Cybersecurity
Latest Posts from Our Blog
At SandStorm IT, we typically suggest doing all updates (especially Operating System) as they become available to avoid security vulnerabilities, In the latest batch of Microsoft updates, there were some “known issues”. In this security alert, we’ll cover “What’s the issue?”, “What versions of Windows does it affect?” and “What can I do?”. What’s the…
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What is DNS? The easiest way to explain Domain Name Service (DNS) is to think of DNS as a phone book. Computers access a DNS server to be able to look up a domain name and return IP address associated with it, much the same as you could use a phone book to look up…
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As we’ve spoken with current customers and new prospects about Managed IT Services for their computers, servers, and networks, occasionally, someone will ask, “Can I just put my server and a couple of the most important PCs on a Managed IT Services plan. Our response is always (politely and diplomatically), “No, all of your computers,…
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What is Phishing? This varies from the specific type of phishing, but in general, phishing is the act of tricking and manipulating a user to reveal information to the attacker through various means. Tools of the trade can range from malware laced documents, to websites with URLs that are spelled similarly to popular services that…
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Windows Server 2008 R2 End-of-Life Support is near. Windows Server 2008 R2 end-of-life mainstream supported ended back on January 13, 2015. However, there is a more critical date looming. On January 14, 2020, Microsoft will end all support for Windows Server 2008 R2. It seems like 2020 is a way’s off but updating an IT…
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You probably can recall the recent story of when Mark Zuckerberg had to testify before Congress regarding the Cambridge Analytica Data Leak. In comparison to a data breach, such as the Marriott International incident, there are some slight differences to be aware of. We’ll briefly cover these differences, how you should treat each of the…
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Just a few days after Quest Diagnostics reported that a data breach compromised the information of 11.9 million patients, LabCorp is reporting that it was breached as well, affecting 7.7 million additional records. What happened? An unauthorized user installed malicious code on the payment pages of the American Medical Collection Agency (AMCA), a 3rd party…
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There are programs and utilities that run in the background of every computer. Some of these programs are necessary for your system to function. Others may be malware, adware, or malicious programs designed to hijack your computer or personal information. Let’s discuss some ways to access these hidden background programs: Windows Task Manager Most people…
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I’m sure by now you’ve heard that Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 are going end of life at the beginning of next year, but what is going to happen on January 14, 2020, when it finally does go end of life? What is end of life? First, we need to define…
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A recent update from Microsoft addresses a vulnerability in the Remote Desktop Service used in older versions of Windows, namely Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows 7. Given that both XP and Windows Server 2003 has been End-of-Life for a few years now, this is an unusual action for Microsoft. Here’s what Microsoft is…
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