New tools to fight gift card scams

by Scott Muniz | Dec 21, 2020 | Alerts, Business, Security, Technology

This article was originally posted by the FTC. See the original article here.

This holiday season (and year-round), gift cards are on scammers’ wish lists. Scammers always have a reason for you to pay them immediately with a gift card. And they often tell you which card to buy and which store to visit. That’s why the FTC is launching a new Stop Gift Card Scams campaign to work with stores and law enforcement to fight these scams. And it’s also why the FTC has taken another look at reporting data to see what’s happening lately.

At ftc.gov/StopGiftCardScams, you can find materials to help people avoid gift card scams. If you’re a retailer (or even if you visit one), you can download, print, and share these materials in your store and community. You’ll find a display rack sign, cashier infographic card, bookmark, and a sticker. Stop Gift Card Scams is also available in Spanish. In fact, the FTC is working with our friends at the U.S. Department of Justice and in local law enforcement to help get the word out nationwide.

This is pressing because the FTC’s data show that, nationwide, gift cards are a top way that people report paying most scammers. People tell the FTC that, since 2018, they’ve paid almost $245 million to scammers, with a median loss of $840. Just today, the FTC released an updated Data Spotlight with some interesting new developments:

Reports suggest eBay is scammers’ current gift card brand of choice. It was Google Play and iTunes, but eBay has claimed the uncoveted top spot.
People most often report using gift cards to pay scammers pretending to be the government, a business, tech support, or a friend or family member in trouble.
People report that scammers tell them to buy gift cards at Walmart, Target, CVS, and Walgreens. And once they have you there, they’ll keep you on the phone as you pay for the gift cards.

Which brings us full circle back to the Stop Gift Card Scams campaign. Read lots more in the Spotlight itself, and find out more about avoiding gift card scams at ftc.gov/giftcards. And if anyone, no matter who it is, tells you to pay with a gift card, that’s a scam. Stop, don’t pay, and then tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.

Have Your Company’s Systems Passed All the Security Tests?

by Contributed | Dec 21, 2020 | Alerts, Security, Technology

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

Dear IT Pros,

I would like to make this article more fluid and less dry, with the hope that not all my blog articles’ contents are too serious and too long to read. Let me start with a story.

Once upon a beautiful day, the Security Boss came to your desk and asked if the systems had passed all the security tests. Oh um…, you then wonder what tests are they? The Boss continue asking:

Really, do we have “an security examination” for system recently, how is the test for them look like?

Then, comes another story, on a certain Friday, a Company VIP brought his/her laptops to your desk and ask if it is safe from all threats. He or She then, request you to be sure that the Bitcoin Miners has not taken advantage and been using the compromised computer for their illegal money producing with “Java script Web Miner”. The VIP complained:

I traveled around the World, I surf the net from hotel rooms and browse many public web sites, so I do not want to be a victim of Web Miners attack. Here is the advertisement about the coin mining activities, what could we do to block this kind of script? Then the VIP show you the following image:

After viewing the image, with a little bit shocking, you think:

Surely, I want to check if my anti-malware be able to catch them all. But how and where to start with a test site?

Well, to answer the question, we will continue discussing the testing and test sites you could use to conduct the examinations towards those systems.

Pass the SmartScreen test

First we will use the tests from Microsoft SmartScreen demo site, https://demo.smartscreen.msft.net we could do the tests against the Edge browser to be sure it was protected against phishing page, malware page, malvertising, … All the tests will be conducted with fake virus and cause no harm to systems.

Malvertising (a portmanteau of “malicious advertising”) is the one popped up on a legitimate website, it asked you to click on a link to repair or to clean up your PC, the truly malicious link which cause damage when the innocent victim click on it. Once the PC become damage to the point of pausing all its activities, the attacker then asks for a payment to repair the problem PC. You may recognize and familiar with the following advertising attack:

Or this one:

The advertisements in the internet are largely automated, with only limited human involvement. Attacker take the advantage and try to inject malicious code into the normal, benign ad page. If successful, their infected ad will sneak through the security systems of an internet advertisement network. Even highly trusted ad networks have distributed malicious ads because of attacker’s malvertising technique.

Please make sure to enable SmartScreen or other Web protection policy for your Company Systems ASAP and test malvertising by using Microsoft SmartScreen demo site.

