Facebook to let you know if your data was shared with Cambridge Analytica

According to a news report by CNBC, starting today, Monday 04/09/18,  Facebook will display a link at the top of your news feed call "protecting your information."  If your data was shared with Cambridge Analytica, a message above that link will let you know.

So far this a.m. I am yet to see this on my Facebook page.

Facebook disclosed last week that 87 million users' data possibly was compromised.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/09/facebook-to-notify-users-if-data-was-shared-with-cambridge-analytica.html

One thing I did find interesting on my Facebook page was an item called Photo Review which had an alert on it.  I clicked on it and there was a photo which I was in attending a BJJ tournament this spring.  I do not know the person but Facebook had identified me standing in the crowd.

Photo Review shows you photos you might be in, which are found using face recognition technology. 

Now that's some scary stuff.

Other tech news you may want to read,

Facebook disclosed last week that 87 million users' data possibly was compromised.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-facebook-privacy-20180409-story.html

and this...

A group of protestor's called 'Raging Grannies' have been protesting outside Facebook's HQs.  Not making this up, hahaha!!!!!!

https://www.forbes.com/sites/frankminiter/2018/04/09/facebooks-surprising-list-of-security-fixes/#52e11421580f

Avoid Windows 10 crapware: How to get rid of Candy Crush and all the rest

https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-steer-clear-of-windows-10s-built-in-crapware/?ftag=TRE-03-10aaa6b&bhid=2219791

The End of Windows
Posted on Monday, April 2, 2018

https://stratechery.com/2018/the-end-of-windows/?utm_source=hackernewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=fav

Windows 10 Spring Creators Update - Act fast if you want to DELAY this big upgrade

In the next few weeks, Microsoft will start rolling out the first of two planned major updates in 2018 for Windows 10.  The upcoming update is dubbed the Spring Creators Update and could be available as soon as April 10th.

I am a big proponent of installing updates so that your machine has the latest patches and bug fixes for security sake, however, Windows Updates can be painfully slow and in some cases break your computer.  Another issue is updates are given without warning.  I can't tell you how many times I have been in the process of shutting down my notebook to rush to another client and have received the message, "Installing updates, do not turn off computer".  The new version is supposed to address this along with other issues.  However, if you wish to delay please read the following.

Each time Microsoft rolls out a major upgrade to Windows 10, you have the option to wait a few months before you install it on PCs running Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise. But you have to act quickly.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-spring-creators-update-act-fast-to-delay-this-big-upgrade/

I'll give you 3 other examples of my own personal Windows update woes that may give you further reason to delay the planned update.

1.  When I installed last Fall's Creators update on my desktop, I ended up reinstalling Windows 10 & all software after winding up with a mouse cursor, black screens (no icons) and no way to roll back with no solution in sight.

2.  I updated my notebook last week and when finished I had a bubble and unuseable mouse on the screen.  Upon investigating I learned I was not alone, it is an issue with touchscreen computers.  I had to disable my touchscreen to be able to use my notebook.  I am still waiting for a solution to that problem.

3.  Spent 3 hours at my CPA Tuesday updating his computer which was way behind on updates including Fall Creator update.  He had been thwarted from updating his computer by an issue with a  long gone version of Neo 8, disc burning software.  After finding and deleting all references to Neo in the registry and on his hard drives we were ready to update.  Well 1 hour and 45 minutes later his system finished updating and we were out of time to finish my taxes.  Reschedule for this Sunday at 2 pm, at least I have some time to offset his bill.  In hindsight I would have scheduled his computer to update that night but since he had been so long without Windows update working. he wanted to be sure it would update.


Version 1803, coming soon to a Windows 10 PC near you is supposed to help address some of the above issues.

"One of the most common complaints about earlier feature updates is that the update arrives unexpectedly and commandeers the system for an hour or more, usually at a time when the PC's owner is unprepared for it."

This update addresses that complaint in two ways.

First, there are additional options to warn that the update is about to be installed, with options to schedule the installation for a convenient time.


Second, most of the update takes place in the background, which means that the visible port will take less time and allow you to get back to work more quickly.

