Norco Technologies Blog

The modern office extends far beyond traditional cubicles or open-plan spaces. Since the concept of remote work became popularized in the COVID and post-COVID era, employees now find themselves working from their homes, libraries, bustling coffee shops, and even vacation destinations. These environments, often called “third places,” offer flexibility and convenience but can also introduce risks to company IT systems.

With remote work now a permanent reality, businesses must adapt their security policies accordingly. A coffee shop cannot be treated like a secure office, as its open environment exposes different types of threats. Employees need clear guidance on how to stay safe and protect company data.

For years, enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) has been a cornerstone of account and device security. While MFA remains essential, the threat landscape has evolved, making some older methods less effective.

The most common form of MFA, four- or six-digit codes sent via SMS, is convenient and familiar, and it’s certainly better than relying on passwords alone. However, SMS is an outdated technology, and cybercriminals have developed reliable ways to bypass it. For organizations handling sensitive data, SMS-based MFA is no longer sufficient. It’s time to adopt the next generation of phishing-resistant MFA to stay ahead of today’s attackers.

A good business laptop should easily last four or five years. But we often see them failing around the two-year mark. It is rarely a manufacturing defect. It is usually the result of physical wear and tear that accumulates from how we open, carry, and charge these devices every day.

Here are the 5 most common mistakes that shorten the life of your hardware, and how to fix them.

Guest Wi-Fi is a service your visitors expect and a clear signal of good customer experience. However, it is also one of the most vulnerable entry points into your network. A shared password that has circulated for years provides little real security, and a single compromised guest device can open the door to attacks on your entire organization. This is why applying a Zero Trust model to guest Wi-Fi is no longer optional—it’s essential.

Zero Trust is built on a simple but effective principle: never trust, always verify. No user or device is automatically trusted simply because it connects to the guest network. Below are practical steps for creating a guest Wi-Fi experience that is both secure and professional.

IoT (Internet of Things) devices are everyday smart gadgets connected to the internet to make your business life easier.

I'm talking about smart thermostats, security cameras, Wi-Fi printers, voice assistants, smart lighting, and even the smart fridge in the breakroom. They automate tasks and improve efficiency (which is great), but they also are potential entry points for cybercriminals.

The reality is that many of these gadgets come with weak security. People tend to overlook them in their security plans because they see them as appliances, not computers.