Technology Advisor Blog

Why Is My Computer So Slow? (And what to do about it)

lhanson@ekaru.com (Linda Hanson) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 14:21:10 GMT

Why Is My Computer So Slow? And What To Do About It

You sit down to start your day, open an application, and spend the next several minutes watching a progress bar that does not seem to be progressing. It is one of the most common frustrations in any workplace and for small businesses it is more than an inconvenience. Every minute your team spends waiting on a slow machine is a minute they are not serving clients, moving work forward, or doing what you are actually paying them to do.

The good news is that slow computers usually have a reason behind them, and most of those reasons are fixable. Here is what is actually going on and what you should do about it.

Too Many Programs Running in the Background

Every time you turn on your computer, a list of programs launches automatically without you seeing it happen. Antivirus software, cloud sync tools, communication apps, software updaters, and dozens of other applications are all competing for your computer's memory and processing power before you have even opened a single browser tab.

For small businesses running older hardware, this alone can be the difference between a computer that feels responsive and one that feels like it is working against you. The fix starts with reviewing your startup programs. In Windows, open Task Manager with CTRL + SHIFT + ESC, navigate to the Startup tab, and look at what is set to run automatically. Anything your team does not use immediately upon starting the computer does not need to be launching every single morning.

Your Storage Is Almost Full

Windows needs a certain amount of free space on your hard drive to operate efficiently. When storage drops below ten to fifteen percent of total capacity, performance degrades noticeably and files take longer to open, applications take longer to load, and the whole system slows down in ways that feel random but are entirely predictable.

For small businesses storing large files, client documents, emails, and application data locally on individual machines, storage fills up faster than most people realize. The solution is partly cleanup and partly a longer conversation about where your business data should actually be living. If your team is still saving everything to individual desktops rather than a shared cloud environment, you likely have a storage problem and a backup problem at the same time, and that is a conversation worth having with your IT provider before a drive failure makes it urgent.

Your Hardware Is Too Old for What You Are Asking It to Do

Software requirements grow over time and the computer that handled everything your business needed four years ago may genuinely not have the processing power or memory to run today's applications at an acceptable speed. Microsoft 365, modern browsers, video conferencing tools, and security software all consume significantly more resources than their predecessors did.

A computer running on four gigabytes of RAM purchased in 2018 is not going to perform like a modern machine regardless of how much you clean it up. For small businesses in greater Boston, aging hardware is one of the most common and most overlooked causes of productivity loss. The cost of replacing a machine feels significant until you calculate what your team's time is actually worth per hour and how much of it is being lost to a slow computer every single day.

Your Computer Has Not Been Properly Maintained

Computers require ongoing maintenance to perform at their best. Security patches need to be applied, drivers need to be updated, temporary files accumulate and need to be cleared, antivirus definitions need to stay current, and disk fragmentation on older hard drives compounds over time.

For small businesses without a dedicated IT team, this maintenance simply does not happen consistently because nobody has time to do it and nobody has been told it needs doing. The result is a computer that degrades gradually until the slowdown becomes impossible to ignore. This is one of the clearest illustrations of why proactive managed IT support for small businesses makes a measurable difference. A managed IT provider handles this maintenance continuously and automatically so your team never needs to think about it and the performance impact compounds positively over time rather than negatively.

Something More Serious May Be Going On

Not every slow computer is a hardware or maintenance problem. Malware, spyware, and other malicious software running in the background can consume significant system resources while operating completely invisibly, and a computer that has become dramatically slower without an obvious reason is worth investigating beyond the standard fixes.

For small businesses in Massachusetts handling client data, financial information, or protected health information, a compromised machine is not just a performance issue. It is a security incident and potentially a compliance issue depending on your industry. If your antivirus software is current and your computer is still inexplicably slow, that warrants a conversation with your IT provider rather than another restart and a hope for the best.

When a Slow Computer Is a Sign of Something Bigger

A single slow computer is often an isolated issue but multiple slow computers across your office is a different conversation entirely. If your entire team is experiencing performance problems, the issue may be network-related rather than device-specific. Bandwidth limitations, router configuration, network congestion, or a poorly configured server can all manifest as individual computers feeling slow when the real problem sits elsewhere in your infrastructure.

This is exactly the kind of diagnostic work that requires someone who knows what they are looking at. A slow computer that is actually a network problem will not be fixed by cleaning up startup programs or adding memory to individual machines, and diagnosing it incorrectly costs time and money that could have been spent solving the actual issue.

What You Should Do

Start with the basics. Restart your computer fully rather than leaving it in sleep or hibernate mode, check your startup programs and disable anything unnecessary, clear your temporary files, and make sure Windows and your applications are fully updated.

If those steps do not make a meaningful difference, the problem likely requires a more thorough evaluation. Hardware age, storage configuration, network infrastructure, and security posture all play a role in how your computers perform day to day and getting to the real cause usually requires someone who knows what to look for.

At Ekaru, we provide managed IT services for small businesses across Westford, Acton, Chelmsford, Lowell, and the greater Boston area. We handle the ongoing maintenance, monitoring, and proactive support that keeps your team's computers running the way they should so your business does not slow down with them.

Not sure whether your computers are a hardware problem, a maintenance problem, or something more serious? That is exactly what we help small businesses figure out. Reach out today and we will take a look.

Windows July 2026 Patch Tuesday: What Small Businesses in Greater Boston Need to Know

lhanson@ekaru.com (Linda Hanson) — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:25:08 GMT

Microsoft released its July 2026 Patch Tuesday security update yesterday, and the numbers are impossible to ignore.

570 vulnerabilities addressed in a single release. That is not a typo. It is the largest Patch Tuesday in Microsoft's history, and it raises a question every small business owner in greater Boston should be sitting with right now: how confident are you that your devices are actually being managed?

At Ekaru, we provide proactive managed IT services for small businesses across Westford, Acton, Chelmsford, Lowell, and the greater Boston area. Every Patch Tuesday we break down what was fixed, what it means in plain English, and what your business needs to do. This month, that conversation is more important than it has ever been.

Why 570 Vulnerabilities Should Make You Uncomfortable

Part of the reason July's number is so large is that Microsoft has begun using an AI-powered vulnerability discovery system to find security flaws across its Windows codebase before attackers can. In other words, the threats have always been there, but the difference now is that they are being identified and disclosed faster than ever before.

That is good news for businesses that are patching promptly, but is a significant problem for businesses that are not.

Of the 570 vulnerabilities fixed this month, 59 are rated Critical. Two were already being actively exploited in real attacks before the patch was released. One was publicly disclosed, meaning it was known to attackers before a fix existed.

If your devices have not been updated, some of those vulnerabilities are probably open right now.

The Vulnerabilities Worth Understanding

Three areas stand out this month for small businesses in Massachusetts.