Edge, IE’ SmartScreen tests

Pass the Defender tests

For the comprehensive tests, we could use Microsoft Defender Demo site,

https://demo.wd.microsoft.com. I include all tests which your systems must pass in the following table:

Cloud-delivered protection

Test if your Microsoft Defender Antivirus is able to report to ATP cloud service, Microsoft Advanced Protection Service (MAPS)

Detailed test steps:

https://demo.wd.microsoft.com/Page/CloudBlock

Block At First Sight (BAFS) Sign in required

Test if your next generation of Anti-Virus software with Cloud based service, can block new malware just coming to the Wild for the first time and its signature is not even in Virus Definition list yet.

During the test, a fake virus file will be downloaded.

Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUA)

Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUA) like adware, cryptocurrency miner, coin miner, … They might perform actions on endpoints that adversely affect system performance.

To test:

Go to http://www.amtso.org/feature-settings-check-potentially-unwanted-applications/
Click “Download the Potentially Unwanted Application ‘test’ file” link.

Attack Surface Reduction (ASR)

Proactive threat prevention by Attack Surface Reduction

Controlled Folder Access (CFA)

Proactive threat prevention by Attack Surface Reduction

To test: Use the CFA test tool to simulate an untrusted process by writing to a protected folder.

Launch CFA test tool.

Select the desired folder and create a file.

You can find more information here

Network Protection (NP)

Proactive threat prevention by Attack Surface Reduction

Exploit Protection (EP)

Proactive threat prevention by Attack Surface Reduction

VDI testing guide

Download this guide to test new virtual desktop infrastructure security intelligence update features. This requires VMs and a host running Windows 10 Insider Preview build 18323 or later.

Pass the Security Industry AMTSO tests

After successfully testing your environment with Microsoft demo, you could continue testing with Anti-Malware Industry Testing Site named AMTSO, www.amtso.org, it is partner with all the big vendors such as Checkpoint, Sophos, McAffee, Symantec, totalAV, Trend Micro, AV Test, F-Secure, Kapersky… for standardized testing purposes.

Let us have a look at its introduction page:

What test you could proceed with AMTSO website, here are the ones:

Your system must pass all the applicable tests.

The test name, “Is connected to a cloud-based lookup system” is used for AV software who is capable of filtering Web URL based on Web reputation list, black list provided by Cloud based service like Microsoft Endpoint Protection (WD ATP), Crowdstrike and FireEye,…

Test Result:

Besides blocking and warning events provided by your Antivirus software during test time, if you have setup security alert on endpoint protection service or Azure security center, you will receive alert Email Messages similar to the following one:

Alert shown in Microsoft Defender Endpoint Protection portal (securitycenter.windows.com):

An Aggressive Test

Lastly if you still want an aggressive way to vigorously test the system if it is blocking the java script cryptocurrency miner?

You could consider using another testing site and browse the site, www.wicar.org for testing on “cryptocurrency miner”. But first, let us read the Wicar.org introduction page:

the list of tests is shown in the following image, it includes test for Java script running Cryptocurrency,
if you test and fail, Wicar.org will be able to run the script during your visiting time and collect a fraction of a dollar or few cents to fund its testing web site operation.

Test result

You AV should be able to block “Java Script Cryto Miners” as shown in this image:

Well, up to this point of time, it seems that my blog article has become too long!

Should I stop it right here?

I hope the blog is not boring but useful.

Until next time.

_____________________________________________

Reference:

Disclaimer

The sample scripts are not supported under any Microsoft standard support program or service. The sample scripts are provided AS IS without warranty of any kind. Microsoft further disclaims all implied warranties including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose. The entire risk arising out of the use or performance of the sample scripts and documentation remains with you. In no event shall Microsoft, its authors, or anyone else involved in the creation, production, or delivery of the scripts be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use the sample scripts or documentation, even if Microsoft has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Integrate Power BI with Azure Synapse Analytics

by Contributed | Dec 21, 2020 | Technology

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

In this guide, you will be integrating an already-existing Power BI workspace with Azure Synapse Analytics so that you can quickly access datasets, edit reports directly in the Synapse Studio, and automatically see updates to the report in the Power BI workspace. We will be using a Power BI report developed using the Movie Analytics dataset of the previous guide to show the functionalities of the Power BI integration in Azure Synapse.

Obtaining the Movie Analytics Dataset from the Knowledge Center

You can use the Knowledge Center directly in Azure Synapse to get SQL scripts, pipelines, and sample datasets. We will be using the Movie Analytics Pipeline sample to build our Power BI report.

To access the Knowledge Center, navigate to the ? button in the upper right-hand corner of Synapse Studio. Knowledge center will be the first menu option.

Select Browse gallery. Then, select Pipelines. Search for the Movie Analytics pipeline. Select the pipeline and then select Continue.

