Learning Center

ACS will provide all your IT services in Wilmington, North Carolina

Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Google Messages Users On Android Get New Features

Do you use Google Messages?  If so, there’s good news!  In recent months, the company has taken steps to bridge the Windows and iOS ecosystems the Android ecosystems and the iOS ecosystems.

They’ve been creating a more seamless user experience and allowing users from those various ecosystems to communicate and share more easily.

The latest update to Google’s Messages app for Android includes a whole raft of new features. Of special significance, users will now have access to iOS reactions.  If you’re not familiar with these, they are a small handful of Emojis that capture the essence of the most common reactions people tend to have toward messages they receive.

In addition to that, Google’s latest update also adds support for sharing links to Google Photos into Messages and allowing the sending of full-quality photos and videos to non-RCS users on iOS.  In a similar vein, if you send a Youtube video link from an Android device to an iPhone the recipient will now get a preview of the video.

The latest version of Messages also includes several “quality of life” enhancements. These include the ability to automatically delete one-time password messages after 24 hours and the option to sort your inbox into personal and business-oriented massages to help you stay organized.

If you haven’t updated to the latest version of Google Messages and are excited to give these new additions a try, just head to the Google Play Store and download the latest for free.  It’s a very good update that gives you some fun new capabilities you’ll enjoy playing with.

It’s also worth mentioning that Windows users can access their Android messages on their PC from a browser tab. So the company really has come quite a distance in terms of tying the ecosystems together.  Kudos to Google for their continuing efforts!

0
Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

This Popular Fitbit Watch Has Been Recalled

Do you own an Ionic smartwatch?  If you haven’t heard yet, be advised that Fitbit has issued a voluntary recall of the devices produced between 2017 and 2020.

It’s also worth mentioning that at the start of this year (2022) FitBit was acquired by Google. So if the contact information you see on the FibBit website is no longer accurate, Google will be able to point the way.

Based on company statistics, more than 1 million Ionic smartwatches are impacted by the recall. If yours is one of them, you can return your device for a $299 refund.

The company cited burn risk as the reason for the recall. Although at present, neither the FitBit engineers nor the engineers at Google have been able to get to the root cause of the issue.  All they know so far is that “in very limited instances the battery in the Ionic smartwatch can overheat, posing a burn hazard.”

In addition to the offered refund, users impacted by the Ionic recall will be given a special discount on select FitBit devices, bands, and services for a limited (but unspecified) time.

The easiest way to determine if your Ionic smartwatch is impacted by the recall is to simply check the back of the device.  If it displays the model number as “FB503” then it’s included in the recall.

The company released an official statement regarding the matter which reads as follows:

“Customer safety is always Fitbit’s top priority and out of an abundance of caution, we are conducting a voluntary recall of Fitbit Ionic smartwatches. We received a very limited number of injury reports – the totals in the CPSC announcement represent less than 0.01% of units sold – of the battery in Fitbit Ionic smartwatches overheating, posing a burn hazard. These incidents are very rare and this voluntary recall does not impact other Fitbit smartwatches or trackers.”

And now you know!  If you have one of the affected devices, take full advantage of the refund and offered discounts.

0
Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Why MSP relationships fail

Why MSP relationships fail

A lot of SMBs opt for managed service providers who can help handle their IT requirements, and for the most part, it works well. Almost everyone knows the benefits of having a MSP manage your IT. Increased cost savings, ability to focus on your business without worrying about IT, better IT support and expertise, and so on. But, there are times when the managed IT services model fails, leaving business owners to wonder what went wrong. This blog discusses some key reasons why MSP relationships fail.

You didn’t do a reference check
Did you just pick the first MSP you found on the Google search? Did you just go by the presentations they gave you, or the information on their website? Always remember to ask your MSP for references. Talk to someone they work with and get feedback.

They don’t have enough staff
If your MSP is short of staff, they won’t be able to give you the attention you need. One of the biggest advantages of bringing an MSP onboard is having someone who proactively manages and monitors your IT requirements– something you cannot do without a full fledged IT department. So, it is important that your MSP is well-staffed.

