TECHNOLOGY BLOG

Cybersecurity in a 10-year timeframe will be influenced by various technological, social, and economic trends. As technology advances at an unprecedented pace, cybersecurity will become an even greater priority for businesses, governments, and individuals alike.

In today’s digital world, businesses face a growing number of cyber threats that can jeopardize the integrity of their technological infrastructure. As cyberattacks become more sophisticated, organizations must adopt advanced security strategies to protect their data and communications. One of the most effective tools for enhancing business cybersecurity is the implementation of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems. These systems not only offer flexibility and efficiency in communications but also provide additional layers of security that are crucial in the fight against cyber threats.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development by providing new ways to prevent and correct errors or bugs in programs. Its ability to analyse large volumes of data and detect patterns makes it a valuable tool for developers. As software systems become more complex, AI offers advanced solutions to improve code quality, reduce development time and increase program reliability.

As a technology professional, I can elaborate on the level of internet fraud and how it has evolved in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online fraud has experienced a remarkable increase due to several factors that have broadened the threat landscape. Below, I detail these factors with relevant examples and statistics:

In 2024, technology faces a number of new challenges ranging from cybersecurity to sustainability. The rapid evolution of emerging technologies has led to a growing need for innovative solutions and appropriate regulations to mitigate the associated risks. Businesses, governments and users must work together to adapt to this changing technological landscape and ensure a secure and sustainable digital future.

Imagine a home where every mundane task is taken care of with the push of a button. From adjusting the lights to setting the perfect temperature, Control4 brings the future into your home today. Discover the benefits of smart home automation and how it can make your life simpler, more comfortable, and secure. Embrace the convenience and luxury of a fully automated home that caters to your every need.

In today's digital environment, protecting your network against cyber threats is essential to maintaining the integrity and security of your information. Firewalls play a crucial role in this task, providing a first line of defence against unauthorised access and malicious attacks. In this article, we will explore the main functions and benefits of firewalls in network security.

In today's digital world, network security is more crucial than ever. Firewalls act as the first line of defence against cyber threats, protecting your network and data from unauthorised access and malicious attacks. In this article, we explore what a firewall is, how it works and why it is essential to maintaining the integrity and security of your digital infrastructure. Discover how this vital tool can transform your network protection and secure your digital environment.

The idea of a four-day workweek—where the common 40-hour week is shortened to 32 with no reduction of benefits or take-home pay—is becoming increasingly popular, boasting improved efficiency and heightened levels of employee satisfaction. Naturally, as an IT provider, we’re intrigued by the idea of using technology to get the most out of this abbreviated time in the office.

Technology is usually at the forefront of any major shift in a business’ operations to at least some degree. One interesting technology that has emerged in certain workplaces is augmented reality, or AR for short. Today, we’re considering specific instances where a business can implement AR to surprising benefits.

When we call ourselves a managed service provider (MSP), it still isn’t common knowledge what we mean by that. Perhaps the simplest way to describe our role is to call us an outsourced IT support provider, but even this definition falls short of the value we can offer. To remedy this, we wanted to review what one of our clients expects (and rightly so) to receive from a partnership with us.

The modern business landscape is fueled, in large part, by something we refer to as professional services. This typically includes any business model with trained professionals at the center of the business. In today’s economy, this can include tradesmen, but typically, it means consultants, lawyers, agents, and other professionals essential to moving business forward. Today, we thought we would briefly go into some of the technologies that professional services depend on.

When you run a business, it’s often hard to know what to do. There are several strategies that you could potentially implement for every single part of your business. When things go right, you look like a genius; when things go horribly wrong, you can look like a fool. In this blog, we plan on outlining some things that every business owner should do to improve their business.

There are plenty of reasons why you might have employees working while out and about on travel, whether it’s for conferences, professional development sessions, or otherwise. Traveling with technology can be stressful and dangerous, though, particularly if you aren’t taking preventative measures. Today, we want to discuss what you can do to keep your entire team’s technology safe while they are traveling.

Concerns over operational expenses, particularly regarding technology, weigh heavily on many business owners. For some, these expenses can spiral out of control, leading to financial problems in vital areas of the organization. Every business needs to ask how it can rectify its IT spending to bring on a culture of overall improvement.

