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Technological downtime can make or break a law firm. Even an hour of downtime can cost a small or medium firm as much as $250,000.

What Exactly Can Go Wrong?

Unfortunately, Murphy’s Law has been known to apply in legal cases, meaning if there is an opportunity for things to go wrong they will. It is important that your firm has a dedicated professional, our team of professionals, either inside or outside the firm that can honor your firm’s confidentiality and keep potential problems at bay and/or under control. Some potential issues include

Case Management Issues

Filing is most efficient when stored electronically. They manage related documents, billing, and customer relationships

Security Problems

Reputation is everything for a law firm, and that extends to the attorneys and other staff at the firm. Still, even with so much on the line, the American Bar Association found that as many as a quarter of firms did not have security policies in place. Nothing puts a damper on a firm’s reputation, or even on specific lawyers than a security breach,

Compliance Issues and Software Integration

Various industries and professions have their own set of confidentiality agreements, that any legal team that works with the company needs to follow in order to protect clients, consumers, and any others involved. Some of these include Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA), the Gramm-Leach-Billey Act of 1999 (GLB) and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). Following these privacy acts means that legal professionals are prevented from disclosing information. The same discretion needs to translate to technology compliance.It is necessary to have software in place that can handle this responsibility, and see to it that attorneys and anyone else with access can run any necessary software correctly and efficiently without violating compliance standards.

Internal Collaboration

Internal Collaboration is an issue that needs constant monitoring due to the way social media quickly evolves. It is common for attorneys to use the internet for communication, however, it is less common for them to communicate internally about a case, which would make their casework more efficient. The right social media integration can help improve communication and make casework more thorough and efficient. Salesforce, customer relationship management solutions are a common tool used by attorneys and their firms in order to produce better results for clients.

How a Managed Service Provider Can Help

Proactive and Regular Maintenance at a fixed can cost can help with all these issues by applying the knowledge to give your firm or business the right IT infrastructure that will support your needs. That means that attorneys and other employees will receive the training they need to serve your clients confidently and safely. if you have an existing system in place, we can analyze what you have been doing so that any necessary changes can be quickly set in motion.

While we at the {company} manage your system remotely, we are still there remotely to answer questions remotely that will improve customer relations and overall productivity. To learn more about how {company} can help your firm contact us today.

Patient scheduling IT doubles the output of booking agents and cuts the time needed to schedule an appointment in half. This can increase the happiness of patients and physicians by lowering the costs of healthcare. When health care professionals digitize their systems, the resulting process improvement enables them to adopt a more consumer-friendly culture.

What Are the Main Problems with Manual Scheduling?

Your staff becomes bogged down taking calls that last up to 20 minutes each. This makes manual scheduling a potential nightmare. It’s bad enough in an office environment, but for providers that rely on a call center, agents end up wasting a lot of time referring to spreadsheets to optimize the provider’s calendar. Also, they have to memorize or look up various scheduling rules that would work better in an automated system.

In a manual call center environment, many incoming calls aren’t scheduled due to poor turnaround times. This often means that patients have a poor experience and may go to competitors with a better process in place.

What Are the Main Problems With a Manual Scheduling Process?

Some providers have patient liaisons and schedulers who focus on new patients. Agents using cumbersome methods to link providers and patients have to access several provider schedules to determine the closest appointment that fits the patient’s schedule. This method can compromise access to care for the patient and revenue for providers. With manual scheduling, closer appointments are often missed. Patients may be scheduled out months in advance, and providers often end up with less than 10 appointments a day.

How Can IT Scheduling Tools Change This?

Providers who implement automated scheduling IT enjoy real-time integration that maximizes the number of appointments set up. Agents see available appointments in one interface and enter basic information to schedule appointments in another — which makes the scheduling process go faster.

Scheduling IT tools let you tailor the presentation for each provider. It designates what time slots can be filled with what type of appointment. Also, scheduling IT can do so for many providers at the same time. This leads to a streamlined process that improves the experiences of agents, patients and doctors.

What Applications Are Available on the Market?

Providers and call centers can choose from a number of patient scheduling systems. Popular vendors include

• BookSteam
• Ability
• Atlas Business Solutions
• CareCloud
• DocMeIn
• SimplyBook.me
• DrChrono Medical Scheduling
• Luma Health
• QGenda
• DoctorConnect

Information about these programs is available online and many vendors are happy to schedule a demo.

What Difference Do These Systems Make?

Before implementing a patient scheduling system, agents had to manually look through online calendars for each provider and verify insurance on another website, all while trying to determine which physicians were accepting new patients.

After implementing integrated IT scheduling systems, agents are available to view available appointments in real time, which lets them identify the most convenient appointment based on the patient’s preferences and needs.

How Does a Patient Scheduling System Improve the Process?

