Windows 10 October Update -yes please install

Posted on by Steven Ciaccio

 

Microsoft is set to release Windows 10 October 2018 Update soon — next month, you should update because it will keep you and your PC more secure.

 

There are two types of Microsoft updates: feature updates and quality updates:

 

  • Feature updates add new features and functionality and are generally released twice a year — once in the spring and once in the fall. Windows 10 October 2018 Update is a feature update.

 

  • Quality updates provide security and reliability fixes and are released monthly — typically on what is known as Patch Tuesday, the second Tuesday of every month.

 

With each update, Microsoft patches known security vulnerabilities. If you don’t stay current, then you are leaving yourself open to nefarious individuals exploiting flaws in Windows to access your PC and your data.

Keeping current with Windows updates is one of the most effective ways in protecting yourself. And if you think installing Windows updates is a pain, it is certainly less painful than getting infected with malware or getting hacked.

A good argument can be made for delaying an update for a few days or weeks to make sure Microsoft is able to iron out all the kinks.

Windows 10 October 2018 Update will introduce some new features. They include:

  • The Your Phone app for cross-Windows 10/Android communications.
  • Updates for Windows Mixed Reality, including support for more AR-like experiences and the ability to use a headset without a monitor.
  • Updates to Edge for managing autoplay audio and Windows Hello-based website logins.
  • The rollout of the SwiftKey keyboard for touch, laying the groundwork for dual-screen tablets.
  • Separation of font scaling settings from the rest of the interface’s scaling, a useful tool for high-resolution displays that can make text both incredible crisp and insanely tiny.
  • A new and improved screenshot tool.
  • Game Bar enhancements including improved audio recording and system performance monitoring.
  • A notification telling you if an application is still using an external GPU when you try to detach it.

Network Advisor Q – Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary

Posted on by Steven Ciaccio

Network Advisor Q

Our Promise:
We will make I.T. simple …
We will make I.T. affordable …
We will make I.T. less stressful …

Our Goals:
To provide the best quality service and products that fit our client’s needs.
To reduce the overhead cost of having technology, its management and care.
To give fair and reasonable pricing to small businesses, home-base business, residential and non-profit companies and organizations.

When Network Advisor Q started on its journey 1 year ago, we made an absolute promise to ourselves and our clients, we will not become a cookie cutter, big box provider. We want to keep it personal, keep it simple, keep it low cost and above all provide only what clients want and need to run a successful and profitable business in today’s computer age.

Yes, there are difficulties and hurdles along they way to be able to mesh a client needs and wants with the technology they can afford, however in the end a good provider will find the balance for each client. We find it is better to have a client be able to profit and afford the luxuries of technology then struggle, falter, and possibly fail because the strain of up-keep costs for high priced technology and unreliable services for their company.

Network Advisor Q wanted a better relationship with our clients then a paycheck. We decided that we can work within a company’s budget, providing affordable products that are needed, providing great services, and servicing each company as an individual vs. a boxed solution. This allows each company to grow as fast or a slow as needed allowing the technology to conform correctly within the company.

On our anniversary we give thanks to those companies and vendors that want a change from the standard I.T. company, choose to work with us, choose to become our clients and chose to stay. We welcome any other company, anytime to come see what we can provide for them, while working with them to grow.

How we choose to work and who we work with not only provides a good foundation for future growth but allows both companies to grow together relying on the strength of each other in an unsure economic future. There will always be a need for some technology in business, how a company manages I.T. and cares for it will determine the success of its integration into the workflow.

At Network Advisor Q, quality is not dictated by price, Quality is in our ability to maintain and care for a client and or company in the best way possible easing the burden of overhead cost for those products or services while still giving 100% support.

Network Advisor Q knows without you, there is no us.

Again, Thank You for letting us support you.

Sincerely,

Steve C. & Support Staff
Network Advisor Q

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Are you ready for the GDPR in May?

Posted on by Steven Ciaccio

The General Data Protection Regulation, also known as the GDPR, is going into effect on May 25th – and your company is probably not ready. There is some basic news, some good news, some not so good news and some scary news. Let’s take a look at each.

