Category: Uncategorized

Facebook has just announced that a Photo API bug gave app developers access to user photos outside of the scope intended for 5.6 million users. This includes granting apps access to Facebook Stories, Marketplace photos, and photos that were uploaded but not shared. The bug was in effect from September 13^th to September 25^th.

As of now, Facebook is working on releasing tools to allow app developers to determine if they were impacted by this bug, and will work with them to delete unauthorized photos. Facebook will also be notifying any users they suspect may have been affected.

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If you have any questions or concerns about this latest Facebook bug, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly at {phone} or {email}.

A recent sextortion scheme highlights the vulnerability users face when their data is stolen and used against them.

The widespread threat made it seem as though a hacker had compromising video of a victim taken while visiting adult pornographic websites. The scammers threatened to release the video unless they were paid in bitcoins.

Here’s a closer look at the threat and how to prevent such ruses in the future.

What Happened in the Sextortion Case?

The latest fraud was different from earlier sextortion cases in one significant aspect. Victims were targeted with an email that appeared to come from their very own email account.

In the past, similar hacks used passwords to an adult website that had been stolen in a data breach. The scammer would threaten to release information about the victim’s activity in exchange for cryptocurrency.

Are These Schemes Successful?

The risk of public embarrassment is a powerful motivator for many victims who would rather pay than be exposed for visiting questionable websites. The recent scheme was first noted in the Netherlands, where it reportedly netted €40,000 in short order. That kind of quick cash is highly motivating to hackers looking to make a large amount of money fast.

What Did the Sextortion Email Say?

The English version of the scam had a subject line that included the victim’s email address and “48 hours to pay,” e.g. “username@example.com 48 hours to pay,”

In broken English, the scammer claimed to be part of an international hacker group that now had access to all accounts and gave an example of a stolen password.

Throughout several months, the email alleged, the victim’s devices were infected with a virus from visiting adult websites. Now, the hackers had access to a victim’s social media and messages.

“We are aware of your little and big secrets … yeah, you do have them,” the email continued. “We saw and recorded your doings on porn websites. Your tastes are so weird, you know.”

The email further claimed to have recordings of the victim viewing these websites and threatened to release them to friends and relatives. It demanded payment of $800 in bitcoin within 48 hours of reading the message. If the funds were received, the data would be erased. If not, videos would be sent to every contact found on the victim’s device.

For unsuspecting victims, receiving such an email could be terrifying. That’s why so many people succumb to such demands and pay up.

What Can Users Do?

While it’s easy to be scared into sending payment, the reality is that these emails can be ignored and deleted. It’s a good idea after doing so to run an anti-virus scan on all your devices to be sure that there is no malware installed.

Many of these scams occur because a domain has been hacked. However, these vulnerabilities can be eliminated by using some basic protections. Using domain name system (DNS) records designed for email validation and authentication are an essential first step. Here are three of the most common:

• SPF. A sender policy framework (SPF) verifies that an email that claims to come from a domain is associated with an authorized IP address. An SPF can detect faked sender email addresses in spam filters. Hackers are less likely to target such domains for phishing attacks.
• DKIM. DomainKeys Identified Email (DKIM) lets an email receiver verify that an email coming from a domain was authorized by that domain. Senders need to attach a digital signature to each outgoing message that’s linked to a domain name. The recipient’s system can compare that signature to a published key.
• DMARC. Layered on top of SPF and DKIM is domain-based message authentication, reporting and conformance protocol (DMARC). Established in 2011, DMARC allows email senders to publish policies about unauthorized email. Also, email receivers can provide reporting to those senders. Both are designed to build a domain reputation and credibility about Domain-issued emails.

Your users and domains are vulnerable to hackers looking to exploit technology to shame people into paying. With the right technology assessments, security protocols and safeguards in place, your systems will be protected and dissuade hackers from attacking your sites in the future.

The fundamental difference between computer repair and network computer services is that computer repair is a very reactive concept. Something breaks, you call your trusted technician and they make the fix — and bill you for time and materials while your staff members wait for their technical problems to be resolved. With network computer services, the model is entirely different. You enter into a longer-term partnership with an organization which works closely with you to create a proactive support infrastructure which often allows your staff to continue working even while a problem is being solved. Businesses that are looking for a way to normalize their annual IT costs and provide predictable service levels should investigate network computer services.

Why Are Technology Fixes So Expensive?

When you think about it, it makes sense why it’s so expensive to have a consultant or team come into your business and resolve a problem. Not only are they taking on a fair amount of liability for a short-term relationship, but they also have a substantial ramping up time and effort each time you need to have a problem resolved. This methodology is called “break-fix” for a reason: something breaks, and you invite someone to come fix it. This is especially problematic when you consider the costs of a break-fix solution include internal IT or management time, additional contracts or scoping of a work project, lost productivity for business staff . . . Plus the additional upcharge for the services that are rendered by your consultants. All of these items can quickly add up to make a small issue become a much larger cost than initially expected. What’s worse is that it’s nearly impossible to budget for specifically when something is going to break.

How Can I Accurately Project IT Costs?

