Aldridge Blog
Quick reads to improve your IT strategy
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How a Cyberattack Really Works
Cyberattacks aren’t like what you see in the movies, there’s no flashing skull, no instant lockout, no dramatic countdown clock. In reality, most modern attacks are slow, calculated, and silent. And by the time you discover them, a lot of damage has likely already...
Avoid Surprise IT Infrastructure Costs with Network-as-a-Service (NaaS)
Most businesses know their network hardware won’t last forever. But what catches many off guard is just how expensive and disruptive a network refresh can be. The costs pile up quickly—new equipment, installation, configuration, and lost time. And by the time...
The Do’s and Don’ts During a Cyber Incident
When a cyberattack hits, the first moments are critical. What you do—and just as importantly, what you don’t do—can make the difference between a quick recovery and a costly disaster. ✅ Do: Stay Calm and Follow a Plan Panic leads to poor decisions. The best thing...
Benefits of Outsourced IT Support for Accounting Firms
All businesses rely on information technology to succeed and are faced with the challenge of balancing productivity, security, and functionality as they implement and leverage their IT solution. For accountants and CPAs, this challenge is made increasingly more...
How to Build a Security Incident Response Team
Having a well-structured incident response plan (IRP) is essential for effectively managing security incidents. One crucial aspect of this plan is the integration of an incident response team to supplement and enhance your internal capabilities. External Incident...
Why Accounting Firms Need Cybersecurity Awareness Training & Testing
We often find that the accounting and CPA firms we talk to have many IT security software and technology tools in place but neglect their most critical vulnerability: their people. Most of the time, these firms lack a regular and practical cybersecurity...
The Cost of IT Outsourcing in 2025: How to Budget and Tell if You’re Paying Too Much
Comparing prices is the first thing on a business’s agenda when selecting an outsourced service. However, when it comes to the cost of IT outsourcing, there are a number of factors that can alter the terms and quality of a provider’s offering…
What is a Security Incident?
The distinction between a routine security event and a serious security incident is crucial for organizations to manage their cybersecurity effectively. The terms “security incident” and “breach” come with legal obligations such as notifying parties affected by the...
Preparing for a Cyberattack: IT, Legal, & Insurance Perspective
Being prepared with legal, insurance, and IT considerations are critical for organizations navigating the complexities of incident response. Legal preparation is a crucial component of an incident response plan, as it involves navigating numerous complexities that...
5 Requirements to Get Cyber Insurance in 2025
In the early days of cyber insurance, carriers were much more relaxed about writing policies. They didn't have a good understanding of the risks involved, and as a result, they lost a lot of money on their cyber policies. Carriers have finally caught on to the real...
It Security
The Hidden Cybersecurity Risks Inside Your Factory Walls
When you think about cybersecurity, you probably picture hackers targeting office emails or stealing customer data. But in manufacturing, cyber threats don’t just put your data at risk—they can shut down your entire production line. Your factory floor is full of...
How IT and Cybersecurity Help Manufacturers Save Money
Margins are tight. Labor is scarce. And every delay, mistake, or outage cuts directly into your bottom line. For most manufacturers, IT is seen as a cost center—a necessary evil to keep the line moving. But when done right, IT and cybersecurity aren’t just operational...
How Aldridge Responded to a Supply Chain Attack
In late June 2025, security researchers uncovered a sophisticated supply chain attack targeting ConnectWise’s ScreenConnect platform. Threat actors abused a technique known as Authenticode stuffing to disguise malware as a trusted, digitally signed component of a...
Microsoft 365
How To Use Flash Fill in Excel
Flash Fill is like a data assistant that finishes your work for you. As soon as it detects what you want to do, Flash Fill enters the rest of your data in one fell swoop, following the pattern it recognizes in your data. How To Use Flash Fill in Excel Here’s an...
How to Use “IF” Functions in Excel
The IF function is one of the most popular functions in Excel, and it allows you to make logical comparisons between a value and what you expect. How to Use “IF” Functions in Excel IF Function - Syntax and Usage The IF function is one of Excel's logical functions...
How to Use vLookup and xLookup Functions in Excel
Lookup functions in Excel simplify data retrieval by allowing users to search for specific information within datasets efficiently. How to Use vLookup and xLookup Functions in Excel vLookup The V in VLOOKUP stands for "Vertical." In Excel, the VLookup function...
It Consulting
How Microsoft Teams Clocks Over Half a Million Meeting Minutes Every Minute
Microsoft Teams has become one of the most widely used collaboration platforms in the world, powering meetings, chats, and document sharing for organizations of all sizes. But just how much time do we collectively spend in Teams meetings? Spoiler: Every day, Teams...
Avoid Surprise IT Infrastructure Costs with Network-as-a-Service (NaaS)
Most businesses know their network hardware won’t last forever. But what catches many off guard is just how expensive and disruptive a network refresh can be. The costs pile up quickly—new equipment, installation, configuration, and lost time. And by the time...
Don’t Miss Our Most Popular Articles
The Hidden Cybersecurity Risks Inside Your Factory Walls
When you think about cybersecurity, you probably picture hackers targeting office emails or stealing customer data. But in manufacturing, cyber threats don’t just put your data at risk—they can shut down your entire production line. Your factory floor is full of...
How IT and Cybersecurity Help Manufacturers Save Money
Margins are tight. Labor is scarce. And every delay, mistake, or outage cuts directly into your bottom line. For most manufacturers, IT is seen as a cost center—a necessary evil to keep the line moving. But when done right, IT and cybersecurity aren’t just operational...
How Aldridge Responded to a Supply Chain Attack
In late June 2025, security researchers uncovered a sophisticated supply chain attack targeting ConnectWise’s ScreenConnect platform. Threat actors abused a technique known as Authenticode stuffing to disguise malware as a trusted, digitally signed component of a...