Continue building the pipeline and ingesting the Movie Analytics dataset for use with Power BI. You can learn more about this step in the Manage Hub blog.

Azure Synapse + Power BI

We first will need to connect our existing Power BI workspace to a Synapse workspace. Navigate to the Synapse Studio and select Manage on the left of the user interface.

Manage option on Azure Synapse

On the resulting window select Linked Services.

Linked Services on Azure Synapse

In the side pane, select + New. This window will show different options for services you can connect to Azure Synapse. Connect to Power BI appears right at the top.

Connect to Power BI

Then, in New Linked Service, you can fill in the pertinent details regarding your new Azure Synapse workspace. Name the workspace Movie Analytics Workspace and connect it to the Movie Analytics Reporting Power BI workspace. Then, select Create.

Filling out information for new linked service

This process will take a few seconds to complete. Once it does, navigate to the list of Linked Services where you can see the artifact you just created.

Viewing Linked Services complete with new the new Power BI service

Now that we have integrated our Power BI workspace with Azure Synapse, let’s begin working with reports.

Adding Power BI datasets

We will first need to add the Movie Analytics dataset to a Power BI dataset so that we can build a report that can later be added to Power BI. Navigate to the Develop Hub blade and in the resulting window, under Power BI you will see our workspace, Movie Analytics Reporting and underneath,

Power BI datasets.

Creating new dataset

Select + New Power BI dataset and in the following side pane, select the dedicated SQL pool which contains the Movie Analytics data.

Creating new dataset

Download the resulting .pbids file. In Power BI Desktop, we can load the appropriate dataset and build a report, as seen here. Once that is complete, we can publish directly to our Power BI workspace, Movie Analytics Reporting.

Creating new dataset

Editing a Power BI report in Azure Synapse

Now, let’s say we want to edit our report. We can do this directly in Azure Synapse. Navigate to the Develop Hub blade and under the Power BI workspace Movie Analytics Reporting open Power BI reports. Here, we can see the Power BI report we just published.

Viewing report in Azure Synapse

We can create new visuals, edit existing ones, add filters, and much more. Let’s dive deeper.

Adding a Visual

Let’s say we would like to add a a pie chart which looks at the number of movies added per year. First, add this visual directly, as we would in Power BI Desktop, as seen below.

Making changes to report in Azure Synapse

Then, select Save on the far right of this window. The window will refresh, and toggling back to our Power BI workspace and the report, we see the changes that we made in Azure Synapse are now reflected in the Power BI workspace!

Changed report in app.powerbi.com

Clean up resources

You can delete Power BI datasets and reports easily within the Synapse Studio. Navigate to the Develop Hub blade, and under Power BI Reports find the correct report and select the ellipsis. Here, you can delete a report by choosing Delete as seen below.

Delete report in Synapse Studio

To pause or delete your dedicated SQL pool in Synapse Studio, simply navigate to Manage Hub and select SQL pool under Analytics pools. As you hover over the dedicated SQL pool, the pause icon will become visible. Select this icon to pause the dedicated SQL pool.

The pause icon is highlighted for the dedicated SQL pool.

Conclusion

This post discussed how to integrate an existing Power BI workspace directly into Azure Synapse. You can try out this tutorial today by creating a Synapse workspace using this blog as a guide.

Create an Azure Synapse workspace in minutes to access these new features

Embark on your Azure Synapse self-study journey with the Microsoft Learn materials

Check this blog daily to see a roundup of all the new tutorial blogs that have been posted as part of 10 days of Azure Synapse

Azure Marketplace new offers – Volume 103

by Contributed | Dec 21, 2020 | Technology

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

We continue to expand the Azure Marketplace ecosystem. For this volume, 91 new offers successfully met the onboarding criteria and went live. See details of the new offers below:

