Valhalla blog
Practical technology advice for Coastal Bend businesses and homes — in plain English, no jargon.
Turn on automatic updates — and actually let them run
Pick a computer in your office. When did it last update? Most updates are fixes for holes that are already known — turn on automatic updates, and restart on a schedule so they actually finish installing.
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That urgent email probably isn't urgent
If you get an email that pushes you to act right now — pay this invoice, reset this password, your account will be locked today — slow down. That pressure is the trick.
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Backup readiness: could your business survive losing its files?
A backup you have never restored from is a hope, not a plan. The five checks that tell you whether your business could actually survive losing its files.
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Before You Renew Your IT Contract, Ask These Questions
A contract you signed a year or three ago is coming due, and signing the renewal feels like the path of least resistance. Before you sign, ask seven plain questions — and get the answers in writing.
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If a vendor changes their bank details, call before you pay
If an email shows up saying a vendor changed their bank account and future payments should go to a new one, stop. Do not reply to that email. Do not pay yet.
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How to choose an IT company in the Coastal Bend
The wrong IT company costs you twice — the contract, then the cleanup. Eight questions to ask any provider before you sign, with our own answers published in writing.
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When someone leaves, their logins should leave too
When an employee walks out for the last time, what can they still log into on Monday? For a lot of small businesses, the honest answer is: plenty.
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Nobody on your team needs admin rights on their PC
When every user account is an administrator, one wrong click hands over the keys to the whole machine.
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Your team’s passwords are weaker than you think — fix it this week
People reuse passwords. When a website they use at home gets breached, the password that opens that site can also open your business email.
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One security move every business owner should make this week
Email is the master key. Your bank, your payroll, your vendors — password resets for all of them flow through the inbox.
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The 3-2-1 backup rule
Here’s a question I ask every business owner: if a flood took your office tonight, could you be back up and running tomorrow?
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5 security basics every 20-person company needs (and what most skip)
Your company isn’t insecure because you’re careless — it’s because nobody owns IT. The five unglamorous basics attackers count on you skipping.
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What managed IT actually costs for a 20-person company
Nobody will give you a straight number on managed IT pricing. Here’s the number — $150 to $300 per seat per month — and what moves it.
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What a ransomware attack actually looks like for a 15-person company
Ransomware doesn’t just hit big corporations. Here’s how an attack unfolds for a typical small office — what it costs, and the three unglamorous things that would have stopped it.
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