Directive Blogs

Did you know the oldest known lock ever discovered is thought to be 4,000 years old? Discovered in the Khorsabad palace ruins in modern-day Iraq, it used wooden pegs to keep a large wooden bolt secure. For millennia, we've understood the need to protect what's valuable.

You probably wouldn’t want to rely on wooden pegs to secure your business, but modern businesses are still using a lot of outdated and ineffective physical security measures. Modern solutions bring a wide variety of benefits beyond just keeping your doors locked; they offer accountability, automation, and accessible analytics. Let’s take a look at some critical physical security mistakes many business owners make and how modern solutions can truly safeguard your organization.

Did you know that, in physics, regardless of how much time, sweat, and energy you put into pushing a boulder, if it doesn’t move, the “work done” is seen as zero? The same is true in business… at the end of the day, your investment in your organization and its people is only worthwhile if you see results.

So, you need to ask yourself: how much work are your team members actually getting done? Are they moving the boulder, or are they just trying a lot but not actually making any progress? Let’s examine what often leads to this kind of stagnant struggle and how you can fix it.

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself if the person you’re talking to on the phone is an AI system or an actual, honest-to-goodness human? It’s expected that in 2026, you’ll be asking this question a lot more often—especially with the rise of agentic AI. This development takes the vulnerability that already exists in your human infrastructure and attempts to make it impossible to stop. Today, we’ll explore agentic AI, what it looks like, and what you can do to put a stop to it in the years to come.

Clutter accumulates everywhere—the household junk drawer, an employee’s car, and yes, even your business’ network. In your business network, this clutter is called “digital cruft” and can lead to some pretty serious problems if you aren’t careful.

Technology doesn’t last forever, so what would you do if your keyboard or computer monitor bit the dust tomorrow? Some might just throw the technology in the trash and not think twice about it, but that’s the exact opposite of what you should do. Instead, we urge you to go through the proper channels to properly dispose of your old electronics—if not for the environment’s sake, then for your business’.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a solution that has grown more popular over the past decade or so, primarily because more employees already own devices capable of running work-related applications. The employee gets to use a device they already know and love, while the employer saves money from the cost of equipping that employee. That said, the security risks associated with BYOD can undermine an ill-prepared implementation and open the door to potential legal action.

Despite the immense productivity and convenience that come from using a smartphone, it’s important to remember that these devices are miniature computers in our pockets. As such, they are just as susceptible to threats as a computer or laptop. According to the National Security Agency, powering down your device is one of the most effective ways to protect your smartphone from various threats. Here’s why.

It would seem that the people responsible for the recent heist at the Louvre, which netted over $101 million in jewelry, may have used a more complicated plan than strictly necessary. According to a French publication, the famous museum has a long history of cybersecurity mistakes and faux pas… many of which, given the museum’s fame, are truly shocking.

Let’s go over what we know about the Louvre’s protections over the years, and what they suggest about the current state of things. We’ll probably learn a thing or two by doing so.

Every day, your small-to-medium business handles sensitive information: customer names, credit card details, employee records, and vendor contracts. This data is valuable, not just to you, but to the hackers and regulators who are paying attention. The old idea that "only big companies get audited" is completely outdated. Data privacy compliance has moved from a niche legal issue to a core operational requirement for every SMB owner and manager.

An old fable says that a frog placed in a pot of boiling water will jump out immediately, but if the water is warmed to boiling with the frog already in it, the frog won’t notice until it is already too late. Many businesses today act like that frog, overlooking minor tech issues that signal a growing problem until the damage is done.

Let’s see if we can identify some of these issues to help keep you out of hot water.

What was the scariest Halloween costume you saw last week? Chances are we know something scarier—the cyberthreats that want to take your business down. Let’s go over some of the most common threats to your business’ future and what your business can do about them.

Happy Halloween! Tonight, ghosties and goblins will roam from door to door, collecting candies along the way. This is to be expected. Less expected are the cyberthreats and attacks that darken the doors of modern businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Let’s talk about the things you need to do to keep your business safe, inside and out, every night of the year.

Picture this: a potential customer in Oneonta needs a service you provide. They pull out their phone and type "best [your service] near me." What do they see? If your business isn't popping up with a map, glowing reviews, and easy-to-find hours, you’re not just missing a click—you're losing a customer. Your Google Business Profile isn't just a listing; it's your digital storefront, and it's time to make sure yours is open for business.

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.

These are turbulent times. Social media is an undeniable force in our modern lives, for the good and the bad. Anyone that has gotten into a discussion on their favorite social service knows how it can escalate very quickly. Navigating these digital mediums with intention is key to making it a positive and productive part of your life.

In this month’s newsletter, we wanted to roll out some pretty simple social media tips to live by, helping you to build a healthier and more meaningful online presence.

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.

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.

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.

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.