The first is Active Directory Federation Services, where an actively exploited zero-day allowed attackers to gain administrative privileges. If your business uses Microsoft's identity and access management systems, including single sign-on for cloud applications, this is the kind of vulnerability that puts everything behind your login screen at risk. The flaw was discovered by Microsoft's own incident response team, which suggests it was found while investigating live attacks.

The second is Microsoft SharePoint Server, where another actively exploited zero-day allowed an unauthorised attacker to gain elevated privileges over a network without authentication. SharePoint is widely used by small businesses for document management, team collaboration, and internal communications. An unauthenticated attacker gaining elevated access to that environment is not a theoretical risk.

The third is Windows BitLocker. A publicly disclosed bypass allows an attacker with physical access to a device to circumvent full disk encryption and access the data on it. For small businesses that rely on BitLocker to protect laptops, particularly relevant when devices are travelling with employees over summer, this patch is not optional.

Beyond these three, July's update also addresses critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint, as well as Windows DHCP, Remote Desktop Services, Hyper-V, and Microsoft Defender itself. The scope of this release touches nearly every piece of software a typical small business relies on daily.

The Question Most Small Business Owners Cannot Answer

Here is what this month's Patch Tuesday actually reveals about how most small businesses approach IT.

Most are not patching promptly. Research consistently shows that the gap between a vulnerability being disclosed and it being exploited at scale is shrinking. With AI now accelerating both vulnerability discovery and attack automation, that window is narrowing further.

Most do not know what is running on their network. The 570 vulnerabilities in this month's release span Windows, Office, Azure, Exchange, SharePoint, SQL Server, Hyper-V, Defender, and dozens of supporting components. Do you know which of those your business relies on? Do you know which of your devices are running outdated versions? Do you know which ones have not restarted in weeks?

Most assume someone is handling it. And sometimes that assumption is correct. But assumption is not the same as verification, and when a vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild, there is no safe margin for assumption.

What This Means for Small Businesses in Greater Boston

The businesses that avoid serious incidents are not the ones that got lucky. They are the ones that have a systematic, consistent approach to patch management that does not depend on someone remembering to click update.

July 2026 Patch Tuesday is a useful moment to ask some honest questions about your current setup. When were your devices last fully updated? Who is responsible for verifying that updates actually complete? What happens when a device fails an update silently? Is there a process for that, or does it go unnoticed until something breaks?

If you are not sure of the answers, that gap is worth understanding before something forces you to.

Ekaru Keeps Greater Boston Businesses Protected

The Ekaru team monitors and manages Windows updates for small businesses across Westford, Acton, Chelmsford, Lowell, and the greater Boston area. Our managed IT services include patch management, device monitoring, compliance tracking, and proactive security support so your business is protected before a vulnerability becomes an incident.

If you have questions about this month's update or want to know where your business actually stands, a free IT assessment is the fastest way to find out. No obligation, no jargon, just honest answers from a local team that genuinely cares about your business.

🌐 ekaru.com | 978-692-4200

Thinking About Switching IT Providers? Here's What the First 30 Days Look Like

Ann Westerheim — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:55:15 GMT

"We know we need better IT support...we're just not sure we want to go through the hassle of changing."

If that thought has crossed your mind, you're not alone.

Many businesses stay with an IT provider long after they've become dissatisfied. Support requests take too long. Communication isn't what it should be. Cybersecurity doesn't feel as proactive as it once did. Yet making a change can seem like a project you'd rather put off.

The hesitation usually isn't about whether a better IT partner exists. It's about wondering what happens next. Will there be downtime? Will employees have trouble logging in? Will anything get missed? How much of your own time will the transition require?

These are reasonable questions.

The good news is that changing IT providers doesn't have to be disruptive. Like any important business project, success comes from having a well-defined process and a team that's done it many times before.

At Ekaru, we've refined our onboarding process over years of helping organizations transition from another IT provider - or, in some cases, from having little or no formal IT support at all. Our goal is simple: make the transition as smooth as possible so you can keep your focus on running your business.

Here's what that process typically looks like.

Step 1: We Start by Understanding Your Business

Before we make any technical changes, we take the time to learn about your organization. What are the specific tech needs in your industry? What compliance standards will be you accountable for? Who are the key players in the organization? What are your most important systems? What is your daily workflow like?

We meet with your primary point of contact to review your goals, discuss your current environment, explain how the onboarding process works, and make sure everyone knows what to expect. We also review your service agreement and the tools we'll be implementing to support and protect your business.

This first meeting sets the foundation for everything that follows. Clear expectations and open communication help ensure there are no surprises along the way. We'll take the time to explain every step in plain English.

Step 2: We Coordinate with Your Current IT Provider

One concern we often hear is, "Do I have to manage the handoff between the two IT companies?"

In most cases, no.

We work directly with your current provider to coordinate the transition, gather important information, and establish a timeline. Our goal is to make the process as seamless as possible for you.

Occasionally, an outgoing provider isn't as responsive as we'd hope. While that's never ideal, it's something we've encountered before. We have established procedures for moving forward while keeping your business on track.

Many business owners also wonder what it's like to tell their current IT provider they're making a change. That's a perfectly normal concern. While no company likes to lose a client, we've found that most transitions are handled professionally. If the current relationship isn't working, its usually apparent to both sides. We coordinate directly with the outgoing provider whenever possible and keep the focus where it belongs - on making sure your business continues to operate smoothly throughout the transition. In our experience, the transition will be professional.

We approach every onboarding with empathy. We understand that no one enjoys losing a client, and our goal isn't to criticize the work that came before us. Instead, we focus on making the handoff as seamless as possible, communicating clearly, gathering the information we need, and treating your former provider as a professional partner in the transition whenever possible.

That respectful approach benefits everyone - especially you. It helps us obtain documentation, transfer systems efficiently, and minimize disruption so your business can keep running while we get to know your environment.

Step 3: We Carefully Plan the Technology Transition

One of the most important parts of onboarding happens behind the scenes.

Your security tools, monitoring software, and other management systems all need to be transitioned carefully. Installing new tools too early can create conflicts. Waiting too long can leave unnecessary gaps in protection.

Timing matters.

That's why we carefully coordinate when existing tools are removed and when Ekaru's solutions are installed, helping ensure your business remains protected throughout the transition. Our team monitors on a daily basis to help ensure there are never any gaps.

Step 4: We Meet Your Team Where They Work

Every business is different.

For some organizations, we'll schedule onsite visits to install software, answer questions, and make sure everything is working properly.

For organizations with remote employees, we schedule individual remote sessions so each person receives the same attention and support. With many remote workers we set up a calendar and invite employees to select times that work the best. Typically, we just need a short session to install some tools. Of course, we're also available to answer any questions along the way.

