Business Solutions & Software Group Blog

Have you ever wondered why your Wi-Fi is great in one room but practically non-existent in another? You've got a powerful Internet plan, a modern router, but are still experiencing those frustrating dead zones or sluggish speeds. Today, we’re going to tell you that one of the most overlooked, yet critical, factors isn't your Internet provider or router model; it's simply where you put your router.

The placement of your Wi-Fi router can make or break your home Internet experience. Let's dig into the optimal spots and common pitfalls to ensure you're getting the most out of your connection.

Regardless of how productive your well-oiled business machine is running, you might stop and ask yourself, “Am I doing everything I can to keep my business safe from a cyberattack?” Threat detection and response is nothing new, but managed detection and response—the act of outsourcing this responsibility—is an innovative and effective way to keep your business safe. While standard cybersecurity solutions like antivirus and firewalls are still necessary, they are passive at best.

Do you remember Tay? In 2016, Microsoft launched an AI chatbot on Twitter, named Tay, designed to learn from casual and playful conversation. The result was a spectacular public failure. Within 16 hours, the Internet had taught Tay to be wildly offensive, racist, and conspiratorial. Microsoft had to pull the plug in a panic.

Remote and hybrid work aren’t going away, so you can’t expect that today’s workforce won’t demand them in at least some capacity. That means your business needs to be ready to deliver these expectations in at least some capacity, especially if you want to remain competitive. If you aren’t willing to commit to full-on remote work, a hybrid approach combines the flexibility of remote work with the need for in-house operations, and is a perfectly suitable way to offer what employees want and need without sacrificing productivity and security.

If you’re the type of person who would like the boss to think of you whenever they think about who the most valuable member of their team is, you’ve come to the right place. We often say that we’re all about helping the businesses we work with accomplish their goals. The way we see it, the people who work for the business count too… which is why we wanted to share some handy tricks and tips you can use to look good for your employer.

Let’s review how your technology can help you work smarter, not harder, to look good in the office without giving up your work/life balance.

Your team depends on a diverse mix of laptops, smartphones, tablets, desktops, Internet of Things devices, and even some Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) personal devices. While each of them brings productivity to the table, they also open your company’s doors to potential threats. This is why businesses are turning to centralized endpoint management solutions that manage the security and updates of every device on the network—all from one convenient location.

Today, we are examining the importance of a centralized endpoint management solution for your business—and the risks associated with not having one.

Take a walk... I dare you. Go on, right now. Take a walk around your office.

How many computer monitors have a little yellow sticky note stuck to the corner? How many keyboards have a password taped underneath?

This isn't just bad housekeeping; it’s a terrifying security risk hiding in plain sight.

The hard truth is that you can spend $50,000 on the world's most advanced firewall, but if your company's master key is on a 5-cent sticky note, you've left the front door wide open with the key under the mat.

You’ve invested serious money into your manufacturing equipment. We’re talking about your half-million-dollar workhorses that are supposed to be driving profit. If you’re being honest, though, you’re often just waiting for the next thing to break.

You run your machines hard, and if you only act when the alarm sounds, the grinding noise gets too loud, or the machine throws that dreaded red maintenance light, you’re cooked.

Generative AI is everywhere now, and businesses are racing to embrace the opportunities it is creating. That said, this needs to be done with caution. Let’s go over some common errors to watch out for and avoid.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a strategy that has become quite popular amongst employees and employers alike. The employee gets to use a device they’re familiar with, and the employer saves money. Unfortunately, many businesses underestimate the security risks posed by unmanaged BYOD deployments, which can lead to severe legal issues.

Let’s talk about these risks and why they pop up in the first place.

Have you been struggling to read small text or see details on a webpage or in an application? The solution is simple: zoom in! While basic, many people aren't aware of the powerful, built-in zooming functions available. Today, we've compiled helpful tricks to improve your viewing experience, including a powerful tool we bet you haven't tried.

Cryptocurrency is one of the more interesting technological innovations that has been introduced over the past 15 years.

The rise of cryptocurrency has changed finance, but it has also provided cybercriminals with a powerful tool to monetize their illicit activities, primarily through ransomware. Ransomware is a form of malware that encrypts a victim's files, extorting payment in cryptocurrency—usually Bitcoin—in exchange for the decryption key. Understanding why criminals favor this digital asset and what businesses can do is essential for modern defense.

It can be challenging for small to medium-sized businesses to see the true value of artificial intelligence. After all, up until not that long ago, most people associated AI with things like the Terminator, so it has a bit of a reputation to make up for. Regardless, AI is now accessible enough that even these SMBs can embrace its features.

Let’s review some of the ways you could incorporate AI into your business, relatively easily.

A data backup is meant to give you a sense of relief, a safety net in case of disaster. This means it needs to be reliable… but what if it isn’t?

Too many businesses simply set up a backup and never think about it again, working under the assumption that all is well and everything is working according to design. Often, it is too late by the time these issues come to light, and the backup is needed but isn’t there.

Having a backup is a good start. However, the real difference comes from having a backup that you know will work. 

You’ve probably heard various terms like network hubs, network switches, and network routers, but do you know what these devices are, and more importantly, what differentiates them from one another? Each of these devices serves a different purpose, and depending on your business’ needs, one might be better than the other. Let’s look at the differences between all of these networking devices and why you might choose each one for running your business.

Productivity is among the most highly prioritized metrics in modern business, as it impacts so many functions and directly influences your success. This makes every moment precious…meant to be spent progressing toward a goal, not simply doing busy work.

Let’s go over some ways you can manage your time using some proven and trusted frameworks.

Have you ever downloaded a file, then wondered where exactly it ended up? This is a common problem that can create all kinds of inefficiencies in your workflow and complicate the day more than it needs to. Today, we want to cover where you can find all the files you download using your web browser—even if you’re not using a Windows PC.

The Internet is full of incredible resources that people can use to be more productive or to troubleshoot issues. One such resource is the near-limitless feed of videos on YouTube. All that said, most videos are chock full of filler that you might not want your team to waste time on, even if it’s done so with good intentions. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just skip to the helpful stuff right away?

A cybersecurity insurance plan sounds great in theory, but how much is it actually protecting you from potential threats? If you suffer a data breach, your business is going to have to suffer through downtime so it can address the problem, all the while you’re filing claims and hoping that your policy will cover the issue that occurred. What happens when you’re denied your claim, and you’re back to square one?

You can invest all you want in security software and firewall systems, but how much will these systems help when someone physically breaks into your office and steals data or destroys property? This is why you need to shore up weaknesses not just in your digital infrastructure, but physical infrastructure as well. Today, we want to go over how even a passing thought at physical security is better than the alternative (and how it can make a big difference in your approach to business continuity).