Directive Blogs

Network hubs, network switches, network routers… What does it all even mean? All of these devices and terms can be confusing, and to some, they might even be interchangeable. However, the fact remains that they all serve different purposes, and some might not be the right solution for your business’ needs. Today, we want to break down the differences and when you might consider one over the other for your infrastructure.

What goes through your head when you hear the words “IT audit?” Are you worried about your business’ deepest and most shameful technology secrets being exposed, or are you excited about the opportunity to resolve issues that you might not even know exist? We hope you have the latter mentality, as it’s the appropriate one—especially if you want to build a business that stands the test of time.

Staying safe online means protecting your accounts with stronger authentication. That’s why this Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we’re diving into real stories about Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) and how cybercriminals try to bypass it.

In this Micro Training, learn how MFA works, where it can fall short, and what you can do to keep your accounts secure.

It’s happening in your office right now. An employee, trying to boost productivity, pastes a chunk of your confidential client list into a public AI tool to draft a marketing email. They see it as a clever shortcut. You should see it as a massive data breach waiting to happen. The explosion of AI tools like ChatGPT is a game-changer, but for unprepared businesses in Oneonta and beyond, it's a dangerous new frontier.

It’s easy for employees to reuse passwords just to make things easier for themselves; after all, why use different passwords when you have a dozen accounts to remember passwords for? Unfortunately, this habit will come back to bite you, especially if your business is ever involved in a data breach. These credentials could be put up for sale on the dark web… and that’s just the beginning of your problems.

Regardless of how big or small your business is, chances are you have at least one server unit that holds sensitive data. Ask yourself this question: do you have the knowledge and expertise to properly care for and maintain that server unit? The best way to ensure your business takes care of its server technology is to work with a managed service provider. Here's why:

Business is already complicated enough without having to remember all of your passwords. Unfortunately, logins and sign-ons are a necessary part of operations, and without them, work isn’t going to get anywhere. All that said, there is a solution to the problem of having too many accounts with too many unique credentials, and it all starts by asking a simple question.

A significant and growing number of small businesses are either actively using AI tools or exploring their potential, motivated by the promise of increased efficiency, cost savings, and gaining a competitive edge.

It's an exciting movement, proving that AI isn't just for huge mega corporations. Small businesses are using AI for everything from generating marketing content and handling customer service inquiries with chatbots to analyzing customer data and automating back-office tasks. The goal is to compete faster and smarter.

The cut, copy, and paste commands are some of the most frequently used keyboard shortcuts in the modern office, but do you actually understand how they work? They make use of the clipboard, but not many people know what the clipboard is or how it functions. Today, we want to demystify the clipboard and break down how you can make better use of it on your Windows device.

Congratulations! After a long and arduous interview process, you’ve found the ideal candidate for your business. They’re enthusiastic and experienced, but as soon as they sit down, they realize that they aren’t properly equipped to do their job.

This is precisely how to start a new hire on the wrong foot. Not only is it discouraging for them, but it is also expensive for you. While it may be tempting to blame individuals in these situations, they actually indicate a systemic shortcoming in your onboarding process. The only effective way to prevent these outcomes is to create procedures that ensure everyone on your team—new people included—can fully contribute.  

Your password is the first line of defense between you and a cybercriminal—but if it’s weak, reused, or predictable, it could prevent you from staying safe online.

In this Micro Training, we’re continuing Cybersecurity Awareness Month with tips on what makes a strong password, why password managers can help, and how cybercriminals exploit weak or reused passwords.

Today, every business needs cybersecurity. In some industries, more and more decision-makers actually request it. If you are a business and cybersecurity isn’t a part of your priorities, you are going to be left in the dust.

Let’s talk about how you can maintain that balance with some strategic marketing and culture-building.

When was the last time you gave the time of day to your business’ phone system? The Internet has largely made traditional telephone solutions obsolete, yet countless businesses still cling to them for dear life. Still, dismissing the importance of the telephone as a way to connect with your customers would be foolish, so our focus today is how businesses like yours can implement phone solutions that leverage the good while eliminating the bad.

