Free lessons · updated weekly
LayerLogix Academy
Plain-English lessons on running the technology inside a Texas business. Six tracks, no sign-up, nothing to buy. Fly through them below, or jump straight to one.
- Tracks
- 6
- Lessons
- 370
- Roundup
- Every Monday
LayerLogix Academy · Six tracks
Six tracks. Pick the problem in front of you.
Lessons are grouped into six tracks, one for each kind of problem a Texas business runs into: Microsoft 365, Windows and Mac, automation, security, compliance and choosing IT help. Each has a start-here path and a full archive, and new lessons join their track the day they publish.
What you'll be able to do
- Start any track with three hand-picked lessons
- Browse every lesson in a track, newest first
- Catch the Monday roundup of breaches and exploited flaws
Track 1 · Running Microsoft 365
Your Microsoft 365 tenant, set up the way it should be
Most Microsoft 365 tenants were set up in an afternoon and never looked at again. These lessons cover what to fix, in the order it matters.
What you'll be able to do
- Read your Microsoft 365 licences and know which security features you already pay for
- Find oversharing in SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams before Copilot finds it for you
- Set conditional access and MFA rules that don't lock out the field team
Track 2 · Windows & Mac
Windows and Mac: patched, encrypted and supported
Microsoft ships fixes every second Tuesday. Apple ships macOS updates on its own schedule. These lessons keep both platforms patched, encrypted and supported, without breaking the software you run.
What you'll be able to do
- Run a monthly Windows patch cadence with test rings and a rollback plan
- Keep Macs current with Apple's security updates and a deadline for major macOS upgrades
- Turn on BitLocker and FileVault with recovery keys you can actually find
Track 3 · Workflow, API & AI automation
Let the busywork run itself, with the guardrails on
The approval that sits in someone's inbox for a week, the spreadsheet re-keyed into the CRM every Friday: most of it can run by itself. These lessons show what's worth automating and how to do it safely.
What you'll be able to do
- Pick the first three processes worth automating, and the ones to leave alone
- Build approval and intake flows in Power Automate that survive staff turnover
- Connect SaaS tools through APIs without handing out permanent admin tokens
Track 4 · Security for business owners
The controls that stop the attacks you'll actually see
You don't need to become a security engineer. You need to know which questions to ask, which controls matter most, and what to do in the first hour when something goes wrong.
What you'll be able to do
- Recognize the phishing, QR-code and payment-fraud tricks your staff will see this month
- Know the difference between antivirus, EDR, MDR and XDR, and which one you need
- Lock down admin accounts and remote access, the two doors attackers try first
Track 5 · Compliance in Texas
Texas rules, translated into IT work you can prove
Compliance frameworks read like they were written for companies with a legal department. These lessons translate them into the IT work a Texas business has to do, and keep evidence of.
What you'll be able to do
- Tell which rules apply to you: HIPAA, Texas HB 300, CMMC, the FTC Safeguards Rule, TDPSA
- Write a security program (WISP) that matches what you actually do
- Answer cyber insurance and customer security questionnaires accurately
Track 6 · Choosing & managing IT
Hire, manage or switch IT help without the surprises
Whether you're hiring your first IT provider, replacing one or managing an in-house team, these lessons cover what to ask for, what to measure and what you should own.
What you'll be able to do
- Set an IT budget that fits your size and your risk
- Compare MSP proposals on scope and response times, not headline rates
- Read the parts of an IT contract that matter at renewal and at exit
Showing LayerLogix Academy · Six tracks: Six tracks. Pick the problem in front of you.
Every Monday
This Week in Business IT
A short Monday roundup of the past week's breaches, actively exploited vulnerabilities and fraud warnings, with what each one means for a Texas business and what to do about it. Most weeks, a few of the items need nothing from you. We say so.
Latest transmissions
Newest lessons
Choosing & managing IT · Nov 4, 2026
New Employee IT Onboarding Checklist for Texas SMBs (2026)
A repeatable new employee IT onboarding process gets hires productive on day one and keeps access tight. Managed IT checklist for Texas SMB help desk…
Security for business owners · Nov 4, 2026
Keeping Attorney-Client Privilege in Incident Response
How a breach report becomes Exhibit A — and the privilege moves Texas businesses can make before and during an incident to keep it protected.
Running Microsoft 365 · Nov 2, 2026
Single Sign-On (SSO) for Small Business: Entra ID Setup Guide for Texas SMBs 2026
Too many logins and orphaned accounts put your data at risk. Single sign-on with Entra ID gives Texas SMB teams one identity, enforced MFA, and fast…
Security for business owners · Nov 1, 2026
Texas Data Breach Notification Law: Deadlines for Small Businesses (2026)
A security breach starts a legal clock. Learn Texas breach notification deadlines, the Attorney General rule, and the compliance steps a Texas SMB…
Running Microsoft 365 · Oct 31, 2026
Microsoft 365 Business Premium: What Texas SMBs Get and Should Turn On (2026)
Business Premium includes MFA policy, Intune, and Defender security tools most Texas SMBs never turn on. Learn what you own, what to enable first, and…
Windows & Mac · Oct 31, 2026
Business Laptop vs Consumer Laptop: What You Pay For
A buyer sees a cheaper consumer laptop and asks what the business SKU adds. Here's the real breakdown: OS, remote management, parts, and warranty.
Ground control
Want someone to look at your setup?
The lessons tell you what good looks like. If you'd rather have an engineer check your Microsoft 365 tenant, backups and security settings against it, book a free IT assessment.
Book a free IT assessment