What is Tech Talk?

Security is not exactly a topic we clamor to discuss for fun, but it is important and so we'd like to take a little time this month to shed a little light on the subject.

In honor of Have a Bad Day Day on the 19th, we've got a couple of handy little solutions to help you avoid bad days by keeping your laptops, projectors, Chromebooks and Chromeboxes safe!

First up for combination locks we've got a Kensington Portable Combination Laptop Lock for $19.99 and a Targus Notebook Computer Cable Lock for $33.95. If you're looking for a keyed option, we've also got a Kensington Laptop Lock for Business for $35.95.

3 ways to create more secure passwords

AUTHOR | HP Technology at Work

“There is no such thing as perfect security,” says Jim Waldron, Senior Architect for Platform Security at HP. If you can access a website or server, consider it vulnerable to security breaches. That’s why so many businesses account for fraud in their business models—they expect to lose a certain amount each year to security leaks, lost IP, and more.

While you can never be 100% secure from hackers while connected to the internet, there are steps you can take to help protect your personal and professional data. All you need to do is activate features that are increasingly common (or easy to manage) on modern business-class PCs: Multi-factor authentication, client-based user authentication, and password best practices.     Read More

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Product Spotlight | Laptop Docking Stations

AUTHOR | Jessa Erickson @ThinkSpace IT

Do you take your laptop back and forth from the office to home, or other places, on a regular basis? Do you have multiple monitors that you connect to your laptop? Do you hate resetting your workspace once you get into the office? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions and your laptop is compatible, then I highly recommend a docking station!

In all honesty I never thought much of them, but I've been using one now for about a year and I wonder why I didn't do this sooner. It drastically reduces the amount of time I spend each day reconnecting my laptop to all my devices when I come in to work. I don't have to mess with power cables, plugging in mice, monitors, external hard drives, etc.

NOTE: Not all laptops can plug into a docking station. So before you buy one, or if you're looking at getting a new laptop and want to use a docking station as well, be sure you check out the full specs to make sure you're getting the right hardware.

FEATURES

• maximize productivity by not having to reconnect cables every time you take your laptop home with you
• secure the dock AND notebook with a cable lock (check out our deal of the month)
• easily connect to multiple monitors without all the fuss

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Test Your Cyber Security IQ

AUTHOR | Microsoft Business Hub

Cybercrime is a mounting problem costing small businesses thousands of dollars annually. Is your business protected? Take the Cyber Security IQ quiz to test your knowledge, and start safeguarding your business today.

Want to see how you stack up? Take the quiz!

 

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14 strange but true facts from the history of high tech

AUTHOR | PCWorld

Technology's twists and turns 

The first mouse. The first university-degreed computer scientist. And possibly, the first stupid password. Technology has its moments that might have seemed small at the time, but are now recognized as important milestones. Enjoy this list of some of the most unexpected and strange-but-true tales in the history of high tech. Did we miss something even more remarkable or bizarre? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks to Josh Fruhlinger, of sister site ITWorld, for the content of this slideshow.     Read More

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