Facebook Announces Cursor Tracking Software May Be Used

Facebook, the social networking giant with 1.19 billion active monthly users, is thinking about using a technology that tracks the cursor movements of users. The tracking software would provide information regarding where a user’s cursor hovers, such as over specific ads on Facebook websites; and even how often a user checks out a newsfeed on their mobile phone.

The software could be used for data mining purposes, and according to Facebook, the information would be added to its data analytics warehouse, which holds 300 petabytes of information, and is used primarily for product development and targeted advertising. 

Although it’s not a “done deal,” Facebook users will likely perceive this tracking as an invasion of their privacy.  But if the tracking technology is implemented, Facebook would be the first social media network to track users’ cursor movements.  The obvious question is whether or not Facebook users will stay with them. Chances are, many won’t be pleased and could potentially take their business to another social media site. 

Remote vs. Physical Access

Most MSPs offer remote tech support, storage, hosting, and management. Many smaller companies today now host their email and important documents on a remote cloud-based data center.  It’s not only more cost effective but allows for easy access on and off site, as well as enhanced project coordinating capabilities.

MSPs can also send people on-site when the need arises, where national cloud-based providers can’t.  So it’s important to select an MSP near your office location. When a machine doesn’t run properly, you need the assistance of the company that can pay an on-site visit.   However, in many instances MSPs can solve the problem using remote services. A good MSP will also build redundancies into your IT system to avoid work downtimes, and to prevent lost data.

What Should a Small Business Look for in a MSP?

If a proposal is full of jargon and acronyms, this is a red flag. MSPs should be able to explain, in plain business terms, exactly what they’re providing and you’re receiving. Ask questions to ensure you’re clear about ongoing expenses.  It’s the MSPs responsibility to make these clear and predictable. Ask what you’ll be paying during the first year? After three years? Five years?

What IT Services Should Small Businesses Plan For?

Consider everything from the keyboard to business data. — Most importantly, email, data, and protection. Then there’s connectivity, from employee’s homes to the office and accessibility using mobile devices. Also be sure to plan what applications you’ll need such as Word and Excel. And absolutely ensure you have a business continuity plan and disaster recovery plan for security protection and accessibility of data no matter the circumstance.

How Much Money Can Be Saved Using an MSP?

There are huge savings available in staffing as mentioned previously. An in-house IT technician will cost you more than $70K a year, and you’ll only get the expertise of one person rather than the full team of IT experts at your MSP. Plus, most companies can save $30,000 to $60,000 in hardware if they start using hosted services.  

After considering all the data, there’s no question that for your small business outsourcing IT to an MSP is your best choice. With an MSP overseeing your system, you can focus on your business concerns rather than IT.    

Small Businesses Can Benefit From Outsourcing Their IT Needs

Small businesses can’t always afford to staff a large IT department, but as technology becomes more complex and sophisticated, and security threats increase, the need for technical expertise grows. Outsourcing bits and pieces of an IT department can be expensive and difficult, but using a managed service provider (MSP) avoids this. MSPs allow companies to outsource their all their IT needs for a fixed monthly cost.

Why Outsource instead of Using In-House IT?

Smaller businesses are competing with larger ones for the same IT people. With salaries for in-house IT professionals reaching $100,000, plus the costs for benefits, many small businesses are keeping their IT staff to just one or two members.  With today’s IT complexities, the need for constant security monitoring, this just isn’t enough. Large companies have the ability to pay better salaries, provide better benefits, and hire more employees, so it’s easier for them to staff an in-house IT team.

An MSP provides 24/7/365 IT coverage, so unlike when using an in-house IT employee, illnesses, vacations, family issues, and holidays won’t disrupt the management of your system. You also won’t have to spend the time recruiting, hiring, training, or managing IT employees if you outsource to an MSP.

Most business owners don’t even know what discrepancies exist in their IT system, or what to look for, so they’re literally being “held hostage” by just one or two IT employees.   

