Quercus IT Blog

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mobile malware doesn’t get talked about a lot, and that’s because it’s relatively uncommon compared to others, but it’s still just as dangerous. Crocodilus, a new Trojan on the Android platform, is one such example. Today, we want to cover how you can address this new variant and avoid contact with it.

When you travel, it’s crucial to remember that your digital security needs to be just as mobile and well-prepared as you are. The usual advice—such as creating and properly storing strong passwords and avoiding unsecured Wi-Fi without a VPN—are great tips that we share all the time, but today, keeping your personal and professional data secure is a little more complicated.  We’ve put together five security tips that are outside the norm to help you navigate your travels with confidence.

Is your business technology causing headaches? Does it slow you down or make you worry about security? Many business owners feel this way. Good news: you can almost surely make your tech work better for you. Here are three simple ways to make this happen.

Small businesses should avoid cutting their IT budget. While it seems like a quick way to free up capital, it often creates bigger, costlier issues down the line. Think of your IT infrastructure as the central nervous system of your business. It controls communication, stores vital information, processes transactions, and enables your team to do their best work. Would you put that at risk to save a few bucks? This month, we take a look at the problems that are right out front should you plan on making cuts to your cybersecurity.

A data breach—when a company’s sensitive data, from customer details to company secrets to financial information, is exposed—certainly isn’t a good thing for any business to experience. Once an organization knows it’s happening, it’s time to go into panic mode.

While this is an understandable response, it is crucial that you are prepared with a strategy to navigate such a situation should it ever arise.

We live in a time where all business owners should have some working knowledge of technology, but this lesson is often learned only after the fact. Sometimes it takes a crisis to thrust one into action, but we’re here to help you take the first step. Today, we have four lessons that you can learn about business technology today to hopefully prevent a crisis somewhere down the road.

You rely on your vendors to conduct business, but these vendors are just as susceptible to cyberattacks as your business is. How can you make sure you’re working with vendors who prioritize security? That’s what we’re covering in today’s blog.

Shadow IT may have a pretty cool-sounding name, but its impacts on your business are anything but. The term “shadow IT” describes any technology used in the business setting without the express knowledge and go-ahead of the IT department. While it may be common, it certainly isn’t good… despite often having the best intentions behind it.

Let's be honest, technology can sometimes cause big headaches for businesses. Maybe your main computer system crashed right when you were busiest, or you had a scary data problem. These tech troubles can frustrate you and your customers.

Remember Y2K, around the turn of the millennium? It was a time when everyone worried that all computers would crash. The whole thing actually made many companies upgrade their tech and get better prepared. The lesson is that even big technology problems can lead to good changes.

What are your plans for the summer? If they involve getting out of the office and going on a vacation, then you’ll want to be armed with a couple of technology tips to help you make the most of your time in a safe and secure environment. Here are three tips you should keep in mind this summer.

Sometimes, a real-world event vividly illustrates the importance of digital security basics. The recent NFL draft provided just such a case, involving an unlocked iPad, a prank call, and significant consequences.

The story centers around Shedeur Sanders, a highly anticipated draft prospect, and Jeff Ulbrich, the Atlanta Falcons' Defensive Coordinator. To maintain security during the draft, prospects use special phone numbers known only to NFL teams. Ulbrich had this sensitive contact list stored on his iPad.

Cybersecurity isn’t the most fun thing to talk about, but it’s still important. This is especially for your employees who are on the front lines, the most likely folks to encounter threats during their day-to-day tasks. Today, we want to cover how your business can build better cybersecurity training practices that can keep your business secure for the long haul.

There are a lot of sketchy parts of the Internet, but the sketchiest of all might be the Dark Web. Located on a part of the Internet that search engines don’t index and inaccessible to most web browsers, the Dark Web is a place where cybercriminals thrive. It’s a place where stolen data is put up for sale, and if you’re not careful, your business could be next.

While the goal of cybersecurity is always to prevent threats from taking advantage of your infrastructure, this is becoming more and more challenging as time wears on and threats evolve to changes in cybersecurity discourse. A recent podcast episode from Illumio, “Trust & Resilience: The New Frontlines of Cybersecurity,” explores how trust has become a vulnerability that attackers exploit in new and creative ways. How can cybersecurity as an industry pivot in response to this trend?

Are you constantly looking to improve your small business and stay ahead of the game? Let’s talk about some tech that can seriously boost how you operate: artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and cybersecurity.