Holding a pattern in your technology costs can be a challenge. Business units are always looking for additional functionality for their budget dollars, and it can be difficult to justify why that project didn’t get completed due to lack of funds. When you have to divert dollars from an upcoming project to pay for an unexpected problem resolution, it can raise eyebrows and cause questions from leadership. One of the most effective ways to ensure that you’re able to accurately predict the costs to maintain your business infrastructure is to work with a network computer services partner. This type of relationship comes with a variety of benefits, such as the assurance that patches are resolved and applied quickly and accurately to your software and hardware.

Can Network Computer Services Improve My Security?

Internal technology leaders or teams are nearly always overworked, with more projects than they can possibly accomplish in a year. Unfortunately, this can mean that there are difficult decisions to be made: do you schedule a security review and patch your software or do you get started scoping that new website that marketing desperately wants? Both activities require time from the technology team, but there are risks down either path. If you decide to put off a new projects for a security review, you take the chance that teams will begin doing their own development and open up security risks. If you take on the new project, you’re risking a cybercriminal finding a way to infiltrate your network security. This is the type of challenge that is tailor-made for a network computer services team, as they can help resolve your infrastructure security challenges and provide internal teams with an opportunity to support new business requirements. Ongoing, scheduled maintenance and robust security procedures help protect your organization and your sensitive customer data. These updates and proactive monitoring are crucial to ensuring that your organization does not fall subject to the latest malware or phishing tactics.

Working with a managed services provider has a range of benefits: more predictable technology costs over time, improved network security and technology maintenance and better overall experience for your business users. Working with a network computer services organization provides your team with the in-depth knowledge and additional skill sets to supplement their own expertise. Your trusted services provider is able to leverage best practices from across various industries to offer you superior remote service and ongoing support, depending on your particular contract levels.

It seems computer hackers will go to any length to complete their scams and wrestle money out of the hands of their victims. In one of the latest scams to come to light, hackers are finding real passwords and then using them to send emails threatening to expose people for watching porn. The unsuspecting victims receive an email disclosing part of a password associated with the email account that states the sender has set up a camera and filmed the recipient using a legitimate porn website. Unless the victim pays a ransom using Bitcoin, the sender of the email threatens to disclose the video to people closest to the victim.

Sextortion: A New Twist on an Old Plot

Many people receive so many scam emails that they no longer bother to open them. The scammers behind the sextortion scam hope to catch people’s attention by disclosing some or all of their email password immediately. If that works, the email goes on to describe how the hacker installed malware on a porn site while the email recipient was viewing it. However, it does not stop there. The hacker claims to have collected all of the victim’s contacts from Facebook, the Messenger application, and his or her email address as well.

As the email continues, the hacker threatens to send the supposed video of the recipient viewing porn to everyone on the contact lists mentioned above. The only thing the person receiving the email can do to stop this is to pay a ransom within 24 hours. The threatening language continues by informing the reader that the sender of the email knows the message has been read and not to waste time replying to it. In short, the reader should send the money or else.

Hackers Using Old Information

There is an element of truth in the sextortion email people receive in that some recipients have reported that the password is one they have used in the past. However, no one who said this scam had used the exposed passwords in more than 10 years nor have they used them on their current computer. The most likely explanation for the scam is that hackers obtained passwords from a security breach at a well-known website more than a decade ago. They merely added scripts to go with the passwords to make the scam seem more legitimate.

The Ruse is Getting More Sophisticated

Hackers have learned from this attempt at so-called sextortion that they must use more current information and a believable script to get anywhere with their intended victims. They now search for as much personal data as they can find online to convince the email recipient that the threat is real. Some have gone so far as to use illegal password lookup services associated with email addresses. The people behind that data breach have reportedly stolen billions of username and password combinations that they then sell to other scammers.

Yet another modern twist on sextortion is for hackers to email everyone with the information listed on a newly hacked customer database. In addition to demanding large sums of money, some of these scammers are demanding that the victims send nude photographs of themselves and other sexually explicit material. Some are so bold as to demand an in-person meeting where the victim must provide them with sexual favors to avoid having their private information exposed to everyone they know.

How Internet Users Can Protect Themselves from Sextortion

The FBI has received enough of these complaints to create an official document warning people of its dangers. It recommends that anyone who accesses the Internet regularly follow these steps to protect themselves from sextortion scams:

• Make sure the web camera is turned off or covered when not in use
• Never send a compromising image to anyone regardless of who they claim to be
• Do not open email attachments unless the sender is well-known and trusted

To add even greater pathology to this scam, perpetrators are often adults disguising themselves as teenagers. They depend on younger recipients to be more naive about online scams and to fall for their demands without question. Anyone who feels they have been targeted for a sextortion scam via email should forward the email to the FBI as well as contact them immediately.

Attending the top tech events in 2019 is mandatory for managed IT service companies. While it may be impossible to stay ahead of cybercrime, IT professionals should invest time and money to stay proactive to help their clients plan for unidentified threats.

Keynote speakers at these top teach events provide valuable insight on how to communicate the very real threats that continue to evolve for every business so that your clients invest in technology to help protect themselves from security breaches.

Calendar of Tech Events

Find top events in the United States and abroad. Make plans to attend several.

January 15, 2019 – January 18, 2019, Austin, TX.

RStudio Conference 2019. Host and RStudio Chief Scientist Hadley Wickham and confirmed keynote speakers David Robinson, Felienne and Joe Cheng will be updating attendees with the state of the art and future of data science.

