MicroTech Systems August 2019
(208) 345-0054 MicroTech Pages
August 2019
‘This Dog Is NOT Going to Die Today’ Why We Have a 3-Legged Dog
I really don’t want to tell you this story. In fact, it drives me crazy when my kids go into full detail to anyone who asks about our dog’s leg. Can’t we just say she was in a car accident? But it was in August many years ago on a family camping excursion when it all took place. Before I begin, I have to say that if you don’t have kids, you cannot judge us. If you do have kids, you know that wrangling three elementary school-aged children into your vehicle after camping with them in Stanley, Idaho, is nearly impossible. But, about a decade ago, that’s where we were. Keri, our three kids, and I loaded into our truck that morning and began our three-hour trip back to Boise. As we were leaving, we heard a big bang. Startled, I lifted my foot off the gas pedal, but I saw nothing in my side mirrors. Then, we heard the bang again. I took another glance, and my stomach dropped into the ground.
to comfort Roxy, and I knew we had to get her to the veterinarian. Instead of traveling to the closest vet, we agreed Roxy would be stable until we got to Boise, and while we were shaken up, we headed home. We hit road construction along Banner Creek Summit, which always slows travel — but not as much as what happened next. Suddenly, we heard, “boom, boom, boom.” (This time, the dog was securely in the vehicle.) I looked out the window to find a flat tire sizzling on my truck. As I pulled over, Keri warned me that parking here was too dangerous, because of the summit’s corners. But with a flat tire, I had no choice. So, Keri shuttled the kids — with Roxy in tow — up the hill along the edge of the road. Swarms of bugs ate at them as I unhitched the trailer and tried to jack the truck up. Unfortunately, the truck was sitting at such an angle that it was nearly impossible to get it high enough. The ordeal took longer than any tire change I’ve ever made in my life. With a fresh tire and all six occupants back in the truck, we barreled toward Boise again. Except, the tire fiasco really delayed our trip home, and we weren’t going to make it to a veterinary clinic in time. We scanned for vets near Banner Summit, finding a rural clinic in Crouch, Idaho. After examining Roxy’s injury, the vet came out to speak with us. Somberly, he said, “We have a decision to make.” My stomach sank again as our children panicked. Then, the vet said, “Can you live with a three-legged dog?” My kids will never let me forget what happened next. After seeing Roxy laying in the middle of the road, certain we had killed her, after spending hours changing a tire on the side of Banner Summit, after searching for a vet in rural Idaho, there was only one answer to a question like that.
There, lying in the middle of the street, was our 4-year-old dog, Roxy.
Later, we would discover that Keri hung Roxy’s leash onto the door handle of the truck as she hopped into the vehicle. Like most parents, she was probably answering a million of our kids’ questions and just trying to get our show on the road. Amid all of this commotion, we forgot
all about Roxy, and banging against the vehicle was the only way she could remind us she was there as she ran alongside the truck. Flying out the door, I ran to Roxy and discovered she was still alive. Good Samaritans who had witnessed this event pulled our truck over while someone took our kids and bought them sodas. Meanwhile, I followed a horde of witnesses into someone’s home. By that point, I knew we were wasting time. I appreciated the help, but they were trying holistic methods
“This dog is NOT going to die today,” I shouted back at the vet. “I don’t give a s--t what has to happen. The dog isn’t dying today.”
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WHAT INTERNS CAN OFFER These Young Minds Will Help Your Business Thrive
Often utilized as file organizers, envelope lickers, and coffee fetchers, college interns are usually at the lowliest rung on the corporate ladder. But as some of the world’s most successful companies have proven, these young team
you aren’t making a long-term, expensive commitment to your interns. During their internships, you can test whether or not they will be a great fit for your company before offering them a permanent position. And if an intern impresses you enough to hire them on after graduation, you can rest assured knowing they will already be familiar with their job by then. Fresh Perspectives There’s a reason top companies like Facebook and Chevron invest heavily in their internship programs. By bringing in young, innovative minds, you open up your business to fresh, unique solutions. Interns have spearheaded effective social media campaigns, modernized standard operating procedures, and even designed apps to help their businesses run smoother. In a world where remaining relevant is key to growth, businesses can’t afford to be out of touch with the next generation of consumers. So, while interns will likely do much of the grunt work at your business, don’t be afraid to hand them more responsibilities. Bring them into strategy meetings, ask for their thoughts, and treat them as valued parts of the team. Do this and you’ll be in step with some of the biggest players in the business world.
members can be incredibly valuable to your business. If you haven’t considered offering internship positions before, the following benefits might just convince you.
Proactive Recruiting In today’s competitive job
market, recruiting a recent college graduate with relevant experience
feels like finding a unicorn. But a coveted hire doesn’t have to be one in a million. An effective internship program can give you the opportunity to bring college interns on to your staff who could potentially become full-time employees. And luckily, unlike regular hires,
See What Our Customers Are Saying
Happy Birthday!
“We switched to MicroTech over a year ago. We will never go back to another IT company. Thanks for being such a great company!” -Rachel Rayl “The Staff at MicroTech took excellent care of us and completely solved our computer and network problems.” -S. Anderco
At MicroTech Systems, our mission to provide 5-star IT service wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated employees. Whether they have been with us for decades or weeks, we appreciate their commitment. In the spirit of their dedication, we’d like to wish the following employees a very happy birthday
this August! Sam, Gary Cheers to many more years!
