PaxWorks It

09/21/2026

There is a widespread problem with many internet services.

At this time we do not know the cause or estimated time of repair.

ETA 2100, most systems seem to be restored.

Realtime overview of issues and outages with all kinds of services. Having issues? We help you find out what is wrong.

09/21/2026

Your router or firewall connects your business to the internet, and on default settings it's an easy way in. The admin password is often still the default, the firmware is out of date, and remote management may be switched on. Ask your IT provider to fix all three this week.

09/20/2026

Your team's home wifi routers are part of your security now. A lot still run the default admin password from the sticker. Have them change it, turn on WPA2 or WPA3, and work from a company device rather than the family laptop. Give every remote worker a short checklist.

09/20/2026

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 for them. 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 a consumer thing, and it's early. But if a lot of your business comes in over the phone, it's worth knowing about.

Tell your team some callers will be AI, not people. And whatever they say on a call can be recorded, so it pays to be accurate about prices, opening hours and what you've got available.

There's a good side to this too. You can use the same kind of assistant for the dull calls you'd rather not make, like chasing a supplier or waiting on hold.

09/19/2026

You search for software or your bank login and the top result is a paid ad. It looks right, but it's a fake site that installs malware or steals your login. Skip the ads and click the real result below, or type the address yourself. Only download software from the official site.

09/18/2026

A stranger walks in behind your employee carrying a box, and nobody stops them. From there they can plug into a network port, take a laptop, or sit at an unlocked computer. Get your team comfortable asking 'can I help you?' and make locking your screen normal when you step away.

09/17/2026

Malware still arrives as an email attachment someone opens without thinking. Be wary of .exe, .msi, .scr, scripts like .js or .bat, disk images like .iso, and any Office file asking you to enable macros. Unexpected attachment? Check with the sender another way before opening it.

09/16/2026

How many people know the password to your company Instagram? If it's in a spreadsheet or a group chat, you can't see who used it and it walks out the door when someone leaves. Use a password manager with a shared vault so people can use logins without ever seeing the password.

09/15/2026

People reported losing $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, per the FTC. That's someone pretending to be your bank, a supplier or your boss to get money moved. Never act on an out-of-the-blue message. Call them back on a number you already have.

New data from the Federal Trade Commission reveal that people reported losing a staggering $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, with reported losses increasing nearly three times since 2020.

09/15/2026

By default, a Microsoft account will accept a login attempt from anywhere in the world.

Most attacks on Microsoft accounts come from overseas, from automated tools trying stolen passwords by the thousand. If your business only works in one or two countries, there's no reason to allow a login from anywhere else.

There's a setting in Microsoft 365 called Conditional Access that lets you block any login from outside the countries you operate in. Someone trying your password from the other side of the world is turned away, even if the password is right.

It won't stop everything, and a determined attacker can route through your country to get past it. But it blocks the flood of automated attempts from places you'll never deal with, and that's most of what you're up against.

You'll need the right Microsoft plan, and it's set up in the admin area, so ask your IT provider to turn it on and set the countries you work in.