Macro Systems Blog

It’s seems unbelievable just how much thought and effort hackers can put into their attacks. Scammers are all over the place, and you can never truly be safe. Here are five scams that you should always be on the lookout for.

Authority. Knowing what your business does well, and using that knowledge, experience, and expertise to increase your company’s position within the market is more crucial for the small business today than ever before. This is because, from a competitive standpoint, the small or midsize business is not able to sport the kind of prices that larger firms can, and still make a profit. One way an organization can utilize this talent to increase the visibility of their offering is by using webinars.

So you keep hearing about the need for a firewall, but maybe you’re not exactly sure what it is or even what it does. As a business owner, you don’t need to fully grasp the complexities of network security in order to effectively manage your company. Although, it is beneficial for every business owner to understand the basics of what a firewall is, along with a working knowledge of how it protects an organization’s IT infrastructure.

Most search engines are pretty good at keeping malicious websites out of your search results, but just like any other piece of software on your computer, some search engines do a better job of keeping these threats out of your immediate access. According to TV-Test, a German independent testing lab, there’s a huge difference between the security of the world’s top search engines, like Bing and Google.

For those with weak stomachs, it’s not recommended to go back and read an email that was just sent. In doing so, a spelling or grammar error is likely to be found, which will cause one’s stomach to turn and fill with regret. If only there was a do-over button. Thanks to the new app called Pluto Mail, there is one.

When a dining establishment goes out of business, it usually doesn’t make the news. After all, running a restaurant is a risky endeavor. However, for one Washington D.C. eatery, it’s blaming its failure a Google Places mishap, which makes you think twice about how important it is for your business to have its online information properly displayed.

Have you ever wondered how hackers become hackers in the first place? How are tools readily available to them? Business owners might be reluctant to find out that hacking has become easier than ever over the past decade. This is partly due to the increased sophistication of the black market known to some as the Darknet.

The world of online currency is a strange, bizarre realm. While it’s designed for online transactions, it has gone from the somewhat useful (Bitcoin) to just plain silly (Dogecoin). However, there’s now an anonymous cryptocurrency available for use called Darkcoin, which attempts to make online transactions more difficult to trace.

With the Internet of Things connecting more devices to the Internet, these devices can potentially be turned to nefarious use. Despite all of the benefits of the Internet of Things, like big data analytics, anything connected to the Internet is threatened by cyber crime to at least some degree. In fact, some professionals believe that the Internet of Things will usher in an era of new types of cyber crime; murder included.

Big Data is an important part of any business. Without understanding trends in the consumer populace, how can you hope to sell your product? Unfortunately, many companies don't know how to handle big data, and this holds back their earning potential significantly.

The Internet of Things is on its way, and we are seeing new applications for web-connected devices every day. Perhaps one of the most interesting ways to use Internet of Things technology is its integration into agriculture, or more specifically, artichoke growing at Ocean Mist Farms in Salinas Valley, California.

Across the country kids are hopping on buses and heading back to school. Schools sure have changed and classes aren't quite the same as they used to be. Perhaps the most important thing about these changes has been the classes available for the kids. In fact, some schools have started teaching children how to code, and France is next on the list.

There have been a lot of complaints against the proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger, and finally, another prominent service provider has spoken out against it. Dish Network has expressed their dismay over the cable juggernauts' union in a very long, in-depth petition aimed at convincing the Federal Communications Commission to shoot down the merger before it destroys cable provider competition.

You may have noticed last week that the Internet was having some trouble with its operating speeds, but now we know for sure why. The root of the problem lies in Tier 1's Internet routers' Border Gateway Protocol routing tables, which have exceeded their maximum size, and has brought about the failure of these routers to operate at maximum speed. 

In an attempt to push users toward the most recent installment of Internet Explorer (IE 11), Microsoft has announced that, as of January 2016, all older versions of Internet Explorer will reach their end-of-support date. This means discontinued patching and security update support, putting all who refuse the upgrade at risk.

Every new technology comes with optimism that it will better the future. Take for example gunpowder. Invented in the Ninth Century, Chinese alchemists created it while searching for an elixir of immortality. Twenty years ago, the early adopters of the Internet had the same optimism about how this new tech would make the world a nicer place.

"Free WiFi Zone." You see the sign advertised in the window of a new coffee shop. You've got a lot of work to do and you want a change of scenery, so you pack up your laptop and pay them a visit. The coffee is great, but the WiFi service is lousy. In fact, the spotty WiFi service is so poor that you get frustrated and leave, vowing to never shop there again.

We're seeing a lot of buzz about a controversial issue known as "net neutrality." It's primarily being discussed in the realms of American politics, but its ramifications affect every user of the Internet from around the world! We believe that what's happening to net neutrality is important, and that everyone should be informed about it.

Many websites around the world are still suffering from the nasty little bug called Heartbleed that we covered last month. This prompted over 30,000 TLS/SSL certificates to be revoked and reissued, but many of them were reissued with the same keys. If this was going to happen, why revoke and reissue them in the first place? They're still just as vulnerable as before, since Heartbleed could have leaked those same keys weeks ago.

With the NSA and Edward Snowden making headlines around the world, it's enough to make any user of the Internet think twice about online security and wonder if they are being monitored or not. Google Search has been a popular hub for third party monitoring, which makes Internet users ask, "Is there a more secure search engine available?" There is with DuckDuckGo.