Stuart Crawford – Page 64 – Ulistic Projects Blog

March 4, 2019February 16, 2019

Inside The Anatomy Of The Human Firewall

Human Firewall

Each year, around 61% of small businesses become the victims of a malware attack. While many small businesses may think no one would ever come after them because of their size, know that over half of the total global attacks hit small businesses and, for thieves, getting access to your systems is becoming increasingly lucrative.

We’re collecting more about customers than ever before: medical history, financial records, consumer preferences, payment information, and other confidential information. Some of this information could be used in malicious ways to either harm your business or directly harm the customers, so we all understand that we must protect it from cyberattacks.

Creating a human firewall is the best way to keep your system and data safe, but what exactly is a human firewall, why do you need one, and how can you build one? Let’s take a look!

What is a Human Firewall?

You already know about a “normal“ firewall that acts as a technology shield, protecting your primary systems and sensitive customer data from outside threats like viruses, malware, ransomware, and the like. Protecting your systems with a technology firewall is an important major step to protect your business and customers, but even the most advanced firewalls can be breached because people you trust, your employees, need access to that data in some capacity, putting customer data at risk.

For a timely example, we can look the public relations nightmare that Facebook has endured over the past two years with scandal after scandal related to how they protect the massive amounts of data they collect on users. In some cases, the data breaches have been related to flaws in the technology; in other cases, people who were in positions to legally access that data made what some consider poor decisions that put Facebook user data at risk.

A human firewall addresses the second part of this. It focuses on risk awareness, training, and monitoring among employees. It ensures that people and technology effectively work together to safeguard critical systems and consumer data.

How Do Humans Increase Your Risk?

If you have a firewall, you may be wondering, how can your employees put data protected by a firewall at risk? Several types of malicious hackers exploit the weakest link in these scenarios and the weakest link, in this case, is the human. They employ strategies that innocuously coax employees into helping them breach your firewall.

How do they do it? Let’s look at six common strategies.

Scenario One: Basic Phishing Scam

You get an email that appears to be from your boss’ boss and it sounds urgent. They say that your boss is not available to help them and they ask you to click on a link and log into a work program that gives you access to customer information. You click the link and it takes you to a page that looks exactly like your workstation login page.

An employee is caught between a rock and a hard place. It sounds urgent and they could be fired if they don’t help their boss’ boss. Because they’ve been told their own boss is not available, they can’t check this out. How many of your employees do you think would comply to avoid getting in trouble? That’s exactly why this scheme or something similar to it is so effective.

Scenario Two: Spear Phishing Scam

You get an email that says, “Hi, {your name}, here’s the file I promised I’d send you earlier this month. I know you’ll find these reports invaluable as a {Job Title}. Let me know how they work for you.“. It comes from someone who appears to work in your company or a company that your department often works with, making the email seem valid and trustworthy.

Do you open the file? If you decided to open the file, it just downloaded malicious key-tracking software onto your computer which can now see everything you type, including all of your passwords or it may go further, infecting your computer and those of your co-workers, overtaking your network and stealing data.

Scenario Three: Ransomware

A malicious entity used one of these or thousands of other strategies to leverage human error in order to breach your system. They’ve locked down all of your servers through encryption so that you can’t access any customer data.

They tell you via a message on the computer screen that you have three hours to pay them $1000 in cryptocurrency or they will completely wipe out all of your customer data. Not unsurprisingly, many businesses choose to pay the relatively low ransom rather than lose priceless customer information. This fuels the prevalence of these attacks and increases the chance that a business that previously paid will get hit again. They may or may not regain access after paying.

Scenario Four: 3rd Party Software

An employee unknowingly installs 3rd party software that promises to make program X that they use for work easier to use by auto-populating certain fields. They give the software access to the system. Not all 3rd party software is malicious but any 3rd party software can put your data at risk. An expert should review all such software before anything is installed.

Scenario Five: Delayed Update

Companies like Microsoft, Google, and other big names are constantly being attacked as thieves who look for vulnerabilities in their software that they can use to attack the millions of people who use these softwares. When a company becomes aware of a new breach in their software, they create and send a patch to all of their subscribers, but often each user must download the patch to become protected. The normal human tendency to put things off can leave patches uninstalled for months, leaving you at risk longer than you should have been.

Scenario Six: Password Sharing

You have an employee who has trouble remembering passwords (That’s most people!), so they use the same password everywhere, including low-security websites they visit at home. How difficult do you think it would be for a malicious entity to figure out what password they use for your work systems?

You can tell people all day long not to share passwords, but because it’s hard for you to monitor, they’re on the “honor system“. How many employees really feel invested enough to always follow security rules when they think no one is watching? Well, let’s take a look by exploring just how successful attacks like these continue to be.

Why Do You Need a Human Firewall?

The average phishing scheme costs a mid-size business $1.6 million in damages. 76% of businesses say they were targeted with at least one phishing attempt last year. A Verizon study found that 30% of phishing emails get opened by employees and 12% of those employees click the link.

A single Ransomware attack costs a business $2500 per attack on average. If you’re a large corporation you can expect that amount to go up exponentially. This may not seem like much, but if you pay, you better believe they’ll keep coming after you again and again until you put a stop to it. And if the thief has even fewer scruples, they could take the money and then not un-encrypt customer data. That would cost the average business much more and if that information isn’t backed up a business could lose everything.