To read more about these improvements and for a list of improvements and new features please read;

https://www.zdnet.com/pictures/whats-new-in-windows-10-version-1803-the-spring-creators-update/2/


Panera Bread’s data leak might affect more than 37 million customers

It’s getting to the point where no matter what kind of business you conduct, there is a very real risk of seeing your personal information leaked to nefarious parties. So far, hackers have gained access to banking, credit reporting, health insurance, email, and seemingly just about every other modern circumstance where your data is saved in a database. The latest: That soup and salad you ordered online at Panera Bread might have cost you some peace of mind.

Customer data may have been exposed for as long as 8 months before Panera Bread acknowledged the breach.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/leemathews/2018/04/04/panera-bread-exposed-data-on-millions-of-customers-for-8-long-months/nth#217483cc2242

Sears Holding, Delta Air hit by customer data breach at Tech firm

On a smaller scale, both Sears Holding and Delta Air announced data hacks of customer information.  Sears said that less than 100,000 of its customers were affected by the unauthorized access of credit card data.

The breach was supposed to have happened on or after Sept. 26, 2017, discovered and stopped on Oct. 12 according
Both firms used the same technology firm { 24}7.ai for online support services.  The firm was hit by a cybersecurity incident which exposed the customer payment info of their customers.  The firm also provides services to KMart and other customers.  Sears said its stores and internal systems were not affected.

and finally some good news,

IBM says breached records dropped by nearly 25 percent to 2.9 billion last year

https://www.zdnet.com/article/ibm-says-breached-records-dropped-by-nearly-25-percent-to-2-9-billion-last-year/


Korean cryptocurrency exchange boss arrested for fraud

Cryptocurrency continues to fall, Bitcoin now below $7,000 and Ethereum sub $400.  South Korean authorities arrest Coinnest head for embezzlement and fraud. The arrest follows the prosecutors' raid last month of three cryptocurrency exchanges at Yeouido, South Korea's equivalent of the US' Wall Street.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/korean-cyrptocurrency-exchange-boss-arrested-for-fraud/


Intel Generation 8 processors.

Did you know that the biggest advancement in processors occurred with the latest release of the Intel Generation 8 lineup?

Entry level Core i3s now have 4 core processors vs 2 in Gen 7.

Core i5s and Core i7s have 6 core processors vs 4 in previous generations.

Call Driving Force today about upgrading your computers, www.drivingforce.net

Facebook announces Privacy-setting changes.

Facebook announces Privacy-setting changes.

Amid the uproar and corresponding drop in the price of its stock, Facebook has redesigned the settings menu on mobile devices to make it easier for users to control.  Previously the settings were spread across 20 screens.  Now you can find all the settings accessible from a single place.

The enhancements include:

New Privacy Shortcuts menu. People have also told us that information about privacy, security, and ads should be much easier to find. The new Privacy Shortcuts is a menu where you can control your data in just a few taps, with clearer explanations of how our controls work. The experience is now clearer, more visual, and easy-to-find. From here you can:

Make your account more secure: You can add more layers of protection to your account, like two-factor authentication. If you turn this on and someone tries to log into your account from a device we don’t recognize, you’ll be asked to confirm whether it was you.

Control your personal information: You can review what you’ve shared and delete it if you want to. This includes posts you’ve shared or reacted to, friend requests you’ve sent, and things you’ve searched for on Facebook.

Control the ads you see: You can manage the information we use to show you ads. Ad preferences explain how ads work and the options you have.

Manage who sees your posts and profile information: You own what you share on Facebook, and you can manage things like who sees your posts and the information you choose to include on your profile.

https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/03/privacy-shortcuts/

and,

Playboy Latest to Delete Facebook Amid Data Handling Fallout

Playboy announced its intention to deactivate its Facebook accounts and leave the social network amid escalating concerns about the platform’s mismanagement of user data.

The publisher said that the decision follows the difficulty it has felt for years to express its "values" on Facebook, due to the platform’s policy on prohibiting nudity.


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-28/playboy-latest-to-delete-facebook-amid-data-handling-fallout

Six days after a ransomware cyberattack, Atlanta officials are filling out forms by hand

In the past year, the City of Atlanta has experience 124 malware attacks per day, which equals 45,579 a year.  20 attacks were successful which shows that no matter what methods you employ to prevent a successful exploit, the weakest link is in the seat.  1 breach can spread to thousands of computers and that is the task security experts and techs are now having to perform.  The task of checking servers, desktops, and notebooks could take weeks if not months to complete.

If the city were to pay the $50,000 in cryptocurrency to the criminals it has to be sure that all computers are clean of the malware to prevent it from being held hostage again after payment.

