by Felicien | May 6, 2019 | Education
Do you still surf the Web with Internet Explorer? If so, you’re not alone. Even after Microsoft came out with their new Edge browser in 2015, some people are still using Internet Explorer.
The Problem?
Security experts have found serious security flaws in Internet Explorer’s code. This means that if you use it, you’re opening yourself and your business up to hacking and computer viruses.
Another Problem?
Microsoft won’t be fixing this for the foreseeable future.
What Are These Flaws?
The most recent of these was found by an independent researcher named John Page. He published a proof of concept that demonstrates a flaw in the way that Internet Explorer handles MHT files. MHT is a Web page archive file format.
How Do These Flaws In Internet Explorer Create Security Issues?
If you use Windows 7, Windows 10, or Windows Server 2012 and it comes across an MHT file, it will try to open the file using Internet Explorer. This presents an easy opportunity for savvy hackers. All they have to do is to use an MHT file containing a malicious virus and present it to you via a phishing email or other form of social engineering. Once you take the bait, the malicious virus gets into your computer/server.
Are We Safe If We Use Another Type Of Browser?
Not really. Any Windows-based system is still very much at risk from infected MHT files. This is because Internet Explorer 11 still ships with all Windows-based PCs. This includes computers that use Windows 10.
What Can We Do To Prevent Being Hacked Due To Internet Explorer Flaws?
One good thing is that Internet Explorer isn’t enabled on Windows 10 computers. For it to be enabled, you need to set it up yourself.
For now, this is the simple solution — Just don’t enable Internet Explorer. And to be completely sure, it’s best if you uninstall Internet Explorer from your Control Panel altogether.
John Page reported the issue to Microsoft on March 27, 2019, and received the following reply from them:
“We determined that a fix for this issue will be considered in a future version of this product or service. At this time, we will not be providing ongoing updates of the status of the fix for this issue, and we have closed the case.”
Unfortunately, it looks like, for the foreseeable future, that Microsoft won’t be providing a fix regarding the flaws with Internet Explorer. As we said above, the answer, for now, is for you and your staff to uninstall Internet Explorer from your computers.
by Felicien | May 3, 2019 | Education
The self-proclaimed “search engine that doesn’t track you,” DuckDuckGo is likely the most successful search engine available when it comes to privacy and security.
While Google remains the most popular search engine by far, many users are concerned about its practice of collecting and using your personal data. Namely, Google tracks what you search (yes, everything), stores it, and uses it to provide you with a personalized user experience. Oh, and they also make a profit from it.
What Are the Specific Benefits of Switching to DuckDuckGo?
No Tracking
Of course, this is the biggie. DuckDuckGo doesn’t track you or what you look up online. All searches are 100% anonymous.
No Ads
Google tries to trick users by situating ads at the very top of the page — ads, by the way, that look like search result listings. The only difference is a little box that says “Ad” next to the web address. DuckDuckGo foregoes ads like these, generally starting at the very top of the page with your first search result listing.
Minimalist Interface
Speaking of no ads, DuckDuckGo provides an overall clean and minimalist appearance. Like Google’s results pages, you can toggle between “Web,” “Images,” “Video,” etc. at the top. You can also filter results by region, “Safe Search” mode (for strict or non-filtered adult content), and time period.
Non-personalized Search Results
“Why wouldn’t I want personalized search results?”
Well, you might. But the advantage of not having personalized results is that you’ll see exactly what everyone else sees. In other words, when you search “cocktail recipes” in Duluth, Minnesota, you’ll get the same results as someone searching for “cocktail recipes” in Lyon, France.
Seriously, What’s Actually So Bad About Search Tracking?
Many people’s argument against worrying about Google and other tech giants tracking them (hi, Alexa) is this: “I don’t do anything bad or shameful on the Internet, so why should I care if I’m tracked and my data’s stored?”