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Small-Business Nightmare A PHISHING ATTACK LEAVES A FIRM OFFLINE FOR 22 DAYS
For most small businesses, cybersecurity means antivirus software. Deploying firewalls or employing someone to monitor their technology is too expensive. Because of this, 57% of small businesses have experienced a cyberattack within the past year, and 60% of small businesses will fail within six months of a hack. Unfortunately, our tech experts at MicroTech Systems have witnessed the toll a lack of cybersecurity can have on a small business. Catching a Big Phish Jenny, whose name has been changed, is the owner of a boutique marketing firm. Her business primarily functioned on Microsoft’s Office 365 platform. Jenny’s firm was covered with firewalls, antivirus programs, and monitoring — a rarity for small businesses. One morning, Jenny received an email from “Microsoft,” notifying her that her payment had been declined. The letterhead, font, and message were indicative of Microsoft, but rather than clicking the login portal, Jenny asked her bookkeeper to verify her credit card information. A week later, she received a different email, and she clicked on the link. But the URL said “electriccompany.microsoft.com,” and Jenny knew she had made a mistake. Thinking correctly, she changed her passwords immediately. Nothing happened at first, but soon, her account and company were sent through the wringer.
Jenny ultimately waited 22 days to regain access to her email, spent more than 17 hours on the phone managing the problem, and had 21,000 spam emails sent from her account. Today, she still gets phishing emails, and if anyone at the firm clicks on them, this nightmare could start up again.
What You Can Do Identifying phishing emails and websites requires trained observation. The first email Jenny received was sent from “support.onmicrosoft.com,” but the letterhead and message made it difficult to notice this subtle change. Even worse, firewalls and antiviruses cannot prevent this attack.
Instead, there are three ways you can prevent this kind of breach.
1. Educate yourself and your employees about phishing. 2. Enable two-factor authentication on all of your accounts, which will make it more difficult for hackers to steal data. 3. Always authenticate, document, and verify requests for information. These methods aren’t foolproof, but they will help. Learn more about protecting your small business by calling MicroTech Systems at (208) 345- 0054. Read more of Jenny’s story on our blog at MicroTechBoise.com. The vet discovered that Roxy had significant nerve damage, and her left front limb would suffer because of it. She was in stable condition that night, and we could take her home without an amputation for the foreseeable future. Thankful that Roxy was still alive, we loaded up the truck and headed home. By around 7:30 p.m., we finally pulled into our subdivision. But as we rounded the corner to our home, I took the corner a little too close and clipped the mailbox with the trailer. The mailbox went flying into the street while our neighbors stood in their driveways laughing and teasing us. Keri immediately broke down in tears. Shocked, the neighbors apologized, comforting Keri and reminding her that it was just a mailbox. But after our three-hour trek had turned into a nearly 10-hour nightmare, Keri, the kids, and I were done. In response, I said, “That’s it. This day is over. Everybody is going to bed right now.” We all climbed into our beds with empty bellies and horrifying memories and fell asleep. Today, Roxy is 12 years old, and she never did have to get her left leg amputated. It shriveled up against her chest, and she hasn’t let it stop her! And, despite me accidentally maiming her, she still loves us. Thankfully, we can all now laugh at the horror show that was this trip home, but in the moment, it was beyond exasperating. ... continued from Cover
Have a Laugh!
And that’s why we have a three-legged dog.
–Randy Amorebieta page 3
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
12592 W. Explorer Dr. #100 Boise, ID 83713
Inside
The Amorebieta’s National Lampoon’s Family Vacation Story
What Interns Offer
Happy Birthday!
Surviving a Phishing Attack
Your Ego Is Holding You Back
Once in a while, a book comes along with a truly transcendent message. “Ego Is the Enemy” by Ryan Holiday is one such work. This book is not just for business owners, athletes, or those trying to lose weight; it’s a guide for everyone . By digging into the root of the human condition, this instant bestseller examines the single greatest threat to our own success: ourselves. This ambitious premise shouldn’t come as a surprise if you’re familiar with the author. Dropping out of college at 19 to be mentored by business strategist Robert Greene, Holiday has become one of the most trusted advisors of our time, working with brands like Google, Taser, and Complex. His other bestseller, “The Obstacle Is the Way,” tackles the difficulties of the creative process and our natural tendency to avoid necessary steps toward our success. “Ego Is the Enemy” dives deeper into the latter concept, highlighting ways we sabotage or deceive ourselves. For Holiday, ego is defined loosely as our perception of self. Some may have a poorer outlook on themselves than others, but, as the book’s title suggests, ego hurts us regardless of which end of the spectrum ‘Ego Is the Enemy’ Get Over Yourself and Find Success
we fall on. Holiday argues our self-perception can act as both a roadblock and a pitfall: Those with low self-esteem get stopped by doubt, while those with inflated egos often trip over their own arrogance. Those who unshackle themselves from their own personal narratives, however, can find lasting success. “Ego Is the Enemy” is rich with examples of this concept in action as it explores the lives and contributions of often overlooked
historical figures like Katharine Graham and Howard Hughes. These powerful individuals remain relatively obscure thanks to their tendency to put their work before self-promotion, yet their impact on global events is undeniable. Pulling from history, literature, and the latest psychological findings, Holiday weaves an argument as engaging as it is thought-provoking. At times contemplative and other times combative, “Ego Is the Enemy” holds up a mirror to readers and asks them to challenge what they see. For those willing to attempt conquering themselves, this book is a worthy companion.
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