Bluetowne IT Consulting

[MUST READ] POPULAR PC MAINTENANCE SOFTWARE CLEANER COMPROMISED BY HACKERS

Users of a free software tool designed to optimize system performance on Windows PCs and Android mobile devices got a nasty shock this morning when Piriform, the company which makes the CCleaner tool, revealed in a blog post that certain versions of the software had been compromised by hackers — and that malicious, data-harvesting software had piggybacked on its installer program.

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Tech Quick Tips: 4 Ways to Increase Your Laptop Battery Life and Charge

1. Keep the Vents Clear

Never ever sit your laptop on a couch cushion, or on a mattress, or anything soft that hinders airflow through the little slot on the bottom and sides of your machine. Those vents can suck up dust and debris, clogging up the fans and causing your laptop to work harder. And, the harder the machine works, the more battery power it is going to require. If you hear a loud buzzing (like a fan spinning really fast), or your laptop base is so hot you could cook an egg on it, chances are you should consider moving to a tabletop or hard surface to work on.

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What is the Financial Impact of a Ransomware Attack?

The reason for ransomware’s popularity boils down to one thing: economics. Without the proper defenses, cybercriminals can extort hundreds – sometimes thousands – of dollars from SMBs by encrypting valuable data and demanding a ransom be paid to restore the data. Below, see the rise in the average ransom amount by year (in US dollars).

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Silicon Harbor has become a tech landing spot for some weary city dwellers

CHARLESTON, S.C. — It may be 2,740 miles away, as the crow flies, but Charleston seems like a million miles away from the hustle, bustle and stress of Silicon Valley.

An idyllic beachfront on the Carolina coast, drawing 7 million tourists annually. Horse-drawn carriages and pastel antebellum houses with roots to the American Revolution. Fort Sumter in the distance, a reminder of where the first shots were fired in the Civil War.

And yet the economic formula is decidedly 21st Century after decades of relying extensively on the military, automotive and textile industries. The focus today is on high-wage jobs in an affordable, lifestyle-friendly setting.

Welcome to Silicon Harbor: Home to more than 250 tech companies employing 11,000. This port city has quietly become the No. 1 mid-sized U.S. metro area (500,000 to 1 million) for IT job growth, adding 4,000 jobs the past five years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Read more from USA Today.

How Managed IT Services Align with SMB Business Priorities

Despite the need to embrace technology and IT innovation, most SMBs lack the necessary vision, strategy and resources. However, partnering with a managed services provider like Bluetowne can help SMBs address these challenges to achieve strategic growth that aligns with their business’ priorities – including the top SMB business priorities that are depicted below.

With Bluetowne’s Managed IT Services you’ll be free from necessary, but time-consuming tasks. Tasks like monitoring and managing your IT infrastructure, performing server maintenance and updates, and remediating end-user issues. You’ll be free to focus the right people and resources on the right things. Your strategic initiatives will fall into place all while increasing efficiency and productivity.

Let us know how we can help!  843.352.0130 | [email protected]

eBook: 10 Hidden IT Risks That Might Threaten Your Business (Plus 1 Fast Way to Find Them)

Download our FREE eBook: 10 Hidden IT Risks That Might Threaten Your Business (Plus 1 Fast Way to Find Them)

You may not be in the intelligence technology business, but it’s probably impossible to imagine your business without IT. Today, computing technology plays a vital role in the way you serve, work with, and communicate to your clients. Thanks to advances that have made technology more powerful yet less expensive, even
the smallest practice can enjoy capabilities – in everything from marketing and sales to delivery and fulfillment – that were once the sole domain of large enterprises.

But today’s big IT advantages come with major risks. Your networks and systems serve as your silent partner in operations. Should they fail – and when they do, it’s usually without warning – you’re exposed not just to an IT problem, but to a potentially large business problem.

This brief paper exposes 10 silent threats that might be quietly undermining your operations now – and proposes one quick, easy and FREE way to bring these threats under control, fast.

Tech Quick Tips: Understanding the Cloud

1.What is the Cloud?
The cloud is virtual and therefore does not require any hardware of your own to deliver a service. Cloud technology can deliver that service to you, without having to install anything or have it on a server at your business. This is something that you can access remotely, or via the Internet through your web browser. Offsite, secure third party data centers manage all of your cloud data so that you can access it at your convenience.

2. You May Already be Using the Cloud
Are you using Gmail? Amazon Music? A Kindle? Dropbox? These are all cloud services that store the data you access. All you have to do is log in to their servers to get what you need. If you use an Apple iPhone or iPad, then you’re familiar with the iCloud service, the cloud technology that allows you to sync and upload your photos and contacts.

3.Why Use the Cloud?
The cloud is convenient for accessing and backing up data no matter where you go. With it, you can access servers anywhere, rather than just locally from your office. This allows you to perform your job duties at home and on the go! There is no need to carry around (and risk losing) USB drives with sensitive information on them. If you lose that USB drive, then your files are gone forever. If you back them up to the cloud or store them there, however, you can easily retrieve that data.Read More

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