Today is the first day of the post-Windows 10 era, and if you are still running a PC with the popular operating system, trouble could be ahead if you don’t make a move immediately. In today’s blog, we will talk about your options going forward. Let’s get right into it.

Let’s say that a small business, maybe even one of your neighbors, just poured thousands of dollars into the latest and greatest security software and firewall system. You’re impressed… until a disgruntled employee walks in one night, nothing to stop them, and takes a hammer to the server they have behind an unlocked door.

Suddenly, there’s one less small business, and there was nothing that expensive security software could do about it.

The idea of a four-day workweek (where employees work the same schedule, minus one day a week) has long been campaigned for, with numerous anecdotes supporting its efficacy. One very successful example is provided by the nation of Iceland, which implemented initial trials of reduced work with just under 1 percent of its population, or about 2,500 people, back in 2015. 

These efforts have increased over the years, and today, almost 90% of Icelandic workers work 36 hours per week with no negative ramifications to the economy. In fact, Iceland’s society has enjoyed significant benefits during this experiment.

While still critical to get right, passwords aren’t nearly as secure as you would expect them to be. They can be guessed (especially if proper password practices haven’t been followed), stolen in data breaches, or phished from a well-meaning—albeit shortsighted—employee.

Passwords are basically the lock built into the front door of a building. They’re enough to keep out honest people, but what about the people who are willing to go to the deep web and 3D print the master key to the type of lock you use?

It’s everyone’s worst nightmare—checking your pockets or purse, then checking them again, trying to feel around for your smartphone, but it’s not there. Where did you leave it, or where did it fall out? Or worst of all, did someone steal it? Regardless of how you lost your smartphone, you need to take these three simple steps to ensure whoever finds it can’t steal your data.

Did you know that during World War II, Allied codebreakers didn't just crack the German Enigma code with pure math? They also used clever tricks, like baiting the Germans into sending predictable messages, to expose the machine's inner workings. History proves this approach worked then, and (unfortunately) continues to work now.

This art of manipulating a system to reveal its secrets has found a new, high-tech home in the world of artificial intelligence. It's called prompt hacking, and it's essentially a form of digital social engineering aimed directly at the AI models businesses are starting to rely on.

How does your business use virtualization? We guarantee you that at least part of your infrastructure is virtualized to some degree, even if you don’t realize it. From hardware infrastructure to your desktop infrastructure, there are plenty of options for how your business can leverage virtualization for considerable impact.

We’re all about proactive business technology support. That means we’re always on the lookout for tools that help you work smarter, not harder. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating your first Google Form:

It’s easy to skimp here and there when you run a business. After all, it isn’t cheap, and you have to make difficult decisions every day for where you’re prioritizing your spending. One area where you can’t scrimp on a substandard investment is your technology; especially an old computer that has broken down over and over again. If you’re not careful, that broken computer could be holding you back and costing you profit.

Are you making the most out of every single mouse click you make? The navigation peripheral has a lot of hidden functionality that you might not realize exists. Today, we want to go over some of the ways you can make each mouse click matter just a little bit more, as well as how you can use these tricks to save a little time and be a bit more productive.

In the movie Moneyball, Billy Beane and the Oakland A's changed baseball forever. Faced with a tiny budget in the early 2000s, Beane ignored traditional scouting and used data to find talented, undervalued players. This sabermetrics approach allowed a small-market team to consistently beat rivals with much bigger budgets, proving that data, not just money, can lead to success.

Today, those same principles apply to every business. In a competitive world, companies of all sizes and industries can use data to make smarter decisions, optimize resources, and build a stronger business for less.

Your business’ relationship with IT has a direct correlation to how well it operates. If your technology fails, your business suffers productivity losses, as well as financial ones due to decreased reliability in the eyes of customers and clients. One of the best ways to ensure you’re following through on the promises you make to your customers is to implement a proactive IT strategy to replace the reactive approaches seen in the past.