February 25, 2019 – February 28, 2019, Barcelona, Spain.

MWC Barcelona. This is the “original” World Congress of mobile. Explore mobile topics from AI to Digital Wellness and Digital Trust.

March 4, 2019 – March 8, 2019, San Francisco, CA.

RSA Conference USA. Industry expert keynote speakers and seminars on the latest cybersecurity enhancements.

March 8, 2019 – March 17, 2019, Austin, TX.

SXSW. The mother of all conventions – from music and culture to technology. You’ll find coding, cryptocurrency, medical technology and VR/AR/MR.

March 18, 2019 – March 21, 2019, Orlando, FL.

Enterprise Connect. Discover your options when replacing or upgrading a legacy system. Get unbiased, vendor-neutral advice on implementing next-gen communications.

March 18, 2019 – March 20, 2019, Ponte Vedra, FL.

AGENDA19. Especially designed for C-level, VPs, Directors and Managers as they plan to lead their businesses in changing times.

April 9, 2019 – April 11, 2019, Las Vegas, NV.

Atlassian Summit. From training and certifications to a diverse group of speakers, you’ll change the way your teams work.

April 9, 2019 – April 11, 2019, San Francisco, CA.

Google Cloud Next. Google shares its latest cloud technology so you can choose the appropriate cloud-native devices for yours or your clients’ needs.

April 23, 2019 – April 25, 2019, San Francisco, CA

Slack Frontiers 2019 (SF). Attend this event to study teamwork development skills you can use to lead your team toward more productivity.

May 28, 2019 – June 1, 2019, Taipei, Taiwan.

Computex Taipei. This giant Asian show is especially for those interested in ICT supply chain and IoT ecosystems.

July 14, 2019 – July 18, 2019, Las Vegas, NV.

Microsoft Inspire. All of Microsoft’s partners in one place at one time.

August 3, 2019 – August 8, 2019, Las Vegas, NV.

Black Hat USA. Arrive early for four days of hands-on security training followed by a two-day conference concentrating on security development and trends.

October 22, 2019 – October 24, 2019, Los Angeles, CA.

MWC Americas. Emerging technologies and trends as “mobile” changes the world.

November 19, 2019 – November 22, 2019, San Francisco, CA.

Dreamforce. Annual symposium for Salesforce customers. See the newest devices and apps that connect to your client’s customers.

TBA. San Jose, CA.

WWDC. Experts expect a spring meeting to showcase new hardware and software, perhaps with a focus on Apple TV and media-related hardware including new AirPods or over-the-ear headphones.

TBA. Mountain View, CA.

Google I/O. Developers worldwide look forward to this annual conference for hands-on learning and seminars with Google experts. Attendees also get the first look at Google’s newest developer products.

TBA. Seattle, WA.

Microsoft Build. Everything Microsoft all in one place – over 350 sessions that cover Azure, Visual Studios and Microsoft 365 plus emerging technology.

Begin planning now. Book hotels and flights early to ensure a stress-free tech event. Register early to earn early-bird discounts on fees. Follow these 13 tips to get the most of every tech event you attend.

Your employees may understand that they risk identity theft every time there’s a major cyber breach at a store they’ve patronized. But do they know that even more of their personal information is available to hackers via their employee benefits plans? It’s a risk that an increasing number of business owners and CEOs have had to confront. How to safeguard employee data — and avoid the significant expense of a managing a breach response — are just some of the questions that business leaders face around this issue.

Why are benefit plans so attractive to hackers?

Virtually any type of employee benefit plan is vulnerable to hackers. These include pension plans, health and welfare plans, and retirement savings accounts. All represent a rich source of personally identifiable information (PII).

First, hackers can gain access to the employee’s personal health information. Armed with that information, cyber thieves can do everything from file fraudulent insurance claims, get prescription medication, and even blackmail the employee.

Hackers may also gain access to the actual employment benefit accounts, potentially using the accrued amounts as fraudulent assets to obtain lines of credit under the employee’s name.

Of course, being able to completely steal the employee’s identity is one of the most concerning threats. And given that employee enrollment forms will have birthdates, email addresses, official residence addresses, and social security numbers — at a minimum — there’s a strong potential for wide-scale identity theft using the PII.

What makes the plans so vulnerable to hacking?

The average worker assumes that accessing his or her employer’s cash reserves and financial information would be the more attractive target than that of its employees. But a company is one entity and can move quickly to protect its holdings after a firewall is breached. A business’ large number of employees, however, represent better odds for a cyber attack. Even if many of them are able to protect their PII after a breach is discovered, the odds of capturing at least some employees’ personal data are still high.

Employee benefit planning is often handled by the third-party provider. And even when these plans are managed internally, the business may be using software that’s vulnerable to attack. For convenience, the employee plan programs are designed to be accessible to more than one agency or company, and by using different platforms.

Yet the same technology that makes the software so easy for multiple parties to access is also what can make it more vulnerable to cyber attack.

Why do employee benefit plan breaches keep happening?

Unfortunately, pension planners, insurance companies and other partner providers still rely on “old school” tech to stop hackers. While anti-virus software might be helpful to stop non-corporate cyber attacks, it’s not always up to the task of more sophisticated hackers.

Also, federal regulations don’t consider employee benefits information as sensitive as personal health records. For that reason, regulations aren’t as strong on the pension side of benefits as they are on the medical records aspect.

