Blue Ridge Technology

Passkeys could improve the way you work, forever Heads up: Passkeys are coming soon, and we’re getting a better idea of how and where these are going to start becoming useful for businesses and consumers alike. If you’re not sure what we mean by a passkey, here’s a refresher: We shared an introduction to passkeys a few months back when we told you that Microsoft, Google, and Apple were working to kill the password . Recently, Apple announced that passkeys are coming to its mobile and desktop operating systems in 2022 with the arrival of iOS/iPadOS 16 and macOS 13 in the early fall. “Coming soon” has officially been upgraded to “imminent arrival,” and it’s time for businesses to get a handle on how, whether, when, and where they might implement the new tech. Aren’t passkeys just fancy passwords? In the sense that they let people log into devices and sites, sure. But in every other sense, no: passkeys are a completely new technology that’s exponentially more secure than the old username...

If you’re under pressure to take urgent action – stop and think At Blue Ridge Technology, we talk a lot about cybersecurity, and we publish about it on this blog regularly, too. Why? Because digital threats are one of the biggest risks that businesses, including our clients, could face. It’s vitally important to have strong cyber defenses in place (and we’re certainly ready to audit your hardware, network, and software defenses to find any vulnerabilities—just reach out today). But it’s just as important to train yourself and your employees or teammates on how to be aware of cyber threats. In other words, cyber awareness training is just as valuable as the best firewalls and endpoint protection systems. That may sound like a bold claim, but it’s true. The most common digital attacks don’t happen by bad guys brute forcing their way through your firewall. They happen because someone on your team makes a mistake. Your Biggest Cybersecurity Threat Is on Your Payroll As crazy as it sounds...

How to get the perfect video call setup, whatever your budget If you’re like most business leaders in the Asheville and Hendersonville metro areas, remote meetings and video calls are practically a way of life now. When the pandemic first pushed us all onto Zoom, it was a mad scramble just to get online and on video. Worrying about the quality of your video presentation was an afterthought for most of us. But that was almost two and a half years ago. Today, it’s different. Whether you’re meeting with clients, leading a team meeting, or speaking to your entire workforce, the quality of your video presentation matters. If you’re tired of looking washed out or fielding constant complaints that people can’t hear you very well, your video call setup might need some love. (The same goes for your team members if they’re dealing with the same problems!) With that in mind, here are a few quick tips you can implement right away to improve your video call setup. 1. Natural Light Is Your Friend If...

Is working from home really good for your business? If you’re like most of our clients, work from home showed up in a big way thanks to COVID — and it’s not going away. The truth is, there’s just a lot to like about having the option to work from home at least some of the time. Well, from the employee’s perspective, at least. If you’re an office-oriented, creative, or knowledge-economy sort of business, work from home can work, and it can work well. (And at this point, the cost of not offering it? You could lose team members if you don’t.) Still, nearly three years in, many companies are discovering that WFH isn’t all roses and puppy dogs. There are perks and advantages, sure. But there are challenges, too. For many businesses — maybe yours too — the best approach is offering it, but doing it with both eyes open, staying aware of the costs and the potential downsides that can crop up. Let’s talk about the IT-related challenges as well as some hidden costs that can crop up with permanen...

If any of your staff work remotely, you need to be on top of this Is remote or hybrid work here to stay for your business? It is for many (formerly) office-based businesses operating in services or in the knowledge economy. If you weren’t set up for remote work before the pandemic, chances are you had to pivot quickly to get set up for remote work or work from home. And many businesses that went remote for the first time were operating in “emergency mode”: all that mattered was finding a way to keep business going. But as the pandemic eases into endemic status, one thing is clear: remote work isn’t going away, and hybrid is here to stay, too. If you have staff working remotely, it’s time to make sure your security protection is sufficient. One recent industry poll found that only around half of businesses today had the kind of security protection they need to keep employees and their organization safe no matter where people work. Those aren’t good odds. Here’s what you need to know so ...