Sometimes onboarding is completed in a single visit. Other times, multiple visits make the most sense. We tailor the schedule to your business - not the other way around.

Step 5: We Build the Foundation for Great IT Support

Installing software is only part of onboarding.

Behind the scenes, we configure system monitoring, establish secure administrative access, review security settings, enroll employees in cybersecurity awareness training, and make sure your environment is properly documented.

That documentation is especially important.

When you contact our Help Desk in the future, our technicians already understand your systems. Instead of spending valuable time figuring out how your network is configured, they can get to work solving your issue more quickly.

A well-documented environment helps us deliver better support from day one. We also have internal daily huddles and weekly meetings to make sure everyone on our team is aware of your business, and has secure access to the tools to support you.

Step 6: We Make Sure Nothing Gets Missed

Our onboarding isn't finished simply because the tools have been installed.

We review everything against the original plan, confirm that all contracted services have been completed, finalize our documentation, and schedule a follow-up meeting with you.

That gives us an opportunity to answer questions, review the onboarding experience together, and make sure you're comfortable with everything moving forward. At that time, we'll review preliminary reporting to you to show your current tech status. If we missed a computer in a corner somewhere, or at a remote employees house, this inventory is crucial to make sure we have all bases covered.

A Good Process Builds Confidence

Most business owners have never changed IT providers before. It's understandable that they don't know what to expect.

What we've found is that once clients understand the process, the transition feels much more manageable. There isn't one big "switch-over day" where everything changes at once. Instead, it's a series of carefully planned steps, clear communication, and ongoing coordination designed to minimize disruption while making sure nothing important gets overlooked.

Changing IT providers is an important decision, but it doesn't have to be a stressful one. With an experienced team and a proven process, the transition can be far smoother than most businesses expect. We help lay the groundwork for open communications. It there's ever something you're not happy with, or don't fully understand, we just ask that you speak up and our team will help.

If you've been considering a change but weren't sure what the process would involve, we'd be happy to walk you through what onboarding would look like for your organization. Even if you're not ready to make a move today, understanding the process can help you make a more informed decision when the time is right.

Interested in continuing the conversation?

About the author:

Ann Westerheim, PhD is the Founder and President of Ekaru, a Technology Service Provider of cybersecurity and IT services for small and medium businesses in the greater Boston area. Ann is an accomplished technology innovator and leader with three engineering degrees from MIT. She has twenty years of high tech experience in research, advanced development, product development, and as an entrepreneur. Her career has spanned a vast range of technology endeavors including research in thin film semiconductors and superconductors, microprocessor fabrication, development of early Internet medical applications, and now focusing on the application of technology in business. She has an avid focus on the "last mile" of technology and decreasing the digital divide.

What If the Cyberattack Starts With a Conversation?

Ann Westerheim — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 20:54:48 GMT

Modern cybersecurity threats don't always begin with malware or a suspicious link. Sometimes they start with a conversation that seems completely legitimate. Here's what one recent social engineering assessment can teach small businesses about protecting themselves.

When most people think about phishing attacks, they picture an email filled with spelling mistakes, suspicious links, and obvious red flags.

Unfortunately, that's not how many modern attacks work. "Don't click on a suspicious link" doesn't cut it anymore for security awareness training.

A recent social engineering assessment conducted by security researchers at NetSPI demonstrated just how sophisticated today's attackers have become. Instead of sending a traditional phishing email, the researchers spent time building trust before ever introducing a malicious link.

The scenario they created was simple - and highly believable. Too many people think they'll never fall for a scam, and what's fascinating about this report is it goes into depth and shows just how tricky these things are. ANYONE could fall for this.

The target organization had recently announced plans to build a new facility. The researchers posed as a local journalist investigating an anonymous tip about possible hazardous waste disposal at the construction site. Rather than including a suspicious link in the first email, they simply asked executives whether they would be willing to comment.

At first glance, nothing seemed unusual.

In fact, the executives involved were responding exactly as many responsible leaders would. A potential reputational issue had been raised, and they were trying to address it.

That's what makes this example so important.

The Real Threat Wasn't Carelessness

One of the biggest misconceptions about cybersecurity is that successful attacks happen because someone was reckless or ignored obvious warning signs.

In this case, the executive wasn't being careless.

He was responding to what appeared to be a legitimate inquiry involving a sensitive business matter. The attackers established credibility first, engaged in conversation, and only later introduced a malicious link.

This approach is becoming increasingly common because it bypasses many of the warning signs employees have been trained to look for.

Email security tools are often very effective at detecting malicious links and attachments. They are much less effective at identifying a believable conversation between two people.

By the time the phishing link appeared, trust had already been established.

At Ekaru, we've seen similar situations affect small businesses throughout Massachusetts. The details vary, but the pattern is often the same. An employee receives what appears to be a legitimate message related to a current project, a vendor relationship, a customer issue, an invoice, or an urgent business matter. Because the request fits naturally into ongoing work, it doesn't immediately raise suspicion. We've seen diligent employees fall for a fake negative review by the Better Business Bureau. We've seen sales people open fake Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Its not careless, its someone trying to do their job.

What makes these attacks effective is that they don't feel like cyberattacks at all. They feel like business conversations.

That's why cybersecurity awareness training can no longer focus only on obvious phishing emails. Employees need to learn how attackers build trust, create urgency, and use real-world business situations to lower a target's guard.

How Third-Party Risk Entered the Picture

One of the most interesting findings from the assessment wasn't the initial interaction - it was what happened next.

The executive forwarded information to external contractors involved in the construction project. Fortunately, because this was a controlled security assessment, the researchers immediately stopped the exercise before any contractor credentials could be captured.

But the lesson is important.

Cybersecurity risk doesn't stop at your organization's boundaries.

When employees communicate regularly with vendors, contractors, accountants, attorneys, and other trusted partners, a successful social engineering attack can quickly spread beyond the original target.

For small businesses, these trusted relationships are often critical to daily operations. That makes them attractive pathways for attackers looking to expand access. Another common thing we see is an employee forwarding a questionable email to co-workers and asking "Is this legit" - this increases the reach of the malicious email internally as well.

This is one reason cybersecurity has become a shared responsibility. Your organization's security can be affected by the security practices of vendors and partners, just as their security can be affected by yours.

What Small Businesses Can Learn

Most organizations spend time teaching employees not to click suspicious links.

That's still important.

However, this assessment highlights another challenge: employees also need guidance on how to handle unusual requests, sensitive allegations, media inquiries, vendor communications, and other situations that fall outside normal business processes.

The executive in this assessment wasn't responding to a fake package notification or a password reset request. He believed he was helping address a potentially serious business issue.

