PointerTech-IT Solutions NY

01/20/2026

Working on a new project in SOHO!

01/11/2026

Intel announces their new PC processor which really sets a high standard in the industry - the Ultra Core 3.
Honestly our team here can’t wait to try it 🙂

At CES in Las Vegas, Intel announced its newest 18A chip, the Core Ultra Series 3 processor, also known as Panther Lake. Read more on PCMag.comAdd PCMag as a...

12/31/2025

Let's talk about passwords for a moment.

You think your password is strong? Even if it's 12 characters with uppercase, lowercase, and numbers—if someone manages to get it (phishing, data breach, hack of a site you're registered on), they're in.
That's exactly the idea behind two-factor authentication. Even if someone knows your password, they still can't get in without the second step.

The second step is something only you have access to. Usually it's a code sent to your mobile device (SMS or an app like Google Authenticator). When you log in, the system asks: "Okay, you entered a password. Now prove it's really you—enter the code you received".

Does it sound like another annoying step? Maybe. But it's the difference between someone who steals your password and watches you from afar, and someone who's stuck outside the door.

Especially important for businesses: if one account gets compromised, the attacker can use it to access other systems, customers, sensitive information. 2FA is the layer that stops that.

Does it make the account impenetrable? No. But it makes the attacker's job much harder, and they usually move on to an easier target.

12/30/2025

The importance of Email Security in numbers: 5 viruses, 30 scams, 510 Spams. All blocked in 30 days period.

12/28/2025

Ransomware is exactly what it sounds like: someone takes your files hostage.

Here's how it works: one employee clicks a link in an email, or visits a fake website. Malicious software installs itself on the computer and starts encrypting every file it finds—not just on that computer, but in every shared folder on the network.

Suddenly, you can't open anything. Every Word file, Excel spreadsheet, PDF—everything's locked. And a message appears: "Pay $10,000 in Bitcoin and you'll get your files back. You have 48 hours".

Most people don't think it'll happen to them. "We're not a big company, why would anyone attack us?". The answer: because it's automated. Attackers don't choose you personally—they send thousands of emails and wait for someone to click.

So what do you do?

First, make sure you have working backups, and that they're not connected to your computers all the time (because backups can also get encrypted in an attack).

Second, train your team to identify suspicious emails. Most ransomware attacks start with a phishing email.

Third, do you have a plan? If this happens, who's in charge? Who contacts customers? Do you have a way to keep working in the meantime?

Ransomware isn't a question of "if", it's a question of "when". The difference between a business that closes and a business that survives is preparation.

12/24/2025

Spotting a fake email isn't as easy as it used to be. Attackers now use clever tricks that make their messages look legit—they know your team, your vendors, and use lookalike addresses. If someone pushes you to act fast, pause and double-check. Always inspect the real sender's address, not just the name. Never click suspicious links—visit sites directly yourself. Trust your gut. If something feels off, verify before you act.

12/21/2025

It used to be easy to spot a fake email. Bad spelling, weird language, ridiculous requests.

Today? Attackers use sophisticated tools that make their emails look like the real thing. They research your company, know names of people on your team, spoof addresses of vendors you work with every day.

So how do you identify them?
Start with the basics: if someone's pushing you to do something fast ("Urgent!", "expires in one hour!"), stop for a moment. Attackers count on people acting without thinking when they're under pressure.

Check the sender's address. Not the name that appears, the actual address. If it's someone you know but the address looks slightly off (for example: [email protected] instead of [email protected]), that's a red flag.

Links? Don't click them. If your bank "sends" you an email with a link, go to the bank's website directly through your browser. Not through the email.

Most important: if something feels wrong—even if you can't explain why—don't ignore that feeling. Better to pick up the phone and check than to transfer $50,000 to a scammer's account.

12/17/2025

Most people think "backup" and "disaster recovery" are the same thing. They're not.

Backup is like photographing your important documents and storing them in a safe. If a file gets deleted by mistake or a computer breaks down, you can restore the files. That's good, and it's necessary.

But what happens if your entire office goes down? Fire, flood, ransomware attack that disables all your systems at once?

That's where disaster recovery comes in. It's not just restoring files—it's a complete plan that ensures your business can get back to work. How do employees keep working in the meantime? How do customers continue getting service? Who's responsible for what? How long does it take to bring systems back online?

If you only have backup but no recovery plan, you might find yourself with all the files in the world but unable to work for two full weeks. And two weeks without revenue isn't something most businesses can afford.

The question to ask your IT provider isn't "do we have backup?". The question is "if everything goes down tomorrow morning, how long does it take us to get back to work, and what happens in between?".

12/15/2025

Business owners: Feeling lost in a tech sales pitch?

"You need multi-cloud hybrid infrastructure with automated orchestration and API-first architecture..."

But all you want is faster file access for your team.

Know that: Tech vendors use jargon to confuse you, hoping you’ll just sign off.
Don’t let them. Use these power moves:

👉 "Explain this like you would to my customers."
👉 "What problem does this actually solve?"
👉 "How does this save us money?"
👉 "What’s the simplest way to do this?"

You don’t need to know every technical detail—just the business impact. If a vendor can’t break it down in plain English, they’re not the right fit.

Trust your business instincts, not their pressure tactics.

12/11/2025

Office tech audit:
• Windows XP still used for invoices
• Only Bob knows the accounting software
• Printer barely works
• Outdated phone system
• Noisy server
70% of businesses rely on outdated tech.
Risks:
• Highly vulnerable to cyber attacks
• No support or parts available
• Difficult training and poor integration
Modernization can be gradual with good planning. Consider updating legacy systems soon.