Microsoft Patch Tuesday
It’s Patch Tuesday time, everybody! On the second Tuesday of each month, Microsoft releases updates for its Windows Operating System, Office Productivity Software, and others. This frequent updating cycle has become known as Patch Tuesday, and today is the day for June, 2010.
Microsoft has released a total of 10 updates that fix 34 holes in its software for the month of June. Most computers are set to automatically download and install these updates. However, for the few users who have things set differently, A2Z Computer Services recommends updating your system after about 48 hours to allow for any issues with the updates to be found and corrected.
If you would help with installing these updates, please call our office to schedule an appointment – 888-830-9590.
For more technical information on the updates, please see the Microsoft Security Bulletin.
Saturday Security Service Spotlight – Forensics
This week’s spotlight is on Forensics. Just as law enforcement has to conduct investigations into crimes of murder and theft, investigations must be conducted into computer related crimes. These investigations must be performed carefully and systematically with the investigators follow precisely defined processes and procedures.
A2Z Computer Services has the experience and processes in place to provide Forensic services to customers of any size. Whether there has been a breach by outside individuals or a violation of company policies by a disgruntled employee, properly following procedures and keeping track of the chain of custody is required for any legal action that maybe taken in response to a breach.
Should a company, or an individual, feel that they have had an incident that has compromised the privacy of their computer systems, quick and timely action is needed to collect and prevent the loss of all evidence. Information such as the origin and method of attack, means of breach, and information accessed and altered can all be obtained from a quick and proper Forensic investigation.
If you feel you’ve had your privacy and private information accessed, contact A2Z Computer Services to schedule an investigation.
Potential FIFA World Cup Phishing Attacks
With the FIFA World Cup just around the corner
(starting June 11th and ending July 11th), it is a safe bet that
there will be an increase in Spam and Phishing attacks (attempts to
get a victim to reveal sensitive information through misleading
emails and websites).
A2Z Computer Services, Inc. would like to
advise everyone to be cautious when receiving emails regarding
the World Cup.
For more advice, please check out the following link:
Memorial Day Weekend
No Saturday Security Service Spotlight this weekend.
Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone! Be safe!!
Another week, another Service Spotlight. This week is about Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning. Both of these planning strategies work on the idea that in emergency situations when most public utilities are not available, and sometimes a businesses own building is not usable, a business will have a plan detailing their plan of action to recover as soon as possible and return to providing services or goods.
Most Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans are very detailed about potential risks the business faces and the steps that will be taken to mitigate and work through disruptive emergency situations. Because of this depth of planning, most Recovery and Continuity plans take an extended period of time to research, develop, test, and implement, not to mention the need to continuously test, evaluate, and update the plan once it has been implemented. These tests keep the plan(s) up to date with the latest technologies, threats, and changes to the business.
Entire college classes can be dedicated to nothing but developing Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans. In fact, an Amazon Search for Disaster Recovery reveals several pages of books dedicated to just that subject. There are even whole websites that are committed to only Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity plans, as well as other supplemental information (Wikipedia Article).
For those who are looking for help getting a Disaster Recovery or Business Continuity plan together, A2Z Computer Services has the experience and knowledge that can help get you started and creating your plan. Or, A2Z can sit down and assist directly with creating the entire plan and testing it. Please visit our Website for more information, or call our office at (888)-830-9590.
Less than Six Degrees of Separation??
With the growth of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites, it’s become possible for the Six Degrees of Separation idea to be even less! Check out A2Z Computer Service’s Facebook page to find out more!
For those with a Facebook account, check out A2Z Computer Services‘ Facebook page for news update. Included is a link to an article about a Study from Dartmouth College that found massive amounts of Health Care data floating around on Peer to Peer (P2P) networks.
