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Chicago-based Forward Technologies delivers IT support and cyber security to businesses in the Chicago area and nationwide.

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AWS Outage Shows How Fragile the Cloud Really Is

October 21, 2025 by Edward Silha

Cartoon-style illustration of a dimly lit office with computer screens showing Venmo, Delta, McDonald’s, and Alexa logos, and a sign on the door reading “Gone to reboot — AWS US-EAST-1,” humorously symbolizing an internet outage.On October 20th, 2025, a disruption in a single AWS service rippled through the backbone of the internet. What started as elevated error rates in Amazon’s DynamoDB service in the US-EAST-1 region quickly escalated into a full-blown outage across dozens of AWS products. For anyone who relies on Amazon Web Services, and that’s nearly everyone, this was a stark reminder of just how fragile cloud infrastructure can be. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Tech In General, WebDev Tagged With: Amazon Web Services, AWS outage, cloud infrastructure, cloud resilience, Delta app, DNS failure, DynamoDB, internet outage, Venmo outage

Malicious CAPTCHA Redirects Turn WordPress Sites into Malware Launchpads

August 28, 2025 by Edward Silha

A sinister campaign known as ShadowCaptcha is using over 100 compromised WordPress sites as unwitting hosts, redirecting visitors to fake CAPTCHA pages. These deceptive pages trigger malware delivery ranging from credential stealers to ransomware and cryptocurrency miners.

Researchers from Israel’s National Digital Agency revealed that ShadowCaptcha merges social engineering with living-off-the-land tactics. Attackers aim to steal credentials, exfiltrate browser information, deploy cryptomining software, or trigger ransomware—depending on the route the victim takes. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Cybersecurity, WebDev Tagged With: browser exploit, ClickFix attack, compromised WordPress plugins, crypto miners, cybersecurity, cybersecurity news, fake CAPTCHA, Help TDS, HTA payload, info stealers, infostealer, JavaScript injection, malware campaigns, mshta.exe, phishing redirect, ransomware, ShadowCaptcha, web application firewall, WinRing0x64.sys, WooCommerce plugin threat, WooCommerce_inputs, WordPress security, XMRig

Most Businesses Are Underusing Their Best Reviews

August 18, 2025 by Edward Silha

Cartoon-style illustration contrasting a dusty, neglected Google reviews badge on a dull website with a vibrant, well-organized review section displaying multiple five-star ratingsYou work hard for good reviews. You earn them one customer at a time. They land on your Google Business profile for everyone to see. And then… you stick a link in your footer and call it a day.

That’s the problem. Too many businesses treat reviews like a checkbox. As long as the score looks good on Google, they think the job is done. Meanwhile, the most convincing words about your business are locked away where only searchers will see them. If a potential customer lands on your website from anywhere else — a referral link, a marketing email, a direct type-in — those reviews are invisible. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, SEO, WebDev Tagged With: customer engagement, customer testimonials, customer trust, customview, CustomView plugin, google business reviews, Google Reviews, local seo, online reputation, review display, social proof, trust signals, website design, wordpress plugins

What Google Reviews Say About Your Business (and How to Make Them Work for You)

August 13, 2025 by Edward Silha

Cartoon-style illustration of a woman holding a yellow shopping bag while browsing Google reviews on her laptop, with multiple five-star ratings visible on the screen.Your reputation is already online, whether you manage it or not. For most people, it starts with a quick search. They see your name, your location, and your Google Business rating. Those stars tell a story before you get a chance to speak. They shape perception instantly.

A five-star average signals reliability. A handful of recent positive reviews makes you look active and engaged. A string of old or unanswered complaints creates doubt. People trust other people, and reviews give them a shortcut to deciding whether you are worth their time. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, SEO, WebDev Tagged With: business credibility, credibility, customer feedback, customer trust, customview, CustomView plugin, google business reviews, Google Reviews, local seo, online reputation, review display, website conversions, wordpress plugins

Google Reviews Can Help Your SEO — But Only If You Show Them Right

August 10, 2025 by Edward Silha

Cartoon-style illustration showing a person pushing a cart of stars from a reviews page to a search results page, with arrows indicating improved rankings and a rising bar chartMost business owners think of Google Reviews as a trust tool, not a search tool. They picture customers glancing at the stars, maybe reading a few lines, and then deciding whether to call. That part is true, but it’s only half the story. Reviews can influence how you show up in search results, and the way you display them on your own site can make that effect stronger.

Google rewards trust. It’s not just about backlinks or keyword density. Search algorithms look at signals that show your business is active, relevant, and valued by real people. Frequent reviews, consistent ratings, and recent activity send those signals loud and clear. A steady flow of authentic feedback tells Google you’re alive and well, not a forgotten listing. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, SEO, WebDev Tagged With: customview, CustomView plugin, google business reviews, Google Reviews, local seo, online reputation, review display, review management, search engine optimization, search visibility, SEO, seo tips, star ratings, structured data, wordpress plugins

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747 N LaSalle
STE 500B
Chicago, IL 60654
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