MicroLogix Network Services, LLC Blog

How often do you find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of clutter on your desktop? You might dig through a pile of applications, windows, files, and so much more, and it can be difficult to make sense of it all and be productive. Thankfully, there is a rather simple tool to help you clean up your desktop and focus on one window at a time.

Ransomware is bad, and you can’t take any chances with it if you want to keep your business safe. Understand that it might seem like we’re exaggerating, but we’re not; ransomware really is as bad as it comes, and when you’re faced with double or even triple extortion, you’ll be put in a tough spot that no business owner wants to find themselves in. Today, we want to cover what these terms are and why they’re so bad.

It is certainly tempting to squeeze every last drop of life out of existing equipment. After all, why spend money on new computers or servers if the old ones still technically work? You may view this as frugal, but ironically not spending on the updated IT your business needs can lead to leaving significant revenue on the table. The truth is, holding onto outdated hardware can silently, yet significantly, bleed your business dry.

When it comes to your business’ IT, there’s a nasty word called “downtime” that’s always referred to in a negative way, and for good reason. Downtime can be a business killer if it’s not monitored for and avoided. To help you understand just how dire downtime can be, we want to compare it to its natural enemy: uptime.

You've heard the saying, "A man's home is his castle." When it comes to your business, that comparison is even more fitting. Your business is your livelihood, your stronghold, and it deserves the strongest defenses.

Just like a medieval castle was built to keep threats out, your business' security needs to have an all-encompassing strategy. That’s why it is absolutely necessary to implement cybersecurity measures that serve the same protective purpose for your business and its network.

In running a business, it’s easy to adopt a mentality where if it ain’t broke, you’re not going to fix it. This is especially true with your technology, because of several factors that can negatively impact your business. If your computers turn on, emails send, and for the most part, things seem to work, why go through the trouble of concerning yourself with its consistent maintenance? 

Hope can be enough to keep you moving forward, even when the world feels heavy and dark. While it’s good to keep hope in your heart as a light to help you push onward, it’s not a very good cybersecurity strategy. Hope won’t stop a data breach, a ransomware attack, or a phishing scam, and it certainly won’t keep you safe when cybercriminals only need one slip-up from anyone in your office to ruin your day.

Unfortunately, not every message that lands in your inbox has your best interests at heart. Malicious actors are casting wider and more sophisticated nets than ever before, hoping to reel in an unsuspecting employee and gain access to your business' valuable data and finances. Fear not, with a little knowledge and a healthy dose of skepticism, you can learn to spot these email scams and keep your organization safe.

Nowadays, data is one of the most valuable assets we have. However, if we’re being honest, whenever we say “data,” what we’re referring to is knowledge. In this context, data has always been something that society has valued.

Consider the Library of Alexandria, widely regarded as the first library to transcend cultural prejudices and collect information from multiple civilizations. Its collection must have been breathtaking, but it isn’t around any longer. All that data, gone.

How likely is it that your business could experience similar data loss, and more critically, how prepared are you for that eventuality?

From your fridge to your fitness tracker, manufacturers are constantly adding smart features. While that can be super convenient, it also opens up a whole can of worms when it comes to your privacy. Sometimes, companies aren't doing enough to keep your data safe, or worse yet, they're actively trying to exploit it. Let's discuss how smart devices might be secretly undermining your family's (and your business') privacy.

How much do you know about your business’ data backup infrastructure? Do you know how often data backups occur, or if they’re occurring at all? Regular backups are the key to a successful, sustained business, and multiple backups per day are your “Get out of jail free” card when you’re facing a data loss incident.

For any growing business, strategic technology leadership is non-negotiable. It’s the force that drives efficiency, security, and innovation. Yet, for many small and medium-sized businesses, the cost of a dedicated Chief Information Officer (CIO) is a significant barrier to getting the technology and strategies to do so. This has led business leaders to ask a critical question: Can Artificial Intelligence do the job?

We can probably all agree that there’s a big difference between “staying busy” and “looking busy,” and that the first option is generally the better one in the workplace. The big difference is how productive you actually are.

Let’s go over some simple-to-implement ways you can help your team boost their productivity without even thinking about it.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days. It has become a standard feature in many business tools and devices. This means a lot of people are using it day-in and day-out. The question becomes: Is it truly beneficial, or does it create more headaches than it solves? Let's explore how AI can actually help your business.

The daily grind. We all know it. That relentless cycle of repetitive tasks and the constant feeling of being busy but not necessarily productive. It’s an all-too-familiar feeling. What if technology could transform that frustration into a feeling of steadfast accomplishment?

Backup is a decidedly unsexy topic to discuss, but it’s important nonetheless. You can’t trust that your files will always be there—not unless you take action to ensure they’re well-protected and preserved for when you need them most. While you’re busy with other parts of running your business, you need to know with certainty that your files are safe, and we can offer that.

AI is everywhere. In a relatively short amount of time, artificial intelligence has exploded from being a fringe feature to becoming standard kit in many—some may argue most—applications and devices, particularly those intended for business use.

The truth is that it’s hard to tell whether AI could bring a business a ton of benefits or if it ultimately generates (pun intended) more problems than its worth… at least, without a concerted effort to make those determinations. Let’s see what we can do to make sure it is beneficial.

You probably have to rewrite the same messages day in and day out for internal reporting and client interactions, and it probably takes up a ton of time that would be better spent elsewhere. Furthermore, you’re probably copying and pasting, which can lead to errors and oversights that you could live without. If you’re doing this for email, then you should be leveraging templates to keep your messages consistently top-quality. Let’s go over how to set them up.

Happy Social Media Day! It’s hard to believe that social media—at least in the modern sense—has already been around for almost a quarter-century. Seriously! LinkedIn launched in 2003, and Facebook launched in 2004.

Since then, social media has become an essential business tool; however, it also provides cybercriminals with an opportunity to exploit your organization. Let’s observe Social Media Day by reviewing some simple security line items to keep your business safe while you take advantage of the capabilities social media can provide.

Productivity is an essential metric in modern life, and while it can often feel impossible to achieve, there are ways to overcome the anti-productivity malaise. Here are three habits that are likely to help you in your search for both organizational and personal productivity.