December 20th, 2017 by admin
In 1990, Tim Berners invented the World Wide Web and shook the globe. In 2017, there is a lot of talk about a new internet on the rise, not of information, but an “Internet of Things.” While the Internet of Things presents a world of new opportunities (and new requirements for security)…what exactly...
Posted in: Tech Tips, News, Technology
December 15th, 2017 by admin
Picture this: You’ve got an important email to send so you hop on your laptop. With each word you type, it seems your battery dips lower and lower. 15%...10%...7%...2%...it’s a race against the clock! If this feels more like déjà vu than a distant nightmare, here are some helpful things you can do extend...
Posted in: Tech Tips, Productivity
December 8th, 2017 by admin
On September 7th, Equifax announced it was the victim of what is now being called the largest cyberattack in U.S. history. For nearly three months (mid-May to July 2017) hackers were undetected while accessing hundreds of millions of Social Security numbers, names, and other personal information. The...
Posted in: Protection, Security, News
December 6th, 2017 by admin
In the stone ages, if we wanted to compare our pile of rocks to our pile of sticks, (to ensure sure we had the proper ratio to make cave man things) we had to do it all by hand. Then computers and logic processors came along and they’ve been great for really specific tasks, like counting rocks and sticks....
Posted in: News, Technology
November 20th, 2017 by admin
On the first day of Christmas, my scammer gave to me, three spoofed sites, two password loggers and a maaalware in a pear tree! The holidays are here and that means plenty of gift searching and online shopping. But before you begin your gift hunting, we have a few tips to keep all your presents in your...
Posted in: Protection, Security, Tech Tips, News
November 13th, 2017 by admin
The time is fast approaching to separate the champions from the cattle. Cyber Monday is just a couple weeks away, and with it comes opportunities beyond imagination. 4k HD TVs at slashed prices, gaming systems at their lowest prices ever, smart phones for the exact same price as always, and weird things...
Posted in: Tech Tips, News, Technology
November 6th, 2017 by admin
In today’s cyber-world, you can’t afford to have a password like “123456” (which, unfortunately, was the most common password of 2016). Many of us know deep down that our passwords could be more secure. We’ve heard it all before - they should be at least 12 characters long, avoid common words, use a...
Posted in: Protection, Security, Tech Tips
November 3rd, 2017 by admin
Solar power plants have been around since the 1980s, but in the past 40 years the technology has come a long way. The potential applications have been reimagined and reinvented. There are new implications (environmental, political, etc.) that have shaped solar based technology as we know it today. We...
Posted in: Technology
October 23rd, 2017 by admin
This time of year, the scares are all fun and games until your power goes out, the backups fail, and you realize your situation is eerily similar to the start of a horror movie. Fortunately we are here to help you steer clear of IT Nightmares. (By IT we mean Information Technology, not creepy clowns...
Posted in: Protection, Tech Tips, Productivity
October 18th, 2017 by admin
Ever had a pesky Windows pop-up ask you to update while you’re typing at 2000 WPM, keyboard smoking from the fury, and you can’t help but feel like it’s not your top priority? You’re not alone. Patches can be time consuming and can disturb workflow if not managed correctly, however, they have a huge...
Posted in: Protection, Security, Tech Tips, Productivity
October 10th, 2017 by admin
On January 12, 2015 you might have called Microsoft support for help with your Windows 7 and found a benevolent and ecstatic customer support representative waiting on the other side. (Okay maybe not so benevolent…but they would be there!) However, on January 13, 2015, mainstream support was cut off...
Posted in: Security, Tech Tips, News, Productivity
September 21st, 2017 by admin
When you hear IT professionals (nerds) talking about how the flux capacitor hasn’t fully powered on to correct the quantum gyrofizzler and it’s impossible for the mainframe to maintain 90% output for more than a fortnight, you might find yourself wishing you had an English to Nerd Dictionary. Say no...
