Security tips of the Day

The international SANS organization offers excellent "Security Awareness Tip of the Day" posts. You can subscribe to them (an RSS feed) if you like. Some have links to more information. A few recent topics:

• E-mail is insecure by default
• Turn off your wireless AP when it's not in use
• Don't accept offers for "Free PC Scans" that pop up
• Avoid Spam in your IM email account
• Don't let Spammers see your out-of-office replies
• Four tips to keep your computer secure

Thieves steal 113 smartphones every minute -- Is yours next?

The ZoneAlarm Security Blog has some great tips for safe computing. A recent post deals with smartphone theft. Many people have no password to their smartphone. If you lose or even just temporarily misplaced your smartphone, anyone can do business "in your name" as well as gather up contact information and much, much more.

Adding a strong password (not just a simple PIN) to use the phone may be a slight inconvenience while using it, but it protects your data. This is crucial if you do any online [shudder] financial transactions with your smartphone.

Protection tips also apply to tablets and similar portable computing devices.

• Read more at the ZoneAlarm Security blog's post,
  Smartphone theft in the US: Are You an Easy Victim?

Fun games foster security awareness

The U.S. government has a great site to learn more about being smart and safe online. It's called OnGuard Online. The site includes some simple online games that let you check your "smarts" about safe computing.

You may learn something new or maybe just reinforce good habits. Either way, visit the site.

Below are links to some interactive video quizzes:

• Phishing scams
• Spam scam slam
• Invasion of the wireless hackers
• Beware of Spyware
• Laptop security
• ID Theft Faceoff

Presentation Next Win8 app

Presentation Next is a free Windows 8 app that uses HTML 5 to create presentations. Its radial menu is unusual, intriguing, logical, easy-to-use, colorful, and very functional, especially for touch screens. It works well with a desktop computer and a mouse too.

Each "slice" of the radial menu that has an arrowhead pointing outward has a sub-menu in the same radial style. A back-arrow in the middle of a radial menu is a "go back" pick. Clicking on the app icon in the middle of the main radial menu exits the menu.

Images below show the progression in selecting a color for and using a drawing pen.

 

App features include:

• ClipArt and images
• Text and table tools
• Multiple types of chart options
• Interactive data visualization widgets

While the Presentation Next app is more basic than Microsoft PowerPoint, it seems well-suited for less complex presentations and is fun to use. Could radial menus become more common, especially  for touch devices?

• Presentation Next app for Windows 8
• Presentation Next website

Some Windows 8 links

Below are links I have been collecting for Windows 8 and 8.1. Enjoy.

Windows 8.1 Reviews, Info

• Windows 8.1 Review (Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows)
• Windows 8.1 Review (The Verge)
• Windows 8.1 Now Available (Microsoft Windows Blog) - includes overview
• Hands-on with Windows 8.1 (Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows)
• Microsoft Windows 8.1 review: A more customizable, coherent experience with a nod to desktop diehards (TheNextWeb)
• Windows 8.1 overview (TechRadar).
  Notice: This site pops up a full-screen ad (currently for Hyundai) at each page change and also collects cookies. But the article text and images are good.
• Windows 8.1 Deep-Dive Review (Computer World)
• Windows 8 Review (engadget)

Windows 8 Tutorials & Help

• Getting started with Windows 8 (Microsoft "How-To pages) -- includes videos
• Hands-on with Windows 8.1 "Help + Tips" (Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows)

Windows 8.1 Issues

• Two Windows 8.1 roll-up updates already (Windows IT Pro)
• Important Issues in Windows 8.1 (Microsoft TechNet)

[NOTICE: Due to problems updating some Windows 8 RT tablets to 8.1, Microsoft pulled the 8.1 update for RT (only) on Oct. 19. It will be added back to the Windows Store after the issue is fixed.]

