Hartford Business Journal

20 Hartford Business Journal • June 24, 2019 • www.HartfordBusiness.com Opinion & Commentary EXPERTS CORNER Windows 7 is going away — Is your company ready? By Steve Shaw B y Jan. 14, 2020, Microsoft will no longer offer free support for its Windows 7 operating system. It's a decision that will affect the op- erations of almost every hospital, med- ical practice, business and nonprofit in the world. That means no updates, no technical help, and most importantly, no security patching. According to Computerworld, up to 36 percent of the world's Windows PC's may rely on Windows 7. It wasn't too long ago (five years to be exact) that Microsoft did the same to Win- dows XP, yet it's estimated that 40 million comput- ers around the globe are still limping along with it for many non-critical work applications. Not a very wise decision. Remember WannaCry, the malware that infected hundreds of organiza- tions and tens of thousands of com- puters around the world in 2017? Much of the harm was done to those Windows XP holdouts. In fact, the situ- ation got so bad that Microsoft was forced to release a Windows XP update three years after it stopped support. Security threats continue to skyrocket and unpatched or unsupported comput- ers are now targets for every Tom, Dick, and Hacker from Nebraska to Nigeria. If you don't have an upgrade plan from Windows 7 to Windows 10, get one. Despite the press attention around Windows 7, some people will never listen. According to MSPoweruser, a leading tech blog focused on Micro- soft, many Windows 7 users are choos- ing to wait it out (at least for now). Since December, the market share of the old operating system has slipped by just half-a-percent. Those noises you hear are malware makers all over the world licking their lips over the thought of taking over your operating system come Jan. 15. Without sounding like a Microsoft Window(s) wonk, the benefits of replac- ing old PCs or upgrading to Windows 10 include: • Encryption: This is the process of converting information or data into a code to prevent unauthorized access. Most older computers may not have this feature enabled. If they're used in a healthcare setting, that could be a HIPAA violation just waiting to happen. • Speed: Windows 10 reduces unnec- essary startup processes resulting in a faster overall user experience. • Usability: Things like enhanced touchscreen capability, universal ap- plications, and tighter sync between multiple devices are included. • Security: Secure Boot requires that any program that begins as the operating system starts up needs to be signed off by both Microsoft and the hardware manufacturer. Security additions with Windows 10 make the Secure Boot feature tamper-proof. For those whose company can't afford to purchase new computers or upgrade older operating systems, Microsoft is offering an option (bless their windowless hearts). Extended support for Windows 7 Professional will start at $50 per de- vice beginning in Jan. 2020. That goes up to $100 per computer a year later and $200 per if you're still hugging your Windows 7 laptop by 2021. And if you run Windows 7 at home, you might as well get out the check- book. As they say in New York, forgetta- boutit. There's no extended support for Windows 7 Home so choices are simple: upgrade or buy something new. And for good measure, Microsoft is also discontinuing support for those relying on Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2, urging users to upgrade to Windows Server 2016 or begin hosting workloads in their Azure cloud service. Healthcare organizations are particu- larly vulnerable because the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Health and Human Services has made it clear that unpatched software could make electronic personal health information vulnerable to attack. Steve Shaw is executive vice president for VertitechIT, a national healthcare IT consulting firm based in the Greater Hartford/Western Massachusetts area. COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS The intersection of leadership and humanity By Doe Hentschel T he anniversary of D-Day reminded us of the bravery and sacrifice that ended the world-wide catastrophe that threatened civilization in 1944. Ask any American to name the most evil person of the 20th century and the answer is always, "Adolf Hitler." Although he never won an election, Hitler's followers commit- ted some of the greatest atrocities in all of history. Post-war analysis demonstrates that 90 percent of the German peo- ple approved of Hitler and his actions in 1939, which was after his military aggression began. At the end of the war, one-third of the German popu- lace still supported him. Scientists have long wondered how Hitler and other dictators secure support and obedience from the masses even after the impact of their evil is known and understood. How could it be that one-third of the people in Germany who opposed Hitler and his evil deeds did nothing to stop him, and that another third simply stood by and watched? A classic scientific study provides a chilling affirmation of this dynamic. When instructed to administer electric shocks to students who gave incorrect answers, 70 percent of the volunteers in this study who person- ally had to touch the "student" to administer the pain refused to do so when the pain reached high levels. But 30 percent continued to follow the direction of the authority. When they could not see or hear the student, 65 percent continued even when they believed that the shock was deadly. After learning this was an artificial experiment, the volunteers blamed the person giving the orders or stated that the victims deserved the punishment. Simon Sinek, in "Leaders Eat Last," draws this insight from the experi- ment: The more distance between us and others, the more "abstract" people become, the more capable we are of doing them harm. And in the 21st century, we distance ourselves from others through numerical abstrac- tions and generalizations that enable inhumane behavior. I am reminded of one of my favorite movies entitled "I Am." Its powerful and compelling message is compat- ible with many of Sinek's principles. Following a serious, debilitating head injury, Tom Shadyack, Academy Award- winning writer, director and producer, traveled around the world asking thought leaders, writers, scientists and others, "What is wrong with the world, and what can we do about it?" He senses that poverty, illiteracy, hunger and violence are symptoms of deeper problems in the human condition and society. As I thought about abstraction as an enabler of inhumane acts, I recalled Desmond Tutu telling Shadyack, "You may not be able to solve world poverty, but you can feed a hungry man." When we view community issues in the abstract, is it easier to look the other way, point the finger at an authority figure whose fault it is … or, even worse, act in ways that cause harm to others we do not see or hear? Check out some headlines and the abstractions they present: "Price Too High for Undocumented Children's Health Care"; "Connecti- cut Food Insecurity Rate Remains High"; "Hate Crimes Increase in Connecticut." To make these ab- stractions real, we must see the sickly child who suffers from lack of care. We must hear the despera- tion of the parent who cannot feed the family. We must see the terror in the eyes of the worshipper in the mosque and the synagogue. Shadyack discovers that it is in our DNA to feel the pain of others and to feel good when we help those in trouble. Desmond Tutu says, "We are because we belong." We cannot be human alone. It requires other hu- mans to teach us what humanity is. Abstractions let us off the hook. We must make eye contact, hear the cry and feel the pain if we, as leaders, are going to stop the evil in the world. Doe Hentschel is vice president for programs of Leadership Greater Hartford. Doe Hentschel Steve Shaw

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