March 2020 - Monthly Mini-Bytes

Remote Consulting Amid COVID-19 I think about my grandfather who was born in 1910. He lived through World War I, the Spanish Flu, the Great Depression, and World War II. It's hard for me to imagine living through such tumultuous times and remaining strong. But he did, and I think about what he went through before I get angry about the lack of toilet paper at Costco. Today, in 2020, we are faced with a global pandemic and its resulting impact to ourselves, our families, and our businesses. Fortunately, it is a different time than the early 20th century. The world is much more global. We are all very connected. Through technology we can be more informed on how to stay healthy. And one of those ways is through social distancing, but that means changes to how we work and interact. Many of us are now working remotely. Our Macs, iPhones, and iPads not only help keep us productive, but also enable us to stay in touch with loved ones from around the globe. Keeping your Apple Ecosystem healthy at this time is very important. We want to assure you that we are here to help with remote consulting options so that you can social distance like a pro! With a phone and our remote tools we are ready to consult with you on your technology issues so that you can stay connected and productive.

Watch Out for Scams! Times like these bring out the best in people -- without question. Yet, also, at times like these the dregs of humanity slither up from the swamp to take advantage of a bad situation. Not only is there an active dis-information campaign coming from bad-actors overseas, but the amount of rumor and just plain false information that is flying around the big social media sites can be misleading and frustrating. On top of all this, scammers are sending out phishing emails that have caused a lot of problems and compromised the personal data of thousands of Americans. Only visit reputable websites and avoid clicking on any links in emails. The FBI has information on these scams and how to stay safe: https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/200320.aspx

Working Securely at Home Since more and more people are working at home right now, it is important to know how to keep your laptop secure. MalwareBytes have put together some best practices for working at home. You can view the article here: https://blog.malwarebytes.com/how-tos-2/2020/03/security-tips-for-working-from-home-wfh/