Moving is stressful—especially when it comes to an office move. It requires careful planning and preparation, otherwise it can result in major work disruptions, sometimes halt productivity entirely for your business, resulting in income losses. Taking the time to specifically focus on, think through and plan out your company’s technology move can help avoid catastrophe. Continue Reading
Computer Problems
Windows 7 End of Life is January 14th, 2020
On January 14, 2020, Windows 7 will reach end-of-life (EOL) and will no longer be supported by Microsoft. If you haven’t started mapping out your migration to Windows 10, it’s time to act.
Once a product reaches its end-of-life, no new features or fixes are released for it – however Microsoft did announce in September it would offer continuing security updates for a fee through January 2023. Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESUs) will be sold on a per-device basis, with the price increasing each year.
Windows 7 is still an extremely popular operating system that is used by millions of people worldwide. Hundreds of millions of people will be affected by this end-of-life. Those who do not update to Windows 10 by January 2020 will be put at risk by hackers who will attempt to wreak havoc on the system. As new bugs come into existence, you will no longer be able to contact Microsoft to fix them.
As Microsoft stops supporting Windows 7, third party developers will most likely do so as well. Microsoft does not require developers to stop supporting Windows 7, however it is bound to happen as Microsoft makes the push towards Windows 10. So you may lose access to your favorite apps as well.
If your company is bound by HIPPA, PCI, or NIST, you may not be in compliance with those regulations if you are running an unsupported O/S, so please take the necessary corrective steps! You should also be aware that Server 2008 Operating System is also reaching EOS / EOL in Jan 2020.
If this migration seems daunting, we can help. Call or email us today and we can assess your systems and get you updated safely.
The Newest Malware – Fake Windows 10 Update
Great Lakes Computer is always on top of the latest cyber attacks and there’s a new one to beware of – the fake Windows 10 update. Portrayed as a critical update, this ransomware will install an executable .NET file that will infect your computer and request that you make a payment to recover your data. We found this article that we think is worth a read.
“A new malware campaign is under way: emails sent from a fake Microsoft address are pushing people to download a malicious Windows 10 “critical update”. Beware!
Spotted by computer security company Trustwave, the subject of the mail says “Install Latest Microsoft Update now!” or “Critical Microsoft Windows Update!” The mail contains one single line that says “Please install the latest critical update from Microsoft attached to this mail” and an attached file.
If you receive such an email, here are the steps you should take:
1. Delete the mail right away.
2. Write several post-it notes that say “Microsoft NEVER SENDS update notices via email” and place them around your home and loved ones’ computers.How this malware works
The mail contains a jpg file that is actually not a picture but an executable .NET file that will infect your PC.
This executable will download a program called “bitcoingenerator.exe” which comes from misterbtc2020 — a GitHub account. But this bitcoin generator doesn’t generate any virtual riches: it’s a ransomware called Cyborg.
Cyborg will encrypt all your files, locking their contents and changing their extensions to 777. You will also find a text file on your desktop named “Cyborg_DECRYPT.txt”, containing instructions about how to recover your life — for a price.
According to Trustwave, there are four variants of this malicious software. Following the trail, they reached to Russia. Because, of course it was going to be Russia.
Trustwave says this is a real danger to businesses and individuals alike, with the capacity to be attached to other emails and evade any gateway controls.
With that in mind, it’s good to remember to always distrust any mails you get, even if you think they come from a trustworthy source, and never blindingly click on something you didn’t ask for — even if you have the best antivirus software installed. You never know when the next malware will hit.”
Great Lakes understands that malware is always a potential threat.
Our experts can monitor and manage your data 24/7 and ensure all true critical updates are performed on a regular basis. We utilize anti-virus and anti-malware software to ensure your data is protected, and our backup services protect you from this type of ransomware.
