Microsoft’s Support For Office 2013 Has Concluded

What does this mean for you? If you are still running Office 2013 as of April 11th 2023 Microsoft has stopped issuing patches for the product. One of the problems in the future is how Office 2013 products will integrate with Office 365. We have seen in the past that the connectors have stopped working for earlier versions of office with the Office 365 hosted e-mail functions. So, this could happen with Office 2013 as well. The larger problem for organizations continuing to use this product, though, could be security issues, as Microsoft isn't obligated to patch those problems as well.

Microsoft's goal is to move everyone to their subscription services instead of using perpetual licensing. The benefit to you as a user of this type of product is that your software is always being updated. The downside is that you have a monthly or annual payment commitment to Microsoft for using this subscription.

Office 2016 and Office 2019 those will reach their end of support phases on October 10th 2023. Office 2016 followed the traditional 10 years of support model, but office 2019 got truncated to seven years of support. These are not the only products from Microsoft whose support is expiring this year. Windows Server 2012r2 is also expiring this Fall as well.

Worth a Read: “7 cybersecurity mindsets that undermine practitioners and how to avoid them”

A recent article posted in CSOonline by Matthew Tyson, “7 cybersecurity mindsets that undermine practitioners and how to avoid them”, outlines 7 points to remember when dealing with Cybersecurity. He discusses that cybersecurity jobs are burning people out because of the high-pressure environment. He goes on to state that one of the underlying causes of this is the way we think about cybersecurity.

Both Business Owners and Cybersecurity Professionals need to rethink security in different ways. This may help to reduce the stress of the continual striving to achieve and see it as a process that must be continuously worked on and that you never finished with.

Responsibility must be shared by everyone with the success of this process not just by those in charge of securing your systems. We must realize that the attackers are getting smarter and are building on their successes and learning from their failures. We need to be quick in response to newly identified problems daily. We need to understand that security cannot be achieved from just one tool but many that work together. The more layers of security that you can put in place the better your chances of having success. One of the reasons for having to continually work on battling attackers is that they are driven by the success of their crimes. The better they get, the more successful events they achieve the richer they will get. Measuring your success and failures is important as well. How else can you determine if you are moving in the right direction? Be honest with your results and remember that security is a thankless job.

The results of failure are much harsher than the results of success. Realize this and don’t take it to heart when you are not being patted on the back every day for not allowing the failure in security.

Microsoft Loop Environment vs Microsoft Teams: What are the main differences?

Microsoft Loop Environment and Microsoft Teams are both collaboration platforms that enable users to work together on projects, documents, chats, meetings, and more. However, they have some key differences that make them suitable for different scenarios and workflows. In this article, I will compare and contrast these two platforms, especially in terms of how they facilitate communication among users.

Microsoft Loop Environment is a new platform that was announced in October 2021 as part of the Microsoft 365 suite. It is designed to be a flexible and fluid workspace that allows users to create and edit content collaboratively in real time, using various components such as text, tables, lists, images, diagrams, and more. Users can also chat and comment within the same workspace, as well as integrate with other Microsoft 365 apps such as Outlook, OneNote, SharePoint, and Power BI. Microsoft Loop Environment aims to reduce the friction and complexity of switching between multiple apps and tools, and to enable users to work more creatively and productively.

Microsoft Teams is a well-established platform that was launched in 2017 as a hub for teamwork in Microsoft 365. It is designed to be a unified communication and collaboration platform that allows users to chat, call, meet, share files, and access apps within Teams and Channels. Users can also create and edit documents using Office apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote within Teams. Microsoft Teams aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of teamwork, and to enable users to communicate and collaborate securely and seamlessly.

One of the main differences between Microsoft Loop Environment and Microsoft Teams is how they approach communication. Microsoft Loop Environment focuses on asynchronous communication, meaning that users can communicate at their own pace and convenience, without having to be online at the same time. Users can chat and comment within the same workspace where they create and edit content, and they can also use @mentions to notify specific people or groups. Microsoft Loop Environment also supports synchronous communication, meaning that users can communicate in real time, by using voice or video calls within the workspace.

Microsoft Teams focuses on synchronous communication, meaning that users can communicate in real time using chat, voice calls, video calls, or meetings within teams and channels. Users can also use @mentions to notify specific people or groups. Microsoft Teams also supports asynchronous communication, meaning that users can communicate at their own pace and convenience by using chat or email within teams and channels.

