by Felicien | Nov 24, 2018 | Education
Data breaches never fail to stay at the top of news headlines, and these are news headlines that should be highly regarded if you are a business owner. According to the ID Theft Center, there were at least 1,579 breaches, which was a 44.7 percent increase from the year before.
A Look at Early November 2018 Data Breaches
The astounding uptick in data breaches is expected to continue as a trend for 2018, and the first half of November 2018 has already shown multiple problems. Take a look at some of the breaches that have occurred already in November for 2018.
Ontario Cannabis Store/Canada Post
The legalization of cannabis across the country in Canada brought about a lot of prickly, unfamiliar situations for consumers and business owners. However, to worsen matters, their new and booming industry took a hard hit because of a massive data breach during the first part of November. The data breach was in the form of a hacker who managed to get into Canada Post’s delivery tracking tool.
Customers who had purchased cannabis for mail delivery from Ontario’s Cannabis Store had their information exposed. This data risk is considered severe because those in the up-and-coming cannabis business in the country could face concerns with consumers about the privacy of their personal information. This data breach affected as many as 4,500 customers.
HSBC Bank USA
Domestically, a significant data breach with one of the top names in banking left financial institutions and consumers alike a bit fearful. HSBC Bank had multiple customer accounts compromised. To date, the number of accounts compromised and customers affected has not been disclosed. Nevertheless, this has been considered a severe data breach because the data taken can be severely damaging to consumers who hold accounts at the institution.
The risk to related businesses because of this kind of breach is pretty massive. Banking customers place money in their accounts because they trust the institution will keep it secure. This kind of data breach with one of the world largest banks does not fare well in the minds of consumers; it only lessens their overall faith in banking systems as a whole. So far this year, financial institutions have taken a hard hit.
Other Data Breach News Around the Globe for November
Pakistan had an epic fail in November with hackers managing to get the account information of at least 8,000 banking customers. This data breach didn’t just affect one bank; it actually affected customers from ten different banks across the country. The stolen data has already shown up on the Dark Web as records for sale for prices between $100 to $160 per record. So far, the cybercrime division in Pakistan has found more than 11,000 records.
Noteworthy Data Breaches So Far in 2018
The new November 2018 data breaches are added to a growing list of breaches that have already occurred for the year. Facebook was perhaps one of the most publicized data breaches for the year. In April of 2018, at least 87 million records were breached, and it’s most probable that there were far more. Orbitz also had a considerable catastrophe when travel booking accounts were hacked, leaving something like 880,000 customers’ payment cards exposed.
Data Breaches in 2017
Numerous businesses in the past have had problems with data being compromised, especially in 2017. There were at least 16 data breaches for major retailers, according to Business Insider, including Macy’s and Adidas, to name a few. Sears even had a data breach in April that affected at least 100,000 customers who had their credit card information compromised. Restaurants were also hit with data breaches in 2017. Sonic and Panera Bread were two of the most noteworthy.
So far this year, the numbers of data breaches have exceeded those in 2017 by a long shot, which just shows how much of a risk data breaches are continuing to be in spite of considerable efforts to stop them. All business owners should amp up their security efforts and keep a close eye on data, so it is rightly protected.
by Felicien | Nov 23, 2018 | Education
When the Windows 10 Anniversary Update came out, Microsoft continued the process to improve connectivity between devices, including a new feature, Project to this PC. Though it’s similar to a remote desktop, it allows the remote device to establish the connection through the Connect app. This allows you to project your phone or remote PC to your computer either through the use of Miracast technology or using a local network without having to bother with usernames and passwords. Here’s a look at how to use Project to this PC to keep up with your business.
How to Use the Windows 10 Anniversary Update to Get Access From Anywhere
Setting Up Your Devices for Project to this PC
Setting up your devices is a simple process. You’ll need to open Settings, click on the System option and then select Projecting to this PC. However, you’ll also need to make the device you’re viewing on discoverable by the device you’re attempting to project. This requires customizing a specific option, “Some Windows and Android devices can project to this PC when you say it’s OK”. You have the option of choosing Always Off, Available anywhere or Available anywhere on secure networks. You’ll also be able to select whether to “Ask to project to this PC” for First time only or for Every time a connection is requested. You can use an option to Require PIN for pairing to provide additional security, but if it isn’t enabled, you can simply connect without any additional steps taken. To save power, you can also make your laptop discoverable only when plugged in. Some users find that renaming their PC makes discovery easier on a remote host.
How to Use Project to this PC with Your Devices
After you’ve adapted your settings, you simply need to open the Connect app on the device you’re projecting. On the remote device, you’ll need to open the Action Center, hit the Connect button, then select the name of the device that you’re projecting. You’ll need to check the box for Allow Input from a keyboard or mouse connected to this display if needed. You’ll then be able to control the remote screen, but your experience may vary based on the device being used and network speeds.
