Monday 3 July 2017

Reasons Behind Upgrading To Windows 10

Windows 7 was a great operating system till it was alive. However, like every other good thing, it also came to an end. The operating system was launched on October 22, 2009, under the codename Vienna and the official support ended on January 13, 2015. If you are still using it, for more than 2 years, your computer is inviting cyber attacks.

Windows 7 was replaced by Windows 10, the latest offering from Microsoft. The OS was launched on July 29, 2015 and Microsoft is committed to provide update till October 14, 2025, for the extended edition. All this taken into consideration, it is a good time to the long delayed Windows 7 to 10 migration.

Stopping the cyber attacks is not the only reason for this upgrade but this is the biggest reason. You might have heard about the global crisis from Wannacry, the virus which attacked the older operating systems like Windows 7 and XP. Even if that attack missed your computer, there is no knowing when the next attack would be and if you can again dodge it. If you cannot, then, you will end up spending thousands of dollars to get your computer working again.

The other reasons behind the upgrade would be the additional features of Windows 10. This operating system the fastest, safest and the most beautiful operating system from Microsoft, till now. It has modern browsers like Edge and it can intuitively understand many user actions as well.

Challenges of Migrating From Windows 7

Windows 7 has officially died. Except for the long term support candidate which has a couple of years left, all the other versions of Windows 7 don't receive any updates. This means, the operating system is the favourite staple for the hackers now because they are now free to find security holes and exploit those because Microsoft wouldn't repair those. You might have heard about the latest Wannacry ransomware which utilised the drawbacks of Windows 7 and held millions of computer users for ransom.

If you have not updated to the modern Windows 10 yet, you must do it now. Windows 10 is the safest, fastest and most beautiful operating system from Microsoft and more importantly, it is actively supported by Microsoft. This means, even if there are security holes in this OS, Microsoft would quickly plug it.

However, upgrading the OS for the whole organisation is certainly different from upgrading the personal computer. Firstly, the computers might not be at one place. Secondly, they might have internal applications which need to be tested before the upgrade because breaking these applications is fatal for the business. Thirdly, taking back up of all the files, folders, database and applications is different because it’s not possible to sit at every computer exclusively. That's why one should approach the professional agencies who offer Windows 7 migration service. They take care of all these issues mentioned here and also go about their job swiftly and efficiently.

Legacy Applications Upgrade: A Consideration

Legacy applications are those which are outdated computer applications. Simply put, these applications were built for older computing environments and while they might still be functional, they don't allow the companies to exploit the advancements of the computing industry. These legacy applications should be upgraded so that more functionalities can be added to them. Let's take a deeper look.

Suppose the application was build when 16 bit computers were in use. So the application carries 16 bit architecture. However, at present, we have 32 bit and 64 bit architectures. It is known that the architecture of the computing environment, or the operating system, must match the applications to enable the application to run inside it. So, basically, a 16 bit application can't be run when using a 32 bit or 64 bit operating system.

Now, there are two options left for the company. Firstly, it can continue to use the 16 bit operating system so that the application can run. Secondly, it can upgrade the application into a modern architecture so that the organisation can benefit from using modern and more advanced operating systems.

Now the second option has some great benefits. Firstly, the company can use the modern OS and other applications to be more productive. Secondly, as the modern operating systems receive security feedback and updates, the organisation is safer as well. Finally, the transformation doesn't lead to loss of data but newer functionalities can be added to the existing legacy application during the upgrade process.

A Brief History of Computer Architectures

Modern computers started their journey from 8 bit processors. You might still remember the great 8085 microprocessor, which was completely programmable and it was such a craze among scientists. Then came the 16 bit applications. Those were the days of console gaming. While everything else were 16 bit as well, we remember 16 applications mostly for the console games and the mass use of personal computers in large organisations. As there were no standardisation, even Microsoft Windows were yet to get a proper foothold in the market, organisations developed their own 16 bit applications, or software, to use internally.