Your customers—both those you currently work with and those you have yet to onboard—are the key to unlocking your company’s potential. Therefore, it stands to reason that you’ll want a solution in place to help you manage the interactions you have with potential customers. This is what a customer relationship management tool, or CRM, is all about. With the right CRM, you can fully leverage your organization’s customer base to maximize profits and attract new leads.

Chances are, some of your employees operate outside the traditional office setting, whether it's occasional remote work or a permanent setup. Consequently, your business needs to furnish your team with the necessary tools and resources to ensure their success. It's a good practice to carefully evaluate the technology you provide, particularly for those who work remotely part-time, and to strategize how your team will access these resources.

In today's digital age, choosing a computer has become a crucial and often overwhelming task. With such a wide variety of options available on the market, from ultra-portable laptops to powerful desktop workstations, finding the right computer to meet our needs can seem like a daunting task. However, understanding some basic principles and following a few simple guidelines can make this process much easier. In this article, we will explore the top five recommendations for selecting the perfect computer to suit your specific requirements and provide you with the best possible technology experience.

In today's digital age, safeguarding your online presence is crucial. Regularly update passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and be cautious about sharing personal information. Stay cyber-savvy and keep your digital footprint secure!

Tired of forgetting your passwords or constantly having to reset them? Worry no more! Here I present to you the best apps for both iOS and Android to manage your passwords securely and efficiently:

Virtual assistants, like Google Assistant and Siri, are not just another feature on our devices, they are our smart companions!. With the advancement of artificial intelligence and machine learning, these assistants are rapidly evolving to offer an even more personalized and useful experience.

One of the most effective ways to reduce cyber risks is through comprehensive employee cybersecurity training. You protect your organization by ensuring that your workforce has the knowledge and skills needed to identify and thwart potential threats. Here are five essential considerations for implementing successful employee cybersecurity training programs.

If businesses want to stay competitive, they must implement new technology to keep up with other similar organizations in their respective industries. Unfortunately, the downside to implementing new technology is that your employees might not be so understanding and willing to adapt their workplace habits to accommodate your new solutions. How can you overcome this challenge? It all starts with mindset and approach.

With so many new and emerging threats to worry about in today’s cybersecurity landscape, it’s no wonder that some businesses and employees might be operating from a knowledge deficit regarding network security. We’re here to change that with a quick overview of the three biggest overarching threats your business must face and prepare for.

Technology can do a lot for your business. It can expand its reach and automate many of the repetitive tasks every business has to do. It will only be as effective with a strategy to fit this technology into your business. Let’s look at three strategies that can help you supercharge your business.

When a business goes into action to improve itself, it typically goes into the process thinking that whatever changes it makes can significantly affect how it functions. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Today, we’ll discuss how professional consultants provide a perspective that can revolutionize how your business operates.

You might recall our blog last week on smart chips, a term used to describe some fun and useful Google Docs inserts. Today, we want to take a closer look at these smart chips and what you can do with them in Google Docs and Sheets.

As the popularity of blockchain technology continues to rise, it's essential to explore its functionality and understand why it deserves attention. While commonly portrayed as a dubious tool associated with cryptocurrencies and scams, the fundamental nature of blockchain is far from nefarious. In reality, its decentralized and transparent attributes make it well-suited for various tasks, and we'll describe how it can be used for more than cryptocurrency below.

We know that living in a constant state of fear of being scammed is not ideal, but it’s the unfortunate reality of living in today’s technologically advanced world. The good news is that it’s never too late to learn how to avoid them! Let’s discuss how you can be more aware of the challenges of scams not only in a business setting, but in everyday life.

2023 was quite the year, especially where AI is concerned. The technology became the center of attention in the business world and in the public. What does this mean for AI, and how has this technology changed the way we do business, for better or worse? Let’s dive in.

As business computing goes, ransomware poses the most significant threat. That’s why it’s imperative for organizations to proactively address this menace head-on. Today, we propose a comprehensive three-part strategy that can help your organization sidestep ransomware.

With the holiday season upon us and online shopping surging, instances of scams targeting the popular e-commerce platform Amazon have become increasingly common. The majority of these scams involve impersonation tactics, posing a significant threat to unsuspecting users. With the festive season underway, it's crucial to be aware of the types of Amazon scams prevalent and take measures to avoid falling victim to them.

