© 2019

Posts by blamdom_webservices

Author: blamdom_webservices

  • Website Accessibility: 5 Easy Secrets to Win Customers

    Website Accessibility: 5 Easy Secrets to Win Customers

    Blamdom Small Business Guide

    Website Accessibility: 5 Checks for Small Businesses

    Website accessibility checklist on a laptop and mobile phone

    A more accessible website is easier for more people to use—and often easier for everyone to navigate.

    Website accessibility should be part of every small business website review. Website accessibility is not just a concern for large organizations. A local contractor, clinic, retailer, or service business can lose potential customers when a website is difficult to read, navigate, or use without a mouse. Treating website accessibility as part of regular website maintenance helps remove avoidable barriers.

    The World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 provide an internationally recognized framework for making web content more accessible to people with visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities. WCAG is technical, but small businesses can begin with a practical review.

    Website accessibility: 5 checks to make today

    Use these website accessibility checks as a practical starting point. You do not need to solve every technical issue at once; begin with the barriers that prevent customers from finding information or contacting you.

    1. Check whether the site works with a keyboard

    Some visitors navigate with a keyboard instead of a mouse. Press the Tab key and move through your homepage, menu, forms, buttons, and checkout or appointment process. You should be able to see which element currently has focus, move in a logical order, open menus, and submit forms without reaching for a mouse.

    WCAG 2.2 includes keyboard accessibility requirements because a page that only works through mouse actions can block people from completing basic tasks.

    2. Make text and links easy to read

    Small, low-contrast text creates friction for everyone, especially people with low vision or color-vision differences. Avoid light gray text on a white background. Use readable font sizes, clear headings, comfortable line spacing, and descriptive link text.

    A link labeled “click here” gives little information when someone scans the page or uses assistive technology. “Request a hosting estimate” tells visitors what the link does before they select it.

    3. Add useful alternative text to images

    Images that communicate information should have concise alternative text describing their purpose. For example, a photo of a technician installing a network could use “Technician installing a business network switch.” A decorative image may need empty alternative text so a screen reader can skip it.

    Do not stuff keywords into image descriptions. The goal is to provide equivalent information, not to turn every image into an advertisement.

    4. Make contact forms understandable

    Every form field should have a visible, descriptive label. Error messages should explain what went wrong and how to fix it. If a phone number is required, say so. If a field accepts a specific format, show an example.

    Also test forms on a phone. A visitor should not have to zoom in, hunt for a submit button, or re-enter every field because an error message disappeared.

    5. Do not rely on color alone

    Color can support a message, but it should not be the only way the message is communicated. “Required fields are shown in red” is not enough by itself. Pair color with text, an icon, or a clear label. The same principle applies to charts, pricing tables, status indicators, and form errors.

    A simple monthly website check

    Once a month, ask someone who did not build the site to complete three tasks: find your phone number, request information, and locate a key service or product. Repeat the test with a keyboard and on a phone. Record anything that causes hesitation or confusion.

    Automated scanners can identify some issues, but they cannot judge every aspect of usability or replace testing with real people. Accessibility is an ongoing quality practice, not a one-time badge or widget.

    Bottom line: Website accessibility is a practical business improvement. A website that is easier to navigate, read, and understand gives more potential customers a fair chance to contact your business. Start with keyboard navigation, readable text, useful image descriptions, clear forms, and information that does not depend on color alone.

    Sources

    Need help making your website easier for customers to use?

    Blamdom builds and maintains practical websites for small businesses.

    📞 605-659-7354
    🌐 blamdom.com

  • 398 Security Vulnerabilities: Is Your Business Vulnerable?

    398 Security Vulnerabilities: Is Your Business Vulnerable?

    398 security vulnerabilities patched by Microsoft. Is your business safe? 5 ways to protect your small business now.

    On August 11, 2026, Microsoft released a monster Patch Tuesday: 398 security vulnerabilities fixed in a single update bundle. That is not a typo. Nearly four hundred security holes, including one zero-day already being actively exploited in the wild.

    If you run a small business on Windows — and let’s be honest, most of you do — this is not a passing news story. This is your reality. And it’s only getting faster.

    398Flaws patched this month
    42Rated “critical” severity
    570+Patched last month (record)
    1Zero-day actively exploited

    Why Is This Happening? (And Why It Won’t Slow Down)

    Microsoft themselves have attributed this explosion to a single factor: artificial intelligence. AI tools are now finding vulnerabilities at a pace no human team could match. The result? Patch Tuesdays that used to cover 20–30 vulnerabilities now routinely number in the hundreds.

    In addition, this isn’t a one-month blip. July’s Patch Tuesday set a record with over 570 fixes. Meanwhile, other major vendors — Adobe, Cisco, Google, Mozilla, Oracle — are all shipping updates more frequently and in much larger volumes.

