Secure IT
Microsoft didn’t forget your Christmas gift…. And it’s coming early!
That’s right, Microsoft Patch Tuesday is upon us again, and this December 13th you can expect a slew of updates covering the entire line of current Microsoft Windows operating systems.
Operating Systems: Windows XP 64 & 32 bit, Server 2003 64 & 32 bit and Itanium based servers, Vista 32 & 64 bit, Windows Server 2008 and the Server Core, Server 2008 R2 Windows 7 32 / 64
Other Software: Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8 and 9, Microsoft Office for Windows 2010 & Office 2004 2008 for Mac and individual applications Publisher 2003 & 2007, Excel 2003 PowerPoint 2007 & 2010, PowerPoint Viewer 2007, Office compatibility pack for Word, Excel and PowerPoint File Formats.
Chances are good that if you own a Microsoft Windows machine, or a Mac with Office, then you need to be letting your system update.
The complete bulletin can be found here: http://technet.microsoft.com/security/bulletin/ms11-dec
If you need assistance applying these updates or with any other computer service issue, please let us know! 864.990.4748 or info@homelandsecureit.com
It’s that time of year again… School is starting up as I write this…
This means many people are buying notebook and desktop computers for their school-bound children and many are paying full retail price for Microsoft Office 2010.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Microsoft has a special that lets students who purchase Microsoft Office 2010 Home & Student download Outlook, Publisher and Access free of charge, so basically, you get everything that is in the higher dollar version without the added expense.
But there are still other programs available. There is the Microsoft Academic Program that lets you purchase a steeply discounted version of Microsoft Office 2010 Academic, or Microsoft Windows 7.
Knowing about these opportunities can save you some big money, which is a blessing when sending your child off to college. (Our daughter Megan starts college in about a week! EEEP!).
If you would like more information, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com – We have computer and software sales & specials for Greenville & Upstate SC students all the time, but Microsoft’s current special for free downloads are avilable only through September 25th, 2011.
If you are needing Microsoft products for your school in the Greenville / Upstate SC area, Homeland Secure IT may be able to save you money…
We are able to offer academic priced software through Microsoft Academic FPP, Open Agreement and School Subscription. The discounts can be substantial when compared to retail pricing!
To find out if your organization is qualified, or for Microsoft sales & support, please contact us at info@homelandsecureit.com or call 864.990.4748×201.
Homeland Secure IT Alert
Homeland Secure IT Alert for Monday, April 11th, 2011
You’ve waited a whole month for this, and Microsoft has not let you down. Updates galore are ‘a comin’ tomorrow, April 12th, 2011.
The Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification states that this Patch Tuesday will be a big one. A total of 17 fixes, addressing 64 security vulnerabilities are there for your enjoyment and they cover just about everything, from current versions of Microsoft Windows Operating Systems to Microsoft Office and even Microsoft Windows Server PowerPoint web app.
There are 9 critical, 8 important and two which address information disclosure/privilege threats.
One important update is the cumulative fix for the Internet Explorer browser which will address every supported Windows OS and covers IE 6, IE 7 and IE 8.
Microsoft will be sponsoring a webcast on April 13th at 11AM Pacific here: https://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?culture=en-US&EventID=1032455069&EventCategory=4
Should you have issues or concerns about these updates or any Microsoft Security or Support questions in the Greenville / Upstate, SC area, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com
Homeland Secure IT Alert
In a conversation today, I heard how much someone had just paid for 18 full retail versions of Microsoft Office 2010 Professional which they purchased online because they were not aware of other ways in which you can obtain the product.
If you are in Greenville / Upstate, SC and need to buy Microsoft Office 2010, please consider giving us a call! We may be able to save you or your business some money on Microsoft products, such as Microsoft Office Home & Student, Home & Business, Standard Professional, Professional Plus and Office for Office for Mac in addition to making administration of larger quantities much easier.
