by Felicien | Oct 25, 2018 | Education
Depending on the age(s) of your child (ren), your response to this topic may be, “She’s too young – she doesn’t even have an identity yet.”
Alas, not so. In our electronic society, kids exist in databases even before they’re born. And they are an attractive target for several kinds of bad actors on the dark web – those who want to exploit their names and other data for identity theft, such as opening credit card accounts, child pornographers looking for images that can be photoshopped, school bullies, and so on. Although this post focuses on identity theft, taking the steps described herein will also protect your children from other bad actors.
What’s So Bad About Social Security Numbers?
As they were originally intended, nothing. The original intent was to use them to associate a specific individual with a specific record of earnings. But over the years, they morphed into the closest thing we have to a national identifier. Many organizations ask for it as a kind of reflex, with no intention of either using it or controlling its use. They have the notion that having an SSN makes your child a “real boy” (as opposed to a wooden one like Pinocchio?).
This leads to the first set of steps.
Get your child a Social Security Number. You will need it for some legitimate things about your child’s identity, including passports. (Try taking the child abroad without one.)
Once you have it, put it in a safe place, like a bank safety deposit box. The same goes for birth certificates and other papers that identify your child. And of course, their passports
Never give anyone an SSN, or a copy of identifying documents, without knowing why they want it, and what the intended use is. If it is just a bureaucratic reflex, ask what you can do instead of handing it over.
Make sure the organization has a policy of destroying documents that are no longer needed. (This will guarantee a lot of comical blank stares.) The only acceptable responses are “we return them” or “we destroy them with a cross-cut shredder.”
Monitoring Your Child’s Financial Existence On The Web
Your child, from the moment of birth, is a thing that businesses highly value – a customer, even if it’s you-by-proxy until your kid starts watching TV or using a computer or tablet. This means that your child will have an online existence from the moment of birth, and perhaps before. Those who exist can be exploited. So, you need to monitor your child’s financial identity. This means:
Check your child’s Social Security Earnings Record every year. You can get this by calling 800-772-1213 or submitting SSA-7050 Form. If you know the child has never worked and you see any earnings, that is a sign of possible identity theft. Contact Social Security immediately. A list of Social Security local offices can be found here.
The same goes for earnings in excess of what you know a child who is working earned. A non-certified copy of the earnings record is free; a certified report is $34.00. There is no reason to get a certified copy just to monitor your child.
Check all three of your child’s credit reports every year. Reports are free once per year. The three large credit bureaus that control most of the records are Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. Their online sites are Equifax, Experian, and Transunion.
Check any packages sent to your child. If you permit them to place orders online, make sure that what they got is what you or they ordered.
All these steps are relatively easy. The hardest part is teaching your child to be cautious (and safe) online. Social media are havens for identity thieves, and worse, predators. Teach your child to reveal private information only to trusted parties you have indicated that you approve of. For anything else, teach the child to respond with something like, “My parents don’t want me telling that.”
And, of course, it is obvious that you should keep your operating system, anti-virus, and anti-malware software updated. If you check every day, you will find that there is almost always an operating system patch, virus and malware definitions updates, or driver updates waiting to be installed.
Check to see if you can configure your OS and virus/malware software to update automatically. This exposes you to potential bugs, of course, but it will give you some peace of mind in the long run. Unless you are a true geek, consider it.
There are lots of other ways to keep your children safe online and this is an important topic you should discuss with them at the earliest time. You just can’t wait until your kids are teenagers anymore to talk about cybersecurity and online predators.
by Felicien | Oct 25, 2018 | Education
As data breaches echo around the world, Canada now has its own law, paralleling Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the USA’s Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act (HIPAA). These regulations govern disclosure of data breaches to people whose data has been lost, stolen or somehow leaked to the public.
Responsible leaders in U.S. companies should note that there is no exemption here for foreign-owned or operated companies. If your data breach involved Canadians, even those residing outside Canada, you have to comply.
Types of Organizations Included
Note that the law applies to organizations, which of course includes businesses. But the range of the law covers other entities as well. If you can be considered an organization of any kind, you may need to comply with these regulations.
What happens if the breach occurs in Canada, but for some strange reason, no residents of Canada were involved? You’re still required to comply with the law. (As always, legal questions are best answered by lawyers.)
The law was passed in 2015 and becomes effective November 1, 2018. Penalties for any violation can be up to $100,000. (This is a pittance when compared to penalties under the GDPR and HIPAA.)
