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Showing posts with the label Big Data

The Top 4 Social Media Tools for Your Business—In Order

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Are you hoping to launch a successful social media campaign? The process can be overwhelming: between producing content on a multitude of platforms, publishing at the right times, interacting with followers, and more, it can seem like a full-time job in itself. Aren’t there tools to make it easier? Absolutely—but now the question is, which tools do what?  Some tools are channel-specific, and others can help you manage multiple accounts from one platform (don’t you think it would be convenient to be able to tweet and respond to Facebook comments all in the same place?). Because executing a social media campaign is not an overnight process, the order in which you take your steps matters, too; and some tools are best for helping you with particular milestones. Here are some of the best social media tools, in order from campaign launch to completion:  Hootsuite  Hootsuite is known as a scheduling tool, but it also offers social listening capabilities. If you are a fledgling ...
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Understanding Ransomware Part 2: How To Prevent Ransomware Attacks

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Now that you read Part 1 , you understand what Ransomware is and why it has become the single most costly problem in the world of IT security and business data protection, let’s take a look at several simple, easy-to- deploy solutions that can prevent an unwanted and costly ransomware intrusion in your business.  Restrict User Administrative Access  This is a very simple step to take. Users should have their administrative access restricted – ideally removing the ability to install new programs without the IT team’s supervision . This will help your business avoid the most common cause of infection: users downloading infected attachments from emails.  Granted, this will not be popular with your users. If your users already have administrative rights to their workstations then you will have to drag them along kicking and screaming. That said, a past report confirms what many security professionals have long presumed: Removing administrator rights from everyday user a...
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Understanding The Impact Of Ransomware On A Small Business: Part 1

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Most large businesses have robust protections in place to prevent infection from viruses, breaches of important data, and other undesirable intrusions by outsiders. However, there is one particularly dangerous type of virus that takes advantage of the underserved and under resourced, and can either totally destroy a small business , or cost it a tremendous sum of money. It’s known as “ransomware”.  What Is Ransomware?  Ransomware is one of the latest malicious software crazes and as the name may suggest, the primary goal is to hold your important data for ransom. Generally, ransomware is unknowingly downloaded from an email with an unsuspicious attachment or can come as a payload from another malware and dropped quietly in your system by exploit kits, after which it begins replicating on the host computer.  The method by which ransomware holds your important data for ransom is simple – encryption. The virus begins encrypting your files and moving them to encrypted folder...
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How Being Proactive With Data Security Now Saves Money Later

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Data breaches are increasingly common in today's tech-based workspace. There's more money to be had stealing customer records than going in for cash, and savvy criminals now have their eyes on these valuable goods. In 2016, data breaches increased 40 percent . These breaches rack up numerous costs, from legal fees and data recovery to lost loyalty from customers. Save money by staying proactive about your security.  Firewalls Keep Threats Out  Your firewall is your first line of defense against malicious attacks. Firewalls help filter information, protecting data that you want to keep inside your security parameters, and keeping hackers at bay on the other side. This will minimize unwanted network communications. The best firewalls also alert your IT security team to any attempted breach , so you can investigate the threat early and seek out malware before it has a chance to root itself in your system. This early alert will help save you from exorbitantly costly attacks. ...
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5 Tips For Creating Profit-Driving KPI's

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If you own a small business, you probably already know a thing or two about Key Performance Indicators (also known as KPIs). KPIs are the benchmarks your business sets in place to make sure it’s moving toward its long-term goals. The key to effective KPIs is not just having them in place, but having the right ones in place. Of course, that’s a lot easier said than done. To help you out, I’ve put together this guide on how to determine which KPIs will best drive your business forward.  1. Begin With Efficiency KPIs In a discussion of KPIs, there’s a good chance efficiency KPIs are likely the first kind that come to mind. These are your basic markers of ROI.  According to the smart folks at PNMsoft , an Intelligent Business Process Management Suite provider, efficiency KPIs include measurements such as: cycle time from request to delivery, volume of tasks per staff and number of staff involved.  These are the basic markers that make sure your business is running the way it...
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3 Reasons Why Business Data Security Is Critical

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Keeping your business information secure is absolutely imperative to your company's future . These days, one of the biggest assets a company has is its data. That data can help chart the future for a company and really give it a competitive advantage over other businesses in the marketplace. However, companies must make an effort to keep their business information secure . If they don’t, the consequences can be severe. Here are a few reasons why.  1.  A Data Breach Is A Public Relations Nightmare  Hackers and cyber criminals don’t target just any data stored on company servers . They want what can make them a profit. This is usually the credit card information for that company’s customers. When that information is stolen, credit card fraud, identity theft and other crimes targeting those customers will soon follow. The fallout for a company’s brand can be horrendous. Many people will refuse to do business with you with the assumption that they could end up having their da...
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6 Tech Trainings To Help Your Employees Keep Your Business Secure

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Digital security is a big deal for businesses. According to the Heritage Foundation, the cost of cyber- attacks for companies is well over $15 million on average for each company attacked. This is no laughing matter. As such, you need to make sure you have the proper training protocols in place to show your employees how to secure your business . Below are six things you should make sure to include in such a training program.  1. Encryption  One of the only completely trustworthy methods for securing information is the use of encryption. Encryption is even more important now since a lot of company data is now stored in the cloud. While certain cloud hosting companies may claim to encrypt data, encrypting it before it reaches the cloud may be an even better idea.  2. E-Mail Security  Employees must absolutely be trained on how to properly receive, reply to and handle company e-mail. E-mail received on company servers should be scanned for hidden threats like viruses ...
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5 Tips To Keep Employees Safe Online

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With the recent uptick in data breaches at major companies and government organizations, cyber security should a focal point of training for every company. The following 5 tips will help keep your employees safe online while using company email and while working on a computer at the office.  1. Watch Out for Phishing Emails  Phishing occurs when a malicious individual sends out a fake email pretending to be a real company asking someone to login. When a person enters their information thinking that they're logging in to their account, sensitive information is automatically compromised. These types of emails are normally used to gather personal information, like social security numbers, full names, addresses, credit card numbers and more. Your employees need to be aware of this threat, and need to dispose of such emails immediately.  Require Strong Passwords  The vast majority of consumers use the same password for every account they own, including those at work. Th...
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