What can be done to protect your employees?

The threat to employee benefit plans information is ever-growing. But the good news is that business leaders can put several safeguards in place, protecting that information on several fronts.

If you use an outside provider to oversee your employee benefits programs, it’s essential to carefully examine what safeguards those partner providers have in place to protect the information they handle. If your own staff is handling the benefits program, it’s essential that they receive the most advanced and up-to-date training available. Even staffers proficient in software and administrative safeguards may not be aware of the latest viruses and scams by which hackers may gain entry.

Perhaps most crucially, you’ll need to set up a chain of command and strict protocol about how all information is handled. From your own IT specialists and human resources administrators to outside benefit plan providers, access should be limited to the scope of that department’s work. The more sensitive the information is, the fewer people should have access to it.

What’s the best way to implement these safeguards?

Hiring a reputable firm of cybersecurity experts will immediately put technological safeguards in place to protect employee PII. These experts can also train business leaders and relevant staffers about how to administer their employee benefits plans accounts safely — and how to select third-party benefit program providers that also put cybersecurity first.

New tech can be fun and fascinating, but most importantly it solves a need in a person’s life. If you’re trying to choose a Christmas gift for the techie in your life, consider the little problems they’ve been commenting about. Solve that problem with a new piece of technology and you’ll find an innovative holiday gift that won’t be quickly forgotten.

New Tech for Getting Fit

Fitness buffs are fascinated with recording results and improving their game. The new Fitbit Charge 3 will help them to do just that. This advanced fitness tracker includes a 24/7 heart rate monitor, a smart touchscreen, goal-based exercise modes, and smartphone notifications. Getting fit isn’t just about working out; eating right is also an important component. The Greater Goods Digital Food Scale will not only weigh food servings, but it also tells nutritional information for 2,000 built-in foods, tracks daily macro totals like fats, carbs, and calories, and adapts to your personal diet. For the most personal gift of all, give her the Muhdo genetic profiling kit. Once the profile has been done, Muhdo will do DNA testing and devise an artisan fitness and nutrition plan based on her personal genetic markers.

Tech for Increasing Productivity

Time seems increasingly short for both executives and independent business owners, so anything that increases productivity will improve both their bottom line and their attitude. With the Equil Smartpen 2, he can doodle, sketch, or take notes on any piece of paper that’s handy, then transfer it into digital form via the pen. If keeping track of keys or other objects is slowing down mornings, he’ll appreciate TrackR Stickers. They affix to any flat surface and will beep when activated by a smartphone app. Is lack of attention slowing her down in boring meetings? The Fidgi Pen has enough stealth fidget points to keep anyone alert during the latest budget overview. For anyone who spends massive amounts of time working elaborate programs, the Packed Pixels Multi Laptop Windows is a multi-window attachment for his laptop that turns it into a computer with three monitors.

Gadgets for Better Visuals

Photography is a growing hobby, and manufacturers have come up with a wide variety of great devices for both amateurs and professionals, alike. For the most casual user, the Amir Clip-On Smartphone Lens will turn any basic iPhone into a high-quality camera. He’ll shoot close-ups, wide angle shots, and super-clear portraits with this easily-attached lens collection. The FujiFilm Instax Minicamera is the hottest instant around in a generation. She can toss it in the office for impromptu group photos, or use it on road trips for ice-breaking sessions. For executives who unwind by going to the extremes, the Polaroid Cube+ is the ideal lifestyle action camera. He can attach it to a helmet, handlebars, a surfboard, or any other piece of sports equipment. For the more casual adventure photographer who never seems to remember a tripod, the Poying Bottle Mount will save the day. He can attach the mount to the bottom of any small camera, then screw the mount onto any commercial bottle of water. Instant tripod!

Tech That Upgrades the Home

Being at home should be as relaxing as possible, and these tech gifts make sure that happens. The iRobot Roomba automatically vacuums the floor by rolling around the house picking up dirt, then moves back to it’s home to charge up for the next trip. The NEST Hello doorbell’s ultra-clear camera shows everything that happens on your front porch. It’s 24/7 streaming HD video that’s always on, streaming both to your smartphone and straight to the cloud for safety. The Echo Plus smart home hub connects all your Internet of Things to form one intelligent, connected unit she can run from voice commands or a smartphone. And the VicTsing Bluetooth waterproof shower speaker adds incredible stereo sound for both invigorating morning showers and relaxing evening baths.

Tech For Relaxation

Everyone needs to have a little fun in their life, no matter how driven they are to succeed. New tech products make it easy to find new hobbies and enjoy small bits of free time throughout the day. Apple Airpods give excellent stereo sound in a wireless design. Airpods are always attached to Siri, to make your life even easier. The Retroduck Retro iPhone Dock turns your iPhone into a 60’s-style television that sits on your desk. It includes a stand and a trio of rabbit-ear antennas to complete the look. The Urban Outfitters Folding Massage Chair reminds you of aluminum lawn chairs on your grandparents’ lawn, but with a considerable upgrade. Your gift recipient will love the deep-tissue massage with three pressure settings and four massage modes.

Regardless of the money businesses invest in cybersecurity, technology is only part of the cybersecurity puzzle. Regardless of new hardware, updated software and the best IT support team, cybersecurity is an ongoing commitment. Cybersecurity must be on the minds of every employee every hour of every day.

