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August 01, 2026 • read
Technology Tips August 2026 Edition
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Skyward IT Services Network Infrastructure and Security Specialists |
Skyward IT Services
Screen detox time!
Summertime is the perfect time to squeeze in a screen detox. Support this goal using tools like screen time reports (make sure to drill down to see which apps are the time suck), passcodes, and simply logging out of apps you tend to scroll mindlessly. Use your tech know-how to make getting to your favorite time-wasters harder. MFA might keep the doomscroll at bay!
Even if you’re not able to completely detox, a screen diet might be just the ticket. Challenge yourself to spend 24 hours screen-free over a weekend or on vacation. Notice the times you’re tempted to break your fast. These moments will provide good lessons about how to better manage your screen time in the future.
Skyward is hiring!
We currently have some exciting remote roles that pay $250-500 for 60-90 minutes per day. The work is easy – anyone can do it! It’s perfect for IT professionals like yourself. If you are interested, visit our website to apply: fool.scam.co
Oh shoot, we hope you didn’t get your hopes up. Scams like these are running rampant, and you’ve likely seen them come through via text. Make sure you don’t click on the links, as the bad actors are waiting to receive your valuable application information.
The art of the out-of-office message during vacation season
Communication is crucial, but did you know bad actors will mine any tiny detail and use it to pry their way into your network?
For example, consider someone in your school business office going on vacation. They put up a cheeky out-of-office autoreply mentioning where they’re going and when they’ll be back. Innocent, right?
Now a bad actor is free to call in, name drop that colleague, and slip in an urgent ask, complete with details about that person’s trip. Heck, with AI technology, a sneaky cybercriminal could even send a fake photo!
Instead, try to balance that fun autoreply with some good sense tips:
- Avoid giving exact dates for return or departure
- Don’t share your destination: save that for the storytelling when you return
- Ask a trusted colleague to pinch-hit for you and direct urgent questions to them—that way folks have a place to double-check any mysterious last-minute requests
Remember, you can set up two separate autoreplies in email clients like Outlook: one for internal colleagues and one for external contacts. Safe travels!
Malware of the month:
Throughout August, hackers have been attacking US drinking and wastewater treatment facilities. So far, 12 states have been impacted. For quite a while, CISA had been warning owners of critical infrastructure to disconnect from the internet because of cyber security risks.
Fortunately for those affected, many wastewater professionals have been able to continue to work with manual settings, restoring water for many communities.
Thinking about edtech for your district? We'd love to help. Visit skyward.com/get-started to learn more.
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Skyward IT Services Network Infrastructure and Security Specialists |
