Author Archives: Matthew Thom

Should you be worried about the latest Yahoo security breach?

Yahoo email has experienced yet another security breach by hackers. Should you be worried about this? Even if you do not currently have a Yahoo email address, it is my opinion that you still need to be concerned. Email account hacking has been a recurring theme for Yahoo in recent years and the timing couldn’t be worse. Yahoo has […]

It May Be Time to Outsource Your Computer Support

Is it Time to Outsource Your Computer Support? Many businesses are beginning to reach that conclusion. “prevention is better than cure” -Erasmus Setting up a small business computer network used to be a relatively simple affair. A small business owner merely needed a few computers, an internet connection with a cable or DSL modem, some […]

Is your business in a high-crime area?

Is your business in a high-crime area? Many business owners eventually face the choice of locating (or relocating) a business, and one of the key features they consider is the criminal reputation of the prospective commercial office neighborhood. This is for good reason. Making a poor choice could result in frequent business disruptions, the inability […]

How Often Should You Refresh Your Computers?

Experts say that the car you currently own is far less expensive to operate than a new one. Is this also true when it comes to computers? The car adage is demonstrably true, provided maintenance has been performed on a regular basis. Be that as it may, years of squeaks, rattles, dings, dents and spills […]

Beware of recycling old computers

I recently had a chat with a colleague who recounted his recent experience with a computer he recovered from a local electronics recycling center. His story was a bit shocking and I thought it really deserved a write-up. Electronics waste is a huge burden to local governments around the world. The pace of advancement in […]

Lessons learned from the Target PCI Breach

More information has been trickling out regarding the massive Target PCI breach that took place during the 2013 Christmas shopping season. Forensic researchers first learned that hackers penetrated Target’s network by means of a business transaction portal. It appears that Fazio Mechanical Services was the source. Fazio is a Pittsburgh-area nationwide mechanical contractor that services […]

Defend Against the CryptoLocker Virus

The “CryptoLocker” virus has been making a great deal of noise lately. Though we at Thom Infotech have not personally encountered it, we know others who have. We’ve written this post to help you to understand and defend against the CryptoLocker virus. What is it? CryptoLocker is an insidious twist on the all-too-familiar virus or […]

179 Reasons to Upgrade Before January 2014

As of this writing there are roughly four useble business weeks left in the current year.  As 2013 winds down, businesses should consider performing needed upgrades sooner rather than later. At the risk of creating a lengthy blog post I’m planning to provide 179 reasons to upgrade before January 2014. First, we should discuss the […]