Computer St. Louis Blog/News

Our world is obsessed with productivity. And why not? Productivity means being efficient with our time. And yet, recent trends have helped buffer us—as workers and as people—from productivity corroding quality of life. Productivity can’t come at the cost of higher...

Email security is such a common topic now that it’s not taken as seriously as it should be. The way it’s usually talked about, though, only worked for how email was used 20 years ago. Today’s technology has brought new considerations. The picture has gotten more...

Technology and IT services have changed from the break-it-fix-it cycle of the 1990s. There are so many new factors for small and medium businesses in their IT landscapes, among them: Software is largely stored in the cloud today and updated in subscription-based...

A Ransomware Story Ransomware is a real threat for businesses every day. In 2021, the number of ransomware attacks on businesses big and small grew to over 620 million. In 2022, over 20% of cybercrimes committed were ransomware attacks. Ransomware is a form of...

Browser safety is one of the many layers of IT security that businesses need to consider. The overall functionality of browsers, however, tends to get businesses’ attention before the security standards do. For example, the enormous catalog of plugins offered on...

There are many functions within a business that are outsourced. The number of outsourced functions has only grown as businesses scale faster and the market for outsourced services thrives. Most companies already outsource at least a few IT functions. Small and medium...

Windows 11 brings many changes users have been excited about. Across the board, from its look and feel to its performance and integrations, the potential for improved productivity is greater than with any recent Windows update. Although the interface looks pretty...

Wireless internet is what most businesses use today. The business world is almost entirely free of wires for internet access, but they are not free from the risk of data loss. Data transmitted over wireless networks is sent over the air. Anyone in the network with the...

It’s a business essential to encrypt sensitive data. In fact, it’s become a business essential to encrypt just about everything you send for business, sensitive or not. Especially with colleagues and clients dispersed around the globe, even a secure file transfer...

“Inbox zero” is the mythical moment that you continually strive for. It’s that blip in time where there are NO emails—read or unread—in your inbox, and it feels great. The truth is that “inbox zero” doesn’t have to be a rare occurrence. More than just deleting what...

Software licenses validate the legal use of software. With a growing majority of software used by businesses being cloud-based, software licenses today are generally purchased as subscriptions. Back when software was installed on a desktop computer by way of floppy...

When it comes to IT budgets, often the line-item details are rarely built to meet revenue goals because even the best-intentioned budget can be turned on its head within months. Just look at what happened to the market at the start of the pandemic or after Russia’s...

Is your business prepared for a disaster? Whether your business was impacted today by a tornado or a citywide power outage or something else altogether, knowing your “readiness” is part of being in business. Uncommon but perfectly possible crises represent real risks...

The 3CX office phone system is the next-generation solution for businesses to stay productive with employees spread out more than ever. This cloud-based phone system software is one of the key elements of the business tech stack. 3CX is one of many hosted phone...

Fast access to the internet is a “must have.” It’s a basic need for work, for fun, for finances and travel and shopping and more. We’re able to connect to the internet on our personal wireless at home or on company wireless at work. We regularly connect to public...

Most business professionals already know what a VPN is. These “virtual private networks” allow you to browse the internet anonymously, or even from another specific location. This technology has been the perfect solution for many of today’s business needs, including...

One minute, Aubrey was looking for a client file. File explorer popped open on her computer and she was about to select the file that she wanted to review. The next minute, her screen was locked. A menacing message flashed across it: PAY UP, OR YOUR DATA WILL BE...

Microsoft 365 is the real deal. A suite of not just the omnipresent Office apps, but also the whole Microsoft family, this license opens the door to every tool Microsoft has built. Collaboration, productivity, and the cloud are all at your fingertips. One of the...

Picture it: an email comes in from your boss asking you to process a transfer for a large sum of money. Perhaps that would be unheard of in your role, and the alarms of potential fraud would immediately go off in your head. But there are plenty of business employees...

Just a username and password won’t cut it anymore. Even crafting your longest and most secure password ever will still leave you exposed. The reality today—especially for small businesses—is that there are too many ways cybercriminals can steal personal information,...

When you receive a spam quarantine report, it should look like this. If you have more than one active email address, you may get several reports.  Make sure you’re looking at the right one by looking at the box circled in red below. You don’t need to wait for a...

In businesses like local banks or insurance brokerages, compliance is a language that people live and breathe in the workplace. Whole processes are built around meeting compliance standards. The payoff is that consumers know their money is safe with all the rigorous...

All businesses face data loss as a constant risk and, unfortunately, an inevitable reality at some point. Whether it’s an employee who overwrites a folder or a natural disaster, data loss is something businesses have to plan for, because it will happen. How much that...

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) sound like buzzwords, but they’re definitely not fading trends. Both of these technologies are changing businesses in how they deliver services, manufacture products, and interact with clients. Are you in an industry...

Phishing is arguably the most dangerous form of attempted cyberfraud. It’s pervasive, and it’s too often successful in deceiving consumers and small businesses. The last three years have seen the biggest spike in phishing attempts ever recorded. The rise in phishing...

Line of business (or LoB) apps are made specifically for each organization who developed them. They can even be made available on the Microsoft Store for employees and collaborators to easily download, even when they’re brand-specific. These apps are completely custom...