The end is near for Office 2010 and Office 2013

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Microsoft Office

On 13 October 2020, some considerable changes in Microsoft Office 365 will be occurring to only support modern email software. If you are running Microsoft Office 2010 or Microsoft Office 2013, Microsoft will no longer allow these to access Office 365 after this date.

Microsoft is making these changes to make email more secure. As part of this, Microsoft will support predominantly which allow modern authentication, being the currently supported perpetual versions, Microsoft Office 2016 and Microsoft Office 2019 and the subscription product, Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus (which is included in Business Premium, Enterprise E3 and Enterprise E5 and Microsoft 365 subscriptions).

As noted on the Office Resources page (link opens in new window), Microsoft advises, “Office 365 is designed to work with the latest browsers and versions of Office. If you use older browsers and versions of Office that are not in mainstream support Microsoft won’t deliberately prevent you from connecting to the service, but the quality of your Office 365 experience may diminish over time”.

If you are running Microsoft Office 2010 or Microsoft Office 2013, or other programs not supporting modern authentication, then we strongly recommend you upgrade to a supported program as soon as possible. For mobile phones and tablets, Microsoft recommends the Outlook app for iOS and Android. For desktops and laptop access, they encourage the use of the latest versions of Outlook for Windows and Outlook for Mac.

If you are still using Microsoft Office 2010 or Microsoft Office 2013, we suggest that you start look at upgrading now to at least Microsoft Office 365 Business Premium or Microsoft 365 to ensure you remain able to access to Office 365.

If you need a hand to understand the changes going forward or help to plan and go you to the next step, please contact us.

Happy Safer Internet Day

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Happy Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day 2020

Today is Safer Internet Day, a global event to raise awareness about online safety and encourage people to help create a better internet. At CyberGuru we have dedicated many blogs on how businesses can stay safe online so to celebrate Safer Internet Day we’ve decided to talk about keeping families safe online. In giving our kids access to technology it is important to ensure the device is secure and consider the use parental control software to protect against adult content. Less obvious but just as important is the need to talk to our children about how to stay safe online.

This year to celebrate Safer Internet Day the eSafety Commissioner has released an array of resources to help parents have this conversation with their children (link opens in new window). Resources are split into two age groups for children (aged 5-12) and teenagers to give you age appropriate advice. The eSafety Commissioner is also holding a series of webinars this week (link open in new window) on this topic. To register, please visit and sign up for children-focused webinar or teenager-focused webinar.

Furthermore, the eSafety Commissioner has released its top five online safety tips for children:

  1. Set up your device to protect.
  2. Explore safely & tell an adult if you see anything online that makes you feel yuck.
  3. Limit who can contact you when you’re playing games.
  4. Stop all contact with anyone online who asks you to do anything you don’t want to do. Report and block them.
  5. Ask for help if anything online is bothering you.

The eSafety Commissioner has also released its top five online safety tips for teenagers:

  1. Think of others’ feelings before you post, like or share content.
  2. Ask for permission before you share a photo or video with someone else in it. Respectful online relationships start with consent.
  3. Be an upstander. Speak up if you see someone cyberbullying or sharing nudes in a group chat – let them know that’s not okay. Report and delete it.
  4. Use privacy and screen time settings to take control of your digital life and its impact on your mental health.
  5. Ask for help. Cyberbullying and sharing intimate images without consent can be distressing, but eSafety can help remove them.

At CyberGuru we are happy to help parents ensure that devices are secure and discuss your needs and options regarding parental control software, but we strongly encourage parents to start a conversation with their kids about online safety. This week we will be talking to our (nearly) five year old daughter about talking to us if she ever sees anything online that makes her feel yuck. What will you talk about?

Donations to natural disasters

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Donations to natural disasters

Donations to natural disasters

Our thoughts are with those affected by the recent bushfires across Australia. Whilst we are fortunate in Queensland not to be experiencing the same level of natural disaster, we are seeking to find ways in which to support those which are not as unfortunate ourselves. We have donated to organisations which assist those involved so they can continue to support the ongoing recovery efforts of those affected.

