Tech Squared Blog

Malware sounds like one of those tech words people throw around, but don’t understand. Still, if you’re running a business or even just using the internet for work, you need to know what it is and how to deal with it. Malware is any kind of software designed to mess with your devices, steal your info, or hold your data hostage. Not fun.

Nowadays, it is especially critical for every business to optimize its operations, boosting productivity while eliminating setbacks and obstacles. The information technology available today can make this process much easier if utilized correctly.

Let's discuss a few ways to take advantage of it for your organization’s benefit.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is easily becoming one of the most transformative technological advancements. While some businesses assume IoT is too costly or complex to implement, a well-planned strategy can make these tools pay for themselves quickly. Let’s explore how organizations are using IoT, the most effective solutions, and the significant return on investment (ROI) these technologies can bring.

Just about all companies collect data, including many you work with. Your business too collects data from customers to aid in its operations. In terms of your own privacy, though, you should take certain measures to protect your personal data. Here are some of the ways you can combat the predatory practices of advertisers and cybercriminals alike.

Artificial intelligence is invading business IT infrastructure around the world, with chatbots being one of the more commonplace solutions out there. When implemented appropriately, chatbots can act as a cheat code for managing customers, handling inquiries, scheduling appointments, and even marketing your services.. Today, we want to help you get set up with chatbots so you can make better use of your time.

New threats emerge each and every day, whether it’s the latest form of ransomware or a simple virus out to make your life miserable. That’s why it’s so important you take steps to protect your business. Here are the threats your business needs to watch out for, as well as what you can do to keep your organization safe.

It’s World Backup Day! It’s the one day where we bring awareness to the essential process of backing up your organizational and personal data. Let’s go through some of the variables that a comprehensive data backup and recovery plan features to commemorate the “holiday.”

Antivirus software is one of those things we all know we need, but have you ever stopped to think about how it actually works? Understanding the basics can help you appreciate why keeping it updated is so important. Today, we took a look at antivirus software.

In keeping with the modern trend of incorporating artificial intelligence into everything we do, Google has been moving full steam ahead with Gemini, the company’s latest AI model. While once available only to those willing to pay the “Advanced” plan’s $20-per-month fee, Google recently announced that many new features would be available for free… including the capability to reference a user’s Search queries and other Google applications to further personalize that user’s results.

Let’s go over how to set this up, but also, why you may want to refrain from doing so.

Another month, another batch of security updates. Google has been busy squashing 43 bugs in Android, and—surprise, surprise—two of them were zero-day vulnerabilities. That means bad actors could’ve been exploiting them before Google even knew what was up. Obviously, this isn’t good and highlights why it’s important to keep your software updated. 

Just about any collaboration platform these days will allow you to share your screen. The functionality works largely the same, regardless of whether you’re using Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or something else, but we want to cover how to use it on these popular platforms. We’ll assume you’ve already joined a meeting for this article, so let’s get started sharing your screen.

Running a business is like managing a bunch of moving parts with relationships with employees, customers, operations, and, of course, vendors. Vendors supply your business with the products and services that keep things running, but if you’re not careful, those relationships can turn into time and money pits. So, how do you make vendor relationships work in your favor? Here are some smart ways to get the most out of them without unnecessary headaches.

By now, you’ve heard us discuss how data backup is extremely important for every organization. We try to spread awareness of the negative impacts to a business that doesn’t have a comprehensive backup plan in place. Fortunately, data backup has come a long way in the past decade, making it easier, faster, and way more reliable. Let’s take a look at how things have changed in data backup.

The late American author Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, “New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become.” Written in the 20th century, it has been put in practice by 21st century businesses. As the Internet has grown, the amount of companies expanded, and the amount of data that those companies collect has grown exponentially, especially now that there is a market for such data.

Profitability is less the measure of being able to turn a profit, and more the measure of how much profit you can make. For the successful small business, the integration of technology can dictate what kind of annual margins you are looking at. For the new company, however, it can be something even more critical: the difference between setting a course for success, or wallowing in failure. Today we analyze the cost difference between hosting your IT in-house, or choosing to host it in the cloud.

Despite what detractors say, regulations are in place for good reason. They typically protect individuals from organizational malfeasance. Many of these regulations are actual laws passed by a governing body and cover the entire spectrum of the issue, not just the data involved. The ones that have data protection regulations written into them mostly deal with the handling and protection of sensitive information. For organizations that work in industries covered by these regulations there are very visible costs that go into compliance. Today, we look at the costs incurred by these organizations as a result of these regulations, and how to ascertain how they affect your business.

How much does your business rely on technology to keep your organization running forward? As business technology becomes more complex, it’s becoming increasingly popular for organizations to have their own internal IT departments to manage and maintain it. Yet, small businesses don’t often have the necessary funds for such a feat. How can your company afford quality IT service? You can start by pursuing managed IT solutions from a managed service provider.

The password isn’t nearly as secure as it used to be. Hackers have begun to take advantage of extremely powerful solutions designed to brute force their way into accounts by using software to rapidly guessing thousands of passwords per second, making it extraordinarily difficult to prepare yourself for them.

What’s the best way to guarantee that passwords aren’t going to be the downfall of your company? A great start is by taking a close look at password best practices and two-factor authentication.

Data security isn’t a matter to be taken lightly, as too many businesses have found out the hard way. Unfortunately, there are far too many simple ways to correct common security issues - enough that it’s foolish not to do so. We’ll review a few ways to fix security issues, after discussing one of, if not the, most egregious security failings in modern history.

The cloud has proven to be an extremely useful tool for the modern business. Not only does it provide anywhere-anytime access to applications, processing, storage, et al; it also delivers those products as a service, allowing you to budget for recurring costs rather than major upfront ones. This provides your organization with functional, supported, and secure computing environments that eliminate a lot of the support costs that traditional computing environments require. It sounds like a perfect scenario for small and large businesses alike, but things aren’t always what they seem, as a lot of cloud users have found that they have incurred several hidden costs by using cloud platforms. Today, we take a look at these hidden costs.