Sadly, there is no shortage of security threats lurking around the web. In fact, with new threats emerging seemingly daily, it can be challenging to keep up. One of the latest security risks to be aware of is the password spraying attack. This type of attack has become increasingly common in recent years – to the point that the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued advisories on this threat in 2022. What is Password Spraying? Specifically, a password spraying attack is a type of brute force attack involving picking one potential password and logging in across numerous accounts. This allows the attacker to try common passwords (such as default passwords often issued by third-party applications and programs) on an endless number of accounts without getting "locked out" for multiple failed login attempts. In a password spraying attack, one password may be used to access multiple accounts before the attacker

When it comes to web hosting, there are many options to choose from these days. Cloud servers and shared servers have become a popular hosting solution for those who need a cost-effective platform and don't mind sharing resources with other users. Meanwhile, self-hosting remains a possibility – though high up-front costs and ongoing maintenance needs make this a less desirable option. Meanwhile, dedicated hosting on bare metal servers has remained a steady and sensible option for those who need greater reliability and speed. Bare metal servers have come a long way over the years, and the future of these physical servers remains promising. The Evolution of Bare Metal Servers What exactly is a bare metal server? In simplest terms, a bare metal server is a physical server with no software or hypervisor. It is made up of processors, storage, and memory. Compared to cloud-based or virtual hosting plans, bare metal

Internet of Things (IoT) devices seem to be everywhere you look these days. In your own home, you'll find them in the form of your smart doorbell, digital assistant (Amazon Alexa or Google Home), and other small devices that are connected to your Wi-Fi network. IoT devices can make our lives easier in many ways, but with the rise of IoT botnet attacks, they're also complicating our digital security, creating significant vulnerabilities. What Is an IoT Botnet? An IoT botnet attack refers to a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack that is carried out using an army of compromised IoT devices. All too often, IoT devices have weak security settings; users of these devices don't take the proper precautions to protect these accounts because they figure, "Who's going to hack into my smart speaker?" Unfortunately, when a large number of IoT devices are compromised, they can be pooled together to

It's no secret that there has been a major shortage in random access memory (RAM) chips and other computer parts since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This scarcity, however, has bred some impressive innovations across the industry. In fact, researchers at the University of California Riverside (UCR) have recently announced the development of the first pneumatic RAM chip. This new technology could have significant implications for technology – not just now but also in the future. More About the Pneumatic RAM Chip To understand how a pneumatic RAM chip works, it is first important to know how a "traditional" RAM chip operates. The main difference is that the pneumatic chip utilizes air rather than relying on transistors and electricity to create binary gates like a traditional RAM chip. According to a TechSpot article, a pneumatic CPU "interprets the presence of atmospheric pressure in microfluidic valves as a true value

Windows 11, which launched in June of 2021, boasts a number of upgrades compared to Windows 10. Perhaps what sets Windows 11 apart from its predecessor the most is its advanced security features. Currently, Windows 11 is available as a free upgrade for Windows users; however, not all computers have the system requirements needed to install the upgraded operating system (OS). The good news? Even if you can't (or don't want to) upgrade to Windows 11, you can still take advantage of many of its security features while using Windows 10. New Windows Security Features So, what are some of the most notable new security features you'll find on Windows 11? First, there's the addition of virtualization-based security (VBS) and hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI). This feature minimizes operating system vulnerabilities by creating and isolating memory regions from the OS itself. Another new security tool worth noting in Windows 11 is

A central processing unit (CPU) plays a vital role in any computer or server. Specifically, a CPU is responsible for helping a computer or server interact with various applications and programs. One of the main purposes of a CPU is to interpret a program's instructions to ensure the user receives the intended output on the screen. CPU technology has come a long way over the years, with companies like Intel leading the way for innovations. Recently, Intel announced a new Granite Rapids chip, which represents the future of 7-nanometer microarchitecture. Whether you already use a dedicated hosting platform or are thinking about making the switch, you should be aware of this new Intel CPU and what it could mean for the hosting industry. Let’s take a closer look! More About Intel's New 7nm Chip In March of 2021, Intel's CEO, Pat Gelsinger, announced a new Granite Rapids 7nm CPU chip

For many years, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) and Xilinx have built their reputations in the computing industry. AMD is known for its processors, graphics, and other computer and server hardware. Meanwhile, Xilinx has gained popularity for its innovative and programmable silicon that has been used across many industries. With the merger of these two companies completed in 2022, many tech professionals are speculating on what new company will look like and what kind of impact it will have on the computing industry. More About the Merger The AMD-Xilinx merger, reportedly valued at a whopping $35 billion, with the new company having an estimated total valuation exceeding $130 billion. With this merger, it is expected that AMD will be able to significantly diversify its product offerings, allowing the company to grow even larger as a leading player in the computer hardware sector. This is especially true when you consider that

When you connect any device to the internet, it has its own unique Internet Protocol (IP) address that allows for communication between the device and the web. Until fairly recently, the "standard" for IP was IPv4, which utilizes a 32-bit addressing scheme and assigns addresses to more than 4 billion devices across the globe. However, in recent years, many devices have shifted to using IPv6, a more advanced and secure version of the Internet Protocol. So, what is IPv6, and how does it set itself apart from IPv4? Likewise, why should you be using IPv6 if you're not already? We answer these questions and more below. What Is IPv6? IPv6 technology has been around since 1998. However, because IPv4 seemed to be working well and was seen as the standard, few were in a hurry to upgrade. Specifically, IPv6 sets itself apart from IPv4 by using 128-bit addressing instead of

In 2020, Google first introduced the concept of "Core Web Vitals," though website owners and administrators were not largely affected by this change at the time. Recently, however, Google announced that beginning in May 2021, a major update will make Core Web Vitals an important ranking component for websites. If you host a website and want to rank well on Google, it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of what Core Web Vitals entail, why they're important, and what you can do to optimize yours. That way, you can make the most of your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. What Are Google's Core Web Vitals? Google's Core Web Vitals are comprised of a few key components that the search engine believes contribute to an overall positive user experience. These include: Loading time, which refers to the amount of time it takes for a page's main content to load (anything greater

In today's digital world, your law practice's online presence is more important than ever. Of course, a major part of building and maintaining a strong digital footprint is having a website that's reliable, secure, and easy for your visitors to navigate. Unfortunately, even the most carefully designed legal website can fall short without the right hosting plan. By having a better understanding of the hosting plans available to your practice, as well as the pros and cons of each, you can ultimately decide on the hosting option that will best serve your firm now and for years to come. Exploring Your Hosting Options in the Legal Field When you're building a legal website, you have a handful of hosting solutions to choose from. This ranges from "basic" free web hosting to dedicated server hosting and all of the options in between. In general, you'll want to avoid free hosting plans