Category Archives: 2025 October Newsletter

The AI Power Crunch: What Small Businesses Need to Know

The Real Story Behind the AI Summit

When the White House hosted its recent AI summit, the headlines celebrated innovation and regulation. But behind closed doors, tech leaders were worried about something far less glamorous. The revelation is causing an electricity shortage. While AI’s rapid growth isn’t just fueling new tools, it’s also straining the power grids that keep businesses running.

Why Power Has Become Tech’s Bottleneck

Here’s the dark reality of the cost to power AI:

AI’s Energy Appetite: Each AI-ready data center can use as much electricity as a small city. The International Energy Agency predicts that global data center demand could more than double by 2030, with AI as the biggest driver.
Microsoft’s Energy Grab: Microsoft has already locked in decades of nuclear power, energy that won’t even be available until 2028.
Google Pulling Back: To avoid overloading U.S. grids, Google has agreed to scale down data center usage during peak times.
Utility Warnings: Regulators in states like Texas and Pennsylvania are cautioning that data centers may face forced cutbacks or turn to diesel generators, an expensive and risky fallback.

The AI boom may be exciting, but it’s also revealing a hard truth. It’s leaving the billion-dollar tech companies scrambling to secure electricity to keep fueling it. If the giants are planning years, small and midsize businesses need to be ready for the fallout.

What It Could Mean for Small Businesses
Even if you don’t run data centers, the same pressures can affect your operations:

Rising energy costs: Expect higher and more unpredictable utility bills as demand grows.
Service disruptions: Brownouts, downtime, and slow networks can impact your ability to serve customers.
Tech adoption challenges: Cloud services and AI tools depend on stable infrastructure — without a resilient IT plan, adoption could stall.
Competitive disadvantage: Larger firms are already investing in resiliency. Waiting too long puts SMBs at risk of falling behind.

How Nevtec Protects You Against Uncertainty

At Nevtec, we see the AI power crunch as another reminder that technology must be resilient, secure, and ready for anything. Here’s how we help safeguard your business:

Total Security Assurance: Our layered security approach, including 24×7 Endpoint Detect & Response (EDR) and Managed Detection & Response (MDR), ensures your systems stay protected no matter what.
Annual Recovery Drills: Once a year, we run full recovery tests to prove your data can be restored quickly and completely, even under stress.
Guaranteed Rapid Response: If your systems go down, we guarantee a response within one hour. If we can’t fix it remotely, we’ll be on-site at no extra cost.
Strategic IT Leadership: From lifecycle planning to budget forecasting, we help you prepare for shifts in cost, energy, and adoption so your IT is never caught off guard.
Transparent Partnership: With clear pricing and our Partner Dashboard, you’ll always know where you stand — no hidden surprises.

With Nevtec, you get more than IT support. You get peace of mind knowing your business is protected, prepared, and future-ready.

Don’t Wait for the Crunch to Hit

If Microsoft and Google are already preparing for AI’s impact on the power grid, small businesses should be doing the same. Resiliency and foresight are key strategies for the future.

👉 Contact Nevtec today to schedule a consultation and discover how we can keep your systems secure, efficient, and always available.

Neat Threats: A Recap of Our Flight

We hope you’ve enjoyed this bold journey, sipping handcrafted whiskeys from 10th Street Distillery while learning about the cyber threats your business needs to watch out for. Our goal is to help you navigate today’s threat landscape more safely, smarter, and with a little more style.

At Nevtec, we believe businesses of every size deserve clear, practical cybersecurity insights, and we believe they shouldn’t have to be dry or overwhelming. That’s what Neat Threats was all about: transforming complex security concepts into something that goes down smooth and sticks with you.

