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Meltdown and Spectre January had barely appeared when headlines blared about two newly-discovered computer security flaws: Meltdown and Spectre. Computer processor manufacturers and IT security folks have been scrambling ever since—and will be for awhile. But in the wake of seemingly endless updates (especially for Windows machines) and the profusion of hacker stories, end users may be getting jaded. That's dangerous. It's dangerous because Meltdown and Spectre are dangerous. They affect computers, tablets and smartphones—Windows, Mac, iOS, Android—and even cloud computing. Basically, they affect nearly all computers built in the last 20 years. These flaws are built-in to the design of nearly all Intel, AMD, and ARM processor chips. They could allow a hacker to access the kernel, the deepest core where the computer stores its most secret documents, passwords, and encrypted keys. We've pulled together the most important information about these monsters so we can tell you just what you need to know and what you need to do.

A new look at New Year's resolutions—​

 

People are funny. All of us.

That may be more obvious at New Year's than at any other time of year. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day tip between the old and the new like the Grinch's sleigh atop Mount Crumpet. One side is reflection; the other is opportunity.

So naturally, we indulge our worst behaviors while planning to change them, right?

Scammers may be able to steal your customers. ​ In this blog, we want to share some crucial information that every business needs to know. Our usual topic is websites because we're a web design company. But your online presence includes more than your website. And if you don't know some important facts, your business may be at risk. Most businesses realize the importance of securing their website and monitoring their social media channels. But many fail to realize that their business is profiled on dozens of other unsecured public reviews sites. Why might these sites be a vulnerability problem? Let's look at just one example, recently reported by CBS News: When Courtney Pearson's washing machine broke down, she looked on Google and called the number for Al's Guaranteed Appliance Repair. But she wasn't talking to Al. Scammers had changed the phone number on Al's Google listing.

Your business needs a website. ​ If you're not convinced of that, consider what a 2016 report from the Pew Research Center says about American consumers: 65% compare online and in-store prices before buying 84% think it is important to be familiar with sellers they buy from 74% think it is important to be able to read online reviews from other people who have purchased a product before buying 45% have used cellphones while shopping in a store to look up online reviews or to compares prices Your customers are online, so your business must be there too. So what are your options?

Which word best describes your web presence:      site—noun, place or location      solution—noun, answer to a problem We think you deserve a web solution, not just a site. A great web solution is like a puzzle. The pieces are made of superior web development combined with top quality hosting services. If a piece is missing, your web solution will be incomplete. Some part of the problem will remain unsolved. But when all the pieces come together and the puzzle is complete, both you and your customers receive the greatest possible benefit. That's why we've chosen to host the sites we develop on Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS offers features common to enterprise class implementations at prices that save money for our clients.

Can a website get worn out? That may seem like an odd question, but it's worth asking. Stay with me. Let's make a comparison. Suppose you could buy just one car and drive it for the rest of your life. No major maintenance or repairs—just fuel it up and drive. Sounds pretty good, right—especially if you're imagining a now-classic car worth a hefty price. But the reality is that you'd probably be puttering down the road in something like this boxy '57 station wagon, with people passing you and yelling at you for holding up traffic. (Disclaimer: I disavow any knowledge of the origin of this picture, taken right after dad bought this car, or of those weird-looking kids in the back.) Even if the car didn't wear out, it couldn't keep up—not with today's traffic, not with what today's cars have to offer, and certainly not with today's style. Your website may not be keeping up. Cars have changed. Technology has changed even more! Look at just a few of the most important changes—the reasons why your website may need an upgrade. Then we'll look at a few simple ways you can check your website to see whether an upgrade is needed.

A non-profit needs a unique kind of website.     Each non-profit is different, but most of them need to . . . Raise awareness Recruit volunteers Promote communication Publicize events Raise funds So a non-profit website must be multifunctional; it requires greater versatility than most business or corporate sites.

Drupal is a content management system (CMS), a set of software applications and programs used to create and manage digital content. Drupal isn't the easiest system for developers to learn or use, but we're convinced it delivers the best results for our customers. Why we choose Drupal 1. Security Drupal developers are dedicated to high-quality, standards-based code. Every line of code in the Drupal core is "meticulously scrutinized" and revised "dozens, if not hundreds" of times to meet quality and security standards. What does that mean for you? We develop your website to the highest standards of quality and security. We're familiar with other CMS options; we've had to solve security problems on sites built with some of them. We trust Drupal. So do Cisco, Dartmouth, Harvard,  Pinterest, The Red Cross, The United Nations World Food Programme, and thousands of....

This is going to sound like heresy. Stay with me. The WannaCry ransomware attack may have been a good thing. It delivered a diagnosis we desperately needed to hear—but nobody wanted to hear. We have an extreme case of vulnerability. The big question is whether or not we'll do what's necessary to cure it. In a couple of ways, WannaCry was unique. It was a global attack. Its primary targets were large corporate or government networks. And the ransom price was small: first $300 in bitcoin, later raised to $600.

Has your website looked in the mirror lately? Imagine this scenario: You meet some colleagues for a business lunch. After the meal, you slip into the restroom and see your reflection in the mirror. But the person staring back at you looks 10 to 15 years older than you remember. Your face is smudged, and your shirt is disheveled. In fact, all of your clothing looks like it went out of style more than a decade ago! Imagine the embarrassment as you suddenly realize how you must have looked to your colleagues!