4
Aug, 2017
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Will These End Of Life Events Affect Your Company’s IT?

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One of the best ways your organization’s network can remain secure is to always use the most recent version of any critical software solutions on your network. Unfortunately, making the jump to a more recent operating system is easier said than done, particularly for small businesses that have limited budgets. The problem of security becomes even more pressing for businesses that need to upgrade multiple servers and workstations, as failing to do so could prove to be fatal for your organization.

Windows software products eventually reach an End of Life event, which is when they stop receiving patches and security updates that keep the software functioning smoothly. These updates generally fix vulnerabilities which could be exploited against your business, as well as operational problems which can keep your organization from running at 100 percent. Using software that’s out of date could result in your organization being put into a dangerous situation. In fact, if you are using out-of-date software, you are putting your network, and all the data on it, at risk.

Just a few months ago, Windows Vista reached its End of Life event. Microsoft no longer supports either Vista or Windows XP, though the two couldn’t be further from each other in terms of popularity and usage. The lack of support for XP just goes to show that even the most popular operating systems eventually have to come to an end of support. The next Windows OS to reach an End of Life event is Windows 7, on January 14th, 2020. Another common server OS that is also reaching its end of life on the same day is Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise.

The time is now to evaluate your systems and know which operating systems your organization relies on. Businesses will have to take a considerable jump to the next stage, upgrading their workstations and servers so as not to fall off the support bandwagon. Not all businesses have the time and resources to ensure this happens, though, so it’s best to keep this issue at the top of your mind, as Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 RN will be rendered obsolete in the near future.

We recommend that you don’t wait until the last minute to implement a solution to your end of life event situation. The reason for this is that the upgrading process could come with hidden troubles that only make themselves known when the process has started. If your legacy applications stop working properly, any processes that rely on them in order to stay functional will cease. This downtime can have considerable effects on your business, so it’s best to keep your implementation as seamless as possible.

You need to think about upgrading your soon-obsolete technology before its end of life event hits. This goes for both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 RN. We are purposely informing you of these dates now, so that you have plenty of time to think about how you want to approach this elephant in the room. To learn more about how to upgrade away from your business’s obsolete technology, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

17
Jul, 2017
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Companies that Neglect Updating Web Browsers 2x as Likely to Suffer Data Breach, Study Finds

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Business has become such a competitive endeavor that those who deprive themselves of the latest and greatest technology solutions could be at a serious disadvantage–namely in terms of productivity and security. A new study shows that there is a direct relationship between businesses that run older versions of operating systems and web browsers, and businesses that fall victim to data breaches.

BitSight found that out of 35,000 companies from over 20 different industries, over 2,000 of them were running on operating systems that are out of date. Furthermore, 8,500 of these companies also ran out-of-date Internet browsers. This particular study focused on organizations using Apple and Microsoft operating systems, as well as the Internet browsers Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Google Chrome.

It’s clear that organizations that rely on outdated operating systems are three times more likely to suffer from a data breach. Likewise, organizations that use outdated web browsers are twice as likely to suffer from data breaches. While these numbers don’t necessarily show that this outdated software were directly responsible for data breaches, it’s still an important factor that cannot be ignored.

Granted, this shouldn’t be a surprise for any security-minded business professional. It’s been noted for a long time that software, while invaluable, can create any number of issues for organizations. Chief among these is outdated software. As more businesses remain in operation for extended periods of time, they continue to use unsupported software rather than upgrade to more recent versions. Examples of these business software include Windows XP and Windows Vista. What can you do to keep your own business from falling victim to these unfortunate side-effects of using outdated software?

The solution is simple–update your software. This is easier said than done, especially when time and resources are two pertinent issues. The easiest way to get a feel for how your business stands on this issue is to get a network audit from a trusted technology service provider. This will provide an unbiased analysis of how you can shore up weaknesses in your network infrastructure–including outdated software applications. The importance of such an audit cannot be underestimated, especially considering the amount of high-profile threats that like the WannaCry ransomware.

How does your business rate regarding network security? To get an understanding of this important aspect of running your organization, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.