Recently, a Ransomware called “WannaCry“ completely shut down the single health system in the UK plus a major transportation company in the U.S. as it infected 200,000 computers in 150 countries. While many people refused to pay, the thieves walked away with $130,000. The damages incurred by those attacked by this one event are believed to have exceeded $4 billion when you factor in lost customers, delays, lost sales, and inability to service existing customers.

Ransomware attacks have proven very profitable for the thieves and have therefore increased worldwide by 350%. We have to protect our data and the human component must be part of that solution. Let’s explore the anatomy of a human firewall.

How to Build a Human Firewall Step by Step

A human firewall consists of five parts. No single part can stand alone. Only by taking an integrative and comprehensive approach can you protect your business and your customers.

1. Make Employees Feel Personally Invested in Security

Get people engaged in active security by helping them understand not just what the threats are but why security is so important and what an attack could cost the company, employees and customers.

For example:

Customers could be victims of identity theft
The company could become no longer financially viable (go bankrupt)
The reputation of the company may not recover
People may lose their jobs

Share these risks in ways that they don’t seem over-sensationalized as that could have the opposite intended effect. Encourage employees to stay alert to possible threats to protect customer data, each other and the company. Often positive peer pressure can psychologically help employees stay more engaged so look for ways to publicly, positively reinforce the right behaviors.

2. Inform & Educate

First, realize that there is no such thing as common sense. If an employee has never been exposed to a certain type of threat you can’t expect them to know that there is a threat so education that goes into specifics about types of threats is critical.

Create a security handbook for employees and update it at least annually. Cover your human security protocols thoroughly, but keep it short and use visuals as much as possible. People often remember pictures and graphics more than words.

Hold at least an annual security training. Remind employees about what’s in the manual and reiterate why it’s important.

Use online trainings, videos, quizzes, group games, or other more interactive tools to make security protocol more memorable and even fun.

Fast learning can also mean fast forgetting, so spread training and information throughout the year to enhance retention. This helps security stay top-of-mind all year long and with the interactive, personalized, and user-driven tutorials that you have available to you today, training can always take place at the best times and in the shortest amount of time to reduce its impact on productivity.

3. Build and Maintain an IT Infrastructure

Today more than ever humans and technology work together to get things done, so make sure that technology supports your human firewall in any way it can. If your employees feel that the technology that you put in place or leave in place makes it harder to do their jobs, they will create workarounds that put data at risk. Build and maintain an infrastructure that puts usability at the forefront and facilitates compliant activity.

4. Measure & Monitor

Any human firewall is only as effective as your ability to systematically measure its success. Put systems in place to:

Track compliance with password changes, installing patches, completing training, not posting sensitive data on public forums, not using private email of company business, etc.
Assess risk
Get feedback from employees on unknown risks
Evaluate employee retention of what they’ve learned
Measure employee perception of security measures, which can help you understand how invested they are in security and how well technology balances security and usability
Identify malicious or careless activity among employees

5. Adapt to New Threats

While many threats persist year after year, thieves are constantly looking for new ways to get into your systems. It’s important to stay informed and/or work with people who are very informed about these threats and know how to build, implement and monitor both the technology and the human side of your firewall.

The Anatomy of the Human Firewall

By applying these techniques you can build a human firewall that protects your business and customers. Don’t just assume that your employees are invested in security or know what you do. Build a human firewall today.

March 4, 2019

The Ultimate Small Business Owner’s Guide to Ransomware

Your employee innocently clicks a link within an email or visits a sketchy website and the next thing you know your digital assets are being held hostage by a cyber attacker. It only takes a few keystrokes to cause potentially irrevocable damage to your systems, and hackers are always looking for new victims. With ransomware, you may be able to regain full access to your files and other digital assets — but at what cost to your business? No size of business is immune to cybersecurity assaults, and ransomware is on the rise in small businesses. In this Ultimate Small Business Owner’s Guide to Ransomware, you’ll learn more about the threat, tips to protect your business and suggestions on how to recover after your business has been infiltrated.

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a specific type of malware that results in you losing access to your digital assets until a ransom is paid to the attacker. The assumption is that as soon as you have paid the cybercriminal, you’ll regain access to your information — but there is no guarantee that hackers will unlock your files after payment. The loss of access to your information and business systems can be crippling for your business, sending productivity into a downward spiral and frustrating customers and vendors alike. The faster you or your IT security provider are able to react, the more you will be able to limit the damage done to your organization and reputation due to ransomware. The three primary types of ransomware are:

Data encryption or fundamentally changing the format of your files
Programs that hijack your desktop files and require payment to unlock them
Mobile ransomware that prompts you with payment instructions

Each type of ransomware presents particular challenges for your organization.

Dangers of Ransomware

Aside from losing access to your files, your business may effectively be at a standstill with a widespread ransomware attack. Computer and phone systems, your website, your email servers — all are interconnected and can be vulnerable to this type of aggressive malware. Today’s data and technology platforms are often tied tightly together which expands the reach of a particularly malevolent attack. The effects can be far-reaching, from an inability of customers to place orders or check order status to causing your automated production lines to grind to a halt. Until you are able to regain access to your data and files, your business may be relying only on printed information. This is particularly damaging when you consider how many of today’s offices are going paperless.

How is Ransomware Spread?

