The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has declared that Google?s self-driving vehicles can be considered a driver. As reported by ZDNet, Google sought to clarify what it would take to make their driverless cars highway-safe. In order for Google?s cars to be seen as compliant with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, all they had to do was change the position of the brake pedal and sensors, after which the vehicles were declared ?safe enough.? For an example of how one of these automated cars views its surroundings, watch this video: While this might seem of little consequence, it?s actually a huge step forward for the development of artificial intelligence. Of course, with such a huge push, there will be complications; in this case, they come in the form of accident liability. If a driverless vehicle were to be involved in an accident, who?s to blame? You can?t sue a vehicle, unless you want to go directly to the manufacturer and claim that it?s their fault for producing a faulty product. Unfortunately, the manufacturer could simply blame the user for failing to set the device up properly. Also, would insurance companies require new coverage to accommodate the presence of automated vehicles on the roads? These questions aren?t easily answered, so liability will likely remain a major issue for any autonomous vehicles. Since a driverless car doesn?t have anyone behind the wheel, it?s difficult to place the blame on any one entity in particular. As the feds claimed in their letter to Google, ?If no human occupant of the vehicle can actually drive the vehicle, it is more reasonable to identify the ?driver? as whatever (as opposed to whoever) is doing the driving.? So, in the case of the autonomous vehicle, finding out who or what is at fault is challenging at best. Another critical issue is how well Google?s autonomous cars can fit into the current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Will regulations regarding specific human anatomy have to be changed in order to accommodate motor vehicles? As reported by WIRED: The rule regarding the car?s braking system, for example, says it ?shall be activated by means of a foot control.? The rules around headlights and turn signals refer to hands. NHTSA can easily change how it interprets those rules, but there?s no reasonable way to define Google?s software?capable as it is?as having body parts. All of which means, the feds ?would need to commence a rulemaking to consider how FMVSS No. 135 [the rule governing braking] might be amended in response to ?changed circumstances,’? the letter says. Getting an exemption to one of these rules is a long and difficult process, Walker Smith says. But ?the regular rulemaking process is even more onerous.? Even if liability remains a problem for autonomous cars, the fact that authorities can refer to computers as ?drivers? means that they can be considered humans (or human-like), at least behind the wheel of a car. Developers of artificial intelligence will likely face similar issues, but this advancement gives them hope that their efforts will not be in vain. Though Google has slated its automated cars to be available to the public by 2020, we might have to wait just a little bit longer, even for the most basic form of artificial intelligence. What are your […]

Here?s a summary of the study by the security firm Avecto, as reported by ZDNet: The report said that removing admin rights could’ve mitigated more than 99 percent of flaws affecting Internet Explorer, which had a critical-rated flaw almost every month; and mitigated 82 percent of all vulnerabilities affecting Office. The company analyzed the entire batch of vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s monthly security patch update, dubbed Patch Tuesday, to see which flaws would be less impacted whose logged-in accounts “are configured to have fewer user rights on the system.” Out of the entire batch of vulnerabilities reported, 63 percent would be mitigated or unexploitable if admin rights were removed. The most shocking find from the study is that concerning the Windows operating system, a solid 85 percent of all critical flaws within the OS can be plugged simply by removing administrator privileges. That?s a whole mess of problems that can be avoided if organizations simply take the time to establish and manage their network?s administrator privileges. Think about it, there?s no benefit to your organization from giving all of your staff the ability to access all of your files. Every business has files on record that are sensitive in nature, like employee health records, payroll, and bank account information. Sensitive records like these must be protected by setting up airtight administrator privileges, and in some industries, failure to do so will result in hefty fines. In addition to worrying about the administrator privileges of your staff, you?re going to want to be mindful of how hackers can manipulate administrator privileges. For example, an IT network with strict administrator privileges in place will deter a hacker who infiltrates your network from accessing sensitive files. You?re also going to want to be mindful and stay current with the administrator privileges that you?ve put into place; you wouldn?t want a former employee to retain their administrator privileges, and you need to protect yourself from hackers who successfully steal administrator rights. In today’s digital age, it?s frightening how one oversight like this can open the door to so much trouble. However, by taking full advantage of a user management solution, you can minimize this risk–by as much as 85 percent! Of course, managing your network?s administrator privileges is just one piece of the security puzzle. You?re also going to want to have in place secondary security solutions like firewalls, antivirus, spam blocking, and content filtering tools designed to prevent infiltration in the first place. White Mountain IT Services can implement all of these tools for you in one comprehensive solution, called a Unified Threat Management (UTM) tool. To learn more about what it takes to tighten your company?s network security, give White Mountain IT Services a call at (603) 889-0800.

