Tech Talk – August 2019
A Note from the President
Labor Day weekend is here, and I am so grateful for the team that we have at LMS and the wonderful people that I get to work with every day. LMS certainly has a motley crew, but it is our crew, and it’s what makes us the best there is!
On behalf of everyone at LMS, we want to wish you an enjoyable Labor Day weekend! Be safe, have fun, and reflect on how lucky you are to be part of your team, it will make a difference when you come back to the office on Tuesday!
Best,
Scott Shatzkamer
President
Windows 10 Tip: More choices for updates
uused with permission from Windows Blog
by Athima Chansanchai
Thanks to the Windows 10 May 2019 Update, you’ll see fewer interruptions when Windows updates.
Now you have the option to let Windows Update adjust active hours based on you device-specific usage patterns.
We know that sometimes, updates can come at inconvenient times. So, now you’ll be able to pause both feature and monthly updates for up to 35 days (seven days at a time, up to five times).
And when there’s an update requiring you to restart your device, you’ll see a new notification: a colored dot on the Power button in the Start menu and on the Windows icon in your taskbar.
Check it out in action:
How to clear cookies in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and other browsers
used with permission from Norton by Symantec
If you surf the web, computer cookies can be useful because they keep track of items in your shopping carts and save your personal information — including login credentials — so sites can remember you and what your preferences are. They can make online transactions extremely convenient, as you don’t have to enter in your information every time you visit a site. Instead, logging into your favorite websites is quick and easy.
However, cookies can pose a privacy risk due to the amount of information they can hold. Cookies record your personally identifiable information so they can help auto-fill forms on browsers. This information may include your name, address, account login credentials, and more. If you prefer to protect your privacy when it comes to cookies, you may want to delete them. But keep in mind, if you choose this method you will lose the convenience of stored passwords and other data.
How to stay protected before device recycling
used with permission from Tektonika (HP)
Donating devices like laptops, phones, and flash drives may seem like a noble thing to do—after all, it’s good for the environment and makes devices available at a lower price point for people who may not otherwise be able to afford them. However, device recycling can pose a serious and often overlooked security risk. Device security is a concern that has to be addressed before donating so you can trust that your personal information will remain protected.
In a 2019 report, security operations company Rapid7 revealed the dangers of recycling and discarding devices. Researcher Josh Frantz visited 31 businesses that sold refurbished computers and accept donated hardware, spending $650 on 85 devices. He then set out to extract data from them. The results were astonishing and alarming: Out of 85 devices, only two had been wiped properly and only three were encrypted. He found over 366,300 files and managed to extract email addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, credit card numbers, drivers license numbers, phone numbers, and even a couple of passport numbers.