Let’s take one final look at the pairings:

Pairings & Key Takeaways

Ransomware & Peated Single Malt: A Smoky Wake-Up Call

The Threat: Ransomware strikes fast—encrypting your systems, halting your operations, and demanding a hefty ransom to restore access.
Why It Pairs: Just like a peated single malt, ransomware hits hard and lingers. It’s intense, unmistakable, and leaves a lasting impact.
Your Move: Backups are just the beginning. Combine them with endpoint protection, real-time monitoring, and a tested incident response plan.
Read the full post »

Phishing & California Coast: The Danger in Disguise

The Threat: Today’s phishing scams are polished, AI-powered, and shockingly convincing—designed to fool your team into clicking or handing over credentials.
Why It Pairs: This light, citrusy whiskey goes down smooth, just like a phishing email. Familiar, disarming, and dangerous once it’s too late.
Your Move: Educate your team, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), and deploy advanced email security tools.
Read the full post »

Insider Threats & Strawberry Brandy: Sweet Until It’s Not

The Threat: Sometimes the biggest risk is from within—whether it’s accidental data leaks or intentional sabotage.
Why It Pairs: Strawberry brandy feels soft and sweet, but a few sips in and it packs a surprising punch, just like insider threats.
Your Move: Apply strong access controls, track user behavior, and regularly audit systems to protect from within.
Read the full post »

Zero-Day & Distiller’s Cut: The Unseen Risk

The Threat: Zero-day exploits take advantage of vulnerabilities no one knows about—until it’s too late.
Why It Pairs: Distiller’s Cut is rare, high-proof, and unfiltered—just like a zero-day attack. Powerful and unpredictable.
Your Move: Embrace advanced threat detection, behavior-based monitoring, and Zero Trust security models.
Read the full post »

Supply Chain & Port Cask: What’s in Your Barrel?

The Threat: A trusted vendor with weak security can become the backdoor that attackers use to get into your network.
Why It Pairs: Port cask–finished whiskey absorbs character from its environment, just like your systems absorb risk from your supply chain.
Your Move: Vet vendors, limit access, and continuously monitor for third-party vulnerabilities.
Read the full post »

Stay Thirsty for Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity isn’t a one-time pour; it’s a daily practice. As your IT partner, Nevtec offers:

Free cybersecurity consultations
Threat detection and response services
Endpoint security, backups, and Zero Trust architecture
Vendor risk assessments

Stay Safe With a Trusted Partner

Book your free consultation with Nevtec »

Cheers to staying secure—and smooth.

—The Nevtec Team

The Nerve Center: Tech Tips from Steve

Regularly Back Up Your Smartphone Data

Your smartphone isn’t just a phone; it’s your calendar, contact list, photo album, and even your mobile office. But what happens if you lose it, it gets damaged, or it’s stolen? Without a backup, you could lose everything.

That’s why backing up your smartphone regularly is one of the smartest digital habits you can adopt.

Why mobile backups are essential

Accidents happen: A spilled drink or a dropped phone can erase years of photos and data instantly.
Theft and loss: Smartphones are one of the most stolen devices worldwide.
Seamless upgrades: Backups make it easy to transfer all your data when switching to a new phone.

How to back up your smartphone

For iPhone users:
- Use iCloud Backup. Make sure it’s turned on in Settings → Your Name → iCloud → iCloud Backup.
- You can also back up to a computer with Finder or iTunes.
For Android users:
- Use Google Backup. It stores app data, contacts, call history, and more.
- Samsung users can also use Samsung Cloud for device-specific backups.
Third-party solutions: Apps like Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Photos provide additional backup options.

Best practices for mobile backups

Turn on automatic backups so you never forget.
Check occasionally to confirm your backups are running.
Encrypt sensitive data for extra protection.
Store backups in more than one place if possible.

How Nevtec can help
At Nevtec, we help businesses set up secure mobile backup policies, so employees never lose critical data, even on personal devices used for work.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Contact us today to safeguard your mobile data.

Be Cautious When Downloading Apps. Stick to Trusted Sources

There’s an app for everything; fitness, finance, productivity, travel, but not every app is safe. Malicious apps can hide malware, steal personal data, or drain your battery by running in the background.