Now it appears that another metro area city has the same problem.  Loganville on Monday said that an attack on a city computer may have compromised personal information.

A post on the city's Facebook page spelled out there is no evidence the hackers took information that would include Social Security numbers and financial account numbers but acknowledged whoever pulled off the attack, would have had access to such information.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2018/3/652779/loganville-city-government-victim-of-cyber-attack

Office 365 and Cloud Security - Passwords

Office 365 is a great product and the subscription model provides services and up to date software on an affordable monthly basis.  It like other cloud services have become the norm for a lot of businesses as internet speed approaches what use to be the standard for in-house LANs, 100 Mbps.

It is this connection speed that has allowed the "cloud" to become ubiquitous in today's business climate.  But the cloud is not some magical new device, it is actually a server owned by someone else located somewhere else.  In the past it was imperative we protect a business server from attack via strong passwords, firewalls and/or virus software.  Hackers were searching public IP addresses for Exchange, SQL and other servers to attack.  They still are and Office 365 is a prime target.  Although the online services scan the incoming email for malicious content, not all is prevented from getting through.  Users constantly receive email phishing attempts trying to coerce them out of their login info by verifying the account to a bogus link.

I have one client who I provide accounting software/services who use Office 365 purchased by their in-house IT department.  He told me the phishing/spam seemed to increase when they switched to the online service.  They too had an account hacked in an attempt to steal money.

In the past month, 2 different clients of mine had their Office portal passwords compromised.  These were not obvious passwords either.  In one case the hacker worked silently and studied the email in the inbox gleaning the firm's banker information and other data that could be used for financial gain.  The hacker then created inbox rules so that any incoming emails that contained information related to the banker's email address or containing words such as "wire transfer" was forwarded to a Gmail account and then deleted so the compromised account holder wasn't aware of his actions.  The information gathered allowed the hacker to act on behalf of the compromised user for certain actions.  The hacker then attempted a wire transfer which the alert banker was suspicious of because the signature block was normal and it was not the standard operating procedure for the firm.

When I was contacted we immediately changed her portal password and upon analysis of the email determined the origin of the IP address was Nigeria.  Changing the password stopped any further meddling by the hacker but we still did not know about the rules the hacker had created.

The company also used an online recruiting firm to fill positions in the firm.  The hacker had created a rule to divert email from the recruiting agency to the Gmail account and then delete the email to hide his actions.  Next, the hacker requested a password reset which was forwarded to the Gmail account.  The password was changed thus allowing the attacker access to the firm's account with the recruiting firm.

This was discovered when an applicant contacted the firm about a position that was advertised online.  When the administrator attempted to log in the password did not work.  After multiple requests for a password reset the administrator discovered the password reset emails in her deleted items.  The hacker's reward was a charge to a credit card with funds diverted to the hacker.

In the second case, the compromised account was used to spam email containing a link to a malicious payload to anyone who clicked on it.  It was disguised as a Purchase Order needing approval.  In this attack, the hacker had created rules to delete any returned emails marked as "Undeliverable" to hide the fact that the account was being used to send spam.

Solutions:

Since the attack. we have changed all passwords at the first client using passwords generated by Microsoft and reimplemented the policy of changing passwords every 90 days.

I hear a lot of complaints about having to use/change passwords but in today's online environment it is imperative that you use strong passwords, change them periodically and do not use the same password for everything.  If you have your email account hacked, I know you do not want to run the risk your banking account is now vulnerable.

If you have a lot of passwords and find the task too frustrating to maintain, consider a password management software such as dashlane or Lastpass to help.  For an annual fee, you will only have to remember 1 password, the master password to the password manager itself.  Below is a link to an article about the best password managers for 2018.

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-password-managers,review-3785.html


Crypto-currency News

oh man! crypto-currencies continuing to tank. Be careful trying to catch a falling knife. I'm looking to get back in, it's hard to get into Ripple XRP, my experience.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/15/bitcoin-price-over-60-billion-wiped-off-value-of-cryptocurrencies.html

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/03/09/bitcoin-mining-energy-prices-smalltown-feature-217230

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/a-new-york-town-just-placed-a-moratorium-on-crypto-mining/ar-BBKiZdv


New Intel Gen 7 & Gen 8 computers!

Web Browsing done Right?

HAPPY VALENTINE DAY!!!  Web Browsing done right?

