| There’s a lot of Microsoft news lately. Windows 11 is Coming! The newest version of Windows will be out soon. Here’s a link to a preview. Microsoft introduces Windows 365 for Businesses Microsoft has announced a new option for businesses, Windows 365 is a new service where Windows is delivered through the Internet. Here’s a link to a preview Microsoft printing vulnerabilities In the past month, Microsoft has released security updates for two important security vulnerabilities. The good news is that these vulnerabilities don’t affect most of our clients. I’m going to try to explain these two issues in plain English. Vulnerability 1: PrintNightmare, occurs when an attacker has access to a computer. They can then use that access to control other computers on the network. Click for more info Vulnerability 2 is called CVE-2021-1675. This is a similar vulnerability that affects the computer the attacker is logged into. Click for more info These vulnerabilities, while severe and real, don’t affect most of our clients because 1. Most of our clients don’t have multiple computers or server computers. 2. If an attacker gets access to your computer, they can do significant damage without relying on these security flaws. What does a firewall do and why do I need one? A firewall is a security system designed to control incoming and outgoing computer traffic. Firewalls can be either a software program (Windows or Mac firewall), or a physical device. Windows and Mac computers come with built-in software firewalls, as do most Internet providers’ gateways and most routers. Simple firewalls, (all of the above), generally limit access to your computer, unless your computer has initiated the conversation. They hide your computer from the Internet, by only making the firewall visible. This strategy provides decent basic protection from many Internet attacks but doesn’t stop attacks if you’re tricked into clicking something, because in that case, your computer has initiated the conversation. On rare occasions, the firewall itself can be compromised. If the router itself is hacked, all devices connected to it would be visible to the attacker. That’s not to say that the attacker would automatically gain access to the devices, but if the devices had exploitable vulnerabilities such as software that was not fully updated, the attacker could potentially breach the device. Simple firewalls have static configurations, called rules, that define what traffic is allowed and are configured to not interfere with your ability to go to any website or to download any file. More sophisticated firewalls have dynamic rules that are updated daily or even more frequently, by the vendor’s security team, as new threats and malicious websites are discovered. Do I need a Firewall? For most of our clients, the added expense and complexity of a robust firewall are overkill. However, If you run a business, we recommend that you consider deploying a business-class firewall. Our long-standing advice remains sound: be extremely careful what links you click on, which websites you visit, and do not let anyone remotely access your computer, no matter what they say. What is a VPN? A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a method of using the public Internet to conduct private and secure transactions and web surfing. VPNs are used for remote access to corporate networks, and to keep your internet activity private and secure. A VPN keeps your information private by masking your computer address and by encrypting the data as it travels through the public Internet. Click for more info Do I need a VPN? For most of us, the answer is no. When you’re connected to a secure site, (the little padlock symbol on your web browser shows the padlock is locked ). If you’re connecting to a corporate network or want more anonymity, then a VPN is a good choice. Thank you for being part of our family. We are fortunate to serve you. Ryan, & Edward |
Lamorinda Computer & Technical Support
Local, Trusted, Reliable Technology Support For Your Home & Small Business