by Felicien | Jan 17, 2018 | Education
Social is here to stay.
That’s the unanimous sentiment regarding social media as a communication tool – and as a marketing channel. LinkedIn launched publicly before Facebook (2003 and 2006, respectively), and in these past 15 years we’ve seen an evolution, and some might say a revolution. Social media has redefined how society interacts, even at the most basic level. Social interaction has been transformed by the 6-second soundbite and the meme. More and more families keep Instagram accounts instead of family photo albums. Newspaper subscriptions are vastly reduced, and more and more news outlets are required to become more creative in delivering stories digitally. What does this mean for brands? That’s a challenging question with a multi-faceted answer.
Where do we start?
Too often, social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are daily buzzwords, and while these independently offer a great voice for your brand, a brand’s social footprint needs thoughtful and customized messaging to effectively reach a target audience.
Careful crafting takes time, and each platform should have a message catered to its unique audience.
It’s not personal, it’s business.
To avoid confusion, ask yourself if you understand the fundamental difference between LinkedIn and channels like Facebook. LinkedIn, at its most basic level, is a professional matchmaker, linking individuals who wish to connect on a professional level. That statement conveys the critical nature of LinkedIn’s purpose – connecting professionals.
How can we use LinkedIn to help our brand?
The question should be, how can we not use LinkedIn to help our brand? Like most of the social platforms out there, LinkedIn has become a very popular channel for brands to effectively spread their message – either via paid advertising or through organic reach.
How can I maximize my reach?
LinkedIn offers brands the perfect platform to do what they do best – talk about themselves! LinkedIn users often visit simply to absorb information: what colleagues have made job changes lately, are various companies hiring, what is the latest technology employed by Fortune 500 companies that users need to keep their skills updated, or just to find the hiring manager for a position for which a user is applying.
This unique position translates into an audience that is actively seeking news from a brand. How a brand can use this to their advantage is simple: post content.
Content is King
Regular content posts make a brand appear active and engaged, and improve top-of-mind recall for their audience. The primary factor in considering a LinkedIn content post is the perceived value to the LinkedIn reader. Readers want content that will inform, educate, and offer support.
Tailored messages, not templates
Don’t generalize LinkedIn as a numbers game – use each content post as an opportunity to show interest in aiding your readers, creating the opportunity for readers to want more from your brand. Remember above, when we told you careful crafting takes time? In this case, time is money – and you’re trying to find the most cost-effective way to deliver a message to the widest audience possible but in the most efficient manner. Personalizing content creates an engaged connection between your brand and your reader. Don’t waste your reader’s time and they’ll feel valued, generating a connection – and, more importantly, a brand follower.
Be Mindful of Networking No-No’s
Duplicating social status updates
While you can certainly use programs like Hootsuite to organize your social content, don’t fall into the trap of oversimplifying and avoid the habit of duplicating content using a “copy-and-paste” process; heed the advice above regarding carefully catering a post message to your audience within a channel.
Polished, not punny
Comedy has a place – in a nightclub, on a stage, and delivered via microphone. LinkedIn content should be polished above all else, given the professional audience. Cleverly delivered content that reaches your audience can invoke wit – and even the occasional joke or pun – so long as you reinforce the position above, to inform, educate, and offer support for your readers.
Connection abuse
The greatest of all sins on LinkedIn is the abuse of connections. Building relationships and nurturing connections on LinkedIn is the basic goal of the social medium. Is there value in an individual having 500+ connections? Yes, and it’s this same value that leads brands to want a larger follower base. There are individuals and brands that will try to expand their connection base to include their mother’s brother’s colleague’s sister’s best friend’s supervisor. Clearly, this connection isn’t a meaningful one – and LinkedIn knows this. Did you know that if too many attempted connections click “I do not know this person”, LinkedIn will restrict your account? Value is lost, credibility is damaged, and relationships are forever severed by careless actions like this.
Also, another no-no is collecting email addresses from your connection list to use in any way. Deliver content that informs, educates, and offers support to readers in content posts, and cultivate these connections organically to achieve your goals, and you’ll build a better brand reputation.
What does all this mean for my brand?
This is a great question! The good news is, there is no singular answer, giving you and your brand seemingly endless options to use LinkedIn as a viable social medium. Here are tips to help your brand find its footing on LinkedIn, build solid connections, and engage with your audience.
