Ice Connect

Ice Connect Providing extraordinary IT service and support for London and the home counties, we pioneer in VoIP

04/05/2026

Most phishing scams still feel a little… amateur.

But the next shift is dangerous.

Attackers are changing how scams are built, not just how they’re sent. And the signs people have been trained to look for won’t always be there anymore…

I’ve seen a few scary headlines recently about printers “no longer being supported” in Windows.Have you? Well, let me sa...
03/05/2026

I’ve seen a few scary headlines recently about printers “no longer being supported” in Windows.

Have you?

Well, let me save you a mild panic attack 😅

Your printer is not about to stop working.

Microsoft confirmed that it has stopped publishing new V3 and V4 printer drivers through Windows Update.

That sounds dramatic. It isn’t.

First, a quick bit of translation.

A printer driver is a piece of software that allows your computer to talk to your printer. Without it, your PC and printer can’t understand each other.

For years, many printers used something called V3 or V4 drivers. These are just older driver models.

Microsoft announced back in 2023 that they were phasing these out.

This has been a slow, planned transition, not a sudden switch-off.

So what changes this year?

👉 Microsoft will stop publishing new V3 and V4 drivers to Windows Update
👉 Existing printers using those drivers will continue to work
👉 You can still install drivers from the manufacturer (HP, Canon, etc.) if needed.

Windows isn’t deleting or blocking printers.

It isn’t turning them into expensive paperweights 🖨️

In fact, Windows 11 already includes built-in support for something called Mopria printers.

Mopria is a modern printing standard that’s been around since about 2014. If your printer supports it (many do), Windows already has what it needs built in.

That means plug-and-play without extra downloads.

Microsoft is moving toward this more modern, built-in approach instead of relying on lots of third-party driver packages.

There are a few milestone dates to be aware of:

🗓️ January 2026: No new V3/V4 drivers published to Windows Update
🗓️ July 2026: Windows will prefer the newer built-in IPP driver automatically
🗓️ July 2027: Third-party updates via Windows Update mostly blocked (except security fixes)

But Windows will still allow vendor-supplied installer packages. So, if your printer manufacturer provides a driver on their website, you can still install it.

That said, if you’re running very old printers in a business environment, this is a gentle nudge to review them. Not because they’ll suddenly fail, but because older hardware often becomes harder to manage and secure over time.

👉 If you’re honest, how old is the oldest printer in your office right now? And would it cause chaos if it stopped working tomorrow?

Something new has come to Microsoft Copilot recently, and I think you’re going to like this one 👍It’s called Reminders.N...
02/05/2026

Something new has come to Microsoft Copilot recently, and I think you’re going to like this one 👍

It’s called Reminders.

Now before you roll your eyes and think, “I already have reminders on my phone,” stick with me.

This isn’t a basic alarm, it’s built into Copilot, Microsoft’s AI assistant.

And interestingly, you don’t need to pay for the Copilot subscription to use it. Even free users have access (with a few limits).

You can say something like: “Remind me to cancel my Microsoft 365 subscription in five minutes.”

And Copilot will send an alert to your mobile device.

Or: “Remind me every Monday at 8am to review my presentation.”

It understands dates and times automatically. You don’t need to fiddle around with settings or formats. It knows what “in five minutes” means.

It even works for recurring reminders.

You could say: “Teach me a new Spanish word every day at 9am.”

And it will send something different each time.

That’s clever 😊

A few important things to know:

• The reminders are sent to your mobile device only. So you need the Copilot app installed on your Android or iPhone, and notifications must be turned on. If you’ve disabled permissions, nothing will pop up.

• Free users can create up to 5 reminders.

• If you have Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription, you can have up to 20.

• You manage them inside the Copilot mobile app under Settings.

AI tools are all racing to become all-rounders. They don’t just want to answer questions anymore. They want to organise your day.

You’re effectively talking to your task system instead of typing into it.

There are also a few other updates happening with Copilot.

You can now pin chats, share conversations easily, create summaries from them, and even use a new Study & Learn mode that helps generate quizzes and flashcards.

It’s becoming more of a personal assistant than a simple chatbot 🤖

One thing I do tell clients though: Don’t rely on a single tool for mission-critical reminders just yet. Think of this as a helpful extra layer, not a replacement for proper diary systems.

Still… it’s a nice step forward.

💬 Would you trust an AI assistant to manage your reminders, or do you still prefer the old-school calendar approach?

I had a conversation recently with a business owner who said, “We’re fine. We use Macs.” 🙂I completely understand that t...
01/05/2026

I had a conversation recently with a business owner who said, “We’re fine. We use Macs.” 🙂

I completely understand that thinking.

