Up and down the country many people are feeling the need for speed — and they’re getting it too.

So what about us: 0151 648 Irby Village?

The long promised benefits of increased broadband speeds over ten times the current national average will help avoid arguments over who gets to watch BBC iPlayer, download the latest movie or Skype relatives over the pond. It will make work and play faster and more productive than ever.

Have you noticed the small roadworks on the corner of the road near yours? Well that’s BT and it’s contractors rushing to meet our nations targets for the rollout and the good news? SOMETHING is finally happening!

Our friends and family in neighbouring towns and villages have had the luxury of this upgrade for some time, others are waiting as patiently eagerly as us. BT has delayed this process for years pushing back the deadline time after time. So one recent morning we geeks of the village smiled when we drove into work and noticed busy beavers digging up all over the show. After checking multiple sources we can happily confirm the following:

• Irby’s telephone exchange has been upgraded
• Telephone street cabinets have started to be replaced
• Some 648 areas can now order superfast fibre broadband
• BT have set a new date: September 2014 for the completion of the rollout
• BT fibre cabinets will not reach everyone*
• 2 Cabinets active to date updated 23.07.14

So it’s good news but not perfect. BT keep their lips sealed on what’s going on at street level making it a guessing game for now — and not a particularly fun one…

Ben…

PS – When we’re able we will be getting FTTP (translation: even faster than standard fibre) with speeds of 330mbps (translation: alot) helping us to speed up our wirral computer repairs that require ever increasing downloads for software, updates, backups etc.

*BT say it’s not viable/profitable to upgrade everyone everywhere. The more remote or least populated areas are likely to be sacrificed for now. We’re not alone either and waiting for the upgrade just like you!

The Yahoo blogging platform Tumblr has advised the public to “change your passwords everywhere – especially your high-security services like email, file storage and banking”.

Security advisers have given similar warnings about the Heartbleed Bug.

It follows news that a product used to safeguard data could be compromised to allow eavesdropping.

OpenSSL is a popular cryptographic library used to digitally scramble sensitive data as it passes to and from computer servers so that only the service provider and the intended recipients can make sense of it.

Google Security and Codenomicon – a Finnish security company – revealed on Monday that a flaw had existed in the software for more than two years that could be used to expose the secret keys that identify service providers employing OpenSSL.

They said that if attackers made copies of these keys they could steal the names and passwords of people using the services, as well as take copies of their data and set up spoof sites that would appear legitimate because they used the stolen credentials.

They nicknamed it the Heartbleed Bug because the flaw caused the “leak of memory contents” between servers and their clients.

It is not known whether the exploit had been used before the revelation, since doing so would not leave a trail – unless the hackers published their haul online.

The BBC understands that Google warned a select number of organisations about the issue before making it public, so they could update their equipment to a new version of OpenSSL released at the start of the week.

A researcher at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory said it would be an overreaction to say everyone should drop what they are doing to reset all their passwords, but that those concerned should still act.

Security companies have developed tests that can reveal if a service remains vulnerable to the flaw ”I think there is a low to medium risk that any given password has been compromised,” said Dr Steven Murdoch.

“It’s not the same as previous breaches where there’s been confirmed password lists posted to the internet. It’s not as urgent as that.

“But changing your password is very easy. So it’s not a bad idea but it’s not something people have to rush out to do unless the service recommends you do so.”

Sources: Ben Gaskell, BBC, Leo Kelion

Support for the venerable Windows XP operating system ends this Tuesday.

It means that there will be no more official security updates and bug fixes for the operating system from Microsoft.

Some governments have negotiated extended support contracts for the OS in a bid to keep users protected.

Security firms said anyone else using the 13-year-old software would be at increased risk of infection and compromise by cyber-thieves.

Old code

Statistics suggest 20-25% of all users have stuck with XP despite the fact that there have been three major releases of Windows since its debut in 2001.

Some of those existing XP users have struck deals to get security fixes from Microsoft while they complete their migration away from the ageing code.

The UK government has signed a £5.5m deal for extended support. Similarly the Dutch government has signed a “multi-million euro” deal to obtain help for the 40,000 PCs running XP used by the nation’s civil servants.

Anyone currently running Windows XP already faced a disproportionate risk of falling victim to malware, said David Emm, a senior research analyst at security firm Kaspersky.

Many of the world’s cash machines are still believed to be running Windows XP “Our data indicates that less than one fifth of our customers run Windows XP but more than a quarter of infections are Windows XP-based,” he said.

That exposure ratio was only going to get worse after 8 April, he said, once the last security patch for Windows XP had been released.

That final patch will fix a series of bugs, one of which is rated as critical and is already being actively exploited despite only being discovered in late March.

“Effectively, every vulnerability discovered after 8 April will become a zero-day vulnerability – that is, one for which there is not and never will be, a patch,” said Mr Emm.

Windows XP users topped the list of victims cyber-thieves targeted, said Maik Morgenstern and Andreas Marx from the German AV-Test group, which rates and ranks security software.

“Malware writers go for the low hanging fruits because it’s a lot easier to infect systems running on an old Windows XP operating system compared to brand-new Windows 8.1, with all its built-in security features,” they said.

“We think we will see a lot of attacks for Windows XP within the next few months, but attackers will also always add exploits for other Windows systems just to catch those systems as well.”

