Blogs

Protect Your Business with Simple Cybersecurity

Protect Your Business with Simple Cybersecurity

March 15, 2024

In today’s digital world, your business thrives on data. It fuels everything from operations to customer interactions. However, there’s a lurking danger – data breaches. At Tech Eagles, we get…

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Understanding the Real Value of Cybersecurity for Your Business

Understanding the Real Value of Cybersecurity for Your Business

February 19, 2024

In today’s digitally dominant era, the significance of cybersecurity cannot be overstated. As businesses rely increasingly on technology, they become more susceptible to cyber threats. However, conveying the tangible benefits…

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Upgrading Your Small Business with Modern Technology

Upgrading Your Small Business with Modern Technology

February 12, 2024

In today’s digital landscape, business technology holds the key to enhancing efficiency and competitiveness for small businesses. However, many face challenges in modernizing their workforce technology despite the vast opportunities…

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Safeguarding Your Business in the Age of Cyber Threats

Safeguarding Your Business in the Age of Cyber Threats

February 5, 2024

In 2023, data breaches reached unprecedented levels, marking a concerning shift in cybersecurity challenges. The last recent data breach record was set in 2021. That year, 1,862 organizations reported data…

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Safeguarding Your Business Against Emerging Technology Threats in 2024

Safeguarding Your Business Against Emerging Technology Threats in 2024

January 22, 2024

The global cost of data breaches surged to USD $4.45 million last year, marking a 15% increase over three years. As we stride into 2024, understanding emerging technology threats becomes…

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Navigating the New SEC Cybersecurity Requirements: What Your Business Needs to Know

Navigating the New SEC Cybersecurity Requirements: What Your Business Needs to Know

January 15, 2024

Cybersecurity is non-negotiable in today’s business landscape. As technology advances, so do threats of cyberattacks. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has responded with new rules, reshaping how businesses…

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Embracing Transformative Technologies for a Future-Forward Workspace

Embracing Transformative Technologies for a Future-Forward Workspace

January 8, 2024

In today’s fast-evolving landscape, technological advancements are reshaping how we work. New and upcoming trends are redefining collaboration, innovation, and efficiency.  AI Revolutionizing Work  AI and Generative AI aren’t mere…

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Learn About Secure Ways to Share Passwords with Employees

Learn About Secure Ways to Share Passwords with Employees

December 19, 2023

We all know that passwords are a necessary part of our digital lives, but they can be a constant source of concern for businesses. Breached or stolen passwords are a…

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Enhance Your Cybersecurity Strategy with Our Expertise

Enhance Your Cybersecurity Strategy with Our Expertise

December 5, 2023

In today’s ever-changing digital world, every click and keystroke has a significant impact. The battle for data security is a constant concern, and businesses like yours are both guardians and…

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Discover the ‘Secure by Design’ Approach to Safeguard Your Business

Discover the ‘Secure by Design’ Approach to Safeguard Your Business

November 27, 2023

In this digital age, cybersecurity isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the very bedrock upon which your operations rest. It doesn’t matter if you’re a corporate giant or a local hero;…

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Watch Out for Ransomware Pretending to Be a Windows Update!

Watch Out for Ransomware Pretending to Be a Windows Update!

November 20, 2023

Picture this: You’re diligently working on your PC, and a Windows update prompt appears. Instead of brushing it off, you decide to take action because safeguarding your device is paramount.…

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Unlock the Secrets to Eco-Friendly Practices That Boost Your Bottom Line

Unlock the Secrets to Eco-Friendly Practices That Boost Your Bottom Line

November 13, 2023

In today’s fast-paced world, sustainability has evolved from a mere buzzword to an absolute necessity. Businesses worldwide are recognizing the importance of embracing innovative technologies that support eco-friendly practices. However,…

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10 Biggest Cybersecurity Mistakes of Small Companies

10 Biggest Cybersecurity Mistakes of Small Companies

November 6, 2023

In today’s digital landscape, cybercriminals employ highly sophisticated tactics, but surprisingly, it’s often the lack of strong cybersecurity practices that exposes businesses to the most risk. This issue is particularly…

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Are There Cybersecurity Skeletons in Your Business Closet?

Are There Cybersecurity Skeletons in Your Business Closet?

October 29, 2023

In the world of business, there are skeletons that aren’t hidden in the basement but rather lurk in the digital shadows – cybersecurity vulnerabilities. These hidden dangers can wreak havoc…

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Unlock Your Business Potential with Microsoft Intune Suite

Unlock Your Business Potential with Microsoft Intune Suite

October 22, 2023

In the rapidly evolving landscape of endpoint management, businesses face new challenges and opportunities. Two decades ago, all endpoints were confined to a single location, simplifying management but limiting mobility.…

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Cybersecurity Stats: Eye-Opening Facts You Need to Know

Cybersecurity Stats: Eye-Opening Facts You Need to Know

October 15, 2023

Revealing The Latest Cyber Security Trends and Cyber Attack Statistics Cyberattacks are on the rise and many individuals and businesses remain vulnerable due to lack of awareness. By staying informed…

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Welcome to Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023!

Welcome to Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023!

October 8, 2023

Every day, hackers and cybercriminals are finding new ways to breach online security, putting your personal and sensitive information at risk. By understanding the basics of cybersecurity best practices, you…

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Unlocking Success for Small Businesses: Tech Tools That Work

Unlocking Success for Small Businesses: Tech Tools That Work

September 29, 2023

Finding the Right Small Business Technology Solutions Can be Challenging Running a small business is no small feat. The digital age has ushered in a sea of digital business tools,…

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LinkedIn: Your Gateway to Opportunity, But Beware of Scams

LinkedIn: Your Gateway to Opportunity, But Beware of Scams

September 22, 2023

LinkedIn has transformed the way professionals connect, opening doors to new opportunities and meaningful relationships. But as its popularity soars, it’s important to be aware of the risks. Fake LinkedIn…

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Fortify Your Security Strategy with Identity & Access Management (IAM)

Fortify Your Security Strategy with Identity & Access Management (IAM)

September 15, 2023

In a world where cyber threats are rampant and data breaches have staggering costs, the importance of cybersecurity cannot be overstated. From businesses to individuals, the need for protection has…

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Transform Your Business with Microsoft Designer AI Technology

Transform Your Business with Microsoft Designer AI Technology

September 8, 2023

In a world where design tools evolve at the speed of technology, Microsoft stands as a trailblazer in the domain of business applications. With Microsoft 365, a realm that started…

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How Cyber Threat Modeling Can Boost Your Cybersecurity

How Cyber Threat Modeling Can Boost Your Cybersecurity

September 4, 2023

As the threat landscape continues to evolve, businesses must take proactive measures to safeguard their sensitive data and assets from cybercriminals. Data security threats are persistent and can originate from…

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A Secure Network Connection: 9 Essential Tips to Keep Your Home Network Secure

A Secure Network Connection: 9 Essential Tips to Keep Your Home Network Secure

August 28, 2023

In the modern era, where technology is omnipresent and connectivity is indispensable, safeguarding your home network has become increasingly crucial. The security of your home network is paramount in protecting…

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Will Microsoft 365 Copilot Transform the M365 Apps?

Will Microsoft 365 Copilot Transform the M365 Apps?

August 21, 2023

Advanced AI technology is creating a buzz in the realm of cloud computing, with tools like ChatGPT and Bard making significant advancements. Developers are now in a race to incorporate…

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Business Email Compromise: How You Can Protect Your Business

Business Email Compromise: How You Can Protect Your Business

August 14, 2023

Email, also known as electronic mail, has become an integral part of our daily lives in recent times. Its widespread usage spans various purposes, including conducting business transactions. However, with…

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Is Your Online Shopping Putting Your Privacy at Risk?

Is Your Online Shopping Putting Your Privacy at Risk?

July 11, 2023

5 Tips to Stay Secure While Stocking Up Shopping online is a convenient and efficient way to knock out needed purchases without disrupting your busy schedule. Many retailers even make…

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10 Ways to Prevent the Unexpected from Sinking Your Business

10 Ways to Prevent the Unexpected from Sinking Your Business

July 11, 2023

As a business owner, you know that unexpected interruptions are prone to happen at any time. In fact, you’re probably an expert at how to handle many of the daily…

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What Caused the Chip Shortage, and is the End in Sight?

What Caused the Chip Shortage, and is the End in Sight?

December 15, 2022

Covid-19 will go down in history as one of the most devastating pandemics ever. During the pandemic, many companies opted for a work-from-home environment for employees. However, the chip industry…

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How to Spot Holiday Scams

How to Spot Holiday Scams

December 15, 2022

There are scammers out there, and they make sure to put in overtime during this time of year. We are all in danger of being tricked by scammers, but with…

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5 Tech Tips for Hassle Free Holiday Travels

5 Tech Tips for Hassle Free Holiday Travels

December 15, 2022

With the holidays upon us, everyone is traveling here and there to see friends and family. Traveling can be stressful, and everyone needs a few pointers on how to make…

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Cached Data – What it is and What to do With it?

Cached Data – What it is and What to do With it?

November 11, 2022

When you visit a website or use an app, your device stores certain information in a reserved space so that the next time you visit that site or app, the…

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Top Tech Trends for 2023

Top Tech Trends for 2023

October 25, 2022

Technology is changing so much that it’s hard to keep up. Every year new technologies are released, and many business leaders don’t know what will be important in the future.…

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October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October 12, 2022

Every October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! We support CISA’s efforts to promote Security Awareness and Training, as it is an under-discussed topic in reducing risk for business. CISA, the US Government’s…

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How Often Do You Need to Train Employees on Cybersecurity Awareness?

How Often Do You Need to Train Employees on Cybersecurity Awareness?

October 11, 2022

You’ve completed your annual phishing training. This includes teaching employees how to spot phishing emails. You’re feeling good about it. That is until about 5-6 months later. Your company suffers…

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<strong>You Need to Watch Out for<br>Reply-Chain Phishing Attacks </strong>

You Need to Watch Out for
Reply-Chain Phishing Attacks 

September 27, 2022

Phishing. It seems you can’t read an article on cybersecurity without it coming up. That’s because phishing is still the number one delivery vehicle for cyberattacks. A cybercriminal may want…

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<strong>What Should You Do to Reduce Risk<br>When Your Mobile Device Goes Missing?</strong>

What Should You Do to Reduce Risk
When Your Mobile Device Goes Missing?

September 13, 2022

Few things invoke instant panic like a missing smartphone or laptop. These devices hold a good part of our lives. This includes files, personal financials, apps, passwords, pictures, videos, and…

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<strong>6 Important IT Policies Any Size<br>Company Should Implement</strong>

6 Important IT Policies Any Size
Company Should Implement

September 6, 2022

Many small businesses make the mistake of skipping policies. They feel that things don’t need to be so formal. They’ll just tell staff what’s expected when it comes up and…

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How Using the SLAM Method<br>Can Improve Phishing Detection

How Using the SLAM Method
Can Improve Phishing Detection

August 30, 2022

There is a reason why phishing is usually at the top of the list for security awarenesstraining. For the last decade or two, it has been the main delivery method…

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Did You Just Receive a Text from Yourself? Learn What Smishing Scams to Expect

Did You Just Receive a Text from Yourself? Learn What Smishing Scams to Expect

August 23, 2022

How many text messages from companies do you receive today as compared to about two years ago? If you’re like many people, it’s quite a few more. This is because…

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Where Can You Get IT Support For Accountants, and Why Do You Need This?

Where Can You Get IT Support For Accountants, and Why Do You Need This?

August 22, 2022

You’ve spent years building up your reputation and business with clients who have come to trust you. They rely on your expertise in accounting to keep their company thriving. But…

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5 Exciting Ways Microsoft 365 Can Enable the Hybrid Office

5 Exciting Ways Microsoft 365 Can Enable the Hybrid Office

August 9, 2022

“Hybrid office” is the new buzzword you’ll hear used in business discussions. It’s the mix of having employees both working at the office and working from home. This has become…

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What Is Cybersecurity Risk Management and Why Is It Crucial For Your Business?

What Is Cybersecurity Risk Management and Why Is It Crucial For Your Business?

July 20, 2022

It’s a fact that many small and midsized businesses neglect their cybersecurity. They may do so either because they think their company doesn’t need it or because they are confused…

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Football & Business: Lessons from Emmitt Smith on Living as an Entrepreneur

Football & Business: Lessons from Emmitt Smith on Living as an Entrepreneur

July 19, 2022

The Tech Eagles team is constantly in pursuit of bettering our skills and services. During a conference in Nashville, Finance and Marketing Assistant, Rachel Montgomery and Marketing Director, Abbie Bullen had…

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How Can Flexible IT Solutions Today Help with Future Digital Transformation?

How Can Flexible IT Solutions Today Help with Future Digital Transformation?

June 29, 2022

At the onset of the pandemic in 2020, lockdowns put businesses’ IT flexibility to the test. Unfortunately, some crumbled, unable to keep up with the new digital demands of the…

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5 Things You Should Never Do on a Work Computer 

5 Things You Should Never Do on a Work Computer 

June 7, 2022

Whether you work remotely or in an office, the line between personal and work tasks can become blurred when working on your company computer. If you’re in front of a…

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What Is Cloud Cybersecurity and How Does It Work for Small Businesses?

What Is Cloud Cybersecurity and How Does It Work for Small Businesses?

May 24, 2022

The internet has made rapid progress, quickly moving much of life into the digital sphere. With that increased digitalization of everyday tasks, many businesses are moving toward cloud-based storage solutions…

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Building Cyber Resilience in Your Business

Building Cyber Resilience in Your Business

May 17, 2022

We keep seeing more and more words prefaced with “cyber” these days. “cyber crime” “cyber security” “cyber criminals” “cyber attacks” “cyber warfare”. Here’s one you might not have heard of:…

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Alarming Phishing Attack Trends to Beware of in 2022 

Alarming Phishing Attack Trends to Beware of in 2022 

May 10, 2022

In 2020, 75% of companies around the world experienced a phishing attack. Phishing remains one of the biggest dangers to your business’s health and well-being because it’s the main delivery…

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New vulnerabilities: How you can protect your business through education.

abbie | April 21, 2022

https://youtu.be/AjaVJELGWx0 In this short video, TJ shares a story on something that is currently taking place in the NE Tennessee area, and with it a reminder for all of us to stay alert. A well-known business is under a current…

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How Holston & Garner IT Came Together to Create Something Great

How Holston & Garner IT Came Together to Create Something Great

April 20, 2022

    A few of you have asked, “How did Holston IT and Garner IT come together and create Tech Eagles?” Here is a brief attempt to encapsulate the Tech Eagles story:…

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Information Security vs. Cybersecurity: What Makes Them Different from One Another?

