How to apply data validation to cells in Excel

By on October 13, 2015 in Blog, Microsoft, Tips & tricks

Data validation is an Excel feature that you can use to define restrictions on what data can or should be entered in a cell.

You can configure data validation to prevent users from entering data that is not valid. If you prefer, you can allow users to enter invalid data but warn them when they try to type it in the cell. You can also provide messages to define what input you expect for the cell, and instructions to help users correct any errors.

When might Data Validation be used?

Here are some of the scenarios in which Excel Data Validation may be required:

  • Restrict data to predefined items in a list – For example, you can limit types of departments to Sales, Finance, R&D, and IT. Similarly, you can create a list of values from a range of cells elsewhere in the worksheet.
  • Restrict numbers outside a specified range – For example, you can specify a minimum limit of deductions to two times the number of children in a particular cell.
  • Restrict dates outside a certain time frame – For example, you can specify a time frame between today’s date and 3 days from today’s date.
  • Restrict times outside a certain time frame – For example, you can specify a time frame for serving breakfast between the time when the restaurant opens and 5 hours after the restaurant opens.
  • Limit the number of text characters – For example, you can limit the allowed text in a cell to 10 or fewer characters.
  • Validate data based on formulas or values in other cells – For example, you can use data validation to set a maximum limit for commissions and bonuses of £3,600, based on the overall projected payroll value. If users enter more than £3,600 in the cell, they see a validation message.

Example

The sheet below requires an age to be given in whole numbers and all people participating in this survey should be between 18 and 60 years old.

data-01   data-03

To ensure that data outside of this age range isn’t entered, go to Data->Data Validation->Setting, input the conditions and shift to Input Message to give prompts like, “Please input your age with whole number, which should range from 18 to 60.” Users will get this prompt when hanging the pointer in this area and get a warning message if the inputted information is unqualified.

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Microsoft reassures users concerning Windows 10 privacy myths

By on October 13, 2015 in Blog, Microsoft, Web privacy

Microsoft has clarified its position on privacy concerns surrounding Windows 10, in a bid to quell rumours about the monitoring and harvesting of user data.

The information comes in the form of a blog post, which acknowledges that privacy is an “incredibly important topic” in today’s connected world. It goes on to proclaim that Windows is, by making these assertions, “more committed, more transparent and listening harder to customers” than any of its competitors.

Feedback aims to make Windows work better and put users in control

Terry Myerson, who wrote the blog, explained that Windows 10 was created with two straightforward privacy principles in mind. The first was that information would be collected in order for the product to work better for consumers. Secondly, users would be put firmly in control, by being able to determine what data is collated.

Any information that is gathered, Myerson noted, is encrypted in transit to the Windows servers, before being stored in “secure facilities”.

There were three types of data groups outlined; two of which were collected and one that was not. The first of the two collected data sets involved safety and reliability. Myerson claimed that, in order to provide a secure and reliable experience, Microsoft harvests anonymous device ID, device type and application crash data – although no content or files.

To illustrate why this was successful, Myerson details a crash that was plaguing some users with a certain graphics driver. Harvested information allowed Microsoft to fix the issue and prevent further crashes with relative ease.

The second data set collected was dubbed ‘personalization data’. This harvests personal information, such as common search terms, to provide more relevant apps or products. The example given was for a sports fan searching regularly for information on their team, being served a more relevant experience.

Finally, Myerson explained that Windows 10 does not collect advertising data. He said: “Unlike some other platforms, no matter what privacy options you choose, neither Windows 10 nor any other Microsoft software scans the content of your email or other communications, or your files, in order to deliver targeted advertising to you.”

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Dridex malware taken down in global police sting

By on October 13, 2015 in Blog, Broadband, Internet

A global police operation has severely dented the impact of a malware strain that is thought to have cost Brits in the region of £20 million.

Dridex (sometimes referred to as Bugat or Cridex) spread to computers around the world through spam emails. Once a computer became infected, the malware would sit idle and wait until users loaded online banking sites, at which point it would switch to a login form connected to criminal infrastructure.

Armed with usernames and passwords, the criminals could then siphon off money, with estimates suggesting they could have made £20 million from UK account holders alone.

