In our September SIMformation, we want everyone to be aware that Microsoft Windows 7, Windows Server 2008/2008R2 and Exchange Server 2010 all will reach their "End of Life" date in January, 2020.  Plus, Office 2010 will reach its end of life in October 2020.  This means Microsoft will no longer provide security updates and feature patches, leaving this software vulnerable to malware attacks. SIM2K urges everyone to have a migration plan in place and budget for software updates now as this year ends to be prepared for the January end of support date. We have more details in this issue.  We also discuss how cybercriminals are targeting education now days and what schools need to be aware of to protect student and faculty data.  We recap "Spoofing" and what you can do to identify phishing and other scam attacks.  And, we have a handy list of keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Word users so you can get around hunting through various "Ribbons" to do simple formatting tweaks.

In our August SIMformation we look at new "tricks" the malware writers are using as Phishing attacks become more sophisticated.  Things have progressed past simple "Nigerian Prince" e-mails as Phishing now accounts for more than $2.7 billion in losses annually.  We also look at Windows 10 and the gain in market share it is finally experiencing, as businesses wake up to the fact that Windows 7 will go out of support early in 2020 and thus need to be making plans to transition to the newer operating system.  We also look at a new Ransomware variant, as this malware attack also won't go away and again is becoming more sophisticated in how the attack is staged.  Finally, we look at the dark side of Cloud computing – the providers make claims about performance, but can you really verify if you are getting the servers, processing speeds, backups and security you are paying for?  We have some tips to watch out for when evaluating Cloud hosts.

In our July issue of SIMformation we present a discussion of the Internet of Things (IoT) and if it can be trusted - are developers looking our for your security, protecting your personal information and letting digital assistants learn too much about us and our habits.  We also look at whether tablets are now on the "outs" as market share has dipped below 5%, according to Gartner, as people do more and more on smartphones and, yes, on PCs.  Windows 10 has finally topped 50% of the operating systems in use, but that means there are lots of Windows 7 installations in use with the February out-of-support deadline looming.  Microsoft has also followed the lead of other browsers and added an anti-tracking option for those few using Edge.  And finally, we look at G Suite vs. Office 365 and the ease of management between the two if you are evaluating which platform might be best for your business.

Our June issue of SIMformation looks at a report released by Malwarebytes detailing the impact of malware in Q1 of this year, and how attacks are trending up.  For example, the City of Baltimore was hit with a ransomware attack and has spent millions to mitigate this as well as suffering an impact from lost tax and fee revenue from their on-line portal.  We also look at the issue of on-line privacy – all those websites that have a privacy policy and pledge to "not share information."  Is this really the case, and what companies are "naughty or nice" when it comes to your personal information.  The rise of Bring Your Own Device to work poses issues for management as these BYODs connect to the company network.  What steps do you need to take for effective mobile device management to shield your information from potential breaches from BYOD connections.  We also look at increases of fraud hitting companies through phishing ploys and phony invoice scams.  How do you detect and protect yourself?  Finally, Microsoft has eased up on how individual users can apply updates of Windows 10 rather than having them crammed down on you, and we discuss these changes.

In our May issue we look at Google's new push with G Suite to make this office productivity software something for the Enterprise user, seeking to topple Microsoft Office.  New AI tools like voice recognition and virtual assistants have been added to G Suite, and we have details.  We also look at Android "Bubbles" – allowing apps to open in small inset windows on a smartphone so users can multitask without closing one app to use the second.  Apple and Qualcomm have settled patent issues, which may pave the way for 5G chips in iPhones, experts say.  Microsoft has released an updated schedule for Windows product updates and confirmed January 14, 2020 as the day Windows 7 will be officially "retired."  And, malware continues to plague the IT industry, as seen by the city of Baltimore being shut down by a ransomware attack, and the "bad guys" are getting more sophisticated in the tools they use.  We have more on their exploits in this issue.