We've seen attackers use similar tactics involving vendor payment changes, urgent requests from executives, customer disputes, legal matters, and other situations designed to trigger an immediate response.

The common thread is almost always the same:

Someone feels they need to act quickly. With AI, its so easy for cyber criminals to harvest information online - from websites, press releases, and social media. Take a moment to think about how much of your information is "out there.

Creating a culture where employees are encouraged to pause, verify, and escalate unusual situations can dramatically reduce risk.

Practical Steps to Reduce Social Engineering Risk

While no organization can eliminate risk entirely, several steps can make these attacks significantly harder to execute:

Slow down when a request feels urgent. Why the urgency?
Verify journalists, vendors, and other external contacts through independent channels.
Be cautious when external parties ask you to access internal company systems.
Avoid using links sent by unknown parties to continue conversations.
Establish clear procedures for handling media inquiries and sensitive allegations.
Conduct security awareness training that goes beyond traditional phishing examples. This doesn't make an organization bullet proof, but it sure helps!
Review email security controls and impersonation protections.
Implement strong identity security measures such as multifactor authentication and conditional access policies.

Most importantly, employees should know exactly who to contact when something doesn't feel right.

Cybersecurity Is About Process, Not Just Technology

One of the biggest takeaways from this assessment is that technology alone isn't enough.

The vulnerability wasn't simply a malicious email. It was the absence of a clearly defined process for handling an unusual business situation.

The organizations that handle these attacks best are often the ones that have established procedures, clear communication channels, and employees who feel comfortable asking questions before taking action.

That's why cybersecurity isn't just an IT issue. It's a business process issue.

For small businesses, that's actually good news. Improving security doesn't always require buying new technology. Sometimes the biggest gains come from creating clear procedures, providing practical employee training, and helping your team know what to do when something unexpected happens. Run a table top exercise with your team to talk about "what if?"

If you're wondering how your organization would respond to a sophisticated social engineering attempt like this, we'd be happy to have a conversation. We regularly help small businesses throughout Massachusetts evaluate their security awareness programs, review their processes, and identify practical ways to reduce risk without making day-to-day work more difficult.

A quick discussion can often uncover opportunities to strengthen security that don't require a major investment - just a thoughtful approach and the right guidance.

Source: This article is based on research published by NetSPI in "Asking the Wrong Questions: Social Engineering as a Reporter." The original article provides additional details about how the assessment was conducted and the lessons learned.

Interested in continuing the conversation?

About the author:

Is Your Business Vacation Ready? What Small Business Owners in Greater Boston Need to Know

lhanson@ekaru.com (Linda Hanson) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:25:08 GMT

Summer is here and most small business owners are thinking about time off.

The problem is most of them will not actually take it. They will check their email between meals, handle the tech issue their team texted about, and spend the whole trip quietly wondering what is happening back at the office.

That is not a vacation, that is a relocated office with better weather.

A vacation ready business is not one where everything stops while you are gone. It is one where everything keeps working without you.

Here is what that actually looks like small businesses in greater Boston:

You should not be the IT help desk

If your team calls you when the Wi-Fi goes down or something stops working, that is a systems problem, not a people problem. Your team is not doing anything wrong. They just do not have a reliable place to go for help, so they go to you.

Proactive managed IT support changes that entirely. Issues are monitored continuously, caught early, and resolved before they become urgent. Your team knows exactly where to go when something needs attention, and it is not to you.

For small businesses in Westford, Acton, Chelmsford, Lowell, and the greater Boston area, having a local managed IT services provider means someone is always watching your systems, whether you are in the office or not.

Slower response times create bigger risk

Here is something most small business owners do not connect until it is too late: when you step back, cybercriminals pay attention.

They are patient and they look for moments when oversight is lower and response is slower. A suspicious login that goes uninvestigated for a few hours or a phishing email that travels further through your organization than it should because nobody was sure who to escalate it to doesn’t sound catastrophic on their own, but given enough time, they can be.

A resilient business has continuous monitoring and clear escalation paths that work regardless of who is available. Cybersecurity for small businesses should never depend on one person being reachable. You should not be the first line of defense when something goes wrong. You definitely should not be the bottleneck.

Your team should not have to guess

Most security incidents are not caused by sophisticated attacks. They are caused by people making reasonable decisions under uncertain conditions.

When you are away, your team fills the gap as best they can. Someone gets an unusual email and is not sure whether to click it. A vendor requests access and the decision feels urgent. Nobody wants to interrupt you, so they make a judgment call.

Uncertainty increases risk. That is not a reflection on your team, it is human nature under pressure.

Clear policies, cybersecurity awareness training, and defined escalation paths mean your team knows what to do without needing you in the loop. That protects your business whether you are in the office or on a beach in Portugal.

Having IT is not the same as being supported

Most small business owners think they have their IT covered because there is someone to call when things break.

Fixing problems is not the same as being supported.

In a reactive setup, issues show up without warning. Something that could have been caught early becomes urgent in the middle of everything else. Work gets reshuffled and customers feel the delays even if they never know the cause.

Proactive managed IT services work differently. Systems are monitored and maintained continuously. Software stays current and security risks are handled before they become incidents. When something does go wrong, it is contained before it affects your business.

Most of the time, none of this requires your attention, and that is the whole point.

What a vacation ready business actually feels like

When your technology runs the way it should, you stop thinking about it. Your team logs in and gets to work, problems do not interrupt the day, and customers get what they need without everything routing through you.

And when you step away, that does not change.

Your phone buzzes and you do not panic. Not because nothing can go wrong, but because you know it will be handled if it does.

That kind of confidence does not come from hoping things hold together, it comes from knowing they will.

Is your business vacation ready?

If you are not sure how your business would hold up without you for a week, that is worth finding out before summer is over.

At Ekaru, we provide managed IT services for small businesses across Westford, Acton, Chelmsford, Lowell, and the greater Boston area. Our proactive IT support includes continuous monitoring, patch management, cybersecurity, and helpdesk support so your business keeps running smoothly whether you are in the office or away.

Start with a free IT assessment. No obligation, no jargon, just an honest look at where your business stands and what it would take to get it where it should be.

Windows June 2026 Patch Tuesday: What Small Businesses Need to Know

lhanson@ekaru.com (Linda Hanson) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:52:18 GMT

Microsoft released its June 2026 Patch Tuesday security update yesterday and this one is historically large.

June 2026 marks the largest single Patch Tuesday release in the program's history, addressing 200 security vulnerabilities across Windows, Office, Azure, Exchange, Hyper-V, and related products. For small businesses in Massachusetts that rely on Windows devices, there are several things worth understanding before the end of the week.

At Ekaru, we provide managed IT services for small businesses across greater Boston. Staying ahead of security patches is one of the most important things a small business IT support provider can do for its clients. Here is what matters most this month.

