With more productive, creative, and smarter AI tools to enhance your Windows 11 PC, you can experience the best version of Windows, ever. This is still the Windows you know and love, and more.

Because support for Windows 10 is ending in October 2025, you’ll want to make sure you install Windows 11 or buy a device that uses Windows 11. Use this checklist to ensure you have what you need before the upgrade:

1. Minimum system requirements: Before upgrading to Windows 11, make sure your device meets the minimum system requirements. These include a compatible 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. Certain features require specific hardware. Check here for a more detailed list of system requirements.
2. Upgrade by software download: One of the simplest ways to switch from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is by downloading the upgrade through Windows Update. Navigate to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Check for updates. If your device is eligible, you’ll see the option to download and install Windows 11. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
3. Buy a new device: If your current device doesn’t meet the minimum system requirements, consider purchasing a new device pre-installed with Windows 11. Not sure which device is right for you? Take this quiz to get personalized recommendations for your next PC.

Enjoy the benefits of Windows 11

Windows 11 is the most technologically advanced version of Windows yet. And more choice in the PC ecosystem means there’s a PC made for each of us. Each device offers a personalized experience, whether you need something powerful enough for next level gaming or prioritize the peace of mind of next generation security. From the moment it’s installed, Windows 11 brings you the highest standard for Windows security available. These PCs come with the power, graphics potential, and memory to elevate your work and play. Using Copilot and Windows 11 can inspire and assist you like never before, from the conference room to the canvas. Whether you use your device for gaming, business, or anything in between, your Windows 11 PC has the battery life² to last wherever you go, whatever you do.

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The Dark Web is a part of the internet that requires special software to access. Often used by individuals who are looking to conceal their identities and activities, it has become the ideal environment for cybercriminals seeking to carry out illicit activities. They can move anonymously in this part of the internet often engaging in criminal activities such as the sale of stolen data, hacking tools, illegal drugs, counterfeit documents, and even illicit services.

Why Should You Be Aware of It?

While the Dark Web may seem distant and irrelevant to your everyday business operations, it poses serious risks that can have far-reaching consequences. Here’s why you need to be aware of it:

1. Stolen Data Trade: The Dark Web serves as a marketplace for cybercriminals to sell stolen data, including usernames, passwords, financial information, and sensitive business data. By purchasing this data, hackers can launch targeted attacks against organizations like yours, leading to data breaches, financial loss, and reputational damage.
2. Credential Stuffing and Account Takeovers: Cybercriminals often utilize compromised login credentials from data breaches to carry out credential stuffing attacks. By leveraging automated tools, they attempt to gain unauthorized access to your business accounts. Once inside, they can exploit your resources, compromise customer data, and cause significant disruption.
3. Sale of Exploit Kits and Malware: The Dark Web provides a platform for the sale of malicious software, exploit kits, and hacking tools. These tools can empower cybercriminals to launch sophisticated attacks against your business, including ransomware, phishing campaigns, and network infiltration.
4. Insider Threats and Employee Monitoring: Employees with malicious intent may leverage the Dark Web to collaborate with external criminals or sell sensitive company information. Awareness of the Dark Web can help you implement appropriate security measures to detect and mitigate insider threats.
5. Reputational Damage: In the event of a data breach or cyberattack, information about your business may end up on the Dark Web. This can severely damage your reputation, erode customer trust, and lead to potential legal and financial repercussions.

What Can You Do?

To protect your business from the risks associated with the Dark Web, we recommend the following actions:

1. Strengthen Your Security: Implement robust cybersecurity measures, such as multi-factor authentication, strong password policies, regular software updates, and network monitoring. Conduct security awareness training for your employees to educate them about the dangers of the Dark Web and how to identify potential threats.
2. Dark Web Monitoring: Engage with our MSP services to incorporate Dark Web monitoring solutions. These services scan the Dark Web for mentions of your business’s critical information and alert you if any compromised data is discovered.
3. Incident Response Planning: Develop an incident response plan that includes protocols for handling potential Dark Web-related incidents. This plan should outline steps for containing, investigating, and recovering from a data breach or cyberattack.
4. Regular Vulnerability Assessments: Perform periodic vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify and address potential weaknesses in your network infrastructure and applications.