Information Security vs. Cybersecurity: What Makes Them Different from One Another?

April 15, 2022

Cybersecurity has become an increasingly common word in everyday vocabulary thanks to all the technology society relies on each day. Like many other words in the common lexicon, cybersecurity has…

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Protecting Your Business Might Be Easier Than You Think…

abbie | March 24, 2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whAFAjrTCBA The number one way hackers come into your business is through your business email.   In this short video, TJ Scott, Technical Account Manager over here at Tech Eagles will show you IronScales, our current favorite solution for combating…

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Russia-Ukraine War And Cybersecurity In Your Business

abbie | February 25, 2022

https://youtu.be/JdkniC-ypp4 Since Russia started its campaign against Ukraine, incidents of ransomware, phishing emails, and other cyber-related crimes have skyrocketed. Early reports are showing cyberattacks in the US against small and medium businesses are up more than 150-300% and are expected…

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5 Benefits to Healthcare IT Support

5 Benefits to Healthcare IT Support

February 21, 2022

When you work in healthcare, IT support should be one of your main concerns. The Healthcare Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, also known as HIPPA, guarantees each patient has…

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How Can Our Merged Tech Eagles IT Team Help Your Business Succeed?

How Can Our Merged Tech Eagles IT Team Help Your Business Succeed?

February 3, 2022

Many small and mid-sized businesses suffer from inadequate information technology services. Their providers don’t do a thorough job of protecting them, and then when technical issues come up, their IT…

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Do you need help managing your kids’ screentime and protecting them from online threats?

Do you need help managing your kids’ screentime and protecting them from online threats?

December 17, 2021

Let’s be honest: parenting has never been for the weak of heart. However, these days of online interaction present brand-new challenges our parents and grandparents never had to manage. Below…

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How to Maintain Sanity & Productivity with Your Kids at Home

How to Maintain Sanity & Productivity with Your Kids at Home

December 15, 2021

If you unexpectedly have kids at home, this short course can help! For best value, watch the videos in order.Each is only 20 minutesExtra resources are available to download, under…

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Digital Communication, Online Activity, Smartphones, and More: How Can We Protect our Kids and Teenagers?

abbie | December 15, 2021

https://youtu.be/TRtSpLLhpew Does YouTube Care? https://youtu.be/Yg1Nl4CDA-0 Protection for 2-year-olds https://youtu.be/neRGxxttG-0 Author of “Are Your Kids Naked Online” Interview https://youtu.be/tB7936XjXOk What the Bad Guys Do https://youtu.be/bEpCdakTZSU Some Smart Phone Apps are Hiding Something! https://youtu.be/wKicwM7SA7k How Parents can Help Kids Stay Safe https://youtu.be/6MpllCK2Fbo…

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Getting Up Off the Mat When Life Knocks You Down

Getting Up Off the Mat When Life Knocks You Down

December 10, 2021

     Tim, Allison, Randall & Julie attended an invitation-only conference for leaders in the cybersecurity industry.  The keynote speaker was George Foreman: 2-time world champion in heavyweight boxing and world-famous…

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Phishing Is On The Rise

Phishing Is On The Rise

December 1, 2021

    The bad guys keep thinking up new ways to trick us into entering our information onto their hooks instead of into trusted systems. Watch out!      When shopping online,…

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If You are Shopping Online, You Need to Read This!

abbie | November 29, 2021

Hackers and scammers are always eager to get your information, but taking the proper precautions dramatically decreases your risks as a digital shopper.  Here are tips to protect your info as you virtually wear Santa’s hat during this holiday season.…

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Tech Eagles Gift Guide 2021

Tech Eagles Gift Guide 2021

November 26, 2021

The geeks have spoken! Here are some great gift ideas for your shopping list this holiday season!   Rob the Rich and Give to the Poor… or is it Rob…

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Our Clients Soar Like Eagles

abbie | November 15, 2021

Our clients soar like eagles because of wise investments in IT! Eagles are the King of Birds. We help our clients leverage IT to be leaders in their industries. We have a new name! This is ONLY a name change!…

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Local Cybersecurity Nightmares

Local Cybersecurity Nightmares

October 27, 2021

You’ve heard about Colonial Pipeline, JBS Foods, and countless more.  A huge cybersecurity story hits national news at least weekly. Local cybersecurity horror stories are also on the rise.  Here…

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“Secure Systems & Fast Service”

“Secure Systems & Fast Service”

September 27, 2021

We specialize in preparing customized medications to meet the unique needs of patients and physicians in the Tri-Cities. This process, often called “compounding,” fills needs traditional medications simply cannot.  It’s…

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How Technology Can Grow Your Business in 2021

How Technology Can Grow Your Business in 2021

September 9, 2021

After a roller coaster ride over the past year and more, businesses are looking to the future. Their eyes aren’t just on recovery. Eager to make up for lost time,…

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How to Eliminate the Weather (on your taskbar)

How to Eliminate the Weather (on your taskbar)

July 12, 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adHFtM19krI Updates are an important but annoying part of life with information technology. Here’s a quick tip to revert your taskbar back to where it was, if you’re not a…

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Disable Amazon Sidewalk!

Disable Amazon Sidewalk!

June 30, 2021

If Amazon’s Alexa is part of your life, or if you are using Ring, this article is for you. Here’s the bottom line: Disable Amazon Sidewalk.  Click here for a…

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We have exciting news to share!

We have exciting news to share!

May 21, 2021

Holston & Garner IT has been awarded the CompTIA Security Trustmark+ certification. Only 38 other companies in the nation have earned this distinction! This is a vendor neutral, business-level credential,…

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Are You Driving Your Company Safely?

Are You Driving Your Company Safely?

May 3, 2021

Every time you get in your car, you are taking the risk of being in a car accident. When we hop in our wheeled vehicles to fly down narrow strips…

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Holston & Garner Recruited to Support Girls Inc.

Holston & Garner Recruited to Support Girls Inc.

April 8, 2021

Did you hear about the HUGE raffle Girls Inc. of Bay County is hosting? The Garner branch of our company has worked with Girls Inc. of Bay County for years…

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Chrome Zero-Day: Update Now!

Chrome Zero-Day: Update Now!

February 8, 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlfchATHeC4&feature=youtu.be To check which version you have, click the three-lines icon (the “hamburger menu”) in the top right corner. For Chrome, go to Help>About Chrome. For Chromium, simply click About…

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Hospitals, Cybersecurity, & the National Guard

Hospitals, Cybersecurity, & the National Guard

January 28, 2021

https://youtu.be/wq2V6Djyuy0 It’s not surprising for people when the national guard is pulled in for situations like hurricane emergencies, civil disturbances, or even the inauguration a few weeks ago.  But it…

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Secure Schooling From Home

Secure Schooling From Home

January 20, 2021

In this article, Sophos describes the value of teaching your kids proper IT Hygiene from the start. Additionally, they also go over some basic home security precautions you should be…

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New Bug On the Block

New Bug On the Block

January 15, 2021

https://youtu.be/CbIuIorx3lg There’s a new bug on the block. This was first reported to Microsoft last summer, but they have yet to patch it, and now it’s been published for all…

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Keeping Kids Safe Online

Keeping Kids Safe Online

January 10, 2021

Check out this 10-session video series we created to help parents navigate the complexities of kids online Click Here

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National Technology Day

National Technology Day

January 6, 2021

It’s National Technology Day!!!  And the question we’re asking today is……  if you lived 100 years ago, which piece of modern technology would you miss the most?  100 years ago…

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Confessions of Cybercriminals

Confessions of Cybercriminals

December 16, 2020

Cybercriminals Confess: The Top 3 Tricks And Sneaky Schemes They Use To Hack Your Computer Network That Can Put You Out Of Business Cybercriminals and hackers are rarely shy about…

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Holston & Garner IT Christmas Gift Guide 2020

Holston & Garner IT Christmas Gift Guide 2020

November 28, 2020

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our Team of Geeks has spoken: here are some great techy gifts for your shopping list this year![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Bluetooth Speakers Built into a Hat Music Bee Bluetooth Beanie…

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Why Your Business Is The PERFECT Target For Hackers

Why Your Business Is The PERFECT Target For Hackers

November 16, 2020

Everybody gets hacked, but not everything makes the evening news. We hear about big companies like Target, Home Depot, Capital One, and Facebook getting hacked. What we rarely hear about…

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THE Most Important Tool to Protect  Your Business From Ransomware

THE Most Important Tool to Protect Your Business From Ransomware

November 2, 2020

https://youtu.be/jpAmw0tQmG4 On October 29th, the FBI sent out a high-alert regarding imminent threats from a new strain of ransomware. In this webinar, Alison and TJ disclose THE best tool available…

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Productivity Tip: Easy Automated Emails!

Productivity Tip: Easy Automated Emails!

October 13, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhhDeBM2Ics Need a quick and easy method for responding to emails? Jeff, our VP of operations takes a moment to give you a time-saving tip! 

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The Dangers of SMS Multi-Factor Authentication

The Dangers of SMS Multi-Factor Authentication

September 30, 2020

Picture this:  You get a call from a vendor that convinces you they are legit. They walk you through “helping you set up an account” and ask for your phone number…

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Easy Green Screen For Remote Work!

abbie | September 23, 2020

Are you tired of the Video Call Mad Cleaning Scramble when you participate in video calls from home? We’ve all been there. A big aspect of the impact of Covid-19 has been that we are suddenly working in the middle…

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Strategic Planning, Personable Help, Fast Response!

Strategic Planning, Personable Help, Fast Response!

September 8, 2020

“Technology is critical to our daily operations.  From phone systems to computers, and even right down to accepting payment from customers, we have information technology threaded through every bit of our…

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In August of 2020, Holston and Garner IT earned the prestigious CompTIA Managed Services TRUSTMARK

holstonit | August 27, 2020

Only 109 companies in the nation had earned this award when CompTIA presented it to Holston and Garner IT. Here is CompTIA’s own description of this designation: IT companies that have earned a CompTIA Trustmark have been through a review…

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US Air Force Invites Satellite Hack

US Air Force Invites Satellite Hack

August 19, 2020

DEF CON is one of the world’s largest and most notable hacker conventions, held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The winning team’s picture. This year, the…

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Scare Tactics

Scare Tactics

August 10, 2020

It should hardly come as a surprise to anyone that cybercriminal activity has surged in 2020. By May of this year, the number of reported attacks had already come close…

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What Paper Airplanes & Emails Have In Common

abbie | August 7, 2020

https://youtu.be/EaCeYYL6cJY What do emails and paper airplanes have in common? Alison explains in this quick video!

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The Skinny on the MINIMUM Protection You Need

The Skinny on the MINIMUM Protection You Need

August 3, 2020

The world is changing—in fact, it’s kinda turned upside down in the past few months.  And, in case you missed it, cases of COVID-19 are not the only thing experiencing…

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Tax-Free Weekend is upon us!

holstonit | August 2, 2020

“What kind of laptop should I buy for my student?” is a popular question we hear every year around this time. As you shop for a computer for your young learner, consider these three things: RAM, type of Drive, and…

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Alison’s favorite password management tool!

abbie | July 13, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=melKkq_WNFk Let’s face it; password management can be messy. Our minds are full of important (and maybe not so important) details from our day to day lives, and for many of us, remembering passwords can be extremely difficult if not impossible.…

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Straight Outta Lockdown

abbie | July 10, 2020

https://youtu.be/iIGhuRzbWoE   In case you missed the live event, here’s the recording! Our own Tim Meredith is on a national panel of IT experts discussing practical solutions for your business as North America re-opens and we find a new “normal”.…

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Are these apps scraping your data?

abbie | July 8, 2020

https://youtu.be/2nCQy4Nb0EE Sophos Article: iOS 14 flags TikTok, 53 other apps spying on iPhone clipboards Sophos Intercept X Mobile Just for clarification, the apps listed below are known to scrape clipboard data. However, there are no doubt many other insecure apps that…

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Are you prepping your business for the future?

Are you prepping your business for the future?

June 30, 2020

Trying to look ahead to your business needs in the months to come?  The effect of the global pandemic has introduced new challenges for every industry. Business owners today are…

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Watch Out For Survey Scams!

Watch Out For Survey Scams!

