by Felicien | Jan 10, 2019 | Education
Smartphone technology and the internet have made it possible for us to share ideas—and do business—with people all over the world. Learning to use the powerful tools we have at our fingertips more effectively is one of the most significant challenges of our time. Today’s consumers aren’t just looking for products—they are seeking mutually beneficial long-term connections. No matter what your business is, you can increase your sales by using photos to share information about your products, your company, and most importantly, yourself.
The success of Instagram and Snapchat demonstrate that photos are one of the most preferred methods of sharing information and making human connections. People want to feel personally connected to those they do business with, and social media is a great way to introduce your staff to the world. The right photos can reveal their personalities as well as showcase their talents and abilities in a way that words alone just can’t. You don’t have to be an award-winning professional photographer to create amazing photos, either. The following eight tips can help you transform your iPhone camera into the window through which the world can view your company.
How to Get to the Camera Quickly and Never Miss a Shot
The perfect shot never lasts very long. That’s why there’s more than one way to get to your iPhone camera. The fastest, easiest way is to just swipe left after waking the phone. If you are already in another screen, swipe up to get to the control center where the camera icon is located. If you don’t have a camera icon in your control center, you can add it in three easy steps by going to settings, choosing “customize controls”, then choosing “add camera”.
How to Snap a Photo
You can snap a photo by pressing the home button (aka shutter button) while in the camera app. However, trying to hold the phone still while maneuvering your hands towards a button located near the bottom of the screen can be difficult. Luckily, once you have the perfect shot lined up, you can also use either of your volume buttons located on the side of your iPhone to snap the photo. Being able to use whichever method is easiest to access can mean the difference between a good shot and a great one.
Object Placement, Composition, and Symmetry
Your iPhone camera comes equipped with a grid to help you line up your shots more accurately. The grid is also a useful tool for creating more balanced compositions because it breaks the available space into separate parts. To utilize the grid, go to camera settings, find “grid”, and enable it by swiping the radio button to the right until it turns green.
HDR—High Dynamic Range
The right lighting is often difficult to achieve, but the HDR setting on your iPhone camera can help. This setting allows to you reduce distortion of light and dark in photos taken where there are high-contrast light sources. It also helps reveal more details in both light and dark areas. HDR uses a process of shooting several frames in rapid succession, then merging them together to achieve the best effect. In camera settings, the HDR option will be near the bottom. Make sure the “Keep Normal Photo” option is switched on, so your camera will save both versions of your photo.
Automatic Focus and Exposure
Once you have the shot you want, it’s time to lock your focus. To do that, just tap and hold the focus box. When the yellow AF/AE circle slider appears, press it to lock the focus. If you want to adjust the exposure, drag the yellow exposure slider to the right side of the focus box. You will then be able to slide it upwards to increase exposure, and downwards to decrease it.
Camera Modes
Burst mode allows you to take ten photos per second, ensuring that you get just the right one. To go into burst mode, simply hold down the shutter button for a half a second or longer. Portrait mode is perfect for close-up photos that focus on human subjects and don’t require depth of field. This mode also has several special lighting effects, including studio, contour and stage lighting that you can apply either during the shot or afterwards. While the digital simulation of a shallow depth of field may not yield the professional results that a DSLR (Digital single-lens reflex) camera can, the results can still be amazing.
Lighting Effects
The studio light effect enhances highlights. The contour effect creates a dramatic shadow effect. The stage light effect darkens the background. The stage light mono setting transforms a color photo into a black and white photo. To apply any of these special lighting effects afterwards, just press the edit button.
Live Photos
The Live Photos feature. Available on iPhone 6s and newer, creates shots that are part photo and part video. Like video, it can capture both movement and audio. To activate this feature, just tap the circles icon in the camera app. You can then apply different effects to your live photo shots, such as bounce, loop, or long exposure. To access them, just swipe up while you are in Live Photo. Loop plays, then repeats the video, using a dissolve transition. Bounce plays, then reverses, the video. Long Exposure combines all the frames into one blurred image, which is great for moving water shots.
