On this episode podcast of Bottom Line I.T. with Amy Mumby and Erik Jacobsen address the latest in I.T. news including Two-Factor Authentication and Aibo's dark side. Take listen for a whole lot more! 

Segment 1
Microsoft Teams gets inventive new conference call features to make Slack users jealous
https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/19/18272357/microsoft-teams-video-background-customization-whiteboard-live-events-features

There are many changes coming to Microsoft with Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 end-of-life support, along with the transition of end-of-life for Skype. While there are a few things going away, you better believe that Microsoft has better tools to replace them with. Microsoft Teams is still fairly new, but within its short two years, it’s already making big waves and making Slack users just a little bit jealous with its features!

Segment 2
Two-Factor Authentication: Who Has It and How to Set It Up
https://www.pcmag.com/feature/358289/two-factor-authentication-who-has-it-and-how-to-set-it-up

We talk about the importance of having 2FA setup for business applications, especially Microsoft 365 accounts. Your business-line applications aren’t the only applications you should have 2FA turned on for though. As a business, turning on 2FA for social media applications can be just as crucial. Victoria Simmons, social media manager for Elevate Marketing Company, talks about the importance of 2FA for social media and how it can impact your brand reputation.

Segment 3
Why Phone Numbers Stink As Identity Proof
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2019/03/why-phone-numbers-stink-as-identity-proof/

You’ve been told to avoid birthdates, parents’ names, kids’ names, pets, etc for your password – but there is one more key item that you should avoid as your password: your phone number. This articles by KrebsOnSecurity goes into how your phone number is also a pseudo identity. What happens when you change your phone number or somehow get separated from it?

Segment 4
The FTC just came down hard on those annoying robocall operations
https://mashable.com/article/ftc-robocalls-fake-phone-calls/?utm_campaign=hp-r-2&utm_source=internal&utm_medium=onsite#yMpUo5uaSiqr

Chances are you’ve experienced robocalls – if you haven’t then we want to know what your secret is! The FTC announced on March 26^th that they are making it a priority to crackdown on the billions of illegal robocalls. The FTC and four call organizations reached a settlement that bans them from doing more telemarketing scam calls. Maybe we can start answering our phones when an unknown number appears without it being a scam call on the other end…

Segment 5
Aibo's dark side: Why Illinois bans Sony's robot dog
https://www.cnet.com/news/what-sonys-robot-dog-teaches-us-about-biometric-data-privacy/

Dogs are known to be man’s best friend. But let’s be honest, with dogs come shedding, chewing on You can kiss dog hair away with this puppy! No pun intended. Have you heard of Sony’s robot dog? Apparently this robo-dog can “learn its environment and develop relationships with people”. This robo-dog, however, is banned in Illinois due to the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act since the robot can scan human faces.

Segment 6
Arizona Beverages Knocked Offline by Ransomware Attack
https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/02/arizona-beverages-ransomware/

This was certainly a biggie in the world of cybersecurity news. Through a malicious email attachment, the hackers had access to the entire network. This led to a ransomware infection and just a complete mess for the company. Weeks have gone by and the company has still not recovered.