Pop-Ups at XP’s 11th Hour

“Hear ye, hear ye,” the Windows town crier is saying. “It’s 11 o’clock for Windows XP, and if you haven’t upgraded or made your upgrade plans, all is NOT well.” The town crier will come in the form of pop-up messages, starting today, that can lead to either a bad solution of operating-system issues or a breach of your security. If you want to eliminate annoying pop-ups and their consequences, you need to replace your XP OS with a new one that will meet your needs and avoid the ultimate pop-up problem.

Security of your data – and likely your identity – will be your biggest problem if you remain on XP. As soon as Microsoft stops issuing security updates, hackers will swing into action. They will have had a month to crack the last security patches, and they have all the time you give them to further their exploitation of your vulnerabilities. Their clock will stop ticking when you stop using XP.

In the meantime, the ticking – in the form of pop-ups – could drive you batty and lead to a security breach before the end of XP’s support. The pop-ups from Microsoft will direct you to the company’s web pages for Windows 8, which we believe is not good for businesses. Your annoyance level is sure to increase, but the worst consequences will come after you let your guard down and click on any of the many hacker redirects that are sure to come.

We all click on pop-ups at some point without really knowing to where they are redirecting us. In essence, these links are no different than bank and credit-card scam links that try to get you to enter sensitive information. Once a scammer has you unknowingly at their website, they likely will be in your network – with access to all the information stored on computer drives and servers.

If you move away from Windows XP ASAP, you’ll have no more pop-ups and one fewer set of security worries.

In addition to the annoying pop-ups and security vulnerabilities with XP, you’re going to lose operating efficiency. The newer operating systems are suited for the newest programs you use for business and home. As Microsoft ends XP support, it ends support for Office 2003. But if you try to use Office 2003 with a newer operating system, you’ll find it just doesn’t have the same capabilities. Any perceived savings from not investing in OS and software upgrades will be quickly eaten up by operating inefficiencies.

One more note, this one on timing. You need to allow time for ordering and taking delivery of computers with a Windows 7 OS. You cannot buy them off the shelf at your favorite retailer. Major manufacturers may have some computers in stock, but a late rush could wipe out their inventories, pushing delivery back considerably – even with expedited shipping – and leaving you exposed. You could buy new computers with Windows 8 installed, but businesses will not be happy. The OS’s totally different look and feel will bog down operations.

So, if you haven’t done anything yet, we advise to contact us right away (phone: 973-433-6676 email: [email protected]) to set up a plan and a schedule to move from XP. Here are some options, in order of preference:

Replace Your Computers with Windows 7 Machines

We can get them, and we can get them in quantities from 1 to 10. We can best help you by not only determining how many computers you need but what you will need each one to do. Some users in an office will require more computing capability, meaning faster, more expensive machines. We can help you get a computer that matches each user’s needs and avoid overpaying.

Replace Your Software – or Phase in What You Can’t’ Do Now

While it would be preferable to get all new software to take advantage of more speed and capability, you may need to phase in transitions. We can analyze your new computers and the capabilities of your current software to determine which programs should be upgraded first. This will give you the opportunity to perform your most critical tasks with the most up-to-date systems and minimize the consequences of having to take fast action in less-than-ideal conditions.

Business and home users can lower their out-of-pocket expenses or manage cash flow better by subscribing to Office 365. Microsoft offers a number of plans, but basically, you get a subscription that includes a number of licenses that cover computers and devices. We discussed this in detail last month, and we’ll be happy to review your options with you.

Switch to Mac

We would only recommend this for home users and some SOHO businesses with one or two users. While we love Macs – and fully support them, there are a couple of major issues. First, most of the robust programs for business applications are written for Windows-based computers. In many cases, Windows versions are better when you have programs that run on both platforms. Second, you will need to train everyone in your office on the Mac, and that could present the same issues as switching to Windows 8.

Ideally, you should replace all of your XP computers and business software at the same time, but in the real world, we know it’s not possible for everyone. However you choose to approach the end of XP, contact us right away to help you (phone: 973-433-6676 email: [email protected]). The clock is ticking, but it’s more like a time bomb that is going to go “boom” very soon.