 

By W. Curtis Preston, Contributor, Network World | Mar 26, 2018 6:08 AM P

[Note: The author of this article is not a lawyer and this article should not be considered legal advice. Please consult a privacy specialist.]

The basic news

The GDPR covers all personal data your company stores on data subjects in the EU – whether or not your company has nexus in the EU. Personal data is defined as data that can be used to identify a person.  It’s similar to the concept of personally identifiable information (PII) that we have in the US, but it is broader. PII typically includes actual identifying elements like your name, social security number, and birthday, focusing mainly on the data required to fake your identity with a lender. Personal data includes what the US calls PII, plus any data that can be used to identify you in any way, which includes things as basic as an email address, online personality (e.g. twitter handle), or even the IP address where you transmitted a message from.

A data subject is the “person” to which the personal data applies. To be subject to the GPDR, the subject must be an EU citizen residing in the EU at the time the data was created. The location of the company or its headquarters is irrelevant.

[ Check out What is hybrid cloud computing and learn what you need to know about multi-cloud. | Get regularly scheduled insights by signing up for Network World newsletters. ]

There are several aspects of the GDPR, including the requirement of companies to act responsibly in gathering and storing personal data, including making sure that they collect only data necessary to do the task at hand.  For example, if you don’t need to store the data subject’s IP address, don’t store it. You must also privacy into account in all aspects of system design.  The GDPR calls this Privacy by Design.  Some companies will be required to appoint a data protection officer, or DPO. (In this context, data protection is more concerned about privacy than backup and recovery.)

The two requirements that data protection (i.e. backup, recovery, & archive) people are likely to be concerned with is the requirement to (upon request) supply a data subject with all their personal data, and to delete all of it if they ask you to.  (You may keep some data if you can demonstrate a legitimate business need for it.)  The concern here is that the GDPR covers all personal data your company has on a subject, including any data in the backup or archive systems. (More on that later.)

The good news

The general opinion about the GDPR seems to be that it was written with companies like Google and Facebook in mind – companies that store a lot of personal data on people that are not employers, partners, or customers.  (Remember, unless you are advertising on Facebook, you are not its customer; you are the product. The same is true on Google unless you’re advertising on Google or using G-Suite; Gmail doesn’t count.)

As of this writing, the news about the harvest and misuse of Facebook data by Cambridge Analytica is at the top of many news feeds. This is exactly what the GDPR was written for.  People that want to #deletefacebook now have a regulation that says they can tell Facebook to delete all history of their existence in Facebook, and Facebook will have to comply.  Not complying will cost them even more dearly than this fiasco has already cost them.

The other good news is the following. Although the EU has been preparing for the GDPR for the last several years, a lot of companies don’t seem quite ready for it to go into effect in May. In addition, a lot of vendors aren’t sure how they’re going to help their customers comply with the GDPR.  So, if you’re not ready, you’re probably not alone – especially if you live in the US. US companies seem to just now being waking up to the realization they need to comply with the GDPR.

There are also provisions in the GDPR that give some hope.  One provision talks about legitimate interests for personal data.  So, if you can demonstrate a legitimate reason for a given set of data, it may be exempt from some of the GDPR requirements, like discovery and deletion. For example, a law enforcement organization certainly cannot be required to present data from an ongoing investigation that might compromise said investigation, and it cannot be required to delete all personal data on a subject just because he or she says so.

There is also a provision that talks about if things are “technically possible.”  The courts may allow a defense that says, “based on the products and services we use, it is not technically possible to satisfy that request at this time.”

The not-so-good news

The key phrase in the last sentence in the previous paragraph is may. There is no case law yet.  No one has any idea yet how the courts are going to interpret this new regulation.  What are they going to consider a legitimate reason for keeping data?  Investigation records like those mentioned previously are an easy one. What about purchase history of an existing customer?  What about data related to those purchases?  Do you really need to store the IP address a customer was using when they made a purchase?  No one knows how the courts are going to rule on this yet.

