“A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down. A computer teaches us to check for updates and pray.”
— Adapted from Robert Benchley
Greetings and Welcome to November.
I am happy to say goodbye to October. It was a record month and not necessarily in a good way. The security world has nicknamed it “Black October.” Microsoft released fixes for more than 1,400 security flaws in October. That is a record! Hackers moved in fast, and they were using at least one of the flaws before the fix became available.
How do you protect yourself? An unpatched computer is like going home and leaving the office unlocked. An employee did exactly that to me once. I was furious! Fortunately, no one discovered the unlocked door, but I digress.
You want to install updates. If you are running Windows Home, the updates come in automatically. You will want to verify they are not paused. The quickest way to check that setting is to click the search button on the taskbar. Type Windows Update in the search bar and when Windows Update Settings appear, click it. If updates are paused, toggle them back on. Then click Check for updates, and if it says Restart now, restart.
If you run a business, you can subscribe to Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM). No more surprise reboots in the middle of your workday, and no more wondering whether updates actually installed. This will give proof that the updates happened (insurance companies like proof) and there is control over the timing. Reboots can be scheduled and buggy updates can be put on hold. And yes, Microsoft has pushed out updates that made a mess. RMM also patches third-party apps like Chrome, Adobe, Zoom and Java. Chrome alone had at least three security updates in October, fixing about 110 flaws.
Something else that happened in October: Office 2021 reached end of support (Office 2019 reached end of support in 2025). I used to tell people not to worry about Office, but I can’t say that anymore. Here is why you should care:
1. No more security fixes. October’s record batch of fixes skipped Office 2016 & 2019 entirely, and Office 2021 got its last. Booby-trapped Word and Excel attachments are one of the most common ways attackers get in, and unpatched Office makes that easy.
2. It still works, which is the trap. Nothing breaks the day support ends, so it feels safe. The risk keeps growing every month as new flaws are found and never fixed.
3. Email connection problems are starting. Microsoft no longer supports Office 2019 connecting to Microsoft 365 email. Users have reported Outlook 2019 stuck on an endlessly spinning sign-in with Exchange Online. When that happens, Microsoft’s answer is “upgrade.”
4. Cyber insurance and compliance. Insurers, PCI scans and auditors increasingly flag unsupported software. It can mean a failed scan, a denied claim or higher premiums.
5. Compatibility drift. Newer files, add-ons and features from people on current versions will increasingly fail to open correctly or work at all.
While I am hopeful that November will be less chaotic, I also know that the holiday shopping season is starting and it is prime time for hackers to steal your credit card. A few quick tips: be wary of “delivery problem” texts and emails, shop only on sites you know, and check your card statements weekly. If you have questions or want to set up Remote Monitoring & Management, give me a call. I would love to chat.
~Janet
Because it Made Me Laugh
And this is what my life looks like!