June 22, 2020

Survey scams are nothing new, but NakedSecurity gives an overview of one that popped up on their radar recently. All in all, the major takeaway here is if it looks…

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Why You Need Proactive IT

Why You Need Proactive IT

June 15, 2020

A lot of businesses wait until something breaks before they fix it. And even then, they may take a “patchwork” approach to fixing the problem. They are reactive rather than…

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Alison’s Booklist & A New Tool At the Library!

abbie | June 10, 2020

https://youtu.be/J-O94nfXJcs Bristol Library Curbside Info             Alison’s Booklist The Bristol Public Library is now offering curbside pickup! Click the Bristol Library link above to find the 2 options for BPL’s curbside pickup! Additionally, we’re sharing Alison’s…

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Telehealth Lunch & Learn!

abbie | June 5, 2020

https://youtu.be/3DwFKD-chZU Looking for an easy, inexpensive, secure, and efficient telehealth solution for your practice?  Alison interviews Linda Powell from DocsInk. Linda shares all the details on why DocsInk might be a good fit for you! Check out the Documents below…

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Staying Engaged On Zoom Meetings

Staying Engaged On Zoom Meetings

June 3, 2020

Let’s be honest. Working remotely certainly has it’s perks, but staying fully engaged while on a video meeting can be incredibly difficult! The Harvard Business Review came up with 5…

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Defining the Dark Web

abbie | May 27, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F3rz7GfPys&feature=emb_title Another round of Tech Terms in plain English!  People love throwing around the concept of “the dark web”. But have you ever wondered, “What on earth IS the dark web?” Guess what? Today’s your lucky day!  Naked Security recently…

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Tech Tip & A Story: Why use BCC

abbie | May 20, 2020

https://youtu.be/wcNlY0FMgM0 Last month the City of Los Angeles made a major blunder when an employee sent a mass email notifying recipients of the results of a COVID 19 test and put ALL the recipients’ email addresses in the “To” column…

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What is Social Engineering?

abbie | May 13, 2020

What is social engineering? If you ask your 8-year-old, he might explain a social engineer as a really friendly train driver. Unfortunately, that is not how we’re using the phrase today! Sophos created a series a few years back wherein…

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Don’t Fall for Online Puppy Scams!

abbie | May 4, 2020

  Social distancing is leading many of us to consider getting a new pet. And why not? If you have time and place for it, a new puppy might be just the thing to get you through the COVID Crisis!…

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Change this setting TODAY on your Zoom account!

abbie | April 20, 2020

https://youtu.be/fE003Qu-nII Zoom released a new security feature April 18th–take action! Do you want data (ie, audio, video, screen shares) from your online meetings to be routed through countries whose governments can access that data? Watch this quick video to learn…

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Essential Security Habits When Using Zoom

abbie | April 8, 2020

If you are using Zoom, you need to know these essential security habits: DO use a password—this is now the default setting when you are setting up a new Zoom meeting. Leave it that way. DO use a waiting room—this also has recently…

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How to Prevent Zoom-Bombing

abbie | April 2, 2020

  Hackers have noticed: The number of people now using Zoom for digital meetings has skyrocketed.     Here at Holston & Garner IT, we love the Zoom platform and are happy to recommend it to our fellow business leaders. But don’t…

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March 31st: World Backup Day!

abbie | March 31, 2020

Today is World Backup Day! The combination of more people working remotely + the bad guy’s boosted activity during the chaos makes it all the more important to backup your data. In this brief article, Naked Security goes through the…

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Special Info For Clients: working from home. . .

abbie | March 23, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_6X3SdzIoA Are you wondering how to enable your employees to work securely and remotely? We are getting lots of questions regarding this; Alison addressed them in a recent webinar. If you are the owner or manager of a business and…

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When to Share Covid-19 Information

abbie | March 19, 2020

Is this a good source of COVID-19 info, or is it a tool to spread Malware?      You may sometimes hear the phrase,  “Never let a good crisis go to waste!”   That is definitely the mindset of criminals.  They love the…

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Data Breaches Are Today’s Norm- Secure Your Network!

Data Breaches Are Today’s Norm- Secure Your Network!

March 16, 2020

There’s a saying in IT, we don’t go by IF your business has a cyberattack, but WHEN your business has a cyberattack. Data breaches have gone from being the exception…

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Cyber Insurance: What You Need To Know

abbie | March 9, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KweZK3x2sTc&feature=youtu.be So, what’s the deal with cyber insurance? In our latest webinar, Alison interviews Justin Reinmuth, CEO of Technology Risk Underwriting Group. Check it out to learn why cyber insurance is a smart addition to your business, and hear about…

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Ransomware Attack Lets Off Alleged Drug Dealers

abbie | March 2, 2020

Ransomware is a real thing and its effects are no joke! This story features a town in Florida who lost key evidence in a drug case after a ransomware attack, thereby allowing 6 alleged criminals go free. As always, please…

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When Things Aren’t What They Seem

abbie | February 24, 2020

An apparent Amazon Prime phishing attempt turns out to be something bigger and scarier! This is a good reminder from Naked Security on WordPress safety measures! If you have any concerns about cybersecurity at your home base, please contact our…

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The Cost of Cybercrime Keeps Going Up

abbie | February 17, 2020

Cybercriminals are getting smarter every year, making it harder and harder for victims to distinguish real messages from scams. They are also getting more focused -the target population might surprise you! Check out this article by Naked Security to discover…

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Protecting Kids in this Digital Online World: Free Event!

abbie | February 10, 2020

Mark your calendars! Coming up in March and April, Alison will be going over her recently published whitepaper, “Digital Communication, Online Activity, Smartphones, and More: How Can We Protect our Kids and Teenagers?” And the best news? You get 4 chances…

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Alison’s Whitepaper Now On Amazon Kindle!

abbie | February 3, 2020

Congratulations to our very own Alison Meredith! Alison’s recently published whitepaper, “Digital Communication, Online Activity, Smartphones, and More: How Can We Protect our Kids and Teenagers?” is now available on Amazon Kindle! Here at Holston & Garner IT, while we…

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Think Your Business Is “Too Small” To Be Hacked? Read This.

abbie | January 27, 2020

If You Think Your Business Is Too Small To Be Hacked … You’re A Cybercriminal’s #1 Target Many cybercriminals look at small businesses like blank checks. More often than not, small businesses just don’t put money into their cybersecurity, and…

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5 Tips To Avoid Spear-Phishing Attacks

abbie | January 20, 2020

“Phishing, very briefly defined, is where a cybercriminal tricks you into revealing something electronically that you ought to have kept to yourself. The good news is that most of us have learned to spot obvious phishing attacks these days. The…

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The Eye-Opening Costs of Keeping Old, Slow Computers

abbie | January 13, 2020

Employees Cost Way More than Computers A 2% productivity loss from even the lowest-paid employee in your company costs more than a new computer and keeping computers for five years results in over 6% productivity loss per employee! Businesses are…

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Why Hiring Cheap Will Actually Cost You More Money

abbie | January 8, 2020

As anybody working in IT will tell you… The most common question we get isn’t, “Why is my computer running so slowly?” or “Why is my Internet not working?” The #1 question we are asked is, “What do you charge…

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Company Shuts Down Because of Ransomware, Leaves 300 Without Jobs Just Before Holidays

abbie | December 30, 2019

Please take cyber threats seriously! Contact us to learn about security measures you can put in place, we’d be delighted to partner with you to protect your network. https://www.zdnet.com/article/company-shuts-down-because-of-ransomware-leaves-300-without-jobs-just-before-holidays/

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Barter Youth Academy: Season of Giving

abbie | December 18, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL3CS4VUaDw The Barter Youth Academy (BYA) is a theater program for kids Kindergarten through 12th Grade hosted by the Barter Theatre of Abingdon, VA. Alison interviews Nikki, the director of BYA, along with BYA student Phoebe! Check out our short…

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HIT Christmas Gift Guide 2019

HIT Christmas Gift Guide 2019

December 17, 2019

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]   Have you procrastinated on Christmas shopping until the last minute? We’ve got some stellar gift ideas for you! [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”middle” el_class=”imageborder”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text] Amerelle Emergency Lights For Home by…

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Mountain Region Speech and Hearing Center: Season of Giving

abbie | December 16, 2019

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17yTOEbcVcw Alison interviews Brad Jenkins with Mountain Region Speech and Hearing! Learn how this stalwart organization is giving back to our community and how you can play a part in the Season of Giving!  https://www.holstonit.com/seasonofgiving/

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Alison Meredith’s Book Reaches Amazon Best-Seller Status!

abbie | December 5, 2019

Over at Holston IT we are super proud of our own Alison Meredith! Alison’s new book, YOU Are the #1 Target was launched September 12th, 2019. On the day of the launch, her book reached Amazon Best-Seller Status! Click here…

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Bristol Public Library Christmas Tree Parade

abbie | December 4, 2019

https://youtu.be/kK-iQLSksjg We are launching our Season of Giving with an interview by Alison with Grace! Grace is a young book enthusiast who loves being at the Bristol Public Library. Today Grace is telling us about the library’s Christmas Tree Parade!…

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Celebrating the Season of Giving with a Fun, Inexpensive, Kid-Friendly Activity

Celebrating the Season of Giving with a Fun, Inexpensive, Kid-Friendly Activity

December 2, 2019

Are you crazy-busy during this holiday season?  Would you like an easy way to step away from the hectic pace for a few minutes and experience something fun with your…

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Season of Giving 2019!

Season of Giving 2019!

November 30, 2019

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/J7CxpjzwOGU” el_width=”90″ align=”center”][vc_column_text]At the end of every calendar year we set aside some time to celebrate the great work of many of the organizations in our local community and…

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“How Do I Protect My Data?” Start with These Simple Steps:

abbie | November 5, 2019

 Figure out what data you have and where it’s located.   This is obvious, but it makes the list because a surprising number of businesses don’t realize where all their data is located.  Often, without the owner’s knowledge, employees store your…

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What Is Serving Orphans Worldwide?

abbie | October 30, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM-6zN0TLWQ https://soworldwide.org/    

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Shiny New Gadget of the Month: TC1200 Flashlight

abbie | October 28, 2019

Can anything new be done with an electric torch?  We’ve forgotten, but “electric torch” was the given name of flashlights when they were a new invention. Now they are old hat, right? No longer a  news item.  Not so fast! …

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What Do Orphans And The Dark Web Have In Common?

abbie | October 28, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf9AflOrvW4 https://soworldwide.org/    

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Protect Kids

abbie | October 24, 2019

Parents! Please click here to read our free report about protecting your kids! holstonit.com/protectkids

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What You Didn’t Know About The Dark Web

abbie | October 17, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyphPfQ8j4E&feature=youtu.be https://soworldwide.org/

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Alison’s Book Makes Amazon #1 Best Seller!

abbie | September 12, 2019

Look at that sticker that says “#1”! Wow! Our aim to hit best seller status in multiple categories has worked! Thank you to those who have bought a copy and/or shared the news. Still time to get all our bonuses…

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Improve Your Facebook Security: Use This Checklist

holstonit | September 5, 2019

The default settings on Facebook assume you want to share everything with everyone. What, that’s not you? Then you need to change some of the default settings. Also, ICYMI, two things: Facebook is easily hacked and The facebook leadership doesn’t…

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What’s the Difference between Consumer and Business-Grade Firewalls?

holstonit | August 30, 2019

“Isn’t a consumer-grade firewall from Best Buy good enough for my business?” We get this question several times per year (sometimes per month), and our answer is always a flat “NO.” Today, instead of writing from scratch, I’m just going…

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Security and Fast Response from an Expert Team of Geeks!

holstonit | August 17, 2019

  Todd Peak, Owner Lighthouse Supply Security and Fast Response from an Expert Team of Geeks! Technology is essential to our day-to-day operations. We all rely on electronic files, which must be accurate and updated in…

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IT Specialist, Alison Meredith, Signs Publishing Deal With TechnologyPress™ To Co-Author You Are The #1 Target with Robin Robins

IT Specialist, Alison Meredith, Signs Publishing Deal With TechnologyPress™ To Co-Author You Are The #1 Target with Robin Robins

June 26, 2019

Alison Meredith will team up with other leading IT professionals, including IT Expert, Robin Robins, to release the new book, You Are The #1 Target, a collaboration of expert advice…

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Windows 7 End-of-Life

Windows 7 End-of-Life

June 19, 2019

It’s been a good ride. The Windows 7 Operating System has carried businesses through the past decade.A welcome replacement to Vista, Windows 7 spread happiness and efficiency into workplaces worldwide. …

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What Can We Learn from Disney University?

holstonit | June 17, 2019

Who’s that chatting with Alison Meredith?   Doug Lipp, author of  Disney U: How Disney University Develops the World’s Most Engaged, Loyal, and Customer-Centric Employees. Plus the Show: Lessons learned from Doug Lipp by Alison Meredith In March, I attended a…

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FlexSafe: Protect Your Valuables

holstonit | June 3, 2019

We all know the security dilemma that comes with a day of sun, sand, and waves: When it comes time to set aside your stuff and get wet, where do you put that stuff? Bury it in the sand? Ask…

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Free Games Have Consequences

Free Games Have Consequences

April 24, 2019

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Do You Agree with Google on This?

Do You Agree with Google on This?

April 22, 2019

Check out https://www.securly.com/.

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Are Your Kids Hiding Something?

Are Your Kids Hiding Something?

April 18, 2019

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Why Lisa Wrote a Book About Naked Children

Why Lisa Wrote a Book About Naked Children

April 15, 2019

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Monitoring Kids’ Online Activity

Monitoring Kids’ Online Activity

April 11, 2019

Check out https://www.securly.com/.

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Keeping Kids Safe Online Video

Keeping Kids Safe Online Video

April 10, 2019

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How Parents can Help Kids Stay Safe

How Parents can Help Kids Stay Safe

April 9, 2019

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Some Smart Phone Apps are Hiding Something!

Some Smart Phone Apps are Hiding Something!

