Apple Releases Security Updates for iOS and macOS

Apple has warned of serious security flaws for iPhones, iPads and Macs that could allow hackers to take complete control of devices and may have been “actively exploited,” urging customers to update their devices as soon as possible.

As such, Apple has released iOS 15.6.1 and iPadOS 15.6.1 for mobile devices with important security patches for potentially exploited vulnerabilities alongside a watchOS 8.7.1 bug fix update.

Updates have been made available to affected devices, which include the iPhone 6s and later models, all iPad Pro models, the iPad Air 2 and later, the iPad 5th generation and later, the iPad mini 4 and later, and the iPod touch 7th generation.

All users of Apple mobile devices need to install these security updates.

To manually check for, and install, these updates head over to the Settings on your mobile device and tap General then Software Update to install it.

Additionally, security updates have been made available for masOS. All SideKick Solutions Managed Services clients will have the macOS updates pushed to them remotely. It is important that end-users accept these updates and allow them to install, when prompted. You will need to reboot/restart your Mac to accept and complete these updates.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Holiday Weekend Recipes from SideKick Solutions

At SideKick Solutions, not only do we love a good piece of shiny, new technology, we also love a good snack and cocktail. In preparation for the upcoming holiday weekend, we decided to share some of our recipes…just in case you are short a dish or need some inspiration. Enjoy, and have a wonderful, and safe, Independence Day Weekend!

Crack Corn Dip

3 - 11 oz. Cans MexiCorn (sweet corn and diced peppers), drained

1 - 7 oz. can chopped green chiles

1 - 6 oz. can chopped jalapeño peppers (drained and liquid added to taste)

1/2 cup chopped, green onions

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 - 16 oz. package shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 to 3 bags Fritos Scoops corn chips

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, except the corn chips. Chill two hours to overnight.

Serve with Fritos Scoops corns chips.

-Contributed by Cecelia Schwartz

Nana’s Deviled Eggs

1 dozen hard-cooked eggs, cooled

1/4 cup melted butter

2 teaspoons sweet pickle juice

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon dill weed

1/4 cup real bacon bits

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup creamy salad dressing

Paprika

Peel eggs; cut in half

Remove yolks; mash with fork

Add all ingredients to yolks; mix with fork until smooth and creamy

Refill egg whites with yolk mixture

Sprinkle with paprika

-Contributed by Sara Sulzman

White Sangria

1 - Gallon jug of Ernst & Julio Gallo Moscato Sangria Wine

1 - 1.75 liter bottle Simply Limeaid

1 - 750 ml bottle Peach Schnapps

1 - 2 liter bottle Squirt/Sierra Mist/or similar

Sliced lemons

Sliced limes

Sliced oranges

Sliced strawberries

Add all sliced fruit into a large container/drink vessel. Pour full bottle of Peach Schnapps into fruit and allow to sit in refrigerator overnight.

Add all remaining ingredients to the fruit/schnapps mixture and serve over ice.

Yields about three gallons.

-Contributed by Granville Loar

Chrome Issues Critical Security Update

Google has recently confirmed several new High-level hacks of its Chrome browser.

Following the recent confirmation of serious Chrome vulnerabilities less than two weeks ago, Google has published a new blog post revealing a further five ‘High’ rated vulnerabilities have been found in Chrome as well as 11 other flaws.

To address these recent threats, Google has released a critical Chrome update, version 95.0.4638.54. This update should be applied to ALL Chrome users. To check or update Chrome, go to Settings > About Google Chrome.

To get there quickly, use this link in Chrome:  chrome://settings/help 

If your Chrome version matches this version number or higher, you should be safe. Google has indicated that the rollout of 95.0.4638.54 will be staggered so you may not be able to update immediately. If the update is not yet available for your browser, make sure you check regularly for the new version. 

And one critical last step: Once you have updated Chrome you must restart your browser. Even if you have updated, you will not be safe until you restart. Once you restart, your tabs should stay intact.

As always, if you have any questions, or need any assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Granville Loar - 10.21.21

MacOS Big Sur

As you have likely heard by now, Apple is preparing to release its newest and biggest macOS to date, Big Sur. Release is scheduled for Thursday, November 12. In this update, Apple has redesigned the Menu Bar so that is taller and more transparent; a new floating Dock lifts from the bottom of your display; full-height Sidebars that have an updated look to make it easier to find what you need; and a new Control and Notification Center. Additionally, updated security settings in Safari and new privacy options in the App Store have found their way in this major OS update.

With macOS Big Sur, software updates begin in the background and complete quicker than before. Optimized Battery Charging is also designed to reduce extended wear and tear on your battery and improve its lifespan by ensuring that Mac laptops are fully charged when unplugged.

