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The article Funny Memes or Phishing, Identity Theft and Exploitation? was published online by TK Business Magazine, Topeka, on April 30, 2020.

We have all noticed a surge in funny Facebook memes and games while sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are so clever and ridiculously tempting to click-and-share or click-and-play along. But here is the rub. There is an increased likelihood that clicking, playing, and entering information really just opens the door wide open for cyber predators to get your information. Read the full article.

Cybercrime is everywhere. We know it and you know it, but deep down, many of us still think we’re either too small or unimportant to be a target. Think again. You were never safe from cyber criminals, but when the new year rolled into March and COVID-19 became the only news, your small business moved to the front of the cyber criminal’s hack-line.

Steve Riat, Director of Sales at Nex-Tech, leads B2B revenue streams and market initiatives. He has been a featured speaker by Intel, Microsoft and SonicWALL for his unique ability to integrate business and technology. Steve has been involved with peer and mentoring programs for over 15 years and currently leads two national Technology Peer Groups. An entertaining and motivating speaker, Steve speaks and facilitates seminars on technology, business growth and culture.

Olga Detrixhe: Steve, tell us a little bit more about your role at Nex-Tech. What do you do day-to-day?  

Working remotely has clearly been the talk of the nation. But how do you implement that? What tools do you need? What will it cost? How quickly can you get set up? Here are a few pragmatic, no nonsense, real-deal answers.

There’s a Windows 7 countdown clock here incessantly ticking toward January 14, 2020. And that’s when PCs running Windows 7, Server 2008 and 2008 R2, and Exchange 2010 no longer get Microsoft system updates, patches or support.

For most of us, these words still seem to sound like a Tom Clancy novel, but the cybercrime landscape is rapidly making them a reality, with more examples from our direct environment added to the storybook every week. 

Not all Managed Services Providers (MSP) are created equally – sure, they may all provide IT services for a monthly fee, but beyond that, there are vast differences. Today we want to look at some of the myths surrounding what “good managed IT services” look like, debunk them and give you some ideas of what to really look for in a great MSP. The industry is moving fast and what may have been best practice or top-of-the-line 5 years ago could be ineffective by now.

Everyone would probably agree at this point that you should have backup. For your personal data and even more so for your business. Still, the backup landscape seems to be a bit like the wild west with a multitude of options out there and cloud file sharing that seems to blur the lines between file storage and true backup. In addition, backup has shifted from a solution to protect from hardware failures or fires to your very last line of defense when it comes to cybercrime. With all these things in mind, let’s take a look at what to consider when choosing a backup solution for your business:

I have written many times about Managed IT Services (check out 3 Ways to Know if Managed Services is Right for You) and why it is a good move for many businesses to “tame the IT monster”, regardless of their size and staffing. But, recently the conversation has morphed into an argument for managed IT as an effective cybersecurity strategy.

by Olga Detrixhe and Kathy Marihugh

Here at Nex-Tech we work with many different manufacturers, vendors and distributors to deliver the most cutting-edge and relevant technology to you. We pride ourselves on the fact that we have a history of long-standing and deep relationships with our vendors, and that they are much more than vendors – they are truly partners. That means we work together beyond ordering and delivering; we have a stake in each other’s success and collaborate to achieve the best outcomes. Through that, we get the honor to be invited as members to serve on advisory boards to help shape the solutions that are most relevant for you, our customers.