Another difference between Microsoft Loop Environment and Microsoft Teams is how they organize content. Microsoft Loop Environment organizes content by workspaces, which are collections of components that users can create and edit collaboratively. Workspaces can be shared with anyone within or outside the organization, and they can be accessed from any device or browser. Users can also create sub-workspaces within workspaces to group related components together.

Microsoft Teams organizes content by teams and channels, which are groups of people who work together on a common topic or project. Teams can be private or public within the organization, and they can have multiple channels for different purposes or conversations. Users can also create tabs within channels to access files or apps related to the channel.

Both Microsoft Loop Environment and Microsoft Teams are powerful platforms that offer different ways of working together and communicating with others. Depending on the needs and preferences of the users, they can choose the platform that best suits their scenario and workflow.

Ransomware Attacks: How Sophos CIXA MDR Can Help You Stay Secure

Ransomware attacks are one of the most serious threats to businesses today. They can cripple your operations, damage your reputation, and cost you a fortune in ransom payments and recovery expenses. According to a recent report by Sophos, the average ransom paid by organizations in 2020 was $170,404, and the total recovery cost was $1.85 million.

To protect yourself from ransomware attacks, you need more than just antivirus software or firewalls. You need a comprehensive solution that can detect, respond, and recover from these sophisticated attacks. That's why PAconnect recommends Sophos CIXA MDR (Managed Detection and Response) to our clients.

Sophos CIXA MDR is a cloud-based service that combines advanced endpoint protection, threat intelligence, and 24/7 expert monitoring and response. It leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify and stop ransomware attacks before they can encrypt your data or spread to other devices. It also provides you with a dedicated team of security experts who can help you contain, investigate, and remediate any incidents.

With Sophos CIXA MDR, you can benefit from:

 Enhanced visibility and control over your endpoints

• Reduced risk of data loss and downtime
• Improved compliance and regulatory requirements
• Lower total cost of ownership and operational complexity

 If you want to learn more about how Sophos CIXA MDR can help you protect your business from ransomware attacks, contact PAconnect today. We are a certified Sophos partner with years of experience in delivering IT solutions and services to our clients. We can help you assess your security needs, implement Sophos CIXA MDR, and provide ongoing support and guidance.

Don't let ransomware attacks ruin your business. Trust PAconnect and Sophos CIXA MDR to keep you secure.

Overview comparison between Foxit and Adobe Acrobat Reader

Adobe Acrobat Reader and Foxit are two popular PDF readers that offer different features and benefits for users. I was recently approached to take a look at the Foxit and I am currently in the middle of trying out the application to see the positive and negative differences between the two products. In future articles I may get into more detail of what I see the benefits are of replacing Adobe Acrobat with Foxit if I determine that it is a good fit for some of our clients.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is the official PDF reader from Adobe, the company that created the PDF format. It is free to download and use, and it supports a wide range of PDF functions, such as viewing, printing, commenting, signing, filling forms, and more. It also integrates with Adobe's cloud services, such as Adobe Document Cloud and Adobe Creative Cloud, which allow you to access and edit your PDF files from any device and collaborate with others online. However, Adobe Acrobat Reader also has some drawbacks, such as its large file size, slow performance, frequent updates, and limited editing capabilities.

Foxit is a lightweight and fast PDF reader that claims to be more secure and reliable than Adobe Acrobat Reader. It also offers many features for viewing, printing, commenting, signing, filling forms, and more. Additionally, it has some advanced features that Adobe Acrobat Reader lacks, such as OCR (optical character recognition), PDF creation and conversion, document protection and encryption, digital signatures, and more. Foxit also has a cloud service called Foxit PhantomPDF Online, which allows you to edit and share your PDF files online. However, Foxit also has some disadvantages, such as its less intuitive interface, compatibility issues with some PDF files, and limited support for multimedia and interactive elements.

In conclusion, Adobe Acrobat Reader and Foxit are both powerful and versatile PDF readers that can suit different needs and preferences. Adobe Acrobat Reader is more suitable for users who want a standard and official PDF reader that integrates well with Adobe's cloud services. Foxit is more suitable for users who want a fast and secure PDF reader that offers more editing and creation features. Ultimately, the best way to choose between these two programs is to try them out yourself and see which one works better for you.