News List

Living in an area like the Shoals has many advantages, but one of those is not isolation from the effects of the coronavirus. I’ve seen the unavailability of products online and to a lesser degree in local stores, and, while I’m not yet aware of any local cases of the virus, that may soon change. Either before or after those first cases, we’ll see public gatherings cancelled, schools closed, and the other extraordinary precautions that we have seen implemented in other parts of the world.

How do we keep our businesses and livelihoods going if we can’t, or would rather not, venture out on sales calls or meet at the office? Computers and networking have given us the opportunity to work remotely.

Through online virtual meetings, we can gather together as if we were in the same room. With virtual whiteboards, we can share files and argue about next year's budget, moving our business plans forward from the comfort of our La-Z-Boy while keeping necessary travel to a minimum.

What about the server shares at work? Or Sage or QuickBooks or Adobe InDesign? Those applications aren’t on your computer at home, right? With a little setup, you can feel like they are. You can remote in to your systems at the office just as if you were sitting at your desk.

Other cloud solutions are available, too, depending on your needs.

These are things we will surely have to consider in the coming days. Don’t think work has to stop. Not this day and age. But don’t wait until the last minute to get these measures in place. They will take a little planning and implementation to be ready when that stay-cation arrives.

If you are ready now to get started on something along these lines, or just need help wrapping your head around the possibilities, give Relia IT a call. We can help you navigate this brave new technological world.

Are you a computer tech who wants to provide personalized and RELIA-ble IT support to clients? If so, you may belong at Relia IT!

We are looking for a personable, motivated IT Support Specialist to join our team. This part-time or full-time technician position involves everything from setting up and installing firewalls to running CAT6 cable to troubleshooting laptops, desktops, and servers to installing surveillance systems. 

If you want a job that is challenging, rewarding, and different every single day, this could be the opportunity for you!

Applicants for this position must be confident and comfortable in all types of work situations and settings. They should be dedicated to doing whatever they can to help Relia IT and its clients through tremendous customer care.

Applicants should also possess:

• An attention to detail, a team-player mentality, willingness to take direction, and integrity. 
• Professional dress and appearance. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• The ability to interact professionally with end users and business owners.
•  A valid driver's license and dependable transportation.

Additionally, the ideal candidate will have knowledge related to:

• Installing, maintaining and troubleshooting Windows Server and desktop operating systems through current versions.
• Data and operating system backup, recovery and protection.
• Running and terminating data and phone cabling.
• Configuring firewalls, routers and wireless devices. 
• Network experience in a small to medium business.

Since 2011, Relia IT has provided onsite, remote and over-the-phone tech support to a wide variety of Shoals area businesses and industries. We believe in putting the customer first, last, and everywhere in between.

We offer competitive wages based on experience and a benefits package for full-time associates that includes Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance, paid vacation, sick leave, holiday pay, and an incentive program.

To begin the application process, e-mail your resume, a cover letter and salary requirements to hr@relia-it.com.

Relia IT Incorporated is an equal opportunity employer.

Happy New Year to you all! While I hope everyone’s holiday season was joyous and stress free, malicious computer hackers and researchers were hard at work ensuring that our 2018 is much less enjoyable.

In October of last year, news started coming out about a vulnerability in WPA2 wireless security that affects the majority of wireless networks in use today.  In short, if an attacker is within a few miles of your network, he or she can manipulate the encryption key used to secure your wireless communication and then decrypt most, if not all, of that communication between your device and the wireless access point/router. According to https://www.krackattacks.com, a website set up by the researchers who discovered the flaw, both the access points/routers and the wireless clients (computers, smartphones and other devices that you use) need to be patched. While this vulnerability is not yet widely or easily exploited, it will be in the future, now that the details have been published online. I have been waiting for firmware updates to be released and tested before beginning the patching process for my clients. It is now time to patch.

Last month, details were published about another even more ubiquitous vulnerability that affects the hardware of a computer, namely the CPU or Processor. Intel, AMD and ARM are affected within various operating systems. The microcode affected by this vulnerability was written into the CPUs to speed up our computers. That’s why you’ve heard so much in the news about people who are afraid the patches will slow their computers down. While testing has shown a little slowing under different test scenarios, the effects are probably not noticeable under most conditions. The patches to this flaw must be addressed on multiple fronts. Antivirus, operating systems and firmware must all be patched.

That’s always the tradeoff with security: it slows down our productivity and increases the hoops we must jump through to get our jobs done without handing out confidential information to the wrong people. But that’s the world we live in. Most of these typical risks can be mitigated with basic methods, such as quality, up to date antivirus software, regular software and operating system updates, hardware or firmware updates, and a little user education. Some, though, require what Microsoft refers to as “Out of Band” updates or special case situations that call for specific attention out of the normal updating schedule. Both of these vulnerabilities fall into that type of category.

Relia IT will be contacting our normal customers over the coming days to discuss their particular needs in relation to these recent risks. If, however, your business is not contacted or you have other questions, please call our office at 256-415-7001.