With a little know-how, some common sense, and White Mountain IT Services by your side, the next time you upgrade your technology, you?ll know for sure whether or not it will benefit your organization before you implement it. Here?s a handy checklist that can help you understand when it?s time to go all-in on new technology solutions. SoftwareWhen considering changing your business?s software solution strategy, you should make sure to ask yourself the following questions about your organization?s infrastructure: Is your current operating system supported? In other words, are you currently receiving patches and security updates from Microsoft for your servers and workstations? If not, your business could be exposing itself to malware, viruses, and other nasty online threats. Do you have any legacy software that?s dependent on specific operating systems? One major reason that organizations don?t upgrade their technology consistently is because they just can?t do so without sacrificing legacy software. This happens when a piece of software isn?t compatible with more recent operating systems. Therefore, you need to ensure that you aren?t using legacy software that will be complicated by a switch to a new operating system. Is this software supported? What?s preventing you from getting on the most recent version? HardwareIf you?re considering upgrading your business?s hardware solutions, consider the following before taking any drastic measures: How old is your hardware? Have you upgraded your workstations and servers over the past two or three years? If not, you might be in need of a hardware upgrade. The older the hardware, the more chance there is to fall victim to expensive hardware failure and crippling data loss. Are any of your workstations or servers operating below specifications? If there’s something wrong with your business?s technology, you might think that upgrading to a more recent model can resolve the issue. However, if you?re experiencing slow network speeds or other technical difficulties, you could be dealing with other problems that don?t necessarily require a hardware upgrade to fix. Has your business been experiencing growth? If your business is growing at a fast pace, your network might have difficulty keeping up with the demand. Therefore, you may need to upgrade your network?s hardware in order to facilitate the amount of traffic it experiences. Otherwise, you could be dealing with a slow network and decreased productivity. If your organization is having difficulty ensuring that your technology systems are consistently updated, White Mountain IT Services can help. Our trusted professionals have the skills necessary to provide clear consultation that can help your business approach your next upgrade round with ease. For more information about updating your technology systems, give White Mountain IT Services a call at (603) 889-0800; and be sure to subscribe to our blog for more great tech tips.

The fact remains that fully outsourced IT management is the ideal way for small and medium-sized businesses to handle their technology solutions. Unlike large businesses that have a generous IT budget, your SMB has limited assets and resources to work with, which can restrict your freedom to implement quality new technology solutions. When you outsource IT to a managed service provider, that’s work that no longer has to be performed, providing you with more time and capital to invest in other parts of your business. Some of the most common managed IT services include remote management and maintenance, network security, data backup and disaster recovery, email and server hosting, and so much more. All of these services require some sort of technical expertise, and outsourcing them to a qualified managed service provider is often the best choice for SMBs. Here are three great reasons you should consider outsourcing your IT maintenance: Decreased capital expenses: Managed IT is like transforming all of your technology maintenance and management into operating expenses. Instead of large, up-front capital costs for new technology solutions, your business can benefit from the economic freedom of only spending a fraction of these costs every month, providing more flexibility with your budget.Increased IT flexibility: It?s one thing to not have an internal IT team and outsource these responsibilities directly, but it?s another altogether to provide assistance to your dedicated internal IT department. If you do have an internal IT department, chances are that they?re up to their ears in day-to-day work and are too busy to perform maintenance or implement new solutions. This is why it?s so valuable to have managed IT services– if your team is too busy, White Mountain IT Services can relieve some of the burden so your staff can work on company initiatives that improve the business.Proactive and preventative solutions: When your business?s technology fails, it can have disastrous effects on your business?s budget. Managed IT services are designed to detect and prevent issues with your infrastructure, rather than respond to major problems as they come up. The best part of outsourcing your IT to professional technicians is that your business will have more time to focus on what matters most; improving operations and coming up with new and profitable initiatives. You?ll be surprised by how much time and money you can save by having professional IT technicians on hand to resolve problems and consult with. White Mountain IT Services fully understands the plight of New Hampshire small businesses and their technology solutions. For more information on how we can improve your operations and increase your bottom line, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.