Google’s Chrome ad blocking arrives tomorrow and this is how it works

 As the internet matures into the de facto way we now view and acquire our news, some news sources are no longer providing free access.  This is particularly true of newspapers who have seen their print circulation and ad revenue declining.  I have no problem with this and subscribe to a couple myself.  However there are some sites that are loaded with pop up ads and auto play ads that are particularly annoying.  I have given up on finding out anything on the Weather channel's website other than current temperature and weather conditions for my area.

Starting tomorrow 02/15/18, Google's Chrome introduces new ad blocking technology to help better your browsing experience.

"The ad blocker itself will show up in Chrome’s address bar on the desktop (similar to a pop-up blocker icon), and on mobile a small prompt at the bottom of the screen will show that ads are blocked on a site. Both desktop and mobile users will have the option to allow ads on a site that’s automatically blocked. Google says that the aim of the ad blocker is to improve web ads, and that 42 percent of sites that were failing the Better Ads standards have resolved their issues already."

to read the full article and see what Google's new ad block brings please click;

https://news.google.com/news/u/0/headlines/section/topic/TECHNOLOGY?ned=us&hl=en&gl=US

are you Tired of texting? Google tests robot to chat with friends for you

Do you have friends who are constantly texting you throughout the day.  You know the ones who you don't know how they get their jobs done because they are always texting.  Well thanks to Google help is on the way.  (as if socializing isn't dead yet, social media :-)).

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/feb/14/google-tests-robot-chat-reply-friends

Browser options, more that you think.

Everyone is aware of the 3 major browsers used for surfing the internet but did you know that there are many more choices available for use?  Besides Internet Explorer, Chrome and FireFox there is Tor (notable for the Dark Web use), Yandex, Dooble and more.  A client was even using one called the "Crazy" browser when we first met.

To explore these options use the links below or to read the full TechWorld article click on;

https://www.techworld.com/security/best-8-secure-browsers-3246550/

CONTENTS

•  What does the idea of a secure browser mean?
 
•  Firefox
 
•  Epic privacy browser
 
•  Brave
 
•  Tor
 
•  Dooble
 
•  HTTPS Everywhere
 
•  Yandex Browser
 
•  Comodo Dragon / Ice Dragon

Two new Security Vulnerabilities affect every Computer and Phone manufactured since 1995.

Two new vulnerabilities, "Meltdown" and "Spectre" can let an attacker access whatever data is in an affected devices memory.  Meltdown can access sensitive data and files by melting down security boundaries typically enforced by the hardware.  The Spectre exploit tricks apps into leaking secrets.

Though there has been no known exploits at this time you can believe that the bad guys are already looking at ways to exploit these new flaws.  There are many innocent websites that have been unwittingly compromised with malicious code that is downloaded and executed when that page is visited.

An example of a worst-case scenario is a low-privileged user on a vulnerable computer could run JavaScript code on an ordinary-looking web page, which could then gain access to the contents of protected memory.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/security-flaws-affect-every-intel-chip-since-1995-arm-processors-vulnerable/?loc=newsletter_large_thumb_featured&ftag=TRE-03-10aaa6b&bhid=27630927001468733386426006914379

The vulnerabilities were discovered by Google's Project Zero team.

Last year, Google’s Project Zero team discovered serious security flaws caused by “speculative execution,” a technique used by most modern processors (CPUs) to optimize performance.
The Project Zero researcher, Jann Horn, demonstrated that malicious actors could take advantage of speculative execution to read system memory that should have been inaccessible. For example, an unauthorized party may read sensitive information in the system’s memory such as passwords, encryption keys, or sensitive information open in applications. Testing also showed that an attack running on one virtual machine was able to access the physical memory of the host machine, and through that, gain read-access to the memory of a different virtual machine on the same host.
These vulnerabilities affect many CPUs, including those from AMD, ARM, and Intel, as well as the devices and operating systems running on them.

https://security.googleblog.com/2018/01/todays-cpu-vulnerability-what-you-need.html


Meltdown and Spectre: Here’s what Intel, Apple, Microsoft, others are doing about it

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/01/meltdown-and-spectre-heres-what-intel-apple-microsoft-others-are-doing-about-it/

http://www.eweek.com/security/microsoft-delivers-emergency-windows-10-patch-for-meltdown-cpu-bug


Apple responds to Intel, ARM chip flaws: All Macs and iOS devices are vulnerable, but don’t panic

http://bgr.com/2018/01/05/apple-security-chip-flaws-iphone-ipad-all-macs/


Microsoft issues patch for Meltdown and Spectre Vulnerabilities

Microsoft has issued an emergency patch for Windows 10 users already.  It can be downloaded and installed directly from the following link;

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4056892/windows-10-update-kb4056892

Some AVs may block you from installing the patch.  If you are having difficulty check the following article.

