Blog - CyberGuru

Stay Smart Online 2019 – Reverse the Threat

administrator Consulting October 14, 2019October 14, 2019cyber safety, cyber security, reverse the threat, Stay Smart Online, Stay Smart Online Week

CyberGuru is proud to be a supporting partner of Stay Smart Online Week, a national awareness week to empower people, businesses and the community to protect themselves online. As per last year, the ‘Reverse the Threat’ campaign is designed to mobilise a movement against cybercrime with our partners and the wider community.

This is the third year which CyberGuru has partnered Stay Smart Online 2019 to support small businesses, not-for-profit organisations and individuals be protected online with a strong focus security when online.

According to research, almost one in three Australians adults were impacted by cybercrime last year. The statistics tell us that the risk of falling victim to online crime is climbing every day.

This year, in partnership with Stay Smart Online, CyberGuru seek to educate and empower our clients to take control of their online identity by:

reviewing privacy settings
knowing how to spot phishing scams
creating strong and unique passwords
turning on two-factor authentication

We will continue to do this through education and awareness campaigns on our website and social media, presentations, as well as both onsite and remote consultancy and training sessions on cyber security topics, including how to spot an online scam, setting up better passwords and conducting privacy checkups.

Together we can reverse the threat of cybercrime. To keep your business secure online and take control of your online identity by reviewing the articles on the CyberGuru website, visiting the Stay Smart Online website and by contacting us today for more information.

Running a WordPress website? It’s time update your PHP!

administrator Design September 23, 2019September 20, 2019PHP, PHP 7, update, upgrade, WordPress

If you have a website, it will likely be running WordPress. Behind this, PHP is a coding language used by WordPress and other applications used on the Web.

What does the upgrade mean to those of us who are not programmers? One of the biggest reasons to make the upgrade is that improves the speed for WordPress, making your website faster to load both for you and your website visitors. WordPress also points out that :This performance increase also means fewer servers are needed to host websites. Updating PHP isn’t just good for your site, it also means less energy is needed for the 1-in-3 sites that use WordPress, so it’s good for the planet.”

Around the time that WordPress 5.2 was introduced in April, WordPress they also announced that they would increase the minimum version of PHP required to PHP 5.6. Since this time, they have advised that the minimum required would increase to version 7+ by the end of the year for ongoing benefits. We would recommend that all WordPress websites are upgraded to the latest version of PHP 7.2 as soon as possible.

Upgrading PHP will require some testing as plugins and themes may require updating to remain compatible. However, given the upgrade will also assist in providing ongoing security and support we believe the upgrade is worthwhile.

CyberGuru will be upgrading all of our clients managed under a Website Maintenance Service as soon as practical automatically and other clients in consultation, however if your website requires an upgrade, or looking for a website hosting provider that can support version the upgrade, please contact us.

Are you ready for the Windows 10 May 2019 Update?

cyberguru Support September 16, 2019September 16, 2019May 2019, May 2019 Update, new features, update, Windows 10, Windows 10 May 2019 Update, Windows 10 Update, Windows Update

It’s been a while coming, but the Windows 10 May 2019 Update is finally on its way to computers around the world.

Microsoft has announced that as the Home and Pro editions of Windows 10 April 2018 Update (version 1803) will reach end of service on 12 November 2019 they will begin updating devices running this as well as earlier versions of Windows 10 to ensure that they can continue to service these devices and provide the latest updates, security updates and improvements.

Every year, Microsoft releases two majority updates for Windows 10, being generally in April and October, however, the latest one, Windows 10 May 2019 update has arrived later than expected.

As per the Windows Experience blog (link opens in new window) article, for those Windows 10 devices “that are at, or within several months of reaching end of service, Windows Update will automatically initiate a feature update; keeping those devices supported and receiving the monthly updates that are critical to device security and ecosystem health”.

Some of the new features introduced in Windows 10 May 2019 Update include:

Windows Update itself: Windows will seek your permission before installing the major updates (ie. the next October 2019 Update) and Home users can pause updates for up to 35 days (in seven-day periods up to five times). Microsoft provides greater control as to when you wish to install the update and will no longer do so without your permission. You will have approximately 18 months until it will eventually force the update.
Troubleshooters: Windows 10 has increased further troubleshooting options for this update. It will provide recommended troubleshooting guidance if required, as well as assistance when you are in trouble. Of course, we are always happy to help with that! In addition, Windows Security is also improving but we would still recommend internet security software for your computer.
Passwordless login: One interesting announcement as part of this update is Microsoft’s promise to remove passwords, by replacing them with a PIN or prompt on your mobile phone.
Dark mode (light mode): One popular enhancement we are seeing across many apps and websites these days is to introduce a “dark mode” to darken how the interface appears. This includes the start menu, task bar, Action Centre, notifications as well as other areas. In addition, there is also a “light theme” also.
Start menu: Microsoft has also reduced the number of programs appearing on the Start menu, making it easier to remove out-of-box apps which you may not use (such as Candy Crush, Xbox Console and Groove Music). This will allow you to also have a smaller start menu, down to a single column. There are changes to separate Cortana and search also.

