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As we embrace the Spring season and the promise of April showers bringing May flowers, we also enter the busy and often stressful time of tax season. This period sees a high volume of sensitive financial information being exchanged as individuals file their taxes in hopes of securing refunds. Unfortunately, it’s also a time when scammers are at their most active, tirelessly seeking ways to deceive taxpayers and exploit their financial situations.
Read MoreTags: phishing, Cybersecurity, email scams, cybersecurity
What to do after a cyber attack requires fast, strategic action to protect your business and stop further damage. A well-planned response can mean the difference between a brief disruption and a complete business shutdown that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Your response in the first 24 hours shapes your recovery path and impacts your ability to resume operations. This guide outlines the proven recovery methods that have helped businesses survive attacks and rebuild stronger, plus practical steps to prevent future incidents from harming your operations. You'll learn exactly which actions to take, who to call, and how to minimize both financial losses and operational downtime.
Tags: small business, small business technology advice., cybersecurity, incident response
For many that are local with us, we share the news of Joann Fabrics, a beloved brand in the fabric and crafting world, filed for bankruptcy in February 2025. After 82 years of serving creative minds across the United States, the company announced that it would be closing all its stores down for good. This marks the end of an era for a company that has been a staple in the crafting community for generations including friends, family and loved ones.
Read MoreTags: cybersecurity, online safety, WebsiteScams
IT spending choices directly impact your bottom line, with cloud solutions offering clear ways to control costs while building capabilities. Your technology investments - from email systems to cybersecurity tools - keep your company competitive without creating budget surprises. I recall a conversation I had with a client years ago - a local business owner with about 25 employees - he said; "Ann, I just need all my tech to work, and at a reasonable price". A lot has changed over the years - tech is so much more pervasive everywhere, and managing cyber risk is now a big part of it. But the bottom line is the same: IT spending choices directly impact your bottom line.
Read MoreTags: small business technology, cybersecurity
If you frequently travel for work around the Massachusetts area (or even beyond), you may have noticed an alarming rise in text scams known as smishing pretending to be from E-ZPass. These fraudulent messages claim that you owe unpaid tolls from recent travel, and they often pressure you to make an immediate payment on unpaid toll bills. E-ZPass recently has issued a mass email warning of its customers. These scams are not just isolated to New England, they have spread as far as California, where their toll system is known as FastTrak.
Read MoreTags: Cybersecurity, email scams, Text Scams