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.

In our April issue of SIMformation we look at the revelation that Facebook left user passwords on a network server in an open (not encrypted) file.  Any of the 20,000 Facebook employees  on their network could have accessed this data and done whatever with it.  So, is your information at risk and what steps can you take to guard your personal data?  We have tips.  In the "just desserts" category, a scammer has been sentenced for bilking Google and Facebook out of more than $100 million by issuing phony invoices.  At least there is some justice out their for the "bad guys."  We also look at Apple's decision to table their Air Power wireless charger product, and discuss on-line privacy and a poll from Malwarebytes on how people feel about their on-line actions - where do you compare?  Finally, we discuss the concerns in the IT industry that Ransomware is being used to cover other hacks and exploits, as the "fix" for ransomware is often "wipe and reload" meaning all old data, logs and files are erased before re-loading backups.  Some experts believe that this plays into the hands of those people doing more than just looking for some bitcoin ransoms. We have the full story, plus our usual wrap-up of news you can use.

Ransomware roared back on the radar this month when Norsk Hydro, a major aluminum producer, was hit company-wide, affecting 25,000 employees and shutting down operations to the point it impacted the global aluminum market.  Since the NotPetya and WannaCry attacks, things had been quite in this sphere, and companies became lax in their defensive posture.  So, it is unfortunate that such an attack at this must bring ransomware back into focus.  We discuss how experts believe that such an attack could have world-wide impact on productivity and cost billions for remediation.  Also in March we look at the continuing rise and fall of Windows 10 vs. Windows 7, and Chrome against Firefox and Edge.  The underdogs (Edge and Windows 7) staged comebacks last month to regain some market share, and we have details.  We also look at how secure messaging services are, such as WhatsApp and Instagram, and how Facebook intends to provide encryption across these different platforms.  Finally, we cover the puzzling fact that none of the data from the 2017 Equifax data breach has appeared on the black market, leading security experts to believe that a nation-state obtained this information and are using it for espionage or blackmail, rather than selling it for financial fraud purposes as is usually the case with stolen personal identification.  Plus we have other news like the possibility you may be spamming yourself if you whitelist your own e-mail address.