4 key features coming to Windows 9 (hopefully)

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Don’t get too comfy with Windows 8.1. Soon after Update 1 was released, announcements and rumors arose about what’s coming in the next version of Windows (“Windows 9” for the lack of an official name.) The earliest we might see a beta is spring 2015, but here we speculate on the four most significant features it’s likely to have.

Restoration of Start menu – sort of
The Start menu UI that has been a main feature of the Windows family since Windows 95 will finally return. As you know, Microsoft didn’t include it in Windows 8 in order to force you to interact with the Start Screen, so you’d be more compelled to use Windows Store apps. But for many using the OS on a desktop PC or notebook (in other words, the vast majority of us), the familiar Start menu’s absence was jarring. Windows 8.1 restored a Start button to the desktop environment, but it leads straight back to the Start Screen when clicked/tapped.

Restoration of Start menu – this time for real
At Microsoft’s developer conference in April, the company showed off a Windows 8.1 version of the Start menu. The left half of this GUI’s panel lists desktop apps and categories, while the right will display Windows Store apps, with your Windows user account picture in the upper-right corner. This GUI looks slicker than any of the third-party programs that have been available to install a Start menu-style UI to Windows 8/8.1. It had been rumored that this Start menu would be included as a free update to Windows 8.1 later this year, but it’s looking like Microsoft wants to save the reborn Start menu for Windows 9.

Windows Store apps on the desktop
Along with the return of the Start menu, Microsoft showed at BUILD 2014 Windows Store apps running in resizable and movable windows in the desktop environment. (Update 1 laid the first-phase groundwork for this -- it enables desktop and notebook users to pin running Windows Store apps to the desktop taskbar.) It looks an awful lot like what ModernMix does, a third-party program that lets you interact with your Windows Store apps as if they are Windows desktop applications.

Windows Store apps could come with options
We speculate that this feature could be switched on by default for desktop and notebook users, where you might right-click an app’s Tile on the Start Screen and be presented with an option to “run on desktop.” (On the other hand, if you just click an app’s Tile from the new Start menu, then maybe the app will launch within a resizable window on the desktop by default.)

Interactive Tiles on the Start Screen
At the BUILD conference, the Human-Computer Interaction Group of Microsoft Research Asia demonstrated an experimental feature that allows for the Tiles of Windows Store apps to be interacted with the Start Screen. If an app is designed to utilize this, you would be able to tap the Tile for it to show you more information. For example, you could tap a weather app to see an extended forecast, without having to launch the app itself into full-screen mode. Likewise, tapping an email app would expand the size of its Tile to reveal subject headings of the most recent emails in your inbox.

Live Tiles
The Human-Computer Interaction Group created a task manager app that demonstrates this function. Its Tile can be tapped to display applications that are running in the desktop environment, so that you can manage them directly from the Start Screen. Microsoft hasn’t yet officially announced the existence of interactive Tiles, but we’re guessing it’s unlikely this feature will be brought to Windows 8.1. This seems like something that will be highlighted for Windows 9 tablets.

Cortana, Microsoft’s voice digital assistant


Cortana comes with Windows Phone 8.1. It’s Microsoft’s take on Apple’s Siri or the combo of Google Now and Ok Google. Scrutinizing the wording of a job listing posted by Microsoft, it looks like Cortana will eventually make its way to Windows. We should expect Microsoft to be doing this since future versions of the OS -- not Windows Phone -- will likely be meant for use also on tablets, just as Windows 8/8.1 was designed to be.

Cortana could counter Google apps
There’s probably another, more pressing motivation for Microsoft. Google has been adding Google Now and Ok Google functions to the Windows version of Chrome: The Google browser takes over Windows’ notification area to pop open Google Now cards that show information personalized for you, like current traffic in your vicinity and local weather conditions. Additionally, you can ask “Ok Google” questions or speak some commands to it. We’ll predict that Cortana’s technology will figure prominently throughout the UI of the next major release version of Windows. In the meantime, Google will evolve and refine Google Now and Ok Google as invasive elements into the Windows ecosphere.

Microsoft Lync service out for some North America customers

Cause and extent of the outage not released.

Some North American Office 365 customers are without Lync service this afternoon due to an unexplained outage that started about 7a.m., Eastern time.

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The outage has been acknowledged by the Microsoft Office Twitter account, which had this to say: “We realize some Lync users in North America are experiencing issues, we are working to resolve.”

A Microsoft spokesperson issued the following statement: “Some users in North America are experiencing issues with Lync Online due to network routing infrastructure issues. In response, engineers have routed a portion of network traffic to an alternate datacenter which has restored service for some of our customers. We are committed to fixing this issue as quickly as possible and expect the service to be restored for all customers soon. Customers can get the latest Lync Online status through the admin Service Health Dashboard.”

It’s a black eye just as Lync is making dramatic gains against the major IP PBX vendors in North America.

Data released at the Enterprise Connect conference this year indicates Lync ranks 11th worldwide among IP PBX vendors, but comes in No.3 in North America among businesses with more than 100 phone extensions.

