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Directive has been serving the Oneonta area since 1993, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

The Dark Web is No Place for Your Data

When hackers steal data, they don't just sit on it. Sometimes they delete it, but most of the time, they sell it or use it for illegal activities. A lot of this stolen data ends up on the Dark Web, a hidden part of the Internet where people do shady things. That's why it's so important to keep an eye on the Dark Web to protect your business.

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The Definitive Guide for Getting Your Passwords In Order, Once and for All

Normally, we try to keep the focus on business technology, but this guide is geared toward the typical home user, who may not be that high-tech.

These days, nearly all human beings are wrapped up in a little technology, and there isn’t a huge divide between protecting yourself as an employee at a company versus protecting yourself as an individual—at least as far as cybersecurity habits go. Even if you feel like you are pretty low-tech, you still have to worry about protecting your identity, financial information, and personally identifiable information online.

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Data Privacy Day: 5 Steps to Better Take Charge of Your Data

Every January 28th, with cyberthreats on the rise and consumer trust more vital than ever, Data Privacy Day is your perfect reminder that you have the power to take charge of your data. Whether you’re a small business owner or an executive in a larger organization, safeguarding sensitive information is not just a legal and ethical responsibility—it’s a strategic investment in your company’s future.

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Let’s Brush Up On Phishing Attack Responses

Did you know that phishing is, by far, the most common security risk to your business? Just think, any of your employees could become the target of a phishing attack, and all it would take is downloading the wrong file or clicking on the wrong link to expose your organization to security threats. Today, we want to offer a refresher on the throwaway signs of a phishing attack and how to protect yourself and your team from harm.

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Email Encryption: Of Course You Need It!

Have you ever suspected that a hacker could silently observe your email interactions with your clients and your staff? If you manage your own email infrastructure, we want to highlight the importance of email encryption. Encryption keeps your business’ email communications secure and compliant so you can worry less about security and privacy to focus more on running your business.

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Explaining the Threat of SS7 Mobile Attacks

The Internet is full of threats, but one of the most alarming ones making headlines lately is called an SS7 attack. It’s severe enough to have the U.S. Department of Homeland Security scrambling to find solutions. Let’s break down what SS7 attacks are, how they work, and why they’re so dangerous.

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Your Cool New Gadgets Could Make Problems for Your Personal Data

So you got a new computer for a holiday gift. That’s great! We’re excited that you’re excited. But you also need to consider how you are going to dispose of your old device and how to do so in a safe way. Today, we want to discuss how you can safely discard, or potentially even reuse, your old device so you don’t put your data at risk.

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Why Data Privacy is Important and How You Can Make It a Priority

Since so much of the world is now online, businesses and organizations interact with people online now more than ever. This means they also collect people’s information, a practice they do for various reasons. Individuals need to consider their own data privacy and how it might be affected by business practices.

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What Does the State of Cybersecurity Look Like for 2025?

Businesses have seen an increase in cyberattacks, and this trend is not slowing down in 2025. Today, we want to explore what the future could hold so you can take these insights and apply them to your cybersecurity initiatives in the coming year.

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Google’s AI Sees (and Understands) a Lot More Than You’d Expect

Would you be concerned if someone, with only an image, could infer things about you with better-than-expected accuracy? I don’t mean snippets, either—we’re talking about entire paragraphs of context.

Probably, right?

How concerned would you be if I told you that’s precisely what Google Photos does?

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Why Consulting a Security Professional is the Right Call for Your SMB

If you or your business are worried about cybersecurity, we’d like to say, “Congratulations, you get it!” Too many people fail to take cybersecurity seriously, and with hackers and data breaches making headlines worldwide, you cannot underestimate them. Today, we want to cover how a cybersecurity consultant can save you time, money, and stress over your security systems.

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Cybersecurity Predictions for 2025

Cybercrime and cybersecurity threats targeting businesses have increased consistently over the last several years, so it makes sense that it won’t slow down in 2025. Let’s take a look at a few insights so you know what to be ready for.

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5 Simple Mistakes That Hurt Your Cybersecurity

Technology is a big part of how businesses run today, but that also makes them prime targets for cyberattacks. These attacks can shut down operations and steal sensitive data. Let’s look at five common cybersecurity issues businesses deal with:

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Six Cybersecurity Basics Your Business Needs to Follow

Protecting your business isn’t just about having the right tools; it’s about making sure you and your team know how to stay safe online. Here are some key tips to help you get started:

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How to Prioritize Individual Data Privacy in a World Where It’s Not Respected

How seriously does your business take data privacy? Can you back up your answer with concrete examples of what you do to prioritize that notion? Today, we face a serious threat to both individual and consumer data privacy, so we want to take the time to cover how you can make data privacy a priority in your own life.

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Don’t Just Allow Everyone to Access All of Your Data

Imagine giving every single person you work with a key to your house. Would you do it? Probably not, right? What if someone lost their key or had it stolen? You wouldn’t want to take that risk.

So, it stands to reason that if you can’t trust the people you work with every day with a key to your house, you wouldn’t want them to have access to all of your data; or your business’.

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Why Do Businesses Have Such a Hard Time Identifying Threats?

Cybersecurity is intensely important, so a business owner would think implementing every security feature and defense would be a good idea. However, as research has shown, this can be counterproductive, as only 67% of surveyed security leaders know what led to cybersecurity incidents in their businesses over the past year. 

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Five Cybersecurity Red Flags That Are Often Missed

Every business relies on technology to function. Some wouldn’t be able to deliver any value to their customers without it, while others would be severely hindered if they suffered a data breach. For this reason, cybersecurity has to be a priority. In today’s blog, we will discuss five issues that business owners run into that can muddle their cybersecurity efforts.

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Don’t Trust, Verify: How John Kindervag Shifted Our Approach to Security

Businesses of every size need to prioritize their security. This fact has not changed and will not change anytime soon. What has changed, however, are the recommended ways to approach this security.

Today, we wanted to review the history of today’s predominant cybersecurity advice and explore how the zero-trust security model applies.

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How to Secure Your File-Sharing Practices for Improved Operations

Collaboration is as important as ever, if not more so, to businesses of any size… and with so much work today being done digitally, this collaboration needs to be reliable. Add in the fact that so many people work remotely as often as they do, and it should be clear that all businesses need a means of securely collaborating as part of their successful operations.

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Our business began its journey with the purchase of a personal computer back in 1992. This purchase ignited a passion with Chris Chase, our CEO, and there was no stopping its momentum. Less than one year later, he had his first IT support client (and...

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