📅 Midwest PROTECH Tips & Tricks

 📅 Midwest PROTECH Tips & Tricks – Monday Edition

                             Monday, October 27th, 2025
                      

New Tips & Tricks added on Mondays and Fridays at 12:00 PM

If you’re still running Windows 10, it’s time to take this seriously.
Microsoft officially ended support on October 14, 2025, and that means no more security updates, patches, or compatibility fixes.

• Security Risks:
  Without updates, your system becomes a prime target for cyberattacks, ransomware, and data theft. Hackers know which vulnerabilities exist — and they’ll exploit them.
   
• Software Failures:
  Popular business applications like QuickBooks, Microsoft Office, payroll tools, and antivirus programs are already phasing out support for Windows 10. Soon, updates and features will simply stop working.
   
• Compliance Issues:
  Businesses in regulated industries (like healthcare, finance, or retail) risk non-compliance if they continue using an unsupported operating system.
   
• Hardware Limitations:
  Many older computers can’t run Windows 11 efficiently — meaning now is the time to plan for an upgrade or replacement.
   

Midwest PROTECH recommends transitioning to Windows 11 Pro now to avoid downtime and security risks. We can handle the entire process — from hardware recommendations to setup, optimization, and data transfer — so you can focus on running your business.

 Here’s what you need to know:

• A passkey replaces your typed password with a combination of device-based authentication (fingerprint, face, PIN) and cryptographic keys. SDxCentral+1
   
• Because it’s tied to your device, a passkey can’t be phished or reused on fake login pages. Citynet+1
   

• Passwords can be stolen, reused, or cracked. Citynet+1
   
• Passkeys stay on your device and authenticate directly—no “type my password here” prompts. WIRED
   
• With major players like Google, Apple, Microsoft adopting them, we’re heading into a passwordless future. TechRadar
   

• Check if your online account supports passkeys (typically under Security > Sign-in Options).
   
• Use your device’s built-in biometric or PIN option when prompted.
   
• Keep using your password manager for now—but move toward enabling passkeys.
   
• Still use a unique, strong password until you switch over.

 If your team relies on cloud access, email, or remote login, adopting passkeys can dramatically reduce password resets, phishing risks, and lockouts. Many major platforms like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Apple ID already support them — so it’s worth exploring this security upgrade as part of your organization’s long-term digital strategy. 

 🎉 Bonus Humor
Why did the password retire?
Because the passkey took over the keys to the password kingdom! 😆🔐 

 Even the most experienced users can get tricked by a convincing pop-up or email. Here’s a simple rule to remember:

✅ If you didn’t go looking for it, don’t click it.
Links or buttons that appear out of nowhere — “update now,” “verify your info,” or “your computer is infected” — are usually bait.

✅ Hover before you click.
On desktops, hovering your mouse over a link will show the real destination. If it looks strange, it probably is.

✅ Close the tab, not the message.
If a pop-up feels suspicious, close the browser completely (Ctrl + Shift + Esc → End Task on Windows, or Command + Option + Esc on Ma

👉Have a great week and see you Friday!😎

📩 rod@midwestprotech.com

🌐 www.midwestprotech.com

Yours in tech,
–Rod