Author: Mike

Providing IT support and solution to small and medium businesses. Servicing Edinburgh, Livingston, Fife and surrounding areas. Responsive, Flexible, Professional and friendly local support.

Tech Tip – Windows 10: Near Share

One helpful feature to look out for in the Windows 10 update this Spring will be ‘Near Share’ whereby nearby Windows 10 devices can share files and URLs with you via Bluetooth. This feature is similar to Apple’s AirDrop, and it works in the following way: Apps e.g. Photos, Microsoft Edge and File Explorer display…
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Adopt ‘HTTPS’ Or Face Being Penalised by Google

Google has announced that websites without ‘HTTPS’ in front of their domains will be labelled as ‘Not Secure’ in version 48 of Chrome, starting this July. What Is HTTPS and Why Does It Matter? HTTPS stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure. It is the secure version of HTTP, the protocol over which data is…
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UK Government Unveils Online Extremism Blocker

Home Secretary Amber Rudd has unveiled the UK government’s new tool for detecting and blocking online extremist and jihadist content. Publicly Funded The new tool was developed by artificial intelligence company ‘ASI Data Science’ based in London, and was funded using £600,000 of public funds. Tackling A Growing Problem The tool was developed to tackle…
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Cryptojacking Discovered On Government Websites

A UK security researcher has discovered that cyber criminals have been using public sector websites, including that of the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office for cryptojacking. What Is Cryptojacking? Typically, cryptojacking involves hackers / scammers installing ‘mining script’ code such as Coin Hive, into multiple web pages without the knowledge of the website owners. The compromised…
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X-Day Was February 15th – Prepare For GDPR

Network services provider EfficientIP has warned businesses that, in reality, February 15th was the last day that organisations can ensure their real-world compliance with GDPR. I Thought May 25th Was The Deadline? May 25th is the actual date that companies and organisations need to ensure that they are compliant with GDPR. However, the point that…
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10 Gbps Home Broadband Speed Achieved In Test

Broadband operator Hyperoptic is reported to have achieved home Broadband speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) in a recent test. Hyperoptic? ‘Hyperoptic’ is the company name in this case, but the term hyperoptic generally refers to the kinds of super speeds that can be achieved with full fibre / fibre-to-the-building / fibre-to-the-home…
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Tech Tip – Windows 10: Keep Unwanted Software Off Computers You Support

If you help support your business and / or home computer, and you want to keep things secure and tidy by stopping other users from downloading unwanted software from sources you don’t trust onto the computer, here’s how… To lock down Windows 10 so users can’t install new software unless it comes from a trusted…
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Technostress

The results of a survey by Microsoft indicate that constant contact with technology such as emails, messages and notifications in the workplace can reduce productivity, make workers less productive, and increase stress levels. It’s All Down To The Company’s ‘Digital Culture’ The survey, which involved the opinions of 20,000 workers from 21 European nations, found…
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Firefox Users Advised To Update

Cisco’s security team has advised Firefox users to install Mozilla’s latest update for its web browser after a potentially serious security vulnerability was discovered. Malicious Code Danger According to Cisco’s researchers (and confirmed by Mozilla), the vulnerability has been caused by “insufficient sanitization of HTML fragments in chrome-privileged documents by the affected software”. This means…
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Bitcoin Battered

Cryptocurrency Bitcoin’s value has now dropped to $6,000, a fall of $13,000 since November 2017. What Is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a digital web-based currency that operates without the need for central banks and uses highly secure encryption to regulate the currency units and to verify transfers of funds. Bitcoin, which was first produced in 2009,…
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