Blue Ridge Technology

The hidden dangers of free VPNs: Are you at risk? Do you use a VPN to keep your data secure when browsing the web? Or does your business use one as part of its access management plan? Even if you’re not sure, the answer to that second question might be “yes”: Many businesses pivoted to VPNs during COVID as a quick and relatively safe way for people to access server resources from home. If you’re using a VPN, whether for personal or professional reasons, the thinking goes that you’re a whole lot safer and more secure because of it. But it turns out not all VPNs are created equal, and some of them might be doing the opposite of keeping you safe. Here’s what you need to know about using VPNs, including what to watch out for if you do. What Is a VPN? The acronym VPN stands for “virtual private network.” It’s a way of connecting your computer to an online resource by way of another connection point. Virtual private networks act as a middleman for internet or network traffic: instead of a c...

Don’t forget your phone when you think about cyber security Cybersecurity is such a huge focus these days, both here at Blue Ridge Technology and in the broader business world. But given how connected our lives are these days, it’s easy to have blind spots in the way we think about staying safe. For many people, their smartphone is one of these blind spots. It’s a super powerful device, but it can do a ton of damage in the right situations. Your Smartphone Is the Skeleton Key to Your Digital Life So why do we say your smartphone can do so much damage? Because your phone is almost like a skeleton key to, well, everything in your digital life. If you use your phone like most people do, it has access to most of your most secure, most personal information. It also has direct access to certain work information — maybe even protected or sensitive data, depending on how you configure access. In your personal life, someone gaining access to your phone could do damage. They might gain access to...

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...