​Updates are deployed to repair security vulnerabilities that have been discovered, remove bugs, add new features and more. One of the top reason’s malware causes damages costing millions of dollars worldwide is due to the lack of critical security and software updates installed in a company’s environment. Today we are going to discuss why it is critical to stay up to date on updates, how updates can impact each business differently, and how Mnemonix handles deploying new updates to clients.
 
In a previous blog, we spoke about the general importance of updates, and why they should be applied to all computers. We’d like to briefly review some of the critical reasons to keep your technology up to date.
 
1. Security Patching
    a. Hackers seek out flaws in software, also known as security vulnerabilities. These hackers will do everything in their power to find weaknesses in different updates and exploit them. This exploitation can lead to your data being compromised, or your business being attacked with ransomware. Security patches target the known security vulnerabilities and correct them so attackers cannot gain access to any of your information.
 
2. Data Protection
    a.Your business data is more than likely stored on a secure file system, either physically at your business, or in the cloud. Keeping your systems up to date will help ensure your data stays protected, as it will keep attackers out by eliminating the known attack vectors that attackers take advantage of. Your business data is extremely valuable to attackers, and they will not hesitate to sell it or perform malicious actions with it if given the chance.
 
3. Personal Protection
      a.While at work, users are likely to enter personal data at some point or another. This could be ordering lunch online and entering credit card information to do so. Users could be storing personal passwords in browsers when logging into shopping websites, or personal pages of any kind. If an attacker gains access to your computer due to a lack of security updates, they will not only have access to your business, but they now have access to your personal information as well.
 
4. New Features
     a.Some software may run smoother with the use of new feature updates. Feature updates can contain code that makes some of your day-to-day tasks simpler or provide you with features that increase your devices performance. Without these updates, your computer performance could decrease as well as become vulnerable if bugs are found in previous feature updates.
 
 
 
Not all updates are perfect, and some have even caused more problems than they solved. In 2019, every major Microsoft update created issue for different clients. It is important to realize that every client’s network and environment is different. Updates will impact business’ differently because they are using different models of computers, have different network setups and policies and use different software’s that may behave differently with each update. Mnemonix waits a bit before pushing out the updates to clients. This allows us to research the most recent updates for any major issues, test the updates internally with several different software’s for compatibility sake, and fine tune the timing of when the update is to be deployed. As mentioned, we are not able to test every single application against the new update, so there is always the chance for software, hardware, or firmware to break with a new update. With that being said, because we manually push out the new updates after a grace period, we make sure to have our team ready to handle any IT related needs resulting from an update causing any issues. If you have any concerns about Windows updates, patch policies or have any other questions, please reach out to Mnemonix.
 

​Microsoft stated they will unveil “the next generation of Windows” on June 24th, at 11AM EST. While there are many rumors and speculations as to what the event will unveil, CEO Satya Nadella has only teased major enhancements to the Windows operating system for developers as well as creators. Nadella also announced recently that Microsoft will not be deploying Windows 10X which was an operating system initially designed for dual-screen devices. Today we are going to discuss facts that Microsoft has released regarding Windows 10, what changes are rumored to come and how Mnemonix plans to address these changes.
 
Windows 10 was first released on July 29th, 2015. Microsoft has announced that support for Windows 10 will end on October 14th, 2025. Microsoft had previously stated that Windows 10 would be the last major operating system release, with intentions of only new features and user interface (UI) changes applied moving forward. With the recent announcement of Windows 10 losing support in 2025, we’re forced to believe that a new version of Windows is going to be unveiled in the live event tomorrow, June 24th. While Microsoft hasn’t disclosed any information to prove that theory true, there have been reported leaks of what’s next to come for Microsoft’s next big operating system.
 
While discussing what could come tomorrow during the live event, keep in mind that the following information is speculative and none of which has been confirmed by Microsoft at this time. Microsoft has however, promised that during this event, they will discuss big changes to the longstanding operating system (Windows 10). Multiple sources have suggested leaks that indicate Microsoft could be announcing a new version of Windows, titled Windows 11. This new version of Windows is rumored to include a new user interface, start menu, and control panel alongside multiple new small features that give the OS a brand-new feel. While Microsoft canceled its Windows 10x operating system, the company is rumored to reuse large parts of it within Windows 11. Speculators have also noticed that the Microsoft 11-minute-long teaser video of a new startup sound alongside the event starting at 11AM reiterates the belief that Windows 11 will be the title of the new operating system.
 
While these changes are all speculative as we mentioned, Mnemonix plans to monitor the progress closely to prepare for any future upgrades or changes that will impact you and your business. The existing Windows 10 operating system is supported through July of 2025, meaning we will continue to roll out patches and regular updates until then, or until a new standard operating system is in place at your business, in which case we will begin supporting that OS as well. As more news breaks about the potentially new operating system, Mnemonix will be sure to update you and your business on what to expect, and if any changes need to occur to keep your business up to date and secure. If you have any questions regarding this topic, or how Mnemonix can assist you, please contact us.
 

