Blue Ridge Technology

Have you heard of cyber extortion? It’s a very real threat to your business. Our latest tech update video explains what it is and how to stay safe. Does your work PC feel slower than it used to? Do your team members complain about sluggish computers that take forever to boot up, or that lock up once they’re running with no explanation? Before you sign off on a costly upgrade cycle, it’s worth exploring whether the PCs are truly too old and slow — or whether they can keep serving you well with some small adjustments. There’s one small move that can make a serious difference in your PC’s performance, so we always recommend trying it before moving on to more expensive solutions like replacing your entire fleet of desktops and laptops. Here’s what you need to know about why PCs seem to slow down — and how cleaning up your startup folder can turn things around. Do PCs Slow Down As They Age? There’s a notion out there that says our computers get slower the longer we use them. Some even go so...

Is the sound of yet another Teams notification about to drive you crazy? A new update will put a stop to that… and it’ll help you prioritize your tasks too. Our tech update has the details. Microsoft Teams does a lot for us: it’s a communication hub, video meeting tool, collaborative space for teams, an instant messenger, and a lot more. But we’d be lying to you if we called it a perfect application. There’s still plenty about Microsoft Teams that could use some refining or some polish. One of these things has been a frustrating inability to customize sound notifications — until now. No, this isn’t massively groundbreaking news. But for many Teams users, it’s still a big deal. Here’s what to know about the latest Teams update and how it can improve your workday quality of life. Notifications Now Have Multiple Sound Options If you work with headphones on, chances are you like to get into the flow of work. You might even listen to music or background sounds (we’re beach waves people!) to...

Chrome extensions are great for boosting productivity and saving time. But if they’re not the real deal, you could be at risk from malware. Watch our latest tech update to stay protected. We’re living in a golden age of device capabilities, aren’t we? Think about all the things your smartphone can do like it’s nothing, that 20 or 30 years ago would’ve required a separate piece of bulky, specialized (not to mention expensive!) hardware. We carry mini supercomputers in our pockets that serve as calculators, still and video cameras, gaming consoles, internet browsers, video playback devices, communication hubs, and more. There’s just one thing that still gets in the way of a truly seamless tech experience: compatibility. Compatibility Is Holding Us Back What do we mean by compatibility, exactly? Well, our various devices don’t always play nicely with each other. The go-to example is blue bubbles vs. green bubbles in the group chat, but this kind of incompatibility really shows up in the b...

Protect your business from a data leak with Microsoft Edge Does your business use Microsoft Edge for web browsing? It isn’t nearly as popular as Chrome, but it is the second most popular browser in use today. And because it’s full of business-friendly features, many organizations use it as the default browser for workplace PCs. If you haven’t checked it out lately, this new announcement might make Edge worth a closer look. And if you’re already an Edge organization, you’ll want to know about this new tool in Edge so you can enable it and start benefiting from greater protections. So what’s the new tool? Microsoft Edge is now better at protecting your company from data leaks. Here’s how it works — and why it matters. Data Is Everywhere — And Everything To understand data leaks we need to start with a couple of foundational truths. First, data is everywhere. Your business handles sensitive information like customer data, financial details, and perhaps even trade secrets or proprietary d...

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...

Are your employees reporting security issues fast enough… or even at all? In the ongoing fight for digital security and safety, your team members are your first line of defense. But what does that mean for them exactly? Hopefully they know not to open that sketchy email attachment or click that suspicious link — but what should they do when they stumble across it? Their important role as your company’s frontline defenders shouldn’t stop when they hit the “delete” button on the email in question. You need more from them — and they might not know it yet. Here’s what your team members need to know about what to do once they spot a potential threat. Overreliance on Security Tools Can Be Dangerous You might be thinking that your business is protected because you have some security tools in place already. First of all, good for you: you’ve taken the time and effort to get some level of security set up, and that’s a massively important first step. Having tools in place is way, way better tha...

More businesses are proactively investing in cyber security defenses Despite how serious the threats are, one recent study found that 50% of SMBs have no cybersecurity plan in place whatsoever . That’s fully half of all the companies out there like yours, with no plan, no coherent defense. Are you one of them? If so, it’s time to make a change — and we can help. More Businesses Investing, But Progress Is Slow-Going A large survey of small business owners in early pandemic days revealed that it used to be worse: as many as 60% of businesses had no cybersecurity plan going into the pandemic. If we got that number down to 50% by 2022, that’s progress. It means that more businesses are getting proactive about investing in cyber security defenses. But 50% is still frightfully far away from zero. That progress is taking place slowly. Comprehensive Cybersecurity Is an Investment One reason SMBs shy away from implementing robust cybersecurity measures is that doing so isn’t easy or cheap: it’...

If you rely on Microsoft Teams for video conferencing, whether with your internal teams or with clients (or both), you might be excited to learn about an upcoming feature on Microsoft’s roadmap for Teams. The company recently announced plans to fix notifications and pop-ups during video calls — something that could save you from distraction and embarrassment while you’re on a call. To understand how this works, let’s set the stage with a picture. Scenario: The “Honey I’m Home” Most of us have been there: we’re standing in front of a room full of people or the digital equivalent thereof. We’re presenting in some shape or fashion, which means we’re sharing our screens. You’re cranking through your presentation like the pro that you are, and you’ve got your audience right where you want them. Then, all of the sudden, a little bubble pops up in the corner. It’s very much not about your presentation or your client or your department. It’s an email or a chat message from your significant oth...