A Chain Is Only As Strong As Its Weakest Link.

This idiom is attributed to Thomas Reid who wrote “Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man” in 1786. It first appeared in print in 1868 in the Cornhill Magazine. Simply put, it means that a group of people can only be as strong or successful as the weakest or least successful member.

Email is a favored method of cybercriminals – email is used to transmit ransomware, viruses and other harmful software.

Each email that each employee opens represents a cybersecurity threat. Only with a continuous and ongoing employee awareness program can you have an effective cybersecurity solution. It only takes one employee opening one email to expose your business to a cyber-attack.

Employees come and go – make sure that critical passwords are changed when an employee leaves. Be sure that new hires understand your cybersecurity policies and know to whom they should report potential risks.

What Can Businesses Do to Ensure Employees Don’t Pose a Security Risk?

First, ensure that you have a firewall, up-to-date anti-virus software and a spam filter. Always make sure that every new computer, laptop or tablet is up-to-date on these items before it is given to an employee.

Email 101. Teach email safety. These simple questions will help employees evaluate emails that originate from unknown senders.

• Who is this email from? Virtually every email should be originating from a fellow employee, a supplier or a customer.
• Why am I getting this email? Emails should relate to an employee’s job description.
• Are attachments safe to open? Have you taught your employees how to decide what types of files are safe to open?
• Does an email threaten to cancel a credit card or close an account if you don’t pay money? Employees need to understand this might be ransomware.
• Is an email really from someone known? Teach employees how to spot suspicious “look-alike” email addresses.
• Does anything just not seem right about an email? Neither the IRS nor the FBI sends emails to employees.

Continuing Education for your Employees. People are people, and they forget. Employees need ongoing training about email safety. Keep the training short and exciting to keep their attention.

• Weekly mini sessions – perhaps by the department.
• Utilize a speaker from your IT provider.
• Weekly email “Cybersecurity Tip of the Week.”
• Share actual case studies (specific to your industry is ideal).
• Monthly E-newsletter – could be part of your IT partner’s service.
• Simulated phishing attack conducted by your IT partner.

The Power of Human Error

In spite of educating your employees, human error accounts for almost 50 percent of data breaches. The accidental loss of a device or a misplaced document may be the cause of a severe security breach. Shred-It vice president Monu Kalsi observes that the smallest bad habits may result in substantial security risks. Examples include:

• Leaving a work computer unsecured while on break or in a meeting.
• Leaving sensitive documents out on a desk overnight.
• Accidentally leaving sensitive documents on an airplane (the Homeland Security Super Bowl debacle).
• Leaving sensitive documents within view of others in a public space.
• Using public Wi-Fi.
• Sharing company-issued computer with family or friends.

Draft a written policy to provide each employee who works remotely from home or when traveling.

Another potential source of human error may come from sub-contractors or vendors who have access to your facilities and/or employees. The Shred-It study showed that 20-25 percent of security breaches were caused by vendors. Ensure that when a vendor relationship ends that all ties are severed – change codes for keyed entrances when there is a vendor change.

Attention to small details may save your company lots of money.

The Bottom Line …

Employees are human. They make mistakes or commit errors in judgment. They also forget. Invest in updates for firewalls, security software and well-trained IT personnel. Regular cybersecurity training for your employees protects your business from damaging cyber-attacks.

• Update policies. Incorporate a clean desk policy to prevent unauthorized copying or theft of critical document. Develop and institute a vendor policy and a remote employee policy.
• Go paperless whenever possible. Invest in technology that scans essential documents into PDFs that are emailed to the owner of the document. Shred the document immediately after scanning.
• Hard drive disposal. Destroy obsolete hard drives. Never throw them away because even deleted information can be retrieved by smart cybercriminals.
• Lost device policy. Designate someone that employees can tell immediately if the equipment is lost or stolen.

Forms of mobile communications and their frequency of use in healthcare have increased significantly over the past decade, as they have across virtually all economic sectors. Today, hospitals support their medical care units with various kinds of modern communications technology. Of course, increased adoption and varieties of technology use in the healthcare industry comes with new challenges for healthcare professionals. That means new opportunities for technology services providers to collaborate with them on the development of insightful and thorough solutions.

Understanding the communications technology needs of modern healthcare providers and how to approach solutions to their unique challenges in clinical, administrative and remote contact environments yields a wealth of possibilities for new cross-applications of telecommunications tools.

Here is some information to help in collaborations to facilitate the quickest and most effective, convenient, and secure communications at every turn for physicians, nurses, administrators and other healthcare industry professionals.

Mobile Policies and Adoption Levels in Healthcare Organizations

These days, mobile policies are not yet fully adopted and enforced across many large healthcare institutions. Others have advanced much farther down the path to optimizing their organizations’ communications systems and utilization practices. Some are even developing their patient-care and patient-relations protocols to extend the use of mobile technology to enable more accessible and thorough information sharing with patients.

The news may seem to be a pretty mixed bag, regarding the progress of communications across the healthcare sector. But, the overriding reality is that overall utilization rates of mobile technologies across the industry have multiplied over the past ten years.