Applications
	Abardo: Build virtual conferences using your organization’s Microsoft Teams. With Abardo, you can select speakers, register attendees, send invites, build agendas, measure impact using dashboards, and create event pages and a dedicated landing page. No IT setup is required.
	Adam.ai Meeting Management Platform: With most meetings being remote now, it can be harder to manage them. Save 90 percent of meeting preparation time with adam.ai, an intelligent meeting content management platform. adam.ai captures the full meeting lifecycle, from preparation to execution and post-meeting actions.
	Altametris Suite: Acquiring knowledge about your industrial assets could be challenging and costly. Automating the cycle of creating and analyzing digital twins, Altametris Suite provides views in 2D/3D/4D without interrupting operations. This app is available in French and English.
	ATTADO for Outlook: Fully integrated with Windows and Microsoft Outlook, ATTADO by Appincode is a professional document management system. It uses Outlook to delegate tasks, manage documents, projects, and contractors throughout the company. This app is available only in Polish.
	autorek: Offering regulatory reporting, financial control, and data management services for the financial services industry, AutoRek harnesses the latest machine learning and automation technologies. Run simultaneous reconciliations for multiple legal entities while ensuring data integrity.
	Broadcast in the Cloud: Harmonic makes broadcasting in the cloud simple with its VOS 360 Channel Origination Platform. Migrate your on-premises broadcast operations to a powerful solution on Microsoft Azure. Streamline your broadcast, OTT and VOD workflows, and deliver fantastic video quality to your subscribers.
	Bugzilla – Manage Software Development on Ubuntu: This pre-configured image from Tidal Media provides Bugzilla, a web-based bug-tracking system and testing tool. It’s perfect for those who are looking for a Bugzilla solution with easy installation and configuration. Manage software development on Ubuntu with Bugzilla.
	Check Point CloudGuard Connect: This cloud-hosted network threat prevention solution by Check Point protects globally distributed branch office locations or virtual networks. With a simple configuration in Microsoft Azure Firewall Manager, you can route branch hub and virtual network connections to the internet.
	Cisco Cloud vWAN Application: This managed application provides orchestration of Cisco SDWAN CSR in the Virtual WAN hub as a native virtual appliance. Supported versions include CSR 17.4 and beyond.
	Cityway Manett MaaS Solution: This solution from Cityway provides simpler and more sustainable mobility for travelers. Manett MaaS (Mobility as a Service) also helps authorities and mobility providers understand travelers’ use of services and apply that knowledge toward optimizing services.
	Cityway Manett Microtransit Management Solution: Microtransit solves the issue of transportation in sparsely populated zones and facilitates access during off-peak hours. This all-in-one digital solution by Cityway digitalizes microtransit and helps optimize all types of mobility-on-demand operations.
	Cloud Mailbox Defense: Bolster Microsoft 365 email security to detect and block advanced email threats with Cloud Mailbox Defense from Cisco. As an integrated cloud-native email security solution for Microsoft 365, it focuses on simple deployment, easy attack remediation, and great visibility.
	CloudKart: This flexible e-commerce platform by Resemble Systems supports any shopping business model with its intuitive and seamless user experience. CloudKart provides customer profile management, inventory management, payment gateway integration, and a product management module.
	Content Distribution to Affiliates: Harmonic’s VOS 360 Channel Origination and Distribution platform lets you deliver your linear channels to all your affiliates. Customize your channels with targeted regional content, advertising, and graphic branding.
	Corezoid Process Engine: Build, manage, host, and run your processes in the cloud without coding. Corezoid Process Engine by Middleware empowers even non-technical people to set up their own real-time dashboards and escalations in just a few clicks, dramatically reducing time to market.
	delika: open data sharing and analysis platform: An open data sharing and analysis platform by Connect Data, delika allows the data application process to work across communities and companies. Data owners can share their data with partners privately or publicly. Data analysts can use shared data to gain business insights.
	DNS Server (IaaS) on Debian 10: This image from Tidal Media provides a DNS server configured for Debian 10. The Domain Name System (DNS) is responsible for translating or resolving a service name to its IP address. Provide name resolution using Microsoft Azure infrastructure.
	DNS Server (IaaS) on Linux CentOS 7.8: This image from Tidal Media provides a DNS server configured for CentOS 7.8. A DNS server translates the domain names entered into a browser into IP addresses. Enable DNS name resolution within your Microsoft Azure tenant.
	DNS Server (IaaS) on Linux CentOS 8.2: This image from Tidal Media provides a DNS server configured for CentOS 8.2. Quickly deploy a new DNS server and enjoy powerful software-driven DNS capabilities for Microsoft Azure.
	DNS Server (IaaS) on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2: This image from Tidal Media provides a DNS server configured for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2. This ready-to-run DNS server on Microsoft Azure offers fast response time, redundancy, and advanced security.
	DSaaS_Masking_Tokenization_Encryption_API: Allowing anyone to encrypt any data type, DSaaS, or Data Security as a Service, is an encryption and tokenization service that’s available as an API for instant integration for any application. Offered by Ciphercloud, it provides security that’s FIPS 140-2 certified.