Whilst the bushfires have brought out the best in many people, we have been sickened to hear of those who seek to profit from people’s generosity at this time. Unfortunately, a number of scammers have been seeking donations for themselves at the expense of those who really need it. We strongly advise caution to ensure your donations are made to the appropriate organisations and not the scammers.

Some of the genuine organisations collecting donations include:

Finally, if you are approached by a charity and you want to check its legitimacy, visit the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (link opens in new window) website and check if the charity is registered. This register contains all registered Australian charities, not just the bushfire-related ones, so if in doubt about anyone collecting for charity it’s worth checking.

Is your Windows 7 PC out of support?

cyberguru Support , , ,
Is your Windows 7 PC out of support?

Is your Windows 7 PC out of support?

If you are running Windows 7 past the 14 January 2020 cut-off for support, you may notice that Microsoft has begun placing full-screen messages on computers stating “Your Windows 7 PC is out of support”.

As noted in this message, Microsoft has ended support for Windows 7 and your PC is now more vulnerable to viruses and malware due to the absence of security updates and tech support from Microsoft. If you receive this message we strongly recommend you take action immediately. This will ensure you have the latest security features and protection against malicious software.

CyberGuru can assist you with upgrading your computer to Windows 10 or the purchasing and setting up a new Windows 10 PC based on your requirements, along with transferring the necessary programs and data across to the new PC. In addition, we will provide you with training and support going forward to ensure you are best place to take advantage of the new operating system.

We can assist you both face-to-face and remotely, depending on your location and urgency.

Please contact us today for more information or to make a booking.

Five new year’s resolutions for your computer systems

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Five new years resolutions for your computer systems

Recent research has found 80% of people fail to meet their New Year’s resolutions, with most quitting by 19 January. So now that you’ve got those out of the way, let’s talk about some resolutions for this year you could realistically achieve.

Here are five new year’s resolutions for your computer systems:

  1. Multi-factor authentication
    In the past year we have noticed a significant increase in the number of hacking attempts to gain access to secured information both ourselves and our clients. We have concluded that multi-factor authentication (MFA) is now a critical aspect of your cybersecurity to protect against hackers. This includes activating MFA on your email, website, financial management software, banking and other critical services. Since its introduction, MFA has become less intrusive in that you can whitelist common IP addresses such as your workplace and home so you only have to go through the authentication process if you are working offsite.
  2. Passwords
    We all know they’re important but it’s so easy to forget about changing them and it’s hard to remember new passwords. There are two options here. Firstly, there have been recent changes around what the definition of constitutes a strong password. The biggest change is that the longer the password, the stronger it is, because difficulty of cracking a password goes up exponentially with each letter. A second option is to use a password manager, which stores your passwords for you so you no longer need to remember them. The other big advantage is that it can enable you to easily see whether one requires changing, whether it has been compromised or is in use across multiple websites.
  3. Windows 10
    If you’re still using Windows 7, act as soon as possible as it is no longer supported by Microsoft and you are now vulnerable. as no further software/security updates or technical support are being available. Due to this, it is possible that security risks will arise from the continued use of Windows 7. Windows 8.1 users have until 10 January 2023 until it goes out of support.
  4. Cloud services
    Using cloud services such as Office 365 gives you access to the latest tools in the Microsoft Office suite and can help make your business more productive by making communication and collaboration easier, allowing remote access and reducing downtime. You can easily scale as your business needs grow and take advantage of products and services previously only available to larger businesses.
  5. Cyber Insurance
    Protecting your environment from hackers is a bit like protecting your home from intruders: you can take reasonable precautions, but if Bruce Willis or Arnold Schwarzenegger want to break in they’ll probably find a way. In these situations, cyber insurance can protect you from potential losses incurred. Just be wary because like health insurance, there are a lot of junk policies out there which don’t offer any real protection.

Much like a business coach helping you implement new practices in your business, or your personal trainer keep you accountable for undertaking regular exercise, it is important to find an ICT partner that can assist in support you in implementing and maintaining these resolutions. If CyberGuru can assist in any way, please contact us.