Is it time to rethink legacy firewalls? [Q&A]

Firewall

A new report from Guardicore and the Ponemon Institute reveals that more than 60 percent of organizations believe that legacy firewalls are ineffective in preventing damaging cyberattacks against applications, data centers, and data in the cloud.

We spoke to Dave Burton, VP marketing at Guardicore to find out more.

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Get 'Microsoft Office 365 All-in-One For Dummies' ($24.00 value) FREE for a limited time

Microsoft Office 365 offers the same productivity power as past versions of Microsoft Office along with tools designed to boost collaboration in the workplace and instant access to the latest Office updates without buying a whole new software package. It’s an ideal solution for both the office and home use.

The author of the bestselling Microsoft Office All-in-One For Dummies shares his advice on how to navigate the nuts and bolts of getting things done with Office 365. Look inside for step-by-step instructions on Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Access, and OneNote, along with a dive into the cloud services that come with Office 365.

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What US wireless providers need to learn from telecom companies in paradise

Living in a developing nation, what used to be referred to as a third world country, has its charms. Many of the most beautiful places on Earth are found in such countries -- think Phuket in Thailand, or the myriad members of the Greater and Lesser Antilles. As a resident of one of the more remote and desirable of these destinations -- Mauritius -- I’ve been spoiled by access pristine beaches, lush jungles, and tropical fruits growing (literally) outside my window. But what I haven’t appreciated is the high cost of wireless internet access.

Until just recently, getting a pre-paid wireless plan for your iPhone or Android handset was far from economical. A typical monthly plan, though relatively inexpensive at MUR 299 (roughly $7.50 USD), came with a paltry 2-5GB of data. And as a Twitter and YouTube addict, I found myself refilling said plan almost weekly, depending on how much time I spent lazing on the beach or traipsing through the island’s majestic mountain forests.

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Top 20 VPN providers for privacy

Should you sign up for a paid VPN service? Only you can make that decision, but I do recommend them highly. Not only can they hide your activity from your ISP, but they can make you safer when using non-secure public Wi-Fi. Of course, you should avoid such public Wi-Fi networks when you can, but if you need to utilize them, a VPN is a must.

With all of that said, all VPN providers are not created equally. Free ones should be avoided at all costs, as their business models cannot be trusted. In other words, privacy and free services generally don't mix. Sadly, picking a good VPN provider can be hard, as there are so many from which to choose these days. Thankfully, VPNRatings.com has done some research on the subject, and it has shared its list of the Top 20 VPNs. And yes, privacy and security were huge factors.

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Windows 7 2020 Edition could be the perfect Microsoft operating system

Windows 10 is a good operating system, for the most part, but it’s not without its problems -- I covered just some of these here on the eve of its 5th birthday at the end of July. It seems every new update Microsoft rolls out these days introduces fresh annoyances. No wonder millions of people are still sticking with Windows 7, even though that OS is no longer supported.

For many people, Windows 10 is the operating system they have to use, but not the one they want to. With that in mind, it's not hard to see the appeal of this remastered Windows 7 2020 Edition.

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How to remove Edge tabs from the Alt-Tab switcher in Windows 10

New Microsoft Edge logo 2019

If you're an Edge user who frequently has a large number of tabs open, Microsoft's decision to add the browser tabs to Alt-Tab switching creates something of a navigation nightmare.

When you have not only multiple browser tabs open, but also numerous applications, Alt-Tabbing your way through them can take an age. Thankfully it is possible to hide Edge tabs in Alt-Tab, or limit the number of tabs that are displayed so things don't get too overwhelming.

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5 reasons you should NOT buy Microsoft's Surface Duo

Microsoft is a wildly successful company, and when it comes to desktop computing, no one comes close to competing. Whether a computer is for home, education, or business, Windows is probably powering the experience. And yet, when it comes to mobile, Microsoft is a huge failure. The company got a head-start with Windows Mobile pre-dating the iPhone, but it squandered that lead with terrible products such as Kin, Windows Phone, and Windows 10 Mobile.

Microsoft finally admitted defeat by killing Windows 10 Mobile. Ultimately, the company embraced Android by bringing its own launcher to Google's Linux-based operating system. Today, Microsoft launches its first-ever Android device. Called Surface Duo, it copies the dual-screen concept pioneered by LG. Sadly, the smartphone appears to be a train wreck. Here are just five reasons why you should not buy it.