It’s a distant third, but given that the company didn’t register on a survey of corporate PBX customers three years ago, the status is impressive, says Peter Hale, principal analyst with MZA, who presented the results.

“It’s become a very significant player in a very short period of time.” says Jerry Caron, an analyst with Current Analysis who was familiar with the survey results.

Cisco sold 44 percent of the phone extensions with Avaya pulling down 20 percent. Microsoft landed 13 percent, according to the survey.

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What to avoid in Dropbox-related phishing attack

Cybercriminals have been sending out emails with malicious links pointing to a ZIP file on Dropbox that contains a screensaver that is actually ransomware similar to one known as CryptoLocker, security vendor PhishMe reported Friday.

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The attackers try to trick the recipients into clicking on the link through a variety of ploys, including disguising the email, so that the link appears to point to an invoice or a fax report or message.

If someone receives the email at work, "they may think that they're receiving a fax and it's something they need to look at, which makes them inclined to go ahead and open it," Ronnie Tokazowski, senior researcher at PhishMe, said.

Clicking on the link to the ZIP file and then the screensaver file inside launches the malware that encrypts files on the victim's hard drive. PhishMe estimates that victims have had as many as 20,000 files encrypted. Files typically affected by such ransomware include documents, archive files, executables and JPEGs.

Once executed, the malware launches a page on the victim's default browser, demanding that $500 in Bitcoins be deposited in the criminals' electronic wallet. Failing to do so after a certain amount of time leads to the ransom doubling to $1,000.

Based on an examination of three of the attackers' wallets, the scammers have collected at least $62,000, Tokazowski estimates. The ransom demand and payment transactions are conducted over the Tor anonymity network.

The attack does not exploit a vulnerability on Dropbox. PhishMe had not discussed the phishing campaign with Dropbox, which did not respond to a request for comment.

PhishMe discovered the scam after its own employees received the phishing emails, Tokazowski said. Almost 20 of the company's 50 employees received the messages.

PhishMe does not believe it was directly targeted in the campaign, but was just one of many companies whose employees might have received the emails.

"There's been no evidence that they (the attackers) have been specifically going after us," Tokazowski said.

To avoid becoming a victim, companies should advise employees to be wary of downloading ZIP files and emails like the ones described above that have no recognizable sender.

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6 Desk Security Mistakes Employees Make Every Day

From passwords on sticky notes to sensitive contracts left in a pile by the printer, many office workers make the same basic security errors. Even our CSO staff is not immune to these common no-nos - but they are easy to fix (includes video)

You've checked all of the entry ways in your office building, you have surveillance technology in place and IT assures you that your firewalls are bulletproof. But have you checked your staff's desks? That may be one of the largest holes in a company's security plan. Desks and other work spaces often have items on or around them that contain sensitive information, and that information can be dangerous if it gets into the wrong hands.

Just how vigilant are employees when it comes to keeping sensitive information secure at the office? We tested our own staff here at CSO to see how secure the desks are in our offices (see video). Also, employees can check their own security smarts by taking The Clean Desk Test). As we found out, even at a security publication, some staffers are pretty lax about keeping information safe. (And yes, we got our CEO's blessing before we went snooping around.)

Here are the top errors we encountered in our after-hours inspection.
Writing passwords on sticky notes employees may have a difficult time keeping track of all of their passwords, writing that information down on a piece of paper and leaving it out for all eyes to see is never a good idea. Keep in mind that after the office closes, many strangers can access the work space. One can never tell when a person might try and use employee passwords to compromise an account.

This was probably the biggest offense we noted when we walked around the CSO office after hours. Several employees had sticky notes on their computer monitors with passwords and/or personal ID numbers written on them. While

Writing sensitive information on a white board
Staff often brainstorm together and write down their ideas on a whiteboard. Several offices here at CSO had whiteboards. We found one with client names and billing information written on it. The information would have been very valuable to any potential competitors. After a work session, employees should put information in a less obvious place and put it away after hours. Advise staff to erase all whiteboards regularly.

Leaving sensitive documents on the desk
Also on several desks, we spotted detailed client contracts with billing terms. Like the whiteboard, the information might be valuable to competition. But depending on who views it, the client's information might also be used for ill-gotten gains. Any documents with sensitive data belong in a locked drawer or container.

Leaving a calendar or day planner out on a desk

One day planner we found contained private sales-related information. But a calendar might also contain the agenda or travel itinerary of a member of the staff. Depending on the company, that staff member (an executive, for instance) might be a potential target. All calendars and day planners should be locked up or taken out of the office at the end of the day.

Leaving an access card out
We found one desk with an access card hidden under a keyboard. That's not much better than leaving it in plain sight - it's like putting your house key under the welcome mat, the first place a thief will look. Access cards are used to protect staff from an unwanted intrusion. If an access card gets into the wrong hands, it can allow unauthorized people to roam around freely. Staffers should keep possession of their cards at all times.