They are not experienced enough
Before you bring an MSP on board, make sure you pay attention to how long they have been in business. This is important because the whole idea behind hiring an MSP is to leverage their knowledge and expertise. Secondly, someone who has been in the business for quite some time is more likely to be able to scale with you as you grow.

They said they will be there, but…
You want your MSP to be available 24/7, because with IT, you never know when the problem will arise. Not only should your MSP be proactively monitoring your IT infrastructure to ensure everything runs smoothly, they should also be able to resolve IT problems when they happen–time and day notwithstanding, so that your business is back up and running as soon as possible.

They are not able to provide you with all that you need
Sometimes, as you grow, your IT needs change. You may need much more support and new technologies that you didn’t think you’d need earlier. In such cases, if your MSP is not able to grow and scale with you, then the relationship won’t work.

When choosing an MSP, think of the whole process as a partnership, and not a one-time deal. When you look at the relationship as a long-term one, you are more likely to consider all the factors that go into making your relationship with the MSP work in the long run.

0
Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

These Medical Devices Are Vulnerable To Security Threats

Thanks to the fine folks at Palo Alto Networks we have a better view of the relative safety and security of network-capable medical devices.  Unfortunately, the news is grim.

Based on their findings after examining more than 200,000 infusion pumps, about half are vulnerable to critical security issues.

Yes you read that correctly. That’s 100,000 infusion pumps that are critically vulnerable to hacking attacks. To put it another way, that’s 100,000 chances every single day that someone is going to initiate a hacking attack that will actually kill someone.

What’s worse is that of the eleven security vulnerabilities identified by their research, no one is making it a priority to fix the issues. Even if they did try to fix it, it’s anyone’s guess how quickly those devices would be updated or if they would be updated at all.

This is not unique to the world of “smart” medical devices either.  In fact, as the Internet of Things (IoT) grows, one of the biggest security challenges we face will be how to better secure those legions of “smart” devices. That is because most product manufacturers send them out the door with little to no protection, and often in the cases of devices with protection it’s so marginal as to be practically nonexistent.

Of course, part of the problem lies in the fact that product manufacturers aren’t on the hook if a product they sell without security or with fatally flawed security gets hacked.  That will likely change but it hasn’t so far. So there’s very little incentive for manufacturers to improve.

In any case, if you or someone you know uses a “smart” infusion pump be aware that based on Palo Alto’s research more than half of them (52 percent) are incredibly easy for hackers to take control of and that’s terrifying.

0
Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

People Are Still Not Using Secure Passwords Despite Warnings

It’s 2022 and after years of warning people repeatedly about the dangers of using the same old passwords and using the same password across multiple websites, you would think this would get better. You would think we’d have that problem solved and there would be one less network security risk to worry about.

Unfortunately, if you think that you would be wrong.

Even now, after endless hours of email safety training and articles just like this one published by the hundreds all over the web, people are still gravitating to the same garbage passwords and still reusing them across multiple websites they frequent.

In fact, it’s even worse than that, if recent research by SpyCloud is any indication. They poured over data containing 1.7 billion username and password combinations gleaned from 755 leaked sources in 2021. Based on their research, a staggering 64 percent of people are still using the same password exposed in one data breach for other accounts.

Keep in mind that Google now comes right out and tells Chrome users how many of their saved passwords are at risk for exactly that. Even with the information staring them in the face, significantly more than half of all users won’t change their habits.

These statistics must be taken with a grain of salt because the methodology is somewhat imprecise.  It doesn’t matter if the actual percentage is five points or so lower becausethe broader issue remains the same.

By now, everyone knows the risks that bad passwords pose.  Everyone is aware of the dangers of using the same password to access multiple web properties and yet, nothing is changing.

Until there is a tangible financial cost imposed, either by companies beginning to fine users with bad passwords or hackers taking full advantage of those weak passwords and financially punishing those using them, it’s not going to change.  It’s a real pity it has come to that.

0
1 … 43 44 45 46 47 … 238