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Upgrade to Windows 10 Professional for just $39.99 and use Group Policy Editor to tweak and secure your computer

Windows 10 Home offers you a number of personalization, customization and tweaking options, but Windows 10 Professional takes things even further. Thanks to the inclusion of Group Policy Editor, not only can you tweak the hell out of the operating system, but also lock it down for ultimate security.

Group Policy Editor is unique to the Professional edition of Windows 10, and it gives you access to hundreds of settings that are either simply not available in the Home edition, or have to be implemented through awkward registry edits.

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Force Windows 10 to always use YOUR choice of browser and search engine

Windows 10 has a number of things that users find annoying about it, not least that it forces you to use other Microsoft products. Type a web query into the Windows search box, or ask Cortana something, and the results you receive will come from Bing.

Microsoft has recently replaced its old Edge browser with a Chromium version, and while this is a big improvement, the software giant has forced it onto users and made it hard (but thankfully not impossible) to remove.

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How to uninstall Microsoft Edge from Windows

Edge icon in trash bin

Microsoft has been quite aggressive in pushing out the Chromium-based version of Edge, and not everyone is happy about it.

There is understandable anger at having a browser that isn't necessarily wanted being forcibly installed -- and to add insult to injury, Microsoft has also made it impossible to uninstall Edge. But there is actually a way to get rid of the browser. Here's what you need to know.

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Microsoft's redesigned Windows 10 Start menu is a big improvement

Windows 10 has been around for five years now, and although Microsoft has introduced a number of big changes over the years, the Start menu doesn't look hugely different from how it was when the OS debuted back in 2015.

That’s all about to change though. Microsoft is planning to overhaul the menu, and it’s released a number of new images to give us a clearer idea of how it will look.

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This Microsoft Certified Partner tried to sell me the non-existent Windows 11 [Updated]

Windows 11 boxshot

Microsoft has previously said that Windows 10 is the last version of Windows. We've talked about Windows 11 concepts here on BetaNews, but that's all they are -- concepts dreamt up by eager designers.

So what was a Microsoft Certified Partner thinking when it popped a pre-order page for Windows 11 on its site? A major update or a new version of Windows is always going to generate a lot of interest -- and probably a lot of money too, particularly with a $174.99 price tag attached. Having stumbled across a site inviting me to "preorder your Windows 11 before anyone else", I decided to investigate and find out what the company had to say for itself. [UPDATED with comments from both Microsoft and the Microsoft Certified Partner]

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Windows 7 returns with the stunning 2020 Edition

Microsoft pulled the plug on Windows 7 five months ago, giving users a pretty stark choice -- switch to Windows 10, or stick with an aging operating system that the software giant is no longer supporting.

While the more sensible choice would be to upgrade to Windows 10, there are plenty of people who have avoided doing so for various reasons, not least that they just prefer how Windows 7 does things -- no Cortana, no forced Bing integration, no invasive telemetry…

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How and why you should upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Professional

When you bought your computer with Windows 10 pre-installed, the chances are that it came with Windows 10 Home. You're probably aware that Windows 10 Professional is available, but did you know just how cheap and easy it is to update and the benefits it can bring you?

We have some great news. Windows 10 Professional keeps everything you’ve learned to love about Home but adds a lot more. Not only is upgrading to Windows 10 Professional incredibly simple, it does not mean that you have to reinstall from scratch; it takes little more than changing your product key. We also have a great special offer that makes upgrading even cheaper than normal, so let's take a look at what you stand to gain if you do make the jump.

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Save 80% on Windows 10 Pro -- limited time offer

Windows 10 desktop background

Windows 7 is no more -- or, more accurately, no longer supported. That means no more bug fixes and more crucially, no more security updates. If you’re still running a Windows 7 PC, it’s time to move.

What are your options? You could buy a brand-new PC, but the truth is that your current PC is probably more than capable of running Windows 10. If you’ve no need, desire or budget to buy a whole new computer, then discover how to upgrade to Windows 10 for as little as $29.99 with two fantastic deals.

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