What would you do if your business suffered a ransomware attack tomorrow? Do you have a contingency plan in case of a tornado, hurricane or earthquake? The unexpected can happen anytime and small businesses can get hit particularly hard.
Small businesses are the backbone of many economies. They are critical for job creation, innovation and community development. However, running a small business comes with significant risks. This includes financial uncertainty, market volatility and natural disasters.
60% of small businesses fail within 6 months of falling victim to a cyberattack.
Small business owners must prepare for the unexpected. This is to ensure their longevity and success. In this article, we will discuss some tips to help small businesses get ready for anything.
1. Create a Contingency Plan
One of the most critical steps in preparing for the unexpected is to create a contingency plan. A contingency plan is a set of procedures that help a business respond to unforeseen events such as natural disasters, supply chain disruptions or unexpected financial setbacks.
The plan should outline the steps the business will take in the event of an emergency and include who will be responsible for what tasks as well as how to communicate with employees, customers and suppliers.
2. Maintain Adequate Insurance Coverage
Small businesses should always maintain adequate insurance coverage. This protects them from unexpected events. Insurance policies should include things like:
- Liability coverage
- Property damage coverage
- Business interruption coverage
- Data breach costs
Business interruption coverage is particularly important. It can help cover lost income and expenses during a disruption such as a natural disaster or supply chain disruption.
One of the newer types of policies is cybersecurity liability insurance. In today’s threat landscape, it has become an important consideration. Cybersecurity insurance covers things like costs to remediate a breach and legal expenses.
3. Diversify Your Revenue Streams
Small businesses that rely on a single product or service are at greater risk. Unexpected events can cause them significant harm. Something like a raw material shortage could cripple an organization without alternatives.
Diversifying your revenue streams can help reduce this risk. It ensures that your business has several sources of income. For example, a restaurant can offer catering services. A clothing store can sell merchandise online as well as its physical location.
4. Build Strong Relationships with Suppliers
Small businesses should build strong relationships with their suppliers. This ensures that they have a reliable supply chain. This is particularly important for businesses relying on one supplier for their products.
In the event of a disruption, having strong relationships matters. It mitigates the risk of a supplier bankruptcy or supply chain issue. Having supplier options can help reduce the impact on your business.
5. Keep Cash Reserves
Small businesses should keep cash reserves to help them weather unexpected events. Cash reserves can help cover unexpected expenses such as repairs, legal fees or loss of income. As a general rule of thumb, businesses should keep at least six months' worth of expenses in cash reserves.
6. Build Strong Outsourcing Relationships
If business owners try to do everything in house, they’re at higher risk. For example, if a key IT team member quits. In this case, the company could face major security issues.
Build strong outsourcing relationships with an IT provider and other critical support services. If something happens to a company’s staff or systems, they have a safety net.
7. Check Your Financials Regularly
Small business owners should check their finances regularly. This is to ensure that they are on track to meet their goals and to identify any potential issues early on.
This includes:
- Tracking income and expenses
- Creating and reviewing financial statements
- Regularly meeting with a financial advisor
8. Invest in Technology
Investing in technology can help small businesses prepare for unexpected events. For example, cloud-based software can help businesses store their data off-site. This ensures that it is safe in the event of a natural disaster or cyber-attack. Technology can also help businesses automate processes. Automation reduces the risk of errors and improves efficiency.
9. Train Employees for Emergencies
Small businesses should train their employees for emergencies. This helps ensure that everyone knows what to do in the event of an unexpected event.
This includes training for natural disasters, cyber-attacks and other emergencies. Businesses should also have a plan for communicating with employees during an emergency as well as ensure that everyone has access to the plan.
10. Stay Up to Date on Regulatory Requirements
Small businesses should stay up to date on regulatory requirements. This helps ensure that they are compliant with all laws and regulations. This includes tax laws, labor laws and industry-specific regulations. Non-compliance can result in fines, legal fees and damage to your business's reputation.
In conclusion, small businesses face many risks. By following these tips, they can prepare themselves for the unexpected.
