Welcome to the First Column IT Tech Blog

Apple rarely sends out alerts about threats, and that is because threats that target Apple devices are somewhat rare in the first place. However, on April 10, 2024, Apple saw fit to send one to certain users in 92 nations by email. These notifications were “designed to inform and assist users who may have been individually targeted by mercenary spyware attacks.” What does this mean, exactly?

In today’s world of perpetual security breaches and cyberattacks, it’s no surprise that the greatest response to such threats is to actively prevent them from harming your organization in the first place. One key tool in this effort is an endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution. With endpoint protection on your business’ side, you can leverage a robust and powerful security solution to handle a significant portion of your network security.

How clearly outlined are your IT-related policies and procedures in the workplace? It is difficult at best to manage these expectations alongside your employees, but it’s a necessary task all the same. Today, we want to help your organization walk the fine line between protecting your assets, data, and reputation, and granting your employees permissions to do what they must on your network infrastructure.

When you ask a managed service provider or other technology expert when you should be upgrading your technology, you’ll likely get a pretty nebulous answer like, “it depends.” That’s because there isn’t necessarily a hard or steadfast response to this question, and the answer will change depending on various factors that are inconsistent across businesses.

Encryption is a powerful tool that any business can use to beef up its security infrastructure. While it’s often discussed in the context of virtual private networks, it’s also a key component in keeping any email solution secure. Why is encryption such a valuable security measure for email, and why is it considered non-negotiable for businesses of all kinds? Let’s take a closer look.

When it comes to your business’ data backup and disaster recovery, you want to have clear outcomes that you aim for, as well as metrics that help you gauge success. Today, we want to highlight some of the most important metrics associated with data backup and disaster recovery, as well as the importance of testing your systems. Trust us when we say that a solid data backup and disaster recovery strategy is crucial to the success of any business—including yours.

Phishing scams are one of the most common (and insidious) problems you and your team may encounter. While it may seem simple to avoid a phishing attack, the truth is that many of these schemes are highly sophisticated and are constantly evolving to become more so.

Cybersecurity training can be an overwhelmingly annoying issue for everyone. Unfortunately, it’s a must. Understanding the reasons behind this reluctance can help organizations tailor their training programs to be more engaging and effective. In this month’s newsletters, we go into four common reasons why employees might harbor disdain for cybersecurity training.

Cyberattacks often attack healthcare organizations, including businesses and vendors they associate with, primarily due to how lucrative they can be. One particularly nasty hack is just one of the many organizations which have been featured in headlines due to their inability to protect against security threats. Let’s explore this new situation with UnitedHealth Group and see if there is anything you can learn from it.