Comprehensive scheduling software improves not only the scheduling process but the entire care outcome. Here are some of the main improvements:

• Average call handling time can be cut in half
• Fewer booking agents are needed and more appointments are set up
• Agents efficiently book appointments and have an easier time complying with the rules of the provider and needs of the patient
• Providers get a consistently full schedule that enables them to plot out their day in advance
• Call centers and booking liaisons can maximize the capacity of providers to reduce the wait times for appointments
• Significant cost reductions enable providers to invest in other areas

What’s the Bottom Line on IT Scheduling Systems?

IT scheduling software balances the needs of the patient, scheduling agents and providers for a better overall experience. Automated systems are better equipped to evolve with the practice of each provider. Lean technology organizations benefit the most from the efficient booking process. They can leverage digital systems to improve existing workflows.

IT teams have been talking about the dangers of instant messaging since the early 2000s, but that doesn’t stop business professionals from utilizing this quick n’ dirty form of communication on a regular basis. Tools for business communication have come a long way in the last decade, but there are still some significant security — and human resources — concerns. While staff members love that they can leverage a business-approved way to get immediate answers to their questions, HR teams often cringe when they think about the informal nature of this type of communication. Employees tend to share information more freely over direct text message or instant messaging, saying things that they would never state directly in an email. It’s all too easy to forget that instant messaging apps and text messages can be saved, copied and re-distributed just as easily as email communication. When you also consider that employees are using instant messaging programs that are less-than-secure, you have a perfect storm that can cause security breaches . . . and HR nightmares.

Not All Instant Communication Platforms Are the Same

Some instant messaging applications were specifically created for business users as a secure method of communication, but others are simply an outlet to an unknown individual on the other side of a mobile phone or computer screen. WhatsApp is a prime example of a non-secure method of business messaging, but one that is used in millions of organizations throughout the world. While fast and efficient at putting team members in contact with each other, there are serious privacy and security risks — not to mention the lack of oversight and administration from a corporate level. WhatsApp is particularly troubling as a choice, simply because it is owned by Facebook. Unfortunately, WhatsApp is also one of the most-used business messaging applications with over one billion global users, far outstripping enterprise-scale solutions such as Slack and Microsoft Teams.

Lack of Security in Text Messaging

With all of the concern around cybersecurity, it’s no surprise that technology professionals are looking for ways to protect the information that is being shared throughout an organization. Whether you’re sending a quick text asking for a project update or confidentially requesting an employee’s information from your HR department, text messages simply aren’t a secure method of business communication. Not only is it possible for someone to intercept the message, but it’s also too easy to accidentally send a message to the wrong person. While sometimes this could simply mean you ask a co-worker to pick up milk on the way home (a message that was meant for a family member), you could also be in a rush and send a highly personal text or picture message to someone from work. Experts recommend utilizing a secure email or instant messaging app instead of simply sending a quick text to co-workers — and always be aware of what you’re sending and where it is going. While there are a few secure ways to send text messages within your organization such as Apple’s verified iMessage platform, there’s still the risk of a misdirected text message.

Workers Are Seemingly Unconcerned About Security

Without ongoing conversations around security from IT and HR departments, it’s unlikely that your staff will even consider that their behavior is risky. A recent Symphony Workplace Confidential survey showed that workers overwhelmingly trust their technology so much that they (mistakenly!) believe their messages are completely safe from prying eyes. They even believe that their technology department is unable to monitor their messaging platforms, and 29% of those surveyed in the U.S. and UK are perfectly comfortable sharing their personal or business details over personal email or a messaging application on a regular basis. More than 25% of these individuals admit to sharing personal details and even talking about their bosses on chat applications or via text messages. While these tools may indeed improve communication and collaboration, it’s crucial that human resources professionals partner with IT leaders to ensure that there are adequate training opportunities and policies in place to protect both the organization and the individual.

Many teams adopt these instant communication platforms in an effort to cut through the clutter in their inbox, never realizing that they are potentially at risk. While text messaging and instant messaging platforms such as Slack and WhatsApp may make your HR professionals cringe, it’s important to realize that they are a part of modern business. If you’re not providing a secure, trusted corporate messaging program, it’s likely that your staff members will simply adopt something on their own. It’s worth the investigation to determine if there’s a platform that will work for your business needs and staff members to help reduce the possibility of data loss or damaging and embarrassing communication dilemmas.

Disaster can come from external factors, such as wildfires, floods and storms, as well as internal events, such as a toxic chemical spill or boiler failure in your facility. It’s crucial to have a plan to recover from these events and to provide a framework to return to work as quickly as possible.

Developing a business continuity plan can reduce recovery costs, safeguard your company’s reputation and may even save lives.

What’s the Difference Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity?