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Get started on a path to resilience and protect your business interests. We can help you prepare for the unexpected. Give us a call today to schedule a chat.
The world we live in now is not the world we were born into. This is because technology has taken over and shows no sign of stopping. In recent years, technology has transformed the way we interact with others, the way we conduct business, the way we shop and the way we live and work. It has become an intrinsic part of our daily routine and is now an essential component of life. Read more
In today's world, technology is ubiquitous and connectivity is a must. Securing your home network has become more critical than ever. A secure home network is essential for protecting your personal data from hackers.
From phishing to smishing (SMS phishing), it is getting harder to avoid a breach. Individuals often have fewer safeguards in place at home than at work. However, many are working from home which puts both personal and company data at risk.
About 46% of businesses saw at least one cybersecurity incident within two months of moving to remote work.
The good news is that there is no lack of materials on home network security. Many of the steps are straightforward and can help you avoid a data breach at home.
The National Security Agency (NSA) has provided some best practices. These are for securing your home network. We will highlight some of the most helpful tips below.
1. Change Default Passwords and Usernames
The first step to secure your home network is to change the default login. This means changing the passwords and usernames of your router and connected devices. Default passwords and usernames are often well-known to hackers. Criminals can easily use them to access your data. Changing these default credentials is an essential step in securing your home network.
2. Enable Encryption
Encryption is a process of encoding information. This is in such a way that only authorized parties can read it. Enabling encryption on your home network is crucial to protect your data. It keeps hackers from intercepting and reading it. Most modern routers support encryption protocols such as WPA2 or WPA3. Ensure that you use the latest encryption standard (which would be WPA3 used in Wi-Fi 6 routers).
3. Update Firmware
The firmware is the software that runs on your router and other connected devices. Manufacturers release firmware updates to fix security vulnerabilities and add new features. Updating the firmware on your router is important to securing your home network. You can usually check for firmware updates from the router's web interface. You can also find updates on the manufacturer's website.
This is critical to remember because a lot of people never do this. They only see the router app during setup and rarely go back unless there is a need. Set a calendar item to check your router app at least once per month for updates.
4. Enable Firewall
A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls network traffic. This includes both incoming and outgoing traffic. Enabling a firewall on your router can help protect your network. It defends against malicious traffic and unauthorized access. Most modern routers have a built-in firewall. You can typically enable this through the router's web interface.
5. Disable Unused Services
Most routers come with a range of services that manufacturers enable by default. These services can include file sharing, remote management and media streaming. Disabling any unused services can reduce the risk of a hacker exploiting them. They often use these services to gain access to home networks. Only enable services that you need and are essential for your network.
6. Secure Wi-Fi Network
Your Wi-Fi network is one of the most critical aspects of your home network. Securing your Wi-Fi network involves several steps. These include:
- Changing the default SSID (network name)
- Disabling SSID broadcast
- Enabling MAC address filtering
- Disabling WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)
These steps can help prevent unauthorized access to your Wi-Fi network. If you need help with these steps, let us know. We can save you some time and frustration and ensure your network is properly secured.
7. Use Strong Passwords
Passwords are a critical component of any security system. Using weak or easily guessable passwords can make your network vulnerable. Ensure that you use strong passwords for your router and other connected devices. A strong password should be at least 12 characters long. It should also include a combination of upper and lowercase letters as well as at least one number and one symbol.
8. Create a Guest Network
Do you have guests who need to access your Wi-Fi network? If so, create a separate guest network. A guest network is a separate Wi-Fi network that guests can use. This gives them access the internet without accessing your primary network. This can help protect your primary network from potential security threats.
9. Limit Physical Access
Physical access to your router and other connected devices can be a security risk. Ensure that you place your router in a secure location such as a locked cabinet or a room with limited access. Also, ensure that you disable physical access to the router's web interface. This is even more important if you have guests or children who may tamper with the settings.
Schedule a Home Cybersecurity Visit Today
Securing your home network is essential for protecting your personal data from threats. By following the best practices, you can ensure that your network is better protected.
