Blue Ridge Technology

Security Backups Is your backup system defending your organization against ransomware, or is it just another target? We tend to think of automatic emergency backups as a strong line of defense against all sorts of threats. That’s pretty much right: backups should provide this kind of defense, and in fact we recommend such systems to our clients and have helped many businesses set up and maintain backup and disaster recovery (BDR) solutions. But BDR systems have a dark side and can even become vulnerabilities themselves without proper care. Here’s what you need to know. What Are Backup Systems and BDR? First, some definitions. Backup systems store copies of files, information, and even entire systems somewhere else, not attached to your main network. This could be an off-site server or even a tape-based system, but these days the most common solution for small businesses is a cloud backup. Backup and disaster recovery refers not just to the servers or the stuff stored on them, but to t...

Corrupt Word Attachments May Be a Scam Sigh… here we go again. The scammers keep innovating, and so we keep having to say it: there’s another new phishing tactic on the rise, and this one’s a stinker. This new phishing tactic has been getting past spam filters and tricking professionals worldwide, taking advantage of both human nature and advancing “good” tech to fool you and attack your business. Here’s what you need to know about how scammers are using corrupted file attachments to attack businesses like yours. How It Starts: A Corrupted Word File (or Similar) This new attack starts with a corrupted file, often a Microsoft Word document file (.docx). It looks like a real file, and it may even seem like it was sent by someone or some entity you trust. Now, if you’ve been at this a while, you already know the old advice not to trust email attachments. But that advice was largely about executables, those .exe files that would not-so-subtly install new malicious software onto your system...

Spoiler Alert: It’s Mostly Don’ts Public Wi-Fi is really something, isn’t it? 30 years ago it was the stuff of sci-fi: a wireless connection you can access throughout much of any major city that offers you just about whatever of the world’s information you ask for. Today, we take it for granted. Perhaps too much for granted. The thing is, public Wi-Fi, as magical as it might seem, has a dark side. And using it for business work? It’s pretty risky. So this week we’re giving you a guide of do’s and don’ts: if you find yourself out and about and you need to get a little work done, here’s how to stay safe. The Problem with Public Wi-Fi The big problem with public Wi-Fi is that it’s insecure. You can’t be sure whether what you’re doing is safe from prying eyes, or even that your connection won’t lead to some kind of compromise. See, public Wi-Fi networks — at least the ones that don’t require any kind of authentication — are completely, horrendously insecure: it’s built right into the syste...

IT Budgets Increasing Are you planning to bump up your IT budget this year, or thinking about doing so? You’re not alone if so: Across industries, 3 out of 4 businesses are planning to spend more on IT this year than last. Here’s the thing: even though budgets do have to increase from time to time, there’s a difference between spending more and spending smart. Let’s get into the reasons why IT budgets are growing, plus our top tips for spending smart , not just spending more. Why IT Budgets Are Expanding There are plenty of factors feeding into this: inflation is still with us, and supply chain concerns tied to tariffs and other global developments may affect the prices of hardware and equipment. But the biggest factor driving budget increases is the need for better computing capability. New advances in hardware are making a real difference in what your workforce can do with their laptops or desktops. Artificial intelligence (AI) is certainly a part of this: you can’t hardly turn on th...

Windows 11 Even as more businesses adopt Windows 11, Microsoft is extending Windows 10 support—for a price. Microsoft Windows 11 has been available for three years now, but some businesses have been slow to make the move. This is pretty normal: every time Microsoft releases a new version of Windows, many businesses wait to see whether everything they need to run their businesses will still work normally in the shiny new version of Windows. Well, we’re finally seeing a significant uptick in businesses upgrading to Windows 11: By late 2024, Windows 11 was installed on a little more than 35% of business PCs. We’ll get into some of the reasons why Windows 11 adoption is on the rise and why now might be the right time for you to upgrade if you haven’t yet. But first, we need to talk about the other ~65%. Windows 10 Still Dominates the Market — But Changes Are Coming Windows 10 is still running on nearly 61% of business PCs, almost twice as many as are running Windows 11. (The “missing” 4% a...

File storage and transferring hold a very dear place in most people’s lives. However, the safety of files is really tough to maintain. In this guide, we are going to help you protect your files. We will explore ways to store and send files securely. What is secure file storage? Secure file storage protects your files. It prevents others from accessing your files or altering them in any way. Good storage grants protection to your files using locks. You alone can unlock such files. Phishing Attacks Phishing attacks will always be in vogue. They make you give away your personal data. It may involve a phony message or fake websites. Always check the sender’s email address. Do not click on suspicious links. Types of secure storage Files can be stored securely in various ways, as listed below. 1. Cloud 2. Hard drives that are external 3. Encrypted USB drives Cloud storage saves files on the internet. External drives save files on a device you can hold. Encrypted drives use special codes to l...

Windows 11 Apps Windows 11 has a great shortcut that helps users who tend to use the same apps every time they open their computer. This week’s post will tell you all about how to use this capability, plus what to watch out for (because this trick can backfire if you don’t use it the right way!). Here’s everything you need to know about Startup. What Is Startup? Startup is a feature in Windows 11 that automatically opens or launches certain applications when you log on or power up. Now, to be clear, this isn’t new or groundbreaking; Windows has had Startup since the 1990s. But many users overlook this feature or just leave it to operate using whatever default settings it happens to have on a given computer. At work, most computer users tend to need the same 3 to 6 applications just about every day. For many of us, that’s Teams, Outlook, Excel, Word, and an internet browser (like Edge or Chrome). You might have a piece of industry-specific software or two you use frequently as well. Whe...