It is remarkable how much more capacity our data storage tools have than they had upon their initial invention, and how much data we’ve amassed in that time. The first-ever commercial hard drive was the size of two refrigerators, and held a mere five megabytes of data. For context, that’s about five photographs. Today, hard drives hold exponentially more data, and it is critical that you are doing everything you can to protect this data from any circumstance, from fire, severe weather, or cyberattack.

So, are you? Too many business owners aren’t sure… but there’s a way you can be. 

Cybercriminals don’t always go after the toughest targets—they go after the easiest ones. Businesses without even the most basic protections are at the greatest risk.

This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it’s the perfect time to revisit your defenses and make sure you’re not leaving the door open. Here are the essentials to get started—and the next steps to take your security even further.

How do you know when it’s time to fire one of your vendors? Better yet, how do you know when you’re better off firing your IT vendor to find a better option? These kinds of situations can be stressful, but they’re not impossible. We’re here to help you make the call, as well as to offer a better alternative that saves you time, energy, and money.

It's a familiar challenge for businesses: how do you build customer loyalty and a strong user experience while also making sure that their data is protected? Sustainable success depends on mastering this delicate balance. Instead of choosing one over the other, the goal is to optimize data protection without hindering your ability to engage customers and drive growth.

Do you have an internal IT department for your business? Small businesses often don’t have dedicated IT staff, and if they do, chances are they’re overwhelmed with tasks and constantly playing catch-up (IT is a big job, after all). In fact, they might feel like they can never take time off because they’re so busy. If you want to ensure your business always has the IT it needs, then you should consider outsourcing as an option.

Here’s a challenge; go to any cybersecurity news website and see how far you can go before seeing an article about some new type of ransomware attack. It’s everywhere, and it’s scary, but that doesn’t mean your business has to cower in fear. With the right tools and resources at your disposal, you too can fight back against ransomware. Here’s how you can protect your business from ransomware and the threats it poses.

Have you ever heard of mouse keys? It’s an accessibility feature of Windows 11 that lets you control your mouse cursor using the keyboard. It’s helpful for when your mouse stops working, or if the batteries die and you don’t have another you can use. Here’s how you can make the most of mouse keys for your Windows 11 PC.

Scams are everywhere, and it’s up to you and your team to identify them before you accidentally expose your business to something truly sinister. However, it’s often easier said than done, and scammers have gotten craftier in recent years. Today, we want to discuss three of the dead giveaways that you’re looking at a phishing scam, as well as how to address it.

Does your organization have the good fortune of having an in-house IT department? More likely than not, even if you do, your department has maybe a couple of technicians at most, and they are all up to their ears in work, whether it’s keeping up with maintenance or struggling to implement new and innovative solutions. If you’re looking for ways to upgrade your organizational IT infrastructure, we recommend you start with a network audit to determine what needs to be done (and how we can help you do it).

If you want your devices to keep running smoothly, including utility and security, you need to ensure they are updated. Updates sometimes cause problems beyond what they solve, however. What looks like a routine patch or update could impact your important applications, and if you’re not careful, you could potentially cause a downtime scenario simply by being proactive with your updates.

How often do you find yourself thinking about how new technology will impact your business’ bottom line? Chances are, you have considered implementing a new piece of technology or two, but you might get stuck on whether or not it will actually be worth the investment. This is where you consider the return on investment that technology will provide, or ROI. Here’s how you can make sure your technology is providing results and what you can do if it doesn’t get the results you’re looking for.

Nowadays, we’re all busy—especially at work. Collectively, our days are filled with improving our products and services, cultivating client relationships, and putting out fires left and right. Do you really have the mental bandwidth to commit to quibbling over whether or not your data is secure?

The fact of the matter is that cyberattacks of all kinds are a constant threat to everyone, and could very well take your business out of commission unless you do something about it. Let’s review some steps that will help reinforce your business’ security posture and better defend your data.

