Blue Ridge Technology

10/16/2026

Researchers checked 10,616 Amazon Web Services access keys that had been exposed online and found 88% still worked. Hundreds gave full administrative access. A leaked key must be disabled or replaced. Deleting the file containing it isn't enough.

More than 9,300 Amazon Web Services (AWS) access keys publicly exposed between August 2022 and August 2026 are still active and valid.

10/15/2026

Application allowlisting blocks software that your company hasn't approved. It can stop employees from running unapproved downloads and can also block some malware. Employees still need a quick way to request legitimate software.

10/14/2026

13 October 2026 is the end of support date for Office 2021.

After that date, Word, Excel and Outlook will continue to open, but Microsoft will stop providing security updates, bug fixes and technical support.

Because the software keeps working, it can remain on company computers for months or years after support ends.

Any new security problems found in Office 2021 may be left unfixed.

Not sure whether Office 2021 is still in use? Ask us to check, and we'll talk you through the replacement options.

10/14/2026

What would happen if the only person who understands your IT was unavailable for a month? Someone else needs access to the documentation, provider contacts, renewal dates and emergency recovery steps. Choose a backup person and test the plan. We can help you document it.

10/13/2026

An external security scan shows which of your systems accept connections from the internet. Run one after changing your firewall, adding remote access or installing a new system. It can also find old services that should have been switched off. Ask us to run the scan.

10/12/2026

AI can speed up routine tasks, but it can’t replace the empathy and judgment that make technology support feel human. Automation helps us respond efficiently, while people bring the care and context your business deserves. The best support combines both.

AI with Personality ​You’ve got three customer emails to answer, meeting notes to clean up, and a proposal that still needs an introduction....

10/12/2026

UK criminal records agency ACRO failed to investigate security alerts before several breaches, according to the ICO. Up to 10,920 people may have been affected. Assign someone to review every alert, escalate it and record what was checked.

Unread antivirus alerts and an unpatched content management system exposed Britain's ACRO to three separate data breaches, according to a reprimand notice.

10/11/2026

A short email send delay gives you time to cancel a message after clicking Send. It can help employees catch the wrong recipient or attachment before payroll records, contracts or customer information leave the company.

10/10/2026

Your network diagram should show how your internet connection, firewall, switches, wireless access points, servers and important cloud services fit together. Keep it current and store a copy somewhere you can reach during an outage. Need a current diagram? Contact us.

10/09/2026

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 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.