Publish Content
You already know that publishing content on LinkedIn to be shared in the content feed is an amazing resource – but did you know that this tool was once only available to a pool of “super influencers”? Organizations like Microsoft led this groundbreaking feature, and now brands have the opportunity to post content – positioned to inform, educate, and offer support – that reinforces engagement, as well as a brand’s value proposition.
Don’t stop at JUST content!
People love to be heard! Engaging with your audience doesn’t end at achieving a like, a share, or a follow. When readers leave comments, respond! Did you know that when a LinkedIn user comments on a content post, that content is then visible to their entire 1st network? Imagine the power of your response when your brand is seen giving readers the respect of a direct response.
Don’t stop at JUST content and comments!
Including rich content in your delivery increases the value of the user experience. Offering a 2-minute (or less) video delivering content instead of in paragraphs of text offers much more than just information. Video offers far more flexibility as a marketing tool, and its versatility is limitless. Video is humanizing and is capable of conveying emotion and nuance in ways text literally cannot.
Every brand must absolutely represent itself throughout social media, but take great care. LinkedIn users surpassed the 500 million count in 2017. Thus, mistakes on LinkedIn can be costly, but if a brand follows LinkedIn’s protocol for use and guidelines detailed above for etiquette, the potential for brand growth is immeasurable.
by Felicien | Jan 17, 2018 | Education
The latest updates from the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, known as PCI DSS 3.2, will become mandatory on February 1, 2018. This will affect all merchants and service providers who accept credit card payments from Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. The creators of this iteration believe that PCI DSS 3.2 will provide stronger security measures for consumers against the attacks of cyber-thieves and hackers.
PCI DSS 3.2 affects all merchants who store, process or transmit the sensitive data of cardholders. This highly detailed document contains 12 requirements for safeguarding the data of cardholders. In 2015, PCI DSS v3.0 was used to provide guidelines for merchants regarding compliance. Then, in 2016, PCI DSS v3.1 was released, which clarified many of the requirements of its earlier predecessor PCI DSS v3.0.
Preventing security breaches
This annual application- and network-level assessment determines whether devices and systems connected to the Internet possess weaknesses, loopholes, or vulnerabilities that hackers might use to obtain important cardholder information.
The new standards provide comprehensive information designed to reduce risks from cyber intruders. If properly implemented, they will better safeguard the personal banking and account data of customers.
With cyber attacks and digital threats on the rise, the Payment Card Industry works continuously to strengthen their best practices and mandatory requirements. A vital part of this process is the self-assessment process that ensures a company’s full compliance with all rules and regulations.
Though this process can be tedious, it is important to carry it out well, correctly and on a regular basis. In fact, penetration testing and vulnerability assessment scans are required every three months. Independent audits may also be required, along with periodic scans. Some of these requirements only pertain to businesses that do a larger volume of cardholder transactions. Scans must be completed by an “approved” scanning company.
The PCI DSS Self-Assessment Questionnaire evaluates a service provider or merchant’s compliance with those items listed in the PCI Self-Assessment Questionnaire. If weaknesses are identified, the Questionnaire also includes recommendations for bringing the security controls up to full compliance level.
Special compliance regulations
Some organizations focus on specific mandates in regards to compliance. For instance, all hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices must comply with current HIPAA standards. For those businesses in one of the many financial industries, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) provides compliance requirements. With each of these, the goal is to protect consumers against fraud, while also protecting everyone from hackers and cyber thieves.
Below are a few of the updated controls, including new changes to regulations:
Control 3.3 – Changes in wording
This control will be used by merchants and service providers. Changes in wording to control 3.3 provide greater detail as to how a Credit Card Number or Primary Account Number (PAN) is displayed. Typically, only the first six and last four digits of a credit card number should be displayed. If personnel have a legitimate need to see the entire credit card number, then they are allowed to view it.
Control 3.5.1 – Encryption architecture documentation
This control pertains to service providers, and it regulates the use of protocols, algorithms, and keys used in protecting card data. It includes card expiration dates and key strengths. Documentation must include a description of any hardware security modules (HSMs), all protocols, and a description of the cryptographic keys used.
