Computerease

10/13/2026

Some free VPNs make money by letting other people send traffic through your internet connection.
Google recently took down a large network that used devices running apps advertised as free VPNs. While the VPN worked, the app also allowed other customers' internet traffic to pass through the device.
On a work laptop, that traffic would appear to come from your company's public IP address. Your IP could get blocked because of activity nobody in the business actually carried out. Google also found that some of this software could expose other devices on the same network.
- Check which VPNs and browser extensions are installed on company devices
- Staff should use the VPN provided by the business, not one they found online because it was free
Want to know whether unapproved VPNs or proxy software are installed on your company devices? Reach out and we can check for you.
How confident are you that your team isn't running free VPN apps on work devices?

10/09/2026

“We’ll organize those cables later.”

Narrator: They did not organize those cables later. 😂

Every IT person has seen a server closet like the one on the left. And every IT person appreciates the one on the right.

Happy Friday! Which one looks more familiar?

10/08/2026

Long-term partnerships are built one project at a time.

Mary Ann Brown at Mason Manufacturing has worked with our team for 3 years, and shared this: "I appreciate the professionalism, timeliness, and expertise every step of the way!"

Three years of consistency says more than any pitch could. Thank you, Mary Ann, for the trust and the kind words.

10/06/2026

Don't trust hotel Wi-Fi. It can be compromised even when you've joined the correct network.
Microsoft has found attackers taking control of the systems used for Wi-Fi login pages at hotels and conference venues. Once compromised, guests can be redirected to a fake Microsoft 365 sign-in page, or shown a fake browser update that installs malware.
The timing makes it believable. You've just connected, the hotel page opens, and it says an update is needed before you can continue. Checking the network name with reception won't help, because the hotel's real Wi-Fi is involved.
- Use your phone's hotspot for work whenever possible
- Never enter your work password into a hotel registration page
- If a page asks you to download an update, certificate, or security tool, disconnect
Joining Wi-Fi shouldn't require you to install anything.
If your staff travel with work laptops, send us a message before their next trip. We'll make sure the devices are properly protected.
Does your team have a policy for Wi-Fi use on the road?

10/02/2026

There was a pretty great stretch of technology where your phone made calls, your camera took pictures, your iPod played music, your watch told time, and a USB drive was how you carried files around.
No notifications from 14 different apps. No software subscriptions for everything. And that Nokia battery might have lasted until next Tuesday.
Of course, I remember carrying half of this stuff around at the same time, so maybe we've conveniently forgotten that part.

09/29/2026

Soon, some of the calls coming into your business won't be from a real person.
Google has started giving people AI assistants that ring businesses on their behalf. The assistant will call a shop to check if something's in stock, book an appointment, or ask about a price.
For now, this is mostly consumer-facing and still early. But if a lot of your business comes in over the phone, it's worth knowing about.
A few things worth doing now:
📌 Tell your team some callers will be AI, not people 📌 Be accurate about prices, hours, and availability, calls can be recorded 📌 Consider using the same kind of assistant for your own dull calls, like chasing a supplier or waiting on hold
The phone is changing faster than most businesses realize.
Has your team noticed anything like this yet?

09/28/2026

It's easy to change something that's clearly broken. It's much harder to change something that's still working pretty well.

I've seen that with technology, business processes and even my own habits over the years. Sometimes getting to the next level means being willing to rethink something before it becomes a problem.

09/25/2026

Change is always hard, especially when new technology starts changing the way we've always done things.

Way back in 1986, a small group of math teachers even protested the growing use of calculators in schools. They worried students would become too dependent on them and stop learning how to do the math themselves.

Forty years later, calculators are everywhere, and we're having a surprisingly similar conversation about AI.

Will people rely on it too much? Will they stop learning certain skills? Will it change the way we work? Probably, in some ways. Most new technology does.

Looking back at the calculator debate is a good reminder that we've been through this before. The trick isn't avoiding new tools. It's learning how to use them without forgetting how to think for ourselves.

09/24/2026

Engineering and construction firms run on deadlines, blueprints, and jobsite coordination. Your IT should keep up with all three.
Project files, CAD drawings, and communication between office and jobsite all depend on systems that don't go down mid-project. A network outage or lost file doesn't just slow things down, it can delay an entire build.
Engineering and construction IT support looks different from general business IT:
📌 Reliable connectivity between office staff and jobsite teams 📌 Secure storage and backup for large CAD and project files 📌 Mobile access so field teams can pull plans and data on-site 📌 Fast response when a deadline or inspection is on the line
Generic IT support treats a construction firm like any other office. Industry-specific IT understands what's actually on the line for every project.
How is your firm handling IT across the office and the field today?

09/23/2026

I've always thought the home security comparison makes cybersecurity monitoring easier to understand.

You wouldn't put sensors on every door and window, install cameras and an alarm, and then decide nobody needs to monitor any of it. The monitoring is what turns all those individual tools into an actual response when something happens.

Businesses aren't much different—except instead of a few doors and windows, you've got laptops, phones, Microsoft 365 accounts, cloud applications and employees working from all kinds of locations.

The question isn't only what security tools do you have? It's who's watching them when something happens?

Read more about 24/7 cybersecurity monitoring: https://computer-service.com/business-cybersecurity-insights/24-7-cybersecurity-monitoring/

Security tools can detect a cyberattack, but who responds? Learn why 24/7 cybersecurity monitoring matters across your devices, accounts and locations.