Quercus IT Blog

Quercus IT has been serving the Edmonton area since 2005, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

How to Kickstart Physical Security with Digital Cameras

How to Kickstart Physical Security with Digital Cameras

Physical security is just as important as cybersecurity, and digital security cameras are a great tool to help maintain spaces. Whether you have an office, a retail space, a warehouse, or any other property, a security camera can help you keep tabs on a place in real-time and reduce liability. Here are three reasons why you might consider ditching an analog camera in favor of a digital camera.

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Four Easy Security Tips to Share

Four Easy Security Tips to Share

Data breaches can be a death blow for the small business. In addition to the financial ramifications of such events, they also cost a whole lot in reputational damage and organizational inefficiency. It’s pretty important for personal and organizational security for people to know that there are a few simple things you can do to help keep digital assets secure. 

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Passwords Protect All of Your Business’ Digital Assets

Passwords Protect All of Your Business’ Digital Assets

Passwords open all of your online accounts, so creating one that’s both strong and easy to remember is extremely important. A lot of times, it can be an issue; which is why one of the most common IT-related problems our help desk remediates is lost password credentials. Let’s take a look at what makes a secure password and how to effectively do it. 

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Yes, Even Apps from Official App Stores Can Be Malicious

Yes, Even Apps from Official App Stores Can Be Malicious

McAfee recently released a list of 15 applications the company identified as “predatory loan apps” available for download from the Google Play Store. While steps have been taken to remove them from the platform, we can now discuss how mobile applications can be weaponized if a user is not careful.

Let’s start by discussing the current issue of SpyLoan apps.

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3 Ways Data Breaches are Hard to Detect and Harder to Prevent

3 Ways Data Breaches are Hard to Detect and Harder to Prevent

Unfortunately, cybersecurity is one of the most important topics to consider in today’s business world. A recent survey has shown that the majority of security leaders—approximately 67% of those surveyed—don’t know what caused a cybersecurity incident at their business. This is a shockingly high number that cannot be ignored, so let’s look at why data breaches are so challenging to identify and address.

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Ever Wonder Where the Idea for Zero Trust Security Came From?

Ever Wonder Where the Idea for Zero Trust Security Came From?

Zero-trust, an approach to cybersecurity gaining traction in the industry, is perhaps the most effective way to secure your business’ infrastructure. We want to take some time today to discuss how zero-trust came to be and how it compares to today’s cybersecurity threats.

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The Disney Menu Debacle Can Teach Your Business a Lesson About Access Control

The Disney Menu Debacle Can Teach Your Business a Lesson About Access Control

The Disney brand centralizes its efforts on magic and wonder, but its parks’ food is one aspect that has recently been subject to concerning developments. A former Disney employee managed to access a menu-planning app and make changes to prices, add foul language, and change menu information. Since we live in a world with food allergies, you can already see where this is going.

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5 Solutions to Help Keep Your Data Private

5 Solutions to Help Keep Your Data Private

Data privacy is one of those issues that people find more serious the more they know about it. Most people don’t think much about it because they figure they are just one person and don’t move the needle for people looking to collect data. They couldn’t be more wrong. This week we’ll discuss individual data privacy, considerations individuals should have, and what to do to keep your data safe.

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No Business is Too Small to Be a Target to Cybercriminals

No Business is Too Small to Be a Target to Cybercriminals

One of the biggest myths about cybersecurity and cybercrime is that smaller businesses are somehow immune to the more dangerous types of threats because they don’t pose a viable target for cybercriminals.

Nothing is further from the truth.

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The NSA Says You Need to Reboot Your Mobile Device

The NSA Says You Need to Reboot Your Mobile Device

When did you last turn your mobile device off and on again?

While any IT provider worth their salt would be the first to tell you that this is troubleshooting 101, another source also recommends a quick reboot every so often: the National Security Agency.

Let’s explore why the NSA shared this advice and what difference following it can make.

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That Barbie Blu-Ray You Rented Could Cost You Your Data

That Barbie Blu-Ray You Rented Could Cost You Your Data

In June, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment—publisher of the eponymous Chicken Soup for the Soul book series—officially filed for Chapter 7 and then Chapter 11 bankruptcy, spurring the liquidation of many of its assets. Many may not realize that these assets include Redbox, the movie rental service, with its 24,000 distinctive scarlet kiosks.