What Do I Have To Do If There’s A Breach?
You must disclose it to affected Canadians, including the following information:
The data and nature of the breach and what specific data are at risk
What your organization has done to reduce risk and harm
How the affected Canadians can reduce their risk after the breach
Information about the organization’s contact information
The procedure for filing complaints
Is There More To This Than Meets The Eye?
Yes. It’s important to be aware that the law governing data breaches is not a stand-alone act. It is an amendment to PIPEDA, the Canadian Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act. A summary of Canada’s privacy laws, and links to more specifics can be found here. A discussion of the specific laws related to digital information is here. You need to understand and comply with both.
The wording in PIPEDA leaves room for the judgment of executives. It covers situations where “…it is reasonable in the circumstances to believe that the breach creates a real risk of significant harm to the individual.”
Whether intentional or not, the wording is somewhat vague and ambiguous. Certain words should be interpreted in the light of precedents set in the Canadian courts. There is no way to determine the true meaning of many of these terms when applied to a specific data breach, including:
Reasonable
In the circumstances
Real risk
Significant harm
What Really Happens After November 1, 2018?
Although the law takes effect on November 1, 2018, it will not actually take effect until the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has written and published its implementing regulations after consultation with stakeholders.
If you are concerned about the impact on your Canadian operations, it is important to track what is going on in the process of writing and implementing these regulations.
There is, for example, no guarantee at this point that the regulations, when written, will not be retroactive. You should comply now.
Should All Data Breaches Be Reported?
The answer to this question can be found by looking at the experiences of other companies – Facebook, Uber, Google, and Experian – that suffered data breaches and did not report them.
Every single one received a great deal of bad publicity. Many of their executives were fired for the way they mishandled the breach.
The applicable rule here that all should remember is: “It’s not the crime; it’s the cover-up.”
A data breach is bad enough. It exposes the personal information of millions of people to hackers and thieves. Any organization that has a data breach also has a duty to report it promptly. The guidelines for reporting it and notifying affected parties are clearly spelled out in the law. Your best assumption is that either you will have to report the breach, or someone will report if for you.
Fines and penalties can be much more severe for those organizations that wait too long before reporting a breach or do not follow the guidelines.
Wrap Up
Despite all the efforts devoted to cybersecurity, the public is still extremely vulnerable. In years to come, security experts may find ways to stop the onslaught of data breaches around the world, but today, the best course of action is to follow the data breach laws.
by Felicien | Oct 24, 2018 | Education
Efficiency in the workplace is paramount to success. This concept is widely held across office environments everywhere. But while technology plays an increasingly valuable role in the way the world does business, that’s not to say it doesn’t come with its own unique set of drawbacks. Laptops and mobile devices are presenting problems within the workplace, particularly in regard to productivity.
In the workplace, screens often serve as barriers, and today’s businesses are tasked with coming up with new ways to minimize these technological distractions. One effective method? Banning laptops from meetings.
The research is clear: laptops and mobile devices are no good for productivity, especially when it comes to meetings. Banning laptops and mobile devices from meetings can boost both productivity and efficiency. From reducing the amount of time it takes to conduct a meeting, to encouraging employees to be more present and engaged, banning laptops may be the next big trend in business.
The Dangers Of Multi-Tasking
Technology that’s been designed to improve our productivity can actually serve as culprits. They can interfere with our point of focus, whether that be our boss or colleague during an important meeting or a lecturer in the midst of a seminar. Laptops distract from learning, both for users and for those around them.
Research shows that multi-tasking is a killer of productivity. This doesn’t apply to just individual productivity, either. It can also have negative effects on the organizational level, which is causing problems for businesses everywhere, regardless of industry. One report concluded that multitasking within organizations is even impacting the global economy, resulting in a loss of $450 billion.
The human brain simply does not retain information as well when there is a distraction like a laptop or mobile device competing for attention. There are numerous studies that back up these claims. In fact, when employees use their laptops or mobile phones during a meeting, they’re known to do a number of things that hinder productivity, including asking questions that have already been answered. It may seem like nothing but a minor inconvenience to some, but gather enough instances like this, and you’ll see how much time (and money) is at stake.
Not only is multi-tasking thought to hinder productivity, but it also makes employees more prone to distractions. Other negative effects include poor critical-decision-making and underperformance.