Presently, we have 32 bit and 64 bit architectures with 32 bit architecture slowly getting backdated. We can see how Microsoft encourages using the 64 bit version of their operating systems. 128 bit and 256 bit are not too much far behind because we can already see 1278 bit architecture being used in certain computing environments and 256 bit encryption is the standard for digital security. Soon, the complete planet will move to these architectures.

Anyway, remember the 16 bit applications the large companies build for their internal use? These applications can't work in the modern environment. So the companies are left with two choices, either stick with a completely outdated 16 bit computing system or upgrade the 16-bit application to a modern architecture. The first method makes the company vulnerable to cyber attacks and it also doesn't allow them to exploit the advances the computer industry made in the last decade. Thus, upgrading the application is the wise choice.

Wednesday 7 June 2017

Learn More About Application Management

Application management is not managing the job applications you receive for the vacancies in your company. Application management is organising business IT activities and it has a broader concept.

By definition, application management is the process of managing the operation, maintenance, upgrading, troubleshooting or removing an application during its lifespan. In a broader sense, it also includes techniques and procedures to adopt for the optimum performance of the application, best practices, effic8iency increment of the application for the enterprise resource use and the back-end IT infrastructure.

Application management is an enterprise wide policy for complete IT governance approach so that the optimal application performance can be obtained. This policy includes inputs from business and IT perspectives and serves different objectives.

The most important aspects of Application management are:

• Application owners: The management of the company or the key decision makers who will judge the AM from revenue, profit and control perspectives.
• Application managers: Key decision makers in IT department who are responsible for application deployment, maintenance and development.
• Application users: these are mostly the company employees and the security, privacy, upgrade and troubleshoot are some of the issues regarding this group.

Application management also has some divisions like Application Portfolio Management (APM), Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) and Application Performance Management (APM).

You Must Upgrade Your 16 Bit Applications

If you come to know that your company has such a vulnerability which can not only cripple but can kill your business, you will probably become serious. However, you will be even more surprised to know that this particular vulnerability is currently perceived as a strength by your company. The sad truth is that most of the companies rely on IT systems which might soon become obsolete, called legacy system in IT terms.

A legacy application is a type of software or application which serves a purpose but is completely backdated or obsolete. 16 bit applications, for example, are legacy applications because no computer uses 16 bit architecture anymore. These applications were developed by the companies when 16 bit architecture used to be the standard. With time, the architecture became more advanced, 32 bit, 64 bit and even 128 bit. The companies failed to upgrade the applications for two reasons, firstly they didn't want to disrupt the existing system which might have affected their revenue flow and secondly because they felt the application is serving the purpose and don't mend something which isn't broken.

Now we are in the era where mobile and cloud computing is the standard and thus, these 16 bit applications should really be upgraded to something modern. In fact, the support and the maintenance cost of these applications would only increase with time. You need to spend on keeping them compatible with modern computers and operating environment as well.

Keep These In Mind While Remotely Deploying Windows 10

Remote deployment of Windows 10 is a great example of proper SCCM implementation, but you need to keep the following in mind.

• Standardisation: Don't create too many different configurations. It will save a lot of effort during the roll-out. It will also reduce the burden of support in the future. You should have a few sets of applications and configurations.

• Group Policy: If something can be configured using group policy, you should certainly use that. It is easily managed and it can be easily changed in the future.

• Hardware: All the systems should be modern and should have at least 2GB of RAM. You should have standard hardware and not too many different models to handle. Hardware from major vendors is the key here as they have better support.

• Base Image: The base image should be created using the most basic computer. This image should have the pure OS. Some patches and some customisations can be done on the OS. VMWare can also be used to create a virtual PC for this purpose. ]

• User State Migration: USMT (User State Migration Tool) is a great choice for transferring user data and setting into the new OS but it has a bug as well. This bug can be nasty because it requires on fix from the server side and another fix from the user side. Moreover, USMT is configured using XML files which needs certain level of expertise. If you can avoid using USMT, do that.

