Author: Stuart Crawford

So many big, expensive cyber attacks have taken place in the last few years that it’s hard to remember them all – when will we learn our lesson?

Cyber attacks are common ground these days. There was the Chase Bank breach of 2014, which exposed the financial information of 76 million Chase customers. This attack was set to target 10 major financial institutions in total, but only one other company reported that data had been stolen. This company was Fidelity Investments. Though the attack caused serious repercussions for Chase Bank, the damage could have been much worse. Four hackers (two from Israel) were eventually arrested.

Hacking Isn’t Just About Stealing Data

In the Sony Pictures data breach of 2014, over 100 terabytes of data was stolen by North Korea. This attack was about more than just getting the personal information of consumers. The attack occurred because of a movie that Sony Pictures was set to release called “The Interview”.

The movie, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, was a fictional story about two journalists who go to North Korea to interview Kim Jung Un. The two men actually work for the CIA and are planning to assassinate the very well-known but unpopular leader. It was believed that North Korea’s leader ordered the cyber attack on Sony Pictures to show his displeasure and disapproval of the film. In addition to the personal information of Sony executives and other employees, hundreds of photos and emails were released to the public. These highly personal items caused a massive amount of embarrassment to Sony’s top executives.

No One Is Safe from Hackers

Proving that no one is immune from cyber hackers, Equifax, one of the nation’s largest credit reporting agencies, was infiltrated by hackers in mid-2017. The company estimated that approximately 143 Americans were affected. In addition, an unknown number of consumers from Canada and the UK were affected by this breach.  Were there any signs that an enormous data breach like this might occur?

A report issued in October of 2017 by Motherboard, found that Equifax had certain vulnerabilities due to an online portal created for employees. Researchers discovered that the Equifax website was highly susceptible to a basic forced browsing bug. A researcher from Motherboard said that he didn’t even have to do anything special to infiltrate the system. It was far too easy to get in.

“All you had to do was put in a search term and get millions of results, just instantly—in cleartext, through a web app,” the researcher said.

In spite of this information being available to Equifax, it took them six months to close the portal and shut down these vulnerabilities. In this day and age, it’s unthinkable that organizations as sophisticated as Equifax might be so lax in their data security.

The Final Cost of Cyber Breaches

Target Stores lost millions of dollars when they had to reimburse customers for their losses after their 2013 data breach. In addition to that, a class action lawsuit was settled for roughly $10 million. As if that wasn’t enough, 20-30 percent of Target shoppers said they were worried about shopping online at Target stores after the breach.

Are We More Vulnerable Than We Believe?

Many data security experts believe that cyber weaknesses like this are far more common than the public believes. In an era when everyone should be fully aware and taking every precaution to prevent a data breach, numerous large corporations remain at risk.

After all is said and done, most people would expect any organization that has experienced a cyber theft to drastically improve their cybersecurity. Large, expensive data breaches leave an organization open to legal action, plus they’re embarrassing. Consumers say that they are less likely to do business with any company that has been a victim of a cyber breach.

But has that really happened? A new study performed by CyberArk reveals that 46 percent of all companies who have experienced a cyber breach have not substantially updated their security policies.

This failure to learn from past mistakes has the public truly baffled. In some cases, IT professionals have been interviewed and asked why they haven’t greatly improved their cybersecurity. Over 30 percent of these pros said that they did not believe it was possible to prevent all cyber-attacks. This indicates that even security experts aren’t sure what to do to stop future attacks from occurring. But, should we simply make the decision not do anything at all?

New Report Sheds Light on the Problem

A 2018 report from CyberArk called, “Global Advanced Threat Landscape Report”, indicates that at least half of all businesses and organizations have only taken the basic security measures required by law. Though their public relations department may say they are taking every precaution to protect customer data, this is probably not true. In addition, 36 percent of respondents in the report said that administrative credentials were currently being stored in Excel or Word docs. These documents would be easy to obtain by any hacker with average skills.

The Global Advanced Threat Landscape Report also reveals that the number of users with administrative privileges has jumped from 62 percent to 87 percent over the past few years. This points to the fact that many companies are opting for employee convenience over data security best practices. This is an alarming statistic given the soaring cost of cyber breaches.

Moving Into the Future with Better Cyber Security

The new AT&T Global State of Cybersecurity highlights many of the critical gaps that remain in our cybersecurity strategies. IT infrastructure and critical data must be fully protected, including credentials and security answer keys. In most organizations, those in higher positions are given greater access and authority to online data and this equates to heightened risks of a cyber breach.

According to Alex Thurber, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Mobility Solutions, “If 2017 has taught us anything, it is that every device needs to be secured because any vulnerability will be found and exploited”.

The company is set to sign a deal with Punkt Tronics to install better security on smartphones, Blackberry devices, and other electronic devices. With consumers spending more and more time browsing on their cell phones, all mobile carriers are searching for ways to better protect their customers from hacking.

What Consumers Can Do

A great increase in the sale of anti-virus software and password managers demonstrates a strong resolve by consumers to incorporate stronger security measures into their everyday lives. Innovative technology is producing a new generation of security software that combines threat defense techniques and other more conventional means of cybersecurity. Though some of these techniques are having an impact, experts believe there’s much more to be done.

As our society becomes more aware and more prepared, even stronger security for IT systems will be developed. Until then, security experts urge the public to be more cautious about clicking on links. Employees at any company need regularly scheduled security meetings where they are educated and reminded to utilize best practices when using smartphones and computers. All programs should be updated regularly with software updates and fixes to known bugs. Create difficult passwords and change them every 90 days. These are just a few of the ways that consumers can stay safe while surfing on the internet.

When was the last time you thought about technology and the role it plays in your business success? Strategic IT Budgeting and planning for the tactical use of technology resources will bolster your business efforts to establish a competitive advantage. Just as you develop and adjust your annual business plans, you should do the same when it comes to IT planning and budgeting.

Budgeting for IT Has Completely Changed

Technology is now a part of nearly everything you do, and it involves much more than computers. With the advent of artificial intelligent (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, business intelligence (BI) and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems, the line items for IT may take up quite a bit more space on your balance sheets than before.

With information technology changing so rapidly, it’s sometimes difficult for business owners to anticipate what they will need for optimal performance in years to come. In the past, it was easy to budget for technology. You simply purchased the number of computers and software programs you needed to handle the basics. Today information technology is central to most all of your business processes. What you choose and how you choose to use it can mean the difference between success and failure. But how do you anticipate what you’ll need tomorrow?

The Increasing Dependence on Information Technology

In today’s competitive environment, businesses must rely on technology in order to compete and survive in the marketplace. With computers, the Internet and the availability of more software applications, productivity has been increased for many. Technology helps employees become more efficient, quick, and precise.

Information can now be relayed instantaneously, coworkers can collaborate on projects in real time from wherever they are, and businesses now have the ability to more easily spread their services throughout the world. We can no longer function without our computers, laptops, tablets or phones. Even our smartphones have the capabilities and apps that allow us to run our business from anywhere we have cell service.

You can cut labor costs by using computers and software programs for payroll, project management, and accounting. Instead of budgeting for hours of labor, you now need to budget for computers and programs. In the long run, this is money-saver for businesses of any size.

IT Budgeting Must Be a Priority

With IT shifting from just another piece of equipment in the office to the core of business operations, you should designate it as a central part of your budget. This also means that you must assess and clearly define how IT aligns with your business objectives to decide what you’ll need for the coming year(s).

Proper IT budgeting will help you lay a foundation for success for the future. Using the right IT solutions can help you:

• Accelerate your business growth.
• Increase your operational effectiveness.
• Ensure optimal productivity from your employees.
• Overcome operational challenges.
• Increase collaboration and communication.
• Reinforce your efforts to win new business.

