ATECH MSP Blog

There’s a reason that Google Chrome is the most popular web browser in the world. First introduced to the market in 2008, Chrome’s global market share is nearly 60% and climbing. One of the factors that make Chrome so popular is the ability to add ‘extensions’ to the browser. Primarily developed to enhance user experience through improved functionality or additional features, extensions are small applications that can be added to the browser's tool bar. To continuously create extensions that keep up with the needs of users, Chrome is “free and open source” software. Open source means that Google releases the browser’s source code to developers who are free to use it to develop extensions.

By now, you’ve heard all about the Equifax data breach, which exposed sensitive information of 143 million individuals. To keep this from leading to identity theft and other challenges for these users, many professionals are encouraging them to freeze their credit lines. To do so, a PIN is required, which is something that a hacker can easily take advantage of.

The iPhone was one of the first major smartphones introduced to the world, and Apple has released so many iterations of it that it’s almost unbelievable how far it has come. In fact, over the past 10 years, so many smartphones and devices have been introduced that it is incredible think that it was one device that started it all.

Microsoft Office is arguably the most popular document suite in the world. Businesses of all sizes use them extensively in their daily operations. In fact, many employers require potential team members have advanced knowledge of various Office applications in order to qualify for a vacant position. Still, despite being so widely used, only a fraction of users are aware of the application's true capabilities or which features and formulas they could use to make their daily tasks and processes easier to manage.

A major vulnerability has been discovered that affects everyone that uses Wi-Fi. Key Reinstallation Attack, or KRACK, affects the core encryption protocol that most Wi-Fi users depend upon to shield their browsing from others, Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2).

Phishing--it’s a threat that tells a tantalizing lie to entrap its target, and one that you’ve likely heard of before. However, as technology has advanced, so have the opportunities that cybercriminals have to leverage phishing attempts. Smartphones, for instance, make it so that you must be aware and on the lookout for SMiShing scams.

Have you ever thought about what would happen if your IT administrator were to go rogue and create redirects on your website that take your visitors to inappropriate content? Well, it happened to one unfortunate company in Arizona, and it ended poorly for both parties involved. What started as a ransom ended up as four years of probation and a huge sum of cash paid in restitution.

Chrome is an excellent browser to use, especially when the device it is used on is powered by Android. However, you may have noticed that your Chrome for Android browsing seems to slow down, making your mobile computing more aggravating than it has to be. For this week’s tip, we’ll go over a few ways to bring Chrome for Android back up to speed.

It isn’t easy to run a small business, and a lot of this difficulty comes from the fact that--as an owner of a small business--you have some limitations that dictate how your business can be run. A major limitation for many businesses is the budgetary one. However, modern solutions can help businesses to squeeze more value from their budget. One such solution is remote monitoring and management.

Cybercriminals and hackers aren’t exactly examples of the most trustworthy people online, so it should come as no surprise that they are willing to exploit each other for their own benefit. We recently saw an example of this phenomenon with the Cobain botnet.

We often think of technology as something that is meant to help us, all without doing anything for it in return. The problem with this mindset is that you need to take care of your technology if you want it to keep your business ahead of the game. We’ll go over some technology maintenance tips to ensure that you know how to take care of your business technology--primarily your office workstations.

Remember the good old days of your office’s corded telephone solution that was ringing off the hook every minute of the day? Granted, you can only look back on the good old days when they are behind you. If you need to bring business communications into the 21st century, you should consider implementing a Voice over Internet Protocol solution.

We live in an era where the term “fake news” makes up a significant portion of the headlines. The Internet makes it very easy to misinform others and spread false rumors or news, as you can do so relatively anonymously with little fear of consequence. This has become a problem on social media sites like Facebook, which recently shut down a major “troll farm” in response to continued complaints.

Writing for a specific audience isn’t always the easiest thing for a business owner. You have to anticipate a certain reading level for your target audience. The readability of a document can have far-reaching consequences. For example, what if you write a business proposal, but the prospect grows impatient when they can’t understand what’s written in it? Thankfully, there are various tools at your disposal that can help you craft the perfect document for your purpose.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! To prepare for this incredibly important month, you’ll want to focus your efforts on ensuring your business is protected against the myriad of online threats that can pose a danger for your business. Thankfully, you don’t have to do it alone. With our trusted IT professionals by your side, you’ll be able to take the fight to hackers and other entities that threaten your data.

Purchased by Facebook in 2014 for $22 billion dollars, WhatsApp is a cross-platform application that uses an Internet connection to unify business communications. It allows users to write messages, share files, set groups, as well as make voice and video calls without using SMS mobile data.

Email has been one of the primary correspondence methods for businesses for several years. In addition to communicating with your team, clients, and peers, emails also bring you the latest blog in a subscription, or sales and marketing messages from prospective vendors. With dozens of emails flowing in throughout your day, emails can become a distraction that results in a significant loss of productivity. These three tips can help you cut down on time that you waste when compulsively checking your emails.

An educated workforce provides the business world with intelligent prospective employees who want to leave companies better than they were when they arrived. Thankfully, technology has made it even easier to achieve a quality education with concepts such as online learning and live streaming taking the frontlines. How are today’s students utilizing modern technology in the classroom?

Too often, the desire to share an exciting travel destination with the world overrides any security or safety concerns one might have. Even people who are traveling for business will use social media to document their trip as a method of promoting their attendance at the event over social media. This includes photographing and sharing proprietary documents, like boarding passes and passports.

In November of 2014, the Federal Trade Commission announced that “two massive telemarketing operations” had been temporarily shut down after collecting over $120 million by “deceptively marketing computer software and tech support services.” It wasn’t long before these companies lost significant court judgements to the FTC, but by then, the money was gone.