XFER Blog

Smartphones have revolutionized the way that we communicate with each other and increased productivity, but for some businesses, they are only making things worse. A perfect example of this is the restaurant business - in fact, one restaurant owner decided to take matters into his own hands, and has performed a study which examined their business before and after the mobile revolution.

If 2014 hasn't been a legendary year for data breaches yet, it certainly is now. Community Health Systems, a hospital network for over 206 facilities across the United States, has been the target of a data breach resulting in 4.5 million records being compromised by Chinese hackers, including Social Security numbers, birthdays, names, addresses, and telephone numbers.

For Washington D.C. residents, there's a dubious threat looming in their backyards putting their personal data at risk. It's Coco, a Siamese cat wearing a high-tech collar designed for hacking WiFi networks. Have you taken the proper security measures to protect your sensitive information from feline foes like Coco?

Outsourcing your companies IT is a great way to free up money and take advantage of time-saving remote services. Businesses have different reasons for signing up for the outsourcing service, but many clients have similar expectations of the results they want out of their managed IT service provider.

The battle between iOS and Android operating system enthusiasts has been a long and bloody affair with plenty of third-party casualties (sorry Blackberry), but did you know that you might be able to tell a lot about someone just by looking at their smartphone?

All of the security breaches and vulnerabilities of 2014 sure have made for an interesting year; first Heartbleed, then the Internet Explorer vulnerability, GameOver Zeus, and the Russian password-stealing gang. In light of these events, you really have to ask the question, "how can we fight these threats?" Symantec has told The Wall Street Journal that they feel antivirus technology is "dead."

Microsoft and Apple have been at the forefront of personal computing since the 1970s. The competition has caused partnerships and strain between the two companies and in the interim, created hardware and software that would change the world. Although the two companies will be forever linked, they both are betting on mobile, and for good reason.

Desktop virtualization isn't necessarily a new subject, but it is something that has been growing in popularity over the past few years, and it's easy to understand why. Instead of keeping your desktop in physical form on your computer, it's becoming more reliable to just keep it safe and secure on a hosted server. This takes care of most physical problems that computers often deal with, such as a sudden crash or old age.

USB devices have long been a staple of the technology world, but are notoriously vulnerable to exploitation from hackers and malware. As malware grows more and more sophisticated, you can no longer trust simple antivirus scans to protect your business.

Too many people think that their systems are safe from the corruption of hackers and viruses. They're wrong. In order to keep your business safe from all of the common threats found on the Internet, you should think about installing some protective software.

When it comes to hosting a party, it can be exhausting – it's a matter of space, cost, and responsibility, among other things. If you're too busy trying to organize everything, nobody will get to see the best side of you. Wouldn't it be so much easier to just hire someone to take care of the details? You would actually be able to enjoy your party!

Do you see those black clouds culminating on the horizon? They represent the possibility that hackers will gain access to your cloud storage. Though it is protected a number of ways, it will not stop an experienced hacker. To them, your defenses are as transparent as those thin, wispy, cirrus clouds that are so welcome on a boiling hot summer day.

When you experience an error or a performance issue with your company's computer system, you will troubleshoot the problem in hopes of resolving it quickly. Before you open the case of your hardware and start messing with components, check your cables. Even a small cabling issue can cause big problems with your entire network.

Got a great business idea but lack the capital to make it happen? Many startups are looking to the Internet to find the funds they need to get their project off the ground. Known as crowdfunding, this tool presents entrepreneurs a chance to find supporters in unlikely places, and even find wild potato-salad-like success!

When it comes time to upgrade, many smartphone users will sell off their old device in hopes of making extra cash. However, if the phone's memory is improperly wiped, an experienced hacker can use advanced tools to recover sensitive data off the used phone. Let's talk about how this happens and what can possibly be recovered by a hacker.

Any user of the latest mobile technology may have noticed their device running a little hot. In normal circumstances, a device that's warm to the touch is nothing to be concerned about. Although, there are documented cases where a device in perfectly good working order overheats and goes kablooey!

It's summertime, and the living's easy... unless you're a small business owner. The heat and great weather is the perfect excuse to take off for a while and use that vacation time you've been saving up. But if you're still worried about leaving your business behind, the mobile technology of a tablet can help you keep in contact and still enjoy your vacation.

Apple's iOS operating system might be well known for its impressive security features, but that doesn't mean that it's invulnerable to all threats. In fact, backdoors may have been located in the operating system, which allow Apple and law enforcement agencies like the NSA to access the devices.

The Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE) conference which took place on Saturday, July 21st 2014, had an important panelist, that being Edward Snowden. Whether he's a whistleblower or a traitor is a hot topic on the web, but one thing is certain - he has called for assistance in creating and promoting anti-surveillance technology to mitigate government spying.

Business is on the move. There is no argument from industry professionals that more business is done on the go today than ever before. A big part of this upward trend in mobile computing is the proliferation of smartphone technology to boost productivity. The capabilities of these devices have increased to the point where any worker can accomplish a cursory amount of work.