Sterling IT has been providing clients in Wetherill Park, Smithfield, surrounding suburbs, as well as the whole of Australia, Managed Services before it become a buzz word.
How do you check if your company’s and personal passwords have been breached and are for sale on the dark web?
Continue reading “Managed Services , cyber security and data protection”
Edited 14.3.2015
Finally Apple updated the IOS 8.2 and bluetooth is now working in Mazda Vehicles. If you have another brand tested, please leave in comments. Thank you
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If you are the owner of a Mazda and an Apple iPhone, good change you will have issues trying to call with your iPhone and it connecting to the bluetooth. There is a way around this by selecting speaker and when person picks up, select on the phone the bluetooth. DANGEROUS!
Hands-free are suppose to be SAFE and Mazda/Apple have not worked together to keep this safe.
There are hundreds of forums discussing this but it seems that the problem is iOS8 as even with an iPhone 5 with iOS7 there is no issues but as soon as that phone or other phones are upgraded to iOS 8 the problem starts.
After months of frustration and reading forums, we have found the solution (or the answer) on the Mazda website.
Mazda’s response is as follows:
These devices have been tested in accordance with Mazda interoperability standards. Overall device compatibility as well as individual feature operation and functionality is contingent upon the device software version, device operating system, device settings, wireless service provider, and third party applications installed on the device. Individual user results may vary. Mazda Australia and Visteon Corporation are not responsible for software irregularities or hardware issues devices may experience that are outside of our testing scope. As new device software versions become available, test compatibility results may change so please check these results regularly. Last update occurred on 17/12/2014.
Click the link and it will take you to Mazda showing compatibility.
https://www.mazdahandsfree.com/howto-findaphone?language=en-AU
With over 15 years in the hospitality industry, and partnership between NCC and Sterling IT over 16 years, we are able to provide complete solutions for you.
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Researchers have discovered a technique that may enable attackers to substitute malware for a legitimate app on Apple iOS devices such as iPhones and iPads.
Although the risk of being subjected to a Masque Attack is low, it is another reminder not to download pirated apps or software from untrusted sources. It is also a reminder that Apple products are increasingly being targeted by attackers.
As many people believe you cannot get a virus/trojans/malware on Apple devices (more so on OSX), this is not true and Apple devices, due to their numbers, will and currently are being targeted. Sterling IT use and recommend Webroot and/or Trend Micro Antivirus to protect Apple Mac.
About Masque Attack
A Masque Attack can occur if a user downloads an app from a rogue source such as a link embedded in a phishing email or from an unofficial app site hosting fake ‘uncertified’ apps.
The Masque Attack takes advantage of a weakness in iOS security which can enable malware to be installed.
If a malicious app can be crafted to use the same ‘bundle identifier’ (an ID Apple uses to identify individual apps) as a legitimate app on your phone, Apple will not check its security certificate. It means that a malicious app can replace a legitimate app on your device.
A criminal using the Masque Attack technique will typically disguise their malware as a popular game or program for you to install. Only install via the APP STORE via your device.
Once installed it may be able to steal information from your device such as passwords or internet banking details and send them to a remote server controlled by criminals. Possible impacts include the malware being able to steal logon credentials; access sensitive data; avoid detection and steal Apple IDs and passwords.
Staying safe
For FREE advice or any questions regards to this, please contact Sterling IT. You are better asking as prevention is better than cure!!
Electronic and computer based equipment need high quality, uninterrupted power supplies.
In Australia, particularly during summer months, excess strain is placed on our aging electrical infrastructure. Adding to this is the unpredictable weather patterns associated with summer storms which can cause electrical surges and power outages for extended periods of time.
The best form of PC protection is at all times to be plugged into a quality UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). This is a surge protector and voltage regulator with a back up battery. The better ones actually talk to your PC via USB, so when power drops out, the UPS instructs the PC to close all programs safely and then shut down all under battery power. For Laptop users, this is not such great concern, however, plugging into a surge protector may just save your power adapter and in some severe cases your laptop.
With no UPS, if lucky enough to be home before a storm hits, you should power down your PC and unplug it from the wall. BUT, that isn’t all; the most vulnerable route for a voltage spike is through your telephone line. We have seen some pretty severe cases where a Lightening strike has merely passed a telephone pole, to completely render every device useless connected to the router by wire (Ethernet). EMF will surge down a phone line and through your equipment like an electrical Tsunami… It takes out everything in it’s path. The safest way of protecting your equipment during an electrical storm is to firstly disconnect your telephone line from the wall (this is your source of ADSL as well as telephone), and then shut down your computers and disconnect from the power. Unfortunately, even a moderate UPS is no protection against a huge EMF spike.
We also strongly recommend you have insurance to protect your for business interruption as well (Liaise with your broker or insurance company for this) as even with recovery of systems, the loss of income could be claimed.
Even with a UPS, we have found equipment to be affected. This can be due to massive spikes or phase drops as well as the surge coming from phone lines rather than electricity lines.
Some of the more sophisticated UPS’s on the market come with software which monitors the power usage and demand on a computer or server, if the power is off for any period of time, this software will log the users off, and close the programs, then shut down the server safely.
Size matters, having the correct UPS installed will ensure that the power requirements for the business are met and the key hardware protected.
It is also worth checking your UPS from time to time, to make sure that it is doing what it is supposed to. If you’re not sure what your needs are, please request that we check next time we are onsite or book in a health check.
If you do suffer a computer failure after a storm, contact us at Sterling IT on (02) 9756 6866 and we’ll do our best to get you back on line.
“Sterling IT also provide insurance reports, quotation estimates and repairs or replacements.”
Sterling IT provides services in Wetherill Park and Smithfield Area – View our home page www.sterlingit.com.au
