Paradigm Tech Blog

You and your employees are likely exhausted from dealing with technology day in and day out. Even if it is what allows businesses to flourish, you still might want some time away from it from time to time. When it feels like too much, know that a digital detox can be a valid way of temporarily moving away from technology—even in the workplace.

The other day, we talked about an assortment of security issues that could very well cause harm to your business if you aren’t prepared for them. We wanted to continue that conversation and discuss the things that you need to be sure are done so you are, in fact, prepared.

When it comes to who is victimized in cybercriminal efforts, there may be a few stereotypes and presumptions that a lot of people may hold. A recent report, Oh, Behave!, released by the National Cybersecurity Alliance and Cybsafe, shows that the real victims of many forms of cybercrime aren’t who many would expect.

The Internet of Things, or IoT for short, has changed how businesses approach many areas of technology management, including how utilities and other systems are managed. Thanks to automated systems that can control utilities such as HVAC systems, heating, lighting, and so on, the IoT gives businesses more opportunities to control costs and improve efforts at efficiency. Let’s look at some of the ways businesses can use IoT devices to produce consistent cost savings.

The more complex and robust your IT infrastructure is, the greater the chances that it will undergo a system failure. Basically, according to Murphy’s Law, if something can go wrong, you should expect it to go wrong. To counteract this mentality with real, tangible methods that you can control, you’ll want to implement solutions that prioritize redundancy. This week’s blog is all about how you can build redundancy into your infrastructure through the use of data backup and restoration systems.

Whether you’re talking about identity theft, data breaches, or any other form of cybercrime, one of the leading causes of successful cyberattacks is the use of insufficiently secure passwords. Just how easy is it for someone to bypass such a password? Let’s consider the facts.

World Password Day is indeed a thing, and it’s a thing to celebrate in the world of business technology, as it celebrates password awareness and advocates account security in a time when cybersecurity has never been more important. To help you observe World Password Day, we want to go over why passwords are important and why you need to take password security seriously.

The headlines hyping up ransomware as a dangerous threat are not exaggerating. It really is as bad as it seems, although there is often a fair amount of embellished information on what ransomware exactly is and what it does. Let’s take some time to review what ransomware is and how your business can handle it in an appropriate way.

Whether you like it or not, organizations are going to get hacked. It’s the cruel truth. There are just so many individuals and organizations looking to gain unauthorized access and siphon off data and money from businesses, that it is basically impossible to go long stretches of time to not have to confront it in some way. With the threat landscape what it is, companies now offer cyber insurance. Let’s take a quick look at cyber insurance and what you need to know about it.

Sometimes, I kind of miss the oh-too-obvious spam emails that were once the norm. You know, the kind that were supposedly from some usurped royal who needed your assistance to reclaim their rightful place on the throne, or from some absurdly attractive individual who seemed to be coming on to you. Sure, at the time it was annoying, but compared to today’s spam…

Well, it was a simpler time.

These days, it feels like there are risks around just about every corner that could affect your business. This can make it hard to navigate the challenges of running your company in an efficient way. Let’s examine some of the risks your average small business might encounter, as well as what you can do about them.

Malware has plagued anyone using technology for a long time, and while security has certainly gone a long way toward protecting users from malware, so too have the threats grown more powerful and dangerous—especially for businesses. Let’s take a look at some common ways individuals might find themselves with a malware problem.

Phishing is a serious matter, so serious that it is responsible for a quarter of all data breaches. Therefore, you need to consider it a threat to your business, whether you think these attacks are obvious or not. Phishing is a popular tool in the hacker’s arsenal, so you should be prepared to address it with your staff to preserve your business’ future.

It’s no shock that business executives are already busy enough, but you need to add “knowing more about your IT infrastructure” to that list if you haven’t already done so. It’s critical that you are on the same page as your IT staff, and this relationship will fuel productive relations with both your technology and the staff utilizing it.

Whether you are sitting on a warm beach, taking a scenic train ride out into the countryside, or camping at the foot of a mountain, a vacation can be a great way to disconnect from the everyday buzz of work and screens. Although, if you are like me, you probably bring a few screens with you… let’s assume you keep it to a minimum. Either way, it’s important to not set yourself up for failure when you get back.

We’ve all been in the position where we need to plug something in, but the outlet is completely full. Fortunately, there are devices that can help resolve this problem—but as is the case with most things, one option is notably better for business purposes. Let’s go over what makes a power strip different from a surge protector, and why the latter is a far better option for businesses.

Remote circumstances have forced businesses to ask themselves some hard questions, specifically in regards to network security and cybersecurity. We all know that it’s important, but a zero-trust model takes things to a whole other level. Let’s take a look at this concept and why it might be just the model you need to guarantee maximum security for your company.

You need to be sure that your business is prepared for disaster, which will necessitate a disaster recovery plan. While there are many steps that go into creating one, we wanted to highlight a few in particular and outline a few best practices to follow for each. Here are three of the most vital elements of a successful business continuity strategy, with a few tips to help you fulfill them most effectively.

It can be a challenge to keep your business technology and solutions in proper working order. This goes doubly for businesses who don’t have time or resources to handle day-to-day management, let alone implementing new solutions that can improve operations. Thankfully, outsourcing gives small businesses like yours the opportunity to better manage their technology, and it’s all thanks to managed services.

Did you happen to miss World Backup Day last week? If so, it’s not the end of the world; March 31st might only come along once a year, but every day can be considered World Backup Day if it means you are focusing on data continuity.