Cyberthreats are a constant, evolving risk. While robust cybersecurity measures are the first line of defense, they are not a silver bullet. This is where cyber insurance comes in—not as a replacement for security, but as a critical component of a comprehensive risk management strategy.

For small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs), the financial fallout from a data breach or cyberattack can be catastrophic, including legal fees, regulatory fines, and the devastating loss of revenue due to business interruption. Cyber insurance provides a financial safety net against these potential liabilities.

The truth is, fear is one of the most powerful tools hackers use because it works.

In this Micro Training, we’re going beyond just recognizing fear tactics—we’re going to teach you how to hack the attack.

While marketing may feel like a fiercely independent endeavor for every business, this is only half true. Sure, you may not want to promote one of your direct competitors… but why not work with another company, in a different industry, to meet both your goals?

This approach is almost a marketing cheat code, the rising tide that raises all ships. Let’s talk about why such partnerships are so valuable and how to take advantage of the marketing advantages for yourself.

AI has revolutionized the way businesses operate, streamlining various tasks and changing how knowledge-based businesses function in record time. One of the ways that businesses are using AI is customer support, but how effective is it really? Is there any merit to maintaining the human element of your customer service, or said in a different way, what can human customer support offer that AI cannot?

The average email inbox can easily become packed with so many unwanted messages… not necessarily spam, per se, but threads and feeds you’re just no longer interested in. Fortunately, there are capabilities baked into Gmail and Microsoft Outlook alike that allow you to remove these messages from your concern.

Does your business really still use that old fax machine? Chances are, it’s just taking up space and costing your business valuable time, money, and resources that would be better spent elsewhere. Let’s look at how a fax machine can actively hold your business back, both in terms of operations and budget.

All businesses need a little IT assistance from time to time, whether it’s for a simple hiccup some software or a full-blown technology emergency. Cybercriminals will often pose as IT support in attempts to capture this low-hanging fruit. Your employees should know how to spot the following warning signs from a fraudulent tech support squad.

Business leaders and decision makers have plenty to deal with… and that’s before factoring in all the problems and obstacles that pop up over the course of their normal operations, particularly when it comes to the technology their businesses rely on.

Naturally, a smart business owner would want their technology to be as reliable as possible, available without requiring conscious effort. As it happens, one of the modern options for IT support enables circumstances to be as close to this ideal as possible… but the other predominant option ultimately gives you more to worry about.

What would you do if your entire infrastructure were impacted by ransomware all at once? Do you have a contingency in place to address this risk, or are you going to “wing it” in the face of such a threat? The smart answer is that you’ll be prepared, and a data backup and disaster recovery solution (or BDR) plan will help you do just that.

You’ve seen phishing emails before. But have you noticed how they’ve evolved?

In this Micro Training, we’re going to show you how phishing has become emotional warfare—and why understanding its evolution could protect you from falling for the next attack.

The more you’ve invested in anything, the more critical it feels for you to get a return on that investment. So, what happens if you keep pouring money into these efforts in the hope that it will eventually work out in your favor?

These kinds of skewed choices come about thanks to the sunk cost fallacy—the tendency human beings have to be swayed toward illogical decisions based on what we’ve already spent. 

Let’s discuss how to avoid this in your business by working through the logic, free of the emotional context that the sunk cost fallacy introduces.

A successful business is a secure business. You probably have a good lock on the front door, maybe an alarm system, and secure cabinets for important documents. You do all of this to protect your business' physical assets from threats. So why wouldn't you do the same for your digital assets?

Just as you have physical security measures, your business also needs strong cybersecurity policies. They help create clear rules for employees to follow and a plan to fall back on if an incident occurs.

As we try to eke out as much fun from the final months of summer as possible, many of us will find it increasingly challenging to disconnect from the office—even from miles away. We could be lounging on a quiet beach in Bora Bora, but instead of enjoying the tranquility, we’d still be itching to check our emails. Instead of being able to truly relax, many team members and business owners still feel the pressures of the office even when away, essentially undoing any benefits of the vacation.