We are committed to staying ahead of emerging cybersecurity threats and providing you with the necessary tools and expertise to safeguard your business. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the Dark Web or any other security matter, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.  We also provide ongoing security awareness training as well as simulated phishing campaigns to ensure your employees are well-educated to help minimize risk inside your organization.

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We deal with many security vendors.  ALL of them warn of the possibility of even more aggressive attempts with everything going on in the world.  ESET has been our primary antivirus vendor for over 20 years.  ESET has a solution for you–whether a home user or a large enterprise customer.  We rely on ESET to protect thousands of our managed endpoints.  They also offer EDR solutions, MFA, and more–all with a cloud console so you can manage your entire organization from one place.

Home users can get a free 30 day trial here (no credit card required).  Business and enterprise users can try this Interactive Demo.  We can also offer a free 30 day trial of any business solution from 5 to over 1,000 users.

Contact us for more information!

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• Be careful what you click on – A link in an e-mail may not be legitimate.  If you mouse over a link that is supposed to be your bank and it says 92jh3nf8923n.com or something similar, it is likely NOT your bank.  Or it could be cleverly disguised; wellsfarg0.com for example.  When in doubt, go directly to their website in order to log in.
• Is Microsoft calling you? – Not a chance!  You can barely call them let alone them calling you to tell you something is wrong with your computer.  At best they are trying to fix non-existent issues for a very high price.  At worst, they will remote in and download your ‘My Documents’ folder hoping to get your password list.  Same goes for the IRS, Apple, and Verizon.
• Sign into your Microsoft account to view this document – When you try to open an attachment, maybe even from someone you know, it prompts you to log in with your Microsoft account.  You are unknowingly sending the scammer your Microsoft account details.  At that point they will be able to access your account to find out who you do business with.  Oftentimes if you have a work e-mail account they will find out who you interact with–who your vendors are, etc.  They will disguise themselves as you and send e-mails wanting to wire transfer money instead of paying by check.

These are the types of things we are seeing happen more and more.  Keep your guard up, make sure your antivirus and Windows is up to date, and when in doubt, don’t click or open!!  If you are a business, our Managed IT Services will help you keep focused on your customers and not on IT issues.

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• Microsoft, Adobe, Apple, etc. will NEVER call you to say something is wrong with your computer.  Have you ever tried calling these companies?  You can barely contact them if you have an issue; they certainly don’t have an army of phone reps calling to let you know something is wrong.
• Anything that resembles ‘driving to Walmart to buy Apple gift cards’ for payment is a scam.  Legitimate companies want good ol’ cashola and NOT gift cards.  Scammers want gift cards because they’re untraceable and can be sold for cash or bartered on the dark web.
• Do not allow people you don’t know to remotely access your computer.  Some scammers will simply claim there are things wrong with your computer by opening Event Viewer (which shows errors on a fresh Windows install) or they will do this AND download your files in the background hoping to find your coveted list of passwords or other information they can use or sell.  They can also remotely install keyloggers which record everything you type into your computer including bank passwords, e-mail passwords, etc.

So in summary, be very cautious about who you let into your computer.  If you get a cold call, 99.99% of the time it is not legitimate.  Most companies you are able to engage with online have the option of two-factor authentication (2FA).  It is strongly advisable to enable this feature for added security.

Be safe out there!

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•  Windows Security Updates/Patches
•  Antivirus Updates and Real-Time Monitoring
•  Battery Backup/UPS Monitoring
•  Firewall Intrusion Detection
•  Managed Data Backups

Pay one monthly price per device and let us take the guesswork out of things!  Contact us for more information.

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We offer affordable security scans as well as full HIPAA compliance scans and comprehensive reporting.  A monthly, quarterly, or even one-time scan might reveal huge gaps in your infrastructure you don’t know about.  We can do a basic scan or a very thorough one and we can recommend the best one based on the size and type of your organization.

Here are just a few things you can do on your own to minimize your risk:

•  Make sure your router/firewall firmware is up to date
•  Make sure your Windows updates are being done
•  Update your antivirus software and run weekly scans
•  Have a policy in place that outlines employee access (what is allowed/what isn’t, etc.)
•  Minimize remote access from outside sources (lock down Remote Desktop, etc.)
•  Change your password to something complex every 30 days

Our scans will look for confidential information stored on local PCs, open ports that shouldn’t be open, password complexity–even traces of your data on the Dark Web–and so much more.

Call us today to find out more!

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