Technology makes working convenient. We set up offices so that employees can work remotely, and it is a huge selling point when hiring. Unfortunately, unless appropriately managed, having access to work anywhere can run you into the ground. As we pointed out in the blog last week, 2/3 of full-time employees admit to experiencing work burnout. That does not include those who are afraid to accept this fact! Working efficiently is challenging as we are always working. So how do we use technology to manage our technology to work smarter and have a healthier work/life balance?

Technology is everywhere. We have access to it 24/7 365 days a year in almost any location. Technology indeed can be a blessing and a curse. It offers us many advantages, although these same advantages can quickly turn into disadvantages. For example, being able to access our data from almost anywhere is helpful but it is also harmful as we can not escape our data and specifically work. No longer are we just working a 9-5 job. Instead, we put in our hours at the office and also check email and many other applications when we should be decompressing at home or on vacation. A recent study found that 2/3 of full-time employees admit to experiencing burnout at work. This is no surprise because we can’t escape work even when we are trying! That is why we are exploring the topic of using technology to manage technology. This might sound counterintuitive but bear with us for a quick read.

It seems only appropriate that October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM). The month where we have traditionally tried to scare the pants off each other, we now place a focus on real-life terror! Cyberattacks are real and are happening everywhere. There are all types of attacks, and individuals and businesses are all at risk! Education is the frontline to keep yourself and your business safe. This month there is a unique collaboration between the Government and Industry to ensure all Americans have the resources to learn how to be safer and more secure online.

Options. Who doesn’t love options? This is why when selecting new monitors for our new Pendello Solutions office, we picked Samsung’s 36-inch curved monitors. Large monitors are not a new phenomenon, although one which allows so much customization is something new. Much like most of you, no day at Pendello Solutions is the same. Every client is different, and every problem which arises requires a different solution. Our new Samsung curved monitors give us the power to concentrate on one massive screen or have six screens in view at one time. These monitors put the power in each individual’s hand to have complete control over the desktop and the variability to modify as you change tasks.

In most offices these days, the amount of data maintained is astronomical. This is the reason why data security is one of our highest priorities at Pendello Solutions. To combat a breach of the multitude of sensitive data, we train to be vigilant, back up, encrypt and use multifactor authentication among many other tactics. But what happens if anyone can walk in your front door? In our new Pendello Solutions office, we took this risk seriously. We thoroughly researched what would be the most secure yet straightforward tool for building access. In our research, we found that Open Path fulfilled both of our primary goals. It also provided a great deal of real-time data, and as you all know, we love data!

Some of you may be aware that Pendello Solutions recently moved offices. With the new space, we took the opportunity to try out some new technologies. A few of these cool new devices will be our blog focus for September. One of these devices in our office, the Intel Compute Stick, is an accurate representation of how far technology has come. The Intel Compute Stick is a computer that is the same size as an Altoids box. (See image below)

We have spent the past few weeks focusing on security awareness training. We touched on what it is and why it is crucial. Now comes the step for action. For you and your employees to be the strongest first line of defense, you must make time for security awareness training. For as we have reiterated over and over, 95% of breaches are the cause of employee error. So the training is obviously necessary, so now time is the only barrier.