Washington Works Blog

The work landscape has changed quite a bit in a short period of time. Nearly 13% of American workers work from home full-time, while over 27% more work remotely part-time. With nearly two-fifths of workers working from home at least part-time, understanding what technology is behind this new normal and how to meet your business needs is critical. 

Today, cybersecurity responsibility extends beyond the IT department; it's now everyone's concern. Experiencing a hack can be deeply unsettling, leaving you feeling vulnerable and uncertain about what steps to take next. This short guide aims to assist you by outlining the necessary actions to take post-hack, along with practical cybersecurity advice and measures to help you strengthen your defenses. Let's transform this stressful situation into an opportunity to learn and fortify your cyber resilience.

Keeping track of your organization’s technology can actually be more difficult than you may think. First of all, most businesses aren’t that worried about their technology as long as it works as designed. Secondly, technology tends to move in and out of an organization pretty fast. In this month’s newsletter, we are going to go into some steps you need to take to get a handle on your technology inventory.

Cybersecurity attacks happen when you least expect it, and data is often more susceptible to a cyberattack while it’s moving from one individual to another. This is what is commonly known as a man-in-the-middle attack, or MitM. Essentially, data gets intercepted while it’s in transit—but what can you really do to stop it? Let’s find out.

Firewalls are stalwarts in network security. They serve as a protective barrier between trusted internal networks and potentially hazardous external ones, such as the vast expanse of the Internet. Essentially, they act as vigilant gatekeepers, scrutinizing each packet of data attempting to traverse their domain. Let’s briefly discuss the diverse types of firewalls and their pivotal roles.

Utilizing a form to gather data for your business offers myriad benefits, including insights into customer impressions, service needs, and employee feedback for collaborative decision-making. However, the challenge arises when it's time to consolidate responses—unless you're proficient with the available tools.

The second you hear “audit,” your brain likely goes into damage control mode. However, the purposes of an audit are not necessarily malicious. In fact, they can be remarkably beneficial for a number of reasons, including network security. A good audit can help your business stay secure from threats and vulnerabilities.

The four-day workweek is gaining traction among small businesses. It promises improved efficiency and increased employee satisfaction... but how can technology enhance this model? How can it help businesses reap the full benefits of a shorter workweek?

With remote and hybrid work models becoming prominent parts of the business world, it’s time to start considering the challenges and benefits that such work can bring about for your own organization. Specifically, you want to examine how engagement is affected by these workplace models. How can you ensure employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention even while utilizing a remote or hybrid workplace model?

AI can have transformative effects on your business' operations, provided you can navigate its various pros and cons. Today, we want to highlight some of the greatest benefits and disadvantages that AI poses for any business looking to implement it into its operations.

Every year, there seems to be a notable increase in high-profile ransomware attacks. If you haven't yet devised a plan to shield your business from these dangers, the time to act is now. Luckily, there are proactive steps you can take to reduce the impact of ransomware attacks, and it all starts with preparation.

The misconception that small businesses are immune to cyberthreats is dangerous. In reality, their size and often lax security measures make them attractive targets. The cost of a cyber incident can be devastating for small and medium-sized businesses. It can lead to downtime, reputation damage, and significant financial loss.

Software plays a crucial role in every business, regardless of its nature. Whether you rely on a CRM system, a point-of-sale solution, or more intricate software profiles, understanding key aspects of modern software is essential for maximizing its potential. Here are three vital insights into modern software.

Sometimes, in business, you will hear about the opportunity cost of a decision. You may not be familiar with this concept that involves the investments you make in your organization's technology. In today’s article, we will discuss the opportunity cost of technology and why that cost may not be one you should be unwilling to take on. 

The fact is that phishing messages are all over the place. It doesn’t matter if you are a large corporation or a small business with only a dozen employees; the threat of phishing attacks is real and should be prepared for. Thankfully, one of the easiest ways to avoid phishing messages is as easy as moving your mouse. We are, of course, talking about hovering over links.

Remote workers face a significant challenge in ensuring data security. While safeguarding data stored within the company's internal network is feasible, protecting data accessed by employees outside the office presents different obstacles. How can businesses protect sensitive resources from unauthorized access?

Multifunctional printers can be indispensable business tools. However, they also pose significant security risks, potentially serving as entry points for cybercriminals seeking to exploit vulnerabilities and pilfer sensitive data and resources. Safeguarding your organization against these threats is paramount. This blog post will explore key measures to fortify your networks against printer-based vulnerabilities.

You don’t want to take chances with something as important as your data backup. In the past, businesses would use tape backups performed manually at specific intervals to back up their data to physical drives for storage. However, tape backup has largely become obsolete compared to modern solutions like automated backup and disaster recovery (BDR).

You or one of your employees may need to work while on the road for many reasons. Unfortunately, this can be dangerous if you aren’t careful. We wanted to take a few minutes to (hopefully) review some security best practices your entire team should follow should they ever find themselves working as they travel.

Managing a budget is difficult, let alone budgeting for something as complicated as your IT infrastructure. Even though IT is notoriously difficult to budget for, it still continues to grow as a priority for organizations. How can you ensure that your budget can keep up with the projected expenses of your IT in the next several years?