Regardless of whether or not data is stored within a Microsoft platform, connecting Power BI to a database allows you to create detailed graphs, charts, maps, and more. For example, if you upload sales records, dragging and dropping two columns is all it takes to map out where your product sees the most demand.

Recently, Microsoft announced a brand new feature for business owners who want to get more value out of their software subscriptions. The Office 365 adoption content pack collects information about how your employees use Microsoft productivity software, and feeds it directly into Power BI’s analytics. There are four types of insights you can work with:

Adoption

These metrics give you visibility into how much each O365 platform is being used. You may be paying for OneDrive accounts for the entire organization, only for Power BI to reveal that less than a quarter of your team is using it. Compare enabled users and active users to get a clearer picture of your investments.

Communication

You can also see exactly how employees are using communication solutions. If nearly everyone on the team is accessing Skype for Business from a mobile data connection, it might be time to reduce your investments in cellular-based minutes.

Collaboration

Microsoft has several collaboration platforms, and without proper guidance, employees are likely to use the easiest one rather than the best one. Power BI shows you how much time users spend time in their own Word, PowerPoint, and SharePoint documents compared to the time they spend in documents from colleagues. This shows you which platforms encourage the most collaboration and which ones are struggling.

Activation

- The activation insights give you under-the-hood visibility into which versions of O365 users are running, and what devices they use to access them. That may seem like trivial information, but it can have huge impacts on cyber security.

Power BI comes in three different plans: Desktop, Pro, and Premium. Best of all, both the Desktop plan and the Office 365 adoption content pack are totally free. If you like what you see, consider enlisting us to set up and optimize either a Pro or Premium Power BI deployment -- we’re only a phone call away!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post Get more out of Office 365 with Power BI appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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Containers in Windows Server 2016

If you’re a business owner interested in utilizing virtualization technology, you have a lot of options for how to go about that. However, there is one virtualization vendor you’re probably already comfortable with: Microsoft. Read on for more information on the new and exciting features packaged with the Windows operating system.

The post Containers in Windows Server 2016 appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Containers in Windows Server 2016

If you’re a business owner interested in utilizing virtualization technology, you have a lot of options for how to go about that. However, there is one virtualization vendor you’re probably already comfortable with: Microsoft. Read on for more information on the new and exciting features packaged with the Windows operating system.

A brief history of Windows Server

The Windows Server operating system has been around for decades. As an advanced option for onsite servers, this operating system grants access to high-level access management settings, DNS customizations, and network configuration management. In fact, it’s such a complicated solution that Microsoft offers certification courses for each version of the operating system.

The most recent iteration of this operating system is Windows Server 2016 (WS16). Released on October 12th, 2016, Microsoft’s latest server software included countless improvements to its networking and user management features. Where it really shines however, is in the ways it handles virtualized computing.

Virtualization in Windows Server 2016

As with just about anything in the virtualization world, containers dominate the WS16 conversation. Containers use software to aggregate the bare minimum requirements that one application needs to run -- hardware, software and operating system -- and deliver that package across a network to computers that lack one or more of those requirements. For example, if you want to run a Mac application that requires a huge amount of processing power on a bare-bones Windows workstation, you can create a container with the necessary components on your server and let the workstation access it remotely.

WS16 users have access to two types of container deployments: Hyper-V and Windows Server containers. To the average business owner, the differences between these two options is minute, but what is important is Microsoft’s commitment to compatibility. If virtualization is important to you, choosing WS16 is a great way to ensure that you’ll be ready for whatever develops among the disparate providers.

Another great virtualization feature in WS16 is software-defined storage (SDS). It’s a complicated solution, but it essentially allows you to create hard drive partitions outside of the confines of hardware limitations. You can create a single drive by pooling storage space from three different servers, or you can create several separate drives for virtualized workstations to access.

Obviously, managing a server is no easy task -- regardless of whether or not you implement a virtualized infrastructure. That complexity comes with some compatibility issues; if your business relies on old software, it may not have been updated to run with WS16. For everything from creating a transition plan to managing your virtualized framework, give us a call today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post Containers in Windows Server 2016 appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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