April 8, 2019

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What the Bad Guys Do

What the Bad Guys Do

April 3, 2019

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Author of “Are Your Kids Naked Online” Interview

Author of “Are Your Kids Naked Online” Interview

April 1, 2019

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Sharenting

Sharenting

March 28, 2019

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Online Safety for Kids: Intro Video

holstonit | March 22, 2019

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Facebook Earns an F in Password Storage 101

holstonit | March 22, 2019

Bottom line: Change your Facebook password and check your security settings.  More Info: Again today, facebook demonstrated its low commitment to security. Passwords have been insecurely stored in a way that Facebook employees can easily access them. Full story can…

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Celebrating the Season of Giving with Appalachian Sustainable Development

Celebrating the Season of Giving with Appalachian Sustainable Development

December 27, 2018

In this video, Alison talks with Executive Director Kathlyn Terry and Board Chair Dr. Theresa Burriss. Kathlyn and Theresa share how the Food Hub connects smaller farmers with bigger markets,…

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Celebrating the Season of Giving with Mountain Region Speech and Hearing Center

holstonit | December 13, 2018

In this video, Alison interviews Executive Director Brad Jenkins.  Brad shares how the MRSHC team serves children and seniors in our community as we celebrate this season of giving. To learn more about MRSHC, click here. [vll_video id=”17yTOEbcVcw”][/vll_video]

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”A Knowledgeable Staff and Excellent Service!”

ajdin | October 23, 2018

“I’m always impressed with the knowledgeable staff at Holston IT and grateful for all the helpful information that they have shared with me. We are always happy with the service that we receive from Holston IT.” — Clare Snyder Branch,…

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Could You Afford This $2.6 Million Mistake?

holstonit | October 23, 2018

Mark it in history: MMXVIII is the year of ransomware. According to the 2018 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, while malware and hacking breaches have been on a slight decline for the last year, the use of ransomware has skyrocketed.…

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Ransomware is on the rise.

holstonit | October 17, 2018

Ransomware is on the rise. Bad guys encrypt valuable data, demanding that victims pay a ransom if they ever want to access their data again. Bad News:  Ransomware Attacks are Increasing.  An example of bad guys announcing their attack: Good…

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Are You Inviting Criminals To Rob You?

holstonit | October 9, 2018

The next time you think about “Checking In” with Facebook or Tweeting about your vacation, don’t. Burglars are now using social media sites to target homes when people are away on vacation, business or just out at dinner. One such…

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Over 50 Million Facebook Accounts Compromised: What You Need to Do NOW to Improve the Security of YOUR Facebook Account

Over 50 Million Facebook Accounts Compromised: What You Need to Do NOW to Improve the Security of YOUR Facebook Account

September 29, 2018

Over 50 Million Facebook Accounts Compromised: What You Need to Do NOW to Improve the Security of YOUR Facebook Account   1. On the top right side of your FB…

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9 Steps You Must Know To Prevent A Server Crash

holstonit | September 27, 2018

Here are a few simple things you can do to prevent your server and network equipment from overheating and crashing: Tidy up the server room; a neater room will increase air flow. If you have more than one server, arrange…

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Russian National Who Operated Kelihos Botnet Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Conspiracy, Computer Crime and Identity Theft Offenses

holstonit | September 14, 2018

We are often asked this question: “Do they ever catch the bad guys?” The answer is YES! Here’s a big win for the Good Guys: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/russian-national-who-operated-kelihos-botnet-pleads-guilty-fraud-conspiracy-computer-crime

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Secure Data and a Fast Network

holstonit | September 4, 2018

We have been a Holston IT client since early 2017. They have consistently provided prompt service from a professional team. If I have any question—about our WiFi, computers, even our smartphones, I just ask. I get helpful answers at lightning…

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“Seismic Shifts in Digital Technology”

holstonit | August 24, 2018

On June 22nd, the Supreme Court cited “seismic shifts in digital technology” as part of the justification for shifting away from the third-party doctrine it outlined over four decades ago. Quick lessons in history and current events are in order.…

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Shiny New Gadget Of The Month

holstonit | August 15, 2018

The security of your home is more important than ever before. Lawbreakers are  getting bolder, and they switch up their tactics as technology advances. With that in mind, there’s a definite market for a security camera that’s both difficult to…

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“Which laptop should I buy for my student?”

holstonit | August 2, 2018

We get that question often around this time of year, and here is our reply: We do not recommend a particular make or model. We DO recommend that you buy a computer with the following specifications: Intel i5 Series Processor…

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DANCING, DINING, & DUCKS

holstonit | July 24, 2018

Enjoy great food and activities while supporting a great cause: improving the treatment of speech, language, hearing, and swallowing disorders in our community. Our friends and clients, Mountain Region Speech and Hearing Center, are hosting this fun fundraiser- how many…

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DocsInk: Secure Messaging, Simplified

holstonit | July 18, 2018

Have you heard of Slack? Is your team using it? Slack has been among the best-in-class messaging apps for some time, and now has over 5 million daily users. It’s a fantastic collaboration tool. Our main concern with Slack is…

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What To Do BEFORE You Go To Starbucks

What To Do BEFORE You Go To Starbucks

July 12, 2018

You’re in the car on the way home from Starbucks, basking in the glow of your triple-shot, low-foam, extra-hot pumpkin spice latte when you suddenly realize your laptop has gone…

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Password Protection News Flash: People are STILL being lazy

Password Protection News Flash: People are STILL being lazy

July 10, 2018

80% of cyber-attacks involve weak passwords.1 55% of people use one password for all logins.1 With a $300 graphics card, a hacker can run 420 billion simple, lowercase, eight-character password…

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Holston IT is One of the Best Business Decisions We’ve Made!

Holston IT is One of the Best Business Decisions We’ve Made!

June 13, 2018

“Our time with Holston IT has been excellent. The switch from our previous IT people was very smooth and uneventful. If we ever have a glitch, which has been very…

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Outstanding Service and Fast Response

Outstanding Service and Fast Response

June 11, 2018

“While parting ways from our former IT company, we had a need to reconfigure our server.  We contacted Holston IT to explain our needs, and they were able to provide…

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Finally, I Can go on Vacation without Calls From the Office!

Finally, I Can go on Vacation without Calls From the Office!

June 7, 2018

“We were in a situation where we were not getting responsive answers from our IT support team and, many times, fixing one problem would break something else.  We were very…

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Facebook: Don’t Be Too Free With Your Personal Data!

holstonit | June 1, 2018

Facebook has been all over the news lately—and not to receive accolades.   Here are two of the recent scandals: The Cambridge Analytica Scandal This scandal revolves around a political research firm that used people’s private information without their consent. Here’s…

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The WRONG Management Strategy For Your Information Technology

holstonit | May 29, 2018

“If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It”. . .  Does this apply to . . . . Your car? Or do you get the oil changed even if your car is not “broke?” Your health? Or do you go have…

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Before You Fill Out That Facebook Poll, WAIT . . .

holstonit | May 24, 2018

“What car did you learn to drive stick shift on?” “What is the name of your special furry friend?” “What is your favorite movie of all time?” Surely there’s no harm in responding to these and the many other polls…

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Welcome to the team, Randy!

holstonit | April 14, 2018

Randy Serena is a Microsoft Technology Associate with A+ Certification and over 16 years of experience. He provides senior level technical support to our amazing clients.

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Password Problems Made Easy

holstonit | April 10, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1589984045966{margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”] Advice on how to choose a good password is not in short supply. You’ve heard all this before: Use long passwords. Beatles8DaysaWeek! is more secure than    3x$T*i9 and it’s easier to remember too! Use both letters…

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WARNING: Your Business Is More Likely to be the Victim of Cybercrime NOW Than Ever Before . . . Don’t Turn aBlind Eye to the New Threats!

holstonit | April 6, 2018

Though we’re in the midst of an unprecedented rise in high-profile cybercrime incidents, it’s easy to assume that our own, low-profile businesses are  safe. Sure, we think, hacking into the data stores of J.P. Morgan, the U.S. Government, or Virgin…

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Holston IT: The Technology Experts!

holstonit | April 5, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text] Brad Jenkins, Executive Director, MRSHC  “We trust the technology experts of Holston IT to keep our network  secure and running smoothly.” Mountain Region Speech and Hearing Center was founded in 1974 by the Junior League and the Sertoma…

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Dark Sky: An App That’ll Add Sunshine To Your Day

holstonit | April 5, 2018

Six years ago, a crazy idea hit kinckstarter.com:  an app that would predict the weather. But wait, wasn’t the market already saturated with weather apps?   Thankfully, a “handful of generous strangers” thought Jack  and Adam were on to something,  and enabled them to go forward. Last month,…

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Newly Discovered Vulnerability Could be Leaking Your Passwords and Sensitive Data

holstonit | January 9, 2018

What’s up with the news about “Every Computer Chip Since 1995 is At Risk”? Is this just our media pushing a story because it’s sensational?  Are various news sources echoing scary headlines simply because “Bad news sells”? Is the sky…

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Don’t be tricked! Take our treat instead!

holstonit | October 31, 2017

Don’t be tricked!   You may THINK your backups are working—but are you sure? What would happen if you suffered a major data loss and THEN discovered your backups weren’t working? It’s Halloween, and we have a Treat for you.      We…

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Equifax Breach

holstonit | September 9, 2017

On a scale of 1-10 for data breaches, this one is a 10: Equifax announced on Thursday that as many as 143 million people may have had their personal information exposed.You are quite likely among them. You are quite likely…

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The Critical Loophole That May Result in Insurance Companies Refusing to Cover a Cybercrime Theft in Your Business

holstonit | August 9, 2017

As hacking hit the headlines in the last few years — most recently the global hack in May that targeted companies both large and small — insurance policies to protect businesses against damage and lawsuits have become more popular. Your…

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Tax-Free Weekend Computer Shopping

holstonit | July 26, 2017

The Academic Year starts soon, and that means Tax-Free Weekend Shopping is upon us.   July 28-30 in Tennessee and August 4-6 in Virginia are the dates to hit the stores. Wish we could offer tax-free computers, but, sadly, we can’t.  …

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Are Your Patches Up-To-Date? What’s a Patch and Why Does It Matter?

holstonit | July 24, 2017

In May, the WannaCry Ransomware attack affected companies spanning the globe, shutting down hospitals, disrupting utility companies, and stalling the work of millions.  WannaCry took advantage of the fact that many businesses don’t keep their patching up-to-date. Every time a…

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Solar Eclipse: Coming to a City Near You!

holstonit | July 20, 2017

On Monday, August 21, a total solar eclipse will cross the USA.  Let’s hope the weather is cloudless, because  the moon and sun won’t provide rainchecks to the millions of people who will travel to see their dance. This gray…

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Dancing, Dining, and Ducks

holstonit | June 26, 2017

July 29th at 6:30 at the Kingsport Aquatic Center Enjoy great food and activities while supporting a great cause: improving the treatment of speech, language, hearing, and swallowing disorders in our community. Our friends and clients, Mountain Region Speech and…

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Surface Studio: All Beauty, A Little Brains

Surface Studio: All Beauty, A Little Brains

June 21, 2017

“We want to move from people needing Windows . . . to loving Windows.” So said CEO Satya Nadella after taking over Microsoft. And their new Surface Studio takes a…

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Safe and Recoverable Data: What’s Required?

Safe and Recoverable Data: What’s Required?

June 14, 2017

Summer is here—what does that mean to you?  More golf?    A beach vacation?  Family reunions? Business owners are particularly prone to taking their stress with them when they walk out…

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Prompt Service from an Amazing Group of Geeks!

Prompt Service from an Amazing Group of Geeks!

June 13, 2017

Holston IT has provided our IT support since 2012. Their team members have excellent technical skills and easily solve any network problems we have. Not only that, they are prompt…

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Technology That Helps Me Reach My Business Goals

Technology That Helps Me Reach My Business Goals

June 7, 2017

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2017/06/bill.png”] Bill Siegler, Owner Pelican Financial Group “Holston IT has removed my technology headaches and provided great service since 2012!” Bill Siegler is an Accredited Investment…

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Holston IT Welcomes New Team Member: Christy Correll

holstonit | May 22, 2017

We’ve been busy around here!  Our passion is to remove your technology headaches.  Your computers should just work so that you can focus on running your business.    We’re delighted that our client list is growing, which means we must grow…

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Huge Cyber Attack Worldwide – Serious Threat

holstonit | May 15, 2017

“WannaCry” is the biggest successful cyber attack in years. In Europe, tens of thousands of computers have been hit so far. Hospitals were even turning away patients because they can’t access their records. And it spread from there to many other countries—the…

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Holston IT Welcomes New Team Member: Derrick Meyer

holstonit | May 15, 2017

We’ve been busy around here!  Our passion is to remove your technology headaches.  Your computers should just work so that you can focus on running your business.    We’re delighted that our client list is growing, which means we must grow…

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Holston IT Welcomes New Team Member: Calvin Brockmyre

holstonit | May 9, 2017

We’ve been busy around here!  Our passion is to remove your technology headaches.  Your computers should just work so that you can focus on running your business.    We’re delighted that our client list is growing, which means we must grow…

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Resist the Dark Side: Custom Lightsaber

holstonit | April 3, 2017

The Sith Lord is about to strike – this is no time for an ordinary lightsaber. Time to pull out your own hand-made custom lightsaber… You’d be hard-pressed to find an imaginary weapon as iconic as the Star Wars lightsaber.…

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That Fake App Just Stole Your ID

holstonit | March 27, 2017

Ryan loved tweaking photos on his Android phone. He’d heard rave reviews from his friends with iPhones about Prisma, a new iOS app for image editing. So when he heard Prisma would soon be released for Android, he logged in…

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Protection from hacking and prompt response

Protection from hacking and prompt response

February 6, 2017

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2017/02/brandon.png”] Brandon Snodgrass, Owner/Operator Snodgrass Law Firm “I trust Holston IT wholeheartedly” [/column] [column span=”8″] by Brandon Snodgrass, Owner/Operator, Snodgrass Law Firm I need cybersecurity to…

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Still time to do a SRA for Meaningful Use

Still time to do a SRA for Meaningful Use

January 25, 2017

We frequently get asked about the timing of when a Security Risk Assessment (SRA) needs to be performed for Meaningful Use. So here is some guidance: SRA for Meaningful Use…

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Trustworthy, Fast, and  Competent

Trustworthy, Fast, and Competent

January 17, 2017

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2017/01/marymarkland.png”] Mary Markland, Mary Markland, EA, CPA(Virginia) Owner, The Markland Group “Since 2009, Holston IT has given us outstanding, fast service!” The Markland Group serves small…

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Hassle-Free IT Support

Hassle-Free IT Support

January 13, 2017

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2017/01/wesley.png”] Wesley J. Harris, MD, Partner Bristol Gynecology & Obstetrics “Thanks to Holston IT, we never experience downtime, and we know our patient data is secure!”…

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$1.5M Cyber-Heist Typifies Growing Threat

holstonit | January 11, 2017

Nearly every week, you hear a news story about a cyber-attack or a rogue virus sweeping through the country or the world.  Maybe you’re a little bit skeptical:   Are these viruses really a problem for you?  Are these cyber-attacks really…

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Holston IT is laser-focused on increasing our efficiency and reducing our cost

Holston IT is laser-focused on increasing our efficiency and reducing our cost

January 4, 2017

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2017/01/jeffpic.png”] Jeff Sneed, President, Gilley, McCready, & Sneed Insurance “Holston IT increases our security and productivity!” Large enough to handle any customer and small enough to…