Avoid Malware Attack Using Windows 10 OS

You must have heard about the Wannacry malware infection. This is a global crisis now and it affected computers which ran Windows XP and Windows 7. These operating systems don't receive any update from Microsoft now because the official lifespan of these operating systems have died. The hackers were able to find a flaw in the security system of these OSes and they exploited that to attack the computers which are still running these. The result is disastrous. Thousands of computers, some of them being critically important to different organisations got their data corrupted and held for ransom.

If you want to avoid this situation, you should upgrade your operating system. The latest OS from Microsoft, Windows 10, was immune to this attack because it receives regular security updates. The computers running Windows 10 had no vulnerability and thus, these were not attacked by the hackers. Thus, it would be prudent if you decide for a Windows 10 migration for all the computers, your personal one and your organisations.

Apart from being immune to the malware threats, Windows 10 is really the best OS right now. It is fast, it is intuitive and it is the safest operating system in the world now. While you can perform the upgrade for your personal computer by yourself, it would be wise if you choose a professional agency for the organisational upgrade because all the computers might not be at the same place and remote deployment of the OS might be necessary.

Saturday 6 May 2017

Move to Windows 10 Even If Not Comfortable

Windows 10 has landed in the market with several advantages over the Windows 7 version. The biggest change is the approach of Microsoft who has stopped considering computers as the only target. Realising the advancements of technology users towards an app based ecosystem where the users can move swiftly between mobile devices and the pc, they have created an app based operating system in Windows 10. They have also introduced Cortana, the virtual assistance which understand voice commands very well.

However, all of these have one combined effect, Windows 10 is becoming the most helpful operating system in the world in no time. This means that employee productivity touches a new high with Windows 10. This is why every company should invest in Windows 10 transformation and they are. Some of them are hesitating because they aren't very sure if their internal applications would run smoothly on the new OS. This is natural because these applications actually are the revenue earners for those companies.

However, there is another factor to be considered seriously by the companies and that is the data security. Windows XP has stopped receiving supports in 2014 and Windows 7 also retired this year. Which means these two OS will not receive any updates. That makes these operating systems very insecure. While ease of use and habit of using are greatly beneficial for employee productivity, ignoring security threats is surely not a prudent call. Even if it takes little acclimatisation, companies should invest in migrating to Windows 10.

Advantages of Using SCCM Management


SCCM is widely used technology for maintaining a group of computers over the internet or any other type of networking. While internet is all what we think about, there is intranet and also LAN and WAN to think of. In fact, WAN can have hundreds of computers connected together and it would be a network admin’s worst nightmare to attend to those computers one by one for a group job. If an application is malfunctioning due a reason of its own, a bug or a misfiring code, and the computer is not to be blamed, it is understood that every used would face the problem. This is when a mass management of all the networked computers is necessary. This is when SCCM asset management becomes indispensable.

System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM, also known as ConfigMgr), is a Microsoft product which is freely downloadable from the official site. The site also hosts a complete range of wiki, how to, popular scripts, troubleshooting materials and tutorials for the network admins to use. Thus, with minimal amount of scripting, any network-wide update or upgrade can be pushed. This makes life very easy for the admins. They can push the updates to the complete network or can select multiple PC at once and can determine when to execute the updates. This is far better than manual attendance because often these computers are at another location, even another continent.

Why Companies Fear To Test Windows 10 Compatibility

Windows 10 is the latest offering from Microsoft and looking at how strongly it is promoting the operating system, it is here to stay. It is evident by the fact how Microsoft has taken off the support for both Windows XP, their most popular and successful operating system till date and Windows 7, a worthy successor. It is allowing personal users to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, it that means anything to you. Thus, if you are living in the Microsoft ecosystem, you need to embrace Windows 10.