The Secure Boot Deadline Is 16 Days Away

Before diving into this month's new vulnerabilities, the most important reminder for any small business still running Windows devices is this: the Secure Boot certificate expiration deadline is June 26, 2026, just 14 days away.

If your devices have not yet received the May 2026 update, June's Patch Tuesday is your final scheduled opportunity to get compliant before that deadline. Boot-level malware will be impossible to detect or remove with standard tools on devices that miss this window. The June 26 deadline is absolute and non-negotiable.

If Ekaru manages your IT, your devices should already be tracked. If you are not sure, run Windows Update today and confirm KB5089549 from May is installed alongside this month's updates. This is exactly the kind of proactive IT management that protects small businesses in the Boston area from preventable security incidents.

What Microsoft Fixed in June 2026

Of the 200 Windows security updates addressed this month, 33 are rated Critical, 166 are rated Important, and one is rated Moderate. Twenty-eight of the critical flaws are remote code execution vulnerabilities, four are elevation of privilege issues, and one is an information disclosure flaw.

Here are the Microsoft security patches small businesses should understand:

Windows Kernel Remote Code Execution

This is the most serious vulnerability management concern in this month's release. A remote unauthenticated attacker can run code at SYSTEM level with no user interaction, through a flaw in how the kernel handles TCP/IP. In plain English, an attacker on the internet could potentially take full control of an unpatched Windows device without any employee clicking anything. This one alone makes June's Windows 11 update urgent for every business.

Windows BitLocker Security Bypass

This vulnerability allows an attacker with physical access to a device to bypass BitLocker's full-disk encryption and access the data on it. For small businesses that rely on BitLocker to protect laptops, particularly important if a device is ever lost or stolen, this fix is essential. This patch closes a significant gap in your endpoint security protection.

Windows Denial of Service

This vulnerability is related to an attack technique that can affect web servers and knock them offline in seconds. For businesses running any web-facing services or applications on Windows Server, this is worth prioritizing.

Remote Desktop Services

Remote Desktop Client received the most concentrated cluster of critical patches this month with 11 total fixes. If your team uses Remote Desktop to connect to office computers or servers remotely, this month's security patch is non-negotiable.

What You Should Do Today

The steps are the same as every month but this month they are more urgent than usual given the severity of the vulnerabilities and the approaching Secure Boot deadline.

Go to Settings, select Windows Update, and check for updates. Install everything available and then do a full Restart, not just Shut Down. The restart is what completes the installation process.

If any devices in your office show errors during the update process, contact your IT support provider before the end of the week. With the June 26 Secure Boot deadline approaching, there is no comfortable buffer left. Unpatched systems remain one of the leading entry points for ransomware attacks targeting small businesses.

Ekaru Helps You Stay Ahead

The Ekaru team provides managed IT services in Boston and monitors Windows updates for small businesses across Westford, Acton, Chelmsford, Lowell, and the greater Boston area. Our patch management services include security update tracking, compliance monitoring, and device management to catch update failures before they become problems.

Not sure whether your business is protected? A free IT assessment is the fastest way to find out.

Cybersecurity in 2026: What Small Businesses Need to Learn from 22,000 Data Breaches

Ann Westerheim — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 19:43:45 GMT

Every year, Verizon publishes its Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), one of the most respected cybersecurity reports in the industry. The 2026 report analyzed more than 22,000 confirmed data breaches across 145 countries, making it one of the largest collections of real-world cybersecurity data available.

At Ekaru, we pay close attention to reports like this because they help us separate trends from headlines. Instead of relying on assumptions, we can see exactly how attackers are succeeding, where businesses are struggling, and what organizations can do to better protect themselves.

Before we dive into the findings, it's helpful to understand two terms you'll see throughout cybersecurity reports:

Incident: A security event that disrupts business operations, compromises systems, or creates a security risk.

Breach: A type of incident where sensitive information is actually accessed, stolen, or exposed to someone who shouldn't have it.

In other words, every breach is an incident, but not every incident becomes a breach. For example, a ransomware attack or website outage may be considered a security incident even if no customer or company data is stolen.

The biggest takeaway from this year's report is surprisingly simple:

Cybersecurity fundamentals matter more than ever.

While artificial intelligence, ransomware, and sophisticated cybercriminal groups continue to dominate the news, most successful breaches still come down to a handful of preventable issues. Here are the lessons small businesses should take away from Verizon's findings.

1. Unpatched Systems Have Become the #1 Way Attackers Get In

For years, stolen passwords were the most common way attackers gained access to business systems. That's no longer the case.

According to the Verizon DBIR, exploiting software vulnerabilities is now the leading method attackers use to gain initial access to organizations (and AI makes that easier and faster!).

In plain English, this means cybercriminals are actively scanning the internet looking for outdated software, unpatched firewalls, vulnerable VPNs, and exposed systems. Once they find one, they can often gain access without ever needing a password. They use automated tools and scan - have you ever looked at your firewall logs or Microsoft 365 logs to see who's trying to get in?

For small businesses, this highlights the importance of:

Regular software updates
Security patch management
Vulnerability assessments
Continuous monitoring

Many organizations don't get breached because they lack expensive security tools. They get breached because a known vulnerability remained unpatched for too long. Those boring and annoying updates? Don't delay!

2. Ransomware Isn't Going Away

Ransomware continues to be one of the most significant cybersecurity threats facing businesses today.

Nearly half of all breaches analyzed in the report involved ransomware or extortion-related activity.

The impact goes far beyond encrypted files. Modern ransomware attacks often involve data theft, operational disruption, reputational damage, and regulatory concerns. What would you do if confidential client information was published on the Dark Web?

The good news is that businesses are becoming more resilient. Verizon found that a growing number of organizations are refusing to pay ransoms and instead relying on recovery plans and backups.

That's exactly why we continue to emphasize:

Tested backups
Endpoint protection
Email security
Incident response planning
Business continuity strategies

The best ransomware response is preparation long before an attack occurs.

3. Your Security Is Only As Strong As Your Vendors

One of the most eye-opening findings from this year's report was the dramatic increase in breaches involving third parties.

Think about all the external services your business relies on every day:

Microsoft 365
Payroll providers
Accounting software
Cloud storage platforms
CRM systems
IT service providers (And this is the big reason we completed the GTIA Cybersecurity Trustmark this year!)

Businesses today are more connected than ever. While those connections improve productivity, they also increase risk.

A security issue at a vendor can quickly become a security issue for your organization.

This doesn't mean avoiding cloud services or modern business applications. It means understanding who has access to your data, enabling security controls like multifactor authentication, and periodically reviewing your vendor relationships.

4. People Are Still a Major Target

Technology wasn't the only focus of this year's report.

Verizon found that the human element was involved in nearly two-thirds of breaches.

