Apogee Blog

Join eSentire's Threat Intelligence (TI) team on June 23th for their Threat Intelligence Briefing. The TI team will discuss the latest hands-on ransomware and cloud phishing attacks observed by our Security Operations Center.

There is no doubt that 2020 will be a key year for artificial intelligence adoption. Due to the recent improvements in AI, individuals and many business owners have chosen artificial intelligence to strengthen efficiency and productivity. According to experts, there are a lot of new developments to watch out for that will benefit organizations, business models, and cultures.

Even before the pandemic, cloud-based tools were surging in popularity. As the rise in remote work has skyrocketed due to COVID-19, businesses have been forced to rely more on cloud computing in order to improve their internet connectivity and security of vital data. Without today’s popularity of cloud computing, remote system access and video conferencing would not have the success it has today. Cloud computing continues to be highly praised for its extreme flexibility and great security. So, if you have not already switched over to the cloud, do you believe it may be time?

If you haven’t noticed the IoT (internet of things) market has taken off. There are now 26 billion IoT devices with 127 new devices being connected every second. It is predicted that the IoT device market will reach $1.1 trillion by 2026, aided by the evolution of enabling tech like 5G (more on this next time). Its applications for business are many and varied, which explains the more than 1000 start-up companies developing IoT products or services today and the $3.6 billion of funding that was awarded in 2019 alone. More than 80% of manufacturing companies are using IoT devices in some way to transform their business. However, it is literally enabling businesses in every market and across all industries. Although these companies and others have begun using IoT in their business, they are less then 10% penetrated leaving an incredible amount of opportunity.

As a result of the recent pandemic, IT companies have been swamped while trying to provide their services to the thousands of people who are currently working from home. in order for IT companies to help their customers, they must summarize problems to make the technological solutions easier. Clients want their experiences to be easy, and seamless. In addition to creating a great experience, it is essential that IT companies grow and adapt to the new technologies and market demands that have risen due to COVID-19 . With this in mind, is your IT provider up to the challenge?

Some may argue that time management is one of the most difficult things to master. As an intern for Apogee ITS during the last semester of my college education, I found it challenging at times to allocate the appropriate amount of time between schoolwork and internship responsibilities. As the school year comes to an end, college students are swamped with final papers, projects, presentations, and tests. In the past two weeks I have been glued to my laptop, completing a 20-page final portfolio in addition to multiple other final projects. When I accepted the marketing intern position at Apogee ITS, I was aware that I would be working on an internship while still in school. Yes, an internship and school may lead to stress here and there, but I am always up for the challenge. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are taking all the necessary precautions to make sure their employees stay safe and healthy. As a result, the majority of our office workers are working from home. As more employees are required to work from home, the need for technology to keep everybody connected is crucial. One of the ways businesses are staying connected is by Microsoft Teams, a chat-based workspace that brings workers together to collaborate and communicate. Microsoft Teams understands the importance of staying connected. Therefore, they have come out with new features during the month of April that are available for Teams users. 

It seems like the days repeat themselves. You wake up, make a cup of hot coffee and instead of heading upstairs to get ready for work, you walk into your home office or family room, pull out your laptop and start working. This is our reality.

As the COVID-19 (commonly referred to as the Coronavirus) pandemic unfolds “stay at home” lockdown orders for nonessential businesses have been issued across the United States. Vigilance and cyber safety remain critical at this time. Cyber-attacks and phishing scams have been escalating since the beginning of the year. Attackers know that very few people are actually physically working from the office at this time, yet they can gain access and harm the entire network when everyone returns back to work. Here are a few practical considerations for employers and their employees to avoid cyber risks associated with working remotely.