Business continuity planning creates a back-up plan that documents how your business will operate if it’s is crippled by unforeseen events. Examples include natural disasters, terrorist attacks, strikes and arson. A disaster recovery plan (DRP) is a subset of the BCP; it documents detailed instructions on how to respond to these unforeseen events.

Before fabricating a detailed plan, your organization should conduct a risk analysis and a business impact analysis that establish recovery objectives and time frames.

What’s the Percentage of Businesses that Close After a Disaster?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that 40% of small businesses close following a disaster, according to CNBC’s hurricane preparedness report. Many small business owners don’t consider disasters among their business risks when making contingency plans or purchasing insurance coverage. It’s a mistake that could threaten your company’s very existence.

How Do You Decide Which Systems Are Essential in an Emergency?

Most BCPs consider how to keep essential functions running throughout a disaster and to shorten the recovery period. BCPs are essential for organizations of all sizes, but it may not be feasible to have complete backups for all your business systems. That’s why it’s important to prioritize essential systems, such as customer relationship management tools and compliance and reporting systems.

Many experts agree that once systems are prioritized the recovery budget should be allocated accordingly. Failovers systems should be initiated to ensure crucial components can be restored in case of cyber attacks, terrorism and other catastrophic events.

What Are the Components of a Business Continuity Plan?

The Components of a Business Continuity Plan:

Disaster Preparedness – Recognize the types of events that might compromise your business, assess the threats facing your company and identify steps to eliminate or minimize the impact of those threats.

Emergency Response – Develop procedures that enable you to respond when a disaster occurs or is forecast to occur. Continue with the plan until everyone is safe and there is no further threat of property damage or bodily injury.

Business Recovery – Identify your company’s critical business functions and define procedures that will facilitate restoration of sales, production and operations to pre-disaster levels.

How Do You Create a Business Continuity Plan?

There are five steps to creating a BCP:

1. Build Your Team. Use a top-down approach to build your plan. That means getting the buy-in of the C-suite, including sign-offs by senior management. One point person should own the process, supported by a core team with representatives from every business department.

2. Assess Risk. List out and rank all the hazards that could threaten your company. Examples include: climate, cybersecurity, supply chain, fire protection, facility construction, staffing and utilities.

3. Analyze Business. Create a business impact analysis (BIA) to rank the risks on your list. The idea is to strategize which systems need to come back online first after an emergency. The appropriate business units should be responsible for suggesting recovery strategies to get up and running within a recovery time objective. For example, backup data files need to be stored offsite and available within a few hours of a disaster, and your IT vendor may be able to expedite the shipment of replacement equipment following a catastrophic event.

4. Document the Plan. Documentation needs to include step-by-step procedures. This doesn’t have to be fancy — most plans are written using word-processing programs.

5. Test the Plan. To verify your recovery strategies, testing is essential. These tests vary in complexity from a discussion of the steps needed to respond to a disaster to comprehensive testing of your backup and recovery of core files and systems. Keep in mind that, business continuity planning should be continually reviewed since your systems and business relationships are static.

How Do You Plan for Personnel Disruptions?

Be sure to have a website or number that employees can call to check in. Services may be disrupted for several days, but most employees should be able to check in within 48 hours. Having a documented plan with one website and number makes it easy for everyone to stay in touch. Social media sites are another great way to let everyone post their status or ability to return to work.

Personnel disruptions. The BCP is often mainly operational, dealing with physical infrastructure. However, a business also needs its people to function. A potential disaster can affect your employees’ lives in various ways, including:

• Employees may live in a disaster zone, even if your company is in a safe location.
• The commute may be compromised.
• Nearby disasters affect attendance and productivity.
• When food, water and other necessities are scarce, it’s hard for employees to concentrate on work.

Who Should You Contact First After Checking on Personnel?

Consider your customers. During a disaster, your first calls may be to insurers and vendors. Don’t forget to keep your customers in the loop. Remember, customers want their regular services and are ready to go elsewhere to get it.

Consider vendor stability. If core services are provided by third-party vendors, double-check to make sure continued service is available during a disaster. Vendors may have an issue delivering goods to your business in a disaster area; vendors in other regions impacted by a disaster may not be able to make deliveries.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As in so many areas, Canada is now pushing to make the online world a more equitable one. It also wants Canadians to have their privacy online instead of having their information sold by whoever can get ahold of it. The use of the data that companies do collect about you is now being regulated by the expanded Canadian Digital Charter. Here’s how it seeks to create a better experience for Canadians.

Technology in Canadian Ecommerce

Using up-to-date technology is increasingly a part of daily life, and innovators who don’t have it will be left behind by those who do. Canada’s Digital Charter is a way to protect Canadians from some of the ways their data could be used as well as to make it easier for everyone in the country to have internet access. E-commerce is a larger and larger portion of the economy all over the Western world, and Canada would fall behind this march to the future if Canadians had trouble getting online and feared for their very privacy if they were to do so.