This can be little tough for some companies, especially those who depend on internal software to run their business. The internal software might be dated and was created to work well in Windows XP or 7. While many programs offer excellent compatibility with Windows 10 as well, there are certain compatibility issues always. They originate from how the core architecture behind the operating system changed. And Windows 10 has changed a lot from the Windows 7.

It is not easy to upgrade the internal software, because of the simple fear, if it breaks down, the company operation would come to a standstill. Which means, the revenue generation of the company is halted. This is why professional agencies should handle the Windows 10 compatibility. They will check the compatibility, upgrade as needed and then check in a closed simulated environment before deploying the updated version. One4 thing is for sure, Upgrading to Windows 10 compatible ecosystem is highly recommended.

Legacy Applications Must Be Updated But With Care

Legacy applications are those which have served their purpose previously but look horribly outdated and outsmarted. People still go for it at times, simply because they have been using that for last 2 decades. For example, the great 5250 interface for data entry jobs. While it was the best in its days, it is certainly nothing compared to the Microsoft interface. Microsoft interface is much more empowering to the employees. And we all know what employee empowerment can do to employee productivity. Expect a manifold increase in the efficiency of your employees when using modern interfaces like Microsoft. Moreover, they hardly need any training to get accustomed to this environment. They grew up using that.

This brings us to the important consideration of the roadblocks to legacy applications modernisation. The most obvious one would be, whether the application function in the modern environment as, if not, it might hit the revenue making process of the company and that is simply unacceptable. Thus, the duty should be handed over to a professional agency who can do this and perform sandbox testing for the application before really getting to work.

The other challenge would be to maintain the integrity of the database and to align it with the new system. Working for so long, the application must have gathered ample data and this data can’t be lost. Whoever is handling the upgrade should keep that in mind. Moreover, this database need to be utilised in the modernised version as well.

Monday 10 April 2017

Organisations Migration from Windows XP

Windows XP was a good operating system and was the best in its time. It was also the longest running operating system from Microsoft and frankly, if we compare the peak popularity of Windows XP against any other operating system in the world, the former would emerge winner. However, with time, people needed more features which couldn't be integrated in the old operating system due to the inherent architecture and Microsoft came out with modern versions, Vista, 7, 8 and 10, in that order.

However, people and companies became so habituated of using XP that they simply couldn't or wouldn't stop using it. While for personal users, it was more of a personal preference, companies faced a trickier situation. They have built their whole IT infrastructure on Windows XP and it is not a simple task to migrate to another OS. There would be compatibility issues, if nothing else. And companies and organisations can't risk breaking their IT system down as that would be catastrophic. Thus, they are stuck with XP, even if they want to move on.

Thankfully, there are some niche agencies who made it their job to help companies with Windows XP migration. They will ensure that no data is lost and every internal application, servers, databases and systems are properly functioning after the upgrade. It would be great if the whole infrastructure can be upgraded to Windows 10 which is the most recent offering from Microsoft and looks like a long time player, going by the success of the OS.

Migrate to Windows 10 For Better Interconnectivity

OK, to be frank, I love Windows 10. It is super smooth, super-fast and has loads of new features. I strongly believe that Microsoft is trying to move to an app-based ecosystem from a software based operating system. Just like Google Play store, there are Microsoft app store in Windows 10 and you can find so many apps which can be installed just like you install Android apps.

Windows 10 has also diminished the gap between the PC and the Windows phone. Windows phone is still to catch up against Google Android but Windows rule the PC market and there is no competitor in the hindsight. Probably for 10 more years, Microsoft can stop worrying about PC market dominance. But, Windows 10 is a clear effort towards exploiting the PC dominance to influence the smartphone market. There is a seamless connection between a Windows 10 PC and a Windows 10 phone. With almost all the Windows phone being Windows 10 phones, the transition is smooth and people can easily access contents and services of one device in the other. Microsoft has invested heavily in the cloud infrastructure so yes, the interconnection of services and data is super easy now.