Control 6.4.6 – Verifying PCI DSS requirements on new and modified networks
This control will be used by merchants and service providers. It mandates that all requirements of PCI DSS be implemented in new or modified networks and that these changes be verified. Though this normally is completed by personnel anyway, the new control requires employees to examine records, observe affected systems and interview staff to make sure the applicable PCI DSS requirements were correctly implemented.
Control 8.3.1 Multiple authentication factors for CDEs
In the previous version of PCI DSS, a two-factor authentication process was required. These new standards require “multiple” authentication factors. Though the control does not stipulate how many are required, by changing the terminology from “two-factor” to “multiple”, it is clear that at least three types of authentication should be utilized in the cardholder data environment (CDE).
Control 10.8 – Periodic reporting and detection of system failures
This control applies to service providers. It spells out the application process for fault detection, as well as the creation of regular periodic reports. Reports should cover all critical security control systems. These include anti-virus programs, firewalls, FIM, IDS/IPS, logical access controls, physical access controls, segmentation controls, audit logging mechanisms, and others.
Control 10.8.1 – Response to security incidents
This control applies to service providers. It mandates that companies have an efficient plan for responding to any breaches or failures. The exact failure and cause (if possible) will be determined and documented. Remedial actions should be taken at once. Managers and directors should determine if any further actions in response to the breach are necessary. New deterrents should be put in place to prevent this type of breach from occurring again.
Control 11.3.4.1 – Tests of constant intrusions
This control applies to service providers. It requires that intrusion tests be carried out every six months whenever segmentation of environments are used.
Control 12.11 – Security policy reviews
This control applies to service providers only. It requires that all security policies be reviewed every three months to ascertain whether personnel are following the rules and procedures. These reviews should include firewall rules, daily logs, responses to security events, changes to management procedures and any other items regarding system security.
Control 12.11.1 – Maintain quarterly review documentation
This control applies to service providers only, and it stipulates that the regular quarterly review is effectively documented. The person in charge of implementing the PCI DSS compliance program at your company must sign off on these reviews.
Maintaining public trust
These are just a few of the new PCI DSS changes that will be mandatory by February 1, 2018. All changes were the result of an ongoing effort by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard to reduce data breaches and ensure the public’s trust. The 3.2 version contains eight evolving requirements, 47 clarifications, and three additional guidance points.
For a full listing of all the new PCI DSS 3.2 requirements, please visit: PCISecurityStandards.org.
by Felicien | Jan 17, 2018 | Education
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), incorporated in 1998, is a member-driven not-for-profit organization with approximately 15,000 members and growing. The not-for-profit organization manages the.CA Internet domain, as well as the entire country’s involvement in international Internet governance. CIRA’s top priority is the safe and secure management of our top-level domain. After all, there are more than 2.6 billion .CA domains registered so far!
How Do I Become a Member?
CIRA offers membership to anyone who holds a .CA domain as the cost of membership is included in the cost you’re already paying for your domain. It’s simple, just click here to get started. Why should you become a member? There are tons of great benefits that come along with membership, including the ability to:
Take part in membership surveys regarding Internet issues
Attend local networking events for the purpose of business development
Contribute to the development of the Internet worldwide
Receive newsletters on the latest Internet initiatives, trends, and issues
And more
CIRA also offers the Community Investment Program wherein they help fund community projects for the purpose of achieving the safest, strongest and most accessible Internet possible throughout the country. The program has already funded over 102 projects with $4.2 million distributed to help:
Build new infrastructure
Deliver innovative online services
Research and address emerging digital issues
And more
How Can I Apply for a Grant?
The application period to apply for a CIRA grant is open until February 28th, 2018. Click here to get started! CIRA is contributing roughly $1 million to not-for-profit organizations, researchers, and charities who qualify by showcasing the good things they’re doing for and through the Internet.
If you have an initiative or program that helps build a better online throughout the country, don’t hesitate to apply for a CIRA grant! The typical grant will be between $25,000 and $50,000 with a maximum amount of $100,000. That’s a lot of money to help you make a lot of progress with your project!
Still not convinced applying for a CIRA grant is an awesome idea? Here are a few good reasons to apply:
You’ll be making a positive difference: Over the years, those taking advantage of the program for their projects have made a huge positive difference throughout the country – from providing reliable Internet in remote communities to helping children develop coding skills.
You’ll be contributing to the benefits of the Internet: We know the Internet offers a multitude of benefits – helping us shop, bank, learn, and stay in touch with friends and family. Your project will contribute to the benefits of the Internet and how it keeps us connected to the world around us.
