Each year on February 1st, we celebrate Change Your Password Day. While it’s not a holiday that gets you off work, it serves as a good opportunity each year to do a quick check-in and make sure you’re using strong passwords that will keep your accounts protected. The suggested ‘rule’ used to be to change your password every three months. With advanced tools like password managers and data encryption, experts now say the type of password you use is more important than how often you create a new one. We’re sharing up-to-date advice on how to create a strong password that will keep your account s ..read more

Is your company looking to hire an IT firm? Unfortunately, unless you’re tech-savvy or experienced with IT contracts, there can be hidden costs that you wouldn’t expect or know to look for. While it can sound appealing to go for the cheapest firm, that decision can end up costing you more in the long run due to carve-outs and hidden fees in the contract. Cheaper IT firms will omit certain services from the original agreement and later nickel-and-dime you to add them on or by quoting you inadequate solutions that you’ll later need to pay to upgrade. To help you weed out these companies that are ..read more

Long gone are the days when phones were simple devices used to make calls. Today our phones are advanced, handheld supercomputers that can do everything from pay a bill to order lunch for delivery to edit videos and more. But with more capabilities come more risks. Because our phones are computers and connected to the Internet, they are susceptible to the same security risks that any other computer would be. Worse yet, personal devices often contain private information like bank account numbers, which, if accessed by the wrong person, could result in dangerous and expensive problems like drai ..read more

The year of 2023 marked a significant turning point for cyber-attacks with the introduction and wide proliferation of AI (artificial intelligence), now in the hands of people who wish to do you harm and who are actively using it to find faster and easier ways to rob you, extort you or simply burn your business to the ground. As I write this, I’m well aware there’s a tendency to shrug and just accept the “we’re all gonna get hacked anyway” mantra to avoid having to deal with it. Further, like overhyped weather reports, it’s also tempting to just ignore the warning signs, thinking all of this i ..read more

Keeping records of passwords with IT companies, on a text file, or in a database can pose several risks and ethical concerns: Security Breaches: Storing passwords in a centralized location makes them vulnerable to hacking and security breaches. If a hacker gains access to this database, they could potentially compromise the accounts of all users whose passwords are stored there. Privacy Concerns: Storing passwords means that the IT company has access to sensitive user information, which raises privacy concerns. Users may not trust the company to handle their data responsibly or ma ..read more

Continuing on from our previous blog post, we’re answering one of the most common questions we get from new prospective clients: “What do you charge for your IT services?” In the last blog posted, we discussed the most common models – break-fix and managed IT. In this post, we’ll discuss the actual fees. The price ranges provided are industry averages based on a recent IT industry survey conducted by a well-known and trusted independent consulting firm, Service Leadership, that collects, analyzes and reports on the financial metrics of IT services firms from around the country. We are providi ..read more

Securing incoming email delivery is crucial to protect your organization from various threats such as phishing, malware, and spam. Here are several ways to enhance the security of incoming emails: Implement Email Filtering: Utilize advanced email filtering solutions to automatically detect and filter out malicious content, phishing attempts, and spam. These solutions often use heuristics, machine learning, and real-time threat intelligence to identify and block harmful emails. Enable Spam and Malware Protection: Ensure that your email solution has robust built-in spam and malware protection ..read more

To ensure secure email delivery and prevent emails from being flagged as junk or spam, it’s essential to configure various DNS (Domain Name System) records properly. The following DNS records play a crucial role in email deliverability and security: MX (Mail Exchange) Records: Purpose: Specify the mail servers responsible for receiving emails on behalf of the domain. Configuration: Create MX records that point to the mail servers provided by your email service provider. Set priority values for multiple mail servers if applicable. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) Records: Purpose: Verifies that t ..read more

Determining the “best” email provider can depend on individual or organizational needs, preferences, and priorities. There are several email providers widely recognized for offering reliable and feature-rich email services. Keep in mind that the landscape may have changed, so it’s advisable to check with us for the latest reviews and updates. Here are some popular email providers: Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365): Includes business-class email with Outlook and integrates with Microsoft Office applications.Offers collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive. Google ..read more

Have you ever searched for a specific website but landed on a completely different one after misspelling a letter or two in the URL? This deceptive tactic is known as cybersquatting. This practice not only jeopardizes the online presence of businesses and individuals but also poses a significant challenge in the ever-evolving landscape of cyber security. The scariest part is that you can be a victim of a cybersquatted domain and not even realize it. Here’s what you need to know about this type of cybercrime: What Is Cybersquatting? Cybersquatting, also known as domain squatting, involves the ..read more