Other Options for Project to this PC
One area that not a lot of techs are talking about is the ability to use your computer as a second monitor for another PC. If you’re working on a project that takes up a lot of real estate, this allows you to quickly add a second monitor. When you connect, you can use the Change projection mode for a range of Windows Project options, such as Disconnect, Duplicate, Extend and Second Screen solely. The Extend option allows you to treat the projected screen as a secondary monitor.
Projecting to this PC is being pushed as a business feature to help share documents with a group, but it can serve almost any purpose. Devices used with the Connect app don’t have to be using the Anniversary update, provided that it’s been updated during or after November 2015. It can also work with Windows 10 mobile devices with the Continuum experience.
by Felicien | Nov 23, 2018 | Education
How Managed IT Services can Improve Cyber Security
According to BusinessWire, 4.5 billion records were compromised during the first part of 2018. Every type of organization from healthcare to banking is susceptible to a security breach. Even small businesses are no longer immune from the threat of hackers or malware. Cybersecurity is a priority for nearly every organization and finding ways to reduce the risk can be both time consuming and costly. There are several ways a managed IT service can improve a company’s cybersecurity and lessen the chance of a significant breach.
Conduct Regular Assessments
An outsourced IT team can conduct an initial assessment to see where there are any weaknesses in the system. Until a professional evaluation is done, a company won’t know where their shortcomings may be. After the initial assessment, regular checks can be made to keep all computers and devices working as effectively as possible. Ongoing vulnerability scans will keep a company aware of their weak points and one step ahead of security threats.
Monitor and Secure Networks
Most businesses have a firewall to protect their networks. This is just a first step and isn’t enough to keep a company safe. To keep the networks as secure as possible ongoing monitoring is necessary. Keeping a network secure involves monitoring several specific aspects of a system.
Malware Protection – An IT team can provide the most up-to-date software and security tools to reduce or eliminate malware.
Endpoint Protection – This means that every access point on a network, including phones, tablets, and laptops, is kept secure.
Real-Time Alerts – A managed IT service can give a business around the clock alerts regarding the health of their hardware and software.
Maintain Compliance
Keeping all data secure and meeting compliance standards is crucial when running a business. Staying compliant means following all government regulations as well as state and federal laws that specifically affect the company. An outside source will often have expertise regarding the many compliance issues that pertain to technology. Not staying compliant can often mean paying hefty fines. Many businesses have even faced bankruptcy when failing to abide by federal and state laws.
Provide Skilled Staff
Too many businesses rely on an IT person who is the “computer whiz” in the company. No matter how skilled this individual or group of individuals may be, they almost certainly won’t have the experience that an IT services company can bring to the table. A managed services team can provide technical expertise and high-quality support for any type of company that relies on computers and the internet to do business.
Provide Backup and Recovery Services
No matter how secure a system is, disasters do occur. Everything from power outages to computer crashes can mean lost data and potentially long periods of downtime. If a company happened to lose data due to a computer crash or a security breach, an outsourced IT team would have the expertise to recover all the lost data as quickly and efficiently as possible. Managed services can provide an offsite storage solution for all of a company’s data. Offsite cloud storage not only can improve security but is cost-effective and offers easy accessibility.
Constant Email Monitoring
The average employee receives hundreds of emails each week. A business that isn’t providing extensive scanning for all emails is putting itself at risk. A managed IT service can provide the sophisticated tools to adequately monitor emails. An experienced team of professionals can offer a company spam filtering, email encryption, and archiving.
Available 24/7
A computer system is vulnerable around the clock to hackers, viruses, and malware. To prevent a security breach a business needs a professional IT team that can monitor and protect their system without any downtime. Having 24-hour IT service also means the company can immediately contact a professional when anything suspicious occurs. Waiting for the IT person to come into work might mean the difference between solving a potential problem quickly and suffering a significant security breach.
A managed IT service can offer a company everything from malware protection and email monitoring to backup and recovery services. As breaches and data loss continue to be critical concerns for business leaders, professional IT providers can offer a company comprehensive service to improve cybersecurity.
by Felicien | Nov 23, 2018 | Education
You would never open a restaurant without investing in the proper insurance policies. Before you ever light the grill, you’d make sure that you had every bit of liability coverage you could imagine. Before hiring your first employee, you’d make sure that your policy would protect your business’s interests in the event of an injury or accident. You would never allow a customer to sit down and enjoy a meal without knowing that you were covered, should the worst happen.
Regardless of the type of industry that you are working in, the first step is always self-preservation. Before you take two steps forward with your business, you do what you need to ensure that you won’t have to take three giant steps back. Insurance and liability coverage is more than fundamental—it is the expectation. In many parts of the world, it is even mandated. But for some reason, this basic concept of protecting your business interests, as fundamental as it may be in other aspects of your corporate venture, isn’t nearly as standard when it comes to protecting digital interests.
Every company utilizes some level of digital software, whether it is for internal processing, staffing purposes, or financial purposes. While a restaurant may run based on the goods in the kitchen and the friendly service of the staff, the business itself is only able to operate when everything behind the scenes—from inventory management to payroll—is functioning correctly. A ransomware attack on any company can have drastic negative consequences. Take for example the recent experience of a prominent Canadian restaurant chain, who after suffering a ransomware attack experienced a partial network outage and had to actually close several locations until the issue was resolved.