Ransomware is spread in a variety of ways, but the most common is through someone clicking a link within an email or visiting an infected website. These back doors to your systems provide hackers with easy access to business-critical systems and information, allowing them to virtually lock the door to your digital assets. Social engineering is another way that unsuspecting staff members are tempted to provide the keys to the virtual kingdom. Hackers are becoming extremely deft at using information stored on social networks to create ads or messages that seem to be from trusted colleagues — yet lead to malware.

Are Small Businesses Vulnerable to Ransomware?

You may think that only larger businesses with deep coffers would be tempting to cybercriminals, but small businesses are considered quite vulnerable and may be ideal targets for a quick attack. Small business owners are often lulled into having a false sense of security thinking that they are too small to be a target. A 2018 data security report by Verizon shows that 58% of malware attack victims were small businesses. Stealing your customer information can be the work of a few hours for a hacker, and these data points are extremely valuable on the dark web. It’s relatively easy for individuals to gain access to the tools that are required to break through basic security measures. It’s crucial for small businesses to stay informed and enhance their security profile in order to protect sensitive competitive and customer information.

How Can I Protect My Small Business from Cyber Attacks?

Protecting your small business from cyber attacks begins with assuming a more aggressive security posture. It’s no longer a matter of simply scanning emails for viruses and adding a firewall. The increasing scope of data breaches means you will need to either invest in internal security infrastructure or work with qualified professionals who specialize in cybersecurity. Protecting your business from ransomware and other cyber attacks requires a range of protective measures, including:

Staff training on creating adequate passwords and the importance of never sharing passwords
Limiting data and systems access for unauthorized users
Thorough review of endpoints, including secure employee and guest WiFi access
Close monitoring and review of when and how contractors are allowed access to systems
Maintenance of government regulations and compliance mandates
Advanced antivirus software, preferably with active monitoring
Regularly reviewing and enhancing backup and recovery strategies
Applying software patches and updates in a timely manner

Each of these strategies will take time and effort to implement, and they all work together to help protect your organization from being the target of a ransomware or other type of malware attack.

Recovering After a Ransomware Attack

Understanding the type of ransomware that has been added to your system is the first step in recovery. This will help you or your technology service provider determine the next steps for restoring full system usage. If you planned ahead and have a solid backup and recovery program, this is likely when you’ll begin taking those steps. IT security professionals recommend taking these steps to recover from a ransomware attack:

Disconnect everything to limit infiltration to unaffected systems
Take pictures or screen captures of the ransomware screen, including the payment requirements and information
Begin taking steps for recovery
Learn more about the specific type of ransomware that is affecting your system
Determine whether you are able to completely restore your systems from backups

Finally, create a crisis communication strategy that will allow you to provide customers and employees with the information they need to continue working after the attack.

The best option for your business to survive a ransomware attack is to avoid it — but that’s not always possible. Become educated on the dangers of this particular type of malware and how you can prevent it, or you risk becoming yet another statistic in the ongoing fight against cybercriminals.

March 4, 2019March 8, 2019

Why You Need A Plan For Sharing Critical Passwords

Many companies password protect their files and applications and for good reason. There are hackers trying every day to break into a system and obtain files and information. Most businesses are smart about applying passwords to protect their information. However, many of them fail to think about sharing them within the organization. Anything can happen at any time and if one person holds the passwords, that can result in unforeseen problems and delay within an organization.

QuadrigaCX exchange did not expect anything to happen to the owner and chief executive who held the password to a digital wallet which fueled their entire organization. He was the only one with the password and when he died unexpectedly, their business came to a screeching halt. Not only was the company not able to do business by paying money to their customers, it left them open to rumors and theories as to why the company wasn’t honoring their commitment to their customers. People were and still are upset, and the company’s reputation was on the line simply because one man held the key to unlocking the digital vault. Weeks after his death, the company still could not unlock the virtual vault to pay their customers. No organization should find themselves in this predicament because it is a simple one to fix.

Why Do Businesses Need Passwords?

Simply put, passwords are the best and easiest way to protect information. Passwords can prove identity when logging into accounts, including email, various websites and even into the computer itself. Most companies require employees to enter a user name and password to log into their work computers. The stronger the password, the better protection it provides against hackers. Strong passwords are ones that are not easy to break. They contain a series of numbers and letters, upper and lower case, and often a symbol.

Why Do Businesses Need a Plan to Share Passwords?

In many organizations, employees are sharing passwords. Even when the company forbids it, employees share anyway. It makes the job easier and companies do not find themselves stuck when one person isn’t available. Sharing passwords enables employees to get work done more efficiently. Sharing passwords is not a bad thing as long as it is done with proper guidance and parameters.

Password managers are an excellent way to enable password sharing without any one employee knowing the password. All employees store their credentials in a secure virtual vault. The password manager allows them to share credentials with each other. These managers provide ultimate encryption because it provides a unique key, which protects them from those who shouldn’t have access. A manager should control the sharing process. A manager should put rules in place as to how the passwords are shared. The passwords should stay within the organization and only authorized individuals should have access. The password manager controls who can access which passwords, so each employee won’t have to make the decision to share, or not. It will ensure all employees have access to the most up-to-date passwords, which allows everyone to be in synch.

