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25.01.2022 On April 8th 2014 support for Microsoft Windows XP will no longer be available. http://www.racs.com.au//windows-xp-support-ends-8-april-20

25.01.2022 We are very pleased to announce that Over the Wire customers can now leverage cloud computing with improved performance, reduced costs and increased security vi...a direct connections to Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute. https://www.overthewire.com.au/Microsoft_Azure_ExpressRoute #overthewire #cloudcomputing #datanetwork #microsoft #miscrosoftazure #ExpressRoute #cloudservices #technology

24.01.2022 FaceBook Users - Caution is advised regarding yet another (very convincing) phishing scam - example below. DO NOT Click the HyperLink. Hi, Your Facebook password was been reset on Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 07:23AM (UTC) due to suspicious activity of your account.... Operating system: Android Browser: Google Chrome IP address: 202.156.113.70 Estimated location: Perry, FL, US To restore the password complete this form, please, your request will be considered within 24 hours. Thanks, The Facebook Security Team

24.01.2022 Hi everyone... Just a gentle reminder to ensure your AntiVirus is always active and up to date. Always ensure you don't click on emails OR browser links you are not completely sure are safe. Always ensure also you check your backups are working ok and verify daily. If you are unsure of any of the above, contact your IT Support. We have just seen an unfortunate set of events where all of the above have lined up (all failed) producing the perfect storm and CryptoLocker has hit ...encrypting most data files for an unlucky company. The internet can be a dangerous place... please be careful

24.01.2022 Another phishing example we are seeing a lot of lately - this time from Apple . as always DO NOT click any HyperLinks. Your Apple and iCloud Account - [email protected] This notification is to therefore to inform you we regret to announce you that your iCloud ID ([email protected]) has been momentary suspended until we can validate your iCloud/Apple information. This security measure to safeguard your Apple ID from unauthorized access. We apologise for any inconvenience.... How can I validate my Apple Account and unsuspended my Apple ID? Just proceed to the highlighted link below to prove ownership of your iCloud Account. Login in using your Appe/iCloud Account and password, then follow the instructions. > Validate My iCloud Ownership When using Apple Inc products and apps, youll still login with your usual e-mail account as your Apple ID. If you have questions or want help, please see the Apple ID Care helpdesk. Kind Regards, Apple & iCloud Europe Support Resolution Your Ref: #H17YT1992-EU12 My iCloud Account | Support | Privacy Policy | Manage Subscription Copyright 2014 iTunes Sarl 91-63, Rue Sainte Zithe, L-510110 Luxembourg All Rights Reserved.

21.01.2022 Another good old security reminder for those that don't know about this site. The LinkedIn breach is another example of why you should be registered with a site like this. Visit it and enter your email address to see if you have been affected by past breaches. My VEDA membership has breaches registered against my email address but no details. This site gives you the details... https://haveibeenpwned.com/

21.01.2022 Home and Business Users. Consider protecting yourselves, your family and your business by changing the DNS server IP's used by your internet router, DNS server or firewall. Using one of these *FREE* services adds an extra layer of protection that can help when your AntiVirus package or Proxy server doesn't know about a new virus, malware or phishing site etc. These services are ESPECIALLY handy for protecting children from adult sites and sites containing questionable content...Continue reading

21.01.2022 A BIG heads Up for WhatsApp users currently receiving "expiry" messages. PLEASE DO NOT CLICK THIS if your message contains a URL pointing to either http://whtsp.in/no/614######## or http://wspp.im/no/614######## . We are investigating further but this appears to be a scam - more info here http://www.onlinethreatalerts.com//whatsapp-account-will-/

19.01.2022 Something for everyone. Did you know Microsoft have a well organised FREE training "Virtual Academy"? . Check it out - it is worth a look just to see what is on offer. http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/

18.01.2022 Microsoft have released a patch to *hopefully* correct the damage caused by the Root Certificates update released last week with the December MS Updates. If you have any issues with your Windows saying it is not legitimate or you cannot do updates any more you should download and install this. This applies to Windows 7 SP1 and also Windows 2008R2 SP1 . If you don't want to risk this then you should at a minimum manually REMOVE the faulty KB3004394 patch from "Control Panel - Programs and Features - View Installed Updates" that caused the issue in the first instance. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3024777