That may be true. Certainly, for some, the sheer fact that you’re being listened to, your movements are being tracked, and essentially everything about you (from your age and income to your shoe size and favorite local bar) is being stored … well, it’s alarming and disturbing.
But if that still doesn’t make you ponder the importance of personal data tracking and storing, consider this: Google is using your data to get rich, like, really rich. They’re monetizing everything you do through their platform and making billions in annual profits as a result. The stuff their using? Your shopping habits (Google Express), your online searches (Google Search), your personal conversations (Google Assistant and Google Hangouts), where you go (Google Maps), the news you read and your political leanings (Google News), and much more.
To make matters worse, in many ways, they’re being less than honest about their tactics. For example, their so-called “incognito” mode is far from fully private. Your employer and ISP can still track your searches when you’re in incognito. Furthermore, Google documents you’ve “deleted” and searches you’ve “cleared” aren’t really gone. Google stores them … indefinitely.
Consider a Switch to DuckDuckGo
There’s no doubt that companies like Google provide useful services to individuals and businesses of all kinds. Their search engine is definitely useful as well. Extensive, highly complex algorithms can help you find exactly what you’re looking for, often faster than other search engines.
But if you’re at all concerned with privacy and security for your business and/or at home, consider a search engine switch to the up-and-coming DuckDuckGo. Set it as your homepage, try it out, and see what you think.
by Felicien | May 3, 2019 | Education
For as long as the roles of CMO and CIO have existed, their work has rarely overlapped. CMOs focused on the company’s marketing efforts while CIOs stuck to the technology side of the business. But in today’s digital world, the hard lines that once separated marketing and tech have dissolved. Now, any business that wants to remain competitive must engage in digital transformation—which requires strategic use of information technology incorporating both marketing and IT. That transformation can only be effective if CMOs and CIOs work together.
The Importance of Digital Transformation
According to the Altimeter Group, digital transformation is “The realignment of, or new investment in, technology and business models to more effectively engage digital customers at every touchpoint in the customer experience lifecycle.” The goal of digital transformation should be to better provide value for the client or customer and to improve competitiveness. To achieve these ends, a strategic approach to information technology must be utilized. And for that to happen, CMOs and CIOs must communicate and strive together in seeking the same goal.
The vast majority of businesses were not founded with digital technologies in mind, and even less were created from day one to take advantage of the digital platforms that have emerged in the past decade, much less those that continue to spring up on a seemingly daily basis.
Chances are, as a CMO you have probably already been thinking long and hard about how your marketing efforts can incorporate the vast array of digital technologies available. Just some of the areas where digital transformation could deliver notable improvements include:
Mobile computing
Social media
Big data
Cloud features
Data privacy compliance
BYOD
Data security
And more…
Of course, to achieve the kind of transformation that you want and need, certain obstacles must be overcome. You have to determine where you are, where you want to go and how you are going to get there—all of which is best facilitated through the partnership of the CMO and CIO.
Partnership Between Marketing and IT Facilitates Competency
The terrain of digital platforms is difficult to navigate for even the most experienced professionals. To conquer this terrain and make it work for your business, it only makes sense to utilize all the resources at your disposal. Between building, running and managing the digital tools necessary to reach and retain customers, and ensuring that marketing efforts are as well integrated with new technologies as possible, there is simply too much required for one department—marketing or IT—to do alone.
Both CMOs and CIOs face unique challenges from the digital technology field. Some of these include:
Challenges for CMOs
For CMOs, the number of existing and upcoming digital technologies can be overwhelming. There are so many areas that must be considered to achieve competitiveness, including:
Buying appropriate technology solutions
Managing the technology stack
Creating infrastructure for technologies
Integrating new technologies with existing enterprise solutions
You could be the most effective CMO in the world when it comes to marketing, yet feel completely in the dark when it comes to how to manage the nuts and bolts of new technologies. That is why different departments exist in organizations—because true competency and skill take years to develop, and no one is capable of being an expert in everything.