We are excited to work with this new operating system, but we want to let a bit of time pass before putting it into production on your systems. Our advice is to wait to install this upgrade until we can test it and it becomes clearer as to what works, and what apps or setting might need to be adjusted to fit your workflow.

If you have any questions please reach out to us, your dedicated IT partner, and we will help during this OS transition.

11.11.20

Supporting Apple Device Users

COVID-19 has pushed companies to pause and then resume again to only working remotely. As a part of this change, many are made to adapt to a ‘work at home’ experience. With our current management tool, we are able to assist our users, while keeping employee morale and productivity up. 

Addigy, a valuable tool and device management platform that SideKick Solutions has been using over the last year, can keep track of every single device in your network regardless of location. It also allows us to manage your hardware and software in a consistent manner, so you can maintain and organize your Apple devices. If something were to go awry, we are alerted and we can remediate your problem in a fast and respective manner. This is all behind the scenes to ensure that we do not interrupt your time. 

We are excited to announce that Addigy has been recognized and partnered with the Apple Consultant Network. This will be a great marriage between what we are already using and support from the Apple Community.

Let us know if you have any questions!

Cecelia Schwartz - 5.22.20

Running a Little Slow?

Are you experiencing a slow down on your current computer? Slow-moving desktops and laptops are more normal than you think. Unless you started working on a new computer at some point in the past few months, chances are you’re actually using one right now. That slow response is likely due to your normal activity; running programs, internet use, and slowly filling up your hard drive.

Often times our normal internet use causes our computers to slow its performance and harm the long-term life of the system. How? By simultaneously opening several browser tabs in Chrome or Safari, your computer has to work extra hard to give you the output you are expecting. If you don’t want to be stuck with slow web browsers and slow computers, here are a few tips you can follow to turn things around:

Get Rid of Those Web Extensions

We all have plugins and extensions installed on our internet browser, even without some of us realizing it. They sometimes increase a webpage’s functionality, but each active plugin uses up CPU and RAM so your PC ends up suffering a dip in performance. If your machine has been slowing down every time you surf the web, it may be time to uninstall every browser plugin you don’t really use. The goal is to keep as many unnecessary plugins from using up your computer’s resources as you can.

Close Those Tabs

Many of our clients are heavy Google Chrome users. The simplest fix to speeding up your computer is to close some tabs. It’s super easy when you’re working online to open tab, after tab, after tab. This can be very helpful when looking up specific things and you don’t want to leave one of the sites that has tons of great information. However, the more tabs that you have open the more of your computer’s RAM is being used. If any tabs auto-refresh (think news sites and live streams) or continue to download and rotate advertisements, you will notice a serious difference. Instead of keeping numerous tabs open, bookmark the pages for easy access. Additionally, popular internet-connected music apps like Spotify can store a large cache of data that can also slow you down. 

Your Hard Drive Could Be Full

Did you know that your hard drive performance will start suffering long before it is 100% full? Many IT experts estimate that even at 85% capacity, your computer’s efficiency and productivity can be reduced to a crawl. Programs, application updates, internet downloads, and temporary files are the main culprits for taking up hard drive and memory space, along with large industry-specific files for those in the graphic design, architecture, and engineering worlds.

How Many Applications Automatically Open When Your Computer Starts?

Many programs are designed to automatically load upon startup. This can prove to be a massive suck on your computer’s processing speed, both when you first fire it up in the morning and throughout the day if you are not aware that they are running. If you only need to use a program now and then, there is no need for it to be running in the background.

If you’re experiencing any slow-down on your computer, give us a shout. It’s better to look into the root causes of the slow down, rather than try to apply a band-aid to the situation. We’ll take a look at it and evaluate your situation. That’s why SideKick Solutions is here!

Granville Loar – 5.8.20

QuickBooks Approved PPP Lender

Intuit QuickBooks Capital Approved as a PPP Lender

In these challenging times, most small businesses are looking to navigate the government relief funding options. Many reaching out to their banks for the PPP loans are being turned away due to the amount of applications flooding the system. There is now another option.

QuickBooks Capital is now approved as a non-bank SBA approved lender for the Payroll Protection Program (PPP). They will work as a direct lender to simplify, automate and expedite the PPP application and funding process. This service is initially only available to QuickBooks Online Payroll customers starting around the week of April 20, 2020. Their plan is to expand the ability to apply to other customers, but initially they are focusing on their payroll customers because they readily have access to the payroll numbers necessary to complete the application. They are also working to expand this service to QuickBooks Desktop Payroll customers.

For more information, click here to read their press release.

Sara Sulzman - 4.15.20

macOS - Catalina

It looks like today is the official release of the new macOS Catalina. This is the latest version of the Mac operating system, 10.15, and brings a number of new and improved features. The long-familiar iTunes app is now gone and split into three distinct apps; Music, Podcasts, and TV.