	Eureka AI – Spectrum: Built on Microsoft Azure by Eureka AI, the Spectrum platform for mobile network operator data monetization organizes, classifies, and enhances telecom data to deliver actionable insights for telecom operators.
	Farming Simulator 17 on Windows Server 2016: This pre-configured image from Tidal Media provides a Farming Simulator 17 game server on Windows Server 2016. Farming Simulator offers a cooperative multiplayer mode for up to 16 players. To start the server, you will need an additional Steam account with the purchased Farming Simulator 17 game.
	Farming Simulator 19 on Windows Server 2016: This pre-configured image from Tidal Media provides a Farming Simulator 19 game server on Windows Server 2016. To start the server, you will need an additional Steam account with the purchased Farming Simulator 19 game.
	Firedome Cloud: Protect IoT devices from viruses, spyware, identity theft, and unauthorized access. Firedome Cloud provides monitoring for leaked credentials, suspicious activity, and network-wide IoT device vulnerability.
	Globanet Migrate: This archive migration software solution seamlessly moves data between on-premises and cloud-based archives. Globanet Migrate eliminates data loss risk by enabling administrators to migrate data while safely maintaining the chain of custody.
	Harmony Enterprise: Engineers are faced with an ever-increasing number of wells to assess. Harmony Enterprise by IHS Markit provides reservoir management and production forecasting for today’s environment.
	HEALTH COV-ER – Back To Work: Provided by Wipro, this is a platform for bringing employees back to work amid the pandemic. Employees can use the mobile app for COVID-19 guideline updates, access control, health status declarations, and more. Administrators can track employees’ access, health, and movement on campus.
	Health Support System (HSS): This cloud service by ITOCHU Techno-Solutions centrally manages employee health information, including medical examination results, stress check data, and interview records. This app is available only in Japanese.
	Holo4Labs SaaS: Save time and avoid mistakes in your research lab environment with Holo4Labs by SoftwareHut. By connecting Microsoft HoloLens 2 with the Thermo Scientific SampleManager laboratory information management system, you can give scientists the opportunity today to work in a lab of the future.
	Indent: With Indent, your team can quickly get access to cloud apps and infrastructure right when they need it. Easily submit and respond to access requests from anywhere with Indent.
	ITS (Intelligent Transportation System): This fleet management system by Chunghwa Telecom provides real-time information to improve the safety and efficiency of your vehicles and to address traffic problems. This app is available only in Traditional Chinese.
	Main Street Digital Platform: It’s no secret many businesses have suffered financial challenges and are fearful of the future. Now you can initiate local economic recovery, help your city’s businesses grow, and bring the community together through this economic development platform provided by the Meylah Corporation.
	Major Tom – Satellite Mission Control: Built for universities, commercial entities, defense satellite builders, and operators, Major Tom by Kubos Corporation is cloud-based satellite mission control software. Major Tom is designed to be used pre-launch and in orbit.
	Marketplace Services Platform: This end-to-end SaaS platform by Nasdaq brings capital markets technology to other industries to help operate marketplaces in insurance, real estate, sports, shipping, and tokenized assets.
	MiningQ: Use natural language processing and machine learning technologies to save time collecting, sorting, and organizing news from different markets with MiningQ Financial Risk and Opportunity Forecasting System. This app is available only in Traditional Chinese.
	MIQ Intelligent Analytics Platform: Unlock the power of your global enterprise data with Wipro’s MiQ, a next-generation connected business analytics platform. It enables data load in any form and data visualization for real-time data analytics.
	MIRACLE LINUX 8 Asianux Inside: Developed by Cybertrust Japan, MIRACLE LINUX 8 is an enterprise-focused embedded system with high-quality technical support. This app is available only in Japanese.
	Natural Selection 2 Server on Windows Server 2016: This pre-configured image from Tidal Media provides a Natural Selection 2 game server on Windows Server 2016. Natural Selection 2, a first-person shooter and real-time strategy game, pits aliens against humans in an action-packed struggle for survival.
	NetApp Virtual Desktop Service: Automate Windows Virtual Desktop deployments with single sign-on to Microsoft 365 and minimize your IaaS costs. NetApp delivers simplified virtual desktop deployment, automated management, and optimized virtual infrastructure for Microsoft Azure users.
	Netoxygen Loan Origination Solution on SaaS: As a highly automated and workflow-driven digital origination solution, NetOxygen by Wipro helps lenders close more loans at lower costs, making lending simpler, safer, and more profitable.
	NGINX (IMAP, SMTP, POP3) Mail Server on Ubuntu: This pre-configured image from Tidal Media provides an NGINX mail proxy server on Ubuntu. NGINX is software for web serving, reverse proxying, caching, load balancing, and media streaming.
	Olinqua: Providing a digital alternative to traditional paging systems, Olinqua integrates message, event, and alarm flows across a hospital’s building, security, safety, and clinical systems.
	Omnisient Secure Data Sharing & Exchange Platform: Partnering with another business or evaluating a new data provider requires a lengthy risk and compliance procedure. With intersect.ai by Omnisient, businesses can unlock the benefits of data collaboration while protecting data privacy and information security.
	ONLYOFFICE Community Edition (CentOS): This pre-configured image from Websoft9 provides ONLYOFFICE Community Edition on CentOS. ONLYOFFICE is a multifunctional portal for business collaboration, documents, and project management.