Let’s discuss how this can be addressed for the mutual benefit of everyone, allowing you and your team members to step away from time to time without causing disruptions.

In a lot of ways, your business’ IT is just like a chair; you want it to feel stable, steady, and secure, not unbalanced and unsteady. In particular, a reliable security strategy depends on three legs: your people, your processes, and your technology. Let’s look at how you can use this “stool” approach to IT security to improve your company’s resiliency to potential threats.

Surprises can be exciting, but one part of your business where you don’t want them is in your IT. A server crash, a wireless connectivity outage, or a security threat can all create multiple surprise problems that you simply aren’t ready to handle—particularly in the realm of your wallet. Instead of spinning the wheel and gambling on your IT bill, you can instead treat your IT like a predictable utility cost, and it’s all thanks to proactive managed IT services.

While data might be the new currency, your own business’ data might be a bit too messy to make full use of. You might be paying to store it and protect it, but you’re not doing as much with your data as you’d like. Here’s how businesses find themselves with these “data graveyards” and why it essentially functions like a debt rather than an asset.

Cybercriminals don’t need advanced tech to hack you—they just need to make you panic.

In this Micro Training, we'll discover how fear-based scams work, and what one might look like.

We often publish articles about the cloud and how it’s impacting the world of business, but one thing you can never get away from is how important security is to this mission. Regardless of the use, the cloud is only helpful if it’s secure, and it can actively hold your business back if you neglect this important aspect of its operations.

Are you blindly sprinting forward where your technology is involved, picking things that sound good, hoping you have enough forward momentum to reach the next stop? Unfortunately, this approach is often an option that many businesses take, usually to their detriment.

We want to remind you that you there is a better way: creating an IT roadmap to strategically merge your technology with your more functional business goals, helping you progress with every dollar invested.

Business owners have a lot of duties and responsibilities, and while you can hire a lot of people to cover some of the more stressful ones, it might feel strange to outsource your company’s technology management. You know IT is important, so that’s why you feel like you have to do it yourself, or at least in-house, but in reality, you’re the last person who should be working with your technology—and we’ll explain why.

Do you have your finger on the pulse of your business’ subscriptions? Not many business owners do, and it can negatively impact operations and budget lines. This tech sprawl can get out of control, which is why your business needs a plan to combat it. Thankfully, we’re here to help you get your subscriptions under control… both the known and the unknown.

The Internet is a staple in most offices around the world, and you’d be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t rely on it in some fashion. A big part of seeing success with the Internet depends on your bandwidth, as well as your network’s capacity to reach the capabilities of your Internet service provider. Today, we want to break down what bandwidth is, as well as how you can make the most of your Internet package.

A backup is mandatory for any business, but not all backups are the same. You’ll want to be prepared for more than just a simple server crash; you’ll need geographical redundancy that can protect your business even in the face of disasters that destroy your servers or physical location. Yes, local backups are helpful, but you’ll need the power of geographical redundancy to overcome the most horrific disasters that could strike your business.

Business owners like you are constantly worried about cybersecurity, and with attacks growing more persistent and sophisticated over time, it’s no wonder companies are taking it more seriously than ever before. Today, we want to highlight the four most common types of threats you’ll see and what you can do to protect yourself from them.

You should want your team to be ready and able to accomplish as much as possible. So, when a team member approaches you with a request for a better laptop or a dual-monitor setup and the wish to do more with their time, you should agree. However, there may be that little voice in the back of your head, whispering, “Was that a wise investment?”

It can be hard to balance the need for employee satisfaction with your budgetary restrictions, but it must be done. Let’s go over the considerations you need to make… as well as the pitfalls that must be avoided.

