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      • Microsoft Office to become Microsoft 365

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      • Donna Aplin
      The change will be effective from next month (November 2022), and the new service will be full of extra tools ‘to make you more productive’.

      • Small Businesses Are Attacked by Hackers 3x More than Larger Ones

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      • Donna Aplin

      Have you felt more secure from cyberattacks because you have a smaller business? Maybe you thought that you couldn’t possibly have anything that a hacker could want? Didn’t think they even knew about your small business.

      Well, a new report by cybersecurity firm Barracuda Networks debunks this myth. Their report analyzed millions of emails across thousands of organizations. It found that small companies have a lot to worry about when it comes to their IT security.

      • Internet Explorer Has Lost All Support (What You Need to Know)

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      • Donna Aplin

      After being the main entry to the internet in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Internet Explorer (IE) is gone. As of June 15, 2022, Microsoft dropped the web browser from support.

      • 5 Mistakes Companies Are Making in the Digital Workplace

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      • Donna Aplin

      The pandemic has been a reality that companies around the world have shared. It required major changes in how they operate. No longer, did the status quo of having everyone work in the office make sense for everyone. Many organizations had to quickly evolve to working through remote means.

      During the worst of the pandemic, it’s estimated that 70% of full-time workers were working from home. Even now that the pandemic has hit a new waning phase, remote work is still very much a reality. 92% of surveyed employees expect to still work from home at least 1 or more days per week.

      • Watch Out for Reply-Chain Phishing Attacks

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      • Donna Aplin

      Phishing. It seems you can’t read an article on cybersecurity without it coming up. That’s because phishing is still the number one delivery vehicle for cyberattacks.

      A cybercriminal may want to steal employee login credentials. Or wish to launch a ransomware attack for a payout. Or possibly plant spyware to steal sensitive info. Sending a phishing email can do them all

      • What Should You Do to Reduce Risk When Your Mobile Device Goes Missing?

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      • Donna Aplin

      Few things invoke instant panic like a missing smartphone or laptop. These devices hold a good part of our lives. This includes files, personal financials, apps, passwords, pictures, videos, and so much more.

      The information they hold is more personal than even that which is in your wallet. It’s because of all your digital footprints. This makes a lost or stolen device a cause for alarm.

      • Helpful Tips for Keeping Your Shared Cloud Storage Organized

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      • Donna Aplin

      Cloud file storage revolutionized the way we handle documents. No more having to email files back and forth. No more wondering which person in the office has the most recent copy of a document.

      Between 2015 and 2022, the percentage of worldwide corporate data stored in the cloud doubled. It went from 30% to 60%. A majority of organizations use cloud storage of some type. Typical services include OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and others.

      • Remembering Her Majesty The Queen and Her Use of Technology

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      • Donna Aplin

      After the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on September 8th, we take a look at the technology the 96-year-old monarch was known to use during her reign.

      Did Queen Elizabeth Embrace or Avoid Tech?

      Queen Elizabeth II very much embraced and enjoyed technology, particularly what we would recognise as the most up-to-date tech for communication during the pandemic. However, the Queen’s reign of 70 years meant that she was able to witness, use, and enjoy technology as we would understand it right from its earliest development. So, what kinds of tech did the late monarch famously use and enjoy most of all?

      • How Using the SLAM Method Can Improve Phishing Detection

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      • Donna Aplin

      There is a reason why phishing is usually at the top of the list for security awareness training. For the last decade or two, it has been the main delivery method for all types of attacks. Ransomware, credential theft, database breaches, and more launch via a phishing email.

      Why has phishing remained such a large threat for so long? Because it continues to work. Scammers evolve their methods as technology progresses. They use AI-based tactics to make targeted phishing more efficient, for example.

      • Did You Just Receive a Text from Yourself? Learn What Smishing Scams to Expect

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      • Donna Aplin

      How many text messages from companies do you receive today as compared to about two years ago? If you’re like many people, it’s quite a few more.

      This is because retailers have begun bypassing bloated email inboxes. They are urging consumers to sign up for SMS alerts for shipment tracking and sale notices. The medical industry has also joined the trend. Pharmacies send automated refill notices and doctor’s offices send SMS appointment reminders.

