Beginning on October 1, 2022, Microsoft is disabling the ability to connect to Microsoft services using legacy authentication protocols. Users are moving to modern authentication whether they want it or not. It is also up to the user to make the switch, and after...
SpireTech Company News and Tips
Windows
If you use Windows 11, you may be at risk for data loss
Users of Windows 11 or Windows Server 2022 with recent CPUs are at risk for data loss. Luckily, few users will be affected. The people who do need to worry are the ones who encrypt data regularly. To be at risk, users needed to have had one of the following hardware...
Windows Server 2012 ends its ten-year reign
Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 will soon be ending its ten years of service. Its End-of-Life date is October 10, 2023. Why does this matter now? If you use Windows Server for your business, upgrading to a newer version of Windows Server, like Windows...
Important Microsoft 365 Update
Microsoft has notified partners that they are implementing a new commerce experience starting January 2022. They had also announced in August 2021 that a change with pricing to certain subscription packages was coming in 2022. SpireTech has been tracking these changes...
Windows 11 is available now
This week, Microsoft announced the availability of Windows 11. While it offers some interesting new features, we recommend you wait a bit to let us sort out the bugs first. Our initial testing has revealed a few annoyances that you might want to be aware...
Windows 365 now generally available
Microsoft has been working on this for a while, and now it’s generally available. Basically, it’s your desktop in the cloud. Instead of VPN’ing into work, or using remote desktop to control a computer at your office, you can...
Solarwinds Hack
SpireTech does not use any SolarWinds software. However, the longer-term effects of this hack are likely not going to be known for a while - if at all - because SolarWinds was used by...
Trickboot malware can persist after complete reinstallation
Evolved from Emotet and Trickbot malware, Trickboot has the ability to modify your computer’s firmware – basically, the portion of code that lives in chips in your motherboard – to survive even after a complete wipe and...
Microsoft really wants you to stop using Internet Explorer
Microsoft is transitioning Internet Explorer 11 to End-of-life status. Internet Explorer became unsupported by Microsoft Teams on Nov 30th, 2020 and it will cease to be supported by Microsoft completely on August 11,...
Win 7 and 2008 Server are now unsupported
Just a quick note to let clients know that if you are still running Windows 7 or 2008 server, we cannot be responsible for the security of your network. The risk of ransomware is real, and we’ve heard many horror stories of companies that have been breached. Being...