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Abijah Swiney, Photography Intern

holstonit | December 7, 2016

Abijah is a home-educated student who is interested in photography as a career.  He is learning the trade through volunteer experience, entering contests and reading books about digital photography. He recently won Second Place and an Honorable Mention in his…

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ATM Skimmers Are Becoming A Huge Problem

holstonit | November 30, 2016

Unless your firm is directly connected to the banking industry, you may not be aware of this, but the biggest ATM-related crime that banks have to grapple with is ATM Skimming. It has become a major problem, especially for ATMs…

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Windtalker Attack May Get Personal Info from Mobile Wifi

holstonit | November 29, 2016

There’s a new attack vector to be worried about called “Windtalker.” It allows a hacker to take control of a WiFi hotspot and reverse-engineer keystrokes made by users who are typing via their touchscreens. While that sounds like magic, there…

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More Malware Threats Ahead For Web Enabled Devices

holstonit | November 28, 2016

If recent events are any indication, Botnets are going to be in the news a lot more in coming months. Less than a month ago, a massive army of hacked internet devices broke records when it attacked a French Internet…

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FriendFinder Hack Exposes Almost Half A Billion Users

holstonit | November 26, 2016

The year of 2016 continues to break new records in terms of massive security breaches. According to LeakedSource, last month, hackers gained access to the FriendFinder Network, which includes the adult dating and swinger site, “Adult Friend Finder.” User accounts,…

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3rd Party Sign-in with Facebook or Google May Have Security Flaw

holstonit | November 25, 2016

If you own your own business, then odds are good that you’ve taken advantage of the “Sign in With Facebook” (or Google) API. It’s fast, it’s convenient and it’s one less thing to worry about. It gives your users an…

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Mobile Users Running Old IOS Versions Vulnerable To Fake Apps

holstonit | November 24, 2016

Back in the good ol’ days before the rise of the iPhone, Apple devices were largely considered to be more secure than their Wintel counterparts. There was a time when Apple used this as a major plank in their marketing…

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Microsoft Is Losing The Browser Wars

holstonit | November 23, 2016

Internet Explorer is widely regarded as one of the most security riddled browsers in the history of the internet. Microsoft had hoped that with the release of Windows 10, which included a complete overhaul of IE and a rebranding of…

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Faster Wi-Fi Coming Soon With New WiGig Standard

holstonit | November 22, 2016

It’s amazing how pervasive WiFi has become. These days, it’s hard to imagine life without it. The internet is everywhere. It’s always on, and you’re always connected. Unfortunately, as speeds have improved and bandwidth has increased, so too have the…

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Viruses Affecting Patient Care Hospitals Cause Shutdowns

holstonit | November 21, 2016

So far as is known, no hacking attack to date has resulted in death, but the day is inevitably coming. One day in the not-too-distant future, a hacker will be charged with murder, in addition to their other crimes. The…

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Microsoft Windows Vulnerability Revealed By Google

holstonit | November 19, 2016

Tech giants Google and Microsoft are at odds, thanks to a recent announcement made by Google about a vulnerability in Windows’ Operating System. Google’s longstanding policy has been to inform the company that owns the software when a security flaw…

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Employees Ignore Security Policies At Alarming Rate Says New Study

holstonit | November 18, 2016

No matter how good, expensive or robust your security system is, your employees are always the weakest link. In fact, in some cases, your own policies might be pushing them to “rational noncompliance,” a situation in which your employees break…

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FTC Legalizes Hacking Your Own Devices

holstonit | November 17, 2016

There is some big news out of the FTC recently. The agency has announced that they are relaxing the rules governing what is and isn’t allowed under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). As of today, you can legally hack…

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Bank Regulator Downloads Data To Thumb Drive, Then Loses It

holstonit | November 16, 2016

This is how something as innocuous as a thumb drive can become a major security issue. Recently, it has come to light that a soon-to-be retiring regulator at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) had downloaded work…

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Majority Of Employees Unsure How To Deal With Sensitive Information

holstonit | November 15, 2016

What percentage of your employees know how to properly handle sensitive information? The answer is “probably a lot less than you think.” In a recent survey conducted by MediaPro, it was discovered that nearly 90% of employees lacked security and…

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Information Sharing Rules Change Affects Internet Service Providers

holstonit | November 14, 2016

A new FCC ruling changes the game for Internet Service Providers around the country, which limits their ability to share or sell the information they have on the people who use their services. The new rules were approved in a…

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AtomBombing Attack Could Be Huge Threat To Windows PCs

holstonit | November 12, 2016

Researchers at a cyber security company called EnSilo have found a new vulnerability in Windows PCs, and it’s about as bad as it could possibly get. The new attack vector does not exploit a bug in the code, but rather,…

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Shiny New Gadget: The Amazon Echo

ajdin | November 11, 2016

With 5-star ratings submitted by over 43 thousand happy customers, the Echo has made itself heard in the market.  The Echo is not just new, it’s the first in a new category:  “Smart Speakers.” From The Economist (October 1st, p.65): …

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Sad Day For Vine Video Users: Service To Shut Down

holstonit | November 11, 2016

Vine, one of the many properties owned by Twitter, is dead, after the company tried unsuccessfully to find a buyer for the struggling service. If you’re a Vine regular, you’ve probably sensed the move coming for quite some time. As…

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New Twitter Link Hack Calls 911 From Your Mobile Device

holstonit | November 10, 2016

There’s a new viral link making the rounds on Twitter that you should advise your staff to steer clear of. If you see a link that begins with “goo.gl,” don’t click it. If you do, not only will it crash…

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Cybercrime Has Affected 45% of Consumers: Are You Next?

holstonit | November 9, 2016

It has been widely reported that cybercrime is one of the fastest growing types of crime on the planet today, but new statistics published by MarkMonitor’s Online Fraud Barometer indicate that it’s a lot worse than previously imagined. Close to…

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New DSL Type May See Faster Speeds In Near Future

holstonit | November 8, 2016

If you’re a VDSL user, there’s good news on the horizon. Recently, Nokia has announced some amazing increases in its XG.fast speeds, achieving up to 5Gbps (about 625MB per second) over 70 meters of conventional copper telephone wire. That’s huge,…

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More Medical Devices Under Attack, Some PaceMakers May Be Vulnerable

holstonit | November 7, 2016

The Internet of Things has been getting a lot of bad press in recent weeks. Not long ago, an army of enslaved smart devices was used to bring much of the internet in the United States to its knees for…

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How Denial Of Service Attack Took Down Part Of The Internet

holstonit | November 5, 2016

You probably noticed that at various points during a day not long ago, you couldn’t get on the internet. If you could, a lot of the sites you’re used to visiting were simply unavailable for extended periods of time. The…

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HIPAA Hits Hard, Health Company Receives 2 Million Dollar Fine

holstonit | November 4, 2016

Yet more evidence that the federal government’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is cracking down on HIPPA violations, the agency recently levied a hefty $2.14 million dollar fine against St. Joseph Health System for what it describes as…

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Android Users Should Be Aware Of New Drammer Hack

holstonit | November 3, 2016

The Linux exploit called Rowhammer is back in the news. This time, it’s targeting Android devices. If you missed the news about Rowhammer, or need a refresher, the exploit basically works like this: if you can engineer a piece of…

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5G Ready In 2018, May Not Be Seen Until 2020

holstonit | November 2, 2016

Qualcomm has made a bold announcement in advance of this year’s 4G/5G Summit in Hong Kong. Their newest offering, the X50, will ship in the second half of 2018, and is being billed as a 5G modem. It will feature…

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Watch Out For Facebook Private Messages That Include Videos

holstonit | November 1, 2016

File this one under “public service warning.” If you’re a fan and regular user of Facebook, beware of a new virus that’s making the rounds inside the social media giant. If you see a video on your wall titled “My…

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Spotify Ads May Have Served Up Malware To Your Computer

holstonit | October 31, 2016

Are you a Spotify user? If so, you may have been infected. Recently, the company reported that one of its advertising partners had displayed an ad containing malware. As with most software of this type, it wrests control of the…

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Be Careful With ID Selfies: New Android Trojan Steals Info

holstonit | October 29, 2016

Some credit card companies have begun using selfies as an alternative to traditional, text-based passwords in order to provide enhanced security. No system is perfect, though, and hackers have already begun experimenting with various exploits to the new paradigm. Far…

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Bogus Encryption Software Downloads Are Delivering Malware

holstonit | October 28, 2016

Online security has become increasingly important to rank and file users in recent years, and with good reason. 2015 saw the largest number of hacks and successful data breaches in the history of the internet, and 2016 is on track…

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Insulin Pump Hack Takes Technology Threats To A New Level

holstonit | October 27, 2016

The risks and dangers associated with the Internet of Things continues to grow. Unfortunately, these days, a hacking attack can actually kill. Recently, a researcher uncovered a major security flaw in an insulin pump sold by Johnson and Johnson. The…

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Has Government Been Scanning All Yahoo Email Messages?

holstonit | October 26, 2016

Did they, or didn’t they? That seems to be the central question surrounding the recent revelation reported by Reuters. According to the news story, Yahoo complied with a Federal government request to track and monitor all incoming messages, forwarding any…

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Google Gets Facts Straight By Adding News Fact Checker

holstonit | October 25, 2016

Back in September, President Obama called the news media out for their complacency. In a year marked by an extremely divisive political campaign, people have lamented the fact that many of the nation’s major news outlets are dealing in false…

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FAA Threatens Prosecution For Samsung Note 7 On Planes

holstonit | October 24, 2016

It was supposed to be a landmark achievement for Samsung, and the start of an era of record-breaking profits. The release of the Note 7 was widely anticipated, and when it hit the shelves back in August, customers flocked to…

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Will Your Body Provide Passwords To Devices In The Future?

holstonit | October 22, 2016

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed an intriguing new technology that can actually transmit secure password signals through the body, using the fingerprint sensors and touchpads on smartphones and laptops, in what they’re calling “on-body transmission.” The signals…

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Study Shows More People Are Worried About Cyberthreats

holstonit | October 21, 2016

There may be some good news where cybercrime is concerned. Increasingly, Americans are beginning to take the threat more seriously. A recently released survey conducted by TransUnion showed an unmistakable increase in awareness, which is a critical first step. Some…

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Space Buffs Watch Out For Mac Virus

holstonit | October 20, 2016

Say what you will about Russian hacking group “Fancy Bear,” but they’ve definitely got a sense of style. Fancy Bear is the group widely believed to be responsible for hacking the Democratic National Committee’s servers. Now, authorities believe the group…

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Chrome Users On Mac OSX Seeing Better Battery Life

holstonit | October 19, 2016

Laptop users in general have been unhappy with Google’s Chrome browser. There are several aspects of the software’s design that cause it to drain battery power at an alarming rate. Fortunately, the company has decided to do something about that,…

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Microsoft Enticing Edge Users With Malware Protection

holstonit | October 18, 2016

In a bid to increase its share of the browser market, Microsoft has made some interesting moves recently, which make its new “Edge” browser software stand out from the crowd. The most recent change is the announced addition of Windows…

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Using Non-HP Inks In HP Printers? HP Is Stopping That

holstonit | October 17, 2016

From the very earliest days of the PC revolution, printer manufacturers have relied on a very specific model to sell their wares. They sell the printer itself as cheaply as possible, relying on the sales of ink cartridges to make…

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New MacOS Sierra Available Includes Long-Awaited Features

holstonit | October 15, 2016

Over the past few years, most of MacOS’s updates have been aimed at bringing it firmly into alignment with iOS. Gradually, we’ve seen an increasing number of iOS’s features ported over to the desktop, up to and including the overall…

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Hacked Smart Devices Are Being Used To Launch Web Attacks

holstonit | October 14, 2016

Much has been written about the explosion in the size of the Internet of Things: a dizzying and rapidly growing collection of internet-connected objects that we use to make our lives more convenient. These days, you can find smart versions…

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Small Businesses Are Adopting Cloud Services By A Large Margin

holstonit | October 13, 2016

Traditional web hosting services are on the way out, at least where small and medium sized businesses are concerned. These are the latest findings by Clutch.co, based on a recent survey of SMBs. A staggering 95% of them say they…

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ClixSense Users Password Breach Affected 6 Million Users

holstonit | October 12, 2016

If you’ve never heard of ClixSense, you’re not alone. It’s a website that supposedly pays its users for viewing advertisements and completing surveys online. Unfortunately, people who signed up to use the system got a whole lot more than they…

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Your Last.fm Password Could Have Been Compromised In 2012

holstonit | October 10, 2016

Are you familiar with the music service, Last.fm? If you used the service at any point in 2012, your password could be compromised. This is the latest find announced by LeakedSource, which provides an online listing of data breaches from…

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Twitter Updates To Ease Certain Restrictions And Limits

holstonit | October 8, 2016

Longer Tweets are finally coming! Maybe. At some point. It is the company’s single most requested feature: an easing of the tight, 140-character restriction on Tweet length. And although the company has often reiterated that it was holding fast to…

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Tesla Latest To Get Hit With Remote Car Hack

holstonit | October 7, 2016

Tesla isn’t the first automaker whose increasingly automated vehicles have been hacked, but they are the latest. Fortunately, the hackers weren’t real hackers, but security researchers working for a firm called Keen Security Lab. The results, however, were disturbing to…

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iOS Vulnerability Also On Mac Computers OSX

holstonit | October 6, 2016

Last month, a devastating security flaw was found in iOS. The flaw that was discovered was a chained trio of zero day exploits that, if executed in the proper order, would allow a hacker to take total control over your…

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USB-C Growing: May Carry HDMI Signal In The Near Future

holstonit | October 5, 2016

The development of USB-C cables has generated quite a lot of excitement in the industry – even more now that there are standards in place to prevent faulty cables from being sold. This had been an issue in months past,…

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Your Next HP Printer May Be A Samsung

holstonit | October 4, 2016

HP, a giant in the printer industry, is looking for new ways to grow its business. As hardware companies have been seeing a steady erosion of revenue, HP isn’t taking it lying down. In response, the company has finalized an…