What's changing is how attackers are targeting people.

Traditional phishing emails remain common, but attackers are increasingly using phone calls, text messages, and impersonation tactics to trick employees into providing access or sensitive information. With AI, its so easy to clone someone's voice, or create a video with their image. These day's seeing is NOT believing!

Many of these attacks don't look suspicious at first glance. They often appear urgent, helpful, or completely routine. Often the emails contain things like QR Codes or other "security" tools that make it look like the sender is being more secure.

This is why cybersecurity isn't just an IT issue.

Every employee plays a role in protecting the organization.

Regular security awareness training, clear verification procedures, and a culture where employees feel comfortable asking questions can dramatically reduce risk. Talk to your team regularly about cybersecurity. We recently had a great training session over cake at one of our local client sites - just get people talking!

5. Artificial Intelligence Is Helping Attackers, Too

Artificial intelligence is transforming business operations, but it is also becoming a tool for cybercriminals.

The report found growing evidence that attackers are using AI to help write phishing messages, research targets, develop malicious code, and automate parts of their attack process.

This doesn't mean AI is creating entirely new categories of threats.

Instead, it's making existing attacks faster, cheaper, and easier to scale. It's so easy to automatically harvest information from social media, websites, former breaches to make emails look VERY convincing. Gone are they days where you could just tell your team to not click on a "suspicious" email.

The result is that businesses may face a greater volume of convincing phishing attempts and social engineering attacks than ever before.

The answer isn't fear.

The answer is strengthening the fundamentals that have always worked: security awareness, strong authentication, patch management, monitoring, and layered defenses.

What This Means for Small Businesses

When reading cybersecurity headlines, it's easy to assume the biggest risks involve sophisticated nation-state hackers or highly technical attacks.

The Verizon DBIR tells a different story.

Many successful breaches still start with:

An unpatched system
Weak authentication
A trusted vendor being compromised
An employee being deceived
A missing security control

These aren't new problems. They're foundational security challenges that every organization can address.

That's encouraging because it means small businesses are not powerless.

With the right strategy, consistent processes, and ongoing attention to cybersecurity fundamentals, organizations can significantly reduce their risk. There are so many smart and affordable things local businesses can do to help stay safe online. Start small and build a successful program one step at a time. We're currently working with several local businesses getting ready for CMMC compliance - while this seams overwhelming at first, making weekly progress gets the job done.

Final Thoughts

One reason we closely follow research like Verizon's annual DBIR is that it helps us make better recommendations for our clients.

The threat landscape continues to evolve, but the core principles of cybersecurity remain remarkably consistent. Organizations that know what assets they have, keep systems updated, secure accounts with multifactor authentication, train employees, and prepare for incidents are far better positioned to withstand today's threats.

Cybersecurity is not about eliminating risk entirely. It's about making informed decisions that reduce risk and improve resilience.

The businesses that focus on the fundamentals today will be the ones best prepared for whatever comes next.

Interested in continuing the conversation?

About the author:

What It's Like to Work With Ekaru — Boston's Trusted MSP

lhanson@ekaru.com (Linda Hanson) — Thu, 28 May 2026 12:22:31 GMT

What It's Like to Work With Ekaru

Most small business owners come to us after something has already gone wrong.

A ransomware attack that shut down operations for days, an employee who clicked a link they shouldn't have, a laptop stolen from a car with unencrypted client data on it, or simply the slow, creeping realization that their IT setup isn't actually protecting anyone.

If any of that sounds familiar, you're not alone, and you're in exactly the right place.

Who We Are

Ekaru is a managed IT services provider based in Westford, Massachusetts. We have been serving small businesses across greater Boston since 2001 (law firms, medical practices, accounting firms, non-profits, and professional services businesses of every kind.)

Our founder, Ann Westerheim, holds three degrees from MIT and a PhD in engineering. She walked away from high-tech research to build an IT company that actually serves Main Street. That decision shapes everything we do. It is why we explain things in plain English, why we pick up the phone, and why we treat your business like it matters, because it does.

We are a CRN Top 500 Managed Service Provider and one of the first IT providers in New England to earn Generative AI Certification, meaning we are equipped to help your team navigate AI tools safely and strategically.

What Working With Us Actually Looks Like

The first thing most new clients notice is that we are proactive, not reactive.

Traditional IT support waits for something to break and then sends someone to fix it, but that model is expensive, disruptive, and increasingly dangerous in a world where the average ransomware attack goes undetected for weeks before it fires. We monitor your systems continuously, apply security patches before vulnerabilities are exploited, and flag problems before they become crises.

When something does need immediate attention, our team responds. Fast.

"Michael found my issue right away and fixed it in less than 5 minutes. Could not ask for anything better."

"Michael was wonderful! He helped with an emergency in our office in the most efficient and accommodating way. I would highly recommend him to anyone!"

"The whole process was terrific, and Zac got everything taken care of without a hitch!"

Your employees get access to our helpdesk team made of real people, based in Massachusetts, who respond quickly and speak clearly.

"Thank you Jonathan and Michael — you guys are always helpful to get any issues resolved."

"Great service and quick response. Computer is working very well now."

We also handle the things most small business owners don't think about until it's too late. Cybersecurity for small businesses in Massachusetts is not just about having antivirus software, it involves patch management, employee training, HIPAA compliance for healthcare clients, data backup strategy, network security, and making sure your cyber insurance policy can actually be used when you need it. We manage all of it.

Why Small Businesses in Greater Boston Choose Ekaru

There are a lot of managed IT providers in the Boston area. What makes the difference for the businesses that work with us is usually the same thing — they want a partner who understands their business, not just their technology.

A five-person law firm in Westford has different needs than a 50-person accounting firm in Lowell. A medical practice handling protected health information under HIPAA has different compliance obligations than a marketing agency. We have spent 24 years learning the industries our clients work in, and that context changes the quality of advice and support we provide.

We also believe that an informed client is a protected client. That is why Ann wrote Cybersecurity for Main Street, a practical, plain-English guide to cybersecurity for small business owners. It is why we publish free resources, run quarterly electronics recycling events, and host cybersecurity awareness webinars for the greater Boston business community.

Is Ekaru the Right Fit for Your Business?

If you run a small business in the greater Boston area and you rely on technology to operate, you need managed IT support that is proactive, local, and genuinely invested in your success.

If you are not sure whether your current setup is actually protecting you, that is worth finding out. We offer a straightforward IT assessment with no obligation and no jargon.

We have been doing this for over two decades, and we know this community, the risks, and what it takes to keep a small business running securely and with confidence.

What the FBI’s Latest Cybercrime Report Means for Small Businesses

Ann Westerheim — Mon, 18 May 2026 18:20:44 GMT

When many people picture cybercrime, they imagine hackers breaking into giant corporations with sophisticated tools and complex code. But for most small businesses, cybercrime today looks much more ordinary - and much more personal.

