POST
Welcome to POST by ResTech Solutions
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Every week we will bring you new content covering recent events and news related to technology, Microsoft, Apple, Google, tips & tricks, useful information, and more! To read the full articles in our newsletters you can either click on the image or article headline. We've had a great response each week to our newsletter and we've been hard at work to bring you even more great information this week. Please let us know what you've enjoyed thus far about our newsletter. To see past issues click on the archives link above.
Why the name POST? In the world of computers POST stands for Power On Self Test. This is the action computers take when they are first powered on to check their basic functionality prior to loading the operating system. We decided to take this same concept and to provide you with useful technology information at the beginning of your week to help get you started. POST is also a term associated with news as well and we felt this was an appropriate and fitting name.
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POST by ResTech Solutions
News
Don't Wait to Install 'PrintNightmare' Security Patches
Image from Lifehacker
Last week it was revealed that there was a serious bug in Microsoft's Windows operating system that had to do with printing. Microsoft has released several emergency patches to address this vulnerability. However, even after the patch there are still some versions of Windows where the vulnerability is still present.
Until Microsoft fully resolves the issue you can protect yourself from this vulnerability by disabling the Windows Print Spooler service. Please see the linked article for full details.
THIS IS A CRITICAL ISSUE THAT SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED!
lifehacker.com
Cyber Security
At Least 30,000 U.S. Organizations Newly Hacked Via Holes in Microsoft’s Email Software – Krebs on Security
Image from KrebsonSecurity
Just over the last several months it seems like not a single week has gone by without hearing about another security breach. The most recent major example took place over the July 4th weekend involving Kaseya. Perform a Google News Search for recent cyber security breaches and you will get many news articles.
These are just the ones that actually make the news. There are literally hundreds more each day that occur. It is important to be aware of these incidents as some may affect you indirectly when vendors release security patches to address newly discovered vulnerabilities. The linked article covers one of the major issues from earlier this year. Many times incidents may not even be known until months after.
We recommend you take some time to review your current security protections to ensure you have all the necessary protections for your business.
krebsonsecurity.com
What Is a Man-in-the-Browser Attack and How Can You Prevent It?
Image from MUO
A man-in-the-browser (MitB) attack is when a Trojan is used to intercept and/or modify data as it is being sent between a browser and a web server.
This is typically achieved using either an insecure browser extension, a user script, or a Browser Helper Object.
A man-in-the-browser attack is a type of man-in-the-middle attack. It’s characterized by interception at the app level rather than the network level.
Unlike phishing attacks, the user isn’t required to visit a malicious website. Instead, the user visits a legitimate website but what they actually see is controlled by the attacker.
This is a type of attack that you may not even be aware of on your system. You can protect yourself from these attacks by following some standard security practices such as having multifactor authentication enabled for your accounts, using robust antivirus protection, and knowing what malicious behavior to look for. Check out the linked article for full details.
makeuseof.com
Microsoft
Microsoft fixes a new print nightmare as July Cumulative Update breaks Zebra and Dymo receipt printers
Image from MSPoweruser
If you use a Zebra and/or Dymo receipt and label printers and you recently began experiencing issues with these printers then you likely have installed a recently released Windows 10 Cumulative Update. The issue is not related to the PrintNightmare security update. Most of the affected printers are connected via USB.
The issue can be resolved using the Known Issue Rollback feature. See the linked article for full details.
mspoweruser.com
Windows
Upgrading From Windows 7 to Windows 11 May Require a Clean Install
Image from MUO
If you are still running Windows 7 and are planning to upgrade to Windows 11 you may have several hoops to jump through.
The biggest issue will likely be the hardware. Most Windows 7 machines will have been around for more than 5 years and most of the hardware will be outdated and, in some cases, not supported with newer software. In other cases, Windows 11 will not support older Windows 7 hardware. If your hardware is supported, you may not be able to do an in-place upgrade direct to Windows 11. If that is the case, you may want to first consider upgrading to Windows 10 and then Windows 11.
There may be cases when upgrading isn't possible due to older software that can't run on the newer systems. It would be worth looking into alternative solutions so you can transition away from Windows 7 as it is no longer supported and receiving regular security update.
Ultimately, your best option would be to replace any Windows 7 systems with a new machine running Windows 10 which can then be upgraded to Windows 11 once it is released.
makeuseof.com
Apple
Design failure in Apple's Time Capsule leads to data loss
Image from AppleInsider
If you are a Mac user and still using Apple's Time Capsule for your backups the time has come to find a new backup solution. A design flaw has been discovered that is causing these devices to fail and it is a question of when and not if it will fail. See the linked article for full details.
appleinsider.com
10 Popular Android Apps You Should NOT Install
Image from MUO
Google's Play Store has frequently received criticism for its less-than-robust approach to filtering unsafe content. If you're not careful, you could find yourself being tracked, hacked, or conned.
There are a lot of unsafe apps available to install for Android devices. Review the list of the 10 apps to avoid in the linked article.
makeuseof.com
Tips & Tricks
How to Download an Entire Website for Offline Reading
Image from MUO
There are times when you may need to download an entire website to review offline. Check out the linked article to learn how you can download websites for offline reading.
makeuseof.com
Useful Information
Just How Secure Is Open-Source Software?
Image from MUO
What is open source? Check out this definition from TechTerms.
Essentially open-source software is software that anyone can use, edit, and redistribute. Generally open-source software is safe to use as there is a community behind it reviewing any changes. More malicious actors can take advantage of this openness and make a modified copy that performs unwanted actions. Usually with a very active community of developers these malicious versions or changes are found and removed, and notices are posted to warn others.
Overall you should feel comfortable running open source software. Just like anything else if you are not sure then do not run it or use an isolated test system to verify the legitimacy of the software. For more details on this process check out the linked article.
makeuseof.com
FAQ of the Week
What Is SSD Storage and How Is It Better Than HDD?
Image from MUO
Each week we will address a frequently asked question. This week we are looking at what SSD storage is and how it is better than HDD storage.
SSDs or Solid State Drives are a type of memory, similar to RAM or system memory, but designed for long term storage. SSDs do not have any moving parts and data is stored electronically. This makes reading and writing data much faster and the devices are more robust as they are less susceptible to damage compared to HDDs.
HDDs or Hard Disk Drives are the current type of memory most users are familiar with. They have been the most common type of data storage for decades but are being replaced by SSDs. HDDs have platters inside that spin and data is read from and written to the disks using an arm that moves above the platters. The data is stored magnetically on the platters. HDDs have moving parts that will wear out over time causing the drive to fail. They are also more susceptible to damage from movement while in operation since the read/write arm can collide with the platters causing damage. HDDs can also be wiped by a magnet which is why you may have been told it is dangerous or bad to have a magnet, especially a strong one, next to or near the computer. HDDs are usually cheaper than SSDs but that is quickly changing.
For more comparison details check out the linked article.
makeuseof.com