Windows Meltdown-Spectre fix: How to check if your AV is blocking Microsoft patch
Antivirus firms play patch catch-up, as Microsoft releases Meltdown firmware updates for Surface devices.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-meltdown-spectre-fix-how-to-check-if-your-av-is-blocking-microsoft-patch/?loc=newsletter_large_thumb_featured&ftag=TRE-03-10aaa6b&bhid=27630927001468733386426006914379

Intel Generation 8 CPUs, new design. More powerful with more cores.

Intel Unveils the 8th Gen Intel Core Processor Family for Desktop, Featuring Intel’s Best Gaming Processor Ever

Newest Processors Deliver Premium Performance, with a Boost in Frame Rate of up to 25% Gen over Gen

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

• New 8th Gen Intel® Core™ desktop processors and Intel® Z370 chipset are perfect for gamers, content creators and overclockers with a range of unlocked1 “K” processors.
• Includes a new Intel® Core™ i7 desktop processor that is the best gaming processor ever from Intel2, first-ever 6-core Intel® Core™ i5 desktop processor and 4-core Intel® Core™ i3 desktop processor.
• Performance boosts that deliver frame rate improvements of up to 25 percent3 compared with 7th Gen Intel Core for smooth gaming experiences and up to 65 percent faster editing4 in content creation compared with a 3-year-old machine.

Intel has introduced the latest generation, (8th, Coffee Lake) of it's Core Premium performance processors.  This new generation is different from previous chips with more cores.  The entry level Core i3 now has 4 processor cores, up from 2 and the Core i5 & i7s have 6 cores, up from the 4 which have been the standard since the 1st Core chips were introduced.  This increase enables up to 12 threads of data being processed by the i7 at one time.  

You may be thinking wait a minute guy, what does all this mean?  Before multi core processors were introduced, you bought a computer with a CPU that was 1 processor.  Multi-Core. Multi-core technology refers to CPUs that contain two or more processing cores. These cores operate as separate processors within a single chip. By using multiple cores, processor manufacturers can increase the performance of a CPU without raising the processor clock speed.

In addition to the increase in processing power, up to 40 platform PCIe 3.0 lanes supported with the new 370 chipset, this is up from 16 lanes in the Intel Core i7-7700K processor (Kaby Lake family) just a generation ago.  Wait a minute Phil, what does this mean?

Think about these lanes as highways.  Data whether your input or instructions to devices that carry out your computer operations are carried along these lanes.  They can quickly become as congested as I-285 on a workday thus bogging down your performance.  In fact many devices use more than 1 lane.

For example - gaming graphics cards use 16 lanes. Some powerful gaming computers have two graphics cards - that is 32 PCIe lanes (two x16 ports).  Previous generation Intel i7s had less lanes.  They couldn't handle two x16 graphics cards. For some gaming enthusiasts or engineers that would be a serious problem. They would have to choose a different CPU (maybe a more expensive Xeon) if they need more than 4 cores and two 16 graphics cards.

PCIe SSD drives use multiple PCIe lanes too (x4 lanes or x8 lanes).

Many gigabit network adapters use PCIe x4 lanes, there are also 10-gigabit server adapters and they use PCIe x8 lanes.

So as you can see 16 lanes is not that much. If motherboard manufacturer put one x16 slot, one x8 slot and one x4 slot (x28 total) - you can use only 3 devices there and... that's all.


For more details about this exciting new family of processors please read more at;

https://newsroom.intel.com/news-releases/intel-unveils-8th-gen-intel-core-processor-family-desktop/

Windows 10 update woes cont'd, Apple's update woes, Amazon Echo Dot

Arrrrgghhhh!  Microsoft, you killing me.

Sorry for the delayed response to my last post about upgrading my desktop to the latest version of Windows 10, Fall Creator's update, version 1709.  If you remember from my last post, after upgrading my PC I was presented with a black screen and flashing cursor with no available solution.  My only recourse after exhaustive searching for a solution was to restore my system to the previous version of Windows 10, version 1703.

