Direct Technology Group Blog

Most, if not all, of us have heard the most famous phishing story of them all: how the ancient city of Troy, after ten years of war, finally fell after a raiding party was allowed into the gates by hiding in the belly of a constructed wooden horse. It’s true… the legend of the Trojan horse, already associated by name with a nasty cyberattack, is arguably also a cautionary tale about how effective phishing can be.

Let’s go over how you can help protect your business from falling for this truly classic ruse.

Let me ask you something: what do you do when one of the many, many little icons on your dashboard suddenly lights up? Chances are pretty good that some part of you starts adding up the anticipated costs of whatever repairs are going to be necessary. It’s stressful and can easily throw off your day, especially if that light is immediately followed by your car breaking down.

So, if this experience is so stressful, why use the exact same strategy where your business’ technology is concerned?

Data breaches are scary, and in many cases, they can be enough to topple even the most stable businesses. They’re not entirely unpredictable, though, and the right actions can make them significantly easier to predict and prevent. Today, we want to cover three of the most common ways data breaches happen and what you can do to keep your business safe.

Most people look forward to the end of the workday, but what if that joyful end were to be hampered by a server crash? What if you had to work after hours because you missed an important deadline? Let’s make sure this is prevented so you never have to deal with it.

How often do you run backups of your business’ data infrastructure? If the answer is “Once a day,” or even “What’s data backup?” we need to talk. In reality, regular backups—when you take multiple backups throughout the workday—are the key to staying ahead of the dangers your business will face over the course of its life.

Did you hear about the recent data breach that exposed 16 billion passwords for logins, including social media accounts, virtual private networks, and corporate tools? While the breach is bad, yes, the truth of the matter is that the situation may be misleading, at least on the surface. 

Let’s take a look at why and learn a few lessons in the process.

How much do you know about your business’ security infrastructure? With advanced cyberthreats breathing down everyone’s neck, it’s no wonder that more companies than ever before are investing in advanced security measures. Here are some of the critical components you’ll need to consider to keep your business safe.

Small businesses have a lot of problems to worry about, including technology issues and challenges that prevent them from operating efficiently. When a problem strikes, you want to resolve it as soon as possible, period. Wouldn’t it be great if you could prevent the problem in the first place, though?

Cyberattacks are all over the place, and they complicate running a business to no end. If your business is jonesing for a solution, consider upgrading your cybersecurity structure with zero-trust policies and procedures. Here’s how zero trust can make your business more formidable against the constant onslaught of cyberthreats.

Ransomware is still a problem for businesses of all industries and sizes, from small mom-and-pop shops to the large enterprise. If you’re unprepared for a ransomware attack, you’re looking at significant consequences, many of which affect your business beyond the budget.

Today, we’re taking a look at ransomware in the context of what it is: an existential threat to your business.

There’s no secret that things are getting contentious all over. Costs are up, morale is down, and throughout the entire workforce there is a level of uncertainty that they will be able to prosper the same way their parents and grandparents were able to. This fear is exponential for business owners. Even the most optimistic people are finding cracks in well-laid plans. In today’s blog, we will discuss how to arrange your IT to get the most out of your business. 

When your business is operating the way it should, it can feel like a well-oiled machine. Unfortunately though, the second something goes wrong, it starts spitting and sputtering, and before you know it, operations are impacted to the point where you’re left wondering what to do next. If you’re constantly reacting to server crashes, downtime, and data loss, you’re not running a business—you’re prolonging the inevitable, and that’s not serving you or your customers the way they deserve.

Cyberthreats are not just a far-off, big-corporation problem. Hackers’ goal is to steal your most valuable information—from customer lists and financial records to employee details; or money. The fallout from such an attack can be devastating, impacting not just your finances but the hard-earned trust you've built with your customers.

Do you find yourself visiting the same websites day after day for your work? This is essentially what it looks like for everyone, whether we’re working with calendars, applications, portals, or other systems. Bookmarks make this repeated navigation significantly easier, so today, we want to go over some best practices to help you get the most out of your bookmarks.

A data breach can cause countless problems for just about any business, including exposed customer details, company secrets, or financial information. Most businesses will signal a red alert the moment a breach is brought to light, but a prepared business will fare much better than an unprepared one. Today, we want to explore data breaches and how your organization can overcome them (or minimize the threat of them).

One of the handiest keyboard shortcuts of all time is probably Ctrl + F, or Find, which helps you locate specific text on a page. That said, you can also do some neat things besides finding specific text. You can also replace text, even to the case and special characters. Let’s get into how you can do so in Google Docs and Word.

It’s easy to forget about the mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, that power your organization, but the fact remains that they are an extension of your office’s infrastructure. Just like how you would secure an in-house desktop or laptop, you must also secure your mobile devices, as they present a considerable security risk otherwise. The key to doing so is with a comprehensive Mobile Device Management (MDM) strategy.

You want a return on your investment for business technology, right? Well, it’s not as simple as “buy the thing and profit.” Today, we’re looking at why you can’t always rely on information about modern IT solutions and how you can simplify your tech decisions to align with your business goals.

Shadow IT, when technology is implemented in a business setting without the express permission of that organization's IT department, is a serious issue that cannot be left unchecked. How can you uncover shadow IT and prevent it in the future? That’s what we’re covering today.

Technology should make running your business easier, right? Sometimes it’s simple and it does, other times, not so much and certain habits can actually cause big problems. In today’s blog, we'll look at three common technology mistakes that could be slowing you down or putting you at risk.