There are challenges in developing viable cellular and Wi-Fi infrastructures, and special security issues are brought on by “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) allowances in many organizations that are otherwise on exceptionally cautious about information systems security. Nevertheless, BYOD practices are increasingly used in even some relatively sensitive information handling in healthcare systems. There are additional issues of mobile policy and generally lacking mobile strategies that present both significant problems and opportunities for healthcare organizations and mobile services consultants.

Altogether, mobile devices have become a standard tool throughout the healthcare industry, now used in roles spanning the entire broad field of specializations, including by physicians, nurses, medical technicians, other clinicians, lab managers, executives, pharmacists, healthcare business analysts, social workers, patient services reps, risk management professionals and healthcare IT staff.

Mobile Strategies Across Today’s Healthcare Industry

Strategies for mobile communications implementation must involve formalizing an organization’s policies on technologies, security, and forms of communication permitted in various healthcare contexts and for various purposes. Of course, each healthcare organization has its own variation on ordinary policy allowances, restrictions, and other entailments based on the unique needs of their team’s healthcare activities.

Healthcare organization policies on mobile devices and their use should actually be understood as representing an integral component of comprehensive strategies for delivery of more efficient, higher-quality healthcare, to improve both patients’ and healthcare providers’ levels of satisfaction with their experience in the healthcare system. Mobile strategies that serve these over-arching goals are naturally more successful, such as devices that automatically alert doctors and nurses and improve response time.

Establishing policies that set forth controls, in combination with built-in auto-controls for HIPAA compliance, among others, protect patients as well as healthcare organizations and their employees from exposure of patient data and other security issues. With the IoT now accounting for seemingly countless devices connected through worldwide networks, unapproved access and cyber-crime are ever-more common, impactful to operations, and costly to resolve.

HealthIT.gov advises that healthcare organizations’ mobile use policies include safeguards for patients’ health information in language that specifies requirements for management of mobile devices and that is clear on restrictions of device use and training requirements for users. It further emphasizes the importance of clarifying security settings requirements, and other recommended mobile device policies. It also offers much useful information on current health IT developments, regulations and information resources.

Healthcare Industry Mobile Technology Transition

The most recent Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) (2017) survey asked patients questions about the responsiveness of hospital staff during their treatment. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers & Systems (CAHPS) also asks such questions of patients in their information gathering programs used in the agency’s evaluations of healthcare institutions. Healthcare organizations are sensitive to these particular reviews and understand the need to work to improve the patient experience to prevent the risk of CMS resistance to reimbursements and other dreaded consequences of issues with responsiveness to patients’ needs.

So, it makes sense, just based on those concerns, that hospitals are now implementing mobile policies for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare team members who provide direct care to patients. Increasing efforts around clarification of types of workflows that can be safely and effectively managed using mobile devices point to a growing preference for maximal utilization of these tools to facilitate work that directly affects patients’ overall satisfaction with the care they receive.

Updating Mobile Strategy in Healthcare Systems

As in any type of organization, strategic plans must be revised to accommodate new alternatives. Mobile strategies in healthcare organizations require updates to include newly discovered concepts for improving methods to satisfy needs of patients and of technology users on staff, for modifications of clinical process flows, for adopting new technologies that come on the market, and so on.

Today, changes of software and devices are happening at rates with which few other technologies in hospitals are keeping pace. Commensurately, mobile strategies and policies should be reviewed routinely, to be sure that they are appropriate for current patient care processes and technology solutions available on the market.

A large majority of healthcare organizations now utilize smartphones and internet-enabled phones. Onsite pagers, wide-area pagers and encrypted pagers have declined in popularity, with the increasing use of mobile phones. Tablets in clinical settings and in various patient communications contexts are gradually increasing in use.

Updating your organization’s mobile strategy to increase the efficiency of the healthcare delivery process empowers technology-enabled clinical and administrative teams to implement needed mobile security and compliance changes. It also enables or facilitates their efforts to:

• Improve their effectiveness in meeting the needs of patients.
• Streamline clinical workflows.
• Overcome challenges in full-scope mobile adoption.
• Expand their capabilities through applicable consumer apps.
• Phase out out-moded systems with new technologies.
• Acquire new capabilities that complement EHR applications.
• Incorporate new mobile technologies already on the market.
• Make changes that better support the organization’s financial sustainability.

Mobile Technology Challenges and Solutions

Even the best and most secure devices are only as good as the network connection upon which their users must rely for access to critical information and to communicate with other members of the team. However, reliable Wi-Fi coverage continues to cause the most frequent issues for mobile users in healthcare institutions, followed by cellular coverage. Managing compliance and data security are others of the most common difficulties.

Undependable connectivity can result in issues of patient safety if a doctor or nurse does not receive critical information when needed. Further, frustrations can lead to attrition among healthcare team members forced to continuously find ways to work around technology deficiencies to complete essential processes in patient care.

Technology challenges must be resolved with permanent solutions. However, hospitals with connectivity problems may not have performed a comprehensive assessment of their wireless coverage, or have pursued remediation.

For those institutions, correcting these essential technology performance issues is an area of opportunity to improve the quality of their organization’s overall experience for patients and families and healthcare workers. Solutions that can be explored to enhance network coverage for Wi-Fi, cellular or/and paging may include:

• Mapping weak signal spots, and pursue options to increase coverage.
• Add more antennas, repeaters, or other reception devices.
• Boosting Wi-Fi connections/increasing coverage.
• Installing more Wi-Fi and various repeater access points.
• Upgrading routers.
• Extending distributed antenna systems (DAS).
• Adding more cell towers to accommodate hospitals (to include all major cell service carriers)
• Amplifying the RF signal for pagers.

