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Welcome to Patch Tuesday for August 2021
Please leave your PC(s) powered on tonight so security updates from Microsoft will be downloaded to your PC around 3:00 a.m. (Make sure you have configured it to avoid hibernation and sleep modes when idle, and while plugged in.) This can be adjusted with the power settings icon in the Control Panel.
Patch Tuesday Forecast
The July Patch Tuesday provided 84 CVEs addressed in Windows 10 including 3 zero-days and 5 publicly disclosed vulnerabilities. There should be a smaller set of updates with fewer CVEs addressed this month as we are coming off the vacation season and schools are starting up.
Something to watch for this month is Microsoft is going to enable an application control feature that will block potentially unwanted applications (PUAs). Introduced back in May this may be showing up this August. If you begin to see personal applications are not working properly, you can look at the settings under the Windows Security setting screen. Select "Reputation-based" protection settings under App & browser control.
The current stable build is Windows 10 version 21H1 and is considered safe for installation on devices running version 20H2 or 2004.
- The Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for Windows 7 and Server 2008/2008 R2 will be released as usual. Internet Explorer updates should show up again this month.
- Microsoft quickly released out-of-band security updates this week for most operating systems. Updates are available for Windows 7 and Server 2008/2008 R2 if you have an Extended Security Update (ESU) subscription.
- Google released a stable channel update for Chrome OS to 92.0.4515.130 on August 2nd and several beta channel updates for other products this week so we probably won't see anything this patch cycle.
- Mozilla last provided security updates for Firefox and Thunderbird on July Patch Tuesday, so we will likely see this updated.
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Windows 11 is coming this winter, with a new look and much more. Check out all the details by clicking on the link below.
Showcasing the Fluent design language and more, the new upgrade can also be tried out on the Insider channels, ready to download and use on machines that meet the minimum requirements.
There is also a huge redesign of the Microsoft Store, allowing Android apps from the Amazon App Store to be used, so you can download TikTok and other apps if you wish.
Follow this link for everything you need to know about Windows 11.
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What is Quantum Computing?
Quantum computers come in various shapes and forms, but they are all built on the same principle: they host a quantum processor where quantum particles can be isolated for engineers to manipulate.
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Ransomware attempt volume sets record
A new report from SonicWall found that attempted ransomware attacks skyrocketed in the first half of 2021, with 304.7 million attempted attacks seen by the company.
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For what it’s worth:
Ransomware has been increasing in frequency and payment demand. In some instances, the criminal will begin to release sensitive information to force the prey to pay the ransom.
So, what can YOU do to protect yourself?
- In any attack, the "soft targets" or "low hanging fruit" are the preferred target. This holds true with your computer. Make it tough, and they'll look for other easy prey.
- Develop a sharp sense of skepticism. Don't immediately click on things that are outlandish or surprising. This is exactly the response a Phishing email is eliciting.
- Use Antiviral Software. I recommend AVG or Avast since they have FREE software. Although if you're really serious about it, buy a license. It will stop the majority of attacks.
- Install a Malware scanner. (I recommend Malwarebytes) which will protect you against malware and ransomware.
- Make sure you are applying your security updates EVERY Patch Tuesday as soon as you can. Once Patch Tuesday passes, the hackers reverse-engineer what was patched to know what to attack.
- Back up your PC, either to an external USB drive or use OneDrive or other cloud-based free space. Macrium Reflect offers a FREE home version for you to set and forget. While the FREE version won't necessarily protect your backups if the drive is attached and your PC is encrypted, the WORKSTATION version has "IMAGE GUARDIAN" which does protect your backups.
Seek help from friends or TRUSTED sources. Remember, there are a lot of scams out there offering help and gimmicks to speed up your PC - be wary of such claims.
Feel free to forward or share this bulletin with any family or friends who might need some help, just click on the "Forward to a friend" link below.
Happy Computing!
Gary
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