Patch plan

Many have stuck with XP and ignored newer versions of Windows Orla Cox, a senior manager at cyber-defence firm Symantec’s security response unit, said criminals groups were likely to hoard the XP vulnerabilities they knew about rather than use them to bolster malware being spammed out to millions of people.

“The types of groups sitting on zero-days will tend to use them against high-end targets and for corporate espionage,” she said. “Some organisations will have particular concerns because they find it so hard to move away from XP.”

However, she added, any zero-day that did get used against a corporate target was likely to be re-used later on.

“Once it’s out there it gets into the malware kits and then gets circulated and there will be no defence,” she said.

Mark O’Neill, a spokesman for data management firm Axway, said organisations were getting better at coping with software that had hit its end-of-life.

“Beyond high-profile programs like XP there are a lot of products that have gone out of support because the company behind them has gone out of business or was acquired,” he said.

In addition many other products were written in old programming languages that made them expensive to maintain and update.

As a result, many IT departments have put such ageing programs in the virtual equivalent of a “black box” and subsequently update the external code if security patches need to be applied.

“You can create a layer above the older application and that gives you a place to patch,” Mr O’Neill said.

“Companies are not defenceless even with the things they cannot patch.”

Sources: Ben Gaskell, BBC.co.uk

We’re now open late on Thursdays until 8pm - plus we’re open Saturday as usual too!

]]> http://www.irbycomputers.co.uk/ic-news/openinghours/feed/ 0 http://www.irbycomputers.co.uk/ic-news/www/ http://www.irbycomputers.co.uk/ic-news/www/#comments Wed, 25 Sep 2013 23:08:38 +0000 Ben http://www.irbycomputers.co.uk/?p=811 Continue Reading]]> We’re here to help with all your Computer, Laptop, Tablet, Mobile or Business Commercial I.T. Support & Sales requirements.

If you’re struggling to get to grips with Microsoft’s Windows 8, looking to trade in your old computer or simply want to speed up an ageing machine — we can help!

We adopt the best of the latest I.T. technology and values. Our team offer offer professionally expert advice in an easy to understand friendly manner. The latest technology, yet with traditional values —  as family run business. We’re professional people, not just geeks!

Because we believe in better service and going the extra light-year to properly assist in anyway possible we have over 3000+ (Sep. 2013) customers who rely on us for their computing needs.

If you need some computer help from some Wirral Wide Wonders, for Wirral Computer Repair, Wirral Laptop Repair or at home/business Wirral Computer Callouts — give us a call: 0151 648 3600 (6 days per week)…

Our new Wallasey & Liscard same day collection service is available now!

There’s much more than amusing videos and games on the internet — too much to measure accurately! Wikipedia, to access to 1000′s of educational texts, all completely free once you’ve got the right device, and luckily that’s something we can help with!

As always we offer part exchange on any old devices which can save you £’s off a brand new one, backed by a full warranty through both ourselves and the original manufacturer.

Call Ben, Tom or Jon on 0151 648 3600 six days per week or pop in-store for all the latest and greatest devices and deals on the latest laptops!

As a result we have a new phone system coming into place to get you through to us easier and quicker. From 9am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday, you can call us on + 0151 648 3600 any-time and we’ll get your call. If we’re busy with a client please call back again in a few moments or leave a brief message with your number and someone will call back, probably me, Ben.

Our current messaging system is no more, so thanks for your patience whilst we clear the old system and move to the new one. We’re doing something similar with our e-mails too.

Oh yes – you may have noticed this new-fangled box in the corner of your screen. Down there, lower right. It’s the quickest way to speak to me about anything. If it says on-line I can respond in moments. If I’m away then I’ll likely be on a computer repair callout. Or possibly, just maybe, not working. But rest assured my work is my life and undoubtedly I’ll be back on-line soon to respond

- Ben Gaskell

- Book a FREE Wirral collection on-line service
- New store frontage and signs
- New additional staff

- New more convenient opening hours
- Live order, repair or design reports and updates online 24/7
- Automatic text message with status updates
- Probably the best Computer Repair on the Wirral Service that there is!

With more and more choices available it can be hard to understand it all, making finding the right solution or device difficult. We’re here to help and with a new approach for 2013 to help us help you, even better.

Here are just some of the changes you’ll find at Irby Computers:

2013 OPENING HOURS

Monday: 10am – 6pm
Tuesday: 10am – 6pm
Wednesday: 10am – 6pm
Thursday: 10am – 6pm
Friday: 10am – 6pm
Saturday: 10am – 4pm
Sunday: Closed

*Please note: Due to the nature of our work from time-to-time we may have to visit a client on site. You can contact us direct on + 0151 648 3600 (9am – 9pm, Mon. – Sat.)

NEW FOR 2013

- New more convenient opening hours
- Out of hours phone number
- Get in touch any-time, easier and quicker
- Contact for advice, quotation, update about a repair or anything at anytime
- 0151 324 3600 (outside office hours)
- We’re an official Microsoft Partner, part of the Microsoft Partner Network

COMING SOON

- Updated website and store branding ✓ Done, more coming soon!
- New services and product ranges ✓ Done,  more to coming soon!

We’re more than just a computer centre. We also repair and stock tablets such as the Apple iPad or Samsung Tab. Cracked or broken your phone? Don’t panic as we can help fix it quickly to get you up and running.

In fact, if it’s technological, it’s fixable! – only at Irby Computers.

- 23 Thingwall Road, Irby, Wirral, CH61 3UA
- 0151 648 3600