Challenges for CIOs
The technology your business needs to operate and serve your customer base is the focus of the CIO. However, the marketing end of the equation is rarely an area where the CIO will have much expertise. Some of the things that the CIO may struggle with include:
Continued awareness of company efforts to reach and retain customers
Understanding the value proposition presented by the company to the client or customer
Needed adaptations in marketing messages as new information comes in
Which technologies are most effective for marketing based on company needs
CIOs have their own challenges to contend with as they strive to keep the ship running and determine what the best technology solutions are among an increasingly vast array of options. If they are not brought into the marketing conversation, there is a real risk that the left hand can become detached from the right—possibly even to the point where the CMO and CIO are working at cross purposes.
The benefits of CMOs and CIOs partnering quickly becomes apparent as your company embraces technology. Marketing has never had so much reach as it has today with digital platforms and real-time data. But utilizing that technology requires expertise that is found in the CIO and the IT team.
CMO and CIO—In it Together for the Long Haul
CMOs and CIOs share the same ultimate goal—the success of the organization for which they work. Success in today’s digital environment means utilizing appropriate technologies to keep the business strong, competitive and attractive to the customer. To obtain success requires a partnership between the CMO and CIO to identify areas for improvement, move forward with effective action that will achieve improvements, and to continue to adapt to the rapid changes that are inherent in today’s business world.
by Felicien | May 2, 2019 | Education
There are certain functions that every business requires — word processing, analysis, presentations and calendaring — and Microsoft Office used to be the default option for businesses of all sizes. Over the past few years, Google’s G Suite has become an increasingly attractive option for small businesses due to the reasonable price point and the cloud-based software that allows you to access your information from nearly any location with internet access. Does Google G Suite have everything that you need for your business, or is there some missing functionality in Microsoft’s productivity suite that you still need?
More Than Just Email
Google’s G Suite email provides you with some extremely helpful: an ad-free version of the user-friendly Gmail interface that can be customized for your business with your domain name and more. When you consider that the email accounts are fully integrated with Google Calendar for scheduling meetings and events, Google Drive for storage and more — it’s easy to see why small to mid-size business owners and even enterprises are adopting Google’s G Suite. The intuitive interface and friendly commands allow employees of all ages and skill levels to quickly become productive, too.
Is Google G Suite Right for My Business?
Microsoft’s suite of office productivity software is top-notch, but many businesses find that it can be overly complex for their needs. G Suite includes the most often-used functions without the convoluted approach that you may find in Microsoft’s flagship cloud-based apps. One thing that continually confounds Microsoft Office users is their email storage within Outlook — it’s simply not clear where your emails are being stored and there is a solid possibility that your storage file can become corrupted. With Gmail, you have virtually unlimited storage space for your emails and no functional limits to rapidly searching years worth of information. However, if you’re using advanced mathematical or analytical capabilities, you may still need to invest in Microsoft Office 365 for your business.
Why Should I Pay for G Suite?
Sure, the base apps in Google’s office productivity suite are free on their own. Does it truly make sense to spring for the paid versions? It depends on the needs of your business, but there are some compelling reasons to obtain the paid version of the apps which are collectively known as G Suite.
Advanced administrative functions across multiple users, similar to Microsoft’s account-based features
Private and secure collaboration keeps your digital conversations safe
Add legitimacy to your business with a customized domain name for your emails
Converge your cloud-based data and document storage on Google Drive
Take advantage of the exceptional (and human!) customer support options with G Suite
Is Google G Suite right for your business? If you are looking for a reasonably-priced, robust suite of office productivity software the answer may be “Yes”. If you need to take advantage of advanced mathematical analysis or more complex use-cases, you may want to consider the more traditional option: Microsoft Office 365 for Business.
by Felicien | May 2, 2019 | Education
On Thursday, April 25, 2019, notable news broke that Canada is taking Facebook to court. Daniel Therrien, Canada’s federal privacy commissioner, gave a joint news conference with Michael McEvoy, the information and privacy commissioner for British Columbia. In this announcement, Therrien asserted that the existing accountability requirement enshrined in Canadian law, while meaningful, “is not sufficient to protect Canadians from companies that do not behave responsibly”.