Microsoft Copilot is an AI assistant seamlessly integrated into the Microsoft 365 apps your business already uses. Think of it as a highly capable assistant sitting in on your meetings and helping with your daily tasks, but without the overhead. Instead of sifting through hours of meeting recordings or long email threads, Copilot does the heavy lifting, helping your team focus on what really matters. It's designed for small to medium-sized businesses that want to boost productivity without a steep learning curve.

Acquiring a competitor can be a rewarding and profitable move, but it's crucial to inspect their technology to avoid any unwelcome surprises. A thorough IT audit helps you understand what you're getting and prevents a valuable investment from becoming a money pit. Let’s take a look at some of the things you need to assess before agreeing to take on growth through an acquisition.

There’s a specific stress that comes from the disconnect between the money you invest in your business IT and the value that comes back from it. Sure, you know what the money is being spent on… but that’s a far cry from knowing how these investments are shifting the needle.

Let’s discuss the importance of understanding what your IT is telling you and when you need to demand more information… politely, of course.

Your business wants to use every opportunity it can to increase its bottom line and eliminate unnecessary costs, but how often does printing enter into the conversation? You waste more paper, ink, and toner than you think by not keeping a close watch on your printing practices. The right technology can not only reduce these wasteful practices but eliminate them entirely, giving you more capital to invest elsewhere in your business.

No one likes the feeling of being plugged into work all the time. Not even the most diligent employees will appreciate receiving an email after hours. Yet despite this feeling, there’s an unspoken expectation that you are always on, so to speak, especially with the advent of mobile technology and remote work. How can you prevent these issues from escalating into burnout?

Cyber hygiene is a foundational first line of defense, and just like any other physical structure relies on a solid foundation, so does critical infrastructure.

In this Micro Training, we'll take a look at how the world’s most targeted and essential industries prioritize cyber hygiene, and what other industries can learn from their best practices.

With cloud computing, your business has access to tools that fundamentally change the way work takes place. Several of the biggest reasons to adopt the cloud include flexibility, efficiency, and scalability. How are you planning to use the cloud to add or remove resources to your business initiatives as needed? Today, we want to share how scalability works and how your business can fully leverage it with the cloud.

Synergy. Paradigm shift. Disruption. There are so many buzzwords saturating modern business jargon nowadays, including and especially “digital transformation.”

Unfortunately, “digital transformation” sounds big and, worse, expensive… especially for our small and medium-sized business neighbors. We wanted to step in and assure you that this is not the case and that any business can benefit from it, provided it is approached correctly and mindfully.

Capturing leads is only the first stop. Turning them into clients? That’s where the real challenge lies.

Success isn’t just about making a good first impression—it’s about maintaining the momentum. A well-crafted email nurture sequence bridges the gap between initial interest and long-term commitment, providing a scalable and strategic way to guide leads through the sales funnel. 

Tips are great as long as they actually work. Business owners need more technology tips than just about anything else, whether that is app-specific or general care of technology. We try to do our best to provide useful tips a couple of times a month, but this week we wanted to focus on what is probably the most important tip we can provide.

How does your business handle the onboarding and offboarding of employees? Depending on your processes, it might involve completing tasks or wrestling with new technology. Whether you like it or not, managing the onboarding and offboarding of employees is a critical part of any business operation from both a security and operational standpoint. Let’s go over how you can make them better.

Has this ever happened to you?

It’s late, a long day of work behind you, but you’re finally home and able to relax. Just as you get comfortable, your phone dings. You glance at your phone. It’s a work email… and if you’re like most, you’ll be itching just to check it and get it over with. The problem is, each time you do so, you whittle away the line between work and the rest of your life. This “always on” impression our technology provides has contributed to a few significant issues. 

Let’s see if we can address these issues.

There are times when you might make changes to a file, only to wish to revert back to the previous version. Sometimes you’ll accidentally overwrite an important existing file, and sometimes someone else will make edits to a document without permission. All of these situations warrant version control, or having the ability to view different iterations of a file. Here’s why you need to have version control in place, as well as what’s at stake if you don’t have it turned on.

