Blogs
Knowledge, advice and opinion on IT
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Password Basics That Are Still Ignored
in AllYou can have all the locks on your data center and have all the network security available, but nothing will keep your data safe if your employees are sloppy with passwords. There are many ways data can be breached, and opening some link they shouldn’t is one of the most serious security sins ...
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You’re Fired! Now Give Me Your Password
in All“You’re FIRED!” ( now give me your password) Losing an employee is not usually a good experience. If they leave voluntarily, you lose a valuable asset. If they have to be fired, you have the arduous task of the progressive discipline process and the final termination meeting. But t...
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IT Defense in Depth Part II
in AllDefense in Depth Part II In our last blog we started talking about the different layers of security necessary to fully defend your data and business integrity. Today we will look at the human aspect of it, and network defenses. The human layer refers to the activities that your employees perform. 95...
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Getting the most out of technology
in AllGetting the most out of technology As a professional you are in education because you have a vocation. You have the commitment and drive to succeed, and keeping your school successful requires all of your attention. However, you didn’t go into education to be an expert in emerging technologies...
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IT Defense In Depth Part I
in AllIn the 1930s, France built a trench network called the Maginot Line to rebuff any invasion. The philosophy was simple: if you map out all the places an enemy can attack, and lay down a lot of men and fortifications at those places, you can rebuff any attack. The problem is, you can’t map every...
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Keeping everything up and running on a minimal IT budget
in AllKeeping everything up and running on a minimal IT budget We talked in an earlier blog about how not benefiting from economies of scale can hurt a small school’s abilities to take full advantage of technology. In addition to the cloud, another resource to get around these problems is the the outsou...
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Data Security: A People Problem
in AllPhishing Scams – A People Problem There are some things that only people can fix. There are many security risks to which your data is susceptible, but there is one method that remains a wonderfully effective hacking tool. That is the phishing scam. This is a legitimate looking email that asks the ...
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Hardware costs are barriers to growth and stability
in AllHardware costs are barriers to growth and stability Unless you are a Silicon Valley unicorn, smaller institutions, especially newer ones, usually face serious limitations to accessing the funds to finance significant capex investments. This can be a particular problem with the IT hardware necessary ...
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What is Ransomware and How Can it Affect Your Business?
in AllThis cyberattack scheme hasn’t garnered nearly as much attention as the usual “break-in-and-steal-data-to-sell-on-the-Internet version,” but it can be even more debilitating. Ransomware attacks have begun appearing in the last few years and its practitioners are so polished that in...
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Smaller schools and economies of scale
in AllSmaller schools and economies of scale Smaller educational institutions and schools suffer from the problem of “economies of scale,” making it hard for them to stay relevant and support their mission. This is especially true in the area of IT infrastructure. Small schools need, but generally can...
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Data Breaches are a Question of When, Not If
in AllYou hear on the news all of the time about big cyber attacks on large corporations, and even government agencies. The trouble with this news coverage is that is suggests a distorted view of where cyber attacks are taking place. These attacks are not solely hitting large organizations. Small firms re...
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Penetration Testing vs. Vulnerability Testing Your Business Network
in AllHearing “all of your confidential information is extremely vulnerable, we know this because…” is bad news, but whatever follows the ellipses determines just how bad. Consider two scenarios. “All of your confidential information is extremely vulnerable… we know this beca...
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Ready to go for it? Getting Windows 11 Blog
Ready to go for it? Getting Windows 11. How to get Windows 11? If you liked what you read about Windows 11, you’re probably wondering how you can get Windows 11. Well, Windows 10 users can easily upgrade to this latest version of Windows by going to the Update & security settings in their PC....
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Windows 11 and Security Blog
Windows 11 and Security Security If there is anything that worries everyone–consumers and businesses alike–is security and privacy. Ransomware has exploded. Businesses in every sector as well as NPOs and governments have fallen victim to serious cyber attacks. In terms of security, Micro...
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Android App and Windows 11 Blog
Android App and Windows 11 Want to use lots of Android apps and tired of the limited ability to do so with Windows 10? Windows 11 is going to be your answer. Android integration One of the best parts of Windows 11 is, it will let you run Android applications on your PC. With remote work and BYOD bec...
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Three common sense data safety reminders
in AllThree common sense data safety reminders When it comes to smaller and medium sized businesses, anything that distracts from the day to day concerns about bringing in revenue tends to fall by the wayside. With that in mind, we have put together a list of seven things that a small business needs to pr...
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Familiar UX Blog
While Windows XP is hands down everyone’s favorite even decades after its launch, we have seen Microsoft constantly upgrading its OS. While some versions have been disastrous (remember, Vista and Windows 8?!), some have been steady and solid–example, as Windows 10. This blog highlights a focus o...
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7 Cybersecurity basics to never forget
in AllNo matter how much people hear “data safety,” they still can get sloppy about their cybersecurity. One of the reasons is that there are so many constant reminders that the warnings just become that much more background noise. Today, let’s do a quick review of the one you hear most about ( ...
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Migrating to Windows 10: Should you let go of your hardware
in AllWhile you can purchase and install Windows 10 in your existing PCs–the ones currently on Windows 7 OS–it is not recommended. According to Microsoft, Windows 10 has the following minimum requirements Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC. RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB ...
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Getting the most out of technology
in AllAs a professional you are in education because you have a vocation. You have the commitment and drive to succeed, and keeping your school successful requires all of your attention. However, you didn’t go into education to be an expert in emerging technologies. Managing technology can be a real...
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Windows 7 End of Life: What options do you have
in AllAs Microsoft stops supporting Windows 7 from January 2020, what choices do you have as a Windows 7 user? While Windows 7 will work after January 2020– it won’t just “shut down”–as a business, you cannot afford to use the older version because it makes you vulnerable to security threats. Th...
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Keeping everything up and running on a minimal IT budget
in AllWe talked in an earlier blog about how not benefiting from economies of scale can hurt a small school’s abilities to take full advantage of technology. In addition to the cloud, another resource to get around these problems is the the outsourcing of certain tasks, including strategic technology pl...
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Hardware costs are barriers to growth and stability
in AllUnless you are a Silicon Valley unicorn, smaller institutions, especially newer ones, usually face serious limitations to accessing the funds to finance significant capex investments. This can be a particular problem with the IT hardware necessary for the growth of the school as well as for backup a...
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Windows 7 End of Life: How does it impact you
in AllMicrosoft has officially announced the “End of Life” date for Windows 7. It will come January 14, 2020. Windows 7 was introduced in 2009 and is one of the most popular versions of Windows. It is estimated that around 40% of Windows OS is 7. So, if you are one of the Windows 7 users, read this bl...
