From Y2K to Today: 25 Years of Technological Change

How fast can a quarter century go? Many of you remember 1999 as the lead-up to the infamous Y2K or the year 2000. This was the year that all computer systems would go berserk because they would not recognize the year 2000. Billions of dollars were spent worldwide on computer upgrades, and people were “Prepping” for the end of life as we knew it. Well, thankfully, our worst fears never came to fruition. Think how afraid everyone was of being dependent on computers in 1999. Fast forward to 2024, and now almost everything is controlled by a computer, and many are connected to the internet. Our cars update automatically via the internet, and our refrigerators even let us look inside to see if we have milk from our cell phones. We can even control our ovens from hours away.  While this technology is pretty cool, remember anything connected to the internet can be vulnerable to hacking. Hollywood has exploited these fears by making movies about hackers taking over people’s cars or the security systems in their homes or businesses. While these types of events are extremely rare, basic cyber security is a good way to keep those hackers at bay. Keep your software up to date, use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, and lock down your Wi-Fi (people like to look for open Wi-Fi connections). If you do the basics, you will likely enjoy all those cool new electronics you get for Christmas this year. I hope you take time during the busy holiday season to let the stress go and to count your many blessings, spend time with family and friends, and think about the reason for the season. Merry Christmas and a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year, and hang on for what technology will do over the next 25 years!