Microsoft acknowledged the issue and released a couple of more updates that supposedly addressed the issue so last week I attempted to upgrade my system again.  This time was a complete disaster.  After the upgrade I once again was greeted with black screen and cursor.  Failing to resolve the issue  I tried to revert back to the previous version of Window 10 with no success.  I received a message stating that Windows encountered a problem and was unable to restore my previous version.

Great, right?  My only choices were to perform a recovery keeping my files and documents or recovery losing all my files.  Either way I was going to lose all my programs and settings.  Fortunately all my data/files are on a network drive and were safe.  I pulled the hard drive from my Core i7 desktop and connected it to a Core i5 desktop in hopes of it working there but the same black screen with cursor appeared on the new hardware.

Not wanting to be stuck with a machine that could not be upgraded, I downloaded the latest version Windows 10, Fall Creator's update, v1709, created a  USB boot installation drive and performed a fresh install of  Windows 10 successfully.

Windows 10 will notify you when the Fall Creators Update is available for your device. When the update is ready, you'll be asked to pick a time to install it if you're not ready.  To protect your data be sure to maintain a backup of your critical files in the event that something goes wrong.

If you are uncertain if the upgrade has occurred on PC yet, to check which version you are on please visit the following link,

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4028685/windows-10-get-the-fall-creators-update

If your computer has already been upgraded your version should be;

The issue with Windows machines is that there are so many available programs and options that no 2 machines are ever alike.  I'm sure there was some program or device driver or some combination of the two that was causing my black screen problem since I was able to successfully perform a clean install on the same hardware.

a bright note in all this, I discovered a free screen snapshot utility, Snip.  It works great and it's free.  Get it at; https://mix.office.com/snip


and don't gloat Apple users...

Apple's had a shockingly bad week of software problems

In the past week a massive security vulnerability was discovered in the latest macOS upgrade.  Anyone with access, either direct or remote could bypass administrator authentication and login without a password.

To make matters worse Apple then released a patch, followed by another upgrade which broke the patch and reintroduced the vulnerability.

https://news.google.com/news/search/section/q/apple%20problems/apple%20problems?hl=en&ned=us

Amazon's Echo Dot and my week with Alexa.

On a good note I purchased an Echo Dot during the Thanksgiving sales and I must say I am very impressed by it.  I interfaced it with my smartphone and in addition to providing me weather, music and news I use it as a speaker phone to place calls.  It is so easy, "Alexa", call so and so and she places the call, the audio is very good.  I tell Alexa to pair with my BlueTooth devices and she accomplishes this with ease.  I am just beginning to explore how Alexa can assist me in automating my house and will try to post updates as I explore the Dot's capability.

I purchased the Dot, regular price $49.95 for $29.95 on sale during the holidays.

https://www.amazon.com/b/?ie=UTF8&node=9818047011&ref_=fs_ods_fs_aucc_cp

This push into home automation is being spear headed by Amazon with Goggle Home trying to play catch up.  Apple is also trying to move into this market but has missed the important holiday season with the release of their HomePod not schedule until 2018.  Of course in true Apple tradition it is priced at $349, much higher than Amazon Echo or Google Home.

https://www.cnet.com/products/apple-homepod/preview/


support your local blogger, buy a computer!  Happy Holidays!

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Woes

Windows as a Service

Microsoft has made available to all Windows 10 users the latest version named Fall Creators Update through the new modern servicing technology referred to as Windows as a service.

My experience with the update is to beware.  Thus far I have one client who encountered the stuttering issue, i.e. using LogMeIn remote service to access the computer, within a minute reaction to keyboard or mouse input would slow to minutes before finally crashing the computer.  If remote access wasn't used she would find her computer unresponsive each morning and would have to turn it off and back on to use.

This past weekend I upgraded both my notebook and desktop to the latest version with mixed results.  Each computer is based on Intel Core i7 processors and Intel Graphics.  The notebook upgraded without a hitch, however the desktop would boot and upon logging in I was presented with a black screen and a flashing cursor.  I spend approximately 4 hours researching the issue which was widely reported by other users and I tried everything from Safe Mode, Registry fixes to a new video card but the results were the same.  I finally had to revert back to the previous version of Windows that worked.  I ended up doing the same for the client who was having issues as well.