Posted in: Tech Tips, Productivity, Products
September 18th, 2017 by admin
There are some words considered too vulgar, heinous or dastardly to say in the workplace without causing a scene or bringing the judgement of your peers – “Multi-Factor Authentication” is quickly becoming three of them. As annoying as MFA can be, the truth is MFA can be your BFF and we can tell you why......
Posted in: Protection, Security, Tech Tips
September 11th, 2017 by admin
It’s the end of the month, you’ve got deadlines to meet, customers to care for and patients to treat. You need everything functioning perfectly and that’s when your computer seems to be possessed with some kind of unmanageable, poltergeist situation that nobody has time for. If you’re lucky, you’ve got...
Posted in: Protection, Security, Tech Tips
September 3rd, 2017 by admin
In the past 3 years, over 1 billion new and unique variants of malware have been discovered and nearly 3 billion identities have been exposed in data breaches. You have protection for your desktop and laptop, but are you confident your cell phone is secure? Mobile devices have increasing abilities to...
August 24th, 2017 by admin
Phishing emails can seem impossible to avoid. Hackers have grown increasing more sophisticated and intricate in their abilities to disguise phishing emails but there are still a few signs that give them away. Here are eight things you should be aware of to prevent from getting “hooked” (as well as some...
Posted in: Protection, Security, Tech Tips
August 21st, 2017 by admin
Whoever said “there are no shortcuts to any place worth going,” never spent an entire day inside of an Excel worksheet. If you are a regular Microsoft Excel user, one of the following shortcuts will take you 15 seconds to learn and will save you hours of time in the long run. (Trust us – it’s worth going...
Posted in: Tech Tips, Productivity
August 10th, 2017 by admin
The bags are packed, the tickets are purchased, and you’re on your way to your dream vacation leaving work and worries behind. If that is your story go and enjoy it. If you are anything like the rest of us, then work often gets in the way of those dream vacations. VPN’s and Remote Access may provide...
Posted in: Protection, Security, Tech Tips
August 2nd, 2017 by admin
The phrase “virtual machines” makes some people turn their brain off and stop paying attention. It may seem like an incredibly “techy” term and way too complicated of an idea to understand, but the truth is that virtual machines have the possibility of saving you up to 80% on your next server project....
Posted in: Tech Tips
July 21st, 2017 by admin
Restarting your computer takes three clicks of a button and a matter of seconds...but the difference this action makes is huge. Restarting your computer will not only resolve most day-to-day issues that arise, but will also play a huge role in protecting the security of your network. Here's the reason...
July 12th, 2017 by admin
May 22, 2010 went down in history as the day that someone purchased two pizzas. That’s great. People buy pizza every day. What makes this so special? The reason May 22 hit the charts was because this was the first transaction to be made between bitcoin and something of real world value (pizza). Laszlo...
July 6th, 2017 by admin
What are the chances that last night’s backup failed? (They might be higher than you think.) Is your IT provider doing all they can to proactively protect your company? What is the right mix of private and public cloud for your company? These are the kind of questions that you should ask your IT provider...
Posted in: Tech Tips
June 29th, 2017 by admin
A month and a half ago, Wannacry Ransomware spread across more than 100 countries causing global distress. Now just 47 days later we are already facing another multinational attack. Cyberattacks are growing in both number and power. It’s more important than ever for businesses to be proactive when it...
Posted in: Protection, Security, Case Studies
June 20th, 2017 by admin
There are some things in this world that nobody likes: mosquitoes, root canals, the sound of nails on a chalkboard...Major software upgrades may be pretty close to making that list. They usually come with extra work, complications, and confusing new processes. However, there are some basic things that...
Posted in: Tech Tips
June 13th, 2017 by admin
You have an insurance plan for your house, your car and your health. But what kind of insurance plan do you have to protect all the data your business relies on? Backups are the best proactive measure that your company can take to protect your data. But there is one thing more important than backups...