I already said, almost all the Windows phones are Win 10 phone but many PC owners are still stuck with Windows 7 or 8. It would be a good time for Windows 8 to 10 migration as you can utilise the advantages the new OS offers and the best thing is, it’s completely free.

Sunday 9 April 2017

Small Companies Need To Take Cyber Security Seriously

There is a recent survey in the USA among all the small and medium companies which brought forward a rather worrying information. Among all the small companies, 1/3rd have been subjected to one type of cyber attack or the other. Even worse, more than half, almost 3 out of every 5 companies said, they were not even aware when it happened and discovered it a lot later. Finally, a vast majority of companies, nearly 70% of the companies said that they don't have a strategy ready to combat this threat.

Small companies have a few problems!!br0ken!! Firstly, these companies always believe that they are too small to be a lucrative target of the hackers. Hackers know this tendency very well and they exploit this as well. They steal the customer data from these less secure companies to attack the bigger companies.

Secondly, the small companies believe that investing in online security is an added expense which is again a perception which doesn't go well. It's an investment which would help the company for a long time to come. The companies should realise this really fast.  Then only cyber attack real time can be fended away.

Small companies or big companies, they both share another mindset that real time cyber security is the responsibility of the IT team. Yes, to an extent it is true but those guys need cooperation from the whole organisation. The CXO level people need to take more active interest in the IT security issues.

Saturday 8 April 2017

Use IE11 To Your Advantage

 
IE11 is the latest web browser from Microsoft Windows but it has been created for the latest versions of the OS. In other words, you simply can't run IE11, Internet Explorer 11, if you are running, say, Windows XP. This makes using IE11 a tricky proposition.

On one hand, you simply can't deny how much better this version of the Internet Explorer is. Whether it is security, better compatibility of the modern online assets, the faster page loading or simply the innumerable little features, IE11 is certainly better than IE8, the last version which is compatible with Windows XP.

On the other hand, your application might not run on IE11. Certainly, if something was created when IE11 was not in the horizon, how can it be created to be compatible with the latter? IE11 compatibility came into prominence when the Windows Vista service pack 2 was launched. This is when the web browser was launched and developers, while still predominantly building for IE8, also took care of the IE11 compatibility.

So, what can you do now? The answer is not as complicated as you might think. Many agencies and companies specialise in legacy applications which means their job it is to make older applications compatible with modern operating systems or web browsers, read IE11. If they know what they are doing, they should be able to finish the work without any hiccups. They will not disrupt the daily usage of the tool and they will also ensure that no data is lost during the transition.

Thursday 2 March 2017

Upgrade Windows 7 To Windows 10 Urgently

 
Windows 7 was a good operating system from Microsoft. In fact, it was one of the best operating systems which came in the market, along with Windows 98, Windows XP and Windows 95. However, with time, it got backdated, if not less appealing. Moreover, Microsoft has just decided to end the official support from Windows 7 and that is a dangerous news. No matter how much you love the OS, you need to move on as it will be targeted by the hackers as the protection will be gone.

However, Microsoft also introduced Windows 10 which is even a better version of Windows 7 and has many newer features and added security. Considering everything, it is the perfect time for Windows 7 to 10 migration.

However, organisational migration is not as easy as personal migration. Not only the computers are spread around the world, for a multinational company, but there are confidential and critical data which should be safe during migration. The internal applications which the business uses for daily operation should not be affected by the shift and also daily operation of business shouldn’t be interrupted during the upgrade process. This is why it takes a professional agency to handle organisational upgrade. Thankfully, there are a few agencies who are doing good work in this field and they have the resources, experience and skills for these jobs. You should sit with them, formulate a strategy for the upgrade, fix a time and ask for a quotation.

Upgrade From IE8 to IE11 Safely

Microsoft operating system comes packed with Internet Explorer, the native web browser for the system. As it is the native program, it works the best in the Windows environment and organisations stick to it because they can get support and update from Microsoft themselves. They build their internal software and online resources compatible with Internet Explorer for the best usability.