Good cop ‘Evil Corp’

The Dridex game looks to be up, though, thanks to a joint operation by the National Crime Agency (NCA), Spamhaus, GCHQ, the Metropolitan Police and the FBI – among others. They created sinkhole operations to poison the Dridex peer-to-peer network, effectively cutting off victims’ PCs from botnet masters. This was in addition to the arrest of the Dridex botnet administrator, Andrey Ghinkul, in Cyprus back in August.

Whilst the reach of Dridex could be huge, the public need not be too worried about whether they’re infected. Businesses, on the other hand, have more cause for concern. Evil Corp, which is behind the malware, focused more on companies than individuals. Furthermore, Ghinkul’s arrest brought about an immediate stop to Dridex’s spread.

That said, the malware still exists, so could be appropriated by other criminal groups operating their own botnets.

As always, Windows users are advised to keep their computers safe through up-to-date antivirus software. Plus, Word or Excel attachments from unknown sources should be treated with caution, and Microsoft Office macros should be disabled – or at least set to request permission. For further information regarding how to keep your business safe from threats speak to your IT support provider.

Head of operations at the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, Mike Hulett, commented: “This is a particularly virulent form of malware and we have been working with our international law enforcement partners, as well as key partners from industry, to mitigate the damage it causes.

“Our investigation is ongoing and we expect further arrests to be made.”

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Google deals possible killer blow to Flash

By on September 22, 2015 in Blog, Google

Adobe Flash has taken another serious hit in what analysts are calling its “death by a thousand cuts”, after Google announced it would block Flash ads from auto-playing on its Chrome browser.

Making its position clear earlier this month, Google announced it would pause Flash animations on adverts by default in a bid to speed up web browsing, boost mobile battery life and improve user security. Videos will only be played if a user chooses to click on them.

As 63 per cent of all web users now run Chrome, this represents a huge potential loss for Adobe; yet another blow for the company, on top of Apple’s long-held ban on Flash videos across its range of iPods, iPhones and iPads. In addition, Mozilla temporarily blocked Flash on its Firefox browser after a vulnerability emerged that could have allowed attackers to crash a system or even take it over entirely, though that ban has since been lifted.

Worried advertisers currently using Flash ads will have the option of converting animated videos to HTML5, so they can play automatically, without the need for separate coded versions.

Final nail in the coffin?

So could this be the final nail in Flash’s coffin and what would the demise of this software actually mean for users? Our browsing experience in a world without Flash might be quicker and more secure, however, some commentators point to a reduction in choice when it comes to advertising. Wired’s Julia Greenberg insisted that the death of Flash would bring about much less competition in the market – driving people instead to the industry’s much bigger players, such as Facebook ads or Google AdWords.

Despite calling autoplay ads a “much despised technology,” she claimed that Flash’s death would bring with it even tougher times for publishers reliant on ad revenue, eventually resulting in “fewer choices” for their readers.

Her comments were backed up by Ben Edelman, a professor at Harvard Business School. He drew attention to what could be seen as a vested interest by Google. In limiting the functionality of Flash ads on Chrome, the search giant could effectively drive advertisers to its own AdWords platform – generating much more revenue as a result.

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M2 Computing Welcomes Trust Health Ltd

By on September 10, 2015 in Blog, Company news

trust-health-logo

We are very pleased to welcome a new client, Trust Health Limited.  Trust Health is a leading medical practice management company based in Horsham, West Sussex. They specialise in providing set up, commissioning and business support services to clinical groups and medical practices across the UK.

M2 Computing will be supporting the organisation with the M2 Assist Gold managed IT support package from the outset and will work with the team to migrate the business to Office 365 providing a more flexible working environment with easy access from any device.

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M2 Computing welcomes Veryan Medical Ltd

By on August 18, 2015 in Blog, Company news

The team at M2 Computing are delighted to welcome a new client, Veryan Medical Limited. Veryan was formed in 2003 as the result of a technology spin out from Imperial College, London. The company has designed, patented and developed a highly innovative three dimensional (3D) Nitinol (nickel-titanium alloy) stent, BioMimics 3D, which is currently used in the treatment of blocked or narrowed superficial femoral arteries, the large artery in the thigh which is the main blood supply to the lower limb. The company’s head office is in Horsham, West Sussex and its research and development facility is based in Galway, Ireland.

