Author Archives: thrivewpengine

During our last family get together someone asked me about data protection. Thinking back, I might have said too much. I had proceeded to explain how text messages are not safe, your Facebook data isn’t private, and your SSN is out there for the world to see. I think that was when everyone migrated away from me during the party and started talking to others.
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Did you know over 70% of businesses are currently operating on defenseless networks? This puts their data and their customers’ data at risk. Frequently checking the health of your network is an essential part of maintaining business continuity and productivity. Comparing the health of your network to your routine checkup with your physician may sound a little funny, however, a Network Health Assessment ensures that your business goals are appropriately aligned with the technology required to meet those goals. Just like your checkup with your physician ensures your health is aligned to meet your body’s needs. (more…)

As technology continues to be a driver of success in business, turning to an external IT consulting firm is a good way to help develop an IT roadmap and identify critical issues. A great number of organizations have been utilizing external consulting services as a way to give them an edge over their competitors. Many companies that offer technology consulting services also offer a wide range of IT services. This will allow many different services to be managed and developed with greater efficiency, enabling you to concentrate on your core business. They are operating in almost every industry in the field of network infrastructure, cyber security, and applications.  (more…)

11^th Annual MSP 501 Identifies World’s Most Forward-Thinking MSPs & Leading Trends in Managed Services

Thrive ranks 41st among the world’s 501 most strategic and innovative managed service providers (MSPs), according to Channel Futures 11^th-annual MSP 501 Worldwide Company Rankings (formerly MSPmentor 501).

The MSP 501 is the first, largest and most comprehensive ranking of managed service providers worldwide. This year Channel Futures received a record number of submissions. Applications poured in from Europe, Asia, South America and beyond. (more…)

This is the last of our 4-part introduction to blockchain. In Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, I’ve set out to explain the why, what, and how of this emerging technology. This last part identifies a few of the challenges raised by skeptics in the field. As with many other emerging technologies, there is a degree of hype and overreaching aspiration that is eventually tempered by the reality of implementation and market adoption. As technologists and entrepreneurs, our task is to identify where we are in the hype cycle and whether investing in this new kind of ledger will result in sufficient returns.

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At least in the security realm. The NSA is secretly, or not so secretly, working with AT&T to gather up our data, Naval contractors are being hacked, and APT is attacking every firm possible! Relax and let’s review.

Yes, the world is becoming much less safe than we thought.  Yes, things are looking a little grim. But take a breath and realize that the fundamentals of security have not changed. When you put that Virtual Private Network (VPN) into your Chicago office many years ago, it was top of the line, but just like all things with technology, it is time to revisit and update it. (more…)

Do you collect business cards and throw them in a drawer in case you ever need them?  Would you like to be able to connect with the person on LinkedIn and get them into your contacts in one action?  Do you have documents that you would like scanned, but do not have a scanner readily available?  If so, we will show you two different methods in which you can capture these types of information on your smart phone.  (more…)

There is an old adage in business success that says, “You cannot manage what you fail to measure.” This is a valid point when it comes to focusing on a set of metrics that provide the best solutions for IT service delivery. The type of metrics which are used will depend upon the needs of the enterprise. However, there are key metrics which should be used across the board regardless of business objectives. (more…)

Firewall management is a necessary but tedious and time-consuming effort. It also requires industry-specific expertise in order to avoid costly security breaches which can jeopardize compliance requirements.

Meeting compliance requirements for your specific industry can occupy a significant amount of your IT professional’s time. Additionally, it can be difficult to find an IT expert with the appropriate industry experience to ensure all of your compliance requirements are met and your network is protected against unauthorized access.

When you choose to manage firewalls in-house, this requires a resource-intensive effort since it involves device deployment and configuration, constant upgrades and security patching, in addition, to monitoring upgrades to ensure the appropriate controls are installed to meet necessary changes in business processes. Then the network traffic must be continually monitored for threats so these can be acted upon in a timely manner to avoid costly breaches.

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In Part 2 of this series, I detailed the technical implementation of how blockchain works, without discussion of how cryptocurrency becomes a player through this process. This time, we will explore the mathematics behind mining cryptocurrency, and how Satoshi Nakamoto’s white paper added value to it.

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