A password manager also allows an administrator to see who is sharing passwords with whom. These applications leave a trail to show when passwords are being shared. Administrators can also revoke someone’s rights to password sharing, or change the passwords as needed. Businesses should always have a backup plan, even when using a password manager. There should be a plan in place for emergencies, or in some cases, natural disasters. There should be a plan in place for when someone leaves the business. Backing up data is always a smart move. Accessing the data should also be easy. The password manager makes sure that there isn’t one person that can access the passwords, and data.

March 3, 2019

Building A Network Hackers Can’t Crack A Priority In Australia

Sadly, hackers are something that many companies have to deal with on a daily basis. What might seem like a fairly uncommon problem is actually more widespread than you might imagine. Hackers are a skilled set of individuals but at the same time, they cause widespread issues with companies across the globe.

Building a Hack-Proof Network is a Priority, and an Essential

The top national security officials in Australia are now actively working to create a mobile network that is essentially non-hackable. The project is not only to protect mobile networks, but also to protect entire power grids, hospitals, and universities from potential shutdown as the result of state-sponsored cyber attacks.

The home affairs department is currently working to determine what needs to be done to create these networks that would essentially be impenetrable and impossible for hackers to breach. The Home Affairs Department is also looking to find industry support programs from Australian technology companies to help improve the overall cyber defences of the nation.

The issue lies with potential cyberattacks that have been aimed at the government and at Australian businesses that seem to have originated from China and Russia directly following the blocking of Chinese company, Huawei, when they tried to provide equipment for 5G networks that were in the process of being created.

It was recently revealed that computer systems that are used for the Australian parliament and various other political parties were attacked by a foreign government. The government currently is seeking stricter email security as Beijing and Moscow are being blamed for cyber attacks that were previously discovered.

What Does a Hacker-Proof Network Mean?

The new network is set to be built in the private sector, but top cyber experts and spies would ultimately be in charge of securing and protecting the network once it is completed, making it safer than current networks that are largely commercial.

The proposal is currently for two different options: either multiple networks or one network that spans the entire country and that is then administered and kept up by the government. So what does this mean? Well for starters, it means that all sensitive data is going to be monitored within the network. This means that records from hospitals, airports, dams or power grids would all be housed within this new network. It is even rumored that banks may be able to use the network for their transactions as well.

The fear and necessity for this type of solution are very real. In 2015, a hacker group attacked a power grid in the Ukraine by using malware to take down the grid. The grid was providing electricity to nearly 250,000 people who lost power during the attack. Australia is concerned that this type of attack may be closer to home than they know. On top of that, they are also worried about sensitive military information and research being attacked and taken as well.

Last year, it was reported that the Australian National University’s computer systems were attacked by hackers based out of China. Developing an environment where data can be securely accessed and used is highly necessary. Creating a network where data cannot be accessed by those that are not authorised is essential and the Australian government realises this.

Hacker-Proof Networks are Needed Worldwide

Though the focus to this point has been on Australian hacker-proof networks, any country and any company can benefit from a secure network that cannot be hacked, or that at the very least, is difficult to hack. IT companies all over the world are now working in an attempt to create networks that are harder and harder to access for those that are not authorised.

With the right IT company, you can have a network that is secure and that is not easily accessed and changed. Hackers are becoming more and more bold and are far more likely to try and attack high profile networks like those hosted by the government in an effort to do the most damage possible.

Technology is changing and improving and there is now more chance that a secure network is in the future than ever before. Australia hopes to foster a deeper relationship with the information technology industry and hopes that their symbiotic relationship will create a network that is secure, safe, and free of hackers.

March 1, 2019

Understanding the Value of Managed IT Services

Depending on their scope and impact on your workday, tech issues can take hours to resolve, if not days. In some cases, you may spend far too much time tracking down a problem, only to come up empty-handed in the end. In others, such as security breaches, you may not even know there is an issue until the damage has been done. If you and your team have been handling any tech issues that arise on your own, you could greatly benefit from partnering with a managed IT service provider. Here are some of the benefits you can expect from this partnership.

Increases Speed of IT Repairs

When you acquire managed IT services for your company, you can report any and all tech issues as they arise and receive a prompt response. Upon receiving your call, your managed service provider will immediately look into the problem and find the most effective solution. With their years of experience in this realm, their IT experts have likely come across the problem before and already know how to fix it. This makes for very speedy service that helps keep your business operations moving forward without disruption.

Prevents Tech Issues

Managed IT services prove extremely valuable in the prevention of tech issues of all kinds. From malware attacks to hardware failure, your IT service professionals can stay ahead of the leading issues and potentially keep them from cropping up at all. Through these preventative actions, you can avoid unnecessary downtime that could otherwise derail the work efforts of your entire staff.

Improves Employee Productivity

When your employees can hand off tech issues to a dedicated, outsourced team, they can remain on task in fulfilling their daily work duties. This keeps their productivity high, so you can meet your daily business goals and continue to push the annual growth of the company. With your employees on task, rather than dealing with IT issues, your business operations can continue running smoothly day after day.

Boosts Data Security

Computer software and hardware issues can have a detrimental impact on the security of your business data. Especially since most of these problems remain hidden from view until a catastrophic loss of data occurs. Therefore, your company and client information likely remain at risk without help from a skilled IT expert. These professionals specialize in optimizing security at the network, server and workstation levels, so you can focus on running your business without worry.