These eight tips can help you take better photos with your iPhone camera. But don’t forget that your iPhone also has a front-facing video camera. While photos can capture beautiful moments, some of the best memories your customers will have of your business are the ones you create together. The video camera is excellent for either FaceTime or Skype, both of which provide almost all the benefits of speaking in person. You’ll be able to look into one another’s eyes, see one another’s emotional reactions, and transform puzzled expressions into “Oh!” moments.
Using photos on Snapchat or Instagram, you can introduce your friendly, highly competent staff as well as new products and services. Video capability provides a way to show your customers not just your finished products, but the processes that created them. Affordable prices, quality products, and superior customer service are all important elements of any successful business. However, all other things being equal, the ability to make and maintain genuine human connections is the one element that can guarantee not just short-term profits, but future returns.
by Felicien | Jan 10, 2019 | Education
If the frightening headlines about massive data breaches were not warning enough, upwards of 60 percent of all small and mid-sized businesses, reportedly shutter within six months of a systems hack.
The leading causes of nefarious systems incursions are reportedly caused by about 25 percent of valued employees repeating the same username and password across multiple platforms. But what remains even worse is that fact that as many as 95 percent of all small businesses lack adequate protocols to safeguard important company or customer information.
In the coming months and years, cyber threats are expected to continue to pose a grave danger to the health and well-being of small and mid-sized organizations. The question business leaders may want to ask themselves is . . . will you join the 60 percent of companies that did not recover from a data breach?
Strengthen Your Business Defenses
Many of the toppled 60 percent may wish they knew then what many know now. That is, the key to cybersecurity does not solely depend on having the best software protections. According to the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, and Department of Homeland Security, nefarious email remains a primary trap used by cybercriminals and DHS recommends the following safety procedures.
“Never click on links in emails. If you do think the email is legitimate, whether from a third party retailer or primary retailer, go to the site and log on directly. Whatever notification or service offering was referenced in the email, if valid, will be available via regular log on.”
“Never open the attachments. Typically, retailers will not send emails with attachments. If there is any doubt, contact the retailer directly and ask whether the email with the attachment was sent from them.”
“Do not give out personal information over the phone or in an email unless completely sure. Social engineering is a process of deceiving individuals into providing personal information to seemingly trusted agents who turn out to be malicious actors. If contacted over the phone by someone claiming to be a retailer or collection agency, do not give out your personal information. Ask them to provide you with their name and a call-back number. Just because they may have some of your information does not mean they are legitimate.”
As you can surmise, these cyber safety measures do not necessarily rely on the latest antivirus software or systems protections. Hackers continue to take advantage of human oversight and error to infiltrate organizations and pirate valuable personal data and intellectual property. Homeland Security also recommends that business leaders implement the following employee training and protocols to protect against data breaches via email.
Maintain Secure Passwords: Change passwords regularly and never share them or provide co-workers with access.
Verify Sources: Make certain that emails originate from people and companies within your network by contacting them directly for verification.
Nix Auto-Download: Never use automatic download options for email attachments.
Never Click On Links: Embedded links are a primary method used by hackers to trip up team members through ransomware and malicious viruses.
Strengthening a company’s defenses begins with employee training and awareness that data breaches are not reserved for significant organizations and Fortune 500 corporations. Hackers continue to troll for low hanging fruit and unsuspecting employees who make innocent mistakes.
Employee Cyber Security Training is Job One
Although ransomware attacks reportedly declined from 638 million in 2016 to 184 million in 2017, according to Statista, this method has been used to target a tremendous number of small and mid-sized outfits.
The common attitude among cybercriminals is that decision-makers will ultimately weigh the cost of paying the ransom against potential profit losses and do the math. Hackers understand that poorly defended organizations are likely to negotiate and pay up. That’s why valued employees must remain vigilant and be a sort of human firewall if you will.
Proactive industry leaders are tasked with training employees and also determining which team members could be considered at risk. An IT support team can utilize training videos, create a cybersecurity policy and implement it by working with groups and individuals. But once the hands-on work has been completed, it’s imperative that companies conduct ongoing cybersecurity evaluations. These are logical methods to consider.