Your IT Budget Should Be a Key Component of Your Business Plan

• Think big and in terms of the innovative measures you can employ to increase productivity, efficiency, mobility, collaboration, and communication.
• Every department in your business should adopt this philosophy when considering what they need to improve operations and cut costs.
• Consider the value IT solutions bring to your business. For example, Backup and Disaster Recovery solutions will pay for themselves many times over when compared to the cost of losing your critical data.
• Include key players in your organization when planning your IT budget. Your purchasing department may have different goals and requirements than your sales or distribution teams. Ensure you consider all initiatives and how innovative technologies will help them succeed.
• Remain open-minded. What worked for you in the past probably won’t be enough in the year(s) to come. Consider your business’s changing needs and how new technologies might align more closely with them.

Assess and Clarify Your Business Requirements Before You Begin

Before you start, you must determine what your business will face in the coming year(s).

Will you be:

• Launching a product or service that requires a new fulfillment process?
• Acquiring another company or participating in a merger?
• Adding employees to your staff who will need additional hardware and software?
• Processing and storing additional confidential, proprietary or personal data that needs protecting?
• Moving to a larger office, or adding satellite offices in other locations?

Consider the Following Requirements When Budgeting for Technology

• Industry and Government Regulations: Will you need additional resources for data backup, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, HIPAA, FINRA, PCI/DSS compliance?
• Cybersecurity: With all the new and evolving cyber threats will your current IT security solutions be enough? This is an ever-increasing need due to the growing cyber threat landscape. Will you need managed firewalls, antivirus solutions, security awareness training for your employees, mobile-device-management, remote 24/7 security monitoring, Security as a Service or other solutions to protect your IT infrastructure? Most businesses need these and more to ensure their data remains secure.

• Productivity and Collaboration: Software as a Service (SaaS) applications like Microsoft Office 365 provide your business the capabilities a larger-sized business enjoys, with popular applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and much more packaged together in a subscription-based platform. Plus, you and your employees can access it from wherever you are on your smartphones, tablets, laptops, or desktops.
• Communications: Many businesses are switching from desktop phones to VoIP systems. With VoIP business phones you and your employees can make and receive calls remotely via your smartphones, retrieve messages via voicemail-to-email, and stay connected even if power and Internet access go down.

Consider All the IT Components You’ll Require

Hardware – This is the backbone of your IT infrastructure – The actual technology equipment you need to run your business. Be sure to include installation costs and maintenance in your calculations for items like the following:

• Workstations
• Laptops
• Tablets
• Smartphones
• Servers
• Cabling
• Firewalls
• Routers
• Switches
• Business Phones
• Warranties
• Licenses
• Renewals
• Hardware Implementation

Software – These are the business applications you’ll need to run your business. Be sure to include licenses and support contracts for your on-premise solutions.

• Business Software and Applications for your Workstations, Laptops, Tablets, and Smartphones
• Server Software
• Anti-Virus, Anti-Spam, Anti-Malware Software
• Backup Software
• Routine Software Implementation

Subscriptions – These are any costs associated with subscription-based services like cloud solutions. They include options like Workstation as a Service (WaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), Security as a Service (SecaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and more.

Services & Support – This is the cost for services required to support all of your IT operations. It may encompass expenses for in-house IT employees, or contracts with a Managed Services Provider who will maintain all your IT infrastructure needs. Expenses may include:

• Salaries and benefits for IT employees.
• Monthly fees for an external IT provider (MSP).
• Annual costs for vendors of owned software/hardware.
• Outsourcing for selected services like monitoring, help desk, security services, data backup.
• Data network expenses (Virtual Private Networks, Wide Area Network connections, Internet Service Providers, Broadband Connections).
• Training for internal IT staff and industry certifications, Security Awareness Training for employees.

Project Costs – These are initiatives to transform or improve operations to support the growth of your business, and may include:

• IT Consulting and Planning.
• IT Project Implementation.
• Additional software and/or hardware.

Identify the Gaps Between What You Have and What You Need

Now it’s time to compare your current IT capabilities with what’s needed to meet your business requirements for the upcoming year(s). Once you identify the gaps, you must align them with what your budget allows. You might not be able to purchase all of them. Make a list of the “must have” and another of the “would-like-to-have” technology assets. Go for what will give you the best return on your investment (ROI), and what you “must have” to keep your data secure and business running efficiently.

Implementing Your Solutions

Implementation planning is critical as it lays out the steps you’ll take to complete your IT Budget for the year. You should contract with an IT Managed Services Provider to help you acquire, install and deploy your new IT solutions. The best ones will offer a payment plan that allows you to pay for the services you need on a monthly basis. And, don’t choose just any company, or one according to their prices. Also, make sure they aren’t a “fix-it-and-go” company. You want an IT partner who will be with you 24/7. Ask your business associates for referrals, check the testimonials on the MSPs’ websites, and certainly interview more than one.

The following are some things to consider when selecting an IT provider.  

Can they provide for your IT needs?

Consider your current IT support needs and how these might change in the coming year. Also, consider how these needs will change beyond next year as your business grows. Make a detailed list of your IT service and support requirements and objectives to determine if the IT provider can meet, and even, surpass them.

Look for an IT company that’s located in nearby

This affects the speed at which the company can respond onsite when IT emergencies arise. They should have the ability to handle all of your concerns and provide solutions thoroughly and effectively.

Do they offer fixed-rate managed services solutions?

To keep your IT budget under control, look for an IT Managed Services Provider who provides fixed-rate, all-in-one IT services. This is the only way you can accurately budget for IT services in the coming year(s).

Choose an IT company that provides 24/7 support, as well as onsite and remote service

With around-the-clock service and support, you’ll always have the assistance you require when IT issues arise. Also, ask if they can remotely identify and block cyberattacks, and address IT problems before they cause downtime, breaches or data loss.

Are their service technicians certified, knowledgeable and experienced?

Visit the company’s website to assess the experience they have, how long they’ve been operating and what services they provide. Check the testimonials on their website and online reviews. Ask if you can contact some of their customers to ask their opinions about the service they receive.

Ensure you’ll receive the value you require from an IT MSP

The cheapest provider isn’t always the best. Before you sign a contract with an MSP, ensure it includes any and all contingencies that may arise and details about how services are priced and delivered. Your IT provider must also be capable of aligning technology services to meet your budgetary guidelines and ensure that you’ll receive maximum value from your IT investments.

Look for an IT company that offers training on software, hardware, and security

It’s essential that your staff is thoroughly trained on your systems and software, as well as Security Awareness Education to avoid being victimized by hackers. This will increase their confidence, capabilities, and productivity, and provide a first-line of defense against cyber threats.

Will they assign a dedicated account manager to your business?

This is a representative from the MSP who will act as your main point of contact. This person can get to know your business and your requirements in detail, to ensure you receive the exact service you need.

Do they provide monthly reports?

You must stay informed and aware of the performance of your IT assets. You’ve invested a lot in them, and you must be kept apprised regarding their capabilities and value. These monthly reports should highlight which solutions are performing well, and which ones need improvement.

Can your MSP act as your IT Consultant and Strategist?

You can greatly benefit from an IT Consultant who operates as an extension of your business. They can liaison with vendors and provide strategic technical advice to ensure your IT investments are providing what you need. They can assist with your IT budgeting and help you plan ahead and take advantage of the best prices.

IT Budgeting is an Ongoing Process

You shouldn’t think of IT budgeting as having a start and finish. It’s an ongoing process with a series of do’s and don’ts. No plan is 100% correct, and if you run into obstacles you should modify your budget. Budgets are often modified after they are prepared as we discover things we didn’t know before. You must find what works, what doesn’t and make adjustments along the way. Your IT budget will go through cycles as your business needs grow and change, and as the opportunity to take advantage of new, innovative technologies emerges.

According to Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Iranians connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were recently charged with conducting a massive cyber theft campaign on American and foreign universities, businesses and government agencies.

AG Rosenstein states:

The stolen information was used by the IRGC or sold for profit in Iran. They hacked the computer systems of approximately 320 universities in 22 countries. 144 of the victims are American universities. The defendants stole research that cost the universities approximately $3.4 billion to procure and maintain.

They also attacked computer systems of the U.S. Labor Department, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, United Nations, and the states of Hawaii and Indiana.

When hackers gain unlawful access to computers, it can take only a few minutes to steal discoveries produced by many years of work and many millions of dollars of investment.

For many decades, the United States has lead the world in science, technology, research, and development.

Academic institutions are prime targets for foreign cybercriminals. Universities can thrive as marketplaces of ideas and engines of research and development only if their work is protected from theft.

The events described in this indictment highlight the need for universities and other organizations to emphasize cybersecurity, increase threat awareness, and harden their computer networks.

Every sector of our economy is a target of malicious cyber activity. Everyone who owns a computer needs to be vigilant to prevent attacks.

This type of criminal activity does not just cause economic harm. It also threatens our national security. Identifying and prosecuting computer hackers is a priority for the Department of Justice.

Hostile individuals, organizations, and nation-states have taken note of our success. They increasingly attempt to profit from American’s ingenuity by infiltrating our computer systems, stealing our intellectual property, and evading our controls on technology exports.

The FBI Considers These Individuals State-Sponsored Hackers

FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich reports:

“During a more than four-year campaign, these state-sponsored hackers compromised approximately 144 U.S.-based universities and 176 foreign universities in 21 countries… When the FBI learned of the attacks we notified the victims, so they could take action to minimize the impact. And then we took action to find and stop these hackers.”

The special agent from the FBI’s New York Division who investigated the case tells us:

“Their primary goal was to obtain usernames and passwords for the accounts of professors, so they could gain unauthorized access and steal whatever kind of proprietary academic information they could get their hands on. That information included access to library databases, white papers, journals, research, and electronic books. All that information and intellectual property was provided to the Iranian government.”

Is Your Data at Risk?

The Small Business Administration believes it is. Here’s what they recommend you do:

1. Protect against viruses, spyware, and other malicious code. Make sure each of your business’s computers is equipped with antivirus software and antispyware and updated regularly. Such software is readily available online from a variety of vendors. All software vendors regularly provide patches and updates to their products to correct security problems and improve functionality. Configure all software to install updates automatically.
2. Secure your networks.
   Safeguard your Internet connection by using a firewall and encrypting information. If you have a Wi-Fi network, make sure it is secure and hidden. To hide your Wi-Fi network, set up your wireless access point or router so it does not broadcast the network name, known as the Service Set Identifier (SSID). Password protect access to the router.
3. Establish security practices and policies to protect sensitive information.
   Establish policies on how employees should handle and protect personally identifiable information and other sensitive data. Clearly outline the consequences of violating your business’s cybersecurity policies.
4. Educate employees about cyber threats and hold them accountable. 
   Educate your employees about online threats and how to protect your business’s data, including safe use of social networking sites. Depending on the nature of your business, employees might be introducing competitors to sensitive details about your firm’s internal business. Employees should be informed about how to post online in a way that does not reveal any trade secrets to the public or competing businesses. Hold employees accountable to the business’s Internet security policies and procedures.
5. Require employees to use strong passwords and to change them often. 
   Consider implementing multifactor authentication that requires additional information beyond a password to gain entry. Check with your vendors that handle sensitive data, especially financial institutions, to see if they offer multifactor authentication for your account.
6. Employ best practices on payment cards 
   Work with your banks or card processors to ensure the most trusted and validated tools and anti-fraud services are being used. You may also have additional security obligations related to agreements with your bank or processor. Isolate payment systems from other, less secure programs and do not use the same computer to process payments and surf the Internet.
7. Make backup copies of important business data and information
   Regularly backup the data on all computers. Critical data includes word processing documents, electronic spreadsheets, databases, financial files, human resources files, and accounts receivable/payable files. Backup data automatically if possible, or at least weekly, and store the copies either offsite or on the cloud.
8. Control physical access to computers and network components
   Prevent access or use of business computers by unauthorized individuals. Laptops can be particularly easy targets for theft or can be lost, so lock them up when unattended. Make sure a separate user account is created for each employee and require strong passwords. Administrative privileges should only be given to trusted IT staff and key personnel.
9. Create a mobile device action plan.
   Mobile devices can create significant security and management challenges, especially if they hold confidential information or can access the corporate network. Require users to password protect their devices, encrypt their data, and install security apps to prevent criminals from stealing information while the phone is on public networks. Be sure to set reporting procedures for lost or stolen equipment.

Protect all pages on your public-facing websites, not just the checkout and sign-up pages.

Protect information, computers, and networks from cyberattacks. Keep clean machines: having the latest security software, web browser, and operating system are the best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats. Set antivirus software to run a scan after each update. Install other key software updates as soon as they are available.

Provide firewall security for your Internet connection. A firewall is a set of related programs that prevent outsiders from accessing data on a private network. Make sure the operating system’s firewall is enabled or install free firewall software available online. If employees work from home, ensure that their home system(s) are protected by a firewall.

Create a mobile device action plan. Mobile devices can create significant security and management challenges, especially if they hold confidential information or can access the corporate network. Require users to password protect their devices, encrypt their data, and install security apps to prevent criminals from stealing information while the phone is on public networks. Be sure to set reporting procedures for lost or stolen equipment.

Control physical access to your computers and create user accounts for each employee. Prevent access or use of business computers by unauthorized individuals. Laptops can be particularly easy targets for theft or can be lost, so lock them up when unattended. Make sure a separate user account is created for each employee and require strong passwords. Administrative privileges should only be given to trusted IT staff and key personnel.

Limit employee access to data and information, and limit authority to install software. Do not provide any one employee with access to all data systems. Employees should only be given access to the specific data systems that they need for their jobs and should not be able to install any software without permission.

The increased frequency of cybercrime of cybercrime incidents has raised concerns and stakes for both small and large businesses. Your IT Managed Services Provider will help you fight and prevent cybercrime of all kinds. They will be your best friend in this regard. Don’t wait to contact them.

Here Are The 10 Things You’re Doing Wrong

Email is a very effective marketing tool. However, it’s also tough to execute properly. If you don’t plan correctly, understand what you’re doing wrong and how to remedy this, you’re simply wasting your time and money.

You aren’t getting new subscribers.

If you can’t entice new subscribers, you are simply spinning your wheels. Without an ever-increasing pool of subscribers, your open rates will suffer. If you want to grow your email list, you must clearly state the benefits of subscribing to it. Clearly state what you can offer, and how you can address people’s concerns. Your prospects need to know why they should sign on. Consider offering something for free that you believe will be of value to them like a free trial, sample product or document with relevant information.

Your subscribers keep leaving.

The best way to ensure that your current subscribers stay with you is by sending out relevant emails to the right audience. You must correctly identify your target audiences and segment your email list accordingly – this way you can address the various pain points for different subscribers. By segmenting your list, you can not only retain more subscribers but increase your click-through rates as well. All too often, an email strategy is more focused on the company’s needs rather than the customers’. Receiving too many irrelevant emails is the main reason subscribers opt out. If you want to keep subscribers, stay focused on your target audience and their needs, rather than yours.

Your email subject lines aren’t eye-catching.

This is one of the biggest challenges you’ll face. People are overwhelmed with the amount of email they receive and will only open the messages that catch their eye. You must grab their attention in the subject line. Craft a message that is short and to the point. Personalizing the message in your subject line and keeping your message to fewer than 30 characters should help. A carefully written subject line will entice recipients to read the rest of your email.

You’re understaffed.

Performance always suffers when resources are limited. If you’re understaffed and “burning the midnight oil” just to stay afloat, your quality will suffer. Streamline your email process and look for bottlenecks and obstacles that slow your workflow. Take advantage of software automation tools that help your email team design and code emails more quickly. If necessary, you may need to hire more staffers, both full-time and part-time, or contract with freelancers. Freelancers can also offer expertise that your team may lack.

Your deliverability suffers.

You may have the best emails and subject lines, but if they are being sent to the junk inbox, you’re doomed to failure. Your emails must get through any spam filters. When your deliverability rate suffers, you can get blocked altogether by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). How do you fix this? Don’t use spam words in your subject lines. Phrases such as “make money,” “earn cash,” “save $” will go directly to spam mail. And, of course, ensure that your prospects’ email addresses are accurate. Consider asking people who visit your website to re-confirm their email address when signing on to your list. This way you can make sure you have their correct email address from the start.

You need a new ESP.

You need an Email Service Provider that works for you. Some focus more on larger enterprises or certain verticals like e-commerce. You need an ESP that fits your brand. Try using more than one to see if this is the problem. Measure your success rates with each one. You can employ analytics tracking with multiple ESPs. Some businesses use up to four different ones to increase the odds that their emails will be delivered. Use the ones that provide you the best rates for delivery.

You need to cull your list.

You may need to remove contacts that have been inactive for a long time or those who never open your emails or go to your website. If you know that a lot of the emails on your list are no longer active, delete them. They just cost you money. You must maintain your list. You can also do this by letting subscribers manage their preferences (to opt-out if they want). Set up a way for them to change their communication preferences like what kind of information they want to receive or how often they want to receive them. This helps to build the sense of trust that they require to stay with you.

Your team is sabotaging your efforts.

You may be doing everything right, but other departments aren’t. If customer service is lacking, you’re sure to lose subscribers. If your website or mobile application isn’t easy to use, subscribers will get frustrated and go to a competitor. Keeping customers happy requires teamwork. Get together regularly with other departments in your company to share experiences, concerns, successes, and insights. Ensure your team members are onboard with your email strategy, measure your results and work together to fix what’s broken. Set up read-only access to your marketing emails for team members so they’re kept apprised. Everyone must be on the same page and working in unison.

You’re not measuring results and adjusting your strategy accordingly.

Measuring the performance of email campaigns is imperative. Unless you know what works and what doesn’t, you’re leaving money on the table. Implement a closed-loop marketing strategy to achieve the results you’re looking for. This means following a subscriber from the initial point of contact to their conversion as a paying customer. Be sure to leverage the available data from your ESP and feed your data back to them to get more visibility into your results. When making adjustments based on data, do so in increments and prioritize your changes. This way you can continue to measure the results of your changes one by one until you get it right.

You aren’t using the right process.

Not having a plan will make your job so much more difficult. Your email process should be designed to speed up your email production and improve quality control. You need an extensive pre-sending plan. Here’s one to go by. You fill in the blanks according to your goals.

1. Plan your marketing strategy
2. Collect data on your target audience
3. Construct your database
4. Define your email plan
5. Define your content
6. Setup your emails
7. Send your emails
8. Measure your results

Goal setting is crucial to your email marketing success. It will help to guide the direction of your campaign, make it easier for you to measure results, and increase the odds that you’ll ultimately succeed in the end.

A recent report by the U.S. Marine Corps indicates an unintended data disclosure, the result of a single accidental keystroke. Never backing down from a fight, learn from Jarheads how to best defend yourself from a data breach and strengthen your position!

Have you ever thought twice about clicking “send” after drafting an email? We’re sure you have; everyone has. The most common reasons involve editing the text for clarity, context, or tone. Sometimes you verify the email addresses for the “to” field. These are all great measures that everyone can — and should — take before sending an email, especially one with sensitive data enclosed.

Yet, accidents happen. A recent accidental keystroke shared an email to an incorrect distribution list, which included the unencrypted personal data of more than 20,000 U.S. Marines, their families, and civilians. Social security numbers, bank details, credit card information, home and mailing addresses, and emergency contact information were all disclosed. Does this fall under the label of “data breach” if the disclosure was part of an “oops” and not a cyber attack?

Marine Forces Reserve spokesperson Andrew Aranda has said the Marines’ IT staff is reviewing cybersecurity and information assurance processes to update their overall guidelines and to better train team members at every level. More importantly, this was an accident without malicious intent, and a cybersecurity vulnerability was not the cause. Additionally, the United States Armed Forces branches fully understand the great responsibility to protect highly-confidential personally identifiable information (PII) stored in their records and a lengthy history of excellence in this arena.

More than 20,000 individuals will now need to diligently check their credit report on a regular basis to ensure this disclosure doesn’t leave them open to identity theft. Add to this number the family members potentially impacted, and the full amount affected could double or triple. This is a story too well-known by millions of Americans in recent years. Customers of Anthem, Target, eBay, and The Home Depot are just a few examples of organizations whose customers have been impacted by data breaches. Cybercriminals and cyberterrorists — hackers — are just waiting for a weakness to exploit. This introduces two key questions:

• How effective are an organization’s cybersecurity protocols and training?
• What can consumers do to protect themselves if they’ve been impacted by a data breach?

How aware are the individuals behind this incident of security protocols and risks? The basic information assurance training from as recent as a year ago isn’t current for today’s needs as a means of self-awareness and protection.

• What is information assurance? When information is processed, stored, or transmitted (data) involving systems, there are risks. Information assurance is the effort a group takes to protect this data and these systems to ensure the security of the data and minimize risks involved.

The focus of information assurance is on the security of data. While “protection of data” may not be the first concept that comes to mind when you think of the United States armed forces, the protection of its people is an inherent byproduct of its very nature. The military does not operate in the same ways as Corporate America, with many factors contributing to the differences. One thing is certain: the military takes its duty to serve and protect American citizens very seriously and is dedicated to assisting those impacted.

How can consumers protect themselves?

Credit Reports

As we already mentioned, check credit reports regularly. Once a cybercriminal has a name, address, and a few pieces of personal information, this data can be used to misrepresent an identity online.

• Consumers are entitled to one free credit report each year, at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/
• Anyone can add a fraud alert to their credit report with each credit reporting agency for added protection. This will prompt a two-step verification process for any attempt to open a new account in someone’s name, and is a very helpful feature to protect someone’s identity from being used by other parties.

Passwords

Aside from checking credit reports, we strongly suggest changing all passwords. Most importantly, start with changing passwords for online banking, credit cards, email, and social media accounts. After these, move on to seemingly innocuous accounts like the United States Post Office and those for magazines or local newspapers, with active subscriptions.

• It’s worth it to keep a list of all locations with usernames and passwords. Imagine how helpful this list might be in this situation, cutting response time drastically and potentially reducing the overall impact. Just don’t store the list somewhere online, like email. If that is the first thing a hacker can access, they have access to everything after discovering this data goldmine!
• Make sure new passwords created are complex, using a combination of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols like ?!@#$%.
• Change passwords on desktop systems to prevent a sophisticated hacker from accessing further personal data, or giving them the smallest access point to plant a virus or ransomware, or even mine cryptocurrency.
  • Running the most recent updates and install these packages immediately will help close any security gaps discovered by operating system manufacturers and application developers.

Credit Cards

In this case, credit card numbers were included in the disclosed data. It’s a huge pain, but it’s worth it in the long run for protection to report the accounts as compromised and have new card numbers issued.

Every day brings a story of new ways hackers use to access PII of consumers and how this information is used to their advantage – and to the detriment of the consumers affected. Consumers need to regularly assess their risk and do their best to eliminate the unknown, where possible by taking these measures to protect themselves. Maintaining a realistic perspective on this risk will be instrumental as “an ounce of prevention” here.

In modern days of digital communication, we can never be too careful as hackers are becoming far more sophisticated and staying one step ahead of consumers. Imagine if cybercriminals used their power for good!

Don’t let one mistake cause years of hassles and headaches – talk to an expert if you think you’ve been compromised in this or any other data breach, and protect yourself.

Like many others, I was curious about the cryptocurrency craze. I wanted to know more about Bitcoin and how to invest in it, but I didn’t know where to turn.

Last year, one of my family members made over USD 200K off a Bitcoin investment. Plus, a friend of his made over USD 900K in the same time frame trading Bitcoin and new cryptocurrencies. When I asked them what their secret was, they said, “dumb luck”. Bitcoin took its largest jump just a few weeks after they bought it, and they were both smart enough to grab their money and get out.

Unfortunately, investing in any cryptocurrency is just like gambling. Be wary of investing money you can’t afford to lose. And this is especially true if you buy it with credit cards. Many banks in Canada and the US won’t honour cryptocurrency credit card purchases. Canadians who want to use their TD Bank credit cards to purchase cryptocurrency are out of luck. Toronto Dominion Bank just announced that they would no longer allow this. In the US, Capitol One blocked their customers from using their credit cards to buy Bitcoin. Citigroup and Bank of America still allow purchases, but they are revisiting their policies, so this might not last.

If you want to buy cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and others, do your homework. If the bank that issued your credit card won’t verify your purchase, the transaction won’t go through.

Why Are Banks Prohibiting Cryptocurrency Credit Card Purchases?

According to the Wall Street Journal, 18% of Bitcoin purchases are made with credit cards. Of these, 22% don’t pay off their statements. They often wait until the price of the cryptocurrency rises and say they’ll use this profit to pay off their debt. Banks worry that people will purchase more than they can pay back and that if the value of the cryptocurrency drops, they won’t have enough money to cover their credit card debt.

Credit Cards and Exchanges That You Can Try

If you decide to make a purchase, Coinbase, a widely used currency exchange accepts Visa and MasterCard for a 3.99% fee. Bitstamp and CEX IO do as well. If you want to use an American Express card, try going to Coinmama (however they charge a 5% transaction fee). You should also know that American Express limits cryptocurrency purchases to $200 a day, and $1,000 a month.

Investing Is Like a Ride on a Rollercoaster

Bitcoin’s value has increased over 300 percent since the start of 2017. In the middle of December 2017, it was valued at over USD 19K per coin. However, just a few days after it peaked, it dropped below USD 14K. Today (3 months later) it’s down to USD 10,670. If you bought at the top, you’re hurting today. Welcome to the world of crypto volatility.

Purchasing any cryptocurrency comes with risks. Many have made a lot of money, and many have lost a lot of money. When considering a purchase, only invest money you can afford to lose.

I must admit that after my relative made so much money on Bitcoin that I decided to invest a small amount myself. My husband advised against it (he trains executive bankers in negotiation strategies and is on the faculty of two renown US banking schools). But, I didn’t listen, and as it turns out, I wasn’t as lucky as my family member. To this day, I’m still waiting to recoup my losses. Who knows how long I’ll need to wait, or if I’ll ever get this money back. Don’t get burned like I did.

The “Wild West” of Cryptocurrency Investing

Bill Gates gives us his “two cents” on cryptocurrency investing:

The main feature of cryptocurrencies is their anonymity. I don’t think this is a good thing. The Government’s ability to find money laundering and tax evasion and terrorist funding is a good thing. Right now, cryptocurrencies are used for buying fentanyl and other drugs, so it is a rare technology that has caused deaths in a fairly direct way. I think the speculative wave around ICOs and cryptocurrencies is super risky for those who go long.

He believes that these markets will eventually be shut down. However, he did reveal that his daughter invested in Bitcoin.

Now, entire governments like China and South Korea are prohibiting cryptocurrency trading. South Korea bans foreigners and minors from trading. According to Kang Young-soo of the Financial Services Commission cryptocurrency response team:

The government is concerned about manipulation of market conditions and injection of illegal funds while market funds are leaked into speculative investments. We view that foreigners’ and minors’ investments contribute to our areas of concern.

Much of South Korean’s concern stems from the fact that Chinese investors have flooded their cryptocurrency market since China banned cryptocurrency trading. The digital coins from China enter Korean exchanges where they are illegally changed into foreign currencies and sent back to China.

This hasn’t stopped Chinese investors from trading in cryptocurrencies. Hundreds of millions of dollars were raised in the banned Initial Coin Offering (ICO) market. It seems Chinese investors are buying cryptocurrencies in offshore accounts and investing them in start-ups. They do this to bypass the rigorously regulated capital-raising process required by venture capitalists or banks. Over USD 3.2 billion was raised via ICOs in 2017.

The good news is that the ICO industry is working to develop standards for a compliant framework for their projects like the SAFT (Simple Agreement for Future Tokens) to help navigate US laws.

Canadians Mining Bitcoin?

Even though the Canadian banks are trying to shut down bitcoin trading (at least via credit cards), Canada is quickly becoming a powerhouse for Bitcoin mining. Several regions across the country such as Quebec, Manitoba, and British Columbia have all seen an increase in attention from Bitcoin mining firms. This is the infrastructure of Bitcoin. Miners use computing power to identify a sequence of data called a “block.” But it’s relatively useless until they use a Bitcoin hash algorithm (a converter) to match a block, where they then receive a particular number of bitcoins. The Bitcoin hash that’s created is stored with the block at the end of the blockchain where it validates the block and the transaction.

Cryptocurrency Funds

According to an article in Forbes Magazine, ICOs may be cooling down, but cryptocurrencies are here to stay. Worries about China’s banning of trading has put a damper on the ICO market. But this isn’t keeping the blockchain and crypto community at bay. There are other ways to make money on cryptocurrencies – funds for example. Coinbase recently launched an index fund for digital currencies. Ameritrade and other trading sites offer cryptocurrency funds like GBTC (Bitcoin Investment Trust).

Be Smart. Be Wary.

The cryptocurrency and ICO markets have grown rapidly and are constantly changing. They comprise local, national and international products and participants. Before you invest, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission suggests you ask these questions:

• Is the product legal? Is it subject to regulation, including rules designed to protect investors? Does the product comply with those rules?
• Is the offering legal? Are those offering the product licensed to do so?
• Are the trading markets fair? Can prices on those markets be manipulated? Can I sell when I want to?
• Are there substantial risks of theft or loss, including from hacking?

In Conclusion

Don’t be like me and get burned by the Crypto Craze. Do your research first and take a deep breath before “jumping into the trading pool”. As you can see, it “ebbs and flows” from many underlying currents.

The recent surge in cyber theft and hacking has everyone worried. With each new cyber breach, consumers realize just how vulnerable we all are. After the Equifax hack of September 2017, state legislatures began proposing new laws that would tighten data security.

For those working with an MSP, the burden often falls on them to increase security so that breaches simply don’t take place. Though this concept is good in theory, MSP’s sometimes struggle to find the right balance between convenience and stronger security for cyberspace.

New Proposed Legislation

The American Bankers Association believes that during 2018, at least half of all states will develop tougher data breach laws for the financial services industry. One of these bills receiving more attention originates in New York, the home of many prominent financial institutions. Experts believe the new bills being developed for New York could become a model for other financial providers. These bills could even affect federal laws.

The new legislation will be designed to stop the onslaught of huge, expensive data breaches, such as JP Morgan Chase, Sony Pictures, and Equifax. Many believe this type of legislation is way overdue.

The bill being developed by legislatures in New York is called the “Stop Hacks and Improve Data Security Act” (SHIELD Act). It will require that any organization that handles financial or sensitive information produce clear examples of their safeguards. It would also require all banks, credit reporting agencies, brokerages and insurance providers to develop better security measures. In addition, the new laws will apply to anyone who deals with the personal financial information of consumers.

The bill will contain phrases like “clear examples of safeguards” that force organizations to provide proof of their security measures. Many experts believe these “safeguards” might include all administrative, technical and physical security measures taken by any company that deals with the private information of New Yorkers.

Though MSPs are already gearing up to offer higher levels of data security to their customers, the problem of data security falls back on each financial services company. Consumers are outraged when corporations the size of JP Morgan Chase and Equifax don’t take data security seriously enough. This outrage can spawn expensive lawsuits.

Keys to Success

Though MSPs will begin offering more robust data security plans, it’s important to remember that the burden falls back on each business. In this day and age, you simply can’t rely on a third-party vendor; the stakes are too high. Your company could be sued by anyone who loses their personal and banking info to hackers. For this reason, most businesses have a small team of IT pros on premises that communicate regularly with their MSP.

Your own IT department should be fully engaged with your MSP. They should understand exactly what security measures have been put in place and how this system is protecting your data. They should be involved in program upgrades. They can also work inside your business to organize monthly security briefings for employees.

Consider Hiring Security Experts

Though most MSP’s offer a comprehensive group of security services to help protect your data from intrusion, many top banking, and financial institutions are going one step further. They are hiring security experts whose only job is to ensure that all data is safe and secure from hackers. Companies that specialize in providing data security plans follow a strict regimen of protocols. They conduct regular security risk assessments. Their team will come out to your company on a regular basis to train employees. And this is so important to your overall security plan working.

Risky employee behavior is responsible for over half the data breaches. Every day in companies all over the world, employees make mistakes that could spell disaster. They commonly share passwords, ignore prompts to install patches, click on suspicious links in emails, and use weak passwords. Employees need better training in order to know and remember to utilize all company data breach policies.

Are You Doing Enough to Stop Hackers?

Though many MSP’s are fully up to date on the policies and procedures for greater cybersecurity protection, it’s important to decide for yourself whether their security measures are strong enough. If your company handles the financial information or healthcare information of others, basic data security programs may not be enough.

Ransomware attacks are on the rise. Cyber thieves break into your system and hold your data hostage until you pay the ransom. Many company owners are not sure whether their data is safe from these attacks. The days when anti-virus programs and firewalls were adequate to protect data are over. Your company will require the highest level of protection in order to remain safe. Remember that cybercriminals never rest. They’re always on the lookout for new ways to steal names, addresses, and banking information.

The Revolution in Technology

Today’s cloud technology allows everyone to take their work with them wherever they go. In addition, consumers can access that information on a laptop, phone, or iPad. Though all these new advancements in technology are fun and convenient, they do present a unique challenge for security experts. Regular security risk assessments can determine whether your employees are leaving important data right out in the open for criminals to find.

HIPAA guidelines require that a normal SRA include a basic inventory of where and how sensitive data is being used. These assessments are available for financial institutions as well. They are a great way to get the big picture about how sensitive data is transmitted, stored and accessed, whether using email, text messages or mobile devices. Most security experts believe that a comprehensive Security Risk Assessment is a great place to start.

Better Documentation

Lastly, good solid documentation of all security policies is required. All employees should know and understand the security policies and procedures used by their employer. Each software upgrade should be documented.  Any events that might affect your organization’s data security should be documented as well. Any time an employee is terminated, your company should have a very specific procedure that it follows to avoid an angry employee from stealing data.

Changing the Way We Do Business

The new cybersecurity laws may change the way we all do business each day. Though some of these laws will be cumbersome and inconvenient, the alternative is much worse. It’s important to remember that the new cybersecurity legislation is meant to protect us from hackers and data loss. Consumers want to go back to feeling safe again when they do business online. And that’s the goal of these new laws.

Whether you decide to select security experts who have the skills and tools to address all types of data breaches or continue on with your MSP, the game has to change in order to stop hacking and cyber crimes. Each employee should feel personally responsible for doing their best to protect data. Your MSP and IT department must work together to build the strongest fortress possible for your sensitive information.

Are you certain that your healthcare workers understand the risks to your PHI and other confidential information? A clinic in Baltimore thought theirs did, but they were proven wrong when they discovered their patient records were up for sale on the Dark Web.  

In 2016, a Baltimore substance abuse treatment facility was hacked. Their patient records ended up on the Dark Web, according to DataBreaches.net. Information such as dates of admission, what patients were taking methadone, and what their dosing requirements were, along with the names of doctors and counselors were exposed to cybercriminals.

The prominent Washington University School of Medicine learned about a phishing incident on January 24, 2017, when an employee responded to a phishing attack on December 2, 2016. The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) said that 80,270 individuals might have been affected.

“This phishing scam allowed some of Washington University School of Medicine’s patient data to potentially be accessed, the school reported on its website. The accessed employee email accounts may have included names, birth dates, medical record numbers, diagnosis and treatment information, other clinical information, and Social Security numbers in some cases.”

Texas-based Urology Austin, PLLC revealed that they experienced a ransomware attack on January 22, 2017. Within minutes of the attack, they shut down their computer network. However, OCR reported that 279,663 individuals’ private data might have been affected.

They immediately took steps to restore the affected data and their operations. A Urology Austin representative told local news that they didn’t pay the ransom and that they were able to restore the patient information from a backup. 

The odds that a data breach can happen to your healthcare organization have greatly increased.

Why? Because healthcare workers generally lack cybersecurity awareness. The following are some alarming statistics:

• 24% of healthcare workers lack awareness about phishing emails as compared to 8% in non-healthcare sectors
• Only 18% of healthcare employees were able to recognize phishing emails. Physicians were 3 times worse at it.
• 88% of healthcare workers opened phishing emails.
• 50% of doctors were in the “risk” category, making them likely to commit a serious data breach.
• Healthcare employees exhibited less knowledge about cybersecurity than the larger population.
• 24% of physicians couldn’t identify the common signs of malware.
• 30% of healthcare workers took risks that put the safety of patient records at risk.
• 23% failed to recognize forms of malware.
• 18% chose the wrong actions when they were given scenarios to respond to. Many thought it was okay to share patient data via their personal email accounts or over insecure cloud platforms.

The high costs of a lack of cybersecurity awareness

The Identity Theft Resource Center revealed that there were 1,091 breaches in 2016 that affected 15 million records from hospitals, dental clinics, senior care facilities, and others. This is a 40 percent increase from the previous year. As a result, the Dark Web is flooded with “fullz” (full packages of personally identifiable information) as well as patient insurance information.

Healthcare hacking and IT incidents accounted for the majority of large-scale incidents in 2017.

According to the 2017 Cost of a Data Breach Study: Global Overview, healthcare data breach costs are the highest for the seventh straight year. Data breaches from healthcare organizations cost $380 per record. This is greater than 2.5 times the global average in other industries.

The Answer

It’s obvious from this data that healthcare entities are not properly educated and prepared to defend themselves against sophisticated hacking attempts today. From these statistics, you can see that these organizations are at risk of HIPAA noncompliance.

Your first layer of defense is your employees. They require professional security awareness training that includes both privacy awareness and demonstrations on how to recognize phishing attempts and what to do if they receive one.

It’s only through ongoing security awareness training that you can keep your healthcare employees apprised of the latest sophisticated threats, how to mitigate them and what to do protect your organization from severe, negative consequences.

Beyond ensuring that your PHI and other confidential data is secure and protected at all times, you must provide security awareness training that’s conducted by a professional who understands PHI and what healthcare employees need to know.

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, employee cybersecurity awareness training should meet the following four objectives:

1. Develop and demonstrate foundational-level knowledge of cybersecurity.
2. Employ best practices to protect privacy and safeguard Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
3. Recognize cyber threats to information systems.
4. Identify and report potential cybersecurity and privacy incidents promptly.

Don’t Become Another Statistic.

5 More Tips to Keep in Mind:

Regular and Recurring Security Training Is Essential.

Hackers are constantly developing new, sophisticated methods to trick your employees into clicking on malicious links and downloading dangerous software. For this reason, it’s critical that your employees stay up to date on the very latest security threats and how to avoid them. Additionally, refresher training will keep them on their toes and save you a lot of worries.

KISS (Keep It Simple and Secure)

If the security measures you teach are complicated and difficult to follow, your employees won’t remember them. Instruction should be clear and concise with ways for employees to easily remember your policies and rules. This is another reason why it’s always best to defer to IT professionals to train your staff.

Your Employees Need to Know How to Respond to Security Incidents.

Along with teaching your staff how to avoid security incidents, they should be aware of how to appropriately respond to them. What should they do if they come across a malicious attachment or link? What should they do if they accidentally click on one? Make sure they know what to do and who to contact.

Teach Your Employees about Cybersecurity for Their Personal Use.

It’s also important to teach your healthcare staff about network security for their personal purposes, such as when purchasing items online or what to do if they receive phishing emails on their personal accounts. They should also know how to protect their personal information on your organization’s network.

Make Sure Security Support is Easily Accessible.

Ensure your staff knows where to go if they have security questions or concerns. Your IT Managed Services Provider (MSP) will have a 24/7 Help Desk for support and assistance with these concerns or anything regarding technology. Plus, if an employee does come across a ransomware attempt, your MSP can intervene remotely to remove any malware and ensure your PHI and confidential data remains secure.

Bring your healthcare practice into the future with cloud computing technology.

As the demand for better healthcare rises in the U.S., more healthcare organizations are utilizing cloud computing. There’s been an increase in demand for healthcare services due to aging populations and the growing prevalence of chronic diseases. Healthcare providers are experiencing cost pressures from the need to do more along with expectations for better outcomes that deliver increased value. This demand has driven healthcare providers to depend on cloud computing because it provides a cost-effective, on-demand resource for them to access the information they need to make important decisions.

Healthcare providers have quickly realized the potential benefits of cloud computing to automate management and provide for:

• Security and Disaster Protection,
• Real-time business intelligence,
• IoT augmented patient care,
• Big data analytics,
• Cognitive assistance,
• Economies of scale, and
• Flexible payment models.

Cloud computing plays an important role for both providers and patients.

It has replaced traditional healthcare operations with digital alternatives that help to lower costs and allow for data integration and analysis, resulting in higher efficiency and effectiveness. Cloud services provide computing solutions at a lower cost than buying or licensing them and facilitates the information sharing and collaboration physicians and patients rely on today.

With cloud computing, IT resources can be accessed on demand and paid for as an operating expense. Healthcare organizations are benefitting from:

• Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions,
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) virtualized computing resources, and
• Platform as a Service (PaaS) that allows them to develop, run, and manage applications without the complexity of constructing and maintaining an infrastructure in-house.

With SaaS specifically designed for the healthcare industry, barriers to entry have disappeared. Cloud Solution Providers (CSPs) deliver higher levels of service for applications, along with disaster recovery for a lower cost when compared to using on-premises solutions. They also provide improved responsiveness with decreased administrative overhead.

Cloud solutions offer scalability and the ability to adjust as demand for healthcare services increase or decrease – and they provide web access to data without the need to store information on computer devices.

Cloud services allow clinicians to search vast amounts of data to produce the best treatment plans. Patients can also access these services to learn about their medical issues and collaborate with their doctors.

Regarding patient privacy and HIPAA regulations, cloud services use data centers that are typically more secure than in-house solutions. They protect against threats with both physical and technical methods and are maintained by expert IT staff. Additionally, they employ sophisticated security controls and data encryption. CSPs now offer HIPAA-enabled offerings in accordance with the HITECH Act.  

With traditional IT, the healthcare organization is responsible for security. With cloud services, the responsibility is shared between the cloud provider and the healthcare organization.

There’s no need to hire IT employees because cloud services come with all the needed IT skills required. The costs for these experts is spread across many customers.

Many CSPs offer services with an upfront financial commitment for a multi-year term, or on a subscription basis. This flexibility enables organizations to optimize financial treatment of cloud services to meet their unique needs.

Cloud-based healthcare IT systems allow for broad interoperability and integration of other systems and applications like EHR/EMR solutions. They offer the ability to share information easily and securely.

Cloud services provide secure remote access to applications and data, and they support access from mobile devices via the Internet. They offer access to a much larger ecosystem of information and a wide range of services.

Cloud security is a priority for CSPs. Security systems and tools are integrated with the cloud-based services they provide. They come with controls for access and authentication, firewalls, encryption services, monitoring and intrusion detection. Plus, CSPs offer government-certified services through initiatives like FedRAMP, FISMA, and FIPS.

Backup as a Service (BaaS): Healthcare organizations outsource their backup and recovery services to an online data backup cloud service provider. This allows for complete data backup sets that are always available and useable.

Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) is available via the cloud in the face of IT failure or data loss. With DRaaS, healthcare organizations don’t have to invest in or maintain their own disaster recovery environments. The DRaaS provider can implement the plan and ensure timely availability of IT systems with minimal loss of data.

Sophisticated analytic capabilities can be used with business intelligence solutions to improve both patient-specific assessment and management. Intelligent business process management suites (iBPMSs) and case management frameworks (CMFs) provide healthcare staff the capabilities they need to mitigate medical mistakes and minimize patient adverse events (PAEs).

Cloud services facilitate personal health maintenance, improve diagnoses, obtain better case outcomes, and optimize healthcare delivery. Hospitals and healthcare practices are increasingly relying on cloud-based practice management, medical records and medical image archiving solutions. They offer cost-effective benefits and the ability to offload tasks from hospital IT departments so that they can support other operational and clinical support systems.

Cloud services allow healthcare organizations to take advantage of storage services at a fraction of the cost of housing them internally. This results in reduced capital expenses and reduced staffing needs as well.

Cloud computing promotes patient compliance. Patients are now sharing vital information with their providers to help them when making decisions and dealing with differential diagnoses. The increase in cloud computing has led to the replacement of health IT systems with new capabilities that allow patients to play a greater role in their healthcare. Cloud computing is at the center of this change – it supports the collaboration and information sharing that consumers demand today.

Patients are using the cloud to take a more active role in maintaining their health via their computers, smartphones and wearable devices that track their activity, exercise, diets and vital signs. Cloud computing also helps patients find the best, most appropriate health services in their area.

Cloud computing provides the connectivity channels required for telemedicine and eliminates the need to install complex technologies.

It allows for a connected model where healthcare can seamlessly be delivered from multiple providers. Furthermore, it offers the opportunity for patients to communicate and collaborate with medical staff and be part of the management of their care.

Cloud computing leverages emerging technologies to enable care outside of the physical hospital or doctor’s office, through the use of wearable devices that connect to cloud-based smart healthcare systems. The Internet of Things (IoT) devices provide near-real-time data and convey vital signs from anywhere in the world. It allows providers to monitor a patient’s health while giving them the flexibility to live their life.

Mobile computer applications, the IoT and wearable devices that are supported by cloud applications are becoming more commonplace. This has helped to change the doctor-patient culture from a “fix-it” mentality to one that is prevention-based. Cloud systems also make it easy for patients and providers to benefit from registration to support of IoT communication protocols and the management of IoT device data.

Due to the benefits it provides, adoption of cloud computing solutions in healthcare is anticipated to accelerate in the coming years.  It’s important to identify which applications and services should be migrated to the cloud. Migration isn’t always easy and should be managed by an IT professional that is experienced in cloud migration services. Furthermore, to fully benefit from cloud computing, healthcare organizations should develop a strategy that complements its business goals. Cloud solutions for healthcare organizations will continue to provide new and improved patient care capabilities as more advances are accomplished.

With the 2016 version of Excel, Microsoft has really upped the game for people who aren’t great with numbers. You can now easily use one-click access that can be customized to provide the functionality you need.

This is the first of a three-part series about using Microsoft Excel 2016 to help you identify trends, construct helpful charts, and organize information to maximize the value of your data.

You can use Excel Worksheets and Workbooks in conjunction with programs like Microsoft Access and PowerPoint. Excel 2016 possesses many capabilities that aren’t readily apparent. That’s why we’re providing this three-part series for you.

What is Excel and how is it organized?

Excel is an electronic spreadsheet program that’s used to store, organize and manipulate data. You enter data into Workbooks that are made up of individual Worksheets. In the Worksheets, you enter data into cells that are organized into rows and columns. Excel data can consist of text, numbers, dates, times and formulas.

Why would you want to use Excel?

If you or your employees work with financial data, it’s a great tool to use for:

• Basic mathematical operations like adding, dividing, and multiplying.
• Finding values like profits or losses.
• Calculations like averages, percentages and number counts.

Performing calculations in Excel is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s much more you can do like creating charts and graphical layouts to make it easier to recognize trends and more easily analyze data.

Navigation

What’s great about Excel is that it has the same set up as other Microsoft products you’re familiar with. You have tabs across the top, where each tab has a corresponding ribbon with many functionalities to choose from.

The Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar is a drop-down menu where you’ll find functions that you commonly use like Print and Save. You can also customize the Quick Access menu with other functions you use on a regular basis.

The Formula Bar

This is located underneath the ribbon next to the Name Box that shows you where your cursor is located on your Worksheet. The Formula Bar is important because it’s what calculates the math for you. Excel does the calculation and displays the answer in the cell you choose. The Formula Bar also shows you the contents of the particular cell you’re in.

Adding Data

There are three ways you can add data to your Excel Worksheet. You can:

1. Type in the data,
2. Copy and Paste data, or
3. Import data from other sources.

This is great if you have a large amount of data. For example, if you have customer lists in a database, you can even pull this into Excel.

You can enter data into only one cell, into several cells at the same time, or even on more than one Worksheet at once. And, as mentioned, the data can be numbers text, formulas, dates, or times.

On your Worksheet, simply click a cell and type in the information that you want to enter. Then hit ENTER or TAB. If you typed in a date, Excel will recognize this and format it the way you’ve specified in your default settings.

Formulas

Excel computes the correct answer when you enter a formula into a cell. Once you’ve done this, it recalculates whenever you change any of the values. The way Excel knows that you’re entering a formula is by starting with an equal sign. Then you follow the equal sign with a SUM or AVERAGE.

For example, C2: =A2+B2 means that the number in C2 is what occurs when you add the numbers in A2 and B2.

You can type this in manually, but now Excel has great functionalities to help you do this. The simple way is to put your cursor in cell C2, hit = and type in A2+B2. The numbers in A2 and B2 will be added, and the SUM will be entered in cell C2.

Note: You always want to calculate using the actual cells rather than typing in numbers like 1 + 2, etc. The reason for this is so you can go back at any time and change the values in cells and the formula will calculate with the new numbers.

Let’s say you want to add a bunch of numbers together in your Worksheet. You can type = sum (a1:a5) in the cell where you want the answer to appear. Or you can do this and drag your mouse across the cells you want to add. Type =sum ( and drag your mouse across the cells and hit ENTER. The sum will appear in the cell without you having to typing in all the numbers! When you put your cursor on the cell, you will see the actual formula you just created.

There are many ways to do the same thing in Excel. It’s like this across all Microsoft products. You can go to the Ribbon at the top to “Auto Sum” to do the same calculation. Select a cell next to the numbers you want to add, click AutoSum on the Home tab and press Enter. Do what works best for you.

Once you create a formula, you can copy and paste it into another cell. You can also copy and paste formulas into different Worksheets as well. This can save you a lot of time.

Formatting Worksheets

With Excel 2016, you can format your Worksheets much more easily than you could before. You can use document themes throughout the Worksheets in your Workbook to present a professional and consistent appearance. You can also apply predesigned formats as well.

Let’s say you have a Worksheet with many rows that are hard to read. You can go in and create fill colors and more to differentiate the rows, columns, and headers to make reading much easier.

You have options to create borders around cells, rows or columns from the drop-down menu. You can also shade cells with a solid background. Don’t forget that you can change the style and types of fonts. Right-click the text, and a drop-down menu will appear where you can make these and other selections easily.

Creating Charts

If the data isn’t complex, you can easily read it, but if you have a lot of data, creating a chart will help you better analyze it. You can select specific cells, rows, and columns for your chart. One way to do this is to highlight the data and go to the top ribbon to select the type of chart you want to create.

With Excel 2016, you have a “recommended charts” option. Excel will help you choose the chart that best suits your data.

You can then go in and further customize your chart in the “Chart Tools”. You can change the color scheme, 3D effects, shading and more. If you change the data in the cells in your Worksheet, your chart will reflect the changes.

Some of the new charts in 2016 include:

• Waterfall
• Tree Map
• Box and Whiskers
• Sunburst

Creating Tables

You may be used to creating tables in Word or PowerPoint. Some people think the format in Excel is already in a table, but it’s not; at least until you tell it to do so. If you want to do this, select your data, go to “Insert” and select “Table.”

Similar to other Microsoft products, tabs will appear to help you format your table.

Viewing Worksheets

When dealing with lots of information, it can get unruly trying to work around various rows and columns. This is where Viewing Worksheets can be helpful. You can freeze a portion of your worksheet with “Freeze Panes” to more easily view it.

You also have the ability to “split” the data to view different parts of your Worksheet. You can compare two Worksheets in the same Workbook or even in different Workbooks by viewing them side by side.

Saving and Printing

If you have Worksheets that are so large they won’t fit on one page, go to “Save As” and decide on the name, where it gets saved, and go to “Print” where you can save the file to a pdf that you can send.

You can select options for printing the entire sheet, part of it, resizing it, and more to suit your needs. Going to “Page Setup” will allow you to shrink the entire Worksheet down to a size that’s more manageable for printing.

Sharing & Security

In Excel 2016 you can share Workbooks and Worksheets with others and password-protect them. The people you send them to need to know your password to open them, whether you send them via email, share them on your network, or via the cloud. From within Excel, you can designate who can access your Worksheets and Workbooks, and also whether they can edit them or not. There are a variety of parameters you can set within a Worksheet.

For example, if you want to hide employees’ salaries, you can hide this section when you share it. Or, you can let people see your data but lock it down, so they can’t change it. You can also protect your Worksheets and Workbooks to keep them secure from non-authorized users.

The Quick Analysis Tool

When highlighting data, click on the Quick Analysis button to create a chart, highlight specific cells, and much more. It doesn’t give you the functionality you’ll find in the Ribbon, but you can get things done quickly and easily with this tool.

3D Power Maps

This is another new tool in Excel 2016 that lets you look at information in ways you might not have seen in the two-dimensional format. This helps you strategically create your data on a 3D map. You need latitude and longitude data to do this. You can also import your own maps into 3D Power Maps.

PivotTables

PivotTables help you analyze your Worksheet data. You can summarize, analyze, explore and present your data in just a few clicks. They are very flexible and can be adjusted to your unique needs. Note: Your data should be organized without blank rows or columns for this to work properly.

The good news is that Excel 2016 will also help you pick the best format for your PivotTables!

PivotCharts

PivotCharts are another great way to add visualizations to your data. You will first need a PivotTable to create a chart. Now, your PivotTable will behave like a PivotChart. When you change the information in your PivotTable, the PivotChart will also reflect this change. The PivotTable is connected to the PivotChart.

That’s it for now! For more information on using Excel 2016 like a Pro, feel free to contact the Microsoft Experts at {company}! {phone} {email}