Secure IT Alert: Multiple updates for Microsoft and Adobe products for November 2012

Microsoft “patch day” for November is upon us like the cool autumn nights…. It looks like the Microsoft has a total of six bulletins with four of those being CRITICAL. In all, 19 vulnerabilities will be corrected and they will affect the .NET Framework, Internet Explorer and Office, in addition to Windows itself. But wait, that’s not all! You also …

Firewall your business network! Don’t rely on home routers for protection!

This is pet peeve of mine: Business networks should be behind firewalls, not behind home routers! When we visit a client location, we generally find one of the following configurations. Absolutely NO firewall – just the router provided by the ISP A Linksys, TrendNet, Netgear, D-Link wireless router designed for home use An actual firewall such as a Cisco, WatchGuard, SonicWALL, …

Think your data is safe in “the cloud” during a disaster? Think again… #fantasy

The East Coast was ravaged by hurricane Sandy this week, causing still undetermined billions of dollars in damage. We will know more in the coming days, as we find out exactly how many people have perished, how many homes are permanently destroyed and how business and the economy will be affected. Here, safe and sound in the Upstate of South …

Our remote backup provider is expanding! #DisasterRecovery #Backup #Servosity

Our preferred remote backup solution provider is expanding in a big way! Servosity, which is based right here in Greenville South Carolina, has made a commitment to create 30 new positions over the next 12 to 18 months. And these will be higher paying jobs with a much higher skill requirement. We continue to use Servosity ourselves and provide their …

Wish your business had the servers of a Fortune 500 company? You can! #hacked

For a price, you can have access to a Fortune 500 server and network according to an article on krebsonsecurity.com. In the article, they explain hackers are creating a virtual services network of their own, using exploited / compromised / hacked systems sitting inside the corporate networks of Fortune 500 companies. But it is not just the big corporations that …

SC Department of Revenue cyber attack exposes 3.6 million social security numbers

A data breech due to a cyber attack on a South Carolina Department of Revenue web server has exposed a potential 3.6 million SC social security numbers and approximately 387,000 debit card numbers, however, the official report indicates that only a small portion of the card numbers were not encrypted. You can read about the attack timeline and response here and …

Relying on Jesus for computer and network security will not protect you

I bet that title got your attention! But according to a list of passwords examined, “Jesus” will not protect you, as it is on SplashData’s list of password’s that are considered unsafe due to the sheer usage of them. Obviously, “password” is the worst, followed by “123456” and “12345678”. I stole the following list of passwords from SplashData from the …

Buy Microsoft Office now, download the next versions FREE!

The release of Microsoft Windows 8 is now just a few days away! When you buy a desktop or notebook computer from us with Windows 8 on it, why not add Microsoft Office 2010? Not only will you have the latest and greatest software and operating system, customers who purchase any qualifying version of Microsoft Office product between now and …

Mass murder via computer malware in medical devices #MurderByMalware

Imagine you have a pacemaker installed, and suddenly, the device discharges 830 volts into your body, certainly a fatal incident. Now imagine that it is not accidental, but instead, a computer is used to make a wireless connection and cause this behavior to occur.  Murder by Malware if you will…  Or, due to a “feature” in the pacemaker itself, multiple …

Helpdesk Upgrade Alert – Your Mailbox is almost full scam emails still going around

An email arrives in your inbox with the subject of “Helpdesk Upgrade Alert”, tells you that your mailbox is almost full, and it includes a handy indicator saying that of your 244 MB quota, you have used 241MB. The text reads, “The Helpdesk is upgrading and maintaining database Server from the old Microsoft Server (No420134x) to the new Microsoft Server …