Ensures Regulatory Compliance

With improved data security, you can rest assured that you are not breaching regulatory compliance rules for your industry. Your managed IT service professionals stay on the cutting edge of security to ensure their clients always remain in compliance. You can customize your service plan with the right level of protection for your company and its associated industry regulations.

Decreases Equipment Upkeep and Repair Expenses

You can decrease the amount you spend on upkeep and repair of your equipment with oversight from skilled IT professionals. These pros will only perform the necessary tasks that are required to maintain your daily business operations. Their ability to track down the problem and fix it the first time around will likely prove invaluable as you work on minimizing downtime and boosting employee productivity. These professionals can also help you time and plan your equipment upgrades perfectly to avoid wasting money on unnecessary items or overspending on parts.

Works Well for Any Budget

With your managed service partnership, you can build your custom IT plan around the exact needs of your company. You can select the items that will benefit you the most and leave the rest. If you only need computer and cloud support, for example, you can leave all server-related services off your plan. You are not locked into the services you select in the beginning either. You can also make adjustments to the scope of your managed IT service plan as you expand your operations.

Ability to Easily Expand

As your business achieves phenomenal growth, you will likely need to add computer equipment and make other key adjustments to accommodate your team and their needs. Your managed IT service provider can help you develop a plan that supports your current and future levels of growth. You can build a stronger network, upgrade your software and add computers to your workplace, for example, in support of your company’s continued success.

Peace of Mind

When you sign up for managed services, you will give yourself true peace of mind in knowing that all your IT needs are handled. You can call for service any time that your computer equipment acts up or software programs fail to operate as expected. You will receive support and oversight in the prevention of problems that would otherwise cause much downtime for your employees. Through all the managed IT service benefits, peace of mind comes out on top as it allows you to focus on what really matters –accelerating the success of your company.

Setting Up Your Managed IT Service Plan

With a look at these managed IT service benefits, it is clear that there are many ways this arrangement can boost the success of your business. You can get started in building this partnership by calling your preferred managed service provider. With this call, you can share the network, equipment and other IT needs of your company to start building your plan.

If you are uncertain of your company’s IT needs, that is okay. Using their skills and expertise, your service provider will assist in identifying the areas that will help your business grow and thrive. Your IT pros will also take a close look at your industry, including all regulations, to help you find the appropriate level of service for your company’s success through the years.

February 28, 2019February 28, 2019

Learn the Power of Google Reviews for Local Construction Companies

Reviews, testimonials and referrals are important to growing a contracting business. In fact, reviews are the backbone upon which a business can establish a working relationship with their local community. In today’s world, people can come to know you, like you and trust you (or not) via the reviews they read about your business. This makes reviews a tremendous tool to use in expanding your contracting business.

The Internet has added a new dimension to the importance of business reviews and testimonials. The more people use the Internet as their main source of reference for selecting a particular business or service provider, the more impact online reviews will have on your firm. In fact, recent studies show that most homeowners today use online reviews and recommendations as their main criteria for evaluating a contractor before they hire him.

Importance of Google Reviews

Google reviews play a key role in how your company website is ranked in search engines online. A high ranking will attract more visitors to your site. The more traffic your site receives, the greater your chances of getting new customers and increasing sales. Good reviews will prompt consumers to research your business online. A professional website that clearly explains your portfolio, is responsive to mobile devices and has excellent reviews is sure to attract new clients.

By soliciting Google reviews from customers, colleagues and clients, you can boost your online presence and optimize your marketing strategy. Ongoing positive reviews will give your contracting business greater visibility and credibility with consumers in your area. Online reviews can build trust between you and consumers; people are more likely to hire a contractor they feel they can trust.

The Effect of Positive Reviews on a Contracting Business

As consumers place so much weight on reviews and testimonials, online reviews have the potential to make or break a contracting business. Here are some recent statistics to back this claim. Studies show that:

Approximately 90% of consumers looking for a contractor check online reviews before giving them a call. Of these, 92% will contact you if you have a 4-star rating or above.
Consumers will spend up to 30% more for contracting work if your company has excellent reviews.
Good reviews can generate up to 18% more sales for your business and increase your conversions by as much as 11%.

Even negative reviews can have a positive impact on your business if handled right. Studies reveal that approximately 86% of consumers will bypass your contracting firm if it has received negative reviews. By responding positively to these reviews, however, you could turn these stats around. Rather than criticize individuals for giving bad reviews, offer solutions to the problem. Consumers respect contractors who try to make things right.

In addition to reviewing the quality of your services, reviews and testimonials, provide a forum to add valued content to your website. The more reviews you get, the more content you generate for your site. This can help boost your site’s SEO. Local reviews are particularly important for your contracting business as they reveal the opinions of customers in your local community.

The Benefits of Soliciting Google Reviews

There are various ways Google reviews can benefit a contracting business. Positive reviews and testimonials can be used as a marketing tool to promote your business. At the same time, reviews can reveal areas in your business structure that need to be improved. Reviews can also increase your company’s online presence to attract more traffic to your site.

Having said this, however, it’s imperative you use Google reviews correctly to benefit from what they have to offer. Genuine reviews from customers who have used your services is what you’re after – not fabricated reviews or reviews that were “bought” by offering a reward in exchange for people’s opinions and thoughts. It never pays to offer an incentive such as a free product or service in exchange for a review. This practice goes against the terms Google has laid out for this service and will hurt your rating. It can also undermine customer trust.