Canadian Access to Internet Connectivity

With so much of the world now online, keeping Canadians able to connect is a key factor in keeping them competitive. Part of the Canadian Digital Charter is to give universal access to all Canadians, no matter where they live or how much they know about computer use. The charter seeks to ensure that every Canadian is not only offered connectivity but is given the computer literacy they need to be able to use one. In addition, the charter rolls out a new standard for safety online. With so many new internet users about to join the online sphere, the government is focused on making sure they don’t get taken advantage of, threatened or targeted with scams. To help create a better atmosphere of safety, the government plans to put multiple laws in place to deliver punishments for breaking cyber-safety laws.

Data Privacy Compliance in Canada

The charter further calls for every online user in Canada to have their privacy protected by the sites they use. If a company wants to use their personal data for any reason, the internet user should know exactly what it will be used for and must consent to share it for that purpose. In addition, Canadians are declared to be free to see their own personal data as well as to move it or share it easily. Websites that have Canadian visitors must comply with these privacy laws in order to stay compliant and available to online users in Canada. Clear, open disclosure of data collection, usage and storage will be needed to maintain that compliance.

Free Speech Online for Canada

As in most countries, free speech is not an absolute right in Canada. The charter spells out the kind of speech that Canadians shouldn’t have to come across online. These include hate speech, threats, extreme views advocating violence and content that is otherwise illegal. The government also seeks to keep false news stories away from readers who may not realize that what they’re reading isn’t factual. Keeping Canadians safe from these problems is considered a right that Canadians have in order to create a better online experience and to encourage more people to use the internet to make their lives easier.

With this charter, Canada is expected to become more competitive on a global scale. Unburdened by false news stories and hate speech, the government hopes that the online atmosphere will be more conducive to Canadian innovation.

Cybersecurity incorporates a number of technologies to safeguard digital data. Threats come from unauthorized access and internal missteps lead to increased risks that hackers take advantage of. Healthcare is increasingly the target of cybercriminals as bad actors learn how to successfully target unguarded or insufficiently guarded data. This includes data sharing, digital health records and medical devices that send data to hospital systems without protecting the data in transit.

Health informatics makes the process more efficient. The threat of cyber attacks makes technology less reliable than it would otherwise be. At the same time, healthcare professionals rely on technology to retrieve, send and share healthcare data. Due to various cyber threats, every organization needs to invest in solutions that keep data secure without compromising access to technology for those fighting to save lives.

How Has the Digital Revolution Changed Healthcare?

Not too long ago, doctors had to limit their time with patients due to a mountain of complicated paperwork. The digital revolution has helped solve that problem. With fewer handwritten notes and more direct entry into electronic patient files, paperwork and the amount of time devoted to it have decreased dramatically.

This is a crucial advancement as the global population soars and the number of healthcare data becomes more difficult to secure. Cybersecurity in healthcare needs to secure the network and database without slowing down the process of providing efficient care.

Does Cybersecurity in Healthcare Save Money?

Cybersecurity saves millions of dollars in the healthcare industry. The industry has grown rapidly in the last two decades. Now, healthcare providers deal with many more patients in an 8-hour shift than they used to in a 12-hour one. This is largely due to the reduced paper trail made possible by digital technology.

With cloud-based computing, providers can share information with patients, colleagues and other departments in seconds. At the same time, safely storing and accessing patient data is also much easier.

How Important Is Cybersecurity to Patients?

Patients have the biggest stake in cybersecurity. After all, it’s their data and privacy that are at risk — and possibly their health. Hackers leak private information on the dark web, where it may be picked up to commit identity theft, Medicare fraud, and other crimes. Advanced cybersecurity allows medical professionals to ensure privacy and peace of mind for their patients. This also prevents legal issues related to hacked patient data.

Healthcare practices are at a disadvantage due to the many endpoints in the system, including the Internet of Things (IoT) devices that feed data into the network from various endpoints. Specifically, tablets introduce vulnerability because they hold patient health records or are used to access them. No matter how much administrators shore up the network, it only takes one outdated device to open the healthcare provider up to an attack.

What’s the Cost of Leaked Patient Data?

Healthcare providers need to protect their practice as well as those they serve. This requires robust cybersecurity that prevents the leaking of patient data. When information is leaked, legal costs can skyrocket and even bankrupt a practice or provider.

What Improvements Need to Be Made?

Healthcare organizations can take the following steps to secure their data:

• Patch systems based on the recommendations of system and application vendors
• Open only required ports
• Scan systems to identify vulnerabilities
• Prioritize system vulnerabilities based on risk severity
• Enable SSL certificates and test to ensure they’re working as expected