We will be supporting the business across both locations and remote workers worldwide. A new server will be implemented in the Horsham office on a global domain and a new telephone system installed to connect all employees. We will migrate the business to Office 365 email and all of their data to SharePoint Online, allowing them to work, collaborate and communicate from anywhere on any device. We will manage Veryan’s IT and support their users all over the world with M2 Assist Gold IT support for office based staff and M2 Assist Silver for remote workers.

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Obama orders world’s fastest computer

By on August 18, 2015 in Blog, Google, New technology

President Barack Obama has issued an executive order for US computer scientists to build the fastest computer in the world by 2025. However, the US will continue to face stiff competition from China, which currently leads the way.

The National Strategic Computing Initiative (NSCI) is “designed to advance core technologies to solve difficult computational problems and foster increased use of the new capabilities in the public and private sectors,” according to the Office of Science and Technology Policy. In layman’s terms, this involves developing a supercomputer that is 20 times faster than the Tianhe-2 – built by China’s National University of Defense Technology.

Tianhe-2 has a speed of 33.86 petaflops. As one petaflop equals one quadrillion floating-point calculations per second, that makes it almost double the speed of the fastest US computer right now – Titan.

A processing speed of one ‘exaflop’

The computer that Obama hopes the US can build, named an exascale computer, will work at a speed of one exaflop, or one quintillion (one billion billion) calculations per second. The possibilities of such a supercomputer would be vast. According to the NSCI office it could more accurately measure entire galaxies, predict weather precisely, help detect cancer from x-ray images, and aid the development of personalised medicines.

Mark Parsons from the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre (EPCC) believes Obama’s order is an attempt to compete with China and eventually become the dominant force in this field.

Speaking to the BBC, Parsons commented: “The US has woken up to the fact that if it wants to remain in the race it will have to invest.” However, it won’t be easy. The exascale computer will take many of the designated ten years to research and develop, with funding rocketing into the hundreds of millions.

“I’d say they’re targeting around 60 megawatts, I can’t imagine they’ll get below that,” Parsons said, referring to the electricity demands of such a project. “That’s at least £60 million a year just on your electricity bill.”

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How do hackers steal our passwords?

By on August 18, 2015 in General, Security, Web privacy

Too many people use easy-to-crack passwords because they are unaware of just how hackers manage to get into their accounts, it has been claimed.

The Hollywood image of a hacker involves a youngster (typically male, invariably wearing a hoodie) entering passwords into a user account before they magically stumble upon the right one. With most accounts shutting users out after three or so incorrect password entries, people often assume they’re safe.

False sense of security

In truth, though, the way hackers gain passwords is rather different. Security analyst Bob Covello raised this exact point on grahamcluley.com, after chatting with a 15-year old who asked “If I type my password incorrectly on a website, it eventually locks me out, but when the hackers do it, they never get locked out. How is that possible?”

Covello explained that hackers actually obtain passwords through techniques known as offline attacks. These involve targeting entire servers, rather than individual accounts. As companies hold passwords on their servers, getting in this way would provide a huge volume of account details, rather than just one set.

Offline attacks free hackers from lockout rules

Of course, these passwords are often highly protected behind a numerical calculation, or hash value, making them difficult to obtain. As recent high profile cases have shown, however, difficult is certainly not impossible. Furthermore, attacking offline in this manner means the hacker isn’t subject to the same rules of being locked out if they enter the wrong details three times in a row. Without the restrictions, hackers can run attempts via a machine to keep trying different combinations until they eventually get in.

Provided this technique is managed successfully, the hackers needn’t enter a password incorrectly even once. Armed with a database of account details and passwords, they can get in on the first attempt. The most likely scenario, though, involves the databases being sold on to third parties for criminal use.

Covello argued that simply knowing this difference could be enough to encourage account holders to use stronger passwords. It could also highlight to businesses just why their servers need to be kept firmly secured at all times – lest they run the risk of huge fines and plummeting trust.