Importance of Testimonials and Reviews to SEO Strategy

In addition to what your company does, Google uses how others perceive your business to deliver relevant search results to people looking for information in your line of work. This is where testimonials and reviews come in. Google uses the number of reviews and testimonials you have on your site along with customer rating to determine how you rank in local searches. Reviews and testimonials also add valued content to your site which will contribute to a higher rating.

If you have a fair number of positive reviews and a high customer rating, you’re more likely to show up on top of local Google searches for your line of work. A high rating will give your business greater credibility to consumers in your community.

As a contractor, you have much to gain by soliciting Google reviews for your website. At the same time, Google reviews aren’t the end-all in getting the recognition you desire. Business reviews can be found on such sites as YouTube, Trip Advisor, Yelp, Facebook and numerous others. When you solicit Google reviews for your website, however, you have greater control over the reviews you post. This allows you to maximize the effect these reviews have on your target audience.

How Do You Solicit Google Reviews for Your Site?

The best way to encourage your customers to write a testimonial or review is to provide them with excellent service. Satisfied customers will be more than happy to provide you with a positive review.

Additionally, you can incorporate a way to solicit reviews in your marketing strategy. You can start by asking family, friends and colleagues to write a review of services your company rendered. Then create ways to make it easy for customers to post reviews on your site, such as putting a link where they can easily see it. Encourage your customers to use this link to post a review of completed contracting services or projects. This keeps your reviews fresh and current.

It takes time and effort to obtain positive Google business reviews. Your first step is doing great work so customers will be motivated to write up a positive review of your business. Positive reviews are worth their weight in gold. They improve your standing in Google, generate customer trust and help you build a loyal customer base. In short, Google reviews are a foundational building block that can help your business succeed both now and in the future.

February 28, 2019March 2, 2019

Why Do Hackers Target Small Businesses?

Why Small Companies is the First Target for Online Hackers

According to the SBA, small business employs less than 500 people and realizes less than $7 million in profits annually. This standard defines a small company across the global business world. A large percentage of these smaller businesses operate as privately owned companies. Hackers are especially targeting these smaller businesses with 10-250 employees. Many of these companies use a weak online security system.

It is vital that business executives of these smaller companies sharpen their IT systems. Additionally, it is critical that all large company CEOs in this twenty-first century become educated about hackers targeting small businesses. Many business executives, business owners, C level executives, and business managers may ask.

What does this information have to do with my corporation?

Times have dramatically changed. The small business owner is now a big target to get to larger companies. This little fish in the world of trade leads to a much bigger catch, namely larger corporations. This method that hackers now use has seen an increase of over 250 percent over a year ago, an unnerving thought.

We live in a dramatically different world today. We live in a digital world, like it or not. Small business owners, especially aged business owners can no longer do things from an old school perspective. No longer can business be done via pencil and paper. If owners do not have an active internet presence, the company does not thrive. This increasing and necessary internet presence are dangerous. This internet presence is an immense playground for hackers who can close the doors of many small business owners and do irreparable damage to larger corporations.

Protecting Company Assets and Great Reputations

All business owners must protect their excellent reputation and a company’s assets. It is critical that business professionals across the globe seek to increase knowledge and information on how highly secured IT systems is so vital to their business and online presence. Sharpened IT technologies can protect your company from hackers targeting smaller businesses. Hackers now utilize the small business owner first as a stepping stone to gaining sensitive information from large corporations worldwide.

What is Drawing Hackers to Small Businesses?

Hackers are working hard to send dangerous viruses, malware, or phishing attacks through small business systems. Hackers are leveraging extortion against small business owners to get to larger corporations. Perhaps the small business owner does not have a quality, highly secured IT system to protect their company from these hackers. Hackers use information gained from small businesses linked to large companies to con the smaller companies into handing over sensitive corporate data.

The smaller business has a more significant presence online. These smaller companies use Cloud service which is grossly unprotected, unencrypted, and readily accessible to hackers.

What Do Hackers Want With Company Files?

There is a lot of personal customer information hackers find vital to their existence such as names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, financial numbers, and more personal details. Hackers use this personal information to get money, or they sell this information to other entities who will use them. This private and sensitive information equals millions of dollars to hackers.

The methods by which hackers use to infiltrate companies cycle in popularity. IT systems find that the use of ransomware is dramatically increasing in popularity over the last few years. Ransomware infects a companies PC which in turn encrypts those files denying that company access to their records. Hackers hold this vital information for money. Companies know that the information contained is worth a lot more money than the pirates demand. This method leaves small business owners no choice but to pay up. Hackers target small businesses across the globe as a vital link to infiltrate larger companies. The best security a CEO can have is firm security for online presence. IT professionals highly recommend an up-to-date and secure computer system. Additionally, recommendations are for an offsite backup.

How Can Small or Large Companies Avoid Attacks by Hackers?

Companies across the globe must follow strict guidelines and laws in place protecting sensitive data. If companies do not follow these laws, there are severe penalties. These penalties can be so expensive to the company that it must close its doors. These set guidelines tell businesses the following.

How to store vital, personal information
How to safely access sensitive information
How to protect confidential information
How to save and protect a customer’s financial information such as credit card, and banking numbers.