Other features include Sidecar, which turns your iPad into a second display for your Mac. Extended Mail features allow you to block senders and send their messages directly to the Trash. Photos have been expanded to include new sorting and viewing options. And that’s just scratching the surface! Hundreds of enhancements have been added to the new OS, making for a great upgrade.

However, with this macOS upgrade comes a fairly significant sacrifice. Catalina is 100% 64-bit based. What does that mean to you? Previous versions of macOS ran both 32- and 64-bit applications. That meant that if a third-party software developer had not updated their apps to 64-bit, they would still run on your Mac. That is no longer the case. If a software developer has not optimized their apps to 64-bit, then Catalina will not load and run them.

Many large companies such as Adobe and Microsoft (Office) still have legacy software in place. They have no plans to update them to 64-bit and are pushing end-users to their subscription models that are Catalina compliant. Our recommendation to our clients and users is to NOT immediately jump into Catalina, but to wait a bit. This give everyone a chance to see how the new OS functions in the real world, as well as time to evaluate your software needs and determine what programs may need to be adjusted or updated.

Let us know if you have any questions regarding Catalina and upgrading. We are here to advise and assist.

Granville Loar – 10.7.19

Easy Online Targets

With eBay, Craigslist, NextDoor, and Facebook Marketplace, online selling has gotten easier and offers a broader audience reach now more than ever before. With that ease comes new risks. Recently, an old phishing scam has gotten some new life.

Here is how the scam works:

1. You place your personal telephone number (mobile or landline) out in public (sales ad, dating site, etc.).

2. The scammer contacts you via text or email about your ad. They tell you some story about how they need you to prove that you are a real person, or a legitimate seller, not a bot, and that they are using Google Verification. The verification will be sent to you as an automated special code from Google. 

3. The scammer is, in reality, going through the Google Voice setup process. They tell Google Voice to call/text your personal number and provide a verification code. Google sends the code, along with a warning to not share the code with anyone. Somehow, you ignore the explicit warning and give the scammer the code number. When you do that, THEY, not you, are issued a Google Voice number, using YOUR number as the forwarding number for their account.

4. By the time you realize what has happened, if you do at all, the scammer has already removed your forwarding phone number from their account. Their goal is not to forward calls to your personal phone number, but merely to use it as an “admission ticket” to get their own Google Voice number, use it to scam others, get rid of that number and clean their trails, then repeat the scam over and over.

Now, this is normally not a scam that will cost you money or directly cause harm to you. However, it is also not something that you’d want to fall for. In most cases, the whole idea behind this scam is that the scammers would be able to get a free and fresh-new Google Voice number which they can then use in other scams and similar nefarious activities. In most cases, the end user would not get directly affected and/or involved in any of that. However, such a possibility is still present and should not be ignored. The very notion that some anonymous cyber crook is using your personal phone number for their illegal activities should be enough of a reason to take immediate action.

It is important that you be cautious of fraud when interacting with strangers on online sites. Online sites are frequent targets of scammers. Never, ever share verification codes with anyone. No legitimate business will ask for that information. When putting yourself “out there,” just be cautious and smart about what you divulge. Now, get out there and sell that velvet clown painting that’s been in your attic for the last 25 years!

Granville Loar – 9.9.19

Performance and Productivity

If you are a techie or Mac Geek that keeps up with the latest gear, this post is likely not for you. For the majority of small businesses however, performance can often be an afterthought, especially with users focused on their daily challenges. 

Flashback 10-20 years ago when the speed race was in its heyday. Workstations were introduced every year that would leapfrog the prior model. Today’s systems are marketed differently, with features and style leading the way. There are also more factors involved in performance, like internet connections, and even malware infections. 

In the Apple world there is another factor involved; system longevity. It is not unusual for us to encounter systems that are five, seven, even ten years old still in production. 

Using an underperforming system can be exhausting and, believe it or not, expensive. Consider that when you put a workstation in place it will continue to be asked to do more and more over the years with the same capability. The user slowly adapts to this to the point that no-one even realizes how much productivity is being lost. Workarounds start being enacted because the system can’t keep up.

When this happens, businesses often react by either overbuying or underbuying because the workstation has broken or is being cast aside out of frustration.

SideKick Solutions can help your small business with a technology plan that will keep your team using optimal equipment for steady performance. We don’t sell the systems so we are an unbiased advisor that can get you on a level payment and performance plan.

Dwayne Schwartz – 8.5.19

Apple ID Basics

Over the past few months we have encountered some confusion around Apple IDs, from both individuals and companies. Some customers have had been using their iCloud accounts but when prompted to enter their Apple ID on their computer they are unsure what account to use. Essentially, your Apple ID is the account name that you use to access iCloud, iTunes and the Apple Store. In other words, your Apple ID is your iCloud, or at least its credentials.

