Microsoft plans to start monthly billing for Windows 7 and other IT info

ELIMINATE YOUR IT PAIN!!

 

MICROSOFT AND MONTHLY CHARGES

Well, folks – it looks like Microsoft is planning to charge users a monthly fee if they want to stay on Windows 7 and still get updates and security protection.

 

Supposedly this does not start until January 14th, 2020, but it would be a good idea to put this into your planning and/or budgeting.

 

You can upgrade to Windows 10 to avoid this but the upgrade to Windows 10 is no longer free. L

 

And rumors are that Microsoft MAY change their licensing model from a one-time fee to a monthly fee.  This is just a rumor but keep it in the back of your mind for planning purposes.

 

Please click on the link below and feel free to call me or email me with any questions.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2018/09/08/microsoft-windows-7-monthly-charge-windows-10-free-upgrade-cost/

 

 

 

HAS YOU USER ID OR PASSWORD BEEN HACKED?

 

To find out if your user id(s) and or password(s) have been hacked by any hacker and are residing on some database out there, go to the following link and enter your various passwords and/or user ids.  It will tell you if they are on this database of hacked information.

 

The website is anonymous.

 

https://haveibeenpwned.com/

 

 

RUSSIA AND CHINA

No surprise here.  The Pentagon has named Russia and China as the biggest Cyber Security threats (click on the link below).

 

However, our recent logs show that India, Eastern Europe, and North Korea also rank up in the top.

 

In fact, some of our customers have requested that we block all non-USA access to their various sites and networks.  Our statistics have shown that by doing this millions of attack attempts have been thwarted.

 

Without hard statistics it is hard to determine how many foreign attacks are occurring each day.

 

In light of the volume of these attacks, many of you should consider whether blocking foreign access to your networks and sites may be worth considering.

 

If so, please send me an email or give me a call.

 

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/09/18/pentagons-new-cyber-strategy-lists-russia-china-as-biggest-threats.html

 

 

 

GOOGLE, YOUR SMART PHONE AND YOUR PRIVACY

It appears that after all of these years, Google still has the ability to control your smart phone without your knowledge.

 

At one time, this was probably a good thing since none of us knew much about our phones and we needed help.

 

BUT.….times have changed and we want our control back. Click below and see how vulnerable you and your smart phone are.

 

https://www.cnet.com/news/10-years-later-google-still-has-the-creepy-ability-to-remotely-control-a-phone/

 

 

 

 

 

IF YOU ARE NEW TO WINDOWS 10 AND YOU TRY TO INSTALL CHROME AND/OR FIREFOX, YOU MAY GET A “FRIENDLY” MESSAGE FROM MICROSOFT – BUT DO NOT BE ALARMED

 

Apparently the folks at Microsoft do not take too kindly to users installing Chrome and/or Firefox on their Windows 10 machine and sometimes present you with an “alarm”.

 

Disregard this alarm – this is now past history (hopefully).

 

https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/17/17868946/microsoft-windows-10-warning-prompt-chrome-firefox-test

 

 

 

 

 

JUST WHEN THOUGHT YOU WERE SAFE

Just when you thought that you were fully protected with your updated anti-virus, anti-phishing, anti-social engineering, anti-ransomware, and expensive firewalls…it looks like Intel has announced their own processors have vulnerabilities and are open to Cyber Attack.

 

https://www.engadget.com/2018/08/14/intel-discloses-processor-vulnerability-l1tf/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000618

 

 

 

TECH ADVICE/TRIVIA

 

DEFRAG YOUR SSD?

Have you upgraded your C drive to an SSD yet?

If not, you probably should.  They have come down in price and it will speed up your PC tremendously – more than adding memory and sometimes more than adding a new processor.

 

The only difference is that you do not have to defrag your SSD like you do a regular hard drive.

 

You may want to use a smart defragger like Auslogics.  You can get it for free from www.ninite.com

 

 

EVER WONDER WHY YOUR DISK SPACE SIZE CALCULATIONS ARE NOT CORRECT?

Most likely this is because you think that 1KB is 1,000 bytes.

 

Actually, 1KB is 1,024 bytes.

 

This in itself is not too different from 1,000. However if you are calculating 1MB (1Mega Bytes), you could be off by a bunch.

 

1MB is actually 1024×1024 bytes.  Which is actually equal to – 1,048,576 bytes NOT 1,000,000 bytes.

 

This is a significant difference.

 

The same applies to 1GB.  1GB is equal to 1024x1024x1024 bytes or 1,073741,824 bytes, not 1,000,000,000 bytes.

 

As you can see, as you go up in scale, assuming 1KB is 1,000 bytes can lead to a sizeable error.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES – click on links below

Do you want to know how long it will take hackers to crack your password using “BRUTE FORCE”?

CLICK HERE!!

 

 

AFFORDABLE IT SUPPORT PROGRAM

Save money on your existing IT Support or add to your existing support.

Call us about our new affordable month-to-month program or purchasing a block of discounted hours.

(805) 445-4833 – ask for George

 

INCLUDE OFFSITE BACKUPS AND CYBER SECURITY TO YOUR IT/MSP SUPPORT!!!

Just email us or call us to see how we can set up a full MSP/IT support plan that includes fully monitored OFFSITE backups AND CYBER SCURITY – to protect your company from ransomware and disasters (think – RAIN, FIRE, MUD, RANSOMWARE)!!!!!!

 

 

DEPENDABLE PARTNERS

 

QUALITY AND DEPENDABLE VoIP!!!!

For the BEST VoIP, please call AXION:

Mr. John Iarussi

Axion

jiarussi@axionco.com

www.axionco.com

(805) 465-6251

 

They are definitely the people to talk to – professional, knowledgeable, smart, and honest.

 

Please let him know that Oasis Technology from Camarillo sent you!

 

 

THANK YOU!!

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