For now, this can be interpreted as “semi-good” news -- if you’re not one of the types of companies that people believe are the big targets.  It’s a good chance the people at Google, Facebook, and the like are having many meetings about how to comply with these requirements from the beginning. So, this “not-so-good news” should not be taken to mean that you can sit on your haunches and wait for some case law before deciding what to do. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to start talking to your vendors about how you will comply with some of the more challenging aspects of this regulation.

There are a lot of companies advertising “GDPR compliant” products, or product that are “GDPR certified.”  At this point there is no such thing as being GDPR certified.  And no product is going to make you GDPR compliant. Complying with GDPR is as much about process and procedure as it is about the products you use. In fact, some would say even more so.

The scary news

One big question for data protection professionals is whether or not backups and archives are included when it says you have to delete a given data subject’s personal data.  If they are included, what’s going to happen when you say to a data subject that it’s not technically possible to delete a given subject’s data out of the middle of a backup in the middle of a backup tape somewhere?

Are the courts going to interpret that as non-compliant and stick you with the huge fine of 4% of your annual revenue or 20 million Euros (whichever is greater)? If so, there will be very few companies that will compliant come May 25 because this requirement simply wasn’t built into backup software design. Backups were meant to hold onto everything by design. Asking a backup system to selectively design stuff is like asking the proverbial scorpion to ride on the back of the turtle without stinging it – it goes against its very nature.

If this is the first time you’re reading about the GDPR, you’ve got some catching up to do.  The good news is there is a lot of information available on the official GDPR website.  Make sure you’re familiar with everything there before you start reaching out to those who will try to sell you “GDPR compliant” products.

 

 

**W. Curtis Preston is an expert in backup, storage and recovery, having worked in the space since 1993. He has been an end-user, consultant, and analyst, and has recently joined the team at Druva, a cloud-based data protection company.

The Right Tech for Small Business Success in 2018

Posted on by Steven Ciaccio

By Chris Francis

cloud computing

Though 2018 is well underway, it’s never too late to start strategizing for the year ahead.

From social media automation platforms to IoT security measures, 2017 proved to be an eventful year for small business technology. If early signs are any indication, 2018 is sure to bring more of the same.

Dive into four innovations your business needs to stay one step ahead of the competition in 2018.

Cloud computing

Worth nearly $150 billion just a year ago, cloud computing is set to pick up steam over the next few months. In fact, the global public cloud market could rise to $178 billion in 2018. When you consider the benefits cloud computing brings to small businesses, such growth isn’t too hard to fathom.

Not only can cloud computing introduce additional security, efficiency and flexibility when it comes to accessing programs and data, but it can also help take the hassle out of tracking important files. All too often, small businesses suffer devastating cyber security attacks or accidently delete sensitive data. Cloud computing is one way to combat such risks — and a growing number of businesses are starting to take note. Almost 50 percent of small businesses backup their data to the cloud each day. Following in their footsteps with cloud computing technologies will help keep your valuable data under wraps.

Chatbots

Four out of five businesses already use or plan to use chatbots by 2020. As more companies catch on to the cost effectiveness and versatility of chatbots, that number may continue to soar moving forward. By providing 24/7 online customer service, chatbots can help your business meet the demands of time-strapped consumers. For potential customers who work non-traditional hours, finding time to ask questions or share feedback during your normal business hours isn’t always easy. Chatbots help ensure consumers get the answers they need — any time, day or night.

Better yet, this up-and-coming innovation can do more than just resolve customer questions. Whether it’s pinpointing products, highlighting sales or sending out shipping notifications, chatbots can enhance the customer experience in more ways than one.

Collaboration tools

When it comes to the success of your business, effective communication is crucial. Improving communication can lead to higher levels of engagement among your staff members. And with increased engagement comes the opportunity for greater productivity, sales and profitability. Leverage collaboration tools — such as Google Hangouts or Slack — to quickly and effectively relay important information throughout your business. From process updates to new offerings, opening up more communication channels can help ensure no piece of information goes unnoticed.

Not sure which tool is best for your business? Just ask. Surveying employees about the convenience of each communication channel can make your decision that much easier. It might also be a good idea to gather employee feedback a few weeks after rollout. Addressing any lingering questions or concerns can help you make the most of your new tool and ensure it’s meeting the needs of your business.

