Technology Advisor Blog



It’s Raining in Boston - and in the Cloud: What Today’s AWS Outage Teaches Us

Posted by Ann Westerheim on 10/20/25 12:09 PM

If your favorite app wouldn’t load this morning, you weren’t alone. Amazon Web Services (AWS) - the cloud backbone behind a huge slice of the internet - had a major hiccup in its US-EAST-1 (Northern Virginia) region in the early hours today. Reports began around ~3:00 a.m. ET, with recovery signs a couple hours later. By mid-morning, Amazon said the underlying issue had been fully mitigated. Still, the ripple effects were hard to miss: services like Snapchat, Zoom, Signal, Fortnite, Coinbase/Robinhood, Perplexity, and even airline sites such as Delta and United saw issues at points during the incident. DownDetector tallied millions of outage reports across the globe. The Verge

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Tags: small business, technology, cloud





Cold Weather Setting In, Cold Call Scams (Vishing) Are on The Rise

Posted by Sarah Carroll on 10/7/25 4:29 PM

October is here, and threat actors are ramping up their attacks to the point where its… spooky.
While Halloween is coming up, Thanksgiving and Christmas are also on the horizon, it’s more evident than ever we must remain hypervigilant and not fall for these intricate phishing attempts.

In September, many folks and including some of us in the office, experienced a rise in spam (Vishing) phone calls. You may be wondering ‘Where are all these unknown numbers coming from?” If you’re like me, when you notice an unknown caller ID notify your phone, you never pick up. However, not everyone is like that. However, the Ekaru team is here to teach you all about cold calling scams, how to identify them, reasons why they are potentially occurring, and the steps/services we provide to help protect yourself and others from falling into their trap.

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Tags: small business, security protection, small business technology, small business technology advice., Phone System, cybersecurity, ransomware, cybersecurity, security awareness training, cybersecurity training, Cybersecurity Awareness Training





Choosing the Right MSP For Your Businesses Needs-Why Ekaru Is a Great Fit

Posted by Sarah Carroll on 10/3/25 12:14 PM

When businesses become further established and credible within their community, the conversations of increasing security measures, budgeting, and overall work morale begin to initiate for further discussion. Understandably, maintaining a growing business can be challenging and shifting your priorities, sometimes causing the complacent “My business won’t get hacked, I’m safe it won’t happen to me.” This type of thinking can backfire especially if you’re not paying close enough attention - there is no "Security by Obscurity"!  At the end of the day, we have all been there and sometimes had to pay for the consequences.
Since there are so many aspects to a business that can pull you in several directions at once it’s hard to pinpoint where to begin conversations on cybersecurity needs. That’s where Ekaru comes in to provide you with the best IT solutions in the Boston Massachusetts area. To make informed decisions about your cybersecurity needs aligned within your budget.

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Tags: small business, responsiveness, Monitoring, support, small business technology advice., cybersecurity, online safety, Cybersecurity, Social Media, Cybersecurity Awareness Training





Social Media Breaches Are on the Rise! How to Keep Your Accounts Safe

Posted by Sarah Carroll on 7/18/25 5:56 PM

When it comes to establishing your business on a social media platform, a lot of teamwork and insight goes into its strategy. These calculations apply to tone, values, visuals, color, and messaging to find the right audience to interact with your content. What’s also important in maintaining social media is the security of general accounts and who monitors activity across these accounts. In the case of our social media presence at Ekaru, a small business MSP specializing in cybersecurity located within the outer metropolitan area of Boston serving small to medium sized clients. Our values are to be friendly, helpful, insightful, provide knowledgeable articles that align, bring up conversations surrounding awareness of good and bad cybersecurity practices to learn from. Along with cybersecurity practices to implement within your business, questions you may ask yourself are ‘how can I maintain a healthy social media presence that can apply for my business and self?

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Tags: small business, passwords, strong passwords, security protection, Monitoring, small business technology advice., cybersecurity, security awareness training, cybersecurity training, Cybersecurity, Social Media





How to Spot a Phishing Email: A Quick Guide for Small Business Teams

Posted by Sarah Carroll on 6/12/25 2:39 PM

Have you ever been hooked to a phishing attempt? Did you know that phishing is involved in 70% of breaches? Whether it’s an email, phone call, or text message, these are some of the common ways bad actors use to obtain your personal and financial information for malicious gain. Phishing emails were introduced into our lives decade(s) ago and have grown increasingly creative and sophisticated with native language use and perfect grammar.

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Tags: small business, phishing, Cybersecurity, email scams, cybersecurity, ransomware, data security, spoofing, Security Awareness, email spoofing





Cyber Insurance: What Small Businesses Don't Know Can Hurt Them

Posted by Ann Westerheim on 5/21/25 5:01 PM

Cybersecurity Insurance for small business offers protection that standard business coverage often overlooks. Your company faces mounting risks from data breaches, ransomware attacks, and operational disruptions due to cyber incidents - problems that traditional insurance policies were not built to handle.

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Tags: small business, cybersecurity, Cyber Insurance





Cybersecurity Starts Here: Identify What Matters Most

Posted by Ann Westerheim on 4/23/25 10:20 AM

Do small businesses need cybersecurity? YES!  Data shows that half of all cyber attacks target small organizations, making them prime targets alongside large corporations. Major security breaches at Fortune 500 companies grab headlines, yet local businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities face ongoing threats that can expose donor databases, financial records, and private customer details.  Each year, Verizon publishes the Data Breach Investigations Report which is loaded with statistics on the latest updates on real-world breaches.  Reports like this make it clear:  small businesses aren't flying under the radar - they're in the crosshairs.  Understanding real-world breach data helps you prepare, protect and stay resilient.

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Tags: small business, cybersecurity, incident response





Regret to Resilience: What Small Businesses Learn After a Cyber Incident

Posted by Ann Westerheim on 3/25/25 3:11 PM

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.

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Tags: small business, small business technology advice., cybersecurity, incident response





How Cybersecurity Changes Impact Small Businesses

Posted by Sarah Carroll on 2/25/25 3:07 PM

Cybersecurity Phishing and Deepfake Risks Detection

In a world where cyber attacks have become the great equalizer, no business - no matter how big or small - is immune. Many small enterprises mistakenly believe that cyber threats target only the giants, but in 2025, hackers are leveling the playing field. This report unveils the emerging trends in cybersecurity, exposing how vulnerabilities in small businesses can spell disaster and why investing in robust defenses is no longer optional but essential. Prepare to rethink your strategy and protect what matters most.

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Tags: small business, cybersecurity





Truth in Tech: What Local Businesses Need to Know About the FTC’s Crackdown on Fake Reviews

Posted by Ann Westerheim on 12/9/24 4:58 PM

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has implemented the Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule to combat deceptive practices in online reviews and endorsements. This new rule went into effect October 21, 2024.

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Tags: small business, online safety, Artificial Intelligence





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