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First ever 3D-printed pill goes into mass production

By on August 18, 2015 in Blog, New technology

A pill produced via 3D printing has been given the green light to be mass produced by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It’s a world first, but what benefits does 3D printing offer the pharmaceutical industry?

The drug in question is Spiritam, a dissolvable pill designed for the treatment of seizures for people with epilepsy. Approximately 150,000 US citizens are diagnosed with epilepsy every year, and 460,000 of the 2.9 million people suffering from the condition are reported to be children.

The process of printing Spiritam involves a 3D printer that has been adapted to produce pharmaceutical compounds rather than polymers. Spiritam was developed by Aprecia Pharmaceuticals, which is now planning to create other forms of medicine using its 3D printing platform.

Don Wetherhold, CEO of Aprecia, said: “This is the first in a line of central nervous system products Aprecia plans to introduce as part of our commitment to transform the way patients experience taking medication.”

So what specific benefits does 3D printing offer? For one, as 3D printing works by creating an object one layer at a time, it means that doctors are able to produce customised medication tailored for their patients. Printing medication also allows for it to be packaged more tightly and in more precise dosages.

Dr Mohamed Albed Alhnan, a lecturer in pharmaceutics at the University of Central Lancashire, told the BBC: “For the last 50 years we have manufactured tablets in factories and shipped them to hospitals and for the first time this process means we can produce tablets much closer to the patient.”

Indeed, with just a simple tweak of the printing setting, medical institutions could now produce bespoke medication, which would previously have been extremely expensive. Dentists are already using 3D printers to create replica jaws and teeth, as well as other dental implants.

Spiritam will be available from early 2016.

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Consider ATMOSPHERE when moving to the cloud

By on August 18, 2015 in Blog, Cloud computing, Security

Cloud security has been the subject of great debate in recent months with the many operational advantages of online storage and collaboration being pitched against the catastrophic effects of a serious breach.

In May 2015, the Sunday Times featured an excellent article by Davey Winder entitled “Cloud of mistrust in the air”, which examined the difference between perceived threat and actual risk. After presenting some of the arguments for and against cloud computing, Winder concludes that ‘the broad brush strokes of a secure environment remain the same no matter where the canvas is hung’. However, he offered a particularly apt and effective reminder – in the form of an acronym – for those who are considering a migration from on-premise systems to the cloud.

ATMOSPHERE: Mitigating the risk of moving from on-premise to the cloud

In an industry that is never short of an abbreviation or a buzzword, we still thought that ‘ATMOSPHERE’ was worthy of a special mention. So for those of you that have not heard this one before, please take heed.

Accreditations:

Ascertain any accreditations that your proposed service provider holds, for example if you are looking to migrate to Office 365 look for a Microsoft Partner with a Cloud Productivity accreditation.

Tools:

Do your research and you will find there are plenty of tools to help you remain secure during a cloud migration, everything from risk auditing through to encryption key management.

Monitoring:

Regularly monitor and audit any externally provided services, and ensure strong access controls to your data with sufficient logging to reveal when your data has been accessed and by whom.

Onus:

Contractually agree areas of responsibility between your organisation and service provider to reduce any potential disputes; ensure service levels are defined, agreed and monitored throughout the migration.

Specialise:

If your industry is highly regulated or has particular security needs, perform due diligence and find a cloud provider that specialises in your sector.

Policy:

Following a policy-based separation of duties is key to migrating data safely to the cloud, preventing ‘privileged status abuse’ and advanced persistent-threat-style attacks.

High availability:

Ensure you have high availability baked into the cloud infrastructure with a secure back-up and recovery solution, should the worst happen during the migration process.

Environment:

Be aware of where your data is being hosted and stored – is it offshored or is multi-tenanted hosting provided, if so with which other organisations and what are their related threats?

Risk assessment:

Audit the sensitivity of your data, any regulatory considerations and the requirements for access to that data; once you properly understand the risk and operational needs, identifying appropriate cloud security controls becomes much easier.

Encryption:

The best way for companies to remain secure and compliant with most data residency laws is to encrypt data held in the cloud environment with encryption keys that are unique to specific jurisdictions, and are controlled from those jurisdictions.

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