How many new technologies did your business adopt last year? Too many? Too few? You’ve officially made it through 2017 and there’s no better time than now to review which IT fads were worth investing in, and which ones should be left in the past.

The WannaCry ransomware strain was created by amateurs who copied and pasted security vulnerabilities from a famous hacker group. It’s no longer a threat if you have updated your computer, but as evidenced by a recent announcement, the hacker group will continue to release dangerous security exploits for anyone to use.

Microsoft products usually have an end-of-support date, where no more feature updates and security patches will be offered. However, earlier this month, Microsoft has released a security update for Windows XP, an operating system that has been unsupported since 2014. Although releasing a patch for an old system seems unusual, Microsoft does have its reasons.

Server and desktop virtualization have been improving computing efficiency and data security for years. But with all the talk about mobile BYOD policies and corporate data protection on smartphones, the National Security Agency (NSA) believes virtualization is the key to true security.

Updates to the Windows operating system have a controversial reputation. On the one hand, Microsoft issues them frequently to combat cybersecurity risks and introduce new features. On the other hand, the update frequency and requirements leave some users feeling like it's impossible to keep up.

Virtualization comes with several benefits for small- and medium-sized businesses. One of the most important is cybersecurity, but even within that subset are several strategies for protecting your organization. One of such strategy is referred to as sandboxing, and it’s worth learning about.

When most of us think of cyberattacks, we think of viruses, trojans, and ransomware. Unfortunately, those aren’t the only types of attacks you need to be on the lookout for. Companies that utilize Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems are also vulnerable to another type of attack.

It’s hard to deny how quickly the different types of ransomware multiply -- they do so faster than rabbits during mating season. Ransomware vary in appearance, subtlety, and targets. The latest addition to the extensive list of ransomware varieties is Fantom.