Tech basics
Plain-English help for anyone who looks after the office computers: scams, passwords, backups, and Wi-Fi.
- Tech basicsSecurity alert
Update WordPress to 7.1.4 or your branch's latest release: a flaw in the update process is being exploited
CISA added a WordPress core flaw to its exploited list on November 3. Sites that update normally are protected once on a fixed release, and auto-updates should deliver it.
- Tech basics
Keeping office computers updated without breaking things
A plain-English routine for Windows updates in a small office, plus one date to check this week: Windows 11 version 24H2 stopped getting updates on Pro and Home PCs on October 13, 2026.
- Tech basicsSecurity alert
PHP2Shell: two critical flaws in PHP itself are being attacked, and updating WordPress won't fix them
Two critical flaws in the PHP runtime (CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619) let attackers run code on web servers. Here is who is affected, what to ask your host, and what IT should patch.
- Tech basics
Still running Windows 10? Year one of paid updates just ended, and here is what to do
Windows 10 reached end of support in October 2025. Paid extended updates run in yearly blocks, and the first block ended October 13, 2026. Plain-English options for a small office.
- Tech basicsSecurity alert
Install October's Windows updates: an exploited flaw lets a booby-trapped file skip Windows' safety warning
Microsoft says attackers are already exploiting a Windows Shell flaw that bypasses Mark of the Web. Here is what that means, which updates fix it, and how to check your PCs.
- Tech basics
"Activate device admin app?" What that prompt means when you add work email to an Android phone
Adding a work email account to an Android phone's built-in mail app can ask for device admin rights, which can include erasing the whole phone. Here's what you're agreeing to, and the friendlier option for personal phones.
- Tech basics
Scan-to-email and Microsoft 365: your options before Basic auth for SMTP goes away
Microsoft is turning off Basic authentication for SMTP AUTH by default at the end of December 2026. Here's what that means for copiers, scanners, and apps that send mail, and the four ways to keep them working.
- Tech basics
Fake invoices and 'new bank details' emails: how to stop payment-change fraud
A plain-English routine for small offices to stop scammers who ask you to pay a fake invoice or send money to a new bank account, plus what to do in the first hour if a payment goes out.
- Tech basicsSecurity alert
Update iPhones, iPads, and Macs now: Apple fixed an exploited flaw in how images and files are processed
Apple patched a flaw it says was exploited in a targeted attack, and CISA lists it as exploited. Here is who needs to update, to which version, and how.
- Tech basics
Password managers for a small office: what they are and how to start
Why a password manager beats sticky notes and spreadsheets, what to look for, and a simple way to roll one out to a small team without a big project.
- Tech basics
Securing your office Wi-Fi, including a separate network for guests
A plain-English checklist for locking down the office Wi-Fi: the right security setting, a strong password, and a separate guest network so visitors stay off your business computers.
- Field notes
Field note: MFA blocked our mailbox migration tool, and a one-letter typo did the rest
A small business moving its mailboxes into a partner's Microsoft 365 tenant hit two snags. The migration tool couldn't get past MFA, and two mailboxes failed on a misspelled domain.
- Field notes
Field note: OneDrive stuck on the sign-in screen
OneDrive kept hanging on its sign-in window and crashing. The usual cache resets weren't enough; a full uninstall and a sign-in started from the web was.
- Active DirectorySecurity alert
Two Windows flaws from September Patch Tuesday are being exploited
Microsoft confirmed attacks using two Windows privilege-escalation flaws fixed on September 8. If your September updates aren't installed yet, install them now.
- Tech basicsSecurity alert
Update WordPress now: a critical flaw is being exploited
If your business website runs on WordPress, make sure it has updated to 7.1.2 or a patched older release. CISA added the flaw to its exploited list on September 25.
- Tech basics
Cyber insurance applications, explained in plain English
The security questions cyber insurers ask small businesses, what each one actually means, and why answering honestly matters more than answering yes.
- Field notes
Field note: the internet problem that was really a cable TV booster
An office's internet kept dropping packets after a speed upgrade. The culprit was an old cable TV signal booster sitting in the line. A good reminder to look at the physical path.
- Tech basics
How to choose an IT company, and what a fair contract looks like
The questions to ask before you hire an IT company, the contract terms that protect you, and the red flags to watch for. Written for offices without an IT person.
- Tech basics
Backups for a small office: what you need and how to know they work
The simple 3-2-1 rule, why ransomware goes after your backups first, and the one test most offices never do. Plain English, no IT background needed.
- Tech basics
Think you've been hacked? What to do in the first hour
A calm, step-by-step plan for small offices when something looks wrong, from unplugging the right computer to who to call. No technical background needed.
- Tech basics
Turn on two-step sign-in: the one setting that stops most account takeovers
What two-step sign-in is, why it matters, and how to turn it on for Google, Microsoft 365, and your bank, in plain English.
- Tech basics
How to tell if an email is a scam
The warning signs to look for before you click, what to do when you're not sure, and what to do if you already clicked. No technical background needed.