It looks like an email from a trusted vendor asking for updated payment information.
It looks like a voicemail that sounds like a company executive requesting an urgent wire transfer.
It looks like a Microsoft 365 login page that appears completely legitimate.

And increasingly, thanks to artificial intelligence, these scams are becoming harder and harder to spot.

The FBI recently released its latest Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) report, highlighting billions of dollars in losses tied to cybercrime, including growing losses from AI-assisted scams and cryptocurrency fraud. While the numbers themselves are staggering, the bigger takeaway for local businesses is this:

Cybercriminals are getting better at pretending to be someone you trust.

The Numbers Behind the Headlines

The statistics in the FBI’s newly released Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) report are difficult to ignore.

According to the report, Americans lost nearly $21 billion to cyber-enabled crime in 2025 alone. The FBI received more than 1 million complaints, a significant jump from the previous year. Among the most commonly reported issues were phishing and spoofing attacks, extortion, investment scams, compromised business email accounts, and tech support fraud.

One of the most striking findings is how heavily scammers are leaning on cryptocurrency-related fraud. Complaints involving cryptocurrency totaled more than $11 billion in reported losses.

But another statistic stands out for a different reason.

For the first time in the report’s nearly 25-year history, the FBI included a dedicated section on artificial intelligence-related cybercrime. The IC3 received more than 22,000 AI-related complaints, resulting in nearly $893 million in losses.

And those numbers likely represent only part of the picture.

Many people never report scams at all - especially when they feel embarrassed or fear they “should have known better.” Unfortunately, that stigma is exactly what makes cybercrime harder to fight.

The reality is that modern scams are becoming extraordinarily convincing. Criminals are now using AI to generate polished emails, clone voices, create fake identities, and produce believable videos that can imitate coworkers, executives, vendors, or even family members. These scams are designed to create urgency and emotional pressure, often catching people off guard during busy workdays.

This is one of the biggest mindset shifts businesses need to make:

Cybersecurity is no longer just about spotting obvious red flags. Increasingly, it’s about having processes and safeguards in place for situations where something looks legitimate but isn’t.

That’s why even well-run organizations with smart, experienced employees can still become targets.

It can happen to the best of us! Even with proper defenses in place like strong passwords, multifactor authentication, cybersecurity awareness training, phishing emails can still get through to someone's inbox, and just last week we saw yet another case of a clicked link. Fortunately, in this case the local business was protected by Identity Threat Detect and Respond (ITDR), and the attack was stopped just a few seconds after it started! (For more on that, check our recent blog: What if They're Already In? The Blind Spot in Email Security Most Businesses Miss.

Why These Scams Are Becoming More Convincing

For years, phishing emails were often easier to spot. Many contained spelling mistakes, awkward wording, strange formatting, or suspicious-looking links that raised obvious red flags.

That’s changing quickly.

Artificial intelligence is giving cybercriminals new tools to create polished, professional, and highly believable scams at a scale we haven’t seen before. In its latest IC3 report, the FBI noted that AI technology now enables the creation of convincing synthetic content, including fake social media profiles, personalized conversations, audio, video, and other digital content that can be used to support fraud schemes.

The report also warns that AI-generated content is becoming increasingly difficult to detect while simultaneously becoming easier for criminals to create.

That matters for small businesses because many scams today are no longer generic “spam” messages sent to thousands of people. Attackers can now use AI tools to:

write realistic emails without the spelling and grammar mistakes people once looked for
imitate the tone and style of trusted coworkers or vendors
create fake LinkedIn or social media profiles to build credibility
generate convincing text conversations or customer service interactions
clone voices or manipulate audio recordings
produce realistic-looking invoices, documents, or videos

In many cases, these attacks are designed to create urgency and emotional pressure. A message may appear to come from a company executive requesting an immediate payment, a vendor asking to change banking information, or a trusted service provider warning about an account issue.

And because AI allows criminals to personalize these messages quickly, even experienced employees can find them difficult to distinguish from legitimate business communication.

One of the most important things business owners should understand is this: Falling for a scam does not mean someone is careless or unintelligent.

Modern phishing and impersonation attacks are specifically engineered to appear trustworthy. Criminals study how businesses communicate, how approvals happen internally, and what kinds of messages employees are likely to respond to under pressure.

That’s why cybersecurity today is less about expecting employees to “catch every scam” and more about building processes, verification steps, and a workplace culture where people feel comfortable slowing down and asking questions when something seems unusual.

The Human Side of Cybercrime

One thing we often see after a phishing incident is embarrassment.

Employees may hesitate to report suspicious activity because they’re worried they’ll get in trouble or feel foolish for clicking something. Business owners sometimes avoid talking about scams altogether because they think it reflects poorly on their organization.

But silence is exactly what cybercriminals rely on.

The reality is that modern phishing attacks can fool almost anyone under the right circumstances — especially during busy workdays when people are moving quickly and multitasking. AI-generated messages can look remarkably convincing, particularly when they appear to come from trusted coworkers, vendors, or service providers.

Creating a workplace culture where employees feel comfortable reporting suspicious emails, unusual requests, or mistakes early can dramatically reduce the damage from an incident.

In cybersecurity, early reporting matters far more than perfection.

What Small Businesses Can Do Right Now

The good news is that small businesses do not need enormous IT departments or massive security budgets to make themselves significantly harder targets.

Often, the most effective improvements come from a combination of awareness, process, and layered protection.

Here are a few practical steps businesses can take now:

Slow Down Financial Requests

Many scams succeed because they create urgency.

If an employee receives a request involving:

wire transfers
gift cards
payment changes
payroll updates
sensitive documents

there should always be a second method of verification before moving forward.

A quick phone call to a known number can prevent a major financial loss.

Make Reporting Easy

Employees should know:

it’s okay to ask questions
it’s okay to report suspicious messages
it’s better to report something harmless than stay silent

The businesses that respond best to cyber threats are usually the ones where people feel safe speaking up quickly.

Use Multi-Factor Authentication Everywhere Possible

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) remains one of the simplest and most effective protections available.

MFA is a security measure that requires users to verify their identity using two or more methods - such as a password plus a code sent to a phone or generated by an authentication app. MFA helps protect accounts even if a password is stolen.

Even if passwords are stolen through phishing, MFA can often stop attackers from gaining access to email accounts and business systems.

Provide Ongoing Security Awareness Training

Cybersecurity training is no longer just about spotting poor grammar in suspicious emails.

Employees need help understanding:

impersonation tactics
fake login pages
urgent financial scams
AI-generated messaging
text-message phishing (“smishing”)
fake tech support requests

The goal is not to make employees paranoid. It’s to help people recognize when something feels unusual and know what to do next. If you know the message could be a fake, you're more likely to slow down and ask questions.