Want to save some time and have us do the heavy lifting? Give us a call today to schedule a home cybersecurity visit.
Social media is now the new market. It is where every company sales rep vies for customers’ attention. It is now common to find businesses looking to hook their customers right from social media. Digital products and services can only be sold online and that means a total traditional market bypassing. Hence, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok are introducing new marketing features to support business engagement and increase platform use.Read more
Cloud account takeover has become a major problem for organizations. Think about how much work your company does that requires a username and password. Employees end up needing to log into many different systems or cloud apps.
Hackers use various methods to get those login credentials. The goal is to gain access to business data as a user as well as launch sophisticated attacks and send insider phishing emails.
How bad has the problem of account breaches become? Between 2019 and 2021, account takeover (ATO) rose by 307%.
Doesn’t Multi-Factor Authentication Stop Credential Breaches?
Many organizations and individuals use multi-factor authentication (MFA). It is a way to stop attackers that have gained access to their usernames and passwords. MFA is very effective at protecting cloud accounts and has been for many years.
It is that effectiveness that has spurred workarounds by hackers. One of these nefarious ways to get around MFA is push-bombing.
How Does Push-Bombing Work?
When a user enables MFA on an account, they typically receive a code or authorization prompt of some type. The user enters their login credentials. Then the system sends an authorization request to the user to complete their login.
The MFA code or approval request will usually come through some type of “push” message. Users can receive it in a few ways:
- SMS/text
- A device popup
- An app notification
Receiving that notification is a normal part of the multi-factor authentication login. It is something the user would be familiar with.
With push-bombing, hackers start with the user’s credentials. They may get them through phishing or from a large data breach password dump.
They take advantage of that push notification process. Hackers attempt to log in many times. This sends the legitimate user several push notifications (one after the other).
Many people question the receipt of an unexpected code that they didn’t request. However, when someone is bombarded with these, it can be easy to mistakenly click to approve access.
Push-bombing is a form of social engineering attack designed to:
- Confuse the user
- Wear the user down
- Trick the user into approving the MFA request to give the hacker access
Ways to Combat Push-Bombing at Your Organization
Educate Employees
Knowledge is power. When a user experiences a push-bombing attack it can be disruptive and confusing. If employees have education beforehand, they will be better prepared to defend themselves.
Let employees know what push-bombing is and how it works. Provide them with training on what to do if they receive MFA notifications that they didn’t request.
You should also give your staff a way to report these attacks. This enables your IT security team to alert other users. They can then also take steps to secure everyone’s login credentials.
Reduce Business App “Sprawl”
On average, employees use 36 different cloud-based services per day. That is a lot of logins to keep up with. The more logins someone needs to use means the greater the risk of a stolen password.
Take a look at how many applications your company uses. Look for ways to reduce app “sprawl” by consolidating. Platforms like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace offer many tools behind one login. Streamlining your cloud environment improves security and productivity.
Adopt Phishing-Resistant MFA Solutions
You can thwart push-bombing attacks altogether by moving to a different form of MFA. Phishing-resistant MFA uses a device passkey or physical security key for authentication.
There is no push notification to approve with this type of authentication. This solution is more complex to set up but it is also more secure than text or app-based MFA.
Enforce Strong Password Policies
For hackers to send several push-notifications, they need to have the user’s login. Enforcing strong password policies reduces the chance that a password will get breached.
Standard practices for strong password policies include:
- Using at least one upper and one lower-case letter
- Using a combination of letters, numbers and symbols
- Not using personal information to create a password
- Storing passwords securely
- Not reusing passwords across several accounts
Put in Place an Advanced Identity Management Solution
Advanced identity management solutions can also help you prevent push-bombing attacks. They will typically combine all logins through a single sign-on solution. Users then have just one login and MFA prompt to manage instead of several.
Additionally, businesses can use identity management solutions to install contextual login policies. These enable a higher level of security by adding access enforcement flexibility. The system could automatically block login attempts outside a desired geographic area. It could also block logins during certain times or when other contextual factors aren’t met.
