LDD Consulting, Inc.

10/16/2026

Your Windows 10 PCs probably looked exactly the same this morning as they did last week.
But for many businesses, something changed on October 13. The first year of Windows 10 extended security updates ended. There was no warning and no error message. The security fixes just stopped.
Still working isn't the same as still protected.

Windows 10's first year of paid security updates ended October 13. Here's how to tell if your PCs are still protected — and your options now.

10/14/2026

10/14/2026

Quick question: what are the three biggest technology renewals coming up in the next 90 days?
If you're not sure, you're not alone. Most businesses find out when the charge hits the card, and by then the decision has been made.
That's why the real IT budget work starts in Q4, not January.

Your next IT budget gets decided in Q4, not January. Here's what to gather now — renewals, insurance requirements, aging hardware — before budget season.

10/12/2026

Here’s a disturbing but very real tactic for hackers: spying on you via your device’s camera. Some simply watch you for fun. Others attempt to catch incriminating photos and then blackmail you by threatening to release the photos or video (that they have) to all your Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections or e-mail address book (which they might also have) unless you pay a ransom.
If you pay, guess what? You just identified yourself as someone who will pay for extortion, putting a target on your back. Plus, they still have your photos so they can come back and ask for more because they know you care.
As always, follow the various security strategies we’ve been sending you via these tips. As a backup, you can buy stickers that cover your camera with a slider so you can uncover it when you want to actually use it to take a picture or join a web meeting. These are really inexpensive and can be found on Amazon for under $10. Search for “webcam cover slider.”

10/09/2026

Getting rid of old computers or servers? Did you know that the components used in technology equipment are not landfill-safe? On top of the environmental hazards, unprotected e-waste typically contains a lot of confidential and private information in the form of saved passwords, Internet history and files left on the retired computer or server.
As a first prevention step, find a local recycling facility where e-waste can be safely disposed of. And make sure to take the following #1 security precaution before you haul it off: remove and destroy the hard drives. A drill and hammer usually do the trick just fine. Alternatively, many companies that shred paper documents will also destroy your hard drives.
We were recently contacted by an IT director who was desperate to find out if there was a way to remotely wipe hard drives after he found three of his company’s old computers on eBay. He found out the hard way: do not allow the recycling company to “destroy” the drive for you.
We offer free e-waste recycling services to our clients! Just let us know and we’ll pick up your old hardware and make sure it’s properly recycled.
Don’t forget other e-waste such as mobile phones, copy machines and any other device that ever touched your company data. Give serious thought to what data is on any device before you recycle it.

10/07/2026

When doing online banking, don’t access your banking accounts or any of your work accounts from the computers that your kids or general family members use. I understand that when it comes to personal computers, it feels like the family can share one…but it isn’t worth the risk.
Keeping one PC dedicated to your family and one dedicated to your work not only reduces the chances of getting a bank account–hacking virus, but it also increases the chances of you not having a problem with the computer you are dependent on.
Think about all the germs your kids pick up on the playground. The Internet is much the same. They are learning what they should and shouldn’t do online, and you don’t want to have one of their decisions impact your work.
And yes, that home computer you use for work should have a password on it that only you know, it should have an advanced security solution protecting it and it should be managed and maintained to make sure nothing naughty is going on underneath the hood.

10/05/2026

Not all technology dollars work the same way.
IT spending keeps the lights on. IT investment is tied to a specific outcome — less downtime, lower risk, fewer hours lost to manual work. The amount on the budget line can look identical. Whether it's actually working is a different question entirely.
Most businesses can't answer it.

Not all technology dollars work the same way. Here's how to tell IT spending from IT investment — and why the distinction changes your budget decisions.

10/02/2026

Watch out! If you receive several authentication prompts followed by a phone call requesting your verification code, it may indicate that an attacker is trying to access the account. Don't tell them the code, hang up and call LDD

09/30/2026

Multifactor authentication can be a pain. It's no longer enough to know your username and password, now the app on your phone has to generate a code for you to verify that you're you. Why?!? Because there are more hackers and scams running than ever before. Why does that extra code or text make a stolen password useless to an attacker? Even if the attacker has your password, they won't have access to your authenticator app for the code.
Thanks Multifactor!

09/28/2026

Do you apply the rule of least privilege in your business? That means giving users the minimum access needed to perform their current jobs. This helps you make sure that employees aren't gradually accumulating logins and permissions over a series of tasks. Access permissions should be reviewed when an employee changes roles, completes a project or leaves the organization.