Identify team members who could be best targeted by hackers.
Deploy unscheduled mock cyber attacks.
Create and release convincing but harmless mock ransomware links via email.
Require employees to complete cybersecurity training modules.
Require advanced training for those who are tripped up by mock cyber attack drills.
We may be living in a golden age of technology, but our everyday fallibility remains the threshold that cybercriminals use to break into our business systems and rob our valued customers and us of critical data. One of the primary ways to avoid joining the 60 percent who are out of business is to make team members aware of cyber dangers and provide them with the skills to combat cybercriminals.
by Felicien | Jan 9, 2019 | Education
Is someone out there pretending to represent your business to make money? Don’t laugh. It happens. Business identity theft is a growing concern for many companies across the US. According to a recent study by Dun & Bradstreet, business identity theft, also called commercial or corporate identity theft, was up 46 percent in 2017.
The CEO, Mary Ellen Seale, of The National Cybersecurity Society (NCSS) said, “Small business identity theft – stealing a business’s identity to commit fraud, is big business for identity thieves.” However, too few businesses, especially smaller businesses, are aware of the issue. In 2018, the NCSS published “Business Identity Theft in the US” to help publicize the problem, and to provide guidance on how companies can help protect themselves.
Which Types of Businesses Are Targeted by Business Identity Theft?
Corporate identity theft is not just a problem for large corporations or companies operating in a particular industry. It is a crime which can affect any-sized business from tiny Mom and Pop shops on Main St. USA to multinational companies who are involved in any commerce:
Small companies are usually the initial victims of identity theft since these companies tend to have more lax security in place and are less likely to realize their information is at risk. However, that doesn’t mean that larger companies are immune from having a criminal steal their identity. Plenty of larger businesses have their identities stolen each year.
Corporate identity thieves use the name and legitimate business information of customers of large vendors’ customers to trick them into fulfilling orders. Busy vendors who fail to put into place procedures to verify whether an order is genuine can end up losing millions of dollars a year to these scams.
Criminals masquerading as a legitimate business deceive financial institutions to open credit card accounts, establish lines of credit, send or receive wire transfers, and secure loans.
The list of victims of corporate identity theft even extends to the US government when criminals use stolen company credentials to claim tax refundable tax credits or to exploit other government benefits for corporations.
How Do Thieves Steal a Corporation’s Identity?
Criminals who steal the identities of businesses have a wide range of methods ranging from very simplistic to highly sophisticated. Many lower level identity thieves focus on email phishing scams which target employees of the company in an attempt to gain confidential information such as database passwords or HR records. Other simple scams use spoofed email accounts of company executives to trick vendors and clients of a company into believing they are communicating with someone from the company. Slightly more advanced scams can include setting up an unsecured WiFi network in near a company in hopes that employees will use it to conduct business and then stealing the data.
More sophisticated scams can include dozens of people, building fake websites, using shelf companies, social engineering and even renting office space at the same location as the targeted company. The goal of these higher level scams is typically to create a plausible “Proof of Right” which the thieves can then use to secure fraudulent loans, masquerade as the company in a business deal, or even sell company assets.
How Can You Protect Your Company From Identity Theft?
While there is no way to protect your company completely from identity theft, you can make it harder for cybercriminals by maintaining proper data protection procedures.
Train your staff. Teach your staff how to recognize phishing scams and how to verify when an email is from a legitimate source. Establish procedures on how to handle data correctly, and have a data loss prevention plan in place including a ‘clean desk’ policy.
Secure your network. Add additional security to your networks and ensure that everyone is using secured servers. Avoid using a ‘master account’ which allows access to your entire network to limit data breaches. Require two-factor authentication.
Monitor your financial information. Check your company’s credit report regularly to ensure that there aren’t any unexpected changes such as credit applications or new accounts.