On Tuesday 11/14/17 Microsoft released new updates to address over 50 Security Vulnerabilities and address a number of problems, hopefully it addressed those we have encountered.

Microsoft Patches Over 50 Security Vulnerabilities Today – Windows 10 Builds 16299.64 and 15063.728 Start Rolling Out

https://wccftech.com/microsoft-patches-50-security-windows-10/

In the above article they are still calling it Patch Tuesday which I thought they were doing away with but apparently Microsoft still finds it the best way to correct their blunders (BTW, the black screen bug affected more than Microsoft Surface notebooks).

Microsoft has released cumulative updates to Windows 10 Creators Update (Version 1703), Windows 10 November Update (Version 1511), and Windows 10 Anniversary Update (Version 1609). The update brings fixes to the black screen bug on Microsoft Surface laptops, among other problems. Here’s what’s fixed in today’s cumulative updates. 

https://wccftech.com/microsoft-cumulative-updates-windows-10/

Should you upgrade or not?

Roll the dice, if you have no deadlines pressing and the time to troubleshoot a failed upgrade then yes, try it.  I feel it is always best to be on the latest, greatest, and with today's security threats most secured version.  However if now is not the time, consider the following.

Whether you get the upgrade or not is no longer an option for the average user.  On Windows 10, you no longer have control over how to receive updates as before, they are mandatory.  In the case of my client and myself, we received a message that informed us that the update would be applied upon the next restart of the computer.

It is possible to delay updates for up to 35 days maximum if you wish.  I am going to show you how to do that.

(BTW, there is a way to retake control and prevent the OS from downloading and installing updates automatically using the Local Group Policy Editor or the Registry, however I'd rather you not do that on your own!)

To delay the update for 35 days

1. click on Start button and then select settings button, (gear symbol)

2.  Select Update & Security

3.  When the Windows Update windows opens, select Advanced options,

4.  Within the Advanced options window, click on the Pause Updates button to turn it on.

This will buy you 35 days after which you must install all available updates before you will be allowed to pause updates again.

Hopefully within 35 days, any issues arising from the latest update will have been addressed and fixed.

My Next Update will be...

As stated before, with all the security threats that exist online it is best to have the latest patched, secured system available.  I plan to attempt to apply the latest updates that became available Tuesday, 11/14/17  sometime this coming weekend.  I will post the results of the upgrade next week.  Until then good luck, happy computing and buy a computer!

Equifax Data Breach, 143 million affected

Credit rating giant Equifax hit by data breach, affecting more than 143 million

If you haven't heard or read the news yet, Equifax one of the big 3 credit monitoring services has reported a data breach that occured from mid-May through July 2017.

from Equifax website;

"The information accessed primarily includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver’s license numbers. In addition, credit card numbers for approximately 209,000 U.S. consumers, and certain dispute documents with personal identifying information for approximately 182,000 U.S. consumers, were accessed."

https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/

Equifax is offering free the service TrustedID.  This service includes free identity theft protection and credit monitoring.

https://equifax.com

The site is very busy this a.m. and it took several attempt to finally reach it.  On the site in a red banner they have a Click Here link to sign up for the complimentary service.

Once there, there is another link for begin enrollment.

from the Equifax website;

• When you begin, you will be asked to provide your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number.
• Based on that information, you will receive a message indicating whether your personal information may have been impacted by this incident. Regardless of whether your information may have been impacted, we will provide you the option to enroll in TrustedID Premier.
• You will receive an enrollment date. You should return to this site and follow the “How do I enroll?” instructions below on or after that date to continue the enrollment and activation process. The enrollment period ends on Tuesday, November 21, 2017.

I checked my info and it warned me that I was possibly affected.  After signing up for the service I was told that my enrollment begins effective 09/13/17.  Why I don't know, but it said I should mark it that I will not receive additional reminders... they will probably start charging me after a year.

To read about this serious credit threat and more, visit ZDNET at;

http://www.zdnet.com/article/credit-rating-firm-equifax-reveals-breach-as-many-as-143-million-affected/?loc=newsletter_large_thumb_related&ftag=TREc64629f&bhid=2219791

http://www.zdnet.com/article/security-firm-mandiant-said-to-be-helping-equifax-in-hack-aftermath/?loc=newsletter_large_thumb_featured&ftag=TRE-03-10aaa6b&bhid=2219791