How Safe is Data in the Cloud?

The hottest topic in the IT world today is cloud computing.  It's basically defined as using the Internet to store and access data on remote servers that don't belong to you.  If you use gmail for your email, share photos on Facebook, use Dropbox to share files, or access your bank account online, you're using cloud computing.

You might not have though about it, but your data in the cloud is actually stored on a server somewhere.  And depending on where that server is located, local laws may allow outsiders to access your information without getting your permission.  Even Microsoft recently admitted that they can't guarantee the government won't access data stored on their cloud.  This issue even has a name, "Data Sovereignity."  How safe is your data in the cloud?  Read this article to learn more.

Report finds small businesses especially susceptible to cybercrime

Small to midsized companies are being targeted by cybercriminals because they typically have less security in place, according to a new report from Symantec. "While it can be argued that the rewards of attacking a small business are less than what can be gained from a large enterprise, this is more than compensated by the fact that many small companies are typically less careful in their cyberdefenses," Symantec said. In all, cyberattacks rose 42% in 2012 from the prior year. Here's a link to the full story: Cyberattacks against SMBs rise

If you're concerned about how vulnerable your company is to cyberattacks, give TeamLogic IT a call.  We can conduct a security assessment and provide you with any recommendations for improvements we might find.  Learn more at our website: TeamLogic IT of Santa Rosa

Facebook, Angry Birds blacklisted by employers

According to a survey recently released by Absolute Software Corporation, Facebook and Angry Birds are the two apps most blacklisted by businesses in the United States.  Interestingly, Facebook also shows up on the most whitelisted list.  This suggest that employers must play a delicate balance between the potential positives and negatives of a particular site.  Dropbox is another example of an app that has been on both lists.  Read the full story here.

Windows 8 First Look

With all the hype around Microsoft's imminent release of Windows 8, you might be wondering what we think of it.  Our techs have been testing a pre-release version for a few weeks now, and Vince Plaza, TeamLogic IT's Corporate VP of Technology, has been doing his own testing.

Here's what Vince has to say:

The latest version of Microsoft’s operating system, Windows 8, is almost here. A lot has been made of this release as many see this as Microsoft’s last real chance to gain relevance again in the IT world. No one is doubting that Windows is still the dominant desktop operating system, but with the extreme rapid growth of the mobile device market (smartphones and tablets) and with Microsoft being so far behind in that area, many have started to think that Apple and Google will be the major players in the future, not Microsoft.

With Windows 8, Microsoft has taken the all-in gamble to stake its claim to be one of those major players. Let’s take a look at how Microsoft has chosen to ante up and go big.

The Operating System Itself

Microsoft has come up with not one, not two, but three versions of Windows: Windows 8, Windows 8 RT, and Windows Phone 8. This is meant to allow for a unified user experience across the three major categories of devices:

• Desktops, laptops, ultrabooks, and convertible devices — These devices are meant to run “full blown” Windows (Windows 8) and run standard Windows applications, many of which have been created since Windows XP.
• Light weight and long battery life tablets — These devices are meant to run a “light” version of Windows (Windows 8 RT). Focused more on providing much better portability and long use, this operating system is not designed to run standard Windows applications. Instead, it will run versions of applications that were meant to run on this version of Windows.
• Smartphones — These devices require a much more streamlined operating system (Windows Phone 8), since they are much smaller than tablets and need to focus on providing ease of use on a small screen.

Windows 8 has taken a fairly radical turn from prior versions of the Windows operating system in that Microsoft has decided that the user interface has to be optimized for touch devices, such as tablets, smartphones, and new desktops/laptops/ultrabooks/convertibles that will have touchscreens. While this sounds like a good idea for mobile devices, some people think that this may not have been such a good idea for the desktops, laptops, etc. In full Windows 8, Microsoft makes the “Metro UI” (the original name for the touch/panel based interface they’ve designed) the default screen you see. You can get to the “old” Windows desktop easily, but it feels like Microsoft is forcing this new UI on users of non-touch devices.