In business, email is one of the tried and true methods of communication. Unfortunately, there are many out there searching to breach a network, whether it be to deploy malware or lie in wait until they have access and cause havoc from within. Regardless of what strategy hackers and scammers use, it is important that users understand what to do to protect themselves and their organizations’ email. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere it seems. At this juncture, AI proves invaluable in optimizing business operations and processes, but the applications of the technology are far more advanced than just building added efficiency. Let's briefly go into five ways AI can enhance business efficiency and foster optimal performance.

AI might feel like a technology perfectly at home in the world of science fiction, but the truth is that most of its uses are not nearly as interesting or fun. Take, for example, Operation Green Light, an initiative from Google that aims to better society through examining AI for traffic control and its impact on the environment.

While many businesses are actively formulating operational plans and marketing budgets, it's imperative to acknowledge the significant challenges that could lead to substantial losses and extensive expenses if proactive measures aren't taken.

Mobility takes center stage for many businesses that want to improve productivity. This necessitates a Mobile Device Management (MDM) tool that can help organizations keep tabs on devices within their networks. Let’s discuss some of the biggest selling points of today’s Mobile Device Management tools.

Networking in your office, i.e. running cables around your workplace to ensure that all devices are connected to the in-house computing infrastructure, is made somewhat easier thanks to remote work. However, you should still approach cabling in an effective way, especially if you have a lot of devices that need to be managed.

Updating your Point of Sale (POS) system isn’t a choice that most businesses would make if they were to have the choice. They typically have long memories of the pain it was to implement the system and how there was a major learning curve for all of their employees. Unfortunately, POS systems are like any other business computer, they need to be updated regularly to ensure that your business is able to efficiently handle customer demand.

Many years ago, the practice of repairing office equipment or household appliances that malfunctioned was a common and practical solution. However, over time, changes in business practices have largely eliminated this option. In recent years, the Right to Repair movement has emerged as a legitimate campaign aimed at advocating for legal protections to safeguard the rights of the modern tech-dependent public.

Technological innovation can be exciting, but one topic that is decidedly unsexy with technology is data backup—at least, from an excitement point of view. More businesses are demanding greater data security and redundancy, which is in turn forcing developers to innovate and create better products that can give consumers and enterprises what they need. Let’s look at three of the more interesting features of these up-and-coming data backup solutions.

Many individuals are concerned about the future of AI, including the White House, which encouraged companies like Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI to commit to helping with the management of artificial intelligence. Other companies, including Adobe, Cohere, IBM, Nvidia, Palantir, Salesforce, Scale AI, and Stability, have joined in this pledge to maintain “the development of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI,” according to the White House.

A major nonprofit has disclosed a major data breach that has affected 890 schools across the United States. The National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) has announced that they have been the victim of a data breach that has put its clients’ data at risk. Let’s take a look at what this means.

The vehicles of today are equipped with countless features that previously did not exist, but this also makes them vulnerable in ways that older cars simply are not. Today, we want to explore what this growing smart car trend means for the security of vehicles.

Let’s talk a little bit about deepfakes. If you aren’t aware of this technology, deepfakes are essentially synthetic media. Typically they come in the form of videos or images that use artificial intelligence (AI) to replace a person’s likeness with another’s. With deepfake technology, people can convince an audience that a person said something they didn’t say. This deliberate digital subterfuge can bring with it a whole lot of problems. This week we will outline a few of them.

With Cybersecurity Awareness Month just around the corner, now seems to be the appropriate time to consider your own business’ cybersecurity. While there are many, many factors that contribute to how protected your business is against threats, one of the most impactful and insidious is how receptive your employees are (or aren’t) to security-centric behaviors.

Data privacy has never been such an important issue for businesses and individuals alike. In some places, calls for overarching legislation to protect consumers have often been met with significant pushback by lawmakers who are reluctant to put extra regulations on businesses, while others have passed important laws dictating how organizations handle individual data.

Enhanced Safe Browsing will scan all links and attachments to compare them to Google’s database of known scams and malicious websites. Google updates this database every half-hour, so it’s reasonably up-to-date at any given time.