That’s why it’s crucial to only download apps from trusted sources and review their permissions carefully.

Why unverified apps are risky

Data theft: Some apps collect more information than they need, from contacts to location data.
Malware: Cybercriminals disguise viruses as apps to infect devices.
Poor performance: Shady apps may slow down your phone or consume excessive data.

How to download apps safely

Stick to official stores: Use the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. These platforms review apps for safety.
Check reviews and ratings: If an app has very few downloads or suspiciously glowing reviews, proceed with caution.
Review permissions: Be wary of apps asking for access they don’t need (e.g., a flashlight app requesting your contacts).
Update regularly: Keep apps updated to ensure you have the latest security patches.
Avoid third-party sites: Downloading apps from unknown websites increases the risk of malware.

Best practices for businesses

Create an approved apps list for employees.
Use Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools to control app installations on work phones.
Train employees to recognize suspicious apps before downloading.

How Nevtec can help
At Nevtec, we help organizations set up mobile security strategies, ensuring every app used by employees is safe and compliant.

Protect your business and your data. Contact Nevtec today to strengthen mobile security.

Nerve-Wracking Tech Truths: What Every Business Should Know

Nerve-Wracking Truths: What Every Business Should Know

Welcome to this month’s edition of Nerve-Wracking Truths, where we explore the weird, wonderful, and sometimes unsettling facts about technology and business that you probably didn’t know—but definitely should.

The Tech World’s Strangest Secrets

Your Keyboard Was Designed to Slow You Down

Ever wonder why the QWERTY keyboard layout seems so inefficient? That’s because it was intentionally designed that way. In the early days of typewriters, fast typing caused the mechanical arms to jam. To prevent this, the QWERTY layout was created to slow typists down by placing commonly used letters farther apart. Despite more efficient layouts being available today, we’re still using a design meant to make us slower. Talk about legacy systems.

A Cyberattack Happens Every 39 Seconds

While we’re on the subject of unsettling facts, here’s one that should make every business owner sit up straight: a cyberattack occurs somewhere in the world every 39 seconds. Even more concerning, human error accounts for 95% of all data breaches. That means the weakest link in your security isn’t your firewall or antivirus software—it’s the people using them.

The World’s Most Expensive Typo

Ronald Wayne, one of Apple’s three co-founders, sold his 10% stake in the company for just $800 in 1976. He was concerned about the financial risk and wanted out early. If he had held onto those shares, they would be worth over $200 billion today. That’s not just a missed opportunity—that’s a nerve-wracking reminder that sometimes the biggest risks come from playing it too safe.

More People Have Smartphones Than Toilets

Here’s a sobering statistic that puts our digital age into perspective: out of 7.7 billion people in the world, more than 6 billion have access to a mobile phone, compared to only 4.5 billion who have access to a working toilet. This fact highlights both the incredible reach of mobile technology and the stark inequalities that still exist globally.

85% of Puppy Photos Online Are Scams

Before you click on that adorable puppy photo or respond to that too-good-to-be-true pet adoption ad, consider this: 85% of people posting puppy photos online are trying to scam you. Cybercriminals have learned that cute animals are an incredibly effective way to lower people’s defenses and steal personal information or money. The lesson? If it looks too cute to be true, it probably is.

Only 5% of Company Folders Are Properly Protected

Despite all the talk about cybersecurity, the average company only has proper protection on 5% of its folders. That means 95% of your business data could be vulnerable. With 4 million files stolen every day—that’s 44 every single second—the question isn’t whether your business will be targeted, but when.

The Takeaway

These nerve-wracking truths remind us that the technology world is full of surprises, both delightful and disturbing. From goats grazing at Google to cyberattacks happening every 39 seconds, the digital landscape is stranger and more dangerous than most people realize. The key is staying informed, staying vigilant, and maybe—just maybe—thinking twice before clicking on that adorable puppy photo.

Stay safe out there and remember in the world of technology; truth is often stranger (and more nerve-wracking) than fiction.