Therrian went on to explain that as Canada continues working to refine its privacy laws, his office is taking Facebook to court based on the company’s response. He’s seeking a court order “to force Facebook to correct its privacy practices”.
How It Got to This Point
If you’re thinking that sounds like an aggressive move, you’re not alone. How did it get to this point? Tensions had been brewing for some time. Therrian’s office came to the conclusion some time back that Facebook failed to protect privacy at the corporate level. The commissioner’s office then launched a thorough investigation into Facebook’s privacy practices. The investigation lasted over a year, and its conclusions included that Facebook had violated Canada’s privacy laws in numerous ways. Much of this relates to a massive user data leak, one where the data was used for political gain through a firm named Cambridge Analytica.
The Data in Question
The privacy commissioner determined that at least 276 Canadians installed an app back in 2013 that violated privacy law, as David Akin reports. The app harvested the users’ data, but it didn’t stop there. It went two steps further, harvesting those users’ friends’ data as well as the data of their friends’ friends. In total, concluded the commissioner, around 650,000 Canadians had their data compromised. This information was stored and eventually shared with UK firm Cambridge Analytica.
Cambridge Analytica has made the news before. It’s the firm that assisted the Donald Trump campaign in targeting voters. There’s nothing wrong with using research to target voters, of course: all serious US presidential candidates follow similar tactics. The problem was with how the data that fed the research was collected. 650,000 Canadians and many more Americans had their data misused.
Facebook Rebuffs the Privacy Commissioner
Under current Canadian law, the privacy commissioner’s only recourse is to recommend that Facebook change its ways. The office made this recommendation, and Facebook said “no”. The company rebuffed the government’s recommendations and made no changes as a result of them.
The problem here is straightforward. Facebook (and other private companies) essentially becomes a self-policing organization. If Facebook determines it has not violated the law, then it can continue to operate no matter what the privacy commissioner concludes.
A Problem with Existing Law
Therrian said that he doesn’t think Canada’s privacy law makes sense. In his view it’s problematic that “a private company, with its private interests, can say to a regulator, ‘Thank you very much for your conclusions on matters of law, but we actually disagree, and we will actually continue as we were.’ It is completely unacceptable”.
Therrian is pushing for the legislature to amend its policies so that the privacy commissioner’s office has order-making power so that its conclusions are binding for private companies. He points to other countries that are rumored to be levying fines against Facebook for its privacy violations. It’s widely reported that the USA may fine Facebook up to $5 billion. Canada has no such ability under current law.
No Real Accountability in Current Law
Companies are accountable for the information they hold on behalf of users, which is an important safeguard. Therrian’s complaint is that current law states that companies are accountable for this without giving the government any mechanism for enforcement. An accountability law that no one can enforce accomplishes nothing.
It’s Up to the New Legislature
Therrian concluded his comments by encouraging the new legislature to undertake updated and enforceable legislation in their new session. He hopes this legislation will continue to hold companies accountable for their handling of data while giving regulators real power to enforce that this is done.
A Response from Facebook
Facebook, for its part, claims to understand that it has an obligation to protect users’ private data. Erin Taylor, communications manager at Facebook, stated that the company was cooperating with the commissioner. In a prepared statement she remarked, “We are disappointed that the [privacy commissioner] considers the issues raised in this report unresolved”.
What Happens Next?
The path forward is not completely clear at this time. Facebook will, for the time being, continue operating unaffected in Canada. The company is not compelled at this point by Canadian law to make any changes, though it has already made numerous changes to its privacy policy as part of the blowback from this scandal.