Consider hiring a company to help prevent corporate identity theft. An outside security company is one of the best ways to protect your corporate identity from scammers.
by Felicien | Jan 9, 2019 | Education
No one wants to go through the stress of firing anyone, but sometimes you need to let one of your IT techs go. This can leave your company wide open for data breaches. Before starting the off-boarding process of an employee who has access to your entire computer network, having a proper procedure in place can help protect your data. Use these six tips to create a process you can use to safeguard your company’s private information when severing ties with a member of your IT team.
Tips to Terminate an IT Employee Without Risking Your Company’s Information Security
Eliminate the employee’s company network access. It is perhaps obvious fired employees should no longer have access to company computers, but a recent study found that surprisingly almost 9 out of 10 former employees’ credentials were still active for some time following termination. Your business can prevent potential issues by disabling, but not deleting a person’s business account and passwords before firing. You should pay particular attention to blocking any applications which allowed the employee to access your company data remotely.
Prevent access to third-party applications. Access to third-party software connected with your company can be more difficult to contain than access to in-house computer systems. If your former IT employee had access to third-party applications such as Dropbox, Outlook, Sharepoint, Trello, or Facebook, remove the person’s access immediately. This is where the importance of good record keeping is beneficial. Remember to leave your former employee’s email accounts and cell phone number open for a time, but forward emails and incoming calls to another member of your staff to maintain seamless communication.
Recover company-owned property. Before the former employee leaves your premise, take back the person’s company ID, access cards, keys, fobs, cell phones, laptop computers, and any manuals. Your HR department should always maintain a list of anything you give your employees to make it as easy as possible to verify the person returns everything.
Back up the former employee’s work computer. In the rare event that a former employee misuses your company’s data, it is essential for you to have a record of everything the person had access to while employed. Before reformatting the terminated employee’s computer or company cell phone, make a complete backup of the data and maintain the information for a few years just in case the worst-case scenario occurs.
Inform people that the person no longer works for your company. Make sure that all of your employees know that the person left the company and that their former coworker should not be in the office at any time. Ask your employees not to discuss company information with the person in the future. Contact any vendors which the former employee did business with and give them a heads up in case the person tries to contact your vendors for any reason.
Change access codes and locks for your most sensitive areas. If the terminated employee was able to access highly restricted areas in your company, replace locks and create new PINs and door codes. Look into the possibility of upgrading your security to use biometric or individual passcodes to make the process as easy as possible.
In a survey by Osterman Research, Inc., over 75 percent of former employees who retained credentials admitted to at least logging into company computers. Hopefully, your former employee is the rare exception, but the risk is far too significant to do nothing.
by Felicien | Jan 8, 2019 | Education
Every account you have is protected by a password or a PIN of some kind. A PIN is a personal identification number that is unique to the account it is attached to. In some cases, you are allowed to choose your own PIN. For other accounts, you must use the PIN or password that is provided by the creator of the account. Memorizing PINs and passwords is essential if you want to maintain your privacy and keep your accounts fully protected. It’s also vital that you use a few “best practices” when it comes to managing your passwords.
Avoid the Obvious
Avoid using the most obvious choices like your children’s names or notable dates. Choose passwords that would be difficult to trace back to someone or something that is important to you. Choose random numbers and words that can be easily remembered. Hackers who break into accounts will often look through your information to try and find patterns. Random words and phrases are less likely to be picked up within the pattern.
Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication can involve the use of a PIN and a password, or a PIN/password and a series of security questions. It can also include the use of a security key ( a card that is coded with personal information) and a PIN. The only way to access the account is to have both pieces of the puzzle to unlock the code. If one of the pieces is wrong, you may be locked out of your account until a system reset can be performed.
Separate Numbers and Symbols
Numbers and symbols that are used together may indicate a date or account number. Separate your numbers and symbols to remove any type of familiar sequencing. Alternate numbers, letters, and symbols so that it is difficult to identify any type of common pattern or series.