    “Windows users should get used to the idea of Patch Tuesdays covering hundreds of newly discovered security flaws.” — Krebs on Security, August 11, 2026

    The AI arms race means the number of security vulnerabilities is going up, not down. The tools that find vulnerabilities are getting better every day. And every unpatched computer is a door left open.

    The “Just Use AI to Fix It” Trap

    Here’s a thought you might have heard: “If AI can find vulnerabilities, why can’t AI just fix them too?”

    Good news: it can try. Bad news: AI-generated patches fail more than half the time.

    Researchers at 1Password recently tested what happens when different LLMs generate vulnerability patches for newly disclosed, complex vulnerabilities. The results? The patches either failed to fix the flaw, introduced a new weakness in the process, or both — more than 50% of the time.

    “AI is rapidly becoming astonishingly good at finding vulnerabilities, but this research shows that fixing them is a very different problem. Don’t expect one-shot AI patching to work reliably. Instead, iterate, test, challenge, improve, and verify. AI can be an extraordinary patching partner, but today it still needs a skilled human at the keyboard.” — Ed Skoudis, President, SANS Technology Institute

    Translation: AI is great at finding problems, however it can’t replace human expertise. You need experienced technicians, not just automation.

    Why Small Businesses Are Ground Zero

    Attackers know that small businesses are the path of least resistance. Here’s what the data consistently shows:

    • 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses (Nike Cybersecurity)
    • 60% of small businesses shut down within 6 months of a cyberattack (U.S. Chambers of Commerce)
    • The average cost of a cyberattack on a small business is $200+ per employee (Ponemon Institute)
    • Most breaches exploit unpatched, publicly known security vulnerabilities — the exact kind Microsoft just fixed in bundles of hundreds

    The active zero-day in this month’s bundle (CVE-2026-68820) is a privilege escalation flaw in afd.sys — the driver behind Windows socket connections on virtually every PC. As a result, the vast majority of Windows machines in your office were vulnerable until they applied this patch.

    Did they get patched automatically? Or is someone still running on a “we’ll get to it” schedule?

    The 5 Things That Actually Protect Your Business Right Now

    You don’t need a Fortune 500 IT budget to be safe. You do need a plan. Here are the five non-negotiables for small business cybersecurity in 2026:

    • Automated Patch Management. If your computers aren’t getting updates reliably and consistently, you’re already behind. Every unpatched day is another day the door is open.
    • Endpoint Protection (EDR). Antivirus alone hasn’t been enough for years. Modern endpoint detection and response tools catch threats that traditional antivirus misses — and they work in real time, not just after a definition update.
    • Managed Firewall & Network Security. Your network perimeter is your first line of defense. A properly configured firewall blocks the majority of automated scans and opportunistic attacks before they reach your devices.
    • 24/7 Monitoring & Alerting. Breaches happen at 2 AM on a Saturday. If nobody’s watching, you won’t know something’s wrong until it’s too late. Continuous monitoring means you detect threats before they become disasters.
    • Expert Oversight. AI can help, but it can’t replace judgment. Someone needs to be testing patches before they go live, reviewing firewall rules, investigating alerts, and making calls. That someone should know what they’re doing.

    The Bottom Line

    The number of security vulnerabilities hitting your systems is going to keep growing. AI is making that acceleration real. But you are not powerless.

    The small businesses that survive this wave are the ones that have a plan — automated patching, endpoint protection, network security, monitoring, and a team of people who actually know what they’re doing behind the scenes.

    If that’s not you today, it can be. Starting now.

    Let Us Be the Experts Behind Your Keyboard

    At Blamdom, we provide managed IT and cybersecurity services built specifically for small businesses. No call centers. No runaround. Just direct access to technicians who know your systems and take ownership of keeping them safe. For more on how we help small businesses with web and IT services, visit our full services page.

    Our cybersecurity packages include:

    • Automated patch management across all endpoints
    • Enterprise-grade endpoint protection (EDR)
    • Managed firewall and network security
    • 24/7 threat monitoring and incident response
    • Backups and disaster recovery planning
    • Direct access to your technician — no ticket numbers

    Is Your Business Actually Protected?

    The next vulnerability won’t wait. Let’s make sure you’re ready.

    Get a free security assessment — no pressure, no pitch.

    Call 605-659-7354

    [email protected]

    Sources:

    • “Microsoft Plugs Nearly 400 Security Holes” (krebsonsecurity.com) — Krebs on Security, August 11, 2026
    • “Why AI-Generated Patches Still Require Human Review” (1password.com) — 1Password, August 2026
    • “Patch Fix Tuesday August 2026” (automox.com) — Automox