Stop and think about your first laptop: professionals over the age of 40 remember the days when laptops were absolute monsters in terms of size — but with extremely limited performance (compared to their desktop counterparts) and just terrible battery life. It’s amazing how far laptop technology has come since it hit the mainstream in the 90s: today’s laptops are widely capable in terms of performance, capable of matching all but the most extreme performance desktops. And battery life is so much better than it used to be. Even in 2008, most laptop batteries fizzled out after around 4 hours , and four years prior you couldn’t expect more than three . Today, it’s possible to get a sub-$1000 PC laptop with an advertised battery life of 13+ hours . And if you’re a Mac fan, you can do even better: the 2023 M3 Max MacBook Pro 16 boasts 21 hours of battery life! But no matter how long that battery lasts when you first power up, it’s only a matter of time before you start getting diminishing ...

For years now, Microsoft hasn’t exactly been winning the browser popularity contest, taking a distant third to Google Chrome and Apple Safari. But for several years now Microsoft has been working hard to shed its Internet Explorer-era reputation. And if you ask us, Microsoft Edge is a highly compelling browser, especially in the workplace. Microsoft is back at the innovation game, adding even more new business-friendly features to its Microsoft Edge internet browser. Here’s a rundown of what’s new. Take a look and consider whether any of these features or new capabilities could improve the way your business operates. In-Browser Split Screen First up is an interesting one: split screen, but within the browser itself. Many of us are familiar with using apps in split screen. Windows makes it super easy: you just grab a window, slam it toward the side of your monitor, and boom — you’re halfway to split screen. (I’m even writing this very blog post using a full-screen split screen view on ...

There’s a new, ultra-sneaky type of phishing attack on the rise. These attacks are harder than most to spot, and we’ve seen an absolutely massive spike in recent weeks, with as many as five million of these fraudulent emails reaching unsuspecting email inboxes every single day. This new attack is called SubdoMailing. In this week’s post we’ll explain what these attacks are, how they work, why they’re so hard to spot, and as always how to keep your business safe. What Is SubdoMailing? On one level SubdoMailing is simple: these attacks work in the same way as your everyday run of the mill phishing attacks. You get an email that urges you to click a button or link and take some action. The email looks like it’s from a brand you trust, like your bank or a popular business vendor (like Microsoft or DocuSign). But it’s not: it’s really from scammers who set up a lookalike site in an effort to steal your information. You click the link and attempt to log into the service, and that’s it — now ...

How to stop Teams opening when you startup Windows 11 Your work PC is a pretty impressive piece of technology if you think about it. Your PC is the nerve center of your workday, empowering you to accomplish more in an hour than your parents or grandparents could’ve done in an entire workweek— not to mention tasks that are commonplace today that would’ve been unthinkable just a few years ago. (At least, all that’s true assuming you’ve updated your hardware recently enough — so if you’re tempted to disagree with that first sentence, maybe it’s time to talk about a hardware refresh!) But as powerful as your computer is, it can create frustrating distractions if you aren’t strategic in how you use it. And that strategy starts with a process called Startup — what happens when you first power up your machine. Today’s post will cover how to gain control of your Windows Startup — along with reasons why you might want to do so. Why Take Control of Windows Startup? In a nutshell, your startup pr...

Two thirds of remote workers are using faulty tech Does your company have any workers who work remotely some or all the time? Your at-home or remote workforce can be a powerful contributor, and many love the flexibility of ditching the commute or being able to spend lunch breaks with pets or loved ones. Yet an increase in acceptance of remote work has led to a new round of logistical and practical concerns for business leaders like you. One that you might not think of? What happens when company tech breaks at home. A new report reveals that as many as 67% of remote workers fail to report damaged or broken technology to their employer. It’s a little weird that this is the case, but what’s more alarming is that this can turn into a security concern for your business. Here’s what you need to know. 67% of At-Home Employees Don’t Report Broken Tech If you’re working in the office and your keyboard stops working, what do you do? You request a new one. What if the reason your keyboard stopped...

As an SMB leader, you know the challenges of budgeting and forecasting all too well. Certain areas of your business are trickier than others, too, with complicating factors and uneven or spiky costs. IT hardware spend is one of these challenging areas for many SMBs — especially those that keep all their IT planning and procurement in-house. Whether you’re going it alone or working with a managed IT partner, check out these strategies for simplifying and managing your annual hardware budgeting process. 1. Know What’s Due for Replacement By Planning Out Your Hardware Lifecycle If you’re like most business leaders, you’re used to a steady stream of complaints about hardware. Sometimes those complaints have to do with training or other issues, but sometimes the problem really is that the person’s computer is just too old and slow. But how do you keep track of what to replace when? By planning out your hardware lifecycle in advance. For most businesses, this means replacing every employee’s...