Protecting your company from accidents that may happen day to day is important. But malware isn’t an accident—it is malicious and intentional, and it can happen to anyone. You will never realize that you are a target until it is too late, and if you aren’t careful, you could end up with the attacker gaining access to incredibly sensitive information about your finances and business plans.
It is time to make digital protection a fundamental aspect of protecting your company. A simple malware protection software can alert you if anything suspicious is downloaded onto your computer, and will act as the first line of defense in keeping dangerous software and viruses off of your hard drive and away from your personal information.
When the malware attack shut down the offices of more than half a dozen prominent restaurant chains in Canada, including Harvey’s, Swiss Chalet, and Montana’s, it led to significant disruptions in service and profit margins. Phone calls had to go unanswered, the doors had to remain locked, and employees were sent home without paychecks. This is a massive disruption and one that can be entirely prevented with minimal effort thanks to advanced ransomware protection services.
Don’t take any unnecessary risks with your corporate interests. Talk with an expert about the best malware protection services available that can help keep your restaurant’s doors open and your profit margins healthy.
by Felicien | Nov 23, 2018 | Education
An unprecedented number of businesses now employ a remote workforce. In fact, according to a 2018 study, 63 percent of companies have remote workers. Unfortunately, of these companies, approximately 70 percent do not have a remote worker policy. Without a policy in place, many businesses are faced with communication challenges. In fact, for any sized business who relies on remote workers, it is now more critical than ever that the most effective communication channels are leveraged to increase efficiencies, improve operating capacities, and inevitably enhance the bottom line.
Understanding The Increasing Number Of Individuals Working Remotely
Communicating clearly is often the lynchpin to business success. However, for many businesses, communicating with remote workers can be a challenge. In fact, according to a recent study, companies often overlook the humble phone call in favor of verbose written communications. Of the 41 million Americans who work independently, an estimated 29 percent want to be communicated with via the phone. Another 13 percent prefer text messages as the first line of communication, while 7 percent want to have video conferences when speaking with on-site employers and team members. These statistics showcase the importance of establishing clear communications channels that can be used to effectively build businesses, increase productivity levels, and offer valuable insights to both on-site teams and remote workers.
How To Effectively Communicate With Remote Workers
While many employers feel that it is harder to communicate effectively with remote workers, the truth of the matter is that with the right approach the latter challenge can easily be overcome. The following four tips can help you to concisely and clearly communicate with your team of remote workers.
Define The Goals Of Your Remote Employees. — The first step towards clear written, visual, or oral communications is to define goals for individuals as well as the entire team. The specific goals for your remote employees will depend on the nature of your team’s project. However, it is important to note that the process for determining said goals should be the same as the steps that you take when establishing the goals, tasks, and expectations for your internal team members. For example, if you are part of an IT sales team, then your goals might be to increase sales by 20 percent in Q4. The steps needed to achieve this goal should be clearly laid out, every team member should know the role that he or she plays, and you should create direct feedback loops to encourage collaboration.
Collaborate Effectively. — You can only communicate effectively with your team of remote workers when you are all using the same platforms and communication channels. In this vein, you need to ensure that both your internal and remote teams are using the same emailing, video conferencing, and instant messaging platforms. Additionally, you will want to ensure that everyone is using the same calendar app or platform. Far too often calendar invites to remote-access meetings are lost or ignored when a central scheduling tool isn’t used. Finally, by just using the same communication and scheduling platforms, you can streamline collaboration efforts to further increase productivity levels and create an environment for clear communications.
Minimize The Risk Of Interruptions. — Becoming distracted is the easiest way to disrupt communication efforts. Just as you can close your office door when you are on an important phone or video call, so too should you encourage your remote workers to create distraction-free work zones. You should also learn the work patterns of your remote employees, so that you can plan on calling, messaging, or hosting video conferences at a time when they are free to chat and not busy working on a deadline or otherwise avoiding distractions.
Communicate Using The Right Methods. — Before you pick up the phone, send an IM, schedule a video conference call, or write an email, you should first ask yourself, “is this the most effective communication method?” Keep in mind, that when misused, even the best communication tool can have adverse effects. As a general guideline, emails should typically be used for single messages, scheduling video meetings, or sharing files with your remote team. IM can be an excellent tool for discussing specific aspects of a project, while a phone call is essential for an in-depth discussion. Finally, a video conference is the ideal choice when you want to share computer screens, review presentation notes, or have a large amount of information to review in-depth.
The Bottom Line: Adopt The Communication Style That’s Optimal For Your Remote Workforce
No matter the industry, the success of every business hinges on clear, effective, and open communications with both their internal and remote teams. The more time that you can spend getting to know the work habits and communication preferences of your remote employees, the easier it will be for you to not only communicate effectively, but to also increase productivity levels, establish an environment of streamlined collaborations, and achieve vital business goals.