But Wait, There’s More…

Perhaps the other major change that Microsoft is making with the rollout of Windows 8 is that they have decided to get into the hardware business. Traditionally, Microsoft stayed out of this area, leaving the design and creation of desktops, laptops, ultrabooks, and mobile devices to their OEM partners such as Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and the like. But with Windows 8, Microsoft announced that they will be releasing their own tablet, known as the Surface. The Surface will come with either Windows 8 or Windows 8 RT, giving users the option of having a light weight, long battery life tablet or one that is slightly heavier, but more powerful and able to run full Windows applications.

Microsoft has also announced their intention to come out with their own smartphone down the road. This has caused some of their OEM partners to complain that Microsoft may be killing competition by jumping into this market. But Microsoft believes that this is going to be a critical part of their business in the future. Perhaps it’s not inappropriate to note that in this sense, Microsoft is moving in the same direction as Apple and Google.

Thoughts Before the Official Release

We are hopeful that Microsoft has a successful Windows 8 release. We think that it will spawn some interesting changes in the market, with more and more desktops, laptops, and ultrabooks being designed with touchscreens to allow users to take full advantage of the Windows 8 UI. The Microsoft Surface devices should force OEM partners to innovate in order to compete.

Microsoft’s push for Cloud-based services is also going to drive their mobile strategy. With Office 365, Skydrive, and other services, Microsoft is making access to all of the applications, storage, and other tools that one needs much easier through any type of device. And Windows 8 will play a key role in all of this.

Amazon Cloud Goes Down Again

Amazon's popular cloud service, EC2, went down yesterday and only started showing signs of life in the evening.  A number of popular websites were taken down, including Foursquare, Pinterest, and Airbnb.  It's not the first time the service has gone down, most recently back in June.  Here's a link to a New York Times article on the outage: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/22/amazon-cloud-service-goes-down-and-takes-some-popular-web-sites-with-it/ .

The latest failure underscores issues you should be aware of with cloud computing.  Amazon's EC2 service offers attractively priced solutions, but if the service goes down, there's not much you can do until they bring it back up.  You can't call Amazon to find out what's going on or get personal support.  You just have to wait until service is restored.

Amazon isn't the only provider of cloud services, and some providers have better track records.  Some also provide 800 numbers you can call when you need help (don't expect a quick answer in the event of a site-wide outage, though).  And before you write of the idea of cloud computing entirely, consider the alternative.  Suppose you host your website on your own servers.  Is your internal network robust enough to prevent similar outages?  If your server goes down it probably won't make the national news, but the impact on your business could be just as severe.

If you're not sure whether cloud computing is right for you, give TeamLogic IT a call at 707-293-9525.  We can help you understand the alternatives and pick the best solution for your needs.

Microsoft Issues Urgent Security Patch

Did your Windows PC tell you today that you needed to reboot to install security patches?  Microsoft just released a critical security update for Internet Explorer.  The problem so severe that the German government issued a warning for people to stop using Internet Explorer until the patch was released.  Microsoft considered it serious enough that they released the patch immediately rather than waiting until the next scheduled "Patch Tuesday" in October.  Here's a link to more information: Microsoft releases urgent patch for Internet Explorer bug.

If your computer is configured to automatically accept new patches, then you will have already received a notice to reboot your computer.  Do so and you'll be OK.  If it isn't configured for automatic updates, you will need to install the patch manually.  Go to Control Panel, System and Security, Windows Update, Check for Updates, and select the critical update.  More information is available on the above link.

Finally! MS Office 2013 will let you open, edit, and save PDF documents

If you've ever been frustrated by how little ability Microsoft Office has to work with PDF documents, there is good news on the horizon.  Office 2013, expected to be released early next year, will include the ability for Word to open, edit, and save PDF documents, as well as several other open-source formats it hasn't previously supported.  Here's a link to a good summary of the new features:

Office to finally fully support ODF, Open XML, and PDF formats