Additional Mobile Technology Opportunities and Challenges in Healthcare

Secure Texting — Secure texting has become an essential communications component in many healthcare organizations. It can be especially valuable when fully integrated to utilize directories, scheduling, lab reporting and other operational systems needed in time-sensitive situations. Hospitals that are still not using this tool appear to be missing an opportunity to significantly increase efficiency in critical moments. Note: Be aware of legislated restrictions on patient care information that can and cannot be shared by secure text. Also know about requirements, such as secure sign-on (SSO), messaging encryption, and others that are applicable in some healthcare industry contexts.

Security Advancements — Keeping protected health information (PHI) secure continues to be one of the top concerns for every healthcare organization. All are aware by now of the risks of costly downtime due to security breaches, potential data exposure or loss, viruses and ransom incidents. At the 2019 Health IT Conference (HIMSS18) discussions were centered on actively preparing for cyber-attacks, instead of on preventive measures, as in the past.

A major component of a PHI security program is successfully managing device security. Relying only on policy adherence and employee education invites security issues. Going forward, healthcare IT consultants should be collaborating with client organizations on mobile security solutions, as a priority.

Patient and Family Use of Mobile Tools — Many hospitals now provide personal portals for their patients to use for receiving everything from lab test results to billing statements. Some physicians even incorporate the setup of portal access and review of its information features during patients’ visits.

Benefits of Mobile Communications in Healthcare

The number and variety of mobile devices used by healthcare team members these days make it clear enough that the technology has become an essential tool for collaboration and coordination of patient care. The value of mobile technology tools for healthcare team members efforts to improve the quality of patient care include:

• More efficient collaboration between clinical staff members.
• Faster access to information at critical times.
• Immediate awareness and faster response to alerts.
• Improved safety.
• Convenient access to EHR.
• Convenient access to reference materials.
• Increased overall efficiency for doctors and nurses.

• Better outcomes resulting from increased efficiency.
• Enhanced patient experience with 24/7 access to information.

The Near Future of Disruptive Healthcare Industry IT

Even as many healthcare institutions are still trying to fully incorporate already proven technologies into their processes in ways that fully realize the advantages they offer, newer technologies await broader adoption.

Since the advent of the revolutionary electronic health record (EHR), new technologies recognized for their potential to further change the way healthcare is delivered in the U.S. over the next several years include:

• Secure texting
• Smartphones
• Security (anti-virus, hacking, ransomware)
• Auto-alerts
• Increased cellular coverage and reduced latency (5G)
• Google Glass™
• Real-time information access via portals for patients
• Increased patient engagement in their healthcare
• Artificial intelligence
• Telemonitoring
• Video phone communications
• Teleconferencing
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Voice-controlled virtual assistants (ex: Alexa®)

These and other new technologies will further increase efficiency in working with patients and allow healthcare teams to work together more closely, with everyone on the team receiving essential information simultaneously. Teams can make better decisions and take more fully-considered actions, through improved opportunities for consultation and collaboration. Caregivers will have more time to spend with their patients. Patients and families can receive more timely and complete updates.

Keeping Pace with Changes in Healthcare Communications

Throughout the process of healthcare delivery, today’s healthcare professionals and organizations have endless opportunities to leverage mobile communication technologies to improve outcomes for patients. Many healthcare organizations have already made significant progress in integrating mobile technologies and overcoming the attendant challenges.

Still, there are many problems to be resolved. Unreliable cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity can discourage broader adoption and can even lead to safety issues. Functionally, the usefulness and benefits of advanced mobile communication technologies, with their capacity to capture details from directories, schedules, test results, etc., and to auto-send clinical alerts, and so much more are severely reduced by the connectivity problem. These issues can seriously impact patient care and PPI security, which fact makes diligently updating mobile policy documentation and validating training on updates as they are made a continual imperative.

As the use of mobile devices has revolutionized the way people live and communicate throughout modern society, healthcare team members have developed now very familiar skills in working with those technologies, which they can adeptly apply to workplace challenges.

To enable the safest and fullest application of the many new opportunities for improving healthcare methods and practices through mobile technology, healthcare institutions must continue to more completely iterate policies that define appropriate usage of mobile technologies in the healthcare environment. They must also, of course, diligently monitor to ensure that technology usage does not become an obstacle to optimum patient care through face-to-face interaction.

Mobile technology is now a permanent fixture in the healthcare industry. Therefore, healthcare organizations must align their primary goals with their staff members’ modes of communicating in the care of patients.

Disruptive new mobile technologies will continue to present vast opportunities and significant challenges for healthcare team members and organizations. The perspective to keep is that these state-of-the-art technologies are incomparably powerful communication and information tools for healthcare team members to use in their daily efforts to provide optimum quality care for their patients.

Sure, you can purchase Windows applications for a price. With some — like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop — it’s impossible to get around.

But there are also many Windows applications out there that are 100% free. Some of them can even replace most of the features of your favorite paid programs (Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop included). Or, if you’re considering buying the paid versions of these programs, you can first download the free version to ensure you like the layout, options, and fluidity.

