It looks as though Microsoft and Yahoo have come to a deal of some kind, following the pull out of Microsofts initial bid to buy Yahoo for around $40 Billion, and around $1 Billion for the search element of the business.

This deal looks to move Yahoo from the search engine market into a more media, online marketing and sales focussed role, while it will rely on the new Microsoft search facility Bing as its default search engine.

Further information on the deal can be foound on the Yahoo finance site here.

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In the news today it seems that an “easy to guess” password was partly to blame for a security breach of a user using an online application.

As a line of defense against unauthorised access to users accounts, whether it be a social networking site or anything that requires the user to create an account to log in, it is recommended that you enforce strong password strategies. These password strategies include:

• A password that is at least 6-8 characters long
• Must contain at least one number
• A mix of uppercase and lowercase letters

It is also best practise to use different passwords and, where possible, different usernames for every website that requires the user to log in. Following these steps maintains the security of your accounts and provides another barrier (on top of other security measures that are already in place) against unuathorised access.

Remember that you can keep up to date the latest on our products and services by following us on Twitter! Also, I will be posting about the latest news and updates in the IT world, so be sure to follow us at http://twitter.com/cdataservices.

A minor security flaw has been exploited within Internet Explorer that allows remote code execution on users machines who visit particular sites. The official Microsoft advisory can be found here.

According to The Register, the ‘compromised sites” are largely located in China, which might mean the risk to us is relatively low. Also, this can only affect users running Internet Explorer on Windows XP or Server 2003. If you are running Vista or Server 2008 (or indeed Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4) you are not affected. Microsoft are yet to release a security patch that users can install, we will keep our eye on this.

Our advice as always is to ensure all of your anti virus software is up to date and should you browse the web, browse safely, visiting sites that are known and trusted. If you have any concerns or questions, then do give us a call.

Windows 7 is due for release on the 22nd October of this year and is available in different versions, similar to previous OS releases. W7 will be available in the following editions, with a brief outline of each:

Windows 7 Starter

• For users who do very little with their computers
• The edition with no added features, including additional visual features!
• No Windows Aero ‘theme’, no ability to change desktop background
• Only available via the OEM channel.

Windows 7 Home Basic

This edition of Windows 7 won’t actually be available through the UK market, and will only available in emerging markets. Only the basic features are included, although Home Basic is available in 64 bit.

Windows 7 Home Premium

• The edition for home use, available in the UK via the retail and OEM licensing channels
• 32-bit and 64-bit versions available
• Home Group for sharing files and media over a home network
• Customisation with changeable desktop backgrounds and the cool Windows Aero features including window ’snapping’
• Focus on media controls with Windows Media Centre and Windows Media Player included
• Windows Mobility Centre, brings the information most relevant to mobile computing into one area.

Windows 7 Professional

This edition extends on Windows 7 Home Premium to offer an Operating System targeted towards the Small / Medium Business market. In edition to the above features, Windows 7 Pro also includes:

• Encryption File System – protecting files from unauthorised access using public key cryptography
• Remote Desktop Host – an application that allows access to a remote computer
• The ability to join a Windows Server Domain
• Windows XP Mode.

For a small business that runs Windows Server, Active Directory, Exchange, file sharing i.e. an internal business network, this is the version you’ll need. Home editions are as the name suggests purely used for home use i.e. playing games, videos, using the internet and Instant Messaging.

Windows 7 Enterprise

Windows 7 Enterprise brings additional security features and is targeted towards the business enterprise market. Features include Bit Locker drive encryption, Direct Access (with Windows Server 2008 R2) and a sub system for Unix based applications, as well as all the other features lsited above.

Window 7 Ultimate

Ultimate includes all the features of Enterprise, except it is only available via the retail and OEM licensing channels. Home and Professional users who want to take advantage of the features included in Enterprise can upgrade to Ultimate in order to do so.

E Editions

Windows 7 will be sold through Europe as “E” editions i.e. Windows 7 Home Premium “E”. What this means is that Windows 7 will not be released with Internet Explorer. This of course also means there will not be a web browser installed when you recieve your machine! Not to worry – getting a web browser will not cost you extra, it simply means that you do not have to use Internet Explorer (IE) to browse the web. You can download your favourite browser (Firefox, Opera, Chrome) and use that instead. Although to use proprietary web based Microsoft technologies (SharePoint) it is advisable you use IE.