For years, Windows PCs were seen as the main target for cyber criminals. Macs felt safer.

But it’s no longer the case.

Recent research shows that macOS is now just as interesting to hackers as Windows. And the way they’re attacking businesses has evolved in some clever (and worrying) ways.

One of the biggest trends right now is something called info stealer malware ☠️

Info stealers are small programs designed to collect sensitive information from your computer and send it back to criminals. We’re talking about:

⚠️ Saved browser sessions (so they don’t even need your password)
⚠️ Keychains (where Macs store credentials)
⚠️ Cloud access tokens (digital “keys” that keep you logged into services like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace)
⚠️ Developer credentials
⚠️ Even cryptocurrency wallets

Once they have that, they can take over accounts, send fake invoices, launch ransomware, or access your cloud systems without you realising 😬

And here’s the most worrying part: They’re not always breaking in through obvious malware downloads 🦠

Microsoft recently reported attackers using fake error messages (a trick known as social engineering).

For example, a pop-up might say there’s a problem with your system and offer a “fix”.

You download what looks like a normal Mac installer file (a DMG file, the standard Mac installation format) and that’s when the malware drops in.

They’ve also seen fake ads on Google promoting things like PDF editors. You click, download, and it looks legitimate. Behind the scenes, it installs an info stealer and sets itself up to stay on the machine.

Even worse, some criminals are hijacking WhatsApp accounts and using them to spread malicious links to trusted contacts. When it comes from someone you know, your guard drops.

What’s changed is the speed and flexibility of these attacks.

Some of the malware is written in cross-platform languages like Python, which means it can easily run on both Windows and Mac environments. That makes it easier for attackers to hit mixed businesses.

Staying protected isn’t about which operating system you use anymore. It’s about how well protected and monitored your systems are 👀

Staff awareness matters. Good security software matters. Monitoring unusual activity matters. And making sure your cloud services are properly secured matters a lot.

🤔 If you’re a Mac-based business, or a mix of Mac and Windows, do you feel confident you’d spot something like this before damage was done?

31/03/2026

Digital fraud isn’t on the rise. It’s evolving. Fast.

Scammers are using smarter tools, more convincing messages and pressure tactics designed to make even careful people slip up.

These are the simple habits that could stop your team from falling for them…

Not all tools are created equal.Some quietly support how your business works. Others add friction, risk, and lost time.I...
30/03/2026

Not all tools are created equal.

Some quietly support how your business works.

Others add friction, risk, and lost time.

It’s time to take a closer look at the difference between tools that are fit for the way you work and those that hold your team back…

AI adoption isn’t splitting businesses into “tech-savvy” and “anti-tech”.It’s splitting them into those moving at differ...
29/03/2026

AI adoption isn’t splitting businesses into “tech-savvy” and “anti-tech”.

It’s splitting them into those moving at different speeds inside the same company 😬

New research shows a big age-related gap in how people use AI at work.

Roughly half of under-35s are already using AI tools regularly. Many have had training. Most see AI as helpful for their jobs.

But around half of over-45s haven’t used AI at all.

Not because they don’t trust it or because they think it’s dangerous.

Mainly because it feels unfamiliar.

And that’s where the real risk sits ⚠️

When adoption is uneven, AI goes underground.

Some staff quietly use AI to move faster. Others avoid it completely.
Managers assume “we’re not really using AI yet”, when really, parts of the business already are.

That creates problems like inconsistent outputs, unclear data handling and no shared standards.

And of course, no confidence about what information is being fed into which tools.

The research also highlights something important: Countries and organisations with slower, more cautious adoption aren’t falling behind because of a lack of tools. They’re falling behind because of a lack of confidence and guidance 🤷‍♂️

AI doesn’t need to be everywhere to be useful. But it does need to be understood.

The businesses that get the most value won’t be the ones chasing every new AI feature.

They’ll be the ones that:

• Set clear boundaries
• Give people simple, practical training
• And focus on using AI to remove friction, not create anxiety

❓ Is AI in your business something you’ve consciously decided how to use, or is it being used quietly, inconsistently, and without a plan?

There’s a lot of noise about AI right now, but this caught my eye because it’s refreshingly honest 🙂A report shows that ...
28/03/2026

There’s a lot of noise about AI right now, but this caught my eye because it’s refreshingly honest 🙂

A report shows that around 70% of retailers are already testing or partially using agentic AI.

But only 8% have rolled it out fully across their business.

In other words, most people are experimenting. Very few have cracked it.

And I’m certain it doesn’t only apply to retail.

Agentic AI isn’t just a chatbot answering questions.