Use Your Fingerprint to Secure Mobile Devices
One of the best ways to protect your information is through the use of your fingerprint. iPhones can now identify your eye by scanning your cornea. Both of these methods use body parts that are unique to you. No one can duplicate them or alter them in any way. By using a fingerprint or eye-scan to protect your mobile devices, the information stored on that device is protected. You should still, however, change your passwords frequently.
Don’t Use the Same Password for Multiple Accounts
Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts. Choose a new and unique password for each account you have. While it may be difficult to remember multiple passwords, the alternative could mean devastating financial losses. Choose several password and PIN options that can be used effectively. In some cases, you may be able to rotate them. This must be done randomly and without a pattern to maintain the highest level of security possible.
There are ways to protect your passwords and PINs so that you can maintain your accounts and keep them secure. Using a password manager is just one way to secure your accounts. Determine which type of measures work best for you and use them effectively so that all of your information remains protected from outside predators and hackers.
by Felicien | Jan 8, 2019 | Education
Microsoft recently announced several new updates to Office 365. These updates and additions will help organizations who want to streamline efficiencies and remain compliant with new regulations across numerous industries. The nine key additions and updates to Office 365 will also help organizations effectively manage their digital presence.
9 New Updates And Additions To Microsoft Office 365
The nine key updates and additions to Office 365, include the following features and benefits.
Embed 3-D animations into Word documents and PowerPoint presentations. — You don’t need to know how to code an animation series to use this new feature. In fact, all you have to do is place the 3-D model into your slide, select a pre-built animation, click apply, and instantaneously watch as the 3-D model comes to life.
PowerPoint can transform written texts into readable messages. — Whether you have the world’s worst handwriting or a five year old can draw better than you, PowerPoint is now here to save you time and inevitably money as you create your business presentations. Simply draw out the presentation by hand using a touchscreen tablet. Next, launch PowerPoint and watch as the slides are automatically transformed with digital design recommendations that include layout, icon, and text suggestions. In minutes your handwritten ink can look like something that was designed by a professional artist in the graphic design department.
Save office supplies with the digital pen. — The Microsoft digital pen has all new features that will allow you to save time and resources when editing important documents. Enjoy the speed of simply using the digital pen to cross out paragraphs, circle text, add words, insert line breaks, split / change words, and leave detailed comments.
Transform Word documents into web-ready publications. — To transform your Word document into a Sway website, simply finalize your document, click File, and then click Transform. This feature can also be used to reduce the time needed to create and publish newsletters, training documents, product pages, and pitch decks.
Use blurred background to regain focus on video calls. — The new blurred background features allows video callers to blur their background so that unwanted distractions remain out of sight. The feature is particularly helpful for organizations that have a large remote workforce.
Avoid time-consuming compatibility issues. — Microsoft’s recently released desktop app allows organizations to easily check app compatibility before they complete a system upgrade. This check can save organizations time and money as they keep their systems operating at the optimal capacities, without suffering from incompatibility issues.
More efficiently complete Office 365 migrations with the SharePoint Migration Tool. — The new and improved SharePoint Migration Tool offers a point and click interface that makes it easier for organizations to complete Office 365 migrations. For example, in a few simple clicks your OneDrive files can be migrated to OneDrive for business.
IT teams can more effectively manage and implement business critical resolutions. — The SharePoint Admin Center now allows IT experts to more easily manage Office 365 group-connected sites and hub sites. The update also includes security and compliance enhancements. For example, admins can now restrict or allow access from known IP-addresses, automatically sign-out idle users, and restrict access from non-compliant devices.
Maintain user data compliance. — Office 365 has a complete list of certifications and attestations to ensure that security and compliance are maintained. In this vein, Office 365 recently achieved its HITRUST CSF Certification, which is specifically designed to help health organizations maintain security, privacy, and regulatory compliance.
The Bottom Line: Microsoft Office 365 Delivers Powerful New Updates
Whether you want to more effectively manage your digital presence or create dynamic PowerPoint presentations in a click of the button, the new updates to Office 365 are built with the business executive in mind. In short, the new updates and additions to Office 365 will help your organization to more efficiently and effectively complete daily tasks that will lead to heightened levels of business success.