Below, we go over 10 of the best free Windows applications for download. These applications aren’t trials, and they aren’t limited to things like watermarks or other incomplete features. They are absolutely free, downloadable applications that you can use for … well, forever.

Let’s get started!

1. DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is one of the most professional video editors on the market. Functionality is excellent, and you have a range of options when editing video in nearly any form. With this program, however, you’ll need to keep in mind two things.

First, in order to properly run DaVinci Resolve, you’ll have to have at least 8 GB of RAM, 1 GB of graphics memory, and a 64-bit version of Windows.

Second, there are two versions of this software: DaVinci Resolve (free version) and DaVinci Resolve Studio. The latter is a paid version and, naturally, has more capabilities and features. If you don’t want the paid version, choose the option on the left when downloading this program. And remember that for basic editing practices (with some added keen features), the free version of DaVinci Resolve is still quite capable completely worth it.

2. Blender

Blender is another of the best free applications for Windows. It is an open source 3D modeling package. Use it to create amazingly-professional 3D images of any kind; if you like, you can even translate your designs to a 3D printer. Blender can also be utilized to create animations.

In addition to its 3D imagery modeling capabilities, Blender also features video editing capabilities (basic) and has an integrated compositor.

3. Apache OpenOffice

When Microsoft Office is too pricey of an option for your word and data processing needs, Apache OpenOffice is an excellent alternative. It has been downloaded over two hundred million times.

This program includes a word processor, database, drawing package, presentation package, and spreadsheet maker. All of these programs are compatible with the paid version of Microsoft Office.

A sub-option of OpenOffice is another free Office package called LibreOffice. They are essentially comparable with only a few features that differentiate them.

4. Audacity

In terms of sound applications, Audacity is one of the most widely-used and professional multi-track audio editors out there. It is also a recorder. Volunteers created this super easy-to-use program to be completely open source. It can record and edit an entire album, has multiple themes and playback options, and allows you to edit and use effects just like a professional program.

5. SketchUp Make

SketchUp is a modeling program and is used often by those interested in 3D printing; the software can create all types of models that can later be translated to a 3D printer. It is extremely easy to use.

There are two SketchUp programs, and this is the free version. The professional (and paid) version is called SketchUp Pro. As a result of this, it is essential that you state that you are only going to use SketchUp for personal projects at the time of your free download.

6. GIMP

GIMP is an image editor and is completely open source. This program is an excellent alternative to Adobe Photoshop for editing photographs and other images. Even though the program has quite a steep learning curve, it’s definitely possible to get used to the platform and reap amazing benefits from the program — especially if you’re not ready to shell out for Photoshop.

7. Krita

Krita is a painting program and is open source. It was created by artists and is geared toward artists. You can download the program from the Krita website. The program allows you to create drawings on your computer, much in the way that real drawings (with paper and pen or pencil) are created. If you have a Graphics tablet, the program works especially well.

8. Sculptris

Sculptris is a 3D sculpting program available from Pixologic. It uses technology that professional 3D-modeling sculptors use. The whole package is a pared-down version of an all-in-one-digital sculpting solution called ZBrush (also by Pixologic), but this doesn’t mean it’s not possible to use Sculptris to create some pretty amazing things — great for those thinking about investing in ZBrush, who want to see how the software works.

9. Inkscape

A vector graphics editor, Inkscape allows you to “Draw Freely” as the advertising proclaims. It is comparable to Adobe Illustrator.

The program was created by developers for professionals and amateurs alike. Those who can benefit from this software include classic designers, web designers, illustrators, and anyone else interested in vector imagery. A broad array of structured drawing tools are available for a clean and neat final presentation.

10. Scribus

Scribus is a desktop publishing package that can produce a range of excellent results in terms of type- and image-setting. It is a top-notch DPT program for PDF and animated presentations as well. Create and arrange typesetting, layout, and much more.

Keep in mind that many of these applications can also be used on Macs or with Linux. Applications that are Mac compatible include:

• Sculptris
• Krita
• Scribus
• Inkscape
• Audacity
• SketchUp Make
• GIMP
• Blender
• DaVinci Resolve
• Apache OpenOffice

Applications that are Linux compatible include:

• Krita
• Scribus
• Inkscape
• Audacity
• GIMP
• Blender
• Apache OpenOffice

Are There Any Other Free Application Options?

In addition to the ten free applications listed above, there are also two other, runner-up free applications you might consider.

Bonus App #1: Fusion from Blackmagic Design

This is a motion graphics program and compositor for both 2D and 3D design. Just make sure that you have strong enough capabilities with your PC as this program has specific requirements.

Bonus App #2: Autodesk 123D

Finally, here’s another 3D modeling option that is free for users of all ages. Autodesk 123D offers a variety of packages for assistance with 3D modeling that can create jewelry, home décor, Minecraft models and other toys, and much more. For industry, the models created with Autodesk 123D can be used in a variety of settings as well.

If you are interested in any of the areas listed above — illustrating, 3D modeling or sculpting, sound editing, video editing, image editing, or word and data processing — be sure to give these free applications a try on your Windows computer. These free versions were created by professionals to be open source for use by everyone and anyone, so take advantage of the technology and get creative!