Technology Advisor Blog

We're more than half way through 2022, the world has been through a tough two years with the pandemic, and we're getting through to the other side.  We just checked in again with the CompTIA IT Industry Outlook 2022 report, and it's pretty on track for the year.  Ekaru is a proud member of CompTIA, and if you're not familiar with CompTIA, you should be!  "The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the leading voice and advocate for the $5.3 trillion global information technology ecosystem.  Through education, training, certifications, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce."

Do your passwords pose a security risk for your business?  At first this sounds like a funny question, because passwords are supposed to keep things secure, right?  Well, not if they're recycled, weak, or not protected with multi-factor authentication!  Your protection may not be as strong as you think, and getting better password practices is an important step in strengthening your cybersecurity.  World Password Day was created by cybersecurity professionals in in 2013 and designated as the first Thursday of May.  Now is a great time to help strengthen cybersecurity awareness in your team, and we've put together some resources for you to help to help foster better password practices.

Microsoft is introducing some pricing changes in March as part of their "New Commerce Experience" - or NCE.  You may have seen this in the news as it has generated a lot of discussion, and you may be concerned about the impact the price increases and contract changes may have on you.

In the world of IT, things are happening all the time and it's easy to fall into reactive mode.  Someone needs a password re-set,  another person can't print, and someone else is having trouble with their webcam right before an important meeting.  It can be hard to keep up, but stepping back and getting more organized will make a big difference.  Often, keeping the network closet organized just falls of the list.  Since no one really sees it, why does it matter?

January is a great time to set some technology goals for your local business. So much technology is available to small businesses these days for digital enablement - work from anywhere, hybrid work, video, integration with Microsoft Teams... Things that only large enterprises could afford in the past are now available on a small business budget! If you haven't updated your tech in a while reach out to learn about what's new!

Over the past years, technology has increasingly been a driving force in business transformation. Direct digital transformation investments are projected to total $7 trillion between 2020 and 2023 according to data published by Statista.  Big corporations invest in sophisticated long-range strategic planning, but smaller businesses need to pay attention to this trend as well.   If you want your local business to succeed, you must have the appropriate technologies to help you keep pace with the changing business world.

January is a great time to set goals for the New Year!  But don't let this list become a bunch of "shoulds".  Without concrete action, a  goal is just a wish.  Today's local businesses run on technology and must deal with multiple issues including cyberthreats,  competition and regulatory compliance. Therefore, keeping your technology up to date is critical, and a technology audit is the best place to start.

Technology fuels local businesses these days, helping them achieve their goals and vision. At the same time, local businesses are also at increased risk for growing cyber threats worldwide – ALL businesses are impacted, not just the big ones that make national news. One of the important foundations of keeping your technology safe is to conduct a security risk assessment each year (at least!).

Cybersecurity headlines may sound scary, but it’s important for local businesses to know there are a lot of smart and affordable things you can do to fight back to stay more secure online and increase your chances of surviving a cyber event. A basic security risk assessment can help identify security gaps to remediate, and ongoing employee training will greatly help reduce “clicks” on the wrong things. Preventing problems is a lot less expensive and more effective than responding to an incident, but it’s not possible to eliminate all risk. As a technology service provider, Ekaru has been working with local businesses in the greater Boston area for many years, and having an incident response (IR) plan will make a big difference in your ability to successfully recover after a cyber incident.

Don't Get Scammed by a Turkey

It’s Thanksgiving week and that also means that the holiday season has officially started!  And just like the holiday season of our youth, this is the time of year when we as adults tend to get caught up in the excitement and the fun of the times, and let our guard down.