This time last year, right? Confusion, doubt, suspicion, fear, horror. We were getting our heads around a new concept: pandemic. Ugh. It is hard to remember those several weeks of WTH?! This year, spring is so different. We have survived, although there have been so many sad losses along the way. We are wiser, even […]
“Liability” Is An Action Word, Not Just A Concept
“Liability” Is An Action Word, Not Just A Concept Teaching our children right from wrong has always been a major responsibility for parents, I believe. Once our precious little toddlers reach a certain age, it is time for the often painful (and often loud) practice of showing how “actions have consequences.” Understanding individual accountability for […]
Would You Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is?
“Thanks, but I’m good.” I think it is so American to always answer with confidence when anyone asks about someone’s situation. We have that Yankee/Can Do/Birth of a Nation attitude, and we usually expect to have to be effectively competent in, well, everything. When asked “How is _______?”, our reflexive response is usually some sentence […]
Why Am I Telling You About This?
I want to put a recent and immutable fact of life into perspective for you, so stick with me for a few paragraphs, please. If you have had your Facebook account hacked, raise your hand. My, that’s quite a few. If you have had your identity stolen, raise your hand. Hmm. Still quite a few. […]
Information Technology Should Be Your Partner, Not Your Jailer
The relationship between a business and its IT management is a real hot button for me. There is no choice but to have computers and other forms of Information Technology in today’s competitive markets. Tech is a must-do, just like lights on every day and heat in the winter. But I ask all of you: […]
Zero Trust Security—Know What It Means And Commit To It
Today (Thursday) President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act. This will release 1.9 trillion dollars into the U.S. economy. This may be a political football nationally, but no one is more excited about this cash infusion than the hackers and grifters who plan to take advantage and steal as much as they can. Zero […]
China Is Not As Far Away As You May Think
Did you ever try to dig to China when you were a kid? I remember hearing, “why, if you keep digging, you’ll come out on the other side of the world!” It seemed possible back then. In actuality, China is much closer today than it was when we were digging as kids. China is not […]
Oops! They Did It Again . . .
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you know all the facts, yes? I know you know that you should regularly and religiously teach your staff, your employees, about dangerous emails and to never click on an unknown sender’s attachment. And yet—2020 was a windfall year for cybercriminals. There was an 85% increase in […]
Truth, Consequences, Fear, And Courage
Truth, consequences, fear, and courage. It is a cocktail that all business owners get served every day when they open their doors and boot their computers. I highlight business owners, but doesn’t everyone deal with these concepts and emotions in some way daily? Whether you are the CEO of Apple or a stay-at-home mom in […]
A Review Of What “IT” Is—Do We All Agree?
Recently the owner of a small business said to me, “Gosh, I don’t need IT help—my business only has a half dozen computers.” A flag went up in my mind, but this was a casual conversation so I made a mental note to get back to that thought. When I did circle back to that […]