18.01.2022 A good review of Mac/OSX AntiVirus packages.. very surprising to see BitDefender *not* at the top.. It is amazing what is available for the Mac free of charge... http://www.av-comparatives.org/mac-security-reviews/

18.01.2022 We are very excited to introduce you to our brand new fibre service "OTW Fibre Select." Providing speeds of up to 400Mbps, "OTW Fibre Select" is making high speed data communications attainable. For more information follow the link https://www.overthewire.com.au/OTW_Fibre_Select

17.01.2022 Hi Everyone. Today Google is dropping support for older editions of Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook (aka GASMO). If you use Outlook to connect to Google Apps, it is possible you need an update. This applies to people using paid Google Apps for Business (GAfB). This DOES NOT APPLY to free GMail users who use IMAP4 or POP3 to sync with their free GMail accounts. If for some reason your Outlook stops syncing with Google Mail you will need to upgrade the GASMO software. GA...SMO is the software that has the little green spinning sync icon in the system tray of your Windows desktop. GASMO 32 bit MS Outlook edition is : http://dl.google.com/google-apps-sync/enterprise_gsync.msi GASMO 64 bit MS Outlook edition is : http://dl.google.com//google-apps/x64/enterprise_gsync.msi If you are not sure which MS Office version you are using (32 bit or 64 bit) - it will tell you and refuse to install the incorrect edition. Do not confuse this with 32 bit or 64 bit Windows - that is different again. Feel free to email [email protected] if you require assistance.

17.01.2022 It is time for a good old reminder on passwords folks. Where possible avoid online password services - Most have been compromised at some point over the years (even LastPass) Always use Multi-Factor authentication for any service that offers this as a choice. Most of the bigger services have this now. This is known by a few terms. 2-Factor Auth, Multi-Factor Auth, 2-Step Auth and a few others. ... Use an Open-Source package for storing passwords that has it's source code out there for the public to scrutinise. KeePass is perfect for this. Ensure you use a complex password (with a mix of upper case, lower case, special characters and numeric digits - e.g. an easy-to-remember complex password would be $%P4s5w0rd*@ ) to protect your KeePass database - minimum 10 characters. Also sync the database to DropBox or Google Drive - both have free and trusted storage. Install the KeePass and DropBox/GoogleDrive apps on your Smart Phone as a backup method to access your passwords. Ensure you configure the KeePass database on your mobile to *be available offline* ready for emergencies. Avoid *viewing* or *typing* passwords from your KeePass database. Leave them hidden and don't view them. Copy and Paste of username and password will often defeat key logger and remote screen watchers - if you are unaware your computer has been compromised with malicious software that logs your keys or watches your screen. If you are forced to share passwords with others, KeePass is somewhat impractical for shared passwords. When needing shared passwords, use a site like https://www.passwordcard.org/en I am open to any comments on the above.

16.01.2022 What does Google know about you? Happy Sunday everyone.... I have broached on this one previously, but the page below states it pretty comprehensively as to what Google are tracking about us....Continue reading

16.01.2022 Time to start thinking about upgrading Windows 7 and Windows 2008R2 I feel it is time to start reminding people of the imminent countdown to 14 January 2020 when Microsoft will no longer offer free monthly security updates for Windows 7, Windows 2008 Server, and Windows 2008R2 Server. Those of you with Microsoft Volume License Agreements (Large Business and Enterprise Users) will have an option for paid ESU (Extended Security Updates) beyond 14 January 2020 - Windows 7 ESU pr...icing further down. Home users with Windows 7, you have no option for extended support - it's time to upgrade to Windows 10 or risk nasty things from the internet potentially infecting your computer after January 14, 2020. For Windows 2008 server and Windows 2008R2 server, business users will need to purchase Microsoft Software Assurance (MS SA), then in turn purchase ESU in addition to MS SA. To date, I have been unable to find the pricing per server for ESU after you purchase Software Assurance. If someone knows the pricing, can you please share? While I am still researching the legitimacy of doing so, you can still (technically) upgrade for free to Windows 10 using an existing Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 license key. This is despite the fact that the free upgrade offer expired 31 December 2017. Given that Microsoft will know the date you upgrade to or install Windows 10 using an existing Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 license key, technically Microsoft could claim you now need to pay for it because you missed their free upgrade offer. I have never yet heard of this occurring however. My understanding from asking around that this also works for Windows 7 OEM license keys. I have looked high and low into the legality of doing this, and am currently at my wits end trying to find something concrete about this scenario. I'll update this again if/when I get advice confirming either way. Worst case, if Microsoft eventually ask you to pay, then pay..... simple, stay secure and safe. Windows 7 is now almost 10 years old (Release date was 22 July 2009). Think of it as the cost of your 10 year internet drivers license renewal - the internet drives us all nuts :) FWIW - Windows 10 is considerably faster than Windows 7, and contains built-in memory compression technology that allows it to run acceptably in as little as 1GB RAM if you are not a power-user As always, I welcome any opinions on the above including any omissions, spelling, or grandma errors :P (let's see who reads this to the end lol)