Have a Trusted IT and Security Partner

When something suspicious happens, time matters.

Having trusted professionals to call can help businesses respond faster, reduce damage, and avoid making stressful decisions alone during an incident.

Cybersecurity Is About Resilience, Not Perfection

The FBI’s report is an important reminder that cybercrime continues to evolve rapidly, especially as AI tools become easier for criminals to use.

But this is not a reason for panic.

It’s a reason for businesses to build practical habits, stronger verification processes, and a culture where employees feel supported instead of blamed.

No business can eliminate every risk entirely. The goal is not perfection - it’s resilience.

At Ekaru, we believe good cybersecurity starts with conversations, awareness, and trusted relationships. Technology matters, but people and processes matter just as much.

If you’d like help reviewing your organization’s cybersecurity practices, employee awareness training, or response planning, we’re always happy to have a conversation.

About the author:

Windows 11 May 2026 Patch Tuesday: What Small Businesses Need to Know

lhanson@ekaru.com (Linda Hanson) — Wed, 13 May 2026 16:11:28 GMT

Microsoft released its May 2026 Patch Tuesday security yesterday. Update KB5089549 is now rolling out to all Windows 11 devices. While this update isn't the flashiest release of the year, it includes improvements that small business owners and their teams will actually notice day to day, along with a critical security deadline that cannot be ignored.

At Ekaru, we specialize in Microsoft applications and managed IT services for small businesses across Greater Boston. Staying ahead of Windows updates, understanding what they mean for your business, your team's productivity, and your security posture is exactly what we're here for.

Here is what matters most about this month's release.

The Secure Boot Deadline: Act Before June 26

This is the most important thing in May's update for small businesses. The Secure Boot certificates used by the vast majority of Windows devices are scheduled to expire starting in June 2026. If a device's UEFI firmware is not updated with the new certificates in time, it will completely lose the ability to boot securely.

What does that mean for your business? If your computers are not updated before June 27, they may no longer start up with the security protections that protect them from unauthorized software at boot, a gap that attackers can exploit.

The good news: this month's update includes the Secure Boot certificate fix and devices will receive it automatically through Windows Update, but only after demonstrating successful update signals. Microsoft is using a phased rollout to help prevent devices from being bricked by incompatible firmware.

If you manage your own Windows updates, run Windows Update today and confirm KB5089549 is installed before the end of May. If Ekaru manages your IT, our team is already tracking this across all supported devices. If you are unsure whether your systems are covered, reach out as this is exactly the kind of deadline that catches businesses off guard.

File Explorer: Finally Fixed

Windows 11 KB5089549 delivers a significant suite of File Explorer fixes, including the elimination of the "white flash" that appeared when opening This PC or resizing the Details pane in dark mode, and the preservation of custom View and Sort preferences no matter how a folder is opened.

For small businesses that rely on shared folders, document management, and day-to-day file navigation, these are genuine quality-of-life improvements that reduce frustration and interruption.

These fixes won't require any action on your part, they apply automatically with the update. But they are a good reminder that keeping Windows current doesn't just mean staying secure; it means your team works on a system that is actively being improved.

Stricter Driver Rules: What Businesses Should Know

Microsoft is updating its Windows Driver Policy as part of a new "secure by default" initiative. Default trust for cross-signed drivers is being removed, meaning only drivers that pass through the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program or a specific allow-list of trusted legacy drivers will be permitted. Windows will audit driver compatibility for at least 100 hours and three reboots before enforcing the block.

For most small businesses using standard business hardware and software, this change will be invisible. However, if your business uses older or niche hardware (specialized printers, legacy scanners, industry-specific devices) this is worth monitoring. Our team will flag any compatibility issues before they affect your operations.

Reliability Improvements Your Team Will Notice

Beyond security, KB5089549 brings a range of fixes that improve everyday reliability:

Windows Hello fingerprint data now persists correctly after major OS upgrades, and face recognition reliability at sign-in has been improved. For businesses using Windows Hello for passwordless sign-in (which we encourage) this is a meaningful fix.

The Microsoft Store has been patched to eliminate several notorious download errors, including error codes 0x80070057 and 0x80073d28.

Startup apps now launch noticeably faster after boot, and the taskbar and system tray load more reliably at sign-in.

If you're Managing Your Own Updates, Here's What You Should Do Today

Go to Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates and confirm KB5089549 is downloading or installed

Do a full Restart, (Not just Shut Down) after the update installs to ensure all changes take effect

If any devices in your office show update errors, contact us before the end of May

The June 26 Secure Boot deadline is 45 days away. May is the comfortable window to get this done.

Ekaru Helps You Stay Ahead

The Ekaru team monitors and manages Windows updates for small businesses across Westford, Acton, Chelmsford, Lowell, and the Greater Boston area. Our managed IT services include:

Security patch management and compliance tracking
Device monitoring to catch update failures before they become problems
Proactive planning around deadlines like the June 2026 Secure Boot transition

If you have questions about this month's update or want to confirm your systems are protected, contact our team today.

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What If the Cyberattack Starts With a Conversation?

The Real Threat Wasn't Carelessness

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What Small Businesses Can Learn

Practical Steps to Reduce Social Engineering Risk

Cybersecurity Is About Process, Not Just Technology

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Cybersecurity in 2026: What Small Businesses Need to Learn from 22,000 Data Breaches

Incident: A security event that disrupts business operations, compromises systems, or creates a security risk.

Breach: A type of incident where sensitive information is actually accessed, stolen, or exposed to someone who shouldn't have it.

In other words, every breach is an incident, but not every incident becomes a breach. For example, a ransomware attack or website outage may be considered a security incident even if no customer or company data is stolen.

1. Unpatched Systems Have Become the #1 Way Attackers Get In

2. Ransomware Isn't Going Away

3. Your Security Is Only As Strong As Your Vendors

4. People Are Still a Major Target

5. Artificial Intelligence Is Helping Attackers, Too

What This Means for Small Businesses

Final Thoughts

About the author:

What It's Like to Work With Ekaru — Boston's Trusted MSP

What the FBI’s Latest Cybercrime Report Means for Small Businesses

The Numbers Behind the Headlines

Why These Scams Are Becoming More Convincing

The Human Side of Cybercrime

What Small Businesses Can Do Right Now

Slow Down Financial Requests

Make Reporting Easy

Use Multi-Factor Authentication Everywhere Possible

Provide Ongoing Security Awareness Training

Have a Trusted IT and Security Partner

Cybersecurity Is About Resilience, Not Perfection

About the author:

Windows 11 May 2026 Patch Tuesday: What Small Businesses Need to Know