	OpenEXA: The OpenData transparency dashboard provided by OpenExa enables local governments of all types and sizes to show their constituents their performance, progress, and accountability in easy-to-understand charts.
	OpenLiteSpeed Rails: The OpenLiteSpeed Rails one-click app by LiteSpeed Technologies automatically installs performance web server OpenLiteSpeed, along with Ruby, Rails, and CertBot, on Linux.
	Parv.ai Career Compass Application: This AI-based career planning tool from Parv.ai analyzes users’ interests and makes intelligent customized course recommendations to help create personalized career development plans.
	PaySlip: Issue payslips on the web with PaySlip from Kacoms. Reduce errors, manual labor, and expenses by importing data and creating payslips with one click. Data is managed securely on Microsoft Azure. This app is available only in Japanese.
	PentaTAX – tax and excise platform: PentaTAX, an excise tax platform from Pentacomp, is intended for entities that trade sensitive goods or goods exempt or suspended from excise duty. This app is available only in Polish.
	Percona Monitoring and Management: Use this free and open-source platform from Percona to easily view and monitor the performance of your MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and MariaDB databases.
	Personalized TV Channels: Deliver personalized TV channels, keep your viewers watching channels longer, and boost your advertising revenues with Harmonic’s VOS 360 Channel Origination and Distribution platform on Microsoft Azure.
	Prisma Cloud Compute Edition: Empower developers and DevOps teams with this cloud-native security platform by Palo Alto Networks. Prisma Cloud Compute Edition provides holistic protection for Microsoft Azure virtual machines, containers, and serverless deployments.
	Quantitative Seismic Interpretation (QSI): Developed for geoscientists, Emerson’s QSI software integrates seismic and geological data to produce a comprehensive description of reservoir properties, including impedances, porosities, saturations, and lithology.
	radcom_ace: RADCOM ACE is an automated, containerized 5G assurance platform with AI-driven insights for standalone 5G network operations. RADCOM ACE uses streaming analytics to deliver real-time network intelligence.
	Red Hat AMQ 7.7: This virtual machine provided by MidVision contains Red Hat AMQ on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Red Hat AMQ is a flexible messaging platform that enables real-time integration and connection to the Internet of things (IoT).
	SAFARI Montage LOR CLoud: Designed for in-person and remote instruction, this interoperable K-12 learning object repository enables school districts to manage all their curated and procured learning objects on Microsoft Azure.
	Seafile on CentOS: This pre-configured image from Websoft9 provides Seafile on CentOS. Seafile is an open-source file sync and share solution designed for high reliability, performance, and productivity.
	Smart Twin Closed Loop Performance Management: Enabling customers through a digital transformation journey, this operational digital twin from Wipro creates virtual models of real-life assets and their interactions with operations.
	SnapComms: Get your employees’ attention, whether they’re working from home or on-site. This multichannel internal communications platform by SnapComms bypasses email to inform and engage 2.5 million employees in 75 countries worldwide.
	Squad: Tactical Game Server on Windows Server 2016: This pre-configured image from Tidal Media provides a Squad tactical game server on Windows Server 2016. Squad is an online multiplayer first-person shooter that aims to capture combat realism through communication and teamwork.
	ThinkAndor: Powered by artificial intelligence and voice technology, the Andor Health platform by ThinkAndor enables virtual waiting room experiences for patient notifications, intake, triage, and assessment. It also allows clinicians to review patient and electronic medical record information from within their Microsoft Teams environment.
	Trader Smart Online Trading: This e-commerce platform by Olympic Software is for organizations where online sales are critical. The highly personalized customer experience gives you the ability to deliver promotions, bundles, and upselling and cross-selling opportunities.
	Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS Minimal: This pre-configured image from Tidal Media provides Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS Minimal. This Ubuntu server is the smallest Ubuntu base image for your cloud operations, booting faster and requiring fewer security updates.
	Vehicle & Key Management – Azure IoT: Made for fleet managers, car rental companies, and other vehicle providers, this solution enables employees and customers to open and close vehicles without the use of physical keys. This app is available in English and German.
	Verto Health: Verto’s Digital Twin Interoperability & Care Coordination platform enables seamless patient data sharing between healthcare providers, platforms, and organizations. It helps to automate appointments, patient screening, patient engagement, patient flow, hybrid virtual care, and care transitions.
	Wavefront Proxy Container Image: This pre-configured container image from Bitnami provides Wavefront Proxy, which is a lightweight application that handles batch processing and transmission of data to the Wavefront service in a secure, fast, and reliable manner.
	WellLine: WellLine, a manufacturing productivity solution, can collect and visualize operational data from manufacturing sites utilizing IoT and data analysis. This app is available only in Japanese.
Consulting services
	30-Day Azure Synapse Pilot Implementation: Microsoft Azure Synapse brings together data integration, enterprise data warehousing, and big data analytics. In this offer, Adastra will deliver a no-cost assessment and a proof of concept to show how Azure Synapse can bring you new insights at scale.
	Application Delivery Control (ADC): This course by A10 Networks targets application engineers, architects, network security teams, and network and development operations. It focuses on implementing common application delivery control scenarios for A10 ACOS deployments in datacenter environments.