Mobile payments

A number of small businesses have made the move toward mobile payments — and over the next few years, plenty more will do the same. After reaching $112 billion in 2016, mobile payment volume in the U.S. is expected to top $280 billion by 2021. Keep up with the mobile movement by preparing to accept mobile payment methods such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Wallet. The more mobile payment methods your small business can process, the better chance you have of retaining loyal customers and attracting new ones.

Perhaps even more importantly, mobile payments can set the stage for a superior customer experience. Instead of digging through their purse or wallet, customers can breeze through the checkout line in just seconds.

Another year, another chance at success. From chatbots to mobile payments, make 2018 the best year yet by implementing some of the small business industry’s top tech innovations.

Chris Francis is Vice President of Market Development at Worldpay US, a global payments provider for all channels: in-store, online and via mobile. To learn more, visit www.worldpay.com/us

I.T. support you want …….

Posted on by Steven Ciaccio

I.T. Support You Want

Wouldn’t you like your Computer hardware and software just to work?

Wouldn’t you want great services and low-cost?

Wouldn’t you and your company want to be more productive and have less issues?

Wouldn’t you want things fixed the first time, but if issue arises again, have it fixed for free?

Our clients at Network Advisor Q have just that. 

We monitor and advise on issues before they happen. 

We address issues that pop up with quick response and very little interruption. 

We provide great products and services and low cost. 

We guarantee our work, why pay us again if we didn’t get fixed the first time!

 

Network Advisor Q has saved our clients (businesses and home users) hundreds and even thousands of dollars on removing bad services, replacing poor Managed Service Providers, and proactively caring for your Hardware and software.  N.A.Q. provides better services, better hardware, at costs you can afford and be happy with.

No one said your hardware had to be a red line item in your budget.  Network Advisor Q doesn’t even acknowledge it.  Your hardware and software should let you or your company provide goods and services to clients with very little disruption and more productivity allowing you to make profit.

Maintaining and forecasting purchases and lifespan on I.T. based on your needs as a company is what Network Advisor Q does.  Allowing you to get the best use of the product for the lowest cost.  This enables our clients to provide better, faster service, where needed, making happier employees and consumers.

 

Free evaluations, the ability to call and ask questions without a charge. Quoted projects and subscription services, Guaranteed fixed right, and NO Contracts.

Your Company

Your Hardware

Your Software

Your Data

 

Network Advisor Q brings it all together.  Relax…..  Let US Make I.T. Simple again…… 

 

Please call or Email us today for your Free Evaluation.

Support@mynaq.com

609-920-9255

Time to Reflect and move Forward

Posted on by Steven Ciaccio

February, its that month with 100 different things pack into 28 or 29 days.  Official start of tax returns, Presidents day, Valentines day, Olympics, Super Bowl, and everything else under the sun.

Just another month to some, but to us at Network Advisor Q, February is our push off month.  Get that first foot out the door on a good beat.  Go meet new people, make new friendships and partnerships.  Define your goals for the year and start that engine.  We embrace and celebrate February as a chance to get new projects planned and invest and helping new clients.

For anyone out there looking for that incentive, your looking for savings but don’t want to sacrifice quality.

You or your company needs a new avenue to balance your tech needs and costs.

Come visit us, give us a call for we shall make you smile and relive the stress and help guide you to get your year off on that right foot.

Like many of our clients that were hesitant but know see, we provide the tools, support and efficiency to help reduce the overhead and issues you currently face with computer issues and saving costs with tech.

We are still offering the try before you buy 15 days free on any given computer.  Relax this year and let Network Advisor Q take the stress off affording quality computer services and support.

Call us today to see what we can offer you.

Network Advisor Q

609-920-9255

Disable Lock Screen Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise

Posted on by Steven Ciaccio

If you’re using Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, the easiest way to disable the Workstation Lock functionality is by using the Local Group Policy Editor. It’s a pretty powerful tool, so if you’ve never used it before, it’s worth taking some time to learn what it can do. Also, if you’re on a company network, do everyone a favor and check with your admin first. If your work computer is part of a domain, it’s also likely that it’s part of a domain group policy that will supersede the local group policy, anyway.
In Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, hit Start, type “gpedit.msc,” and then press Enter.

