Shepard Technologies

11/03/2026

You know that screen that pops up when you sign into a new app with "Continue with Google" or "Continue with Microsoft"? The one that asks "allow this app to access your email?" and you click Allow without really reading it?

Turns out that click is now one of the easiest ways for someone to get into your accounts. No password needed.

Someone sets up a fake app and gets it registered with Google or Microsoft, which sounds harder than it is. They message you, usually pretending to be someone official or someone you'd trust, with a link to a "document”.

That link takes you to a real Google or Microsoft login page, not a fake one, so everything looks legit. Then it asks you to allow the app access to your account.

If you click yes, that's it. The app now has a permanent key to read your email, send messages as you, and dig through your files, all without ever touching your password.

What catches people out is what happens next. If they realize something's wrong and change their password, it doesn't help. The access the app was given doesn't depend on your password, so it keeps working.

The only fix is going into your account's security settings and manually removing that app's access.

This got serious enough that the FBI put out a public warning about it recently, which tells you it's not some rare case.

So here's something useful you can do in five minutes: Go into your Google or Microsoft account security settings right now and look at "connected apps" or "app permissions”. I'd bet money you find at least one thing in there you don't recognize, or forgot you ever approved. Go ahead, take a look. I'll wait.

If you find something suspicious, remove it. If everything looks fine, great, now you know how to check next time too.

11/03/2026

11/02/2026

Its important to have a policy in place for acceptable use of within your . Employees are going to use it. So, be clear about the use cases and which ai tools are acceptable.

11/02/2026

It's easy to assume the people who grew up with technology are the least likely to get caught out online.

But that assumption can create a blind spot.

Cybercriminals don't care how confident someone is with technology.

They care whether someone will click at the wrong moment…

11/01/2026

Can we talk about passwords for a second?

I still can't get over how much damage a text string can do. One weak, reused, or phished password, and someone's in your email, your bank, your client files. All of it. It's wild that this is still how most businesses lock their front door.

There's a better way now, and it's called a passkey.

A passkey isn't something you type. It's something your device holds onto for you. Think of it like a key and a lock that were made together as a matching pair. One half stays on the server (say, your email provider). The other half never leaves your phone or computer.

When you log in, your device proves it has the right half, usually with your fingerprint, your face, or your PIN. No password ever gets typed, sent, or stored anywhere someone could steal it.

And the part I love is that passkeys are tied to the exact website they were made for. So if someone sends your team a fake login page that looks identical to the real one (a classic phishing trick) the passkey simply won't work there.

Your device checks the address behind the scenes and says "nope, wrong site" before anything can be handed over. Password managers can be tricked, but this can't in the same way.

The numbers back it up too. Companies using passkeys are seeing login success rates around 93%, compared to 63% for the old password-plus-code combo. Fewer failed logins also means fewer "I'm locked out, help" tickets landing on your IT support’s desk… reportedly over 80% fewer.

Now, I'm not going to tell you to rip out every password tomorrow. That's not realistic, and it's not necessary. Most businesses run a mix for a while. Some apps support passkeys already (think Google, Microsoft, Salesforce), others are older systems that'll need passwords a little longer.

Start with the accounts that would hurt the most if they got breached, get those switched over first, then work outward.

If you're not sure where your business stands on this, that's a completely normal thing to ask your IT support partner about. It's a much smaller project than it sounds like, and a much bigger deal for your security than it might seem.

10/31/2026

If your employees are using AI at work, here's a question worth asking:

Are they using the tools you've approved...
..or the ones they've found themselves?

New research suggests more than half of employees are using AI tools that haven't been approved by their employer 😬

Even more concerning, some admit they've entered sensitive company information into those tools 😱

I don't think this is happening because employees are trying to break the rules.

Most likely, they're trying to get their work done more quickly.

If the approved AI tool is difficult to access, doesn't do what they need, or isn't available at all, people will look elsewhere.

That's how shadow AI starts.

Shadow AI is when employees use AI tools without the knowledge or approval of the business.

The problem isn't necessarily the tool.

It's that the business has no visibility over where company information is being shared or how it's being stored 👀

Banning AI won’t work.

People will find another way.

And your business will miss out.

A better approach is to give employees clear guidance on which AI tools they should use, what information should never be entered into them, and why those rules exist.

At the same time, ask whether the approved tools are meeting people's needs.

If they aren't, employees will look for alternatives.

AI has huge potential to help businesses become more productive.

But it needs the same level of governance as any other business system.

Otherwise, you don't know where your company information is ending up.

👉 Does your business have a clear AI policy, or are employees making their own decisions about which AI tools to use?

10/30/2026

Cyber security is important for any sized business. Contact us for assistance in developing your strategty.

10/30/2026

An IT review is about understanding where your technology stands today and where it could support your business better.

A few small improvements can make a big difference to security and productivity.

And the amount of time your team spends dealing with avoidable problems…

10/29/2026

Web Filtering is protection for your day to day browsing activities.

10/28/2026

Backups are imperative in your business data strategy. We recommend 3 avenues of backup. A local backup, a cloud backup, and something offsite.