Coming for Windows 8.1

• A new Bing version coming for Windows 8.1 (TheNextWeb)

Windows 8.1 observations

After installing Windows 8.1, I poked around the interface looking for changes. Here's what I noticed:

The Start Screen

• New apps appear on the Start Screen (Help + Tips, Reading List, Food & Drink, Health & Fitness)
• Tile background colors. Non-Metro apps have tiles with different color backgrounds now. In 8.0 were all one color that matched the Start Page background theme.
• Tile image size. Non-Metro apps have app images that seem smaller. That may so that if you choose the "Small" size tile, the difference in the image size is not so great. Or it may be an illusion and I'm remembering 8.0 image sizes wrong.
• Tile sizes. You can make Metro app tiles sizes large, medium, or small. Non-Metro app tiles can only be medium of small.
• The "Store" tile now scrolls vertically when live. In 8.0 a live Store tile just showed the number of app updates available, if any (as I recall). I'd prefer the option to just show the updates number.
• Customize Start. A new "Customize" button appears on the Start Screen at the bottom right if you right-click. That lets you add titles for tile groups. It may be handy for some. I'm OK with no titles.
• All apps. A new down-arrow icon (within a circle) appears at the bottom left area of the start screen. Selecting that displays the All Apps screen. You can choose to sort the apps list by name, date installed, most used, or by category. A more helpful choice would be to sort alphabetically within the "most used" listing. The current "most used" list is not alphabetical -- it's a primary sort only on frequency of use.
• Giant arrows point to key places. During first use of Windows 8.1, large black boxes with huge arrows point to key places to do things. Places include the left side top and bottom corners. This should help ease new Windows 8 users into the OS.

The Desktop

Start Screen button

The Desktop now sports a Start Screen icon at the bottom left of the Taskbar. That logically sends you to the Start Screen (which is the Windows 8.x equivalent of the old XP and Windows 7 Start Menu).

That same button appears on the Start Screen if you mouse to the lower left corner.

This "switcher" icon is OK, but something I didn't really need. I either mouse to a left corner or pressed the Windows key (a Start Screen and Desktop toggle) to do the same thing. But some people will like the new feature.

Power User menu

A right-click on the Desktop's "start" button now pops up a power user type menu of several administrative menu picks and power/sign-off picks.

Internet Explorer

IE gets an upgrade to version 11. It's time to check access to your favorite sites and see if the sites have any problems with IE 11. If any do, try forcing a "Compatibility View".

MS Office updates

I had installed all needed Microsoft Updates on "Patch Tuesday", yet the day after my update to Windows 8.1, new Office 2013 updates came in. That may mean they were related to Windows 8.1.

Security caution

If you use a non-Microsoft firewall or antivirus app, make sure it's running after the 8.1 update. Some software was not ready for this update. That includes "big" names like the folks at ZoneAlarm (CheckPoint).

If your security software is not working, you may need to disable or remove it and use Microsoft's software until yours gets fixed.

If your anti-malware and/or firewall software is not working correctly, the Windows Action Center should detect that and Alert you. You may want to check Action Center just in case.

Windows Defends

The Windows 8.1 update detected that my ZoneAlarm for Windows 8.0 was not compatible with 8.1. It then took the below actions.

1. Disabled ZoneAlarm
2. Enabled Real-Time Protection using Windows Defender
3. Displayed an Action Center notice about ZoneAlarm.
4. Gave a link in the Action Center notice directly to the ZoneAlarm web page about the incompatibility and fix status

Congratulations, Microsoft! Great job of:

• Defending the customer's computer
• Alerting the customer to a security issue with their software
• Displaying crucial information about the customer's product
• Providing a direct link to the customer's Anti-Malware app developer page about the issue and its status

Wow! These update-related actions are a truly excellent  automatic adjustment to a bad security situation. After reading the Action Center notice, I opened Windows Defender and fully expected to have to manually set it up. It was already running real-time protection!

This is one of the best customer-oriented software behaviors I have seen in a long time. Again, kudos to Microsoft for a job well-done.

My Windows 8.1 "update" experience

First, I would not call this an update. It's more like a refresh of the entire OS. Caution: The update takes quite some time to finish. So make sure no power outage is headed your way. Set aside at least 30 minutes.