Benefits Of The Ban
There are several benefits to banning laptops from meetings. From boosting creativity to cutting down on meeting time and even encouraging engagement, banishing laptops from the meeting room may be doing your company more good than you initially realize. This is why a growing number of managers are making the call.
Here are some of the benefits associated with banishing laptops from meetings.
Time Management
Commanding complete attention during company meetings can lead to more valuable, engaging discussion. A meeting in which all participants can easily understand and contribute input concisely is an effective one.
More Engagement
One of the most important aspects of a meeting is being present in the moment. Staring at your screen makes this impossible. Employees fixated on their laptops won’t be able to make eye contact, and their body language may be off-putting during a meeting. Banning laptops during meetings is just one way to promote engagement and the sharing of ideas.
Better Comprehension
Writing notes by hand has been scientifically proven to help in information absorption. While taking notes during a meeting may at times be necessary, using a laptop to do it is not. Encourage teammates to use pen and paper to increase comprehension.
Tips To Take Control
Business owners and managers can do a number of things to further promote engagement during meetings. Once you’ve made the decision to ban laptops, you may want to put a solid system into place. Establishing a firm “no laptop” rule during meetings will help things remain consistent across the board. You may even consider a check-your-laptop-at-the-door rule that will help drive the point on home with your colleagues. If you are hosting a remote meeting where laptops are necessary, implement a rule that states all other apps and windows must be closed. This small step alone can help increase comprehension and cut down on distractions.
Banning laptops may seem futile if you are wasting time in other ways. A good rule of thumb is to let employees know how long the meeting will be, as well as whether or not there will be breaks. Not only is this common courtesy, but it can also help minimize the anxiety that may come with not having instant access to emails and texts.
If you know that your meeting will consist of need-to-know information, encourage fellow employees to use pen and paper. By providing these tools ahead of time, you’ll make it that much easier for your team to follow through.
These small steps can do wonders for promoting productivity and helping your employees make the most of their time in the office. While laptops are commonplace in today’s office setting, and often vital for productivity, leaving them off the table for a while (literally) can act as the first step toward more meaningful meetings.
by Felicien | Oct 24, 2018 | Education
We know it’s important to have good habits in many parts of our lives, from our work to our daily hygiene. However, quite a few of us forget that we need to have good computer habits, too. Developing wise practices in connection with our computers and smartphones can make our lives much easier and help us to stay much safer on the internet.
Back Up Your Files
One thing that many people fail to do is back up their files. All it takes is one catastrophic computer crash and days or even months of work can be lost. Priceless family photos, fun videos with friends, key work files, and important school assignments that were a work in progress can be lost. Backing up your files isn’t that hard nor is it expensive. And, to make things even better and easier, you have many different options from cloud-based backups (such as GoogleDrive, OneDrive, or DropBox), convenient USB thumb drives, portable hard drives, and even specialized backup drives. A good practice is to make sure your files are backed up daily, or at least weekly.
Keep Your Software Updated
Software updates can be a pain, but they are vital to ensuring that your computer and software runs smoothly. In fact, one of the major reasons that updates are released is to fix bugs and issues that could make your computer vulnerable to cyber threats. Hackers know about these bugs and vulnerabilities. If you don’t allow your system to install the patches and fixes, then you are making yourself a prime target for a cyber attack.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to perform updates in the middle of your work anymore. Most software (and smartphones) will give you options for when the update should take place, so you can choose times when you aren’t busy on your computer.
Be Smart When Using Public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi in places like fast food restaurants and coffee shops can be tempting to use when you need an internet connection, but they can also be dangerous. These public Wi-Fi networks are a common target of hackers, and even hackers with minimal skill can quickly figure out things like your social media credentials and more.
If you do have to use public Wi-Fi, take safety precautions such as turning off network discovery, file sharing, and printer sharing and make sure your firewall is turned on. Don’t be an easy target for hackers.
Make Use of Antivirus Software and Passwords
Would you leave your front door unlocked if you lived in a high-crime neighborhood? Well, the internet is a high-crime neighborhood. Failure to use updated anti-virus software and good passwords is the same as leaving your door unlocked. You can’t afford to make it easy for the wrong people to access your personal and financial information.
Your first line of defense lies in the passwords you choose. Don’t use easy to guess passwords, and don’t use the same passwords for everything. Include letters and symbols with your passwords to make them harder to crack, and add some numbers for good measure.
Your second line of defense, much like a deadbolt for your front door, is anti-virus and firewall software. They don’t have to be expensive in order to do a good job of protecting your computer. It is also vital that you keep your anti-virus and firewall software updated and don’t ignore alerts they provide.
