Falls Technology ServicesPeople often ask what we use ourselves. This is the honest list: tools we run in our own business every day, plus what's already built into your computer. We only list something after we've used it ourselves. We don't earn anything from these links. If that ever changes, we'll say so right next to the link.
Already on your computer: start here
- Microsoft Defender (built into Windows 10 and 11) and macOS's built-in protection. Kept up to date, together with backups and two-step sign-in, they're where we start for a small office before suggesting anything paid.
- Automatic updates, turned on for Windows or macOS and your browser. Most break-ins use holes that already have a fix.
What we use in our own business
| For | What we use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Passwords | The Bitwarden apps, connected to Vaultwarden, an open-source server we run ourselves | One strong password per account, shared safely with the people who need it. |
| Business e-mail | Proton Mail | E-mail at your own domain, with privacy built in. |
| Domain, DNS and website | Cloudflare | A fast website, and a login in front of anything private. |
| Card and bank payments | Stripe | Pay-online links on invoices; card details never reach us. |
| Business phone and texts | Twilio | A local number with voicemail and texting that customers agreed to. |
| Remote help | RustDesk (open source, on our own server) | You start every session and see everything. See remote help. |
| Backups | Encrypted automatic backups with a copy kept off site, tested by restoring | The right service depends on your setup; we set it up and check it with you. |
Habits that matter more than any tool
- Two-step sign-in on e-mail, banking and anything with customer information.
- A password manager instead of a notebook or the same password everywhere.
- A backup you've tested: a backup only counts if a file can actually come back.
- Accounts in your business's name, with you as the owner (see how we handle your systems).
Not sure what fits your office? Ask us: we'll tell you what we'd do, including when the free option is the right one.