The results of the coming court case are anyone’s guess at this point. The federal commissioner’s footing is weakened, of course, by his own admission that the law grants him no authority to enforce action against Facebook. Even if no other positive outcome results from the lawsuit, the two privacy commissioners have at least gotten the issue into the public eye.
Then there’s the legislature, which is being pushed to fix this privacy enforcement loophole through new legislation. It’s too early to say how likely this action is, but the publicity of the commissioners’ actions last week may spur legislators to action.
by Felicien | May 1, 2019 | Education
Coordinating interactions between office staff and remote workers can be challenging. One way you can cut through a lot of the confusion that arises when trying to keep everything in sync is by leveraging your worker’s iPad and iPhone devices. It is a way of using something that is already in their arsenal at a minimal cost to your business.
There will not be a focus on any specific device versions, mainly because it may already be yesterday’s news by the time this article reaches your eyes. You can execute these suggestions successfully even if you have some employees who still cling to their iPhone 7 or iPad Air 2. One thing Apple has always offered powerful devices capable of being used in a variety of ways for business. If they are well-maintained and functional, you can implement the ideas that best suit your work culture.
1. Synchronize Accounting
Having a reliable means of tracking financial transactions related to business functions is a crucial component of any enterprise. The App Store provides access to a variety of accounting apps that can be synced to your company software to send invoices and track payments from suppliers and vendors. All workers can see the changes in real-time and keep all ledgers in sync.
The apps also have features allowing management of multiple business accounts and any related transactions between them all. Some provide reports with visuals giving you a quick overview of your current liabilities, and where the company may be making heavier-than-needed expenditures. Workers are not bound to their laptops when it comes time to issue an invoice or product documents needed for tax purposes.
2. Maintain Documents and Scheduling
Your employees can create memos or document the details of a significant business transaction using a variety of document creation tools. Their iPad or iPhone can be synced with popular Microsoft Office applications like Excel or any of your favorite G-Suite tools.
Workers would only need to log into a OneDrive business account to open a Word document created earlier on a MacBook or add the settings of the company’s business Google account to their device.
Their iPad or iPhone can also be coordinated with a calendar to send notifications about upcoming events. Imagine having all your staff show up on time to a meeting or continuously meeting project deadlines despite being in different locations.
3. Create On-The-Go Presentations
An iPad can be used to create a visual presentation showcase anywhere outside of the office. Apps like Keynote let workers share ideas with you and other executives in a creative and organized fashion. Their iPhone can also be transformed into a hand-held digital brochure to show off at conventions and other business events.
Instead of lugging around a ton of paper brochures that can easily be lost, staff can show off a digital version to a business contact that can be forwarded as they collect their information for follow-up. Other iOS apps like CamCard can be used to keep up with all the names and emails of potential future clients at trade shows and expos.
4. Stay Connected and Engaged
Are you concerned that your remote workers might be feeling a little disconnected from the office staff? There are iOS apps available for platforms like Trello and Slack that make communication and project coordination a smoother process.
The apps provide you with the same functionality that peers in the office have on their laptop or desktop. That means you can easily synchronize workflows and maintain communication about upcoming deadlines for tasks related to various projects. Their iPad or iPhone devices become conduits for hosting online video chats with co-workers.
Recommended Support Tools
You may decide that investing in iPhone or iPad devices for your workers would be a sound investment. We suggest investing in the following tools to effectively leverage them for your company.
Stylus — Look for devices like the Apple Pencil that enhances note-taking ability during online meetings. Workers can add comments to PDFs, create charts and graphs, and more.
Keyboard — Investing in a sound keyboard gives employees more comfort when they need to do a lot of typing.
Case — Many cases can protect devices from accidental damage and let workers adjust them to a more comfortable angle for heavy keying.
Do your research into apps and other support devices that will enhance iPhone and iPad business usage. We think you’ll be happy at your decision to turn them into one of your company’s most potent occupational tools.
