Technology Resources
Explore the latest web design trends and tools with our comprehensive technology blog, packed with valuable resources and information.
VPN 101: Using a Virtual Private Network to Protect Your Internet Privacy
If you’ve felt uncomfortable about logging onto an open WiFi network at a hotel or coffee shop—your instincts are in the right place. If you’ve wished you could watch the latest episode of Sherlock or The Great British Bake-Off when it premieres in England—this post might be valuable to you. Those pain points might not have been painful enough to motivate you to look for a paid solution to your problems. But soon, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will have the right to sell your web browsing data without acquiring your permission beforehand. For many internet users, this will be the last straw. The solution is a VPN, or Virtual Private Network, and inevitably, you’ll need to pay for this service.
Rapid Prototyping for Small Businesses
Since we started I.T. Roadmap, our motto has been “Straight answers from smart people.” What that means to us is that, when we enter into a business relationship, we try to get a full picture of what’s going on. We’ll try to view problems from the perspective of the business owner, employees, customers, suppliers—anyone who interacts with the business in any way. And then we’ll tell you how we think your problem could be solved. Sometimes it’s with technology; sometimes it’s not. And sometimes the solution is something that doesn’t exist yet.
SEO Advantages of SSL Certificates
In late 2014, Google announced that switching your website to HTTPS would give you a ranking boost. Edward Snowden had leaked NSA documents that showed how the agency was using information from Google data centers, and Google responded with this initiative to help make the web more secure in general. To get that HTTPS address (instead of the standard HTTP you’re used to) that can improve your Google rankings, you must install an SSL certificate. In the past, we only used SSL certificates for e-commerce websites or other websites that might transmit sensistive data like credit card numbers. Because HTTPS is one of about 200 factors on which your Google ranking is based, and because SSL certificates can generate a host of other maintenance issues, we did not rush to recommend that all customers have one installed. But now the time has come.