Different ways Microsoft Office 2010 can be purchased include:
- Microsoft FPP (Full Product Package) – This is the full retail package, includes media and product license and ability to load on a desktop AND a notebook (restrictions apply). Versions available are Microsoft Office 2010 Home & Student, Home & Business and Professional.
- Microsoft PKC (Product Key Card) – If you buy a new PC with the Office Trial loaded on it you can purchase the PKC for Microsoft Office 2010 Home & Student, Home & Business and Professional (cheaper than buying the Full Product Package)
- Microsoft Volume Licensing – If you have a business or organization and need to purchase 5 or more copies at a time, this is the way to go! Open licensing is a downloadable product which saves on packaging and thus is better for our environment, and in turn, saves you money! You have only one product key to keep up with and can place the same installation package on a file server to install across machines on your domain. Microsoft Office 2010 Standard and Professional Plus are available via this method. We can help determine which is best for you!
In addition to those methods, non-profit organizations which we work with can obtain almost unreal pricing through some programs we have available!
If you would like more information on which version may be right for you or your business, click the more info banner to the left, or feel free to call 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com
We are a Microsoft Partner & Small Business Specialist and would love the opportunity to help you with any Microsoft purchase or support, whether it is Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Server 2008 R2, Microsoft Small Business Server 2011, Microsoft Exchange 2010, Microsoft Link Server, Microsoft BPOS / Business Productivity Online Suite, Office 365, and more… One seat or one thousand!
Posted today on InfoWorld is an interesting article about two competitors to Microsoft Office. (See “Open office dilemma: OpenOffice.org vs. LibreOffice“)
While you have probably heard of OpenOffice.org, or the previous incarnation of it (StarOffice), a new alternative open source office suite is called LibraOffice, and it is being brought to you by the developers OpenOffice.org. Confused? Well, it’s that same old story… People work for a big company (Oracle) and this big company starts doing something they don’t dig, so they jump ship and start their own project. Tah-Dah! LibreOffice is born.
Are either OpenOffice or LibreOffice good candidates to eliminate your dependency on Microsoft Office?
In a nutshell, if your company requires absolute compatibility with all Microsoft Office documents, and you require a standardized interface that new people can come to your business use without any type of learning curve, then you already know what I am going to say. Stick with Microsoft Office!
If you run a small operation, or even a home office, then maybe one of these two offerings can work for you. They do offer the important features of Microsoft Office, such as word processing and spreadsheets, there are versions available for your Microsoft Windows systems, Apple Mac OSX, Linux, etc. And the price is outstanding… Maybe if they don’t offer EVERY feature you need, then you could make the sacrifice.
InfoWorld’s article compares the two offerings and may give you some insight to help you determine if either of them are right for you. Of course, you can always download them both and try them for yourself if you have time to do that.
Should your Greenville / Upstate, SC business require Microsoft Office, we can help you with that! We can sell a single license or hundreds! Call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com
Microsoft Office 2010
One of our preferred computer vendors, Seneca Data, the manufacturer of Nexlink branded business computers will discontinue sales of Microsoft Office 2007 starting on December 31, 2010. Private label sales will follow shortly afterward.
This does not mean the end of support from Microsoft, only the end of sales. Mainstream Support for the product will continue through April 10, 2012, and Extended Support on April 11, 2017.
Microsoft Office 2003 Professional reached an end of Mainstream Support in 2009, and on April 8, 2014, Extended Support will come to an end.
More information about the Microsoft Support Lifecycle can be found HERE.
Homeland Secure IT will continue to offer sales of the Microsoft Office 2007 product until retail supplies are depleted for those who require 2k7. Microsoft will also offer a “downgrade” to those who purchase Microsoft Office 2010 through the Open Licensing program, enabling you to obtain and use the previous version.
If you would like to know more about how Microsoft Office 2010 can be used in your business, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com. We offer sales, service and support to Greenville & Upstate businesses and individuals.