	Azure AD Digital IAM Managed Service: Wipro will provide end-to-end support services for enterprises that use Microsoft Azure Active Directory as their identity and access management platform. Wipro’s accelerators for Azure Active Directory fast-track application onboarding processes, eliminating 30 percent to 50 percent of manual efforts.
	Azure Based Title Forecasting & Planning 10wk PoC: The gaming title forecasting process can pose numerous challenges, including capturing the impact of existing franchise games or streamlining launch dates and title lifecycles. Using Microsoft Azure Machine Learning, Affine will provide a title forecasting and planning proof of concept.
	Azure BC & Disaster Recovery 6-Week Implementation: You can’t anticipate when an outage, corruption, deletion, or loss might impact your business, so preparation is key. In this offer, Connection will implement a production deployment of a Microsoft Azure Site Recovery solution for your cloud and on-premises workloads.
	Azure Consulting Services: 5-days Assessment: Golden Five Consulting will provide 40 hours of Microsoft Azure assessment services, either in Azure migration, Azure Site Recovery, or Azure health checks. At the end of the assessment, you will receive a report or a project proposal.
	Azure DevOps and GitHub – 2-Day Innovate Workshop: Learn how DevOps is better with Microsoft Azure DevOps and GitHub. Transform your development business with this hands-on workshop from Equinox, which will enable your business to continually deliver value.
	Azure Disaster Recovery 3-Week Assessment: In this business continuity and disaster recovery assessment, Connection will help your organization replicate your data, applications, and infrastructure to Azure.
	Azure Managed by Zure: Zure Oy’s managed service for Microsoft Azure will cover your Azure IaaS and PaaS assets and will include professional advisory services. The service does not include managing workloads that are not directly related to Azure configuration. See the full offer for details and limitations.
	Azure Migration 2 Day Assessment & Strategy Design: Emerging Technology Partners, an independent division of Kordia, will create a high-level view of a future-state architecture using Microsoft Azure services. This view will enable your business to make key platform and migration decisions.
	Azure Migration Assessment: 10 Days Assessment: Cloud migration involves significant organizational change management that spans people, processes, and technology. This engagement from IBN Technologies will break up your migration plan into projects, each with a group of related workloads.
	Azure MLOps: DevOPS for Machine Learning: This package from Pactera EDGE serves as a comprehensive framework for the rapid implementation of an enterprise-scale MLOps pipeline using assets on Microsoft Azure. The pipeline will be powered through a combination of Azure DevOps and Azure Machine Learning.
	Data Market Azure Business Continuity Management: With the help of Microsoft Azure Site Recovery and Azure Backup, Data Market Bilgi Hizmetleri A.S will manage your disaster recovery environment for you and respond to situations where business is interrupted.
	Data Market Azure Infrastructure Management: With this service, Data Market Bilgi Hizmetleri A.S will manage your Microsoft Azure infrastructure with least privilege. Your resources will be monitored to ensure optimization, giving you more time to focus on your core workloads.
	Data Market Azure Security Management: Protect your Microsoft Azure environment against possible threats with continual monitoring from Data Market Bilgi Hizmetleri A.S. Ensure your resources meet such security standards as CIS, HIPAA, and ISO.
	Infrastructure Migration: 1- Day Assessment: In this free assessment, Data Market Bilgi Hizmetleri A.S will analyze your on-premises infrastructure to ensure it meets the requirements for migration to Microsoft Azure. You will then receive a design report.
	Knowledge Mining: 2-month PoC: Knowledge mining combines AI services and data-mining algorithms to drive content understanding over large amounts of structured and unstructured information. Semantive’s proof of concept using Microsoft Azure will make images, videos, audio, and documents easily searchable to unlock business insights.
	Proactive Customer Mgmt: 8-week Proof of Concept: Algospark’s proof of concept will use a Microsoft Azure Machine Learning model to detect customer behavior anomalies, predict customer churn, and generate product or service recommendations. The Microsoft Power Platform will be used for analytics and call logging.
	Tally on Azure: 5 Day Implementation & Migration: IBN Technologies will seamlessly migrate your Tally business management software to Microsoft Azure. This implementation will involve an assessment, followed by a documentation phase, then a pilot migration and testing before the live migration.
	Web Application Modernization: 1-Day Assessment: This free assessment will set your company up for a cloud transition without disturbing business continuity. Data Market Bilgi Hizmetleri A.S will analyze your company’s application structure and determine the requirements for a seamless cloud transition.
	Windows Virtual Desktop – 10 Day Proof of Concept: 848 Group will work with your organization to deploy a customized proof of concept of Windows Virtual Desktop. This 10-day engagement will also include a workshop and a review of your application estate and core infrastructure.
	Windows Virtual Desktop Construction support: 2 weeks evaluation: After a preliminary assessment, Kacoms Co. Ltd. will strategize and set up a Windows Virtual Desktop environment for your organization. This offer is available only in Japanese.
	Zero-trust Workplace Security: 2wk Implementation: Intended for the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries, this service from Adfolks will outfit organizations with security indicators, incident alerts, performance monitoring, operational metrics, and more.

