Newsletters

Working amid the ever-changing currents of technology and cyber security, businesses often find themselves entangled in a web of misinformation and outdated ideas. But failing to distinguish between myth and fact can put your business’s security at serious risk. Based on expert research in the field, including CompTIA’s 2024 global State Of Cybersecurity report, we will debunk three common misconceptions that threaten to derail your success in 2024.

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Today, most business transactions – whether buying shampoo or tonight’s dinner – are faceless. That’s why in our digital world, trust is the new currency. This shift in consumer behavior, sometimes called the “trust economy,” is more than the quality of products or services you offer; it’s about constructing a bedrock of reliability and transparency so customers choose you over competitors.

“Trust keeps society running. Even the most trivial interactions rely on small acts of trust,” the Economist reported. This isn’t lost on company leaders either. PwC’s 25th Annual Global CEO Survey reported that behind industry conditions, consumer trust is the most important predictor of a company’s past and future financial performance.

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Wintertime can feel like a wonderland. There’s hot cocoa, cozy fireside conversations, glistening white snowfall…ice storms, power outages and tons of employee sick days. You can’t predict the future, but a business continuity plan –BCP for short – ensures that unexpected events don’t slow you down because, in business, every minute counts – literally. Downtime costs SMBs $137 to $427 per minute, according to a 2020 IBM report. Although the loss is smaller, extreme downtime is the ultimate undoing for many SMBs. This month, while you’re rushing out to buy flowers or before you settle in for a cozy Netflix series, don’t forget to show your BCP some love too.

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The desire to feel valued, recognized and appreciated is universal in Western culture, not only in our personal lives but also in the workplace. According to Great Place To Work’s 2023 discretionary effort study, 37% of respondents said that more recognition at work “would encourage them to produce better work more often.” Additionally, employees who feel consistently recognized are 2.2X more likely to innovate and bring up new ideas and 2X more likely to say people at work go above and beyond. Working harder, smarter and happier – that’s a significant ROI. Similarly, customer appreciation drives loyalty, engagement and company growth. A Forrester survey of 85,000 consumers found that the top three emotions that “inspire or discourage loyalty” among people are to feel valued, appreciated and respected. We can all agree that appreciation is important, but how you show it matters. Appreciation isn’t a one-and-done event. (Sorry, but your annual Christmas party or Facebook customer appreciation post doesn’t cover it.) To reap the benefits of appreciation in your organization, you must weave it into company culture.

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You’ve probably noticed the little elf helping you around retail stores this year. No, it’s not the teenager at the mall in red-and-white stockings with a felted
green hat. It’s AI. Log in to Amazon, and you’ll see suggested products like winter decorations, novels or toy recommendations for kids. Add that remote-controlled car into your cart for your nephew, and you’ll get recommendations for batteries and gift wrapping too. This is no accident – generative AI uses your past purchases and recent searches to curate this personalized display. At the end of your shopping affair, you can share your experience, which will be data fodder for AI to learn and improve your next shopping venture.

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"It’s 10:00 p.m. – do you know where your children are? Google probably does. Thanks to Google Maps’ Timeline feature, the tech company probably knows where your whole family has been – down to the GPS coordinates. The feature was first rolled out in 2015 on Android devices and two years later on Apple, but many people still don’t know how much information the app actually collects. Before you hit the road this holiday season, take a minute to review your privacy settings to see if the risk is worth the benefits."

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“Thank goodness” is probably what Illinois-based manufacturing company ICS thought about having a cyber insurance policy with Travelers Insurance after a data breach in 2022.But after claims investigators pulled out heir microscopes, they found that ICS failed to use multi-factor authentication(MFA) across all digital assets, which they had agreed to do in their policy. Travelers sued ICS and won. The policy was rescinded, and so were ICS’s feelings of gratitude, which likely evolved into worried whispers of “Oh, crap.”

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If you ask a security professional, you get by-the book advice about sharing passwords: “Don’t share passwords.” But we know, in reality, that doesn’t work. Your office might be sharing a single password for apps like SurveyMonkey right now to save cash on buying additional users, and some social media accounts don’t even give you the option to have multiple log ins. Sharing passwords in your office is sometimes necessary for collaboration, and the best way to do this is by using a password manager.

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Back-to-school season has finally arrived, and it won’t be long before our kids are back in the classroom, learning all sorts of different subjects. Although it’s an exciting time for our kids, this transition back to school is often difficult. Many of them enjoy summer more than any other time of year because they get more freedom to participate in their favorite activities. When school starts, they have additional responsibilities to keep up with to ensure future success.

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As a business owner, you likely carefully vet every employee you hire to work for your business. You inspect their resumé and ask detailed questions during their interview to ensure they are the best fit. This is critical to growing your business and making it as successful as possible, but you shouldn’t solely reserve this
practice for potential new hires. You also need to carefully assess any third parties you work with, especially when it comes to your IT needs.

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IT services are necessary for every business in the country – IT companies help businesses protect their data, ensure day-to-day operations run smoothly, increase productivity across the board and keep up-to-date with the latest technology trends and updates. Without IT services, your business can fall prey to hackers and cybercriminals bent on stealing your company’s and clients’ personal information. But if you don’t have IT services, where do you even start looking?

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In today’s fast-paced world, it can be challenging to stay focused and productive. With constant distractions from social media, e-mail notifications and other online temptations, it’s no surprise that many people struggle to get things done. Fortunately, technology can also be an asset to help you stay on task and reach your goals, regardless of whether you’re trying to accomplish things in the workplace or in your personal life. By using the right tools and strategies, you can harness the power of technology to boost your productivity and stay focused on important tasks.

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Compliance standards are some of the most important things a business needs to maintain to be profitable and well-respected while staying out of legal trouble. Failure to meet these standards will make your business susceptible to fines and legal action. You’ll also take a hit on your reputation as customers, vendors and competitors may find your business to be untrustworthy. By enforcing compliance, you’re working to promote ethical behavior while protecting the rights of your employees, customers and other stakeholders. But it’s not always obvious which compliance standards apply to your industry or specific business. While most businesses need to ensure they’re following Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards for workplace safety, they must also meet Environmental Protection Agency regulations for protecting the environment.

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If you’ve turned on the news sometime during the past few years, you’veprobably heard of more than one instance where a business closed due to a cyber-attack. You may think your business is small enough and hackersmwon’t target you, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Every business isnat risk of experiencing a cyber-attack and should be well-prepared to defend against these threats. With the right type of attack, a cybercriminal can gain valuable information about your business, customers and employees, which can be used to damage your reputation and hurt you financially. If you’re a business owner or leader and you want to ensure your business is well-protected, check out the most common cyber-attacks that are affecting companies today. From there, you can implement cyber security plans and tactics to ensure your business is protected from cybercriminals.

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