14.01.2022 Today we bid farewell to Megan Bennett from RACS. Megan was instrumental in helping build and grow RACS over a vast number of years. Megan is moving on to focus her attention on Pixel Portal, a simply amazing Web, Design and SEO Company.

14.01.2022 Another somewhat negative Google/Android post :( - Hopefully for the safety of everyone for better awareness Hi All, Happy Sunday. Ultimately this is another of those "We really cannot trust Google Android devices" posts.... Just sharing with family and friends, as there has finally been a Google Security Blog post published 6 June 2019 that details the Triana Android trojan much better than previously known. Maybe it's time to consider a refurbished, or new *older model* iPhone that won't break the bank. Google finally enhanced their play store some time back with Google Play Protect that claims to remove Triada and other nasties. The problem IMNSHO is that new malware, adware and trojans still keep finding their way into the Google Play Store on a fairly regular basis. If you use banking or any apps that can affect you financially, I would strongly recommend not doing so on Android devices. Keep in mind also, that even having contacts on your Android device allows malicious apps to farm these contacts, and upload them to servers for later malicious use. Even better for the malicious apps (and worse for you and your contacts), should you also keep birth date and other confidential details about your contacts! Expect these additional details to allow these unscrupulous people to attempt identity theft should you have information about your contacts that is not supposed to be publicly available. ^^Food for thought^^ Apple is by no means perfect, but they will keep you a lot safer than Google. Microsoft are also gaining traction in some of the trusts stakes of recent. Forbes Post: https://www.forbes.com//google-confirms-android-smartpho/ Google Security Blog Post: https://security.googleblog.com//pha-family-highlights-tri Australian Apple Store - Refurbished/Certified Products: https://www.apple.com/au/shop/refurbished New Zealand Apple Store - Refurbished/Certified Products: https://www.apple.com/nz/shop/refurbished

14.01.2022 Have you noticed others criticising your Spelling and/or Grammar? - It is a bit of a sport these days .... Time to improve !! There are at least 3 quite awesome Spelling and Grammar plugins for Chrome web browser that everyone should check out: Grammarly... Ginger After The Deadline All seem to run quite smoothly. Our favourite is Grammarly. Grammarly have just released a major update for their Chrome edition. Visit the Chrome WebStore and check them out. Once you arrive at the store you can use the search feature in the top left corner to search for these add-ons. Feel free to give some feedback on what you like or dislike. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/apps

13.01.2022 Have you checked what Devices, Services and Software have access to your Google account lately ? - worth a check to weed out old authorisations you may have forgotten about - http://g.co/accountcheckup

12.01.2022 This is to alert all users of WhatsApp to update your WhatsApp ASAP. All computers and mobiles are affected. The patch was only released on Friday. I would recommend stopping anything you are doing and updating this if you have not updated WhatsApp since Friday... Note this caution about the vulnerability: Targets need not have answered a call, and the calls often disappeared from logs, the publication said. The WhatsApp representative said the vulnerability was fixed in updates released on Friday https://arstechnica.com//whatsapp-vulnerability-exploited/

11.01.2022 Chrome browser users .... Got any devices that Chrome will not talk to ? Are you having issues with the latest round of Internet Explorer security updates and can no longer connect to devices with Internet Explorer ? Chrome IE Multi-Tab might help. It does a near-perfect emulation of IE inside a Chrome browser tab... it also behaves WAY better than IE does natively. https://chrome.google.com//fnfnbeppfinmnjnjhedifcfllpcfgee

10.01.2022 A reminder for anyone using Google Apps that are syncing with Microsoft services ... http://googleappsupdates.blogspot.com//reminder-upgrade-to