And a smart fridge in a pear tree

by Scott Muniz | Dec 21, 2020 | Security

This article was originally posted by the FTC. See the original article here.

On this 12^th and final day of consumer protection — just of this series, you understand, not ever — here are a few reminders as you head toward whatever holiday you celebrate (or don’t) this December. Whether you’re shopping for a fridge that reminds you that you’re out of milk (step OFF, appliances, I’ve got this) or some cozy slippers, remember:

Read the reviews. What are experts saying about the product you’re after? Do they compare brands or versions of the product? Is tech ability needed to appreciate and use it?
Compare prices. Obviously, right? But online or in-person door-buster “deals” with low, low prices often pressure you to act quickly. So do some up-front work on what price neighborhood to expect, especially for higher-priced items. That way, you know what’s really a good deal, and what’s just lots of hype.
What about privacy? You know your comfort level with what your devices know about you. But if you’re gifting, how would the recipient feel about, say, a connected watch that tracks her steps and encourages her to walk more? Might she, I don’t know, set fire to that device after a few days? Or thank you SO much for suggesting that she ought to exercise? Theoretically, you understand.
Pay by credit card. You have the most protections when you shop (online or elsewhere) with a credit card.

We hope the 12 Days of Consumer Protection series helped remind you of a few ways to save money or protect yourself from scams. And we hope you shared the blogs and graphics with your network. And it’s not too late! Share on — and sign up for the blog at ftc.gov/consumeralerts to stay up with the latest scams. And happy holidays from your friends at the FTC.

Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

New tools to fight gift card scams

Have Your Company’s Systems Passed All the Security Tests?

Edge, IE’ SmartScreen tests

For the comprehensive tests, we could use Microsoft Defender Demo site,

Test Result:

Besides blocking and warning events provided by your Antivirus software during test time, if you have setup security alert on endpoint protection service or Azure security center, you will receive alert Email Messages similar to the following one:

Test result

You AV should be able to block “Java Script Cryto Miners” as shown in this image:

Well, up to this point of time, it seems that my blog article has become too long!

Should I stop it right here?

I hope the blog is not boring but useful.

Until next time.

_____________________________________________

Reference:

Integrate Power BI with Azure Synapse Analytics

Obtaining the Movie Analytics Dataset from the Knowledge Center

Azure Synapse + Power BI

Adding Power BI datasets

Editing a Power BI report in Azure Synapse

Adding a Visual

Clean up resources

Conclusion

Azure Marketplace new offers – Volume 103

Applications

Consulting services

And a smart fridge in a pear tree

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Meta

We look forward to meeting you