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June 11, 2020 By Web Admin Sydney Web and Tech

Update to WordPress v 5.4.2

Regarding an immediate update to Update to WordPress v 5.4.2:

Sydney Web + Tech are always working behind the scenes to make sure your site is secure and maintained correctly.
As you are probably aware, Sydney Web + Tech are very serious when it comes to security. and we are diligent and vigilant when it comes to new threats.

This latest WordPress update is a maintenance and security release (June 10 2020) and contains updates to new and very serious threats that have not been disclosed except to the WordPress development team.

Websites on WordPress version 5.4.1 – we will be upgrading to WordPress version 5.4.2.
The update to WordPress v 5.4.2 will be the last major update until the release until WordPress version 5.5 (hopefully) on 11 August 2020.

We have deemed that this update is critical to security and therefore is being rolled out over the next 48 hours to all websites we manage.

June 10, 2020 By Jim McGregor

If you get sent a bill from someone you Don’t know Don’t click on the link!

One of my customers called this week. He received a link for a bill he was asked to pay immediately.
Malware embedded in a zip file was attached to the email. The message was not Was not flagged as spam in his webmail application.
It is unusual for this type of email content to go undetected, it is possible though, especially when it is a new type of threat.
Spam systems rely on intelligence from previously reported email messages. These applications, use a data bank of previously learned data to check each incoming message, in order to learn and assess threats There is no 100% reliable system. It’s a matter of doing the best it can to combat threats.

At the end of the day, the end user, (you) need to take some responsibility.

The golden rule is always be wary. If you are sent suspicious messages, especially if they contain dodgy links or attachments. You need to assess and not trust the spam / malware filtering. If in doubt delete the message or mark it as spam (or both) Spam detection systems eventually catch up and these messages will go away.

Remember also , if someone is sending you an invoice There is a fair chance you would remember purchasing a product or service from them.

I hope this is useful to you If you nee more information on how to protect yourself, please contact me.

May 26, 2020 By Web Admin Sydney Web and Tech

Very quick hack for a faster safer Internet

If you are like me, you are always looking for faster and safer internet connections.

There are several ways to make your internet safer. Virus and malware companies have overlays that examine the traffic coming into your computer to block potential threats. VPN companies protect your privacy, and if you are using a VPN solution such as NordVPN you can get an excellent cyber security layer that will block malware, pop-ups anddramatically increase your privacy.

If you are looking for protection and privacy but do not want to spend more money or run yet another load hogging application, you might wish to look at Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 for families. This is a replacement for your current DNS Servers and boasts greater response speed for DNS requests.

I have been testing the Warp+ product on my Android Phone for a while now and I really like the added security it gives me.

Cloudflare have comprehensive instructions for setting up your Windows or Mac OS computer here. to protect your PC or Mac.

The best part of this little hack is it is so non invasive and requires no additional software. As this is a change to your network settings It won’t interfere with anything else you may be running such as Anti Virus software.

I highly recommend you give this a try.

May 5, 2020 By Jim McGregor

Update Zoom Now!

There has been an important notice regarding Zoom software. You now need to update your software to greater than Zoom version 5.0. If you have not upgraded before May 30th, Zoom clients will receive a forced upgrade when trying to join a meeting.

The reason for the upgrade is to fully enable GCM Encryption across the Zoom platform. Click on the link for more information.

How do you Upgrade Zoom?

Please note: Images below are a little blurry. If you click on the image you will get a clearer larger version. – You can click on the close button at the bottom of the enlarged image to go back to the post.

It is always a good idea to make sure your computer operating system is up to date and you regularly back up. Close any open programs, other than Zoom before updating as a precaution and also to maximise memory and CPU availability.

Updating is a fairly easy process, once you navigate to the correct menu in the application. Please note the directions below are specific to the Zoom Desktop Software. Variances may occur in Android or IOS Versions of the application.

Open Zoom – On the top right of the application will be your profile icon.
Determine if you need to upgrade :
Click on your Profile Icon and a drop down will be displayed.
Click on “Help” then “About Zoom” A dialog box will be displayed with information about your copy of the application. The Version number will be displayed. If the version number is below version 5.0 you need to update.
Upgrade Zoom: Click on Your Profile then “Check for Updates” and the Update Process will begin. If a release is available, Zoom will display information on what the available update is and you will see an update button. Click Update to begin the update process.
That’s it!
The update process should go OK and that’s all you will need to do. If , however all goes south on you. The easiest action is to remove the application and reinstall from the download link on the Zoom website.