Tag: tech news

  • Staying secure on the 4th, why phishing attacks increase during holiday weekends

    Staying secure on the 4th, why phishing attacks increase during holiday weekends

    We’ve touched on this topic before, but we thought a reminder as we approach the Fourth of July weekend couldn’t hurt, hackers don’t take the holidays off.

    This includes summer holidays such as Memorial Day and the 4th of July in addition to the typical winter festivities. Bad actors know that the holidays can be a boon for their nefarious activities, employees may be less on guard as they look forward to the extra time off and routines are thrown off with a disruption to the normal M-F patterned workweek.

    Here are 7 ways the holidays lead to a higher risk of phishing attacks:

    • Reduced Staff Monitoring
      Fewer IT and security personnel are actively monitoring systems during holidays, making it easier for attacks to go undetected.
    • Delayed Response Times
      Even if an attack is noticed, response times are slower due to limited holiday support coverage, allowing phishing attempts more time to succeed.
    • Disrupted Routines
      Employees are more likely to check emails from mobile devices or at unusual times, making them less vigilant and more susceptible to suspicious messages.
    • Increased Volume of Personal Communications
      Holiday-related emails, such as order confirmations, travel details, and e-cards, create a flood of legitimate messages—making phishing emails easier to blend in.
    • Tempting Lures
      Phishing emails often mimic holiday promotions, charity donation requests, or time-sensitive holiday deals—tactics that seem more believable during the season.
    • Social Engineering Opportunities
      Hackers exploit the fact that people are distracted, in a festive mindset, or rushing to wrap up work—making them less likely to scrutinize an email carefully.
    • Gaps in System Updates
      Routine maintenance and updates might be paused during holidays, leaving systems more vulnerable to phishing-based exploits that rely on unpatched software.

    (Download these tips as an Infographic below.)

    Phishing attacks are one of the most common—and costly—cyber threats facing small businesses today. At Valley Techlogic, we help protect your business by implementing robust email security solutions, conducting employee phishing awareness training, and monitoring for suspicious activity around the clock. Our proactive approach ensures you’re not just reacting to threats but preventing them before they reach your inbox. Reach out today for more information.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, leading provider of trouble free IT services for businesses in California including Merced, Fresno, Stockton & More. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on X at https://x.com/valleytechlogic and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/valley-techlogic-inc/.

  • Once the king of voice chat on the web, Skype is shutting down May 5th, 2025

    Once the king of voice chat on the web, Skype is shutting down May 5th, 2025

    Microsoft is no stranger to acquiring programs only to later shut them down (though they pale in comparison to Google’s own graveyard of acquisitions) and now Skype will be the latest casualty with a shutdown date of May 5th, 2025 being officially set.

    Skype, once the leader of online telecommunications and one of the original online video chat programs, began operating in 2022. Skype, which was a shortening of the original project name “Sky peer-to-peer” skyrocketed into popularity in the early 2000’s reaching 100 million users in 2006.

    After a tumultuous fall out with the early founders and buy outs that included eBay, Skype was sold to Microsoft in 2011 for $8.5 billion. Microsoft quickly integrated Skype into their Office platform but with the release of Microsoft Teams in 2017 the writing was on the wall for Skype as to which Microsoft based communications platform would succeed in the long run.

    Skype failed to keep up with competitors during the pandemic when video chat use was at an all time high due to restrictions on in-person activities. Zoom, WhatsApp, Facetime and even Teams itself performed better in the same space – it’s been reported in 2023 just 36 million people still used Skype daily compared to it’s peak of 300 million users which mirrors Teams current daily active users.

    So it makes sense that Microsoft is shuttering Skype in favor of Teams here in 2025, but for those that are new to Microsoft Teams or even those that have already made the switch, what benefits are available that puts it above other communications programs still competing in the space?

    1. Integration with Microsoft 365: Teams naturally integrates very well with Microsoft 365, from booking a Teams meeting right from your Outlook client to creating groups that have a shared SharePoint folder that allows users to share files while they’re chatting about them in real time. If you’re a Microsoft 365 subscriber you’re leaving features on the table if Team is not your communications platform of choice.
    2. Robust Team Collaboration Features: Unlike competitors like Zoom, which is mainly a video conferencing tool, Teams offers extensive team collaboration features like persistent chat, threaded conversations, shared workspaces, and built-in task management with Microsoft Planner and To-Do.
    3. Better Security and Compliance: Teams benefits from Microsoft’s enterprise-grade security, including end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, and compliance with industry standards like HIPAA, GDPR, and ISO 27001.
    4. Unified Communication Hub: Microsoft Teams combines chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and project collaboration in one platform which will not be found in the competition which are largely standalone programs.
    5. Better Pricing for Enterprises: For businesses already using Microsoft 365, Teams is included at no extra cost, making it a more cost-effective solution. Other platforms may charge an arm and a leg for enterprise features such as longer meetings or hosting larger groups.

    Unifying communication in your company can be a game changer when it comes to making sure everyone is on the same page. Whether you’re looking to implement Microsoft Teams or optimize your existing communication tools, Valley Techlogic’s expert IT solutions can help you streamline collaboration, enhance productivity, and keep your business connected—anytime, anywhere. Reach out today for a consultation.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, leading provider of trouble free IT services for businesses in California including Merced, Fresno, Stockton & More. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on X at https://x.com/valleytechlogic and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/valley-techlogic-inc/.

  • The Threat You Might Not Have Heard of – Stalkerware.

    The Threat You Might Not Have Heard of – Stalkerware.

    We’ve all heard of ransomware and malware at this point, but there’s one that may be flying under the radar. I’m talking about stalkerware.

    Stalkerware is a type of software or application designed to monitor or secretly record you on your devices. The phrase was coined because it was often used by spouses or other intimate partners who want to secretly spy on their partners.

    While in some cases it may be deliberately installed, there are variations of this now that are more insidious. Applications that can detect your GPS location even in the background, as well as applications aimed at parents looking to track their children’s devices that collect more data than they’re supposed to are two notable examples.

    In either variation they’re definitely a violation of the user’s privacy. The Google Play Store (for Android phones) and Apple App Store (for iOS phones) both prohibit applications aimed at tracking your loved ones use without their knowledge or consent, but so many things are added daily it’s inevitable some will slip through.

    On the other end, applications you install on purpose that collect data they shouldn’t is also a major problem. The data they’re collecting is often sold to third parties who then use it to market to you on websites you frequent.

    Most of us are aware the free websites and applications we use on the internet are not really “free”. The cost is being inundated with sales ads, but ads specifically targeted to you by data you didn’t know was being extracted by your computer or phone is a violation none of us would willingly sign up for.

    We’re left questioning how much privacy we can really expect on the internet, and what is needed to protect that privacy. Much more is required of our governments and legislatures to ensure that the private details of our lives aren’t sold to the highest bidder.

    One high profile example going on right now is over the popular phone application TikTok. TikTok was recently banned in India due to privacy concerns, which the company vehemently denies.

    It’s our recommendation that you vet the software, websites and applications you download or visit thoroughly, as well as uninstalling any not currently in use. While this won’t completely mitigate the risk of stalkerware, it may help minimize the damage.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

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