Do You Need Help Improving Your Identity & Access Security?
Multi-factor authentication alone isn’t enough. Companies need several layers of protection to reduce their risk of a cloud breach.
Are you looking for some help to reinforce your access security? Give us a call today to schedule a chat.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant shift towards remote work. As businesses continue to adapt to the new normal, remote work is becoming increasingly common. While remote work has several benefits such as increased flexibility, it also presents significant cybersecurity risks. Cybersecurity threats are on the rise and remote work has created new opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities.Read more
Data visualization is a powerful tool for communicating complex data. It presents it in a simple and easily understandable format. However, it is not enough to simply create a graph or chart and call it a day. To truly make use of information, it is important to create insightful reports. These reports effectively communicate the story behind the data.
Insightful reports help decision-makers understand key trends and patterns, identify areas of opportunity and make informed decisions. If analytics graphs and bar charts are only telling part of the story, it can lead people to wrong decisions.
Creating holistic and insightful reports requires the use of several data points. One tool that enables this is Microsoft Power BI.
What Is Microsoft Power BI?
Microsoft Power BI is a business intelligence tool. It allows you to connect many data sources to one dashboard. Using Power BI, you can easily model and visualize data holistically.
The platform has over 500 different data connectors. These connectors can tap into sources such as Salesforce, Excel, Azure and more. Users can leverage pre-built report templates to save time in creating data-rich reporting. Teams can also collaborate and share dashboards virtually.
Tips for Designing Great Data Visualization Reports
Getting started in Microsoft Power BI entails:
- Signing up for the software
- Connecting your data sources
- Using its tools to create report visualizations
Creating great reports goes beyond that. We will go through several tips and best practices for getting the most out of your Power BI output.
Consider Your Audience
You should design reporting dashboards with the end user in mind. What is it that this audience wants to see? Are they looking for bottom-line sales numbers? Do they want to cover insights that can help target productivity gaps?
The use of clear and concise language and effective visualizations are important. These help to highlight the key takeaways from the data. Customize reports to the audience’s level of technical expertise and business goals.
Don’t Overcomplicate Things
Many times, less is more. If you find that your dashboard looks crowded, you may be adding too many reports. The more you add means the more difficult it is to read the takeaways from the data.
Remove all but the most essential reports. Look for ways to include different data sets in a single report like using stacked bar charts. Dashboards should show important data at a glance so do your best to avoid the need to scroll.
Try Out Different Chart Types
Experiment with presenting your data in different ways. Flip between bar, pie and other types of charts to find the one that tells the story the best. When building a new dashboard for your organization, get some input. Ask those who will review the reports which chart type works best for them.
Get to Know Power Query
Power Query is a data preparation engine. It can save you a lot of time in developing insightful reports. This engine is used in Microsoft tools like Power BI and Excel.
Take time to learn how to leverage this tool for help with:
- Connecting a wide range of data sources to the dashboard
- Previewing data queries
- Building intuitive queries over many data sources
- Defining data size, variety and velocity
Build Maps with Hints to Bing
Bing and Power BI integrate which allows you to leverage default map coordinates. Use best practices to leverage the mapping power of Bing to improve your geo-coding.
For example, if you want to plot cities on a map, name your columns after the geographic designation. This helps Bing identify exactly what you are looking for.
Tell People What They Are Looking At
A typical comment heard often when presenting executives with a new report is, “What am I looking at?” Tell your audience what the data means by using features like tooltips and text boxes to add context.
Just one or two sentences can save someone 5-10 minutes of trying to figure out why you gave them this report. That context can get them to a decision faster. It also helps avoid any confusion or misunderstandings about the data.
Use Emphasis Tricks
People usually read left to right and from top to bottom. Put your most important chart at the top, left corner. Follow with the next most important reports.
If you have specific numbers that need to stand out, increase the font size or bold the text. This ensures that your audience understands the key takeaways.
You can also use colors to emphasize things like a “High, Mid, Low.” For example, a low level of accidents could be green, a mid-level in yellow and a high level colored red. This provides more visual context to the data.