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Some Seagate Network Attached Storage Devices May Be Hosting Malware

holstonit | October 3, 2016

Thousands of publicly accessible FTP servers, including a number from Seagate network-attached storage devices, have been found on the internet that have been broken into, corrupted and are currently hosting cryptocurrency-mining malware. This is according to the latest report released…

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iPhone 7 Improves On Device That Has Sold A Billion Units

holstonit | October 1, 2016

Some, perhaps even many, people might think that it would be hard to improve on the iPhone. After all, Apple’s flagship product has sold more than a billion units, so people clearly like it, but Apple has done just that.…

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Software Bug Causes Recall Of Millions Of GM Vehicles

holstonit | September 30, 2016

GM has given the world a first: a recall of up to four million of the vehicles it has manufactured. Of course, recalls are nothing new, especially in the auto industry. However, what makes this one unique is that the…

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Huge Yahoo Breach Affects More Than Half A Billion Accounts

holstonit | September 29, 2016

The hackers have struck again, and this time, they seem to have hit the Mother Lode. Yahoo recently announced that they’ve been hacked, and that at least a half a billion user accounts may have been compromised. Yes, that billion,…

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Apple Wants To Teach Kids To Code With New App

holstonit | September 28, 2016

It’s never too early to start learning to code. There’s a lot to learn, and the field is extremely fluid and dynamic, so starting early is a sure way to get ahead of the game. Lots of companies agree with…

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New Virus Poses As Dropbox Invoice

holstonit | September 27, 2016

Dropbox is no stranger to hacking attacks, and in recent months, they’ve been made a target once again. In this instance, hackers have launched a phishing campaign aimed at Dropbox users. They send out poisoned emails that, by all outward…

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SSD Drives Are Becoming The Standard For Laptops

holstonit | September 26, 2016

Since their initial release, the smart money has been betting on the idea that SSD (Solid State Drives) would ultimately replace the aging, conventional hard drive as the storage medium of choice, especially in laptops. Why not? They’re smaller, slimmer…

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Need A Bank Account? Take A Selfie

holstonit | September 24, 2016

Banks are embracing technology in new and innovative ways, or at least, some of them are. One of the biggest headaches and hassles of dealing with a bank comes when you want to open a new account. There are forms…

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Running Linux? You May Be Next For A Ransomware Attack

holstonit | September 23, 2016

Typically, people running some flavor of Linux have little to fear from the hacking community. By and large, Linux users have been ignored or passed by in favor of other targets. Unfortunately, not even Linux users are safe anymore. There’s…

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iOS Users: Apple Says Update Immediately

holstonit | September 22, 2016

There is a large and growing body of evidence that hackers and their attacks are increasing in sophistication. Hardly a month goes by that there isn’t a headline somewhere in the world about a new attack vector. The level of…

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Samsung Phones Recalled Due To Battery Issue

holstonit | September 21, 2016

Consumer electronics giant Samsung just released its latest update to its flagship product, the Galaxy Note 7, two weeks ago, as of the writing of this piece. The company has sold some 2.5 million units worldwide, and now, they are…

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Redis Database May Open Door To Ransomware Attack

holstonit | September 20, 2016

As you probably know by now, ransomware is a particularly insidious form of hacking attack whereby a target computer’s files are locked or held hostage in some way, and besides restoring from whatever backups you have, the only way to…

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Single Hacker Convicted For Over 2 Million US Credit Card Thefts

holstonit | September 19, 2016

The story of the fall of the hacker going by the alias “Track2” is an absolutely riveting one. Track2, whose real name is Roman Valerevich Seleznev, is a thirty-one year old from Russia. His criminal enterprise thrived from 2009 to…

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Malware On Your Mac May Be Caused By BitTorrent Client

holstonit | September 17, 2016

If you’re a Mac user who downloads files using the torrent software called “Transmission,” you may want to check your machine for signs of infection. It was recently discovered that a malicious copy of the torrent software had found its…

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Your Keystrokes May Be Stolen Through WiFi

holstonit | September 16, 2016

There have been papers written and demonstrations conducted in recent months to show how it’s possible to wirelessly log your keystrokes. All of those demonstrations have relied upon specialized gear you can make using off-the-shelf components, but given that requirement,…

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Dropbox Just Required A Password Reset From 2012 Hack

holstonit | September 15, 2016

If you’re one of the millions of Dropbox users around the world, you were probably mildly annoyed recently when you logged on to find that you were being forced to change your password on that system. It’s one part of…

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If You Use Opera Browser Password Sync, Change Passwords Now

holstonit | September 14, 2016

Opera does not have anything that could be described as a commanding share of the web browser market, but as one of oldest and best loved browsers in existence, the company still commands respect, and has a collection of die-hard…

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Point Of Sale System Security Questioned As MHR Reports Breach

holstonit | September 13, 2016

Shaun Treacy, the President of MHR (Millennium Hotels and Resorts) North America, has recently sent a communication to guests who stayed at some of the company’s locations between March and June of 2016. In his letter, he warns that an…

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Will Your Thermostat Be The Next Device Held For Ransom?

holstonit | September 12, 2016

An interesting and disturbing new form of Ransomware was on display at this year’s Def Con convention, in Las Vegas. So far as anyone knows, this is the first, proof of concept ransomware that targets smart thermostats. Yes, you read…

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Is Your Home’s New Smart Deadbolt Secure?

holstonit | September 10, 2016

Much has been written in previous months about the explosion in growth of the (IOT) Internet of Things, and the security risks posed by that growth. Where PCs, laptops, and smartphones all have fairly robust security measures in place to…

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Internal Breaches On The Rise For Many Companies

holstonit | September 9, 2016

In some important ways, the media has a tendency to distort the reality where hacking and data breaches are concerned. The stories that tend to make the headlines are the external breaches that see hackers making off with tens of…

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Passwords More Popular Than Fingerprint Scanners in U.S.

holstonit | September 8, 2016

Although a number of tech companies have been working hard to create new and ever more robust security and authentication protocols, a recent survey revealed that the American public in general remains highly skeptical of the new procedures, and only…

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USB-C Getting Certification Program To Protect Against Safety Issues

holstonit | September 7, 2016

You probably don’t know the name Benson Leung. He’s one of the internet’s unsung heroes, and in recent months, he’s been quietly waging a one-man war against manufacturers producing faulty USB-C chargers. Many users have reported having their smartphones fried…

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Survey Shows Company CIO’s Are Looking At Cloud Services

holstonit | September 6, 2016

There has been an explosive growth in companies offering private cloud as part of a broader offering of managed services, and businesses are responding positively to the trend. Interestingly, while companies are moving to embrace the private cloud and managed…

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Sage Is Latest Company To Report Internal Data Breach

holstonit | September 5, 2016

Sage, LLC, a British company providing business software solutions for clients around the world, was the latest victim of a data breach. This one, however, came from inside the company itself. This is an increasingly common problem, though not as…

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90 Percent of People Ignore Important PC Security Warnings

holstonit | September 3, 2016

What do you do when you get a popup window generated by some piece of software you use, informing you of a critical update? Do you stop what you’re doing right then and perform the needed update? Most people don’t,…

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Don’t Use Dropbox!

holstonit | September 2, 2016

As a standard company policy, Holston IT recommends to all our clients and friends that you DO NOT use dropbox. Here is yet another example of why we have that policy: 69 MILLION Dropbox accounts were leaked in August, you…

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Ransomware Heavily Targeting Health Care Companies

holstonit | September 2, 2016

You’ve probably seen the headlines. This year, hardly a week goes by that there isn’t a report of a company in some way connected to the health care industry falling victim to ransomware. If you think it feels like they’re…

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New Tech Can Copy And Mimic Your Handwriting

holstonit | September 1, 2016

Researchers at University College London have created a fascinating algorithm that can take a sample of hand-written text, and imitate it with eerie similarity. At first glance, that might seem like a silly, or even trivial thing to spend time…

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Adobe Flash May Soon End On Google Chrome

holstonit | August 31, 2016

Adobe’s beleaguered Flash player may finally be seeing its last days, at least if Google has anything to say about it. The player has been exceedingly popular, and at its peak, a vast number of websites relied on it heavily…

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App From Microsoft Creates Better Two-Factor Authentication

holstonit | August 30, 2016

Microsoft is a company that definitely understands the need for better and more secure information systems. Like many other tech companies, they’ve been pushing hard for two-factor authentication protocols covering large swaths of their online ecosystem. Unfortunately, their approach has…

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New Chip Cards May Not Be As Secure As Expected

holstonit | August 29, 2016

Remember not long ago, when the big credit card issuers went on at some length touting their latest advances in smart chip technology? The new tech was supposed to vastly improve the security of credit cards, rendering them virtually immune…

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Watch Out for Windows Activation Scams on Your PC

holstonit | August 27, 2016

There have been a number of scams in recent years involving malware that creates false flag problems on your desktop. The faux problem is presented, along with a phone number you can call to get help resolving the issue. Consider…

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New Business Card Interacts With Mobile Devices

holstonit | August 26, 2016

Printing company MOO Labs has just brought the humble business card into the information age. Employing the same NFC (Near Field Communications) technology that makes it possible to make a credit card purchase without actually having to swipe your card,…

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HIPAA Violations Are Turning Into Prison Sentences For Some

holstonit | August 25, 2016

The unfortunate reality is that most instances of hacking occur from within a company itself. It’s true that the high profile cases that make the news are successful breaches from outside the company, but the statistics bear out the fact…

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Hackers Can Now Change What You See On Your Monitor

holstonit | August 24, 2016

Do you trust what your eyes tell you? If you’re looking at a computer monitor, that trust might be misplaced. At a recent DEFCON presentation in Las Vegas, researchers demonstrated how it’s possible to hack into a monitor’s firmware and…

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Oracle Micros Point of Sale Customers Reset Your Passwords

holstonit | August 23, 2016

Does your company rely on Oracle Systems’ Micros to handle point of sale transactions? If so, you should change your password immediately. The company has recently reported that a sophisticated Russian cybercrime syndicate has successfully breached their system, exposing the…

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New Bluetooth Is Coming And It Sounds Awesome

holstonit | August 22, 2016

In late 2016 or early 2017, Bluetooth 5.0 will be released, and by all indications, this will be the version of the technology we’ve all been waiting for. It’s about to take a giant leap forward in terms of functionality.…

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The WiFi of the Future May Consume Much Less Power

holstonit | August 20, 2016

Battery life for mobile devices is their single biggest weakness. The greatest challenge in growing and managing the exploding “Internet of Things” isn’t the devices themselves, but rather, the power required to wirelessly transmit the data they’re reporting. Energy is…

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Many Android Phones May Be Vulnerable To QuadRoot Hack

holstonit | August 19, 2016

Security researchers from Check Point have unearthed a new vulnerability dubbed QuadRoot that leaves potentially 900 million or more Android-based smartphones vulnerable. The attack manifests when a user unwittingly installs specially designed malware which executes the attack. This is often…

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Frequent Password Changes May Compromise Security

holstonit | August 18, 2016

By now, it’s a familiar story. Conventional wisdom holds that you want to use a different password on every site or service you log into and that you want to change your passwords regularly, in order to maximize security. What…

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Ransom Hackers Are Targeting iPhone Users

holstonit | August 17, 2016

Ransomware has made some inroads into the realm of smart devices, but until quite recently, Android devices were the target of choice. That seems to be changing now. Increasingly, we’re seeing iPhone users targeted by this type of attack. This…

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Your Microsoft Account Credentials May Be Vulnerable

holstonit | August 16, 2016

In fact, your Microsoft Account Credentials are almost certainly vulnerable, but until the rise in popularity of Windows 10, it hasn’t been nearly as big an issue as it is today. The unfortunate reality is that Microsoft has known about…

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Don’t Plug In That USB Drive!

holstonit | August 15, 2016

USB drives. They’re ubiquitous. They’re everywhere. You probably have several floating around your office, or nearby. We tend to use them so often that we don’t even think about it, and that’s a potential problem. At a recent Black Hat…

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Yahoo User Information Breached: 200 Million Accounts Affected

holstonit | August 13, 2016

If you have a Yahoo email account, you’re not alone. The company is one of the largest free email account providers on the internet, which unfortunately means that when they suffer a data breach, it tends to impact a lot…

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Millions Of Banner Health Members Affected By Latest Security Breach

holstonit | August 12, 2016

Banner Health, based in Phoenix, AZ, has the dubious honor as having been the recipient of the largest healthcare related data breach so far in 2016. The cyberattack was launched on June 17, and potentially impacts 3.7 million Banner Health…

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Create An Email Policy For Your Employees To Protect Your Business

holstonit | August 11, 2016

Does your company currently have a formal email policy? If you don’t, you need one, and sooner, rather than later. As the first “killer app” in the world of computing, email is, to this day, one of the most widely…

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A Number of Popular Wireless Keyboards Can Be Easily Hacked

holstonit | August 10, 2016

In recent months, we’ve seen an upsurge in the number of attacks that have been executed by exploiting wireless peripherals attached to computers. Hackers can even intercept signals sent to your PC via wireless mouse and use them for their…

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Be Wary Of Open Public WiFi

holstonit | August 9, 2016

Public WiFi is ubiquitous. Pretty much anywhere you go these days, you’re going to find a free network you can connect to. Stop in to grab some coffee, free WiFi. Grab lunch at the restaurant downtown? Free WiFi. It’s everywhere,…

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New Form of Malware Used Ads To Infect Computers

holstonit | August 8, 2016

The FBI has recently shut down a particularly nefarious ad server called the AdGholas group, which used a new and innovative method of infecting computers and managed to avoid detection for several months. The hackers employed advanced steganography techniques via…

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Hackers Are Using Netflix Price Raise To Steal Information

holstonit | August 6, 2016

Video streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus, and others are becoming so ubiquitous that they’re a fixture in everyday life for tens of millions of people. Unfortunately, hackers have proven incredibly adept at taking well known, popular trends…

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Verizon Unlimited Data? Your Account Might Get Closed

holstonit | August 5, 2016

So what do you do when you offer an unlimited data plan and people actually take you up on your offer? Well, if you’re Verizon, you start banning them. Currently, Verizon is offering an “unlimited” plan. The problem, however, is…

