Credential theft is now at an all-time high and is responsible for more data breaches than any other type of attack. With data and business processes now largely cloud-based, a user’s password is the quickest and easiest way to conduct many different types of dangerous activities. Being logged in as a user (especially if they have admin privileges) can allow a criminal to send out phishing emails from your company account to your staff and customers. The hacker can also infect your cloud data with ransomware and demand thousands of dollars to give it back. How do you protect your online accounts, data, and business operations? One of the best ways is with multi-factor authentication (MFA). It provides a significant barrier to cybercriminals even if they have a legitimate user credential to log in. This is because they most likely will not have access to the device that receives the MFA code required to complete the authentication process. What Are the Three Main Methods of MFA? ...

Smartphones and tablets are often the preferred device for communications, web searching, and accessing many types of apps. They’re more portable and can be used from anywhere. We’re seeing the takeover of many activities that used to be performed on traditional computers. Now, people are using mobile devices instead. For example, Microsoft estimates that up to 80% of the workload in many enterprise organizations is now done via mobile devices. Over half of all web searches are also now conducted from a mobile device rather than a desktop PC. This has caused mobile devices to become more targeted over the past few years. As hackers realize they’re holding many of the same sensitive information and app access as PCs, they’ve been creating mobile malware and other exploits to breach mobile devices. In 2020, approximately 36.5% of organizations were impacted by mobile malware and 2.5 million people unknowingly downloaded multiple mobile adware apps. It’s important to start treatin...

Approximately 34% of businesses take a week or longer to regain access to their data and systems once hit with a malware attack. Malware is an umbrella term that encompasses many different types of malicious code. It can include: Viruses Ransomware Spyware Trojans Adware Key loggers And more The longer that malware sits on your system unchecked, the more damage it can do. Most forms of malware have a directive built in to spread to as many systems as possible. So, if not caught and removed right away, one computer could end up infecting 10 more on the same network in no time. Early detection is key so you can disconnect an infected device from your network and have it properly cleaned by a professional. Keep an eye out for these key warning signs of malware infection so you can jump into action and reduce your risk. Strange Popups on Your Desktop Some forms of malware can take on the disguise of being an antivirus app or warranty notice that pops up on your screen. Hack...

One of the most important applications we choose is our internet browser. When on a computer or a mobile device, we work in that most of the time because many applications are now cloud-based, so accessing them means going through your browser. Over the years browsers have come and gone. A little over a decade ago, Internet Explorer was the head of the pack, and now that browser is retired, Google’s Chrome has been in the top spot for several years. But just because a browser is number one today, doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way. One browser that has steadily been making its way up in popularity since its release in 2015 is Microsoft Edge. Edge is the replacement for Internet Explorer, but it’s taken a while for it to become mainstream. It seems that now is its time. Microsoft Edge recently surpassed Firefox in worldwide desktop browser market share and is now the #3 Desktop browser in the world behind Chrome and Safari. And it’s less than one percentage point behind Safari...

While many companies have moved most of their workflows to the cloud, there is still a key component of office operations that is location-based. This would be employee computers. Most companies still rely on desktops and laptops to allow employees to access critical software and as their main workstation. This can become inconvenient if you’re doing work from one location. For example, if you work both at the office and home, in one of those places, you’ll be without your “main computer.” This can be a real problem when it comes to needing to access certain files or possibly working from a slower device than you’re used to. Many technology companies, such as Microsoft, have an answer for this – put your computer workstation in the cloud. This is exactly what is being touted as the next big thing when it comes to Windows 365 Cloud PC. What is Windows 365? Windows 365 is a cloud-based PC. Your entire operating system and everything that sits on it (settings, files, software, etc.) ...

When you see those people with two monitors, you may assume they do some specialized work that requires all that screen space, or they just really like technology. But having the additional display real estate that a second screen provides can benefit anyone, even if you’re doing accounting or document work all day. We get used to being boxed in by the screen size we have. This can lead to us struggling when trying to fit two windows next to each other or continuously clicking between layers of windows on the desktop. Most of us have experienced clicking around to find the window we actually need in a layer of different applications. This is one of the things that eats up time during the day and that using dual screens can help eliminate. According to a study by software developer Mavenlink, 73% of surveyed businesses say they spend over an hour per day on average just switching between different apps. Productivity Research on Dual-Screens So just how much can using a second mon...