      • How Often Do You Need to Train Employees on Cybersecurity Awareness?

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      • Donna Aplin

      You’ve completed your annual phishing training. This includes teaching employees how to spot phishing emails. You’re feeling good about it. That is until about 5-6 months later. Your company suffers a costly ransomware infection due to a click on a phishing link.

      You wonder why you seem to need to train on the same information every year. But you still suffer from security incidents. The problem is that you’re not training your employees often enough.

      • Home Security: Why You Should Put IoT Devices on a Guest Wi-Fi Network

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      • Donna Aplin

      The number of internet-connected devices in homes has been growing. It’s increased exponentially over the last decade. A typical home now has 10.37 devices connected to the internet. PCs and mobile devices make up a little over half of those and the rest are IoT devices.

      • Get More Unplugged Laptop Time with These Battery-Saving Hacks

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      • Donna Aplin

      One of the big draws of a laptop computer is that you can use it anywhere. You don’t need to have it plugged in all the time because it has an internal battery.

      Your laptop may start out with several hours of battery life when you first buy it. But the lifespan can get shorter as time goes by and battery health takes a hit. Sometimes this can be due to a lack of PC maintenance. Other times, it’s due to the environments the laptop is subject to (such as a hot car).

      • 5 Exciting Ways Microsoft 365 Can Enable the Hybrid Office

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      • Donna Aplin

      “Hybrid office” is the new buzzword you’ll hear used in business discussions. It’s the mix of having employees both working at the office and working from home. This has become more than a buzzword and is now the reality for many companies.

      There was a survey of employees with remote-capable jobs. The survey found that as of February of 2022, 42% of them were working a hybrid schedule. And 39% were working from home full time.

      • Top 5 Mobile Device Attacks You Need to Watch Out For

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      • Donna Aplin

      Smartphones and tablets are often the preferred device for communications, web searching, and accessing many types of apps. They’re more portable and can be used from anywhere.

      We’re seeing the takeover of many activities that used to be performed on traditional computers. Now, people are using mobile devices instead.

      For example, Microsoft estimates that up to 80% of the workload in many enterprise organizations is now done via mobile devices. Over half of all web searches are also now conducted from a mobile device rather than a desktop PC.

      • Which Form of MFA Is the Most Secure? Which Is the Most Convenient?

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      • Donna Aplin

      Credential theft is now at an all-time high and is responsible for more data breaches than any other type of attack.

      With data and business processes now largely cloud-based, a user’s password is the quickest and easiest way to conduct many different types of dangerous activities.

      • Signs That Your Computer May Be Infected with Malware

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      • Donna Aplin

      Approximately 34% of businesses take a week or longer to regain access to their data and systems once hit with a malware attack.

      Malware is an umbrella term that encompasses many different types of malicious code. It can include:

      • Viruses
      • Ransomware
      • Spyware
      • Trojans

      More Inside ...

      • What You Need to Know About the Rise in Supply Chain Cyberattacks

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      • Donna Aplin

      Any cyberattack is dangerous, but the particularly devastating ones are those on supply chain companies. These can be any supplier – digital or non-digital – of goods and services.

      We’ve seen several attacks on the supply chain occur in 2021 that had wide-reaching consequences. These are “one-to-many” attacks where victims can go far beyond the company that was initially breached.

      • What Are the Best Ways to Give an Older PC New Life?

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      • Donna Aplin

      Purchasing a new computer is a big investment. Many small businesses and home PC owners end up struggling with older systems because they want to get as many years out of them as possible.

      Have you found yourself banging on your keyboard in frustration? Have you tried every tip and trick you found online, only to still struggle with a slow PC? 

      • Microsoft Teams Plan Comparison: Free vs M365 Business vs Teams Essentials

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      • Donna Aplin

      The shift to remote work over the last two years has caused companies to realign their digital tools. Now, many meetings default to being via video conference rather than in person, and working from home has become commonplace.

      Seventy-seven percent of remote workers say they’re more productive working from home (a big reason is fewer distractions). Plus 85% of surveyed managers expect that having teams with remote workers will be the new normal.