In this Micro Training, we’ll take a closer look at the specific methods attackers use to compromise these vital systems.

Have you ever noticed the curb cuts at intersections? Initially designed for wheelchair users, they also help parents with strollers, travelers with rolling luggage, and delivery drivers with hand carts.

This is the “curb-cut effect”—a design choice made for a specific group that ultimately benefits everyone. Your website can, and should, have the exact same effect.

An accessible website doesn't just serve users with disabilities; it creates a better, more welcoming experience for every single visitor.

You’ve probably heard the adage, work smarter, not harder. It usually describes the use of technology to bring time-and-money-saving benefits to the table that human workers can’t produce on their own. As good as technology is at boosting productivity and efficiency, it only works if you are able to get your employees engaged. 

While the allure of shiny new gadgets and cutting-edge software is undeniable, the real magic happens when these investments directly translate into tangible productivity gains, transforming how we work and propelling businesses forward.

Cyberattacks are not to be underestimated. The damage that they can do—even in the first hours—is considerable. This means you need to have a strategy to respond to these incidents, conveniently called an incident response plan.

This procedure should be both tested and documented, preparing you to withstand any cyberattack with minimal damage or disruption. As you might expect, the first hour or so will be a crucial period during this process. Let’s go over what you need to do.

What’s the one thing protecting your business from a ransomware attack? If your answer is “our antivirus software,” we seriously need to discuss this further. While well-intentioned, that belief is a dangerous gamble.

Modern cyber threats are too sophisticated, and the stakes—your data, your reputation, your entire business—are too high. The hopefully-correct answer to that “one thing” question is much more powerful.

You probably use Google more than you care to admit, so what if we told you that you could be getting even more value out of your Google searches? Today, we want to share some strategies to customize your Google search results by making your searches more effective from the outset.

Reliable IT advice is hard to come by, especially for cybersecurity. Whether it's uninformed coworkers or fake online influencers with their guides and platforms, most advice you find these days is bound to be outdated, incorrect, or both. You don’t want to base your business’ security around security myths, so we’re here to bust them today and offer you some guidance you can trust.

For decades, the business phone was a tether, firmly rooting you to your desk. Missed calls and unheard voicemails were just part of the deal if you stepped away. Today, when a lot of businesses rely on remote and hybrid work, that's no longer acceptable. It's time for a significant upgrade, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the answer.

A lot goes into a successful network security strategy, and when there isn’t a clear head honcho at the top of the chain of command (from a network security standpoint, anyway), things can get a little murky. The security that comes from a modern firewall, however, is vital, and all businesses should strive to implement it. Here are the four key elements of a modern cybersecurity strategy and how a modern firewall contributes to the digital security of your business.

In today’s hyperconnected world, protecting critical infrastructure—our most essential systems and services—is more important than ever.

In this Micro Training, we’ll explore the vast scale of critical infrastructure and uncover why these systems are so often targeted in cyberattacks.

When something goes wrong with your company’s technology, the last thing you want to do is be the one at fault. Unfortunately, that’s what comes with the territory in the world of business IT. If you’re sick of technicians who make excuses rather than own up to their mistakes and correct their course, read on. We’re going to showcase just what accountability in IT looks like and how we strive to embody it.

There’s a reason why we tend to focus on security, and that’s because it’s not a matter of if you experience a cyberattack, but when. It’s your responsibility to make sure that you’re ready to act in the right way when faced with these attacks. One of the best ways you can be prepared is by working with a managed service provider like us. Today, we have three ways we, as a managed service provider, can help you take the fight to cybersecurity threats.

Every business owner in Central New York understands the delicate balance of investing for growth while diligently managing expenses. For most, IT often feels like a necessary, but sometimes unpredictable, cost… but what if we told you that your technology could actually be a significant driver of cost reduction and increased profitability?

At Directive, we're not just about fixing computers; we're about implementing smart IT strategies that directly impact your bottom line, freeing up capital for what truly matters: growing your business in Oneonta, Norwich, Delhi, Cooperstown, and the surrounding areas.

