We've had the privilege over the last couple of months to attend a couple of IT and tech industry conferences. The NSA, FBI, and Homeland Security had speakers at these conferences and they are sending a message: US Businesses are the target of...
SpireTech Company News and Tips
PortlandCloud v5.0 Upgrade
The latest update to our PortlandCloud.com portal brings a whole new look to CTERA's hybrid cloud appliances, and several new features to cloud drive! Here are some of the highlights: All-New User Interface Snazzy new interface with HTML-5 goodness. The...
The top three spreadsheet errors of the decade—so far
used with permission from IBMby Paul Bard Spreadsheets have been a popular tool for budgeting, forecasting and planning for decades. But spreadsheet errors have been causing serious problems for finance professionals for just as long. One wrong keystroke and...
7 easy ways to lower your energy bills
used with permission from HP Technology at Work It's October, and for businesses across the Northern Hemisphere that means the start of darker days, colder nights, and higher energy bills—bills that strain budgets further each year, with a nearly 20% increase in U.S....
The best way to prepare for disasters and security breaches
used with permission from HP Technology at Work What would happen if your company lost your critical business data? Whether your application is email, your website, accounts receivable or any other critical application, your IT infrastructure is...
Yes, Solid State Drives do “Wear Out”
The postmortem and what you need to know We’ve known for some time that there are a finite number of writes that a solid state hard drive can endure. This is because the type of memory commonly used for SSD data storage can only be erased a certain number of times....
A word about passwords
used with permission from FTC Business Center Blog by Lesley Fair On the old game show "Password," the host whispered a word to contestants, who then gave clues to celebrities. The first to guess correctly advanced to the Lighting Round. The loser went home with a...
Ransomware: When Cybercriminals Hold Your Computer Hostage
used with permission from Norton by Symantec by Nadia Kovacs Ransomware is a form of malware that will lock files on a computer using encryption. Encryption converts files into another format, like a secret code and can only be decoded by a specific decryption key....
Summer Slowdown? Make the Most of It
used with permission from SBA.gov by Sarah Field While some seasonal businesses hit primetime during the summer, many others see a major slow-down as clients and customers go on vacation (and as new projects are postponed until after said vacationing.) Never fear –...
How to Communicate During a Disaster
used with permission from SBA.govby Sarah Field The idea of returning to “business as usual” when you're in the middle of a disaster can seem impossible. While it is absolutely possible to make a full recovery, especially with the resources available to...