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4 out of 5 Business Networks Have Security Threats

holstonit | August 4, 2016

According to security company Infoblox, a staggering 83% of the networks they’ve studied contain some form of malicious activity. The news is as staggering as it is grim, but if there’s a silver lining to be found in the report,…

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Data Breach Costs Up 30 Percent, Is Your Business Secure?

holstonit | August 3, 2016

The annual “Cost of a Data Breach” study has been released, and the results aren’t pretty or encouraging. Between 2013 and now, the total cost to a company hit by a data breach is a staggering $4 million, which is…

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This Year’s Leap Second Could Cause Some Computers To Crash

holstonit | August 2, 2016

System administrators have their hands full dealing with “Leap Seconds,” the extra second periodically added to the day by scientists working with UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), used by computer systems around the world. These leap seconds are necessary in order…

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New 10TB Desktop Hard Drive Can Store All Of Your Data And Then Some

holstonit | August 1, 2016

Do you consider yourself to be a power user, where computers are concerned? Do you have one or more members of your staff you’d put in that category? If the answer to either of those questions was yes, then Seagate’s…

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Fines For HIPAA On The Rise For Even Minor Data Breaches

holstonit | July 30, 2016

If your company deals with protected health information, then you know what a maze of regulation HIPAA rules can be. The Federal government has recently signaled just how seriously they take data breaches, by fining Oregon Health & Science University…

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Microsoft Reducing OneDrive Cloud Storage Space For Many Users

holstonit | July 29, 2016

If you use Microsoft OneDrive, it’s time to review your usage rate, and perhaps start thinking of switching to a different cloud-based storage solution. When the service was first rolled out, users with a free OneDrive account got fifteen gigabytes…

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Be Careful: Fake Apps Are Stealing Information

holstonit | July 28, 2016

Security researchers at the firm ESET have recently warned of a total of 8 apps found on the Google Play store. These apps, at first glance, appear to be designed to help users increase their number of followers on various…

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New iPhone Attack Seems Very Familiar: Watch Out For MMS

holstonit | July 27, 2016

Last July, Android users got a nasty surprise. The surprise came in the form of a new type of attack directed against smartphones. Dubbed “Stagefright,” it allowed a hacker to assume total control over the target device, simply by sending…

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Would Your Company Fail A Web Security Test?

holstonit | July 26, 2016

How solid is your firm’s web security? According to recent findings by the penetration expert Ilia Kolochenko, probably not very good. Kolochenko should know. He is the CEO of High-Tech Bridge, and he and his research team have just finished…

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Will Your Next Hard Drive Be MRAM?

holstonit | July 25, 2016

There’s a new technology in the area of memory and storage. MRAM. If you haven’t heard of it, you’re not alone, but it’s one of two promising up and coming technologies that stand to change the storage game forever. The…

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Need More Laptop Drive Space? How About A 4TB SSD?

holstonit | July 23, 2016

Samsung made a surprising new product offering with little fanfare. There was so little fanfare, in fact, that you may have missed it. The company is now selling a staggering 4TB SSD with a 2.5 inch form factor, which means…

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Will Printers Serve Up Your Next Computer Infection?

holstonit | July 22, 2016

Vectra Networks has found an old, longstanding vulnerability in Windows, and it comes from a rather unexpected source. Printers. Way back in 2007, an eternity ago in the world of tech, Microsoft introduced a convenient new feature that was widely…

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Latest Breach Hits Omni Hotels – Has Information Been Stolen?

holstonit | July 21, 2016

By now, the headlines will scarcely surprise anyone. Yet another business has suffered a major data breach. This time, it was Omni Hotels, a luxury hotel chain. The breach, which was discovered on May 30, 2016, began December 23, 2015…

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Thieves Are Using Technology To Hack In And Steal Cars

holstonit | July 20, 2016

The world’s hackers are branching out. No longer content to simply breach the digital fortresses that today’s businesses and governments have become, they’re now beginning to turn their attention to automobiles, too. In recent weeks, four vehicles with electronic key…

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Mac Is The Focus of New Malware

holstonit | July 19, 2016

In the old days, before the rise of the iPad and iPhone, hackers were mostly content to leave Apple alone. They had such a tiny slice of the computer market that it was generally deemed as being more trouble than…

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Identity Thieves Use Social Media To Gain Personal Information

holstonit | July 18, 2016

Identity theft is a large, pervasive, and growing problem. In fact, statistics show that the instances of identity theft jumped a staggering 57% last year alone, this, according to figures from the fraud-prevention service Cifas. The firm’s research into the…

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Android Users Infected By Malware Threat Known As Hummingbad

holstonit | July 16, 2016

Most people engaged in legitimate business have no idea just how profitable hacking can be. Hummingbad is a case in point. Part of the “Hummer” family of Trojans, this bit of malware is the most widely installed Trojan on the…

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Emails With Zepto Ransomware On The Rise

holstonit | July 15, 2016

Security researchers from Cisco’s Talos Group have discovered a huge and disturbing spike in spam emails containing a widely used ransomware called Zepto. In fact, the team has uncovered 137,731 such emails over just a four-day period, containing more than…

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Ransomware Is Now Hitting Mobile Phones

holstonit | July 14, 2016

Ransomware has become one of the fastest growing cybercrimes of 2016. Worse, these attacks are growing in their sophistication, and the hackers deploying ransomware have been upping their game by branching out onto different systems. As evidence, according to data…

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Las Vegas Casino Hit With Credit Card Data Theft

holstonit | July 13, 2016

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has had some hard luck when it comes to data breaches. Last year, the company admitted that hackers had breached their POS (Point of Sale) credit card processing system from September 2014 through April of…

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Microsoft Will End Free Windows 10 Upgrade Offer July 29th

holstonit | July 12, 2016

By now, you’ve almost certainly heard the news. Microsoft’s latest OS, Windows 10, is free for the moment, but that’s ending as of July 29. After that point, if you want to upgrade, you’ll have to pay. There is no…

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New Malware Is Attacking Smart TV’s And Android Devices

holstonit | July 11, 2016

Ransomware is becoming an epidemic. It’s one of the fastest growing kinds of attacks we’re seeing in 2016, and the hacking community has shown a tremendous appetite for expanding the scope and scale of their operations. PCs and laptops were,…

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Employee Connected Devices Could Put Network At Risk

holstonit | July 9, 2016

Security company ForeScout has some disturbing new statistics about the state of digital corporate security. According to their research, 85% of IT professionals surveyed said they lacked confidence in their ability to spot a new device, imported by a user…

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20 Percent of Small Businesses Take CyberSecurity Seriously – Does Yours?

holstonit | July 8, 2016

Barclaycard, one of the giants in the industry of global payments, has some disturbing new data to share about the state of cybersecurity in small and medium-sized businesses. Less than one in five of the businesses surveyed viewed cybersecurity as…

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FBI Warning Businesses About Scam

holstonit | July 7, 2016

The FBI has issued an official warning of a new scam the hackers are using, and it’s costing business big bucks. According to the FBI, BEC (Business Email Compromise) has already cost the business community more than three billion dollars,…

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Apple Releasing New Encrypted File System For Better Security

holstonit | July 6, 2016

Apple recently, and very quietly, made an announcement that went largely unnoticed by technology press agents and reporters looking for juicy headline materials. It turns out that many may have missed the most important headline of them all. Namely, the…

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Shopped At Acer’s Website? Your Information May Have Been Stolen

holstonit | July 5, 2016

One of the biggest problems about successful data breaches is the fact that if the hackers are really good, it can be quite some time before their target is even aware there’s a problem. This appears to be the case…

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Email Attachments With Java Script Pose Ransomware Threat

holstonit | July 4, 2016

The hacking community is at it again, and they’ve once more upped the ante. It wasn’t long ago that ransomware called Ransom32 that was partially written in NodeJS, but delivered via an executable file, had been the norm, that is…

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Big Changes Coming To Apple Devices

holstonit | July 2, 2016

A number of big, exciting developments were announced at Apple’s recent worldwide developer’s conference, and from the sound of it, there are a number of really exciting changes coming that will give the Apple community plenty to look forward to.…

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Just Change Your Password Already – Another 45 Million Passwords Stolen

holstonit | July 1, 2016

LeakedSource provides us with yet more bad news. Hackers have breached VerticalScope, a media company that runs a number of large online communities, including several enormously popular ones including Techsupportforum.com, motorcycle.com, and AutoGuide.com. According to the company, for every record…

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Have A Cisco SMB Firewall Or Router? Update Now

holstonit | June 30, 2016

If you use a Cisco firewall or router to protect your digital assets, it’s time to check your equipment. Cisco recently released a security advisory that covers three of its popular, widely used pieces of equipment: The RV 110W Wireless-N…

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Regular Microsoft Patch Updates Are Critical To Keeping Hackers Out

holstonit | June 29, 2016

Now, you have another very good reason to upgrade to Windows 10. If you refuse to do that, then at the very least, you have a very good reason to move away from versions of Windows that are no longer…

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Change Your Password If You Use GotoMyPC

holstonit | June 28, 2016

If you use Citrix’s “GotoMyPC” remote desktop service, you’re going to have to change your password the next time you log on. The company was hit with what it describes as a “very sophisticated attack,” and it’s not taking any…

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Ransomware Is Bringing To Light The Absolute Need For Robust Backup

holstonit | June 27, 2016

The University of Calgary recently submitted to the will of hackers and ponied up $20,000 to get their files back after more than 100 computers were locked via ransomware. Almost every security expert agrees that paying such a ransom is…

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Millions of Twitter Accounts Compromised

holstonit | June 25, 2016

Once more into the breach with Twitter. A company called LeakedSource claims to have gotten its hands on a database containing some 32 million Twitter passwords associated with accounts via email (rather than user name). Although per the company’s information…

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If Your Netflix Password Was Automatically Reset Take Action

holstonit | June 24, 2016

The recent revelations about hundreds of millions of user names and passwords showing up for sale on the Dark Net from sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace has sent ripples of uncertainty through the entire digital world. If the data…

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Does Your Cloud Storage Contain Infected Files?

holstonit | June 23, 2016

More and more business are migrating increasing amounts of data to the cloud. That’s generally seen as a good thing, but there’s a fly in the ointment. The cloud, which is regarded by many to be safer and generally more…

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Upgrading a Samsung Computer To Windows10? Wait For Now

holstonit | June 22, 2016

If you have a Samsung desktop or laptop and are still running some version of Windows 7, hold off on upgrading, at least for now. Despite having more than two years to get their drivers in order, the company still…

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Remove Or Update Flash From Your System Now

holstonit | June 21, 2016

Another month, another Flash vulnerability. This time, it’s designated as CVE-2016-4171 (details here: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsa16-03.html ). This is yet another critical vulnerability, identified by Kaspersky Labs. So far, this hack has been spotted in the wild, being used in limited, targeted…

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Accounts Hacked – Change Your Password If You Use TeamViewer

holstonit | June 20, 2016

TeamViewer, the company behind a popular remote desktop platform, which allows users to share their screens, access their computers remotely, or participate in online conferences, has been hacked…maybe. A little over a month ago, the company received reports from a…

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Not Even Your Chats Are Safe From Hackers

holstonit | June 18, 2016

Online security company Check Point Software Technologies has discovered a flaw in Facebook’s chat app that allows hackers to log in and change the content of chat messages (individual messages or entire chat streams) without notifying users that changes have…

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New Postage Sized SSD Means Smaller Devices Coming

holstonit | June 17, 2016

The push toward ever greater miniaturization has been present in the technology industry from the very beginning. Computers that once occupied whole rooms got small enough to fit onto any available desktop. PCs gave way to laptops, which are currently…

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Are You Doing Enough To Educate Employees On Security Risks?

holstonit | June 16, 2016

Your employees are both your company’s greatest asset and your biggest potential security risk. In a recent study conducted by Experian Data Breach Resolution and Ponemon Institute, it was found that 55% of companies surveyed have experienced one or more…

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Android Provides Additional Find-Your-Phone Option

holstonit | June 15, 2016

If you’re one of the millions of users with an Android phone, then you already know there are a couple of different ways you can find it if you happen to misplace it. You can use the built-in search feature,…

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Search Results Look Weird? You Might Be Infected

holstonit | June 14, 2016

Have you been noticing “strange” search results when you’re surfing the web? Have your search results been taking longer than usual to appear? You may have been infected by a new, very clever bit of malware known as Redirector.Paco. There…

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Have Bots Taken Over The Internet?

holstonit | June 13, 2016

What percentage of total internet traffic would you estimate that bots (non-human visitors) account for? Twenty percent? Thirty percent? Unfortunately, according to data released by DeviceAtlas, a company that makes software to detect the kinds of devices web visitors are…

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That USB Phone Charger Might Be Stealing Your Data

holstonit | June 11, 2016

If you haven’t yet heard of “KeySweeper,” you have a new threat to be on the lookout for. The KeySweeper device is built with off the shelf, Arduino components. These can be programmed for a variety of purposes, but the…

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Don’t Turn Off Security Updates To Avoid Windows 10 Upgrade

holstonit | June 10, 2016

In recent months, Microsoft has made a number of very good, highly popular moves that have had its customers raving about its apparent change. This latest incident, however, isn’t one of those. Microsoft has been accused of resorting to malware-style…

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Are You Ready For A 10 Core Processor?

holstonit | June 9, 2016

You’ve probably got either a dual- or quad-core computer sitting on your desk right now, but if you love bleeding edge technology, then you’re going to want to upgrade after reading this. Recently, at the Computex trade show in Taipei,…

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A Number Of Major Manufacturer Laptops May Have Security Risks

holstonit | June 8, 2016

Security firm Duo Security recently published a disturbing report relating to laptop security. It found critical security flaws in laptops produced by five of the largest OEMs: Acer, Asus, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Lenovo. If you’ve purchased, and are currently using…

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Microsoft Is Putting A Stop To Your Bad Passwords

holstonit | June 7, 2016

Most of us (and you know who you are) tend to be not-very-good when it comes to creating robust, secure passwords. If you’ve ever used your significant other’s birthday, your birthday, the word “password,” or the numbers “123456,” then you’re…