A breach in any company’s files is a nightmare which is liable to ruin the reputation of an excellent company. It takes many years for that company to regain the trust of clients. Some corporations never recover the confidence of their clients.

It is vital that all businesses have reliable and secured IT systems to ward off online attacks by hackers.

Educate employees never to hand over sensitive information to people unknown to them. Employees must protect information about their companies customer base, their vendors, and their suppliers.

Stress the importance of employees developing strong passwords and frequently changing passwords.

Checking and deleting all emails sounding sketchy is vital.

Employees must be aware of all of their online actions.

Never store sensitive information in the Cloud services. This service does not offer encryption, and it is easy for hackers to access.

Security systems are continually changing as much as hackers change their methods of breaching firms. Initiate sound online security systems, backup sensitive information offsite, install updated software, remain vigilant concerning severe hacker attacks and possible damage to the company.

Large and small companies across the globe yearn to be a trusted entity for clients. Trust may take years to earn and longer to get back when lost. Sometimes trust, once acquired is never regained once lost to hackers.

February 27, 2019February 26, 2019

How Do You Measure Your Company’s Cybersecurity Effectiveness?

Many companies are finally taking cybersecurity seriously and have implemented programs to meet their organization’s specific needs. Having a program in place, however, is only the first step. Measuring the effectiveness of a cybersecurity plan is equally important. There are several steps a company should take to adequately measure the effectiveness of their plan.

How Does A Company Measure Security Efforts?

There have to be specific ways to measure security efforts in order to determine their effectiveness. Before beginning this process, it’s important to understand the difference between measurement and metrics. The United States National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) states that measurement is defined as observable and quantifiable. Metrics, however, are normally something that can be supported by measurement. Metrics are to be used to assist in decision making and to improve accountability and ultimately performance. Cybersecurity metrics should include accurate data that can be compared in different time periods. In particular, it must include specific and objective data. Cybersecurity effectiveness can generally be divided into three areas. These include systems, incidents, and people.

What Metrics Should a Company Choose?

Establishing a few key metrics to determine cybersecurity effectiveness is a good place to begin. An organization will need to start by tying in their business goals with how increased security can help meet those specific goals. This would include establishing a company’s threat profile and identifying scenarios that would potentially cause the greatest impact to an organization. The following are examples of various metrics that can be used.

State Current Capabilities – An organization should be able to list their current security capabilities. What programs are in place? What exactly are they expected to do? How does the current program address each high-risk scenario that the organization may face?
List Vulnerable Assets – To understand the risk an organization incurs, it’s necessary to know the number of all vulnerable assets. This will enable a company to create a vulnerability management plan that will likely include scans of all appropriate assets. This will indicate what specific action, such as managing patches and updates, should be taken to improve security.

After a few general metrics have been established, a company will want to put in place those that are more specific. The following are just a few examples of specific metrics that can be used to assess the effectiveness of a cybersecurity plan.

Track Patching and Updates – Patch management is a critical aspect of addressing vulnerabilities in software. Companies will want to specifically track how many system patches have been put in place over a particular time period or how many updates have been installed. How often patching is completed can be compared to the number of incidents that occur within a particular time period.
Response Time – Keeping track of response times for a variety of incidents is a relatively objective and efficient way to measure overall effectiveness. How many spam messages have been intercepted? How many attacks from worms, viruses, or ransomware have been identified during a specific time period and how much time lapsed been identification and resolution? How long did it take to remediate vulnerabilities that are found in software?
Monitor Data Transference – Monitoring the volume of data that is being transferred will help an organization identify misuse. If employees are downloading videos, software, and applications that are unnecessary or potentially dangerous, this can open the door for malware.

How is the Company Comparing to Peer Performance?

Another way to gage cybersecurity performance is in relation to how other organizations in similar industries are doing. After deciding which metrics to use to determine security effectiveness, an organization will want to find out how successful other companies are in these areas. Comparing performance to other companies is also known as benchmarking.

How many security breaches have occurred when compared to other companies in the same industry of a similar size? How did they handle different types of incidents? What percentage of the budget is being spent on cybersecurity? These are just a few questions to ask when making valid comparisons. There are a variety of peer networking forums and online meetings that can be used when finding out how other organizations are doing when it comes to cybersecurity.

What Steps Can a Company Take to Address Gaps in Performance?

Finally, how an organization addresses gaps in performance will determine how effective their cybersecurity program will ultimately be. After metrics have been in place for a specified time period and then evaluated, the company will want to implement the following to strengthen weak areas.

Educating Employees – Ongoing employee training is the first, and for most organizations the most important aspect of cybersecurity effectiveness. Organizations need to have clear company policies in place that specifically address weaknesses and gaps that have been discovered.
Updating Systems – Whether it’s improving hardware security, automatically updating software, or creating a new firewall, a company’s systems must constantly be monitored and updated to improve cybersecurity effectiveness.
Ongoing Testing – Is employee education effective? Has the number of times employees have responded to online scams or clicked on a dangerous link decreased? Part of testing will be to record and analyze recovery time whenever an incident occurs. Cybersecurity effectiveness can be calculated by how much time lapses between the detection of a threat and when appropriate action is taken. An organization needs to find an objective method of calculating recovery time.