However, when new versions of Internet Explorer hit the market, despite Microsoft’s best efforts for backward compatibility, they sometimes break the internal software of the organisation. However, these legacy applications are vital and critical for the operation of the business.

IE8 has been a hugely popular version of Internet Explorer and it was continued for years. Thus, many organisations built their applications based on this browser. However, the latest offering from Microsoft is IE11 which is much better, faster and of course, safer version of the browser. Microsoft is endlessly stressing the importance of upgrade from IE8 to IE11 as well. Companies are worried though as they can’t risk to break down their critical internal applications.

Thus, they need the help of a professional agency. The agency will upgrade the browser without breaking the internal application. Moreover, the agency will do the upgrade for remote locations as well so the organisation doesn’t need to hire experts to visit their every office. This is even more important if the company has a worldwide presence. Moreover, a professional agency will get the upgrade done without disrupting the daily operation of the business.

Cyber Security is Investment, Not Expense

 
Cyber attack is not a news anymore, it is that much commonplace. Every day we can hear about a company facing hacking attack. While the methods and the weapons are more sophisticated now, the lack of preparation and awareness from the companies only help these criminals. At least, two third of the companies have no written down course of action to prevent cyber attack or even to recover after a cyber attack.

There can be different types of attacks; SQL injection, phishing, scripting, DDoS, data sniffing are some of the common methods used by the hackers. While phishing is more like duping the user to give out confidential details, there are other attacks, like DDoS, where a common company worker can do nothing to help. Here arises the need of having a professional cyber security agency beside you. They can provide ample security against cyber attack in real time. For example, when a DDoS starts, they can sniff it and quickly take protective measures. They often install firewall to allow only secured access to the server.

A professional cyber security agency or team is not an expense, all the companies must realise this. It’s like the lock of your house, they keep you safe and thus, it’s an investment which yields safety in return. Companies often think they are too small and insignificant to be target of hackers but here they are wrong. Information and data is power and hackers simply don’t discriminate. They often steal user data from smaller companies to use those to hack bigger organisations.

A Brief History of Microsoft Operating Systems

Windows is our most favourite computer operating system. Come on, let’s confess it, despite of a strong argument in favour of Linux and the presence of the Macboys, Windows have around 90% of PC operating system market. A monopoly in an open market tells us how good Microsoft has been in PC operating system.

Their success started early when they came up with Windows 1.0. However, their masterstroke was the Windows 95 which made it possible to use GUI to accomplish every bit of computing. That freed computers from the geeks and made it available for everyone, even the housewife who never touched a computer in her life. Then they followed up with their even advanced version, Windows 98 which came with more hardware support, even more in-depth GUI computing and many newer features.

Windows XP came next and was the most successful and loved operating system from Microsoft till now. Even when the official support has ended for Windows XP, many computers are still running on it. However, the next few versions of Windows suffered as Microsoft either failed to deliver something new or simply messed up. Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows Vista are some of the failures which Microsoft met before they came up with Windows 7 which again was loved by the users. Then they brought Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 which both failed miserably. Their latest offering is the all new Windows 10 and many users are swiftly opting for Windows 8 to 10 migration after the horrible experience they had with Windows 8.

Wednesday 1 February 2017

4 Reasons to Install Windows 10 Right Now


Let's not even talk about Windows 8 or Windows 8.1. They are best forgotten, just like Windows ME or Windows Vista. After Windows 7, the proper operating system to hit the market is Windows 10. And with Windows 7 is almost at the end of its lifetime, it is high time to migrate to Windows 10.  Windows 7 to 10 migration has multiple benefits which we will discuss briefly.

1.    Receive regular updates: Windows 7 will retire later this year which means you will not receive any update. This will make the computer vulnerable to hacking threats. With Windows 10, you will receive not only the latest security features but also get periodic updates which will keep you safe from modern hacking tools and attempts.

