The IT Experts

1.  Security

Let’s consider the amount and kind of data that your business accesses, compared to what is assembled on your home network. While your own data is obviously important, the data you have on everyone else is what can get you into serious legal trouble for your business. Therefore, you need to ensure that your router has been configured to be as secure as possible.

For instance, you should have a firewall in place to protect your incoming traffic. Any connection that is made to the Internet through your Wi-Fi router could potentially let in a threat, so you need to make sure that you’re mitigating these risks with an enterprise-level firewall. Furthermore, you should make sure that your Wi-Fi router is built with the hardware that a commercial-level router will use.

2.  Size

The size of your network should be considered as you determine the router that you should be using. In addition to your workstations, you have a sizable number of devices connected to your Internet, including your laptops, tablets, point-of-sale systems, connected printers, and mobile devices. Balancing your network between devices that need to be hardwired and those that can serve you just as well when connected over Wi-Fi should be a priority.

3.  Support Levels

Depending on how your business is set up, whether you have multiple locations or just one, you may need to have a different kind of router. An edge router is great for sending information from one network to another, while a branch router is suited for an internal network.

Of course, the devices that your operations need will be impacted by a variety of circumstances. If your business takes up a large area, or shares space with multiple businesses or residential spaces, or if you will need to support guest users on a regular basis, your required support levels will vary.

For more assistance with your Wi-Fi and your other business networking needs, turn to KB Technologies today. Our professionals and their expertise are only a call to (954) 834-2800 away.

Defining a Twitter Thread

A Twitter Thread is pretty much what it says on the box: a chain of tweets, posted one after another, all continuing a connected train of thought. Because Twitter was founded on a principle of sound-byte sharing, this capability to string thoughts together makes a lot of sense, especially to the business trying to get their message across. Think about it—not only are you able to share a lot of information with your audience, you are able to do so in a way that encourages them to read into it, and is easily followed.

Let’s review the process of creating one of these threads.

1. Open Twitter on your preferred platform (whether that’s the website, the Android application, or the iOS application) and select Tweet. This button will be in the left-hand sidebar on the web, while it will be on the bottom right-hand corner of the application timeline.
2. Write your tweet, taking care to number it somehow to make it clear where it falls in your thread.
3. Once your tweet is completed, select the Plus (+) button at the bottom right-hand corner of your display.
4.  A new tweet box will appear, and you can continue your thoughts by repeating this process. You can also go back to your previous tweets to edit them as needed.

There is also the option for you to create a thread from one of your past tweets as well. Visit that tweet in the mobile application and select the Add another Tweet button, and repeat the process outlined above.

In this way, even a social media platform can serve your business well. For more technology tips for business success, subscribe to our blog!

Do Macs Get Viruses?

In short, the answer is yes, absolutely. Apple computers can get infected with malware like viruses and ransomware. Macs can also suffer from other typical PC problems, such as hardware failure, data loss, slowing down over time, crashes, and more. 

So where did this misinformation come from? Why do so many casual users tend to think that Macs don’t suffer from the same issues as the Windows PC?

Once place to start is Apple’s own (brilliant) advertising. You have to admit, Apple has had some very memorable advertisements over the years. In fact, one of my favorite ad campaigns may be one of the reasons that so many people think that Macs are immune to viruses. 

Check out the Mac. Vs PC commercial here.

These ads are cute and charming and feel honest enough to be true.

To Apple’s credit, no lies are being told in the ad. Swarms of new viruses are created for Windows PCs every year, and many of these viruses can’t infect Mac computers. Macs still get viruses, but there are definitely more variants out there for PC. Why is this?

PCs Vastly Outnumber Macs

In 2018, it was estimated that for every 10 active PCs on the Internet, there was only one Mac. If roughly 90% of the world runs on Microsoft Windows, it makes much more sense for hackers to develop viruses that would affect this broader target.

Most businesses use PCs. Most schools and universities use PCs. In fact, most industries tend to use PCs. Most home computing is done on PC as well. 

That isn’t to say that there is anything wrong with a Mac. Apple makes incredibly solid laptops, and extremely capable desktops. The problem lies with third-party developers. For many businesses, certain core applications don’t have Mac versions. On top of that, when compared to the PC market, Apple doesn’t have a low-end tier for hardware. Your billing department doesn’t need the same computer that your video editor would use, and there isn’t a reason to spend that kind of money on a high-end Mac when a mid-range PC will handle the workload just fine. There really isn’t anything that you can do on a $2000 MacBook that you can’t do on a $2000 Windows laptop - at that point it’s just about preference and what works for your business. On the flipside, there are some limitations to what you can do on that Mac; when it comes to easily connecting and using a business network that’s designed for PCs, and when it comes to the software mentioned above.

So, Mac Owners Do Need to Worry About Viruses?

Yes sir. Although historically, there haven’t been as many viruses targeting Macs over the years, and it’s always felt like Macs might have a slightly lower risk, that has been changing. According to a recent report by Malwarebytes, the amount of malware on Macs is actually outpacing PCs for the first time ever. It sounds like hackers are relying on the complacency of Mac users.

Malwarebytes goes on to report that there was a 400 percent increase in threats on Mac devices between 2018 and 2019. 

Mac users need to worry about the same threats, and practice the same security hygiene as any other computer user. Whether you have a Mac or PC, you need proper antivirus software, strong passwords, and common sense.

For your business, of course, you also need to protect all the endpoints on your network, prevent phishing attacks, and educate your end users. KB Technologies can help with this. Reach out to us by calling (954) 834-2800 and ask how we can help secure your network.