This article was published in Technology Update, the monthly newsletter from Sterling Rose LLC.

iOS Upgrade and No Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free Card

Apple just released its iOS 7.06 upgrade, and in a recent comment, someone complained about losing your ability to “jail break” your device. Well, you can unlock just about any device, but is it worth it? You could be sacrificing data security.

The more we learn about data breaches at large companies and financial institutions, the more we start to realize how vulnerable we are and how much more we need to protect our information.

Technically, unlocking phones is illegal. When you have a contract with a carrier, they essentially have offered you a discount on device, usually a smartphone, in return for using their network. Unlocking your phone or device from their network to use other carriers breaks the contract.

We don’t offer legal advice. We offer technical advice and services that we hope will make you smarter users of your devices. So, let’s look at the security aspects.

The process of unlocking your smartphone, also known as jail breaking, decrypts all the data on your phone. It also removes all of the manufacturer’s restrictions and allows a phone to be used on any network. That’s the benefit you hoped to gain, especially when traveling abroad, where different cellular protocols can be used.

However, these unlocked phones carry a higher security risk than standard phones due to the changes to the operating system needed to make this occur. Once you use that phone to access the Internet, you and your phone are open to malware, spyware and just about any other tool you can think of that hackers can use to get personal data.

If that doesn’t stop you from thinking about jail-breaking your phone and/or device, consider this: You don’t know what security laws may apply when your data are breached in another country. Even though redress through a legal system may be possible, it will be after the fact. Damage can be done, and nobody can tell you what your liabilities may be and what any redresses can cover.

If you are traveling abroad, check with your carrier about capabilities. In many cases, your phone or device will work on Wi-Fi networks – though they may be public networks just like those from your local coffee shop. Wi-Fi Internet can allow you to talk to people over through services such as Facetime, Skype or Viber, and to access your email, bank and charge accounts and business files. Of course, you should make sure ahead of time that your device will be secured, and security can be enhanced through two-factor authentication systems.

In some cases, such as traveling to China, you may be better off leaving your phone or device home or having it shut off completely. Many business and government travelers to China and some other countries simply buy or rent a phone – with none of the information on their current phones and devices – for one-time use in those countries. Vacationers should follow their lead.

Contact us – phone: 973-433-6676 email: [email protected] – with any questions you have about securing your phones and devices while traveling.

This article was published in Technology Update, the monthly newsletter from Sterling Rose LLC.

Apps for Staying Connected

More and more travelers – whether for business or pleasure – are using tablets and cell phones to stay connected instead of dragging around their laptops. Here’s a quick look at some apps that can keep you as connected as you want.

Evernote is our particular favorite among all the mobile connectivity and synchronization apps. In addition to having two-factor authorization for accessing files, it has just about every capability you need for working with documents of all kinds while away from home and the office. You can use either free or paid “premium” service across all mobile platforms.

It allows you to add notes by keyboard, voice or even camera to files or notebooks. You can make it your travel diary, and you can use it to add notes to business files, such as sales call reports. Whatever you upload to the cloud, you can access from any type of device.

Documents To Go has been a long-time program for viewing and editing Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files online. It can work with Apple, Android and Blackberry devices, and it allows you to synchronize with your desktop or laptop computer through cloud-based storage services, such as Dropbox, Google Drive and iCloud. You can get more information through the app store for your device. There is a charge for it, but you can get a free app for synching with your computer.

Microsoft has renamed SkyDrive as OneDrive. It’s built into the latest versions of Windows, Windows Phone and Office, and you can make it your default storage option. It also works with an iPhone or Android phone or an iPad, Android tablet, Windows device or Mac. You and collaborators can work on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents simultaneously. It’s available in home and business versions, with the latter giving you enterprise-grade content management, compliance, and administrative controls.

Android users can get note-taking capabilities from Google Keep. It’s an emerging program, and with Google’s backing, you can look for progress at a fairly rapid pace.

Whichever app you choose, set-up is really important – especially if you will be using your app over public Wi-Fi networks in other countries. Each app has numerous variables, including security settings. Contact us – phone: 973-433-6676  email: [email protected] – with questions about mobile apps and for set-up help. You don’t want an “uh-oh” moment while you’re halfway around the world.

This article was published in Technology Update, the monthly newsletter from Sterling Rose LLC.