Used with permission from SBA.gov, by Anita Campbell Mobile devices pose heightened security risks. Those risks come in several forms. Devices -- including business data saved on them such as call records, contacts, images, videos, documents and email messages -- can...
Portland IT Support Articles & Business Tech News
Cybersecurity, M365, Managed IT Services, AI, & Technology Trends for Portland Businesses
Tune Up Your Telephone Skills
How do you sound to your customers and co-workers? First impressions are lasting impressions. That's why every telephone conversation counts. The impression you make on your co-workers and customers is based on your tone of voice, energy and attitude. Because so many...
Five things to ask your future MSP
Given the critical importance of your business's IT infrastructure and operations, we believe it is becoming increasingly important to effectively vet all prospective new IT service vendors. This is certainly applicable to Managed Service Providers (MSP). Given...
Windows 10 updates slow machine to a crawl
As many Windows 10 users have found out, the new update procedures can cause massive problems for users. No longer can you delay updates until it is convenient - only reboots. Now windows will run updates as soon as Microsoft decides you need them, and worst of...
Enable or disable Internet Explorer add-ons
How do you manage Internet Explorer add-ons? Perhaps you have an unwanted extension or a pesky toolbar cluttering up your browser. Maybe another program installed an extra toolbar you really don’t need. Or maybe your favorite extension is disabled and you want to...
Keep Your Home Wi-Fi Safe in 7 Simple Steps
It is beginning to feel like the Internet is a basic necessity for existence in the 21st century. With all our devices connected to the Internet, we have an indescribable physical mobility that leads to increased productivity. It is safe to say that the Internet is...
How to Turn Off Clutter in Outlook / Office 365
Clutter is a mailbox management feature of Office 365 for Business. (If you don’t have an Office 365 for Business subscription, you will not have this feature.) It analyzes how you process your email and then moves “unimportant” or low-priority email from your Inbox...
3 Technologies to Streamline Customer Communications
Ask the typical small business owner which methods his or her company uses to communicate with customers, and email is likely to be at or near the top of the list. But what happens as your business grows? If your business is anything like mine, the volume of email...
5 Red Flags of Identity Theft
An estimated 11.7 million people are victims of identity theft each year. It is a growing crime and it is expected to grow more with each passing year. There is a big demand for stolen identities in the underground economy. Criminal outfits specializing in...
Who’s the weakest link?
Used with permission from HP Technology at Work Even if your business is using updated software, firewalls, and antivirus protection, your employees could create a cybersecurity risk. Common errors that employees at all levels make when using technology may prove...
Spire attends HostingCon Global 2016 conference
Editor's note: This post is from 2016 and describes a service SpireTech no longer offers. At Spire, we're constantly on the lookout for new technology that gives us or our clients the competitive edge. While we don't want to be bleeding edge, we do want to be...
4 ways to be more proficient in Word 2016
#1 Co-author in real time with your team When you and your team members want to collaborate on a document, forget the pain of emailing it back and forth. Forget worrying about what version you're working on. You can now use real-time co-authoring to see everyone's...
Rise in Ransomware Attacks
There has been a significant increase in activity by a malicious ransomware software called Troldesh. We have recognized that systems that are not actively managed or have no system access management policies are exceptionally susceptible to the current version of...
IM on it—why instant messaging is collaboration’s secret weapon
Used with permission from Microsoft Office Blogs Implementing an instant messaging platform is important for productivity for teams of all sizes. Enabling a system for quick, informal, easy-to-reference and mobile chats keeps teams connected for nimble...
How a Gmail Password Stealing Scam Works
Sophisticated cybercriminals have devised a way to steal email credentials that bypasses two-factor authentication security and doesn’t rely on otherwise easy-to-spot phishing methods. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself from this email password stealing...
The wild world of 3D printing
As you may have heard, 3D printers are going beyond the simple plastic creations we're already familiar with. Way beyond. Scientists, engineers, doctors and creative makers are developing printers for advancements in health care, city planning and space travel. Oh,...