Usually in the subsequent months, we receive calls from our clients who advise they have seen a particular change or looks different to what they are familiar with. If you are considering updating to the Windows 10 May Update, you may wish to review the new Windows release health dashboard (link opens in new window) which as advises on known and resolved issues

You will generally receive a notification when your device is ready to upgrade to the latest Windows 10 update, however we suggest waiting until at least a few weeks afterwards to iron out any issues.

If you need assistance to upgrading to this update, or would like consulting, support and training, we are happy to provide for this to small businesses, not-for-profit organisations and individuals. Please contact us for more information.

This article is also featured on the CyberGuru Blog.

Ask CyberGuru: Should I set up my new computer “for personal use” or “for an organisation”?

cyberguru Consulting September 9, 2019September 16, 2019account, Ask CyberGuru, Microsoft, Microsoft account, organisation, personal, Windows 10, work or school

When setting up a new computer, a question often arises by clients as to whether they should set it up for “personal use” or “for an organisation”. The question comes down to how which accounts you have a “work or school” or a “personal” account.

By setting it up for your personal use, you will be logging in using your own Microsoft account. This generally is created by you using Hotmail email addresses such as yourname@hotmail.com or yourname@live.com, but they may be also using other accounts such as Gmail and Yahoo. Previously, these were Windows Live accounts, and used for services such as Hotmail (now Outlook.com), OneDrive and Xbox. Microsoft do not allow Microsoft accounts to be using work email addresses these days, and if you do have one they will recommend changing your email address on your Microsoft account to someone else.

Alternatively, by setting it up for an organisation, you will require a work or school account which was set up by your organisation that uses Microsoft’s cloud services, such as Office 365, Microsoft 365 or Azure. The work account is generally based upon the organisation’s domain name and work email address, eg. username@domainname.com.au. As a result of this, when a user logs to their computer they are connecting into their organisation’s resources such as their email, network and apps. Further, allows the organisation’s administer to also be able to control their computer.

There are various benefits of doing one or the other, however which one to use will dependent on your situation, including who owns the device, and type of your computer may have. We are happy to assist you to make a decision on this. Please contact us for more information.

CyberGuru’s Chief Guru recognised as a Digital Champion alumnus by Minister for Digital Technology

cyberguru Announcements August 12, 2019August 12, 2019Advance Queensland, Community Digital Champion, Digital Champion, Queensland Government

CyberGuru’s Chief Guru, Chris Jeffery has been recognised with a certificate of appreciation by Leanne Linard MP on behalf of the Minister for Digital Technology Mick de Brenni MP in recognition of his valued contribution to the Advance Queensland Community Digital Champion program.

In his letter to Chris, Mr de Brenni writes, “I wish to acknowledge your contribution, not only to the Champions programme, but also to the Queensland Government’s broader digital literacy and inclusion agenda. Your efforts…are helping to make progress within Queensland in reducing the digital divide and assisting Queenslanders to gain the skills and confidence to actively participate in the digital world”.

Chris notes, “it has been an honour to be able to support the local community through various presentations, including assisting not-for-profit organisations and community groups secure and implement new technologies, access discounted software, and train to be more self-sufficient in maintaining their computers and as a regular presenter at the Seniors Safety Forum over the past few years helping people be safe online, along with training and various online contributions via our website”.

Whilst Chris is now a retiring champion and a member of the alumni, he will continue to participate as an active member of the community providing Information Communication and technology (ICT) services including consulting, design, support and training to small businesses, not-for-profit organisations and individuals.

Since Chris commenced CyberGuru in 1997 at fourteen years of age, Chris has been instrumental in enabling and empowering clients to get the most out of their technology.

Leanne Linard MP (Member for Nudgee), Chris Jeffery (Chief Guru, CyberGuru), Jessie Jeffery (Business Development Guru, CyberGuru)

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