Stagefright is the term for a vulnerability that can affect 95% of all Android smartphones on the market (an estimated 900 million plus number). Joshua Drake from Zimperium Mobile Security states that this newest vulnerability that has been discovered for Android phones is the most severe yet.

Microsoft is set to release Windows 10, their new operating system, July 29th, 2015. Many of you have been getting notices or pop ups from Microsoft that you can reserve your free upgrade today. So the question arises, should I upgrade or not? The quick answer is not yet! Microsoft will give you a full year to upgrade for free.

We want to take a moment to remind you that as of July 14th, 2015, Windows Server 2003 is no longer supported by Microsoft. As a reminder, Windows pushes out security patches for vulnerabilities that they find in their software. Microsoft supports their operating system for an extended period of time and with End of Life of 2003 now upon us they are no longer working on patching or updating this operating system.

Sitting down all day is killing me!

I thought we would take a departure from the standard tech talk and discuss my feet. Today I found myself sitting at my desk all day typing e-mails, attending conference calls and writing technical documents.

LastPass - Encrypted password storage application breached.

On June 15th, LastPass, the makers of a well-known password manager, announced that their security team discovered and blocked suspicious activities within their system. Hackers strike again! “We are confident that our encryption measures are sufficient to protect the vast majority of users” was the quote in the press release.

We had a great visit from the security minded folks at WHNT to discuss the recent Samsung Galaxy Phone security vulnerability.

Watch the video and read the story here!

Samsung Galaxy Vulnerability: How to protect yourself from hackers

Battery Backup Testing Scenario:

There is a massive power outage in the area and your power has just gone out. You don't panic because you know you have a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) or battery back up on your computer and know that you have a few minutes to save your work and safely turn off your system without data loss.

We often talk about unauthorized people “hacking” into computer systems, accounts, networks, and electronic devices. What may be surprising to you is that usually there’s no real “hacking” involved. Sometimes these people gain access to their victim’s systems through human interaction via a process known as social engineering.

A dad brings home a new puppy for his young son. The boy is so excited to have his first pet. Dad says, “Make sure you pick a good name, it will be your password hint for the rest of your life”. It’s funny how 20 years ago passwords were something most people rarely used in daily life.

Q. If I close the lid does it shut off my laptop?

A. Simply put, a shutdown computer is turned off. It can’t be accessed remotely so it can’t receive patches and updates. For this reason a Desktop PC under F1 management should not be left shut down for an extended period of time (more than a week). On the other hand, laptops should be shut down if they are going to be put into their case or if they aren’t on AC power and not being used.