Midwest Info System

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Midwest Info System

Midwest Info System is an end to end technology solutions provider, that combines expertise, creativity and versatility for your success.

Our solutions help businesses improve operations through managed IT services.

07/07/2022

First things first: It all starts with choosing the right router or other equipment. It's best to move the router to a central location to optimize the signal.

Routers tend to spread signals downward, so it's best to mount the router as high as possible to maximize coverage. Try placing it high on a bookshelf or mounting it on the wall in an inconspicuous place. Try to pick a location that's away from other electronics and large metal objects.

Let us help you navigate this ever-changing world of IT. [email protected]

Want better Wi-Fi? Follow these five tips for finding the best place for your router. You can speed up your Wi-Fi by putting your router in the right

06/23/2022

Malware delivered to email accounts rose 196% in 2021 year on year, according to cybersecurity firm Trend Micro, which warns that email remains a major avenue for criminals looking to deliver malware and phish account credentials.

Ransomware threats delivered through email declined in 2021 due to attackers shifting from mass campaigns with small demands aimed at individuals to highly targeted efforts involving larger ransom sums to decrypt files.

Trends in business email compromise (BEC) are ambiguous. According to Trend Micro, BEC detections decreased by 10.61% year on year. But the FBI says BEC cost businesses $2.4 billion in 2021, which is up from $1.8 billion in 2020.

Let us help you navigate this ever-changing world of IT. [email protected]

Criminals still like using email to phish credentials but ransomware delivered by email has tapered off. Malware delivered to email accounts rose 196% in

06/22/2022

Ransomware as a service (RaaS) is also now a standalone and popular criminal business. Operators can purchase access to ransomware for use in their campaigns, whether they are targeting the general public en masse or going after 'Big Game' enterprise companies.

Microsoft is focused on disrupting the earliest stages of a ransomware attack with AI enhancements for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. In what the company calls "early incrimination," machine learning (ML) algorithms are being developed to determine "malicious intent" in files, processes, user accounts, and devices.

Three sets of AI-generated inputs have been developed in the cybersecurity solution, which independently generates a risk score determining whether an entity is likely involved in an active ransomware attack:

Time-based and statistical analysis of security alerts at the organizational level
Graph-based aggregation of suspicious events across devices
Device-based monitoring to flag suspicious activities

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Microsoft is targeting human-operated ransomware operations. Microsoft has revealed how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are used in the fight

06/21/2022

Attackers are sending email with voicemail notifications that advise them of a missed voicemail which prompts them to open an attachment from the web.

The attack even uses a CAPTCHA as part of the ruse. The same technique was used in a campaign Zscaler observed in 2020. While solving a CAPTCHA test usually leads to a site the user intended to visit, this one leads to the phishing page.

Many people don't check voicemail, but voice messages on WhatsApp and LinkedIn have been a thing for several years, so it can be an effective way to trick users into clicking a link in an email.

Let us help you navigate this ever-changing world of IT. [email protected]

No, you really don't have a new voicemail. Criminals are targeting people in US military and tech organizations with so-called "vishing", where supposed

03/01/2022

If you're looking for an alternative office suite, there are several choices to be found. Here are five favorites that aren't Office 365 or Google Workspace. Let us help you navigate this ever-changing world of IT. [email protected]

1. Zoho Office *If you’ve used either Google Workspace or Office 365, Zoho Workplace will be surprisingly familiar. Standard account at $3/month/user for 30GB mail storage (per user) and 10GB WorkDrive storage (per user) and the Professional account at $6/month/user for 100GB mail and 100GB WorkDrive storage.*

2. NextCloud *Installs locally on a server so data is never shared outside of LAN. So, if the idea of storing your important documents on a third-party server rubs you the wrong way, Nextcloud is a fantastic option. Nextcloud is free to download and use.*

3. ONLYOFFICE *Can be a bit tricky to get up and running, but when ready, you’ll find a well-designed user-interface that gives you access to tools for documents, spreadsheets, project management, CRM, mail, contacts and more. It also offers 100% compatibility with docx, xlsx and pptx. And, like Nextcloud, you’ll be storing all of your documents on your own server. Deploying ONLYOFFICE via Docker is free.*

4. iCloud *Apple’s iCloud allows users to access the iWork suite of tools, which includes Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, iCloud Drive, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Reminders and more. The only caveat is that the iCloud layout could use a bit of work. Instead of having one interface that integrates all of the tools, you have to open each tool individually from the icloud.com site*