Windows 7 - 64 Bit
If the time has come to replace or upgrade your aging desktop or laptop computer, you may find yourself looking at offerings from the major manufacturers and wondering if you need to get a 32 bit or 64 bit system now that the price difference is no longer a factor.
At first it seems that a 64 bit computer would be a no-brainer! I mean, it’s “32″ MORE and more is better, right?
Absolutely, a 64 bit machine can address more memory for one thing. Your old 32 bit system has a limitation of 4GB, and Windows 7 on a 64 bit machine will support up to 192GB. Actually, 64 bit machines can address 16 exabytes in theory. Also, a 64 bit system can run more applications at once and take advantage of software such as Microsoft Office 2010 specifically tailored to the 64 bit PC.
Graphics, databases, complex calculations can all benefit from the increased performance.
Servers have used 64 bit Operating Systems for years, why not your desktop?
According to Gartner Inc. research, 75 percent of all business computers will be running 64 bit Windows by 2014… But moving from a 32 bit environment to a 64 bit Microsoft Windows 7 machine could introduce some new issues for you. A number of older printers, plotters, scanners and other devices have no support for 64 bit. Some copiers which offer printing from your PC also may not function.
Do you have a specific PCI card that you use, such as a SCSI interface for scanning or external storage? You could find it is incompatible and need to replace that too.
Your computer service professional should be able to assist you in determining if a move to 64 bit is right for you. If you require assistance with this in Greenville or Upstate, SC, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com
We offer wide selection of business computers from our partner manufacturers HP, Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba, Seneca Data / NexLink and more!
Yesterday was Thanksgiving here in the USA, in case you missed it… Everyone here at Homeland Secure IT and our families have so much to be thankful for that I would have to dedicate an entire blog post to just that… One thing worth mentioning other than the most obvious like the ability to live in the greatest country on the planet, having a roof over our head, a gracious God and healthy families, would be YOU, our friends, family and clients. You make it a joy to open our eyes in the morning and greet another beautiful day!
Today is “Black Friday” and by now you are probably home, safe and dry… 
I hope everyone enjoyed their shopping experience and found everything they had on their Christmas list at deep discounts too good to be true!
From reading advertisements & news articles, retailers continued the trend of luring people in with the promise of a Sony Notebook Computer bundle for $199, a ViewSonic 24″ monitor for $99, an HP all-in-one wireless printer for $49.99, best selling video games for $9.99, 2TB hard drives for $49, 16GB flash drive for $4.99, Microsoft Office Home and Student for $79 with 3 user license, etc.
However, only a few lucky people serious shoppers received those deals… In the fine print of those ads, there is generally written “1 available”, and everyone was rushing in at the store’s opening and staking out their territory to be the one person to get the deal of the year. Sometimes there are a dozen available, but when we are talking about a popular item, chances are slim, unless you are a pro at shopping, that you will be the one in the front of the line.
I read sad tweets this morning from people saying they got up early to get the gadget they wanted and it wasn’t there. Many bought something similar that was on sale at a discounted price, which is exactly what the merchant was counting on!
Don’t get me wrong, I am sure there were some outstanding sale items and prices! I’m sure many of you did get something at a greatly reduced cost and only spent an hour or two doing it. Still, the crowds, the unlikely chance that I will personally be the one to get my hands on the brass ring and the fact I have to get up at 3AM or earlier (or stay up) keeps me out of the stores on Black Friday here in Greenville / Upstate, SC.
Which brings us to “Cyber Monday”. This is more my speed. I can shop from the comfort of my home (or office, but shhhhh, don’t tell anyone), and the only inconvenience I have to suffer is laggy internet due to everyone else doing the same thing.
I’m seeing spectacular deals that await us this coming Monday, and many Etailers are offering their discounts all weekend long.
Sure, there are those certain products that big online retailers will be selling with limited quantities, or “50 at this price”, but I think I can live with that, easier than seeing my neighbor climb over someone with murder in their eyes to grab the last widget on the shelf.