The Best Choice For Small Businesses is To Use an MSP

Managed service providers make IT more predictable and cost effective, often providing flat-fee services that cover the spectrum of most small businesses needs.  They offer a monthly payment without expense surprises. In addition, it can be difficult to budget for the technology aspect of a company. When buying your own servers, how can you predict how long they’ll last? A knowledgeable MSP can make the budgeting process easier, and even help you develop a long-term IT plan for your business.

Google+ Adds New Privacy Controls to Attract Business Users

Since its launch in 2011, Google+ has been one of the most active social media networks today. In fact, Google is the second-largest social media site with 235 million users. The features built into the Google+ platform, such as Communities and Hangouts, have made Google+ an attractive network for all types of users, including business users.

Google has added new privacy controls to Google+ to give business users a more secure way to share sensitive information with people in their communities. The new privacy controls include “restricted communities” to allow conversations using privacy-aware controls.

Communities in Google+ were designed to allow users to start private conversations. With “restricted communities,” business users can now decide whether to open the community on an “invite” basis, or to allow everyone within an organization to view conversations.

This new feature is part of Google’s attempt to attract business users without the worry about exposing confidential company information. "At most organizations, it's important to make sure that private conversations remain private," said Google+ Product Manager Michael Cai.

Business users can now share a variety of sensitive topics, such as a design for a product in beta testing, or notes from an important meeting. With restricted communities, all posts are restricted and confidential within that community.  

In addition, administrators have the ability to set restricted communities as a default for their organization. Once the restricted community has been created, users can share files from Google’s Drive file storage, as well as events, videos, and photos. Administrators can also invite specific team members to view and join the conversations.

And if appropriate, users can create communities and open them to others outside of their organization, so specific clients, agencies, and business partners can also join in on conversations.

Recurring SVCHOST Bug Locks Windows XP Machines

A recurring bug comes back even stronger than before for Windows XP. The bug travels with this month’s round of Automatic Updates on recently installed Windows XP SP3 machines running Windows Update. When Automatic Update is turned on, your machine will stall twice.

The first stall will be when Windows Update accesses the Microsoft Website and gathers a list of available updates, many users’ have reported a 5-20 minute lock on their machines, with the fan and CPU running at full power. The second stall occurs when the customer waits for the updates, clicks to install them, and their machine freezes for another 5-10 minutes.

Apparently, Microsoft has known about this particular bug for months, without bothering to fix it, possibly as incentive for both individuals and organizations to update their operating systems. In September, discussions on a support forum suggested that the bug originated back in 2004. The recent Black Tuesday patches in November 2013 didn’t attempt to fix the problem.

In addition, it’s actually simple to find the source of the problem. In most cases, wuauclt.exe – the Windows Update Agent – running in a SVCHOST package takes over the computer, suggesting that the bug resides in wuauclt on Windows XP or in the way wuauclt is handled by Microsoft’s servers on Windows XP. 

It’s a good idea to turn off Automatic Update, however, the problem won’t be solved. Once you manually enter Windows Update, the problem reoccurs and your machine will freeze up. Another solution involves manually updating Internet Explorer by installing an IE update. It’s important to manually download and apply the patch for your specific version of IE. 

The best solution would be to upgrade your operating system. Most of us are aware that the end of support date is approaching on April 8^th, 2014. When Windows XP support ends, Microsoft will stop maintaining and updating the operating system. However, this recurring unsolved problem makes many of us wonder: has Microsoft already stopped maintaining the operating system? 

Of course, without support for Windows XP, there will be nothing to stop the vulnerabilities and bugs that occur, and reoccur, on a regular basis. Businesses running Windows XP will not be protected or secure. In fact, many of them aren’t secure right now, as the current bug proves. 

Despite the constant warnings, many organizations continue to use Windows XP. According to the software consultancy Camwood, approximately 40% of businesses are running the operating system. Surprisingly, one in five of those organizations intend to continue with Windows XP after the end of support date. Organizations of all types and sizes must prepare for April 8^th, 2014. Windows XP is not secure enough to continue running, and the migration process must begin as soon as possible.
To learn more about Windows XP vulnerabilities and discuss your migration options, IT experts are best  for it.