Texas Professional IT Services LLC Blog

This is the final part in our 5-part series. You are on the last leg of the journey, and just a few steps away from drastically improving your overall cybersecurity. We wanted to thank you in advance for going through these steps, and if you are finding this article for the first time, be sure to click on #Password Guide at the bottom of this page to see all of the other posts in the series.

This is part 4 of our 5-part series on getting your digital life in order! So far, we’ve discussed the importance of using strong, unique passwords for all of your online accounts, how to establish a primary email address so all of your accounts are tied to a single inbox, how to set up MFA to secure that email and your other accounts, and finally, we’re going to discuss setting up a password manager and going through the process of logging all of your accounts into that password manager.

In the last two parts, we walked you through the importance of strong, unique passwords, as well as establishing a primary email address that you will use for controlling and managing your accounts. Having everything in one secure place can make things a whole lot easier. Now we’re going to cover setting up Multi-Factor Authentication to add an extra layer of security to your primary email and your other accounts.

Previously, we covered why it’s important to protect your online accounts and why it’s critical that you use strong passwords. We also provided some good tips for creating unique, strong passwords that are easier to remember. You’ll be using that method to create a couple of strong passwords, but ultimately, you’ll be using a password manager by the time you are done with this 5-part guide.

In this part, we’re going to do some housekeeping to make sure that all of your important online accounts are tied to a single email address, and we’re going to walk you through steps to secure that email account.

We’re doing something a little different this time around. Normally, we try to keep the focus on business technology, but this article is geared towards the typical low-tech home user.

These days, nearly all human beings are wrapped up in a little technology, and there isn’t a huge divide between protecting yourself as an employee at a company versus protecting yourself as an individual—at least as far as cybersecurity habits go. Even if you feel like you are pretty low-tech, you still have to worry about protecting your identity, financial information, and personally identifiable information online.

We encourage you to share this article around with everyone you can, from students to those enjoying their retirement. We all have family or friends who have a loose ream of paper they scrawl their passwords onto, or might even have worse habits that they think are perfectly healthy that are putting them at risk. This article might help them reduce the risk of expensive, frustrating problems.

If you were sent this article, hello! There is someone who cares about your safety online and wants to try to make your digital life a little easier. We hope you find this guide useful, and we’d love to get feedback from you if you have any!

Imagine one of your employees receiving a phishing message in their email inbox. Would they fall for it or report it to the appropriate individuals within your business? With phishing training, you can take the guesswork out of this scenario and know—for sure—that your team knows how to respond to a potential phishing scheme.

One of the most challenging parts of running a modern business is securing it from today’s growing list of threats. If you don’t take cybersecurity seriously, there is a real risk that your business will be the next local or national headline about the dangers of cybersecurity issues. One of the easiest ways to prevent yourself from becoming another statistic is to hire a security consultant.

We frequently recommend using a password manager to help keep track of your credentials, given that you only use a standalone password manager—one that isn’t tied to a browser. Why the distinction?

It’s simple: it’s all in the interest of security, which means it is a rule that must be followed regardless of what browser you use.

If your business were breached by a cybercriminal, would you be able to figure out what caused the breach in the first place? If you don’t know the answer to this question, we have news for you—you’re far from the only one. A recent survey has shown that most security leaders (67% of those surveyed) don’t know what caused a cybersecurity incident, and it’s a problem that must be addressed.

Zero-trust is a data protection method that's becoming very popular in the tech world. It’s one of the best ways to keep your business safe from hackers. Let’s discuss how zero-trust started and why it’s important today.

When it comes to data access, there’s no good reason for everyone in your business to have access to all the files. There’s just too many risks involved, and you’re not about to make risk management the central part of your job duties. Therefore, it makes sense to limit who has access to what data based on their user role.

While there are plenty of cybersecurity protections for your business’ technology, it is just as critical that you and your team are prepared to stay as secure as possible. To accomplish this, we wanted to share a collection of cybersecurity basics to get you started on the right foot.

Data privacy is no laughing matter, and the more people learn about it, the more seriously they tend to take it. It’s quite common for you to face privacy threats in day-to-day life. Today, we want to look at some of the concerns that everyday users should be aware of with data privacy and what you can do to keep yourself safe.

News flash: just because you’re a smaller business doesn’t mean you’re a smaller target for cyberattacks. You’re not immune, and you can certainly fall prey to the unfortunate reality of the modern cyberthreat landscape. If anything, small businesses are the perfect target, and we’ll explain why.

While now may not be the most dangerous time to run a business, it is arguably a contender. Businesses are more reliant on digital technology than ever, meaning that these businesses also have to deal with more threats than ever. One such threat: the phishing scam.

Would you trust a bank that locks its doors at night but leaves all the money sitting in a big pile on the floor? Probably not—if someone got through the door, they could take all the money without any trouble.

This is kind of how cybersecurity used to work. If someone got into a company’s network, they could see and use anything they wanted. But now, many businesses are using a better system called zero-trust security.

A lot of people don’t take cybersecurity and data privacy seriously enough, and that puts both them and others at risk. We’ve all gotten used to sharing personal information online—whether it’s on social media, shopping websites, or other digital services. But if we’re not careful, this can lead to big problems like hackers stealing your identity or money. When people don’t use strong passwords or turn on two-factor authentication, they leave gaps that hackers can take advantage of. These gaps don’t just affect individuals—they can lead to bigger cyberattacks that hurt entire organizations or communities.

"I don’t need to worry about cybersecurity… my business is too small to be in the crosshairs of hackers."

This is one of the most dangerous mistakes a small business can make when it comes to cybersecurity. If you think this way, it shows you might not understand how modern cyberthreats work. Let’s break it down and show you why this mindset can be risky.

Today’s businesses need an established cybersecurity strategy. It’s as simple as that.

However, many businesses need guidance to create this strategy, which is why the National Institute of Standards and Technology has developed a framework for proper cybersecurity protection. Let’s walk through this framework and discuss what you need to do to meet its requirements.

Problems with cybersecurity can really sink your business. Unfortunately, more opportunists are out there today looking to profit off of business’ lack of vigilance. One example of this are large-scale scam operations that have been running in Southeast Asia, and they are now spreading to other parts of the world. These scams, called "pig butchering" scams, have caused major harm, with around $75 billion lost worldwide in 2023.