One of the most powerful applications of AR and VR for small businesses is in product visualization. Imagine being able to provide potential customers with a virtual "try-before-you-buy" experience. For clothing boutiques, this could mean allowing customers to virtually try on clothes before making a purchase. Furniture stores can enable customers to place virtual furniture in their homes to see how it fits. These experiences not only boost customer confidence but also reduce the number of returns, ultimately saving money for the business.

While this is an extremely simplified version of it, encryption is a data security measure that scrambles and alters data beyond recognition, requiring a special digital key to restore it to its original state.

There are countless threats out there that can leave your business in a worse state than before, including viruses and malware, ransomware, data breaches, and other types of phishing attacks. It’s hard to go about your day without worrying about these types of threats, especially in today’s connected business world. However, the ones you need to watch out for most of all are the ones that are so personal you’d never expect them

Communication and collaboration tools are central to the success of any business—especially in today’s connected business landscape. More than anything else, you cannot let your collaboration tools put your company data at risk. We have some tips you can use to avoid some of the common challenges that businesses face with collaboration and data security.

Your keyboard sees a lot of use, probably more than any other piece of technology related to your computer. It’s how you interface and interact with it, and if you don’t take the time to clean it up every so often, it’s going to get pretty nasty. Let’s go over how you can clean your keyboard, as well as a couple of tips to keep it cleaner over the long term.

We’ve all found ourselves in a pickle due to a dead smartphone battery, and if not, you’ve been living with a charger perpetually on your person. What is it that kills a smartphone’s battery so quickly? As it turns out, a lot of things impact your smartphone’s capability to hold and maintain a charge over time. Let’s run through the list of factors that you could encounter, and how you can address them.

Businesses make money by providing services to their customers that bring them value. This business model is at the core of managed IT services, where the offerings are widely considered to pay for themselves, so to speak. Individually, the services might not seem like they would impact your bottom line that much, but when combined, they are a force to be reckoned with.

Data is a critical asset for modern businesses, simply because it can be utilized to help improve an organization’s operations in a variety of ways. Let’s explore some of the various approaches you can take to leveraging the data you collect to add value to your business.

A lot of businesses need a Point of Sale system in order to effectively do business and the technology has been progressing right along with new features and it has left some businesses struggling to compete. After all, for all businesses, the customer experience is a huge consideration. This week, we thought we would take a look at four variables that businesses should consider when determining whether or not it is time to replace their POS system.

Let’s talk about zero trust, and how it helps protect your business on all fronts.

If you’re an Android user, you probably have loads of applications on your device that make navigating it somewhat difficult. If you want to make navigation a bit easier, you can utilize shortcuts on your home screens for your most frequently used apps—including specific screens within those apps!

Critical as it is to make sure your business’ IT remains in good shape, it is just as important that you and your team members are in good shape as well. Otherwise, the aches and pains that can settle in could easily have a detrimental impact on your productivity.

The Internet of Things Explained The use of billions of Internet-connected devices is changing the way the world functions. Every device created to streamline or automate functions, from energy efficiency to communications, comes with it a certain amount of risk, however. In many cases, these concerns have actually hindered the progress of IoT strategies and have to be confronted if these technologies can be used for business.

The Modern Supply Chain Advances in technology have gone a long way toward helping businesses get control over their supply chains when changes in both socio-economic and world health concerns threaten to interrupt the flow of goods. Let’s take a look at some tools that can help improve organizational supply chain management (SCM) Cloud Technology It’s not overstating it to say that most organizations have been utilizing cloud-based technology in their business, but there aren’t a lot that naturally use it for their supply chain. The main issue is a perceived lack of security. Many people believe that cloud computing has some security issues that keep it from being the secure computing platform that their business needs. With a few best practices, however, there is nothing that you can’t do with cloud computing resources while maintaining security.

A modern network, when properly configured and protected with modern cybersecurity tools, can be extremely secure. Since that’s been the trend for some organizations over the years, hackers have been looking for ways around the security many businesses have in place. If hackers can’t break in through normal means, they will turn to other, more insidious methods, like phishing attacks, to get what they are after.

Secure your Microsoft 365 accounts and safeguard your business from cyber-attacks with multi-factor authentication. Don't wait until it's too late