Be Careful with Email
Going back to our analogy of living in a high crime area: if your doorbell rang in the middle of the night, would you fling the door open and invite whoever it was inside? You would probably want to make sure who it was, and even check their ID if they claimed to be some kind of official demanding access to your home. Strangely enough, far too often we inadvertently provide access to individuals with malicious intentions when we click on links in emails without making sure where those emails are really from.
In short, don’t open an email unless you have a good idea of who it is from, and beware of clicking links in emails even if they seem to be from friends. Be cautious about opening attachments, too. In short, be as careful with your email as you are with your front door.
Conclusion
You work hard to keep yourself safe from physical dangers such as criminals and disease. It makes sense that you should work just as hard to keep your electronic devices safe, too. Backing up files (including documents, photos, and videos), keeping your software updated, and being smart when on public Wi-Fi is a good start. Add to that antivirus and firewall software, robust passwords, and the careful use of email and you are on the road to developing excellent computer habits that will keep your files, data, and personal information safe.
by Felicien | Oct 24, 2018 | Education
Google My Business is an excellent tool for establishing and tracking your company’s online presence. Included in Google My Business are tools to help you manage customer reviews. However, in order to get the most out of the review tools, you need to know (1) how to find your reviews, (2) how to encourage customers to share reviews, and (3) how to be alerted when you do receive reviews.
1. How to Find Your Reviews
In order to both see and manage your Google My Business reviews, you need to pay a visit to this site: business.google.com. Login, and once you are in, you can see your own My Business page. This allows you to, among other things, see and respond to the feedback your clients have provided through Google reviews.
You’ll find a link to Reviews on the left-hand side of the dashboard (it has a star icon beside it). This will open up a dedicated review page that allows you to write and edit constructive responses. Note that this also allows you to select one of three basic views: All, Replied (that would be, of course, reviews you have already replied to), and Haven’t Replied (which would be the reviews that you haven’t posted a reply to yet).
If you are still new to Google My Business or just don’t have very many reviews yet, you will want to start requesting reviews from your customers. With more and more people depending on the internet for reviews of everything from cell phone plans to home repair services, it is important that your company have reviews from real customers posted on Google.
2. How to Encourage Customers to Share Reviews
Trying to get great reviews can be tricky. Google My Business web pages do not offer a way to directly request a review from a customer. There is a workaround, however. To get a URL to promote to your clients, start by searching for your company from within Google maps (maps.google.com).
This reason you need to go to Google maps is simple: at the bottom of your company listing in Google maps, there is a link to post a review of your company. Once you are on your company’s map page, copy that URL. Then open up a URL shortening service such as bitly so that you can shorten that URL. With bitly, just paste in your URL and click on Shorten. You will receive a very short URL that you can copy and paste to your company’s website, emails, invoices, email signatures, business cards, and other materials. This makes it much easier for your customers to respond with feedback without having to search for your business on Google. The easier you make it for people to provide reviews, the more reviews that will begin to come in.
3. How to Be Alerted When You Do Receive Reviews
Once you are actively promoting reviews, you need to know when reviews are posted so that you can respond to them. It is important to quickly acknowledge reviews, both the good ones and the bad ones. Poor reviews especially need attention, and your company should try to make contact with the disgruntled customer and, if possible, take the discussion offline. However, you want others looking through your reviews to see that when a customer is dissatisfied, your business will reach out to fix the situation – even when the review is unfair. It is very important that a negative review does not sit out on the internet with no response.
Fortunately, there is a way to receive an alert as soon as a review is posted. To receive alerts about reviews, start by returning to the Google My Business homepage where you should still be logged in. Look toward the bottom of the right-hand side where it says Settings (there will be a gear icon next to it). Click on Settings, which will open the Email Notifications page. About halfway down, you will see an option that says Customer reviews. If you click the checkbox on the right-hand side of this option, you will receive email alerts when a customer posts a review. That is all you need to do to be alerted when a customer posts a review.
Conclusion
Your company’s reputation online is very important, and it is critical that you receive feedback in the way of reviews. Google My Business has the tools you need to manage those reviews, including tracking them, responding to them, and being alerted when they are posted online. There isn’t a direct way to request reviews from your customers, but smart use of a link in the Google Maps listing of your business, combined with a URL shortening service, can help you gather those reviews you need.