As always, I recommend a backup of all your data before starting this major update. I use a custom batch program to backup all my new files to an external 2TB hard drive.

Tip: Check to see if your Antivirus software is compatible with Windows 8.1. Some companies (like ZoneAlarm) were a bit slow getting out an updated app. If there is a compatibility issue, disable the Antivirus and make sure Windows Defender is running before doing this OS update.

My system

• Dell XPS 8500
• 1TB HDD
• 24GB RAM

My Windows 8 update (upgrade) experience

First try failed

1. Logged in with my Windows Account ID and password (not a local account).
2. Checked the Windows Store, expecting to see Windows 8.1 there. No. It was not listed.
3. Did a web search and located a Microsoft web page with a link to download and install 8.1
4. I chose that update link.
5. The update process started with a huge download -- Gigabytes! That took a bit of time on my Comcast broadband connection even though it averages about 15Mbps for downloads.
6. The actual install started.
7. When the screen notice that the system was ready for a restart, I chose the "Restart" button.
8. Problem. As the PC did a restart, it never proceeded past the Dell splash graphic. Even Ctrl+Alt+Delete failed to work.
9. Shutdown PC.
10. Restated PC.
11. Windows announced that "we could not update the PC to 8.1".
12. Windows restored Windows 8.0 without a problem .

Try # 2 succeeds

1. I logged in again.
2. Checked the Microsoft Store. It now showed the 8.1 update as the prime one (large and at left).
3. I chose the update.
4. The update detected that files were already downloaded. It completed the installation.
   Note: The last screen warns that the process will require several PC restarts. They don't lie.
5. At the prompt to restart or close, this time I chose "Close".
6. I then made sure all apps were closed and manually restarted the PC via the Charms Power Settings.
7. The PC this time processed fine and at the Dell logo splash screen displayed the twirling dots "busy" cursor. (I find the two ways Windows 8 uses moving dots to show action kind of cute.)
8. After a restart, "Setting up your PC" appeared. Then a restart.
9. "Setting up Devices". Then a restart.
10. "Setting up Devices" (yes, a second time). Then a restart.
11. "Setting up your PC settings". Then a restart.
12. "Setting up a few more things." Cute. I just laughed at this point.
13. "Getting Ready".
14. The license agreement screen appeared. I accepted.
15. You must choose "Express" or "Customize" settings. You can change these settings later. I chose Express.
    A few pucker-factor Express settings you may want to consider:
    -- Send information to Microsoft to help improve software, service, and location services.
    -- Use page prediction in Internet Explorer. This preloads pages IE expects you to use next. This sends your browsing history to Microsoft.
    -- Let Windows use your name, account picture, and advertising ID, and request location from the Windows Location Platform.
16. "Account Setup." Login with your Windows account. My method sent a security code to my cell phone, then I entered it to proceed.
17. Auto-backup to SkyDrive (cloud). This backs up new photos and documents plus PC settings. There is a link to turn off this feature if you prefer. I left it at the default.
18. "Hi", said Winny 8.1. "We're setting things up for you." This is taking a while. While this is processing, the background rotates through several attractive solid color backgrounds.
19. "Installing your apps". This may be where Windows is installing the new Win 8.1 apps.
20. "Taking care of a few things". The message line at the bottom reads, "Installing your apps", then later changes to "Don't turn off your PC". 
21. "Let's Start"
22. The Windows 8.1 Start Screen appears.

Post-install printing issue

After Windows 8.1 installed, all seemed well until I tried to print. No printers worked and trying to add or edit one resulted in some blank dialog boxes and an error message. Windows even failed to let me delete a printer listing and referenced Active Directory. Yipes! Active Directory!?

Finally -- before a reinstall of Windows and gnashing of teeth -- I tried something that many basic users might try first. I ran the printer troubleshooting wizard. Presto -- problem fixed.

The real cause of the problem was that the printing service had stopped. [hand-to-face] [embarrassed smile]. The troubleshooter worked like a charm detecting and fixing that. I had needless anxiety because I was expecting the issue to be complex.