Author: David Botero
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Open-source software, whose source code is publicly available, powers much of the internet. Should your business use it? Open-source advantages – No license fees for the software itself – Flexibility: customize and integrate as needed – Transparency: code can be reviewed by anyone – No vendor lock-in: you can move or self-host – Strong communities…
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Software subscriptions pile up quietly. Over time, businesses pay for accounts that nobody uses, or discover too late they’ve been under-licensed. What is software asset management (SAM)? The practice of tracking what software you own, who uses it, what it costs, and when it renews. Common problems – Shelfware: licenses assigned to former employees or…
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Many successful cyberattacks don’t use clever new techniques. They exploit known vulnerabilities for which a patch already exists. Why patching matters Software vendors release fixes regularly. Once a flaw is public, attackers race to exploit it, and automated tools scan the internet looking for unpatched systems. What to patch – Operating systems: Windows, macOS, Linux…
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The term “antivirus” covers a lot of ground today. Here’s how the main categories compare. Traditional antivirus (AV) Detects known malware using signatures and some behavior checks. It’s a baseline but struggles against new or fileless attacks. Next-generation antivirus (NGAV) Adds behavioral analysis and machine learning to catch threats that don’t match known signatures. Endpoint…
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Single sign-on lets users authenticate once and access many applications without entering credentials again. How it works Applications trust a central identity provider, such as Microsoft Entra ID, Google, or Okta. When a user signs in there, they receive access to connected apps through standard protocols like SAML and OpenID Connect. Benefits – Fewer passwords,…
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Employees juggle dozens of accounts. Without a password manager, they reuse passwords, write them down, or store them in spreadsheets. All of these are risky. What a business password manager does – Generates strong, unique passwords for every account – Stores them in an encrypted vault – Fills them in automatically on websites and apps…
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Both suites cover email, documents, meetings, and storage. The better choice depends on how your business works. Microsoft 365 strengths – Desktop Office apps with the most powerful features (especially Excel) – Deep management and security tools (Intune, Conditional Access, Defender) – Integration with Windows, Active Directory, and many business apps – Compatibility with documents…
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Setting up a new PC traditionally takes hours of manual work. With Windows Autopilot, a user can unbox a new device, sign in, and have it configure itself. How it works 1. The device’s hardware ID is registered with your Microsoft tenant, often by the reseller at purchase 2. The user powers it on and…
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Managing computers used to require them to be on the office network. Microsoft Intune manages devices from the cloud, wherever they are. What Intune does – Enrolls devices and applies a standard configuration – Deploys software and updates automatically – Enforces security, such as encryption, password rules, and firewall settings – Checks compliance, flagging out-of-date…
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A password and MFA are good, but they’re the same for every sign-in. Conditional Access adds context. The idea Conditional Access evaluates each sign-in using signals such as: – Who the user is and which group they’re in – Which device they’re using, and whether it’s managed and compliant – Where they’re signing in from…