While most days, you should lock your computer when ending the day, shutting down your PC and rebooting it on occasion can offer some huge benefits. Doing so helps you avoid some of the more common computer problems that can be highly disruptive and hold you back from achieving productivity.

Small businesses are incredibly important for the community, but there can be no denying that cyberthreats disproportionately impact SMBs. This is especially true for ransomware, one of the worst threats out there, that has the potential to end unprepared businesses. Ransomware locks down access to your computer systems and encrypts files, demanding a ransom in exchange for restored access. What makes small businesses such ideal targets, and what can you do about it?

Cyberscams can be incredibly well-crafted and dangerous, and a significant portion of this danger stems from the scammer's ability to effectively utilize the psychological triggers that we all possess to some degree. Modern security training tends to focus on what signs we all need to keep an eye out for—and for good reason—but it does little to explore why modern scams are as effective as they are.

Let’s fix that by taking a moment to examine the tricks the scammers play so you can be that much more prepared to stop them by understanding how they work.

How much time do you waste every day while trying to find specific files? Chances are, it’s more than you’d like, and one quick glance at your digital workspace would tell us you have some tidying up to do. Today, we want to share three tips to help you be more organized and productive with your digital workspace.

Many of us have wearable devices that we use every day, but eventually these devices will have to be retired.

In this Micro Training, we’ll go over techniques like account delinking, cloud data purging, and more, making sure that you stay protected even after you part ways with your wearable device.

You know your business needs data backup, but do you understand why? Simply put, your business is at risk of total annihilation if it doesn’t have a plan in place to recover lost data, and you don’t want that impending doom hanging over your head. If you’re wondering where to get started, here are three types of data that you should absolutely prioritize with your backups.

That said, you want to back up all data if you can, but these are three that we think are especially important to consider.

The CIO or Chief Information Officer of any organization has a lot of pressure on them to get their organization’s technology right. Not only do they need to put strategies in place that will help the organization prosper; they need to take the brunt of the heat when these IT initiatives don’t work out in the way they forecast them to. A lot of their job is to say yes when their best instinct is to say no. Today, we will look at three of the technologies that today’s CIOs are green-lighting.

As a business leader, you see it every day: the subtle glow of a smartphone screen, the tilted-down head, and the focused attention—on anything but work.

It’s a common sight, but it leads to a difficult conversation about a concept known in the business world as "time theft." When an employee is paid for their time but a significant portion is spent on personal entertainment, it creates a payroll drain that impacts the entire company.

Employees, consider this: Would you pay $25 to $45 an hour to use your phone? Hell no, why would you think your employer wants to pay it?

For business owners, your most critical assets aren’t your office or your inventory; it’s your data. Every client list, financial record, and strategic plan forms the makeup of your company. Protecting this data, due to its importance, isn't just an IT issue—it's an essential business function.

The sun is setting on an era. On October 14, 2025, Windows 10 will officially reach its end of support. For millions of users worldwide, this marks a significant turning point, prompting questions, concerns, and perhaps a touch of nostalgia for an operating system that has served faithfully for a decade.

So, what exactly does end of support mean, and what should you be doing now to prepare? Let's dive in.

As necessary as it is, business technology tends to be expensive, especially when things go wrong. Historically, these costs took the form of capital expenditures, which meant they were inherently expensive and unpredictable by nature.

This is precisely why it is so important to shift your business IT to an operating expense. Let’s explore why this is the case and how to implement this change.

In our pockets, purses, and palms, smartphones have become extensions of ourselves; the ultimate personal technology. We use our phones for communication, entertainment, and countless daily tasks. The problem is, the price of these new phones are going up and up and we aren’t really seeing all that much new value out of them. It lends you to ask the question whether or not we are truly getting the most value out of these powerful devices? It also lends us to ask what more can manufacturers do to deliver value that’s worth the price that today’s flagship devices command.