The Internet of Things is rapidly growing in popularity, which makes it all the more likely that some IoT devices will make their way into your office. Also growing: the reputation that these devices have as vulnerabilities to your organizational security. In an increasingly connected world, it is important to remember how the IoT could quickly become a hindrance to your business if not managed properly.
Communication is paramount in any business environment, which makes it crucial that your business is equipped with the tools that allow this communication to take place. In light of this, many businesses have embraced instant messaging applications in the workplace. For this week’s tip, we’ll go over how to most productively and professionally utilize instant messaging.
Smartphones are everywhere. You go to the supermarket, people are on their phones, you go to the gym, people are on their phones. Go into the office? You guessed it...you see a lot of smartphone use that may not be in the best interest to organizational profitability. The question becomes, do smartphones help or hurt business? Let’s get into it.
In the business world, it’s natural that you encounter those that want to see you fail, but there are also those that simply want to piggyback off your success. In many ways, security threats are a little bit of both, as they can potentially steal your data and leverage it to their benefit, as well as cause harm to your organization. We’ll dig into some of the details of the most common security threats and the risks they cause for your business.
Data privacy is a serious issue in the world today, and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is perhaps the greatest example of how these issues are being addressed. Let’s take a look at how GDPR has shaped the computing world over the past year, as well as how events have exposed certain considerations regarding individual data privacy.
The Internet of Things is a phenomenon that must be accounted for, as the sheer number of devices accessing networks means that security is always a concern. How can your organization be sure that the Internet of Things doesn’t create problems? It all starts by being aware of how your organization’s network infrastructure operates in relation to the Internet of Things.
Data is everywhere. Nowadays, effectively everything we do produces data of some kind - especially where your business is concerned. If leveraged properly, your business can make good use of the data it collects throughout its operations. For this week’s tip, we’ll talk about how you can do so with a data warehouse, and discuss how to select the right one.
Downtime can be devastating for your business if you allow it to persist. Unfortunately, many businesses don’t have the mindset needed to keep downtime from influencing operations, and it’s most telling when a disaster strikes. We’re here to help you understand downtime, its effects, and what you can do to prevent it.
It’s hard to think about the modern office without considering the role that information technology plays in it. If you think about it, it wasn’t so long ago that organizations were struggling with gaining access to important resources and maintenance, but sometimes it’s important to reflect on the way things were before IT infested offices all over the world. Let’s discuss how the IT-less office functioned before and after technology solutions were implemented en masse.
Software solutions don’t last forever. While patches and security updates can stave off the inevitable for quite some time, it’s impossible to maintain a specific solution forever. Support is eventually cut off, and businesses are left exposed if they haven’t taken the time to prepare. In the case of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2, you are running out of time.
Technology has enabled businesses to do more with less, although this isn’t always the best thing. Many small businesses simply feel that they don’t have the technology solutions that properly resolve their challenges. However, these solutions exist, and offer all the robust functionality that many businesses seek.
Workplace wellness programs, despite being an $8 billion industry, are a bit of a quandary for employers - as the jury is still out over whether or not these kinds of programs are effective. For this week’s tip, we’ll examine if a wellness program might be a good fit for you.
Do you ever think of your business as too small of a target to matter to hackers? Some organizations actually do believe this, and that notion is effectively a trap. The thing that all businesses need to keep in mind is that all organizations, regardless of which industry they fall into, as all companies have data that’s valuable to hackers. We’re here to prove it and ensure you know the best way to protect your data.
In a perfect world, keeping your antivirus updated and having a good firewall in place would be enough to protect your business from cybersecurity threats.
Email seems to be a pretty basic workplace tool, but like any tool, there are many ways to use it. From sending emails to managing tasks and messages from your inbox, let’s discuss a few tips and best practices to help you use your email like a true professional.
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) simply don’t have the large budgets that come with running an enterprise, and because of this, many of them have trouble affording IT maintenance and management. In a similar sense, these smaller organizations struggle with planning out an IT infrastructure. Does your business have a plan in place?
Blockchain technology is all the rage these days. Business owners are going to start hearing this buzzword as a bullet point in software solutions. Developers from all over the world are trying to harness the power of encrypted, distributed data, mainly due to the reputation that blockchain has regarding the “unhackable” permanence of the data stored upon it. However, it as powerful as blockchain is purported to be, it isn’t totally infallible.
When considering a business’ strengths, there is a tendency to focus on its more quantifiable aspects - it generates x dollars in revenue, or leverages advanced solutions a, b, and c. While these kinds of competitive advantages are valuable to have, it is also important to recognize how critical one of your more qualifiable strengths can be: your company culture.
Cloud computing is a major part of most businesses today. In the past, businesses had to pay in-house technicians to research, design, and purchase the infrastructure needed to run an onsite server. This was expensive, especially if a business wasn’t able to get the solution they needed the first time around. Cloud computing has changed things to the point where the costs associated with implementing these solutions has decreased considerably, all while solving the problem and improving operations. We’ll help you take a look at cloud computing as a way to change up and improve the way your business functions.
Chances are, you’ve heard of “phishing” - a cybercriminal’s scam that steals data, access credentials, and other sensitive information by fooling a user into thinking they are providing this information to someone who is supposed to have access to it. However, there are a few different kinds of phishing, based on how it is carried out. Here, we’ll discuss the realities of spear phishing, and the risks it poses to your business.