Forgetting the printer
The printer in our office had several vendor contracts discarded in a pile of papers. After staff finish with printing jobs, they need to be mindful of any documents that were printed, even the ones that aren't needed, and dispose of them appropriately.

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Richest CEO and pay raises 2013

Which tech leaders received the most generous pay hikes in 2013?

Avaya CEO Kevin Kennedy got a fivefold pay increase last year. Sprint more than quadrupled Dan Hesse’s package. Which other tech CEOs saw dramatic pay jumps in 2013? We examined 62 tech CEOs’ total compensation -- including salary, bonuses, stock awards, and perks -- and found 10 who landed the biggest raises.

Kevin Kennedy
CEO and president, Avaya
Percentage-wise, Kevin Kennedy’s raise is the most jaw dropping at 454%. His $7.4 million compensation was more than five times the value of his 2012 pay, which came in at $1.3 million. The dollar amount difference is slightly more than $6 million. Kennedy’s 2013 pay package included his $1.3 million salary, $3.2 million in bonuses, stock awards valued at $2.6 million, and $17,571 in perks and other compensation. In 2012, Avaya didn’t give any equity awards or cash bonuses to Kennedy.

Dan Hesse
CEO and president, Sprint
By dollar amount, Dan Hesse’s raise blows away that of any other tech CEO. His 2013 pay package, worth $49.1 million, was nearly $38 million more than what he made a year earlier ($11.1 million). The difference is due to a giant grant of restricted stock and options awards -- valued at a combined $34.1 million at the time they were granted. The Sprint CEO’s total package also included a $1.2 million salary, $13.4 million bonus, and $372,078 in perks and other compensation.

Thomas Richards
CEO, president and chairman, CDW
Thomas Richards, the head of CDW, saw his pay nearly double last year, spiking from $3.2 million in 2012 to $6.3 million in 2013. Richards’ total compensation included his $793,779 salary, $1.2 million bonus, option awards valued at $2.4 million, $266,204 attributed to non-qualified deferred compensation earnings, and $1.6 million in perks and other compensation.

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John Chambers
CEO and chairman, Cisco
An 80% raise boosted John Chambers’ compensation above $21 million last year. In 2012, the Cisco CEO received $11.7 million. The biggest gains came in the form of stock awards valued at $15.2 million (compared to $7.3 million in 2012). Chambers also received a $4.7 million cash bonus, and his salary rose from $375,000 in 2012 to $1.1 million in 2013.

Alain Monié
CEO, Ingram Micro
Alain Monié’s compensation was fairly consistent from 2012 to 2013 -- with one $5 million exception. His total pay in 2013 included his $876,923 salary (compared to $840,501 a year earlier), $1.4 million bonus (down from $1.6 million), stock awards valued at $5 million (up from $4.5 million), and $23,813 in perks and other compensation (compared to $34,169 in 2012). The big difference is an additional grant of option awards, valued at $5 million. The year before, Ingram Micro didn’t grant any option awards to Monié.

Jerry Kennelly
CEO and chairman, Riverbed
A jump in stock awards drove up Jerry Kennelly’s 2013 compensation, which was valued at $12.8 million. A year earlier, Riverbed’s CEO received $8 million. Kennelly’s 2013 pay included his $750,000 salary (up from $650,000), $751,853 bonus (up from $568,399), and stock awards valued at $11.3 million (up from $6.8 million in 2012).

Sanjay Mehrotra
CEO and president, SanDisk
A 60% raise -- largely in the form of a cash bonus -- brought Sanjay Mehrotra’s total pay up to $10.6 million last year. In 2012, the chief exec and co-founder of flash storage maker SanDisk received $6.7 million. Mehrotra’s 2013 package included his $946,134 salary (up from $880,769); $3.1 million bonus (up from $661,500); stock awards valued at $3.2 million (up from $2.4 million); option awards valued at $3.3 million (up from $2.7 million); and $100,218 in perks and other compensation.

John McAdam
CEO and president, F5
Last year delivered a $3 million boost for John McAdam, CEO of application delivery specialist F5. His 2013 pay package, valued at $8.3 million, included his $817,636 salary, $897,196 bonus, and stock awards valued at $6.5 million (up from $3.8 million a year earlier). In 2012, McAdam received a $5.2 million pay package.

James Bidzos
CEO, president and chairman, Verisign
Verisign boosted James Bidzos’ pay by 46% last year, with the gains showing up primarily in his bonus and equity awards. In 2013, Bidzos received $8.5 million, which included his $752,885 salary, $957,750 bonus (up from $593,550), and equity awards valued at $6.8 million (up from $4.5 million in 2012). In 2012, his pay was $5.9 million.

Shantanu Narayen
CEO and president, Adobe
A 31% raise drove Shantanu Narayen’s compensation up to $15.7 million last year. A year earlier, he made $12 million. His total package included a $941,667 salary, $1.6 million bonus, and $19,211 in perks and other compensation. Narayen also received stock awards valued at $13.1 million. That’s where he made the biggest gains; a year earlier, his equity awards were valued at $9.7 million.