​Did you know that hackers can crack an 8-character password hash in under 8 hours, whereas a 10-character password hash can take over 8 years? Password strength and complexity is extremely important, and if done right, can help prevent attackers from compromising your data. Today we are going to look at just how easy it is for attackers to crack a simple password, how long it takes attackers to crack a complex password, and Mnemonix’s best practice guidelines for creating a strong, unique password.
 
Cybersecurity experts make recommendations for strong, unique passwords for several reasons. Every day, malicious cyberattacks occur that compromise websites, online accounts, network information and more. This information is then posted which exposes people’s passwords, emails, personal information and more. If your password happens to get compromised and contains personal information, the attackers now have your credentials, and possibly personal information about yourself. Therefore, experts recommend your passwords are not only strong, but unique.
 
We’d like to look at the differences in the time it takes to crack a password based on complexity. For this instance, we will assume each password contains at least 1 upper case letter, 1 lower case letter, a number, and a special character. In a Windows environment, NT LAN Manager (NTLM) is a suite of Microsoft security policies intended to provided authentication, integrity, and confidentiality to users. Experts have run tests to see how long it would take to crack a NTLM password hash, and the results are as follows:
 
1.Any 8-character NTLM password hash can be cracked in under 8 hours
2.Any 10-character NTLM password hash can be cracked in just over 8 years.
3.Any 12-character NTLM password hash can be cracked in roughly 34,000 years.
​     a.Note the time difference by just having 2 additional characters.
 
Keep in mind, these results were generated in a testing environment, and are meant for educational purposes. As we can see, passwords become much more difficult to crack via brute force when they contain more characters. Passwords can be cracked much faster using attack methods such as phishing, key-logging and with the use of other malicious viruses, which is why it is important to have a routine of changing your password often. To ensure your accounts stay safe, Mnemonix recommends utilizing two-factor authentication wherever possible. This adds an extra layer of security that makes it extremely difficult for attackers to gain access to your information. Mnemonix also recommends using a password length of at least 12 characters, including at least 1 upper case letter, 1 lower case letter, 1 special character and 1 number. It is best to keep these passwords unique by avoiding the addition of patterns, personal information, and names. If you have an administrator account, or elevated access on your network, it is best to use a password at least 25 characters in length. Where it may be tedious at times to remember longer passwords, there are many safe tools in the market that will store your passwords and keep them safe. Using best practices when creating passwords can save your business money in the long run as it will limit your risk of being compromised. If you have any questions or concerns regarding password security, and best practice when creating a password policy, please reach out to Mnemonix.

​The internet of things (IoT) refers to a system of interrelated, internet-connected technologies that are able to collect and transfer data over a wireless network without human intervention. These technologies include camera systems, smart tv’s, smart plugs, Amazon devices such as Amazon Alexa, and more. Today, we are going to look specifically at Amazon sidewalk and how it works. We will discuss what this feature does, is it safe, and how Mnemonix can assist with keeping your IoT technologies from compromising your network.
 
Amazon is due to release a new service called Amazon Sidewalk on June 8th. It is designed to be a kind of shared neighborhood Wi-Fi that extends the range of all types of smart home devices and wearables. These devices include most IoT devices, including Ring security cams, motion sensors, outdoor lighting and Amazon Echo devices. The Amazon Sidewalk system will tap into a portion of each neighbor’s bandwidth to allow for public use for others. Amazon ensures it is a low bandwidth network that can only be used by Sidewalk bridge devices (devices enabled to use this shared network). Where the convenience of this new service seems promising, there are a few concerns about the potential security of such a network.
 
Shared Wi-Fi networks are naturally less secure than networks that are password protected. These shared networks are often used by hackers to gain access to the information on another connected device on that network. Because your own bandwidth is joining the new network created by Amazon Sidewalk, your network may be left less secure by having strangers using your bandwidth. Amazon has confirmed that end users who utilize the Sidewalk bridge (network created by the Amazon Sidewalk service) do not receive any details about other devices connected to the network. They have also confirmed that the system uses multi-layered encryption as well as minimizing the use of metadata wherever possible. While Amazon has taken security very seriously when developing this service, allowing strangers to have an option to utilize your bandwidth will always remain a security concern. The new service is automatic unless users opt-out, meaning this will take place for a majority of Amazon Echo users without them even knowing. If you’d like to opt-out of the new Amazon Sidewalk service before June 8th, you can do so by following the instructions from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GZ4VSNFMBDHLRJUK
 
Mnemonix recommends creating a separate VLAN for IoT devices, segregating them to their own section of the network that cannot communicate with the rest of your internal network. While some home internet solutions may not let end users configure their own VLAN’s, Mnemonix is happy to work with you and your business to ensure these IoT devices are segregated in a way that keeps your internal network secure. If you have any questions on how to help ensure your network is secure from unwanted traffic to parts of your network, or how IoT devices could be exposing your network to attackers, please contact Mnemonix.