09.01.2022 Still have not moved to Google Apps for Work YET ? NOW is your chance .. and save 50% for your first year.... - NOT A TYPO .. SAVE 50% for a year !! Check out the benefits over other cloud offerings: Google Apps Unlimited (Premium) is AUD$10 per user per month - Pricing and Details Being able to purchase this in AUD has an international exchange rate saving per user instead of having to purchase the above in USD... Comes with an added benefit of UNLIMITED storage for email and Google Drive (or 1TB per user if fewer than 5 users) Google Mail has built-in AntiVirus and AntiSpam Google Mail search (WebMail) can search Gigabytes of email in seconds based on a simple or complex search criteria Google Vault can retain Deleted items INDEFINITELY for Email, Google Drive files and Hangouts Conversations with history turned on Google Vault Deleted items DO NOT count towards your per user mail/storage quota/limit Google Vault Search Administrator can search ALL Mailboxes for ALL emails (including Deleted emails), Google Drive files and Hangouts Conversations based on user and or keywords - PERFECT for search for legal issues/proof of send etc Google Vault no longer has to be paid for for ALL Users - you can now choose... BUT - ONLY Google Vault Users mailboxes can be searched by the Vault Search Administrator Google Drive *Google Native* documents (word processing, spread sheets, presentations, etc) DO NOT count towards your per user mail/storage quota/limit Google Drive will AUTO-OCR PDF documents you upload that are purely SCANNED IMAGES !! Google Chrome Sync will sync all Chrome settings, history, bookmarks, cookies, passwords etc securely using SSL to your Google Account This is particularly useful when you are using multiple computers or operating systems. Google sync all these settings between each installation of Google Chrome Get Control of your Mobile Devices with Mobile Device Approval and Management Google docs allows Multi-User concurrent/simultaneous editing of Documents, Spread Sheets, Presentations etc without any SHARE/Resource locks causing issues CLICK HERE to sign up: http://www.google.com//2wc_AG2EGBMuw0LNySdxvnf09frmpTQ6RHP Discount Code if/when prompted: APNVVJCVDXDP9V

08.01.2022 You can still use Windows XP - http://www.racs.com.au//windows-xp-support-ends-8-april-20

08.01.2022 GMAIL Users - Caution is advised regarding a new phishing scam - example below. DO NOT Click the HyperLink. ---------- Gmail... You have deferred email. View deferred email. Sincerely, The Gmail team

08.01.2022 Looking for a new Data cabinet? We have just received our latest shipment of Coms in a Box cabinets and have a huge range of sizes in stock and ready to go! Shop online at: http://www.telephonewreckers.com.au/

07.01.2022 RACS have been testing a Cloud-Based checklist product since January 2015 to improve our consistency and efficiency. The team that provide the service is amazing. They LISTEN. They CARE. I am proud of the product they have produced and that we use daily. We pay monthly like anyone else - it is worth it many times over. Please drop into their site and check it out. http://www.cleverchecklist.com/case-studies/racs/

07.01.2022 When doing Windows Updates today (highly recommend you WAIT for 2 days before updating) - DO NOT INSTALL THIS ONE: KB3001652 See below for the information on the money you will be donating to your local computer consultant's benevolent fund... http://windowsitpro.com//first-responders-kb3001652-hangs- http://www.neowin.net//microsofts-patch-kb3001652-is-causi http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3001652

06.01.2022 We are seeing a few machines this month that somehow got the completely botched Root Certificates update during the December 2014 patching. The problem update is called KB3004394 . If this affects you, then you likely cannot even navigate to Windows Updates to get the updated Root Certificate patch to fix things manually. Either download using a working PC via this URL: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3024777... Or if you get completely stuck, RACS have put the files in a NON-SSL download location for convenience. Windows7 and Windows2008R2 x64 edition: http://files.racs.com.au//_RootCerts-Win/KB3024777-x64.exe Windows7 32 bit: http://files.racs.com.au//_RootCerts-Win/KB3024777-x86.exe

05.01.2022 Google just sc**wed Australian GSuite users - confirmed It seems Google really has gone to town on us all with their April 2019 price rises - they are certainly WELL beyond the expected 20% that was outlined in January 12019. https://www.crn.com.au//google-slugs-australia-with-extra-...Continue reading