You’ll be helping give back to something you enjoy: If you enjoy the Internet, which let’s be honest, we all do – you’ll get the unique opportunity to give back and act as an advocate for safe, secure, accessible Internet for everyone! What could be better than helping to further improve something you already enjoy?
CIRA prioritizes investing in projects that contribute to the Internet’s development, growth, and security, such as:
Online services for disadvantaged individuals
Access to the Internet and/or devices for rural or remote communities
Secure and reliable infrastructure for rural or remote communities
Activities that promote knowledge-sharing for enhanced Internet governance
Research into the technological side of the Internet
Initiatives that improve policy-making participation from the public
However, there are some restrictions. CIRA will not fund any projects that take place outside of the country, focus on website development and design, or provide generic information technology training. CIRA will also not fund marketing, retrospective costs, core operations like staff salaries, and more.
For more information on funding restrictions, click here. CIRA only accepts one application at a time from each organization, and if you’ve already received a grant in the past, you’re still able to re-apply, but you must submit your final report from your last project. Once you’ve submitted your application, CIRA staff will review to ensure completeness.
After CIRA staff has reviewed your application, it will be sent to the investment committee for their consideration. Based on established criteria and funding available, CIRA’s board of directors will then make final decisions on which organizations will receive grants for their projects. In May 2019, approval letters and contracts will be sent!
What If I Don’t Get an Approval Letter and Contract?
If you don’t get an approval letter and contract, CIRA staff will communicate with you that your application was not successful and you will not be receiving a grant. You can always re-apply in the future. CIRA states that applicants have been unsuccessful in the past due to a lack of clarity regarding their project outcomes, concerns surrounding their project’s budget, and a general lack of innovation.
It’s absolutely worth applying for a CIRA grant as you’re able to contribute to the Internet’s development, growth, and security – and who wouldn’t want to be a part of something as huge as our country’s online world?
Call {phone} or email us at {email} if you have any questions about applying for a CIRA grant. As your IT support experts, we’re here to help your company thrive in today’s technologically advanced business environment.
by Felicien | Jan 16, 2018 | Education
Alexa, Amazon’s incredibly smart voice-activated assistant, is capable of just about anything – from ordering a pizza to calling a taxi to turning on the smart bulbs around the house. Alexa truly enhances the lives of those who use it, and it’s recently become even smarter than ever before! How? That’s simple: Alexa has joined forces with WebMD, the leading source for the latest health and medical news.
Medical Guidance – Just One Short Voice Request Away!
Is it just a stomach ache or something worse? Now it’s easier than ever to find out! Amazon’s Alexa is adding medical advice to its set of more than 10,000 skills. Just when you thought the virtual assistant couldn’t get any smarter! The software will offer users WebMD’s content library to give them the most accurate, up-to-date health information possible. All enabled devices, including Fire TV, Echo, and Echo Dot, will allow users to ask health-related queries on a wide range of topics:
Treatments for common ailments
Definitions of various conditions and diseases
Side effects of prescription drugs
And much more
Ben Greenberg, WebMD’s Vice President of Mobile Products, told The Verge, “We want to be in the place where we believe computing is going, “[This] is going to be really helpful in situations where you want to access something hands-free. For example, a mom with her baby. The baby’s got a rash and is on amoxicillin, and there’s poop all over the place and it’s scary. The mom can find out that diarrhea is a side effect of amoxicillin, without having to navigate through a visual interface.”
He also stated, “There are a number of reasons that voice-enabled interfaces are growing in popularity – they are generally hands-free, people can talk faster than they type, and when done right, they make it easier for consumers to quickly and easily get to the information they need.”
Health-related queries will be responded to with physician-reviewed answers in plain, accessible voice. The option to request additional information sent in text form will also be available if needed. When this option is selected, you will also receive a URL to a WebMD page for more resources.
Ready to Make Use of Your Favorite Virtual Assistant’s Newest Feature?
If you’re ready to get started, simply add the skill via the app store. Go to the sidebar menu button in the top-left corner of the app screen, then type “WebMD” inside of the search box and search. Once you’ve found it, install and start your command with “Alexa, ask WebMD…” Just remember, despite physicians verifying the information you’re given, it’s always best to go to your doctor with any serious concerns.