Posted in: Protection, Security, Tech Tips
June 8th, 2017 by admin
To others “H2” could mean a Hummer model, an HTML tag, or the bonding of hydrogen gas, but for us here at Equinox, “H2” is our motivation for everything we do as a company. To us “H2” means Happy Clients and Healthy Technology. We keep our clients happy by designing our plans with their budget in mind,...
Posted in: Tech Tips, Meet Equinox
June 8th, 2017 by admin
One of the most important IT practices that most people never think about is documenting their network. If something were to happen to your IT team would you know how to log onto your server or the passwords of all your employee’s workstations? It’s important to not only know how to get into your network,...
Posted in: Protection, Tech Tips, Meet Equinox
June 8th, 2017 by admin
A world-wide ransomware attack swept across the globe last Friday infecting over 100 countries and leaving companies reeling. The virus attacked a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The patches for this weakness had been released by Microsoft months prior to the attack but due to out-of-date systems...
Posted in: Protection, Security, Tech Tips, Case Studies
June 8th, 2017 by admin
As an IT company we see a lot of viruses, scams, and other cyberattacks that businesses encounter. The Microsoft support pop-up scam is one of the easiest to recognize if you are prepared. The following article will tell you everything you need to know to be able to recognize, respond to, and protect...
Posted in: Protection, Security, Tech Tips
April 14th, 2017 by admin
The three main phases to reach HIPAA Compliance are (1) perform Annual Risk Assessments, (2) create a Policy Manual, and (3) Continue Improving. The Annual Risk Assessments help ensure that your clinic’s technology is secure and that the proper safeguards are in place. Your Policy Manual should blend...
Posted in: Protection, Security, Tech Tips
April 6th, 2017 by admin
Ransomware has rapidly grown into one of the largest cyber-security threats for businesses. Ransomware is a specific kind of malware that will encrypt or seize control of data files and not release them until a ransom has been paid. According to CNN, over 209 million dollars were paid to ransomware criminals...
March 29th, 2017 by admin
If you aren't shouting "hip, hip, hooray for HIPAA"...you're a normal person. Adhering to HIPAA Compliance standards is a necessary and complicated process for healthcare professionals. With so many regulations in place it can be hard to keep up. These seven simple steps will ensure that you are actively...
March 23rd, 2017 by admin
Got growing pains? We've got solutions. If you have ever gone through the pain of a business move or growth you know how stressful of a time it can be. Check out our case study to see how we helped one company double in size almost overnight. We make sure that advanced technical projects are done on...
Posted in: Case Studies
March 13th, 2017 by admin
After 15 years around the block we've learned a thing or two. Many businesses run into the same weaknesses when it comes to their technology. Here are the top 10 gaps that we see in protection, performance, and productivity and best practices for how to fix them. Whether it is step by step or a large...
Posted in: Tech Tips
February 24th, 2017 by admin
Are you in or out? That is a question that many small and medium businesses face. There are advantages to both in-house and outsourced IT and the direction you choose can have a huge effect on the success of your company. No matter what you decide to do, here are some things to keep in mind. There are...
Posted in: Tech Tips
February 21st, 2017 by admin
It's time to be friends with your network again. Stop letting it control your business and start controlling it. Whether you are experiencing hardware or user issues, we've got some tips for how to improve your system and speed. And if you really want to wrap your head around your network, think about...
Posted in: Tech Tips
February 10th, 2017 by admin
What does it take to start an IT company? Two friends, a computer shop, and a passion for proactive care. We are proud to celebrate 15 years of business this month and grateful to all of the people, companies, and partners who have helped us reach this point. Every company has a story. This is ours....
Posted in: Meet Equinox
February 8th, 2017 by admin
140,000 hard drives crash each week and 60% of companies that lose critical data are forced to shut down because they are unable to recover their information. Reliable backups should be every business' best friend. Unfortunately most companies don't realize the importance of actively managing their backups...
Posted in: Protection, Security, Tech Tips