What we’re concerned about, however, is what will become of these kiosks and, critically, the data they contain.

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2024 Ransomware is as Scary as Ever

2024 Ransomware is as Scary as Ever

If you’re not familiar with ransomware, we wish we lived in the same universe you’ve been living in the past decade. It’s a serious problem for all types and sizes of businesses, not to mention its impact on individuals, governments, and world organizations. Today, we want to go over some of the latest ransomware tactics in use as of 2024.

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Your Employees Might Be Your Greatest Security Risk

Your Employees Might Be Your Greatest Security Risk

Your employees might be putting your business at risk, even if they don’t know it yet. Most companies feel this frustration, and they want their employees to prioritize cybersecurity in the same way administrators and security staff do. This frustration is something that can be challenged and addressed… with the right solutions and policies, of course.

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The Real Risk to Cybersecurity? Indifference

The Real Risk to Cybersecurity? Indifference

Many people still underestimate the importance of cybersecurity and data privacy, putting themselves and others at risk. Most individuals are accustomed to sharing personal information online, whether through social media, e-commerce platforms, or various digital services. However, this lack of caution can lead to serious security breaches, identity theft, and even financial fraud. When people fail to take basic security measures, such as using strong passwords or enabling two-factor authentication, they create vulnerabilities that malicious actors can exploit. These weaknesses don’t just impact them personally but also expose organizations and communities to cyberattacks.

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Small Businesses Can Put Up a Fight with the Right IT

Small Businesses Can Put Up a Fight with the Right IT

Small businesses have unprecedented access to some of the most powerful technologies business has ever seen; ones that were once exclusive to large corporations. These tools not only boost efficiency but also effectively level the playing field, allowing smaller businesses to compete in markets they simply couldn’t have before. Let’s explore how these cutting-edge technologies are revolutionizing the way small businesses operate.

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Transform Your Employees Into Human Firewalls

Transform Your Employees Into Human Firewalls

All businesses have one key vulnerability that cybersecurity threats exploit: their employees. Your business has this vulnerability, too, even if you haven’t considered it. Just like any vulnerability, however, there is a patch, and it comes in the form of education. With an appropriate knowledge base, your team can effectively become a human firewall against any potential threat.

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Cybersecurity Solutions for Remote and Hybrid Work

Cybersecurity Solutions for Remote and Hybrid Work

Remote work has been a mainstay in most businesses’ standard operating procedures in at least some capacity, but it opens up a nasty can of worms regarding cybersecurity. If cybersecurity is not your top priority, and you have remote or hybrid employees, we need to have a talk—and probably a hard one.

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Here’s How to Say “Bye Bye Bye” to Weak and Forgettable Passwords

Here’s How to Say “Bye Bye Bye” to Weak and Forgettable Passwords

Password best practices (and common sense, if we’re being honest) tell us to always use a strong password for every account we have. This is because, unfortunately, it doesn’t take much to crack a weak one anymore. A bit of software on a standard computer can crack millions of passwords in a matter of seconds… so the more complex and randomized a password, the better and more secure it will be.

However, this can also make it a real challenge to create and then memorize sufficiently complex passwords. To help, we wanted to share a fun trick.

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Protect Your Business with These 6 Technology Tools

Protect Your Business with These 6 Technology Tools

Cybersecurity is the single largest problem that any business faces, particularly when the threat profile out there is so vast and varied. Today, we want to go over the many solutions your business can implement to make cybersecurity much more manageable.

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How Much Adversity Warrants Technology Investment?

How Much Adversity Warrants Technology Investment?

Businesses deal with all types of problems, and some of them are really serious. Some situations aren’t even problems…yet. When risk is all around you, how can you know when enough is just enough? In today’s blog, we will provide you with some answers to how to flip potential problems into opportunities using technology.

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Quercus IT strives to provide the best comprehensive IT, Computer, and Networking services to small businesses. We can handle all of your organization's technology challenges.

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2-15015 123 Ave NW,
Edmonton, Alberta T5V 1J7

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