05.01.2022 A couple of times a week we encounter a client, tech or developer that are sometimes a little confused about the different aspects of internet DNS that allow services to work for a domain. Some time ago RACS published an Infogram to help with a basic explanation... Feel free to have a squiz and comment if you have questions, observations or comments for improvement. http://dnssecrets.com/

05.01.2022 ADMINS - Heads up.. another spate of fake invoice emails are doing the rounds again. NOT VIRUS invoices, but invoices that look very real from what appear to be your OWN STAFF. Just a heads up... Key staff need to be aware of this as the scammers are VERY clever with their research.. The one I saw about a year ago was for 100,000 AUD that was 2 mins from being paid to a Chinese account. On a hunch the Financial Controller rang the owner of the company just to check why there ...was a second payment to China that month. The owner confirmed there should not be ... This client commonly did large monthly transactions with China and it was not spotted as a fake or out of the ordinary. The fake emails look very genuine and always have the correct names of Company Directors, GM, Senior managers etc.... the ONLY way you can pick the fake is to hit REPLY (but DO NOT SEND) and then check the details on the REPLY email address (not the name - but the ACTUAL Reply Email Address) .. Quite a few Australian companies have been caught out in the past couple of years with this scam. I reported the first one about a year ago to the AFP via their web site... they never responded so I have no idea if it was actioned or not... Key staff NEED to be informed of this scam and check payment target email addresses VERY carefully

04.01.2022 The latest Comparatives independent AntiVirus *Real-World* test results are out !! - http://www.av-comparatives.org//2/12/avc_prot_2014b_en.pdf

04.01.2022 If you own a web site, the below information is for you, this notification is not aimed at end-users. For those interested who do not understand DNS, feel free to wander over to RACS DNS training site that we published many years ago. It was built to educate users, web designers, techs, and accounts payable staff (who always ask about the *different domain invoices* at various times during the same accounting year). http://dnssecrets.com/... Nothing for sale, it is purely a community service site RACS built for education purposes. The InfoGram further down the page gives a very clear picture of the basics of how DNS works. Credit to Web Designer, Search Engine, and Online Presence Specialist Megan Bennett for a great site layout. Megan's web site is below should anyone need assistance with Web Design, SEO, and Online Presence: https://www.pixelportal.com.au/ Now, to the reason for today's Tech Tips email: On February 1, 2019, larger DNS providers are going to make some major changes to aid more secure DNS on the internet - see the site below: https://dnsflagday.net/ These is a test on this page to see if your domain is going to have issues. Scroll down to the "Test your domain" section and type in your domain name WITHOUT www. e.g for RACS, racs.com.au then press the Test! button. Feel free to revert to myself should you need a hand understanding the result. Some of my domains are affected to a point, and I have already logged a query with my DNS provider. TL;DR (Too Long;Didn't Read) version: The main change is that DNS servers hosted by the vendors named in the article will interpret timeouts as sign of a network or server problem. Starting February 1st, 2019 there will be no attempt to disable EDNS in reaction to a DNS query timeout. Simple version - This effectively means that all DNS servers which do not respond at all to EDNS queries are going to be treated as dead. Technical version - Recursive DNS servers will no longer work around the following: - Old Windows DNS servers as the dont return FORMERR to *all* EDNS queries - Firewalls that block EDNS or EDNS with a DNS COOKIE option queries

03.01.2022 The latest comparatives independent AV tests are in for real-time scanners ... BitDefender still consitently in the top 3 as always - #2 this time... http://www.av-comparatives.org//2/07/avc_prot_2014a_en.pdf

01.01.2022 Hi Admins, Time to Patch ASAP. I can only hope that NONE of you have publicly exposed RDP servers that allow RDP access without a VPN. If you do, PATCH NOW.... If you don't have publicly exposed RDP servers, STILL PATCH NOW. A precaution in case a computer INSIDE YOUR LAN gets hit by malicious code that in turn can hit your servers internally. Remember that something like this almost cost the huge container shipping company Maersk their business. Many other businesses have also been hit over the years. Just sharing and caring. This is one of the most serious ones we have seen. Microsoft have even created a Windows XP patch for this one. This means sh*t is about to get VERY VERY real. https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com//prevent-a-worm-by-up/ https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com///advisory/CVE-2019-0708 https://krebsonsecurity.com//microsoft-patches-wormable-f/