2.    Increased employee productivity: Survey has proved that Windows 10 increases employee productivity in an organisation. If that is to be believed, then your organisation stands to gain a lot from this migration.

3.    Better built-in software: Windows 10 comes with many modern software and applications. For example, the latest browser from Microsoft, Edge, is the best browser from the company and that is installed in Windows 10 by default. These modern applications are better suited to handle the modern computing needs. 

4.    Improved speed: Windows 10 is faster than Windows 7. In fact, this is the fastest yet operating system from Windows. The increased speed will surely increase the way things move in the organisation.

Modernise Your Legacy Applications To Save Effort and Money

One of the most common problems faced by almost every old organisation is how to migrate the so called legacy applications. These applications, which have aged since their inception, are actually still capable of delivering what they were created to deliver but they are unable to cope up with the changing business environments or the expansion of the business or even are incompatible with the newer computing environment.

Additional issues which might pop up, complicating the case further, is the paucity of staffs who know how to handle and maintain these applications. There would be hardly any updated documentation and adding new functionalities which might become necessary during the course of time will be difficult while keeping the original architect intact.
 

Building a new application is always a solution but that might not take advantage of the investment made in the research and development of the original software. It might also fail to utilise the collection of enterprise data which has been captured by the existing organisational architecture. Finding a third-party solution is another way of handling the crisis but there is hardly ready-to-use application which has every feature which the organisation needed.

Rather than waiting for a long time to build a perfect replacement which might never take form and which might also become outdated even before it is implemented, migrating the legacy application to a modern system might be an excellent idea. You can retain the original architecture yet install all the modern and needed features into the system.

Are The Boards Prepared for Cyber Attacks?


The possible negative effect of cyber attack on a business is so grave that it is time for the cybersecurity and information risk management is to be elevated and have its own category of INFOSEC (information security) and should be reported to the CXO level.  

Board of director, chief information security officer, general counsels and chief risk officers need to comprehend and monitor the planning and readiness to address the threats of cyberattack. 
 

A recent study by a prominent body in cyber security found out that one third of all the general counsels surveyed believe that their board is not ready to handle cyber attack real time. Less than half of the CEOs said that their companies have a formulated and approved method for handling cyber attack. However, on a positive note, almost four fifth of all the general counsel and CEOs said that they are ready to detect a cyber security breach. This also indicates that there is a stark difference between being mentally ready or aware and to have a written strategy to combat the threat. In an older survey of 2012 by Carnegie Mellon decided that boards are not actively preparing for the threats for cyber attack. 


Only one fourth of the respondents, all of whom are from Forbes Global 2000 companies, review the top-level privacy and information technology policies on a regular basis and approve them. However, a dismal 40% respondents said that they hardly ever do it, if ever. These figures are worrying and a call for the board members to pay more attention to cyber attack threats.

What Is The Difference Between MSI And EXE Installations?


MSI packaging is considered to be the future of application packaging and Microsoft encourages software developers and administrators to reformat the EXE packages to MSI packages. MSI packages are created according to the standard definition created by the Windows Installer Technology from Microsoft. This means that all the MSI packages which are created using different packaging tools have similar deployment and management system. EXE files, on the other hand, are just executable files which don't adhere to any defined standard. Depending on the creation tool used, an EXE installation might have different customised options for installation and uninstallation, error handling process and deployment method.

As there are no single standard for EXE installation, different vendors use different set of standards to create their own executables. Thus, two installers, created by two different creation tools, namely Wise Studio and InstallSheild will have everything different. This is a major headache for every network administrators who are often required to push unattended remote software installation and uninstallation and are responsible for software infrastructure of an organisation. Moreover, most of the EXE installers don't support silent mode of installation.

A typical EXE set up has different interactive options during the installation and the user needs to click on different options during different steps of the installation. Thus, the IT guy needs to click on those options on every computer they want to install the software on, one by one. This can be very time-consuming and almost impossible if the plan is to install it remotely.