However, for those times where you want to learn more about a pre-existing condition or hear about the side effects of a prescription drug, the feature is great! It’s especially fantastic if you’re not able to pick up your phone or laptop.
Eventually, WebMD would like to make various updates to improve the interface while adding the ability to ask follow-up questions. Greenberg stated, “The voice part of it is a crucial investment to where we will be one day. Our grandkids will make fun of us forever having used a keyboard!”
Other Health Integrations You Might Be Interested In…
Aside from WebMD, Alexa has a few other interesting health integrations users might be interested in. Over a year ago, Alexa teamed up with Fitbit, a company known for its wearable products designed to keep track of user’s health data. This partnership allows you to track important information regarding your sleep, activity, and weight anytime from your tracking wearables.
Boston Children’s Hospital also partnered with Alexa to create an app known as KidsMD – giving parents vital details on their children’s health conditions and medications. In the future, we’re sure to see more health integrations coming. Rob Pulciani, Director of Amazon Alexa, stated, “we’re excited that WebMD is bringing its skill to Alexa.”
Pulciani continued, “With the WebMD skill, customers can get answers to health questions simply by asking Alexa. It highlights the convenience of a more natural spoken language experience.”
Recent studies have shown that the number of people turning to the Internet for information on a diverse range of health subjects continues to grow at a rapid rate. In fact, according to Google, 1% of its searches are health-related. This showcases the strong need for WebMD and Alexa’s partnership.
Who is {company}?
{company} provides the highest quality IT support around – from building and developing infrastructure to offering timely support when needed to keeping systems backed up and recoverable at a moment’s notice. We keep our clients up and running because we know avoiding downtime is vital to staying competitive in today’s marketplace.
by Felicien | Jan 15, 2018 | Education
Many of us are guilty of using the same password, or a variation of the same password, for our personal and business-related accounts. Unfortunately, these bad password habits only make it easier for hackers to steal our information. When they do, they hold that information for ransom or use it to gain access to our bank account or our clients’ information.
Hackers use a variety of methods to obtain that information. For example, hackers will monitor public Wi-Fi, intercepting the usernames and passwords you enter. You can outsmart these cyber criminals by making sure not to log in to any of your accounts when on public Wi-Fi.
Hackers also use programs that contain droves of stolen information. All they need to do is search a username or password and hope they get a hit. If they do, hackers can access your accounts and information.
Hackers will go to any length to gain access to your information. They steal your passwords, install keystroke loggers, and sometimes use brute force. If a hacker wants your information, they will do everything in their power to get it. Therefore, we must protect ourselves. We cannot use the same password or variation of a password for all of our accounts.
Once a hacker has your information, they will retreat to the dark web. The dark web is essentially the parts of the Internet that require special software to access, meaning you cannot access it using a regular web browser like Internet Explorer or Chrome. Everything that happens on the dark web is anonymous, so naturally half of all activities that take place there are illegal, including the sale of account credentials.
You may not have access to the dark web, but there are still ways to find out if your information is on the dark web. With a Dark Web ID scan, CTC Networks can determine if your personal information is vulnerable. We go into the dark web so that you don’t have to.
Dark Web ID Scans
A scan of the dark web will show CTC Networks if your information is visible in any corner of the dark web. Once you know what information is vulnerable, you can change those usernames and passwords, which will help ensure that hackers stay out of your accounts.
CTC Networks provides:
Dark Web Threat Alerts – Proactive monitoring of your organizations stolen or compromised data and real-time alerts when we find your information.
Compromised Data Tracking and Reporting – Track and triage incidents to better manage risk.
Compromised Data Trending and Benchmarking – Gain insight into your organization’s current threat posture while benchmarking it against your peers and the industries that you serve.
Supply Chain Threat Monitoring – Monitor your supply chain, third-party partners, and vendors to understand the potential risk they pose to your organization.
Customer Management – Better protect your customers by providing them actionable recommendations to help protect against potential data breaches.
By enlisting the help of CTC Networks, you can make sure that your sensitive information is safe. Awareness is important for keeping both your and your clients’ information safe.
Check now and see if your information is on the Dark Web.
Let the experts at CTC Networks ensure your safety. They will scan the dark web for any mention of your information before it is too late. Call (615) 550-0020 for more information.
