Managed IT groups in Darwin should keep updated on what’s new in the technological world to be able to perform their very important task of keeping your business networks safe and secure. Here are the latest in technology and managed IT updates that can affect Darwin businesses.
Have you been discussing updating to the latest operating system with your managed IT team in Darwin? You may or may not have a chance to decide for yourself soon. Microsoft is taking desperate measures in making users upgrade to Windows 10. They have disappointingly resorted to trickery.
Microsoft has been pushing users to upgrade to the latest OS version since last summer as an optional free upgrade. It later became a recommended at the start of this year. If you and your managed IT services group in Darwin have set up your systems to do automatic updates then Windows 10 will automatically be downloaded and installed onto your machines.
The insistent pop up informing users of the free “optional” upgrade used to give PC users a choice and clicking “x” meant declining the update. Because of the “recommended update” trickery, even if you and your managed IT group in Darwin chose not to go for the update, clicking that “x” button will still download the said updates onto your machines.
There is still however an option to cancel the scheduled update and to change the upgrade schedule, but let’s be real here, it is almost second nature to press that “x” button when we see pop up notifications. If you have accidentally gone ahead with the Windows 10 upgrade and you do not wish to continue using it, just notify your managed IT team in Darwin so they can help you with rolling back to your previous operating system, but make sure you do so within 30 days.
Your managed IT services team in Darwin may have already informed you that the free Windows 10 upgrade will end on the 29th of June 2016, and it will be sold for the price of $199 thereafter. Most new PCs will already have the latest OS version of Windows 10.
Terry Myerson, the executive VP of Microsoft says that they were not trying to be sneaky and users have the 30 day roll back option. They just wanted more users to have better security features that the latest OS offers.
Meanwhile in the transportation front, the NSW trainlink had hacking issues forcing their online booking system to shut down. Enterprises that conduct business with neighbouring cities and other regions have been affected. If your business has employees or transactions that were affected by the trainlink hack, inquire with your managed It service team in Darwin as to how they can help set up a unified communications system for your business so that you may be able to conduct real time communications with clients and employees whenever and wherever you and your staff may be.
Andrew Constance, the NSW Transport Minister made a statement earlier this month reassuring commuters that the the contactless payment system was just as safe as shopping for groceries. Matt Cole, the President of Cubic which handles the electronic ticketing system in NSW said that they have successfully rolled out similar contactless payment systems in Chicago and London and the changes that will happen with the NSW ticketing will not require much changes since the existing Opal system already has the contact capacity in the reader hardware. The system may have been very secure at the time but cyber criminals are working double-time these days so we, especially businesses that do not managed IT managed support in Darwin, should take a pro-active approach.
Both AusCERT and the police are helping in the investigations on the breach that resulted to possible theft of personal data and credit card information of the trainline’s customers. Trainlink advised customers to be very vigilant when it comes to phishing attacks and scam messages that are often successful in gathering credit card information and personal details. Your managed IT services team in Darwin can help set up better security measures for your machines and gadgets so that you and staff will be safe from such phishing attacks that can also compromise valuable business data. It is best to monitor your credit card activity and to report unusual transactions.
The transport department and the NWS privacy commissioner stated that personal data and financial information were most likely accessed in the hack but the level of the risk is still undetermined. Opal cards were however not affected because the data is kept on another system.