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New Ransomware Replicates Itself Says Microsoft

holstonit | June 6, 2016

You’ve probably seen the joke email before. Something to the effect of, “If you don’t forward this message to six people within twenty-four hours, your teeth will fall out, your car will break down, and all the files on your…

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Tumblr and Myspace Latest Companies To Get User Accounts Hacked

holstonit | June 4, 2016

Not long ago, we learned that last year’s high profile LinkedIn hack was much bigger than initially thought. When the hack occurred, the company assured its user base that it was limited in scope to some 6.3 million user accounts…

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Did You Get A USB Drive From The ADA? Don’t Plug It In

holstonit | June 3, 2016

Not even dentists are safe from hackers, and if they’ve been targeted, your company could easily be targeted in much the same way. Recently, the ADA (American Dental Association) sent USB flash drives out to dental offices all over the…

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Flash Player Continues To Get Bombarded By Attacks

holstonit | June 2, 2016

There seems to be no end of trouble for the beleaguered Flash Player and those who use it. Not long ago, yet another critical security flaw was found in the player, designated as CVE-2016-4117 by security researchers at FireEye. As…

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Change Your LinkedIn Password Now!

holstonit | June 1, 2016

If you have an account on LinkedIn, you may recall that they suffered a data breach back in 2012. At the time, they force-reset the passwords of all users believed to be impacted. Unfortunately, it now appears that the breach…

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Hire Carefully Or Risk Losing Your Business Big Money

holstonit | May 31, 2016

How much does a “bad hire” cost your company? Probably more than you think. In a recent survey conducted by CareerBuilder, a staggering 41% of companies estimated that a bad hire cost their firm more than $25,000. A quarter of…

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Are Internet Speeds Affecting Your Health?

holstonit | May 30, 2016

Let’s face it, no one likes to wait. What you may not have known, however, is that your slow internet connection could be detrimental to your health. If that raises a curious eyebrow, here’s the more complete explanation: The company…

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Your Personal Information Is a Valuable Commodity

holstonit | May 28, 2016

There have been a lot of articles all over the web, outlining the width and breadth of various data breaches, some of which have seen the hackers make off with tens, or even hundreds of millions of consumer records which…

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Android Update Allows Easy Language Translation

holstonit | May 27, 2016

An interesting update to Google Translate just made it easier to use if you’re an Android user. Before the update, if you were reading something, and came across a language you didn’t understand, you’d have to copy the text, start…

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Will Your Next Virus Come From Your Microphone and Speakers?

holstonit | May 26, 2016

It may sound like science fiction, but researchers have now proven that computer viruses can not only be transmitted via your computer’s audio system, they can even communicate with each other via that same medium. The hard-to-believe story began some…

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Will Viv Replace Siri in Upcoming iOS Devices?

holstonit | May 25, 2016

You may not know the name Dag Kittlaus, but you almost certainly know his creation, Siri, which was the world’s first voice-based digital assistant. Since Siri’s creation and launch, most of the big names in the Tech world have come…

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Microsoft Password Share Feature Gets The Boot In Latest Update

holstonit | May 24, 2016

Microsoft has made a number of good, smart, customer-centric moves lately, especially where Windows 10 is concerned. Their latest decision to quietly kill off a feature called WiFi Sense is a continuation of that trend. If you’ve not heard of…

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FDIC Data Breach May Have Put Personal Information At Risk

holstonit | May 23, 2016

Yes, even the FDIC, the government agency that insures banks, is vulnerable to data breaches. In this instance, a cluster of internal breaches was reported recently as part of congressional oversight, where activities that put consumer information at risk must…

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Don’t Trust Tech Support Pop Ups; Call Us First

holstonit | May 21, 2016

An old scam has recently gotten a facelift to make it less threatening, and it has proved to be devastatingly effective. You’ve probably run across scam sites offering technical support for your computer system before. Typically, they replicate the dreaded…

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Hard Drive Failures Account For Majority of Data Loss

holstonit | May 20, 2016

If you’ve ever booted up your computer and gotten a cryptic “drive not found” message, you’re not alone. In fact, about one third of all data loss occurs because of this very error message. Drives simply failing to appear on…

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Windows 10 Upgrade Won’t Be Free Much Longer

holstonit | May 19, 2016

Microsoft won a lot of hearts and minds with their decision to make the upgrade to Windows 10 free for an extended period of time. That’s also the reason that Windows 10 has seen the fastest adoption rate of any…

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Android Attack Bills Itself as Google Chrome Update

holstonit | May 18, 2016

You’ve probably heard by now that hacks and attacks are getting more and more sophisticated as time goes by. This latest malware attack, is a perfect example of this increasing sophistication in action. The simple reality is that hacks succeed…

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0% Downtime and Reliable Backups

holstonit | May 18, 2016

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2016/05/goodman-img.jpg” class=”aligncenter”] Mark Goodman, Goodman Jewelers “Holston IT is hassle-free: our data is secure, and our computers just work!” From Roanoke to Knoxville, only four bench jewelers are also Graduate Gemologists and CAD Designers. One of…

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ADP Latest To Get Hit By Hackers – Was Your Account Affected?

holstonit | May 17, 2016

ADP is the world’s largest HR firm, handling tax and payroll accounts for more than 640,000 companies that collectively employ millions of people. It may be possible that your company is one of the hundreds of thousands that rely on…

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Email Password Hack Not As Bad As First Thought

holstonit | May 16, 2016

Not long ago, a company called Hold Security issued a report of its rather disturbing finding. A massive database was found for sale in the dark corners of the internet, containing nearly three hundred million email addresses and passwords. This…

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Dropbox Will No Longer Support Windows XP

holstonit | May 14, 2016

The news keeps getting worse for users still clinging to the aging Windows XP operating system. First, Microsoft itself stopped supporting the platform, no longer providing the millions of users still working with the OS with critical security patches to…

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Millions of Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo Passwords Have Been Breached

holstonit | May 13, 2016

Alex Holden is one of the good guys. You’ve probably never heard of him, but he works for Hold Security, and spends his time in the dark corners of the internet, scouting out what data the hacking community has for…

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Hackers Are Looking At Your Company For Credit Card Data

holstonit | May 12, 2016

The numbers are in, and they’re pretty grim. Trustware has released their annual Global Security Report, which outlines the current trends in cybercrime. Chief among the findings in the report is that fully 60% of the hacking attacks the company…

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Cheap Router Blamed For Hack – Are You Running Business-Grade Solutions?

holstonit | May 11, 2016

Earlier this year, Bangladesh Bank, one of the largest in the nation of Bangladesh, was successfully breached. The keen hackers made off with a staggering $80 million, when they used the bank’s system to hack into the SWIFT network, which…

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HIPAA Fines Are Real, Laptop Theft Costs Company $3.9 Million

holstonit | May 10, 2016

Does your company work with health information in any capacity? If it does, be advised, HIPAA violations are real, and can cost you and your business big money. The most recent company to find itself in the crosshairs of the…

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Email Privacy Act Revision Could Add Better Protections

holstonit | May 9, 2016

On the heels of the FBI’s dustup with Apple Computer, the Judiciary committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has advanced a bill to the full chamber that would give cloud-stored data and emails more than 180 days old some…

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Millions of Windows XP Machines are Not Secure, Is Yours?

holstonit | May 7, 2016

Windows XP was, by any measure, the most successful and ubiquitous operating system of all time. To this day, now two years after Microsoft formally ended support for the platform, there are still tens of millions of computers running XP.…

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Password Management Solutions

holstonit | May 6, 2016

In the recent past, regularly scheduled password changes were a common friend of network security, because people were only tracking one or two passwords. However, with most people now keeping track of 20 or more passwords between work and home,…

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Tips for Choosing a Secure, Easy-to-Remember Password

holstonit | May 6, 2016

How many @’s, %’s and other crazy symbols are in your password right now? Are these crazy symbols really all that necessary? The answer is . . . yes and no.   Yes, requiring us to “use at least one character…

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Is Your Point Of Sale System Secure?

holstonit | May 6, 2016

Here’s the hard reality: Even if you devote sufficient resources to get the best security money can buy to protect your business from hackers, you might still be at risk. The reason? Well, in addition to the fact that there’s…

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Is Uber Sharing Your information?

holstonit | May 5, 2016

Are you, or is someone you know a driver for Uber? Have you used the rideshare service to get from Point A to Point B? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then odds are good that…

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Saving Us Time and Money!

Saving Us Time and Money!

May 5, 2016

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2016/05/Mike.jpg” class=”aligncenter”] Mike Spiegler, Spiegler-Blevins & Company CPAs and Advisors “Holston IT provides the foundation for us to serve our clients!” Spiegler-Blevins provides a comprehensive suite…

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Holston IT has helped Decrease our Costs and Increase our Security!

Holston IT has helped Decrease our Costs and Increase our Security!

May 5, 2016

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2016/05/Dave.jpg” class=”aligncenter”] Dave Manahan, Strongwell “Tim Meredith’s expertise in security and virtualization is exactly what we needed!” As the world leader in pultrusion technology, Strongwell has…

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A Secure Network With Zero Downtime!

A Secure Network With Zero Downtime!

May 5, 2016

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2016/05/Pam.jpg” class=”aligncenter”] Pam Phillips “Since working with Holston IT, we have had zero downtime in our computer network!” Pam has been involved in the aviation industry…

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We Cut Over 67% of Our IT Costs!

We Cut Over 67% of Our IT Costs!

May 5, 2016

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2016/05/Harland.jpg” class=”aligncenter”] Harland Simpson, M.D. “Holston IT costs us less than a third of what our in-house IT manager cost, and they manage our network more…

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We Trust Holston IT!

We Trust Holston IT!

May 5, 2016

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2016/05/Brenden.jpg” class=”aligncenter”] Dr. Brenden M. Webb “Holston IT takes care of our network, so that we can focus on taking care of our patients!” Brenden earned…

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A Business Partner Providing Stability and Efficiency

holstonit | May 5, 2016

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2016/05/Richard.jpg” class=”aligncenter”] Richard Venable Retired CEO of NETWORKS Current Mayor, Sullivan County “I was resistant to a monthly contract, but now I see great value in Holston IT working proactively to optimize the efficiency of our…

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Strategy: Moving Forward

Strategy: Moving Forward

May 5, 2016

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2016/05/Chris.jpg” class=”aligncenter”] Chris Bowen “Holston IT keeps our network running smoothly, freeing us to focus on serving our clients.” For the past 28 years, Cumberland Marketing…

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A Faster, More Secure Network

A Faster, More Secure Network

May 5, 2016

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2016/05/lorio-img.jpg” class=”aligncenter”] Dr. Morgan Lorio “Our network is more secure and more reliable, thanks to Holston IT!” This testimonial was given by Dr. Lorio when he…

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HIPAA Compliance, Reliable Backups, and Fast Response to All Our Needs.

HIPAA Compliance, Reliable Backups, and Fast Response to All Our Needs.

May 5, 2016

[row] [column span=”4″] [img src=”/files/2016/05/Kim.png”] Kim Hilton, Practice Manager, Bristol Anesthesia Services,PC “Holston IT keeps our network secure and takes the hassle out of HIPAA Compliance!” Established in 1980, Bristol…

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Opera Browser Adds Free VPN For Better Privacy

Mersad | May 4, 2016

When you surf the web, do you use a VPN (Virtual Private Network)? More than half a billion of the web’s users do, which is about a quarter of the web’s population, so you may be one of them. If…

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Is Your Android Device Getting Needed Security Updates?

Mersad | May 3, 2016

Google takes security more seriously than most companies, and it’s no wonder, given that the company’s Android Operating System is currently in use by more than 1.4 billion users worldwide. The latest version of Android (version 6.0, dubbed Marshmallow) includes…

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All USB-C Cables Aren’t Created Equal, Amazon Fights Back

Mersad | May 2, 2016

You may not have heard much about USB-C cables, but you will. They are the future of USB connectivity, and will ultimately replace both USB-A and USB-B cables, which are the ones you’re likely using right now to connect your…

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Windows “Blue Screen of Death” Getting New Information

Mersad | April 30, 2016

If you have a Windows-based PC (and you probably do), then you’ve almost certainly had the dubious honor of seeing the dreaded BSOD, or Blue Screen of Death. Unfortunately, since the first appearance of that screen, it has had a…

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New Smart Adware Uses Your Computer Resources For Profit

Mersad | April 29, 2016

Remember the good old days, when all Adware did was make your web browsing experience inconvenient by bombarding you with annoying popups? Sadly, those days appear to be over. There’s a new generation of Adware that goes far, far beyond…

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BadLock Threat Not So “Bad” But Still Requires Patch

Mersad | April 28, 2016

So, it turns out that the “Badlock” Samba exploit wasn’t quite as bad as it was originally cracked up to be. If you haven’t heard of Badlock, you’re not alone. It made the rounds in Internet security circles, but wasn’t…

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Legacy Operating Systems Including XP Lose Chrome Support

Mersad | April 27, 2016

If your company has one or more of millions of PCs still running Windows XP, your options are collapsing around you rather quickly, making it more important than ever to finally get around to upgrading to a more current OS.…

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Using Oracle Software? Update Now

Mersad | April 26, 2016

It’s been a busy week at Oracle. The company has recently released a massive flurry of patches that fix a staggering 136 security issues for a wide range of the products it sells. This release comes in tandem with the…

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Microsoft Releases Optional Update to Secure Wireless Mouse From Threat

Mersad | April 25, 2016

Last year, an IoT (Internet of Things) security firm called Bastille Networks uncovered an attack from an unexpected vector. Hackers can actually take control of your wireless mouse, which has no on-board security, and use the device to spoof keyboard…

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Have You Enabled Two Factor Authentication Yet?

Mersad | April 23, 2016

Are you still using single factor authentication in your business? If so, you are taking an unnecessary risk. If the only thing standing between the hacking community and your company’s data is a password, then no matter how robust those…

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Even Large Company Employees Get Hit By Phishing/Whaling Scams

Mersad | April 22, 2016

Toy manufacturing giant Mattel was recently the target of a whaling scam that could have been both highly embarrassing and extremely costly, if not for a single stroke of luck. If you’ve not heard the term, “whaling” is a subset…

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