Microsoft retiring basic authentication

Beginning on October 1st Microsoft will begin retiring the basic authentication procedure for Exchange Online. This will include anyone using Microsoft 365 for Exchange email. The reason for the change is that Basic Authentication is quickly becoming a target for attackers, and Modern Authentication methods are more secure. Here’s an update from Microsoft regarding this.

To answer some common questions you may have:

  • No. App passwords will no longer work.
  • No, this does not mean MFA must be configured (Although it’s 2022. If you don’t have MFA configured now….)
  • No, Basic authentication won’t be disabled for everyone in one go. It’s a phased thing that lasts October until December. By Jan 1, all tenants are disabled.
  • Yes, if Outlook is currently using Basic Authentication you have configured it yourself using registry keys.
  • Yes, SMTP Auth will also be disabled later on, but only if it’s currently not in use in the tenant. You will have the option to reenable that.

You can read more details about it from Microsoft here.

If you are unsure how this affects your organization then contact us for more information.

Should I upgrade to Windows 11?

Since the release of Microsoft’s Windows 11 operating system, there has been much mystery surrounding whether users will be able to upgrade their current PC or need to purchase a new system. Even though Windows 11 has been out for almost a year, many users are still hesitant to make the switch. Some PCs currently running Windows 10 will not qualify to run Windows 11, depending on hardware specifications. To see if your PC can run Windows 11 download and install the PC Health Check app from this site. Keep in mind that not all PCs will meet the hardware requirements and that means you’ll have to stick with Windows 10 until the PC is retired.

Windows 11

Critical Vulnerability Found in RDP and Crypto API

Windows 10 is vulnerable

Microsoft released software fixes on January 14th to shore up issues with Windows Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway), Windows Remote Desktop Client, and Windows CryptoAPI. These vulnerabilities affect Windows machines running 32bit or 64bit versions of Windows 7 and newer, and Windows Server 2012 and newer. Microsoft strongly encourages all users of these versions of Windows to install the latest updates available to address these vulnerabilities.

For more information click the link below.

https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/aa20-014a

BlueKeep creates concern for Windows 7 users.

The latest threat to Windows users comes in the form of a vulnerability that allows an attacker to take control of a computer remotely. According to WikiPedia here’s the definition:

BlueKeep (CVE2019-0708) is a security vulnerability that was discovered in Microsoft‘s Remote Desktop Protocol, which allows for the possibility of remote code execution.

The remote code execution is the most concerning since it could potentially allow hackers to install software on the remote system and use tools such as self propagating worms to spread across a network.

All users of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 are being strongly urged to install Windows updates from Microsoft to protect against this threat.

Windows 7 End of Life

After January 14, 2020, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates or support for PCs running Windows 7. Now is the time to upgrade to Windows 10. You can either upgrade on existing hardware or consider purchasing a new computer with Windows 10 pre-installed.

See the article below for more information.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-windows-7-support

Contact us to find out what your best options will be to upgrade to Windows 10.

Office 365 Offerings

Microsoft Now Offers Solutions for Small Businesses.

The latest offerings from Microsoft include Office 365 solutions custom tailored to small business users. These include solutions for hosted Exchange email, online and desktop versions of Office 2016 for Windows and Mac, SharePoint and OneDrive cloud storage, and Skype for Business. Collaboration has never been easier with these new tools which allow your team to share everything from documents to calendars and contacts. You can compare the three business packages available here Office 365 for Business or contact us today for a free consultation.

Windows XP Support ends

On April 8th 2014 Microsoft will stop officially supporting the Windows XP operating system. This means that MS will no longer release security updates for Windows XP nor support technical issues for the OS. There is a lot of talk about how this will affect end users, and the bottom line is that most users should be migrating to another newer version of Windows (7 or 8) for other reasons like incompatibility with newer software and modern web sites. Some users of XP may find that they will also need to upgrade other software packages like Office when moving to a newer version of Windows. The good news is that Windows 7 and 8 offer a way to run software that is only compatible with XP. This can make the migration smoother from XP to 7 or 8.

The biggest area of concern will be the fact that Internet Explorer versions beyond 8 are not compatible with Windows XP. This means that if you’re using XP and IE 8 or earlier you will be less secure, and therefore at greater risk of infection from malware. Online security for banking and secure transactions will also be less secure using an older version of IE.

You can read more about if from Microsoft here.

For information on how DuLac Networks can assist you on migrating from Windows XP contact us today.