Some people have several Apple IDs, both personally and between their company, and that creates confusion. We have seen customers use their company Apple ID to manage their iCloud documents but a personal Apple ID to access their iTunes. This works well but you need to remember where you kept everything. You could even, theoretically, have a third iCloud account in which you purchased all of your apps for your computer. All three can be used on the same computer at the same time.

If you have more than one Apple ID, it is important to make sure you know what you have used each one for in the past. Personally, I have several but one in particular that I began using when I purchased my first iPod many years ago. That Apple ID is the one I have used to make all of my personal purchases from iTunes, the App Store for MacOS and the apps I have purchased for my iPhone/iPad.

To access your Apple ID account information, you can go to appleid.apple.com. From there you can access account information such as which computers the Apple ID is active on, your payment information, and password management.

To use your Apple ID to access iCloud information, go to http://icloud.com. Your documents are stored there.

For the Apple App Store, open the App Store application on your Macintosh and sign in from the Store menu. To sign into the store on you iPhone or iPad open Settings and select iTunes & App Store, then tap Sign In.

Brad Boots – 6.24.19

Mesh WiFi

One of the biggest complaints we hear people make about their home network is that their WiFi is slow. They may be paying for Gigabit speeds but when they try to watch a television show over WiFi, it constantly pauses or the picture becomes pixilated.

There are many possible reasons that your WiFi signal is poor. The most common problems are interference, weak router strength, and wall barriers. Older homes with lath and plaster walls, stucco, or office spaces with concrete wall barriers are some of the toughest places to set up a reliable WiFi network.

Mesh WiFi may be the solution to many of these problems. Mesh WiFi is commonly used in large offices or public spaces. More recently, many consumer grade solutions have become popular. 

Consumer mesh networking products typically come in a package with three to four devices that you set up throughout your work or living space. You connect the primary unit to your wired network router and then place the satellite devices in locations that act as signal repeaters. 

All of the devices communicate with each other on several radio signals at the same time so that they can send large amounts of data. They then pass that data on to your computer, phone or television on standard WiFi signals. Instead of having a single WiFi router, typically located in a non-central location of your home, you now have several devices located in optimal positions, all working together to give you a seamless WiFi experience. 

Let us know if we can help you find the WiFi solution that is right for you. We would love to help.

WiFi Planning

One of the biggest technical advances for Small Business and Home settings is WiFi service. If you look to join a wireless network it can be surprising how many networks are locally listed. There are two big things to consider when establishing a WiFi network for your office; Security and Speed.

Security is certainly critical. You really don’t want anyone or anything on your network that wasn’t invited. Most people have figured out how to put a password on their WiFi, but don’t really know what method to use. Once there is a password established it is often shared with guests without thinking of the consequences of that password now present on foreign devices. The more valuable the assets are on your network, the more important it is to apply advanced security. Many of our clients sign security disclosures with their clients and maintain a security policy. Improperly secured networks are a target and WiFi can be the weakest link.

WiFi performance is becoming a common issue. As more and more devices connect and consume larger chunks of data, speed can drop to a crawl. Things to consider when establishing and maintaining WiFi include the number and age of devices connected, speed of the internet service, signal distribution, and age of the current equipment. All of these factors must be considered to get the best performance for your team. SideKick Solutions has the expertise to get your team online at full speed and still maintain security.

IT Services for Small Businesses with Apple Technology

Small businesses and organizations face unique challenges when trying to manage their technology, especially Apple technology. While Apple products are user friendly and can be easy to keep running, it is not easy to find the time to do the things necessary for a growing team. Things like account management, security, asset management and procurement, along with maintenance are often misunderstood or neglected. Tech problems become surprises and lead to loss of productivity.

Larger organizations are able to offload IT to a dedicated staff or a vendor geared to handle larger groups. With a smaller organization, responsibility often falls on the owner, manager, or some other team member and they end up trying to juggle these skills amongst their other duties, while lacking the tools and training to do the job.

SideKick Solutions brings a fresh solution to this problem. We are able to blend industry standard IT tools and the skill set used in other settings, with a custom set of services. We are able to scale the service to the size and need of your team. Most importantly, Apple technology is our primary focus, not an afterthought like many larger IT providers.

macOS Mojave update status

We received notice that FileMaker has patched version 17 of their software to ensure compatibility with the latest version of macOS from Apple. If you’ve been holding off this macOS upgrade because of FileMaker, it should be safe now, if you are running version 17 and patch it.

SideKick Solutions will be scheduling updates for our regular support clients in the coming months. There are still apps, especially older ones that require attention and planning. If you have any questions about your system, we’re available to help.