Blue Ridge Technology

Protect your business from a data leak with Microsoft Edge After a few years of declines, ransomware attacks came back with a vengeance in 2023 according to a new report. Here’s what we know about the resurgence, why it’s happening, and what you can do to protect yourself and your business. What We Know About a Very Bad Year The 2024 report from NCC Group reveals a troublesome spike in ransomware attacks, up 84% from the previous year. The total number of global ransomware attacks captured in the report jumped by more than 2,000 cases from 2022 to 2023: 2022: an estimated 2,531 new attacks 2023: an estimated 4,667 new attacks NCC points out that several new ransomware groups entered the “market” in 2023. While LockBit, a well-known ransomware group, still led the pack, new attackers notched a sizeable number of successful attacks. Industrial companies were the hardest hit, followed by consumer cyclicals (a category that includes automotive, entertainment, and retail). Technology compa...

3 steps to better cloud security These days, the cloud is everywhere. And that’s (mostly) a good thing: if you’re working from home — or have anyone on your team accessing your business systems remotely — then you’re most likely already relying on the cloud in numerous ways. Work flows better when everyone can access what they need from anywhere. Still, you might be leery of a broader move to the cloud. Sure, maybe it’s good for occasional file sharing or storage, and maybe a provider like Microsoft already convinced you to move email to the cloud (probably without all that clear an explanation what was happening). But is the cloud really secure? The short answer is yes— but that doesn’t mean you’re necessarily safe. Here are some things you should know. The Cloud Itself Is Very Secure Let’s cut the mystery out once and for all: when people talk about “the cloud,” what they really mean is “someone else’s servers.” So those applications and services that used to run on your PC or on you...

Russian cyber-attack threat: White House advice to protect your business Cyberattacks are on the rise, and there’s an increased threat of attacks coming out of Russia right now, according to the Biden administration. As Russia grows increasingly combative and sanctions grow, the state and affiliated groups within it may crank up cyber intrusions soon. Many of these attacks are likely to be aimed at infrastructure like water or electricity or at other targets with ties to the federal government. But even businesses that don’t fit that profile should take this moment to secure their digital assets, according to the administration. Here’s what you need to know about the current recommendations coming out of the White House . Multi-Factor Authentication Matters If you haven’t yet implemented multi-factor authentication, or MFA, for your logins and key accounts, now is the time to do so. Without MFA, all the bad guys have to do is steal or guess the right combination of a username and a pas...

If your business is like most, you have plenty to worry about in terms of keeping costs low, and you’re constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency and shed costs. This just makes good business sense. Still, savvy business owners know that there are areas where cutting costs can be strategic and other areas where doing so can damage the business, perhaps irreparably. In other words, saving money by making workflows more efficient is a great idea, but saving money by skimping on quality or service could be disastrous. Where does your managed IT services partner fall into this matrix? Should you look for the absolute cheapest deal around, or is choosing bargain managed IT support something that could cause deep problems in the long run? Here at Blue Ridge Technology , we believe the right answer is to take a holistic approach to managed IT support. Often, the best deals aren’t really the best: they don’t lead to the kinds of outcomes you want for your organization. Underpayment for...