March 2026 News & Updates

• Linux for the masses?! The penguin in our logo has always been a conversation starter. For folks that knew what Linux was, it was sortof a Bat Signal for kindred spirits and, for folks that didn’t know what Linux was, it usually prompted the question “Why a penguin” (and, after getting the answer, those folks knew about Linux). When we started the company (late 1990’s to early 2000’s), Linux was mostly relegated to datacenters, server rooms and enthusiasts. It was rock solid at it’s core but the desktop options were quirky and fractured (Gnome, KDE, XTerm, AfterStep, NeXSTEP or roll your own) and the world hadn’t moved to everything being accessible via a web browser just yet. Fast forward 25+ years and add Windows 11 hardware requirements that render a lot of otherwise perfectly usable computers obsolete, and things may be changing. We’ve had a number of people with older laptop and desktop computers that wouldn’t run Windows 11 opt to try Linux rather than buy a new computer and, in every case, they haven’t looked back. We’ve even setup a demo computer for folks to come in and test drive to see if it’s something that they’d like to do before they commit. If you’ve got an older computer that can’t run Windows 11 but is otherwise in great shape and you’d like to give Linux a shot, let us know. We can backup all of your data, install Linux, restore your data and setup applications like Google Chrome, Libre Office (free replacement for Microsoft Office), Evolution (free replacement for Outlook), etc. and breathe new life into that older hardware.
• Upcoming End of Life for Windows Server 2016 – We’re officially under two years before the Windows Server 2016 End of Life (EOL), currently scheduled for 25 January 2027. This may seem like a long way off but, in most cases, the upgrade from Windows Server 2016 will require not only additional software licenses but also Client Access Licenses (CALs) and hardware and extensive planning to transition older systems off of the current Windows Server 2016 platform.
• FortiGate 60E End of Service – The FortiGate 60E firewall / UTM will be out of service on 29 December, 2026. Clients who currently have a FortiGate 60E will be able to renew their security services until December of 2025 but will not be able to renew next year. Our recommendation for those with FortiGate 60E devices currently deployed is to renew for this year and plan to replace it prior to the expiration next year. The current replacement is the FortiGate 60F but there has been chatter that the FortiGate 60G may be released this year.
• Exciting New Offerings – As many of you know, we moved from AppRiver to Proofpoint Essentials primarily for email security back in January 2025 but also to bundle in additional services like email archiving, email encryption, etc. Another reason for the move was the roadmap for Proofpoint Essentials and the additional services that would soon be available. With that, I’m excited to announce that Proofpoint Essentials has completed the acquisition of Hornet Security and, with that, an array of new security products and services that, like the email archiving and encryption, are tightly bundled with the core product. Expect more on this in coming months!!
• Client Forms – In an effort to make requesting support easier for common tasks (onboarding and offboarding users, for example), we are launching a number of forms that clients can use to request support. Links to the forms are located at the top of our website under Client Forms.

Updates

Microsoft patched either 77, 82, 83 or 93 vulnerabilities with it’s March 2026 Patch Tuesday, depending on who you ask. The one thing that seems consistent across the board though is that there were no zero day vulnerabilities this month, a stark and welcome contrast to the five zero days that dropped in February. Even though there were no zero days, there are some that would be worth some urgent attention including remote code execution (“RCE”) vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office, Denial of Service (“DoS”) in .NET and an interesting Privilege Escalation vulnerability in SQL Server 2016

Microsoft releases regular updates the second Tuesday of each month, often referred to as ‘Patch Tuesday’. These updates are categorized as Low, Moderate, Important or Critical. Details on the categories are available here. The updates can include any supported Microsoft product from Windows to Office to Internet Explorer and server products like Exchange and SQL Server. If you have one or more of these products installed, especially if the update is listed as Important or Critical, it’s important that the updates are installed.

Additional details on this months Microsoft updates are available from SANS Internet Storm Center, Krebs, AskWoody.com, Tenable and Crowdstrike.

Adobe released eight bulletins this month, ranging from Important to Critical and impacting Commerce, Illustrator, Substance 3D Painter and Stager, Premier Pro, Experience Manager, DNG SDK and Reader.

Like Microsoft, Adobe now releases updates to their products on the second Tuesday of each month. Adobe will also release ‘out of band’ updates if necessary to address critical vulnerabilities in their products. Adobe products include Adobe Reader (for viewing PDF files), Adobe Flash Player (often used to watch videos, for interactive content like games, etc.), Adobe Shockwave and the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, Lightroom, etc

Additional details are available from Adobe Here including links to download the update(s) and instructions for installation.

Need IT Support for your Home or Business? We’d love to help!

Are you a small to medium sized business looking to leverage technology and enable your business and workforce to work smarter and more efficiently?  Do you already have computers, servers, firewalls, VPNs or other technology that you’re not taking full advantage of?  Are you looking for an IT Service Provider who understands small to medium sized businesses needs and the challenges that we face that can work with you to grow your business rather than just sell you time?

Cyber Tech Cafe an  IT Service Company with a focus on helping small to medium business get the most out of their technology investment.  As a small business ourselves, we understand the challenges you face and have designed our service offerings to help you get the most out of your technology dollar.  We offer on-call, as needed support if you just need a quick fix or extra set of hands right now.  We also offer maintenance plans that we call “MyIT” that are designed to address the most common concerns (patch management, disaster recovery / backup, log review, etc.) that are based on the number of workstations and servers that you have and have no term contract.  We believe that, if you find value in what we’re doing, you’ll find a way to keep us around without contract saying that you have to.

If you have questions about the MyIT plans or have an IT need that you need addressed right now, let us know.  We look forward to the opportunity to earn your business.

Article Submitted by Nathan J. Underwood, CEH