5. Softmaker Office *Available for Linux, macOS and Windows, Softmaker Office includes documents, spreadsheets, presentations and offers PDF creation and much more. You can either subscribe to SoftMaker Office NX Universal for $4.99/month or NX Home for $29.99/month or purchase SoftMaker Office 2021 for $79.95.*

If you're looking for an alternative office suite, there are several choices to be found. Jack Wallen offers his five favorites that aren't Office 365 or

02/17/2022

Chrome OS Flex could be a saving grace for businesses attempting to operate with a mixed fleet of older Mac or PCs and newer Chromebooks. Those aging systems could not only be given new life running Chrome OS Flex but with Chrome Enterprise Upgrade, they can be managed within the same Google Admin console as newer Chrome OS devices. It would also be much easier to move everything over from Flex to a new Chromebook when it’s time for a hardware upgrade.

Let us help you navigate this ever-changing world of IT. [email protected]

Google today announced a new operating system, Chrome OS Flex, a free-to-use, cloud-based OS built to convert old PCs or Macs into Chromebooks. The

02/11/2022

“If you’re a small business that’s relied on G Suite legacy free edition, we couldn’t help but notice you might be in the market for a new solution,” says Jared Spataro, head of Microsoft 365. “We’ve got news for you: today, you can get a 60 percent discount on a 12-month Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, or Business Premium subscription, along with the help you need to make the move.”

Google announced last month that it plans to make free “legacy” G Suite accounts pay for a subscription by May 1st. The move surprised a bunch of G

02/02/2022

That total time of eight connected hours ensures any update Microsoft releases for its operating systems will be installed successfully. The time a device is powered on and connected to Microsoft services such as Windows Update is referred to as "Update Connectivity" internally. The eight-hour period is therefore known as the "minimum Update Connectivity measurement."

Microsoft identified this as the main reason some devices aren't achieving a 'fully up-to-date' state. Updating Windows can be a frustrating process, but

01/21/2022

Starting this summer, according to an IRS spokesperson, users with an IRS.gov account will no longer be able to log in with a simple username and password. Instead, they will need to provide a government identification document, a selfie, and copies of their bills to Virginian-based identity verification firm ID.me to confirm their identity. That change, first noticed by Krebs on Security, marks a major shift for the Internal Revenue Service, which previously allowed users to access their IRS accounts without submitting personal biometric data.

You will have to submit sensitive government documents, your Social Security number, credit history, and a face scan to ID.me, a third-party company.

01/07/2022

Memory is essential for your computer to function normally. If you don’t have enough RAM, your computer will perform poorly. Sometimes a problem known as a memory leak can result in your computer “running out” of RAM, even if you have a powerful machine.

Let us help you navigate this ever-changing world of IT. [email protected]

Memory is essential for your computer to function normally. If you don’t have enough RAM, your computer will perform poorly. Sometimes a problem

01/05/2022

There are countless factors that can affect the performance of a home’s wifi network, from building materials to running appliances to the location of the devices trying to connect to it. TP-Link’s solution to that last problem is a new Wi-Fi 6E router with four motorized antennas that independently move and rotate to automatically provide the strongest signal possible to devices as they move around your home.

Let us help you navigate this ever-changing world of IT. [email protected]

It's a unique alternative to mesh wifi that provides targeted signals to device hot spots in your house. There are countless factors that can affect the

01/03/2022

1. Secure your methods of communication. Consider Signal, Telegram, or one of a handful of secure messaging apps—even iMessage conversations are end-to-end encrypted.

2. Secure your online accounts. While you’re poking around in various account settings, keep an eye out for small but useful features that can improve your security and privacy. One, for example, is Hide My Email on Apple devices.

3. Check your apps’ permissions. It’s also easy to quickly tap “allow” while you’re trying to use an app without thinking of the ramifications

4. Limit how you are tracked online. If you’d rather stick with the browser you already have, consider some security-focused add-ons that will block ads and clean up your browsing history, among other tasks.

Let us help you navigate this ever-changing world of IT. [email protected]

Get your devices together and have a little DIY security summit. Many of us have spent almost two years acclimating to a more virtual world, but it

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2100 Mancherster Road
Wheaton, IL
60187

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http://www.midwestinfosystem.com/

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