In the Local Group Policy Editor, in the left-hand pane, drill down to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Ctrl+Alt+Del Options. On the right, find the “Remove Lock Computer” setting and double-click it.

In the properties window that opens, select the Enabled option and then click OK.

You can now exit the Local Group Policy Editor. Changes are immediate and pressing Windows+L should do nothing. The “Lock” command should also be removed from the Start menu and from the Ctrl+Alt+Delete security screen. If at any time you want to enable workstation locking again, just follow the same procedure and set that option back to Disabled or Not Configured.

Try Before You Buy Event

Posted on by Steven Ciaccio

January ONLY

Try before you buy event…… Try our services on a single pc for 15 days free.

You decide if Network Advisor Q is right for you, N.A.Q will switch you over for free.

Trial services include:

Monitoring

Antivirus / Malware

Remote support up to 2 hours free

Application Updates

Patch Management and updates for Windows

And our standard analysis report on that P.C.

Give us a call or email us today to find out more.

P: 1-609-920-9255

E: support@mynaq.com

 

November – The Forgotten Month

Posted on by Steven Ciaccio

Network Advisor Q welcomes everyone back again for our monthly updates.  This month in review ” Its Christmas, lets just skip Thanksgiving”.  It seems the older we get, the shorter November becomes, every year the corporate machine seems to knock off a few more days in November to get you closer to the holy shopping day- Black Friday. Lets also not forget adding in Cyber Monday, well NAQ wants to remind all you parents and young adults to do your research on the the tech, whats hot or hyped up now could be obsolete in less than a month.  Please read the reviews, check compatibility and requirements and most important – Dads, men, boys…… read the instructions…… then read again.

 

Toys for big boys and the highly coveted lets out-do the neighbor is way over-rated, purchase what will suite your needs and enjoy what you purchase.  Some ideas for the home are Sonos audio  speakers, the coveted Alexa Echo, Dot , and Tap, home automation lighting, remote switches and  cameras….. These items are easily configurable, work with each other and are nice little additions to enjoy through out the years to come.  Trust me being able to remotely turn off all the lights my kids left on is a godsend, no more running around the house after them  or yelling.  Track who enters the house , see who is there, and of course freak out the neighbors when your on vacation…….  For all you non tech people that just want to take a hammer to it all, we can help, configure setup and explain how to enjoy that really nice tech you received as a gift.

 

In November, we are enjoying the gift of giving, we recently helped a 4th grade class get a replacement “SmartBoard”, not leaving out the donations made by our clients and friends.  We have been donating time to repair some computers for an after school learning center.  Network Advisor Q is also participating in the “Shop Small” Campaign sponsored by Amex.  We also are reminded that this month is men’s health awareness and The National Food Drive for the homeless- get your cans , coats and blankets to those local shelters!.

Network Advisor Q still has some open spots for our “ride along- meet you there”, shopping assistant still open, so please don’t wait last minute to get a date scheduled.  The NAQ Promo is ending end of month for the Free Quote and migration of Price Match Plus ( Plus = beat) your current provider’s monthly services.

Again NAQ says, “thank you for all the support”, We want this year to end on a good note so next year we can start on a high note.  For all of you just tuning in to our monthly spout, Network Advisor Q wants you to know, hear are some of our managed services offered, but please call request a quote, or just say hello.

No contract required

  • Client Ticketing and Knowledge-base Portal (track open and closed issues reported)
  • Office 365 email and apps
  • Offsite backup
  • Remote Pc Monitoring – health and windows updates
  • Remote connection
  • Application upgrade and patch management
  • Monthly Server Maintenance
  • Remote Monitored Antivirus and Malware protection
  • Standard Hardware updates and patches

Also check us out on Facebook- follow us or just send a like.  https://www.facebook.com/networkadvisorq/

 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone