Stuart Crawford – Page 38 – Ulistic Projects Blog

July 5, 2019July 4, 2019

Using Today View in iOS 12

iOS 12 brings a lot to the table and you will want to take full advantage of it to get the most out of your device. The Today View in iOS 12 is one feature that is worth exploring to determine how you can leverage it to make your workday and personal life more organized. As the name implies, the Today View is there to let you know what is going on right now. But there are a lot of different information points that your device can inform you of, so customizing your Today View and learning to navigate it is essential to getting more out of your iPhone.

The Today View in iOS 12

Your iPhone is designed to keep you organized and updated on the things that matter most to you. As a business user, that means staying abreast of what is going on in your department, your company and your industry. If you are like most business users, it also means managing your professional life and your personal life on the same device.

Taking care of all these needs requires using a variety of apps. In the olden days of earlier smartphones, those apps would need to be opened to see what they had to offer. But today, with your iPhone and iOS 12, you can get most of the information you need from each app on your Today View—at least the fundamental information that you are likely to want access to at a glance. Instead of having to go to your Home screen to get the information you need, you can just do a quick swipe and see what you need more quickly and more conveniently than you would if you have to open each app individually.

One of the most useful things about the Today View is that you do not even need to unlock your phone to access it. As long as you have your security settings established where your Today View shows on your Lock screen—which is the way your phone comes by default—you can check your Today View at any time whether the phone is locked or unlocked.

How to Access Your Today View

Whether you are on your iPhone’s Lock screen or on your Home screen, your action to get to the Today View is the same. You will simply swipe to the right side of your phone screen. You can start your swipe from the left side of the phone, from the middle of the phone screen and even from pretty close to the right edge of the screen. Wherever you begin your swipe, as long as you slide your finger off the right edge of the screen, your Today View will pop up.

When you want to leave the Today View, you perform the opposite gesture. Swipe to the left edge of your screen to leave the Today View both on your Home screen and on your Lock screen.

What Does the Today View Show You?

The things that you will see on your Today View will vary based on the apps you have installed and the widgets you have told your phone to include on the Today View. For instance, you will see FAVORITES that shows some of your favorite contacts that you have called recently. You will also see other widgets that are based on the apps that you have recently used. Like if you have used Maps recently, your Today View will show a MAPS DESTINATIONS widget with a destination that you are likely to want to go to—such as your home.

Show More

Many of your widgets will give you an option to show more information if you need it. The option to Show More will show to the right of the name of the widget. Just click the Show More section and the widget will expand. For example, your FAVORITES widget will only show four favorite contacts initially, but if you click Show More you will see eight contacts.

Launching Apps

Some of the widgets on your phone will give you the option of launching the app just by tapping the widget. For instance, the Maps app widget, MAP DESTINATIONS, will launch Maps if you tap the widget and create a map to the destination offered in the widget—like your home address.

Changing Widgets

You can add or remove widgets from your Today View by tapping Edit at the bottom of the Today View and tapping the minus or plus symbol to the left of the app name. You can also reorganize your widgets by tapping and holding the three horizontal lines to the right of an app name, then shifting the app up or down the list.

July 5, 2019July 4, 2019

iTunes Going Away?

What You Need to Know About Backing Up iTunes and What’s Next for Apple Music and Other Media

Many iTunes users were shocked on June 3 when Apple announced that iTunes would be phased out. First things first: the iTunes store won’t be going away. All of the music people have bought from the store will still be there.

What is Apple actually doing with iTunes?

Because people are increasingly streaming, not downloading, Apple is breaking the iTunes store up into separate segments for music, podcasts, and video/television. Each of the media will have its own app on the Catalina Mac OS.

What iTunes apps will be affected?

The iTunes store will still be available as a music store. The other media, including video/TV and podcasts are being spun off.

The new iTunes store will be more closely aligned with Apple’s streaming music service. Apple is looking to rebrand itself as a streaming entertainment service. Other streaming content Apple is either developing or currently offering include Apple Music (streaming), a new TV streaming service, and a magazine subscription service.

What will I do to save my iTunes library?

First, the change affects desktop computers only. If you’re using iTunes on any other device, it won’t change. Second, the change will only affect you if you’re upgrading to macOS 10.15 Catalina.

Apple’s iTunes change is intended to conform the way digital media is stored on desktops with all other devices. If you are upgrading to macOS 10.15 Catalina, after the change, you will locate your iTunes library using Finder.

If you look at one of your mobile devices, you can see what will happen – the format on your desktop in macOS 10.15 Catalina will be similar to the format for media libraries on the iPhone or iPad. Mobile IOS devices have apps for Music, Videos, and Podcasts.

What if I can’t find the iTunes store?

The iTunes store on a desktop or laptop will be located in a sidebar within Apple Music. You can use the sidebar the same way you have always used it. Individual songs and albums will continue to be available for purchase and download.

How can I make sure my iTunes library is backed up?

You can back up your Mac using Time Machine. Your iTunes library will be backed up automatically as long as the library is included and it’s a full Mac backup.

If you want to use Time Machine to store a copy of the library outside Apple storage, connect a storage device to your Mac. When Time Machine prompts, choose the device as the backup disk.

If you only want to back up your iTunes music, not your whole computer, make sure that your iTunes music is on the local computer.

If there are any songs you’re concerned you may have missed, choose the Account menu at the top of your iTunes screen, then choose “Purchased” and “Music.” Re-download the songs you want to make sure you have saved.

Next, you need to organize and consolidate your library. Click “File” on the top of the iTunes screen. Choose “Library,” then “Organize Library.” At that point, pick the first option: “Consolidate files.”

This puts your files together and keeps them organized while also leaving originals in place.

You can then use the consolidated iTunes Media folder to make a backup onto any external drive or memory device.

Apple’s support page on how to back up and restore your iTunes library can also help guide you through the process.

ITunes isn’t really going away and neither will your downloaded and purchased music. Apple is just adding streaming capabilities for music, videos, podcasts, and television. Look for the changes this fall when Apple releases Mac OS Catalina. If you won’t be upgrading to the new operating system, you will not notice any changes at all on your Mac, MacBook, iMac or Mac Pro.

July 5, 2019July 4, 2019

What Is The CMO’s Role In IT For 2020 And Beyond?

The role of the CMO has changed dramatically in recent years, and the push for more integration of marketing and technology shows no signs of stopping. With 2020 just around the corner, it is worthwhile to look more closely at how CMOs are doing their jobs today—and what the future holds for those serving as chief marketing officers.

The lines between marketing and IT continue to blur, which means CMOs and CIOs are going to be getting closer and closer as time goes on. By integrating areas of expertise when necessary, CMOs and CIOs can both benefit from the changes that are coming in the future. Each will still need to be the best at what they do, but CMOs can certainly learn from their interactions with CIOs and vice versa.

Change is a Part of the Job for CMOs

It was not that long ago that CMOs focused exclusively on marketing. They were tasked with developing advertising campaigns, connecting with customers and establishing brands. The evidence of their effectiveness in these areas is all around—just look at the many brands that are household names. But in the past decade, information technology has moved along at a rapid clip and become incorporated in the public landscape in ways that no one would have predicted 30 years ago. Big data, AI, social media—the world has changed significantly, and the role of the CMO has had to change along with it.

Today, CMOs are as involved in technology as they are in marketing. They really do not have a choice in the matter. The way that companies interact with their customers is dictated by a variety of ubiquitous technology platforms that seem to be here to stay. And even if the big players today fail to hold their top positions, it is almost certain that others will move in to fill in the gaps. The end result is that technology is just a part of life for most people—and those people are the customers that CMOs need to reach. Doing so will likely always require a deft touch with technology from now on.

Developing a CMO/CIO Relationship for the Future

Just a few decades ago, the main interactions between CMOs and CIOs centered on very specific needs. Fixing computers, installing software, handling antivirus programs—when the marketing team had tech issues with their hardware or software, they got help from the IT department. It was unlikely that the CMO and CIO would hang out and talk about marketing technology strategy because the marketing technologies that were available were few and far between.

Now, though, CMOs need the help of CIOs for a large portion of their work. CMOs need to leverage tech to reach customers and establish branding, and CIOs are still the leaders in the technology sphere for businesses. While CMOs can gain some substantial proficiency with marketing technology or martech, they are unlikely to be as technologically proficient as CIOs. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, CMOs look to CIOs to help them take full advantage of the technology tools at their disposal.

The developing of a close working relationship between CMOs and CIOs is going to be a major pillar of the business world in 2020 and beyond. While each executive will have their own sphere of responsibilities and expectations, those spheres will overlap in significant ways. Both need the business to succeed, and both need each other to make that happen.

What CMOs Will Be Doing in 2020 and Beyond

CMOs in the coming years are going to be tasked with performing the responsibilities of a marketing leader while also leveraging whatever technologies are available to achieve optimal results. If that sounds like a lot to take on for one person, that’s because it is. This is why CMOs are not going to be going it alone like they may have once done. They are going to require the assistance of skilled professionals who know how to provide the support necessary to achieve company objectives.

In practice, the role the CMO will play will be one founded in collaboration. The CMO will have company objectives to achieve and marketing objectives that will dictate the actions of the department. Making progress towards those objectives will require using various technologies to gather data, analyze data, communicate with customers, and predict future trends and more. Choosing which tech to use and how to use it to achieve business objectives is where the insight of CIOs will prove pivotal, which is why CMOs will be cooperating with CIOs regularly.

One of the most exciting developments for both CMOs and CIOs will be the development of cross-department expertise on both sides of the relationship. CMOs will know more about how CIOs think and what they need, while CIOs will gain a clearer understanding of how to help CMOs achieve marketing objectives. Eventually, each will be able to offer suggestions and insights that might never have developed without working together regularly. CMOs and CIOs are likely to become greater than the sum of each position, which could bring about even more substantial changes in how businesses operate and interact with consumers.

July 5, 2019

How to Password Protect an App on Your Android Device

Have you ever wanted to put access to certain apps on your phone or tablet under an extra layer of security? There are all sorts of reasons people might want this. Maybe you want to share your phone with a child, but you don’t want little Johnny messing with work apps or your grown-up Netflix account. As another example, maybe you want to let a fellow salesperson review a presentation on your phone without having access to your contacts and sales leads. Some people may have sensitive chats that they want to keep safe from inquisitive eyes, too.

Whatever your reason for wanting to protect certain specific apps, we have good news and bad. First, the good: On Android, there’s an app (or 3) for that! The bad news: there really isn’t any kind of equivalent function on Apple beyond the content restrictions found in Screen Time. If this is something you want to do, you’ll need an Android Device.

How to Password Protect Individual Apps on Android Devices

Password protecting individual apps isn’t something that you can do natively on Android phones. In other words, the functionality is not a standard feature that’s part of the operating system. That said, there is a way to add this functionality. You just need to download the right app.

Step 1: Download AppLock by SuperTools

The first step is to download an effective app-locking app from the Google Play store. There are several to choose from. We recommend AppLock – fingerprint lock & phone cleaner, by SuperTools.

Remember that the Google Play store has plenty of lookalike and copycat apps. If you search for an app protector app, make sure you select this one or another that has very strong reviews.

Install the app, then click OPEN once it’s installed.

Step 2: Set an AppLock Passcode

Once you open AppLock, you’ll be greeted with a landing screen with a big START button. Tap it. The next screen prompts you to create a new password. Don’t be fooled if this screen looks like your Android login screen! It’s something different entirely. This is where you create the password you want to use to access your password-locked apps.

Pick something you can remember but that’s different from your phone’s main lock code. Otherwise, you’re more or less defeating the purpose of this added security. If your kid or your coworker knows your main password, he or she can just guess that same password when trying to access a sensitive app and bingo, they’re in.

When you finish setting up your passcode, you’ll get a couple screens asking if you want to give AppLocker permission to draw over other apps. Set this to Allow/enable/permit, whatever your version of Android calls it. You may need to do this in 2 consecutive screens.

Step 3: More Configuration

Once you’ve taken care of your permissions settings, head back over to the AppLocker app. You should see a list of other apps. Find the ones that you want to lock and click the icon on the right that looks like an open padlock. It will change to a colored, closed padlock when you tap it.

Once you’ve selected all the apps that you intend to lock, click the LOCK button at the bottom.

Step 4: Test It Out

Now that you’ve configured your AppLocker app, it’s time to test it out. Exit to your main screen and open an app that you’ve locked. You should see a secondary login screen with the app’s icon at the top. Enter the passcode you created earlier, and you’re good to go.

Wrap-Up

Adding an app locker to your Android device is a simple way to add an extra layer of security. You’ll gain the freedom to share your device with more people knowing that your sensitive apps are protected.

July 4, 2019

Windows Server 2019: How the Newest Features Influence the Way You do Business

At the end of 2018, Microsoft released the newest version of Windows Server, launching their small to medium business customers into an unexpected dilemma. A new era had arrived. Windows Server 2019, much like previous iterations, has three different editions geared toward every business type from small to enterprise. While the editions for large businesses—Datacenter and Standard—have some great upgrades from the previous version, Windows Server 2019 Essentials for small to medium businesses was massively downsized, leaving business owners to wonder about their future with Windows Server.

Windows Server 2019 and 2016: How do they compare?

What are the newest features of Windows Server Essentials? The 2019 server operating system for small businesses does not really offer anything new as much as it does away with the key features that were part of the 2016 edition; features that businesses have come to expect. In appearance, it is much like the 2016 version. It provides a small business solution as an Active Directory domain controller, and a single license includes Client Access Licenses for 25 users and 50 devices.

So what features are no longer available? One of the biggest changes to Windows Server 2019 Essentials is the removal of the Essentials Experience Role, taking with it the Administrative Dashboard, Client backup, and Remote Web Access. For businesses that depend on RWA—which is the majority—this change limits their ability to provide network access for offsite employees. Accessing the server, your desktop, and your files remotely is no longer an option. Essentials 2019 also no longer supports Office 356 integration tools. The loss of these features can have a huge impact on businesses that—for years—have depended on Windows Server to provide their on-premise server needs. However, the new face of Windows Server is not the only thing to consider before updating your software. Microsoft also announced that Windows Server 2019 Essentials may be their very last iteration of this software for small businesses.

Alternative Solutions to Windows Server 2019

For businesses using Windows Server 2016 Essentials, one solution is to continue using that license until the software becomes obsolete. Rather than upgrade to the 2019 edition, consider using Essentials 2016 for as long as possible, while also researching next steps for the day when Microsoft no longer supports that version. Another option is to upgrade to the Standard edition of the 2019 server, which makes sense if your business is growing at a pace that would require greater capacity in the near future.

If, however, you have already upgraded to Windows Server 2019 Essentials, Microsoft does offer solutions for navigating the lost features. In place of the Administrative Dashboard, look to Windows Admin Center, a free, locally-deployed app that allows you to manage your server, computers, and network with considerable ease. Also, with the Azure Active Directory connect option, businesses can access—for a fee—some of Microsoft’s cloud services while still maintaining an onsite server.

Ultimately, Microsoft is encouraging small businesses to consider moving entirely to a cloud-based service, namely Microsoft 365 or Microsoft 365 Business. For businesses that require dependable remote access and collaboration, this could be an ideal solution. Microsoft 365 includes the complete Office 365 suite of productivity tools and apps, security and mobility solutions, and Windows 10. Switching to a cloud-based solution could also be a helpful option for businesses with little or no IT support. Moving your business to a cloud platform means your security, systems and support are all built in.

Changes in the IT landscape can be difficult to navigate, especially if your business has depended upon a platform or service that has worked well for many years. While these changes can be frustrating at times, the constant developments of technology—when embraced—can also provide upgrades and solutions for your business that increase productivity, improve security, and help you navigate change for years to come.

July 4, 2019

What Are the Chief Benefits of Cloud Computing?

Chances are, you already use cloud computing in your personal life with applications such as Facebook, Gmail, and Dropbox. But what about your business?

According to a recent study, 31% of companies still don’t use cloud computing to organize and operate their business. Although some of these companies stated they plan to implement cloud computing at some point in the future, this still leaves a large margin of businesses who are, dare we say, living in the dark ages of information technology.

Numerous misconceptions about cloud computing are usually to blame for this. Ahead, we’ll dismantle these concerns by detailing the most potent benefits of using cloud computing in your business or organization.

Top Benefits of Cloud Computing

1. Access From Anywhere

One of the most useful benefits of the cloud is the ability to access your company’s data, software, applications, and more from anywhere in the world. As long as you have an Internet connection, you’ll be able to access the cloud.

For certain businesses, this provides the ability to hire remote workers. Employees, likewise, generally enjoy the ability to work from home or remotely at their leisure. On business trips, huge amounts of equipment aren’t necessary when all necessary data and services can be accessed via any WiFi connection.

2. Always-Up-to-Date Software

Many programs that your business may require will need occasional (or seemingly daily) software updates to continue to run properly. Instead of having to allow and wait for these updates every time you log on to your computer or an individual program, cloud-based software automatically updates and refreshes (unless you tell it not to).

For employees and your entire business, this means valuable time saved. Furthermore, as a result, fewer IT resources and in-house specialists are required to oversee updates and server maintenance.

3. Loss Prevention & Reliable Backup Protection

With cloud-based storage and computing, much less data will be lost from careless errors, computer glitches, or malicious software (malware). Furthermore, in the event of an emergency, cloud-based storage allows for immediate backups to be procured and implemented.

Formerly, backing up entire collections of data and programs would take an immense amount of time and take up valuable space. As a result, many companies did not perform routine data backups and were thusly in big trouble when problems would inevitably arrive.

4. Added Security

Security is a major issue when it comes to cloud-based storage and cloud computing as many company heads and managers falsely believe that the cloud is more susceptible to security problems than in-house data storage on servers.

Actually, cloud security is extremely effective and robust. That’s because maintaining adequate security is one of the most important responsibilities that a cloud host has. Likely no one is more efficient at security than the leading cloud hosts.

Furthermore, many security issues actually arise from internal theft. In these situations, off-site data storage is much more effective than on-site server storage.

5. Saved IT Costs

While it is true that switching from in-house data storage to a cloud-based data storage system does come with an initial price tag, the long-term cost benefits of this switch will surely be in your favor. In fact, cloud computing comes with a huge return on investment (ROI) across the board.

For example, starting any new project, backing up your data, and implementing new services and programs can all be completed much more easily with the cloud. Of course, in this way, easier means cheaper.

Instead of having to install important programs and applications on all of your employees’ computers, for instance, the cloud enables you to purchase one cloud subscription for everyone. Within reason, no matter the device, no matter the location, your employees (or clients, customers, etc.) will always be able to access the services of that program as well as up-to-date data.

Furthermore, you only have to pay for the cloud storage you actually need. If you’ll simply be backing up files and keeping inventory information on the cloud, for example, you won’t need to pay for the larger amount of space that might be required to store massive amounts of sensitive data. The price tag of your cloud services will always be catered to your unique needs.

If your company or organization hasn’t made the switch from in-house servers to the cloud yet, consider it a must for your 2019 to-do list. As the business world moves further and further toward complete cloud and Internet reliance, your business will certainly go the way of the dinosaur if you’re not on board.

July 3, 2019

How to Keep Your Business Safe From the Dark Web

Assassins for hire, drugs by mail order, and fake passports: What do all these things have in common?

You can find them all on the dark web.

“Okay …” you may be thinking, “Sounds like a blast — but how does this affect me and my business?”

Well, most likely, you’re not surfing the dark web for fake travel documents and drugs by mail. But as it turns out, the dark web can affect you and your business. Most notably, your information can end up there — and that’s exactly where you don’t to find it.

Below, we’ll learn more about what the dark web is, how it came into existence, and how you can protect your business from the trouble that lurks there.

First Thing’s First: What Is the Dark Web?

The dark web began much more innocently than one might assume. In fact, at its very beginning in the late 1990s, it was the brainchild of a government entity, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL).

The NRL’s main goal was to cloak their online presence, effectively protecting their clandestine communications online while also anonymously monitoring the world market and getting access to hidden data without a trace. The software development stage went by the name The Onion Routing Project and resulted in the creation of Tor (The Onion Router).

Whether you’d call these beginnings “innocent” or not, to be sure, the NRL never anticipated their creation to morph into the toxic netherworld it is today. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the software was for government use only, but in 2004, it was open-sourced and went public, effectively creating an anonymous web browser for anyone and everyone to use.

What Is Tor?

Tor or The Onion Router is the software program used by the dark web. Normally, when you surf the web, you can be traced wherever you go because you always have an IP address trailing your clicks and searches.

Tor facilitates an Internet browser that messes with your device’s IP address, effectively enabling you to travel around the Internet anonymously. It does this by bouncing your IP address to a multitude of diverse locations. As a result, if someone were to attempt to track your site visits when you were using Tor, it would be an impossible challenge to pinpoint your exact location. For Tor to work, individuals from around the world “donate” their Internet browsing devices (computers, tablets, etc.) so that the bouncing IP addresses have more places to land.

So, the Dark Web Provides Anonymity and Privacy – How Does That Put My Business at Risk?

While Tor and the dark web can be used for good (namely, identity protection, which is often beneficial to whistleblowers or journalists, for example), it can also protect criminals. And it does protect criminals — lots of them.

Cybercrime is the number one thing going on on the dark web, and unless you have good reason to require the benefits of The Onion Router, the dark web is definitely not a place you want to find your information. This is what we mean by being wary of your business getting mixed up with the dark web.

There are numerous threats that the dark web poses to businesses of various sizes, industries, and backgrounds. This is where cybercriminals can learn how to obtain information such as access codes and passwords, credit card information, gift card information, customer data, and more. It’s also where they can sell such information to third parties who can then do with it what they please.

In other words, you should want to know the moment your company name, address, or other company-related information is noticed on the dark web because what happens next is bound to be bad.

How Can Businesses Protect Themselves From the Dark Web?

Essentially, you can protect your business from the dark web by doing two things: Ensuring a strong setup of cyber privacy practices (hiring a cybersecurity-savvy IT company) and monitoring the dark web so that you’re notified the moment your information is found there.

The latter can be a part of the services you outsource to your IT company because actual dark web monitoring involves getting dark web access and knowing how to accumulate, parse, normalize, validate, refine, and enrich what you acquire. If you don’t know how to do that yourself, professionals can come to your aid.

While the dark web may be a place that helps good journalists and few others stay hidden and anonymous, it’s predominantly a place of crime and misdeeds. Keep your business safe from the dark web by knowing the risks and taking the appropriate precautions.

July 3, 2019

Acquiring A New Business? Check Their Cybersecurity Posture

Buying a company is no small undertaking, even if the company is considered “small” by industry standards. Due diligence is a huge part of the process. Anyone considering purchasing business must review a whole host of issues with the company to ensure that they are making a good decision. Things like accounts receivable, market position, and vendor relationships should all be considered, just to name a few.

Potential buyers sometimes get so caught up in the financial side of purchasing a business that they may overlook a company’s technology, including their cybersecurity and related issues. Sometimes a business’s technology can end up having a huge impact on whether it will be viable moving forward.

5 Must-Ask Questions Regarding Cybersecurity When Purchasing a Business

There is a tendency to avoid taking an in-depth look at cybersecurity when purchasing a company because threats vary so significantly over time. In fact, something that was not a threat the day that negotiations began may be a serious concern on the date of the sale. It is tempting to just review cybersecurity after the fact because of these unique challenges. However, there should at least be some investigation into potential problem areas with cybersecurity long before the sale.

Below are a few questions to consider while working through the due diligence process.

What are the company’s significant digital assets?

Digital assets are sometimes overlooked not only in terms of value for a company but also for security purposes. Knowing what potential assets need protection, how important they are to the company, and the ramifications, if that information is released to others, is an essential first step in assessing cybersecurity risk.

Has the company been a victim of previous breaches?

Data breaches can result in serious problems with a company’s reputation and revenue stream. However, they can also signify a bigger security problem as well. Ask whether there have been any breaches and how they were addressed or corrected.

Can the company bounce back after a cyber attack?

Some companies are so dependent on their technology that a breach could result in a complete failure of the business. Consider what a security breach will do a company from a variety of angles—from small, minor breaches, to serious breaches that affect virtually every aspect of the business. Is there a way to stop breaches once they start? What protocols are in place to deal with a breach?

Is the business compliant with industry-standard cybersecurity?

Every industry has its own requirements or minimum standards for security. A financial business, for example, is likely going to have higher standards than the average manufacturing company. Is the company following at least the lowest benchmarks? Are there legal compliance requirements that must be met? If there is some misalignment with requirements, what are the consequences of failing to comply? How difficult will it be to change the company to ensure that it complies?

What policies are in place or what software is used regarding cybersecurity?

Some companies, especially smaller ones, do not have much of anything implemented in the way of security. They may have a simple virus protection program, for example, when they should be using higher level encryption. Take an inventory of everything that is used within the business and have it reviewed by a professional who knows the types of security that this type of company should really have in place—do not assume that the previous owner was doing things correctly.

One of the Biggest Threats: Employees and Cybersecurity

Perhaps one of the most significant threats to cybersecurity are actually the employees within a company. In fact, employee negligence is one of the biggest cybersecurity risks for many companies.

All of the protocols and tools in the world cannot protect against employees who do not care or are not adequately trained on protocols regarding cybersecurity. A company’s culture regarding cybersecurity and willingness to make changes is a huge part of whether a company can adapt to operate safely in the future.

Surveying current employees regarding their willingness to make changes and their current standards can go a long way in understanding several things, including:

What current policies and procedures are in place
What training they have done or are required to do as a part of their employment
Whether employees are following those procedures (or even know about them)
Whether employees will be willing to make changes to increase security down the road

Resistance to change requires more than just purchasing software—it requires leadership and training that can take a significant amount of time and effort.

July 2, 2019

Why Security Awareness Training Makes Sense for Your Small Business

Your small business needs a cybersecurity strategy, but beyond that, it also needs security awareness training. These two areas are not one and the same. There are important, distinct differences.

The Importance of a Cyber Security Strategy

First, let’s talk about cybersecurity in general. By now you likely understand the importance of cybersecurity for your small business. If not, here’s a brief overview. Joe Galvin, chief research officer for Vistage, writes over at Inc. on some of his firm’s recent research. 62% of small and medium firms admit to having an out-of-date, inactive, or nonexistent cybersecurity strategy.

This is highly problematic, he says, because small and medium businesses are huge targets for cybercriminals. These companies tend to have weaker security and less skilled security personnel (if they have any security personnel) than larger companies do. Yet they often store huge treasure troves of valuable data, like credit card numbers and other personally identifiable information.

Cybercriminals see this as a win-win. Security is lower and easier to beat, and the data available is often just as valuable as what they could get going after a bigger company.

Further, the stakes are so much higher than just a momentary loss of productivity. Many firms that undergo a cyber attack never recover and are out of business within a year.

Clearly, cybersecurity is of utmost importance for small businesses like yours.

The Importance of Security Awareness

Cybersecurity is important, yes. However, the best, most robust, most secure cybersecurity plan won’t protect you from your most dangerous threat: your own employees. That’s a blunt and surprising statement, but bear with us.

You need to be protected against traditional, “movie style” hacking, where bad actors infiltrate your systems from some faraway location. That is a real thing, certainly (though we can’t say it looks anything like it does on TV). It’s just not as common (or as easy to do) as the movies suggest.

In the real world, most of the cyber threats you’ll encounter don’t look like the movies. Instead, they look more like phishing and social engineering. That’s where security awareness training comes in.

What’s the Difference?

We’re arguing that both a cybersecurity strategy and security awareness training are essential for your small business. In case it’s not clear yet quite what the difference is between the two, we’ll restate it this way. Security awareness training handles the human component, while your cybersecurity strategy covers the digital component. Both are important, but they follow very different processes.

What Security Awareness Training Looks Like

Security awareness training can take a few different forms. Some security awareness training is done online. Your employees read materials or watch static videos, then they take assessments to gauge what they have learned.

The convenience factor with this method is nice: employees can work at their own pace and at any time of the workday. There are some trade-offs with this method, too. The training can be a bit stuffy, and it’s not interactive. If employees need help or clarification, it’s hard to get it. Hands-on learners may struggle with this method, too.

Some companies also offer a hybrid approach, where static courses are combined with live webinar-style classes. Some employees will benefit from the immediacy of a live teacher, but the trade-off there is that all employees must be present at the same time.

Some companies also offer live, on-site instruction, either as a standalone or as a premium add-on to their basic package. This can be a great option for single-location organizations.

Available Courses

A firm that specializes in security awareness training won’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. As your organization grows in complexity, varying business areas may need differing instruction. Certainly, some fields have specific, unique needs, too. Organizations that work in the health care orbit will have HIPAA rules to contend with, while those in education or finance will have their own.

Some firms offer 50 or more different courses as a part of their security awareness training protocols. Make sure that the providers you consider have courses that fit the needs of your business and industry.

Cost of Security Awareness Training

The cost of security awareness training varies based on many factors. The number of users receiving training is often the starting point. $1000 per year for an organization with 50 employees is a common starting point, but understand that program customizations and add-ons can increase this figure.

Other factors influencing costs include industry requirements, languages needed, and whether certification is desired. The number of courses each user takes may also affect cost.

Ask the providers that you are considering for a custom quote that breaks down the costs you can expect to see and which services those costs are associated with.

Conclusion

Having a cyber security plan and providing security awareness training are two vital components to your business’s digital security strategy. If you’re ready to explore what security awareness training should look like in your business, contact us today.

July 2, 2019

5 Social Media Mistakes Businesses Must Avoid Making

Social media is an incredible chance for your brand to interact directly with your audience and grow it even further. If you’re not able to manage your social media marketing properly however, you’ll simply waste time and resources, or worse, actually harm your brand’s reputation. Here are five key social media marketing mistakes that your business must avoid at all costs:

1. Discussing Hot-Button Topics

Some topics, especially political and religious ones, are simply not worth bringing up. This is especially true in today’s divisive political environment. You’ll end up dividing your audience and perhaps even bringing negative attention onto your brand. It’s better to avoid these issues altogether and playing it a bit safer with your choice of topics.

2. Winging It

Social media marketing is the same as any other digital marketing strategy. You need to know what you want to get from it. If you don’t have specific goals for your social media strategies, you’ll never know exactly what to do or when they’re successful. Take the time to think about what you really want from each social media platform, and brainstorm about what you must do to get there.

3. Posting For the Sake of It

Research has found that the number of social media posts you need to be making on a daily and weekly basis is quite frequent in order to truly engage with and grow your audience. On Twitter, for example, you may need to Tweet up to 15 times per day. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to simply fire out meaningless Tweets all day to keep your numbers up. Each post needs to be meaningful and engaging. If you’re just posting low-quality content over and over again to meet a minimum criteria, your audience is going to see through it and will most likely unsubscribe. It’s important to post frequently, but only as often as you have something important to say. You cannot forego quality for the sake of quantity.

4. Treating All Platforms the Same

It’s likely that you have a presence on a wide variety of social media platforms. At the very least, Facebook and Twitter, and then probably a couple out of Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, etc. The problem is when you treat all social media platforms the same. The average audience on Facebook and Twitter are much different. People use Instagram differently than they use Pinterest. If you want to truly thrive on social media, you need to understand each platform and what your audience is looking for on it. If you’re struggling to do that, you may want to focus on establishing a strong presence on just one or two platforms at a time.

5. Ignoring Negative Activity

It’s critical that you don’t get defensive on social media, but you cannot simply let negative feedback go unanswered. Not only does it further harm the relationship between you and the individual complaining, but it also adds some legitimacy to the complaint for everybody else to see. After all, if you had a reasonable response to the complaint, why wouldn’t your company voice it? Make sure that you have dedicated customer service resources handling your social media comments in a professional, expedient manner.

By avoiding the key social media marketing mistakes listed above, your business will be in a great position to not only survive on social media platforms, but thrive on them. Your audience will be engaged and energized, and you’ll reach more people than you ever thought possible!