When scouring the web for these great deals, be careful if you are Googling for a product, say a “Nikon d7000 dSLR camera”, and find it at a price too good to be true from a place you have never heard of. Chances are, it IS too good to be true. Also, be aware that scammers have been waiting for this moment, and they have created sponsored (Ad Word) ads and even got their own websites up in the rankings for specific keywords. These sites look legit when you are searching, they may even have a URL that looks like it “bestbuy.com”, but it is not, and takes you to a malicious site, promising 100 dollar notebook computers, just install this driver or player. Don’t fall for it.
Now get out there and buy something! Help our economy by spending a lot and have a happy & safe holiday shopping season!
Homeland Secure IT Alert
Homeland Secure IT Alert for Wednesday, Nov 10, 2010
Welcome to another exciting episode of Microsoft Patch Tuesday! In this batch of updates, Microsoft has focused on critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft office. I have included WatchGuard’s description of the updates below since it is a LOT more understandable than the Microsoft version.
If you require any assistance with these or other security updates for Microsoft Windows, Office, Server etc in the Greenville or Upstate SC area, please contact us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com. We are a Microsoft Small Business Partner and provide computer service, repair, support, consultation and sales.
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Two Office Security Bulletins Fix Seven Vulnerabilities
Severity: High
9 November, 2010
Summary:
- These vulnerabilities affect: Most current versions of Microsoft Office, and the components that ship with it
- How an attacker exploits it: Typically by enticing one of your users to open a malicious Office document
- Impact: In the worst case, an attacker executes code on your user’s computer, gaining complete control of it
- What to do: Install Microsoft Office updates as soon as possible, or let Microsoft’s automatic update do it for you
Exposure:
As part of today’s Patch Day, Microsoft released two security bulletins describing seven vulnerabilities found in components that ship with most current versions of Microsoft Office for Windows and Mac.
The vulnerabilities affect different versions of Office to varying degrees. Though the seven vulnerabilities differ technically, and affect different Office components, they share the same general scope and impact. By enticing one of your users into downloading and opening a maliciously crafted Office document, an attacker can exploit any of these vulnerabilities to execute code on a victim’s computer, usually inheriting that user’s level of privileges and permissions. If your user has local administrative privileges, the attacker gains full control of the user’s machine.
According to Microsoft’s bulletins, an attacker can exploit these flaws using many different types of Office documents. In one bulletin, Microsoft specifically states PowerPoint documents are vulnerable. However, they also mention any “Office files” in their other alert. Therefore, we recommend you beware of allunexpected Office documents.
If you’d like to learn more about each individual flaw, drill into the “Vulnerability Details” section of the security bulletins listed below:
- MS10-087: Five Office Code Execution Vulnerabilities, rated Critical
- MS10-088: Two PowerPoint Code Execution Vulnerabilities, rated Important
Solution Path
Microsoft has released patches for Office to correct all of these vulnerabilities. You should download, test, and deploy the appropriate patches throughout your network immediately, or let the Microsoft Automatic Update feature do it for you.
- Office XP w/SP3
- Office 2003 w/SP3
- Office 2007 w/SP2
- Office 2010 32-bit
- Office 2010 64-bit
- Office for Mac 2011
PowerPoint update for:
For All WatchGuard Users:
While you can configure certain WatchGuard Firebox models to block Microsoft Office documents, some organizations need to allow them in order to conduct business. Therefore, these patches are your best recourse.
If you want to block Office documents, follow the links below for video instructions on using your Firebox proxy’s content blocking features by file extensions. Some of the file extensions you’d want to block include, .DOC, .XLS, .PPT, and many more (including the newer Office extensions that end with “X”). Keep in mind, blocking files by extension blocks both malicious and legitimate documents.
- Firebox X Edge running 10.x
- Firebox X Core and X Peak running Fireware 10.x
Status:
Microsoft has released Office updates to fix these vulnerabilities.
References:
This alert was researched and written by Corey Nachreiner, CISSP.
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Homeland Secure IT Alert