It’s AI that can look across systems, spot issues, and suggest (or trigger) actions. Think delays, bottlenecks, stock problems, or inefficiencies. Not marketing slogans.

Retailers are optimistic.

Nearly all believe AI will be essential to staying competitive, and many expect efficiency gains very soon.

But they’re also hitting reality.

The biggest blockers?

• Data that isn’t clean or joined up
• Concerns about trust, transparency, and regulation
• And a shortage of people who know how to implement AI properly

What’s interesting is where AI is heading.

So far, most use has been in customer service and marketing.

But the next wave is about operations. Things like inventory, supply chains, fulfilment, admin. Less creative AI, more quietly fixing problems before customers notice.

And that’s the bit business owners should pay attention to.

The real value of AI is removing friction from day-to-day operations and freeing humans to focus on decisions that need judgment.

AI works best when the foundations are solid: Good data, clear processes, and realistic expectations.

So, here’s my question for you 🤔 If AI could spot problems in your operations before they became issues, would your systems be ready to support it?

27/03/2026

Dropped into a long email chain halfway through? Catch up without reading every reply from the top…

26/03/2026

Cyber threats don’t look the way they used to.

They’re quieter now. Smarter. Harder to spot until it’s too late.

If you think today’s attackers are still using old school tactics, you might be missing the real danger already moving in the background…

This is why phishing is getting harder to spot… and why “just be careful with emails” isn’t enough anymore 😬Attackers ar...
25/03/2026

This is why phishing is getting harder to spot… and why “just be careful with emails” isn’t enough anymore 😬

Attackers are abusing legitimate Google services to send phishing emails that look completely genuine.

Not fake domains or sender addresses.

Actual emails coming from Google-owned infrastructure.

Security researchers recently tracked almost 10,000 phishing emails sent to thousands of businesses in just two weeks.

The emails looked like standard Google notifications. Voicemails, shared documents, that sort of thing.

And they were sent from a real .com address.

This wasn’t Google being hacked.

Attackers were misusing a real Google Cloud automation tool to send emails as part of a workflow.

Because those emails are generated by Google systems, they inherit Google’s excellent sender reputation.

That’s what makes them so dangerous.

Clicking the link takes victims on a journey that feels safe at every step:

• A trusted Google Cloud link
• A convincing “prove you’re human” CAPTCHA
• Then… a fake Microsoft login page

By the time someone realises what’s happened, their email password has already been handed over.

Most of the victims were in manufacturing, tech, and finance. But the technique itself isn’t industry specific.

If your business uses Microsoft 365 and trusts Google links, this applies to you too.

The takeaway is simple but important: You can’t rely on trusted brands as a safety check anymore.

And you can’t expect staff to spot every trick.

That’s why modern security focuses on layers. Things like multi-factor authentication, conditional access, and reducing what a stolen password can do.

Because today’s phishing looks normal.

👉 If one of your team received a genuine-looking email from Google, would they act on the request without thinking?

This is one of the more worrying mobile scams I’ve seen recently, because it looks completely legitimate 😬Researchers ha...
24/03/2026

This is one of the more worrying mobile scams I’ve seen recently, because it looks completely legitimate 😬

Researchers have uncovered a campaign where attackers are taking real banking and government apps, modifying them with hidden malware, and then tricking people into installing them.

These are not fake apps created from scratch.

They’re actual apps, poisoned ☠️

A person receives a text or email that looks like it’s from a trusted organisation. Maybe a power company. Maybe a government department. Sometimes it escalates into a phone call “to help”.

They’re told they need to make a payment or resolve an issue urgently.

They’re then directed to a very convincing website, sometimes it’s even one that looks like the official app store, and asked to download an app.

The app behaves exactly like the real one.

But behind the scenes, it’s been altered.

Once installed, the app asks for permissions it doesn’t really need. If the user agrees, attackers can:

🚫 Steal login details
🚫 Commit banking fraud
🚫 Monitor activity
🚫 And in some cases, take full control of the device

The scariest part?

The malware can clean up after itself.

Victims may never realise what happened until money disappears or accounts are accessed.

So far, this campaign has mainly targeted parts of Southeast Asia, but the technique itself could work anywhere.

And the rule that protects you hasn’t changed: Legitimate banks and government departments DO NOT ask you to install apps via text messages, links, or phone calls.

If something arrives unexpectedly and creates urgency, pause. Don’t click. Don’t download. Verify independently.

Because once a malicious app is installed, the damage is already done.

👉 If a message claimed to be from a trusted authority and asked you to install an app urgently would you naturally stop and verify or feel pressured to act?

Address

401 Nether Street
London
N31QG

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ice Connect posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category