After completing the previous steps, an organization will now have a better understanding of how effective their cybersecurity program is and how it aligns with their overall business goals. They should also have a plan in place for improvement and specific ways to track and monitor improvement. Finally, it’s important to remember that assessing cybersecurity effectiveness is an ongoing process. This means it’s necessary to continually update and tweak the metrics that are used so they align with the ongoing security needs of the organization.

February 27, 2019

Moving Into A New Office? (Free Guide)

It doesn’t matter whether you are a 10-person team or a Fortune 500 conglomerate, relocating your office is going to take some planning and forethought. The last thing you want is to be forced to close up shop for an extended period, stalling your business due to unexpected issues.
Moving your office should signal growth to your client base; not chaos. So how can you take your business to the next level – and the next address? The key to a successful transition is preparation. You have a marketing strategy … a client care strategy … and a business building strategy … so why not a moving strategy?

Creating a Plan

It is never too early to start planning your big move. This means devising a plan for individual departments as well as the business as a whole. Remember, time is of the essence when it comes to moving an office. The faster you can get your new digs up and running, the faster your team can get back to work.
The first thing you need to do is to appoint a moving manager. This is the point man designated with coordinating the entire office relocation. This includes everything from packing up all necessary files and ordering new stationery to make sure every department has what they need to work on the go for a few days.

More than just a packing or moving expert, the relocation manager knows exactly what is necessary to get your office from point A to Point B with as little downtime as possible. Once you have a moving manager in place, it is time to begin assigning teams to handle individual aspects of the move.

Hire Professional Movers

Not every commercial moving company is equipped to handle large office relocations. Be sure to choose a company that understands the nuances of relocating a business. Remember, they will not be simply moving your desks and chairs from one place to another; they will also be responsible for securing sensitive files and making sure everything makes it to the new location safely.

Equip the IT Department Properly

One of the trickiest parts of moving an office is disconnecting and reconnecting quickly and efficiently. This can only be accomplished if your IT department has what they need to succeed. Here are some tips to create a hassle-free environment for them to work in:

Give the IT department at least three months to plan the transfer. This will include developing a step-by-step outline for the move.
Evaluate the new space well in advance of the move
Order upgraded equipment weeks before moving day to ensure everything has arrived
Coordinate all installations for several days before the actual office move
Make sure that all cabling is installed and tested prior to moving day
Move the IT department first. This will allow them to work to get the rest of the office up and running while boxes are still be brought to the new site.
Install and test all work stations prior to the first scheduled workday in the new office.

Relocating an office can be exciting, but that doesn’t mean the process is always easy, or that it will run smoothly. A lot of things can go wrong if you don’t plan properly, so be sure to follow the guidelines here to ensure that your staff isn’t stressed and your clients don’t feel abandoned during the move. When handled properly, you should be able to move the entire office and have everyone back to work within a day or two.

Moving soon? Contact {company} to arrange a complimentary consultation on how we can assist in the technology side of your office move. Call {phone} or drop us an email.

February 27, 2019

What Are Some Common Myths With Managed IT Services?

Managed IT Services is a transaction often required by businesses large and small in order to operate efficiently. It’s unfortunate that some owners and managers misinterpret the scale of services provided by a Managed IT Provider. To some extent, there is a contractual obligation toward the expected services, but there is also a simple limitation as to what the IT Provider is capable of doing for your company. Managing your network system, affording security to your records, or simply plugging in your new computer can all be aspects of what IT does, but it has to be contracted in order to hold an expectation of having a particular aspect of the job completed for you.

Contracts and Coverage

A common myth about contracted IT services is that “everything” is covered. No IT service provider is going to contract to enable the software your company uses and expect to spend a week developing your network. Likewise, nobody is going to contract to physically attach your hard components and then set up software for free. Although most IT people can do either job, they specialize. One person might run power cords to individual desks and set up the needs for a computer to run, another person will customize the individual computer to the needs of the job. Although either person can do either job, they don’t, so you need to describe to the Managed Services Representative which of their employees you need to hire to fill your needs and which services you plan to conduct in-house in order to find the right contract with the right specialists you need for consultation services.

Service Level Myths

Some companies offer tiered pricing platforms in the services they offer. To an extent, such offers allow individual businesses to choose what services they need, but at the same time, it has to be understood the provider is going to do their very best regardless of which pricing tier you choose. If you pay only to download new software, no legitimate provider is also going to install it for free, nor can a contract to install software be filled if the programs haven’t been bought and downloaded. No Managed Service can provide free service in addition to their contractual obligations, but it isn’t a myth that they will give you appropriate advice on how to meet your goals and needs.

Every IT Provider Is an Expert

Unfortunately, not everybody who offers IT Service is an expert in the needs of your company. A reputable Service Provider will tell you what they can and cannot do, and will have associates they can recommend toward the services you need which they don’t provide. It isn’t a myth that every IT Provider is an expert. They are, but they aren’t necessarily an expert in every aspect of the field. IT Services are a broad range of helpful ideas toward your company’s success, anyone who claims to be an expert in every aspect of those concepts should be viewed with skepticism.

Conclusion

IT Services are a necessary aspect of every successful business. Some IT work can be conducted in-house, but other jobs require an outside contractor. It’s important to understand what services are provided contractually and realistically as opposed to believing the myths about what an IT Provider can do for you before you hire them, and a reputable company will be prepared to answer such questions as part of their business proposition before you hire them.