Need Help with Power Bi or Other Microsoft Products?
We can help you get started or improve your use of Microsoft 365, Power BI and more. Give us a call today to schedule a chat about leveraging this powerful platform.
Moving an office can be a huge task with several factors to consider (including transportation logistics, finding a new location and coordinating employees' movements). One of the most critical aspects of moving an office is ensuring that all the technology is transported safely and effectively. Read more
It is hard to turn around online these days without running into ChatGPT. Both Bing and Google are leveraging this advanced artificial intelligence language model and you can expect it to show up in more business and personal tools that you use every day.
ChatGPT has revolutionized the way businesses interact with their customers. It has also affected how they get things done. Teams are using it for everything from emails to generating ideas for product names.
The tool’s personalized and informative responses in real-time definitely draw you in. However, integrating ChatGPT into your business operations requires careful consideration. You want to ensure that things don't get out of hand with employees using the tool irresponsibly.
In this article, we explore the best practices for using ChatGPT at your business.
Best Practices for Responsible Use of ChatGPT & Other AI
Understand ChatGPT’s Weaknesses
This is still very new technology and it makes mistakes. When you first use ChatGPT, you will see a warning about this. You shouldn’t use the responses it provides you without human review and editing.
It can write you an employee device use policy if you ask. However, there may be things in that auto-generated policy that aren’t quite correct. Use it as a prompt but not as a replacement for human-generated content.
Another weakness is potential bias. As the engine trains on vast amounts of content, it can pick up some bad habits. Thus, you could get biased or shocking responses from ChatGPT. Understand that, in human terms, the tool is still a toddler that needs supervision.
Define ChatGPT's Role
Before integrating ChatGPT into your business, it is essential to define its role. The role can range from answering customers to generating ideas for new products.
Defining ChatGPT's role helps you leverage its power. Just make sure that you put in guard rails. The technology still is very new so you don’t want your employees using it for everything.
Determine exactly which tasks the company approves for ChatGPT use and which it does not. This empowers your team to use it where you deem best and avoids improper use.
Consider Customer Privacy
Privacy is a crucial aspect of any business and ChatGPT should not be an exception. As you integrate the tool into your work, it is important to consider customer privacy. In March, Italy actually banned ChatGPT due to data privacy concerns.
Be aware of any exposure of employee or customer data to ChatGPT. Limit the potential for data leakage.
For example, you can configure ChatGPT to stop collecting customer data (like after data collection reaches a particular threshold).
Ensure Human Oversight
ChatGPT is a powerful tool but it is not a substitute for human interaction. It is crucial to have human oversight to ensure the output it gives is relevant and accurate. Human oversight can help stop inappropriate responses that may negatively impact your business.
Integrate ChatGPT Into Your Existing Customer Service
Integrating ChatGPT into your customer service channels can benefit customers. It can improve customer experience while also reducing workload. You can integrate it into your website, social media and other support channels. It can provide real-time responses to customer queries. However, human beings need to watch ChatGPT and its responses.
Leveraging it intelligently reduces the waiting time for customers. It can also improve their experience with your business.
Measure Performance and Optimize
Measuring ChatGPT's performance is crucial to ensure that it is providing value. Measure its performance by analyzing customer satisfaction, response time and responses handled.
You can also look at productivity statistics. Is using ChatGPT to write the framework for customer emails saving time? Does it take just as much time for your team to edit responses?
Based on the analysis, you can optimize ChatGPT to improve its performance. This helps it to be a better support for your business.
Be Transparent About Using It
Be transparent if you are using ChatGPT for email responses or other things. Your customers will appreciate your honesty. For example, you could simply state in your policies the following:
“We leverage AI for certain content and always edit and fact-check its outputs.”
The use of AI-generated content is a murky area right now. Responsible companies tell their customers exactly where and how they are using it.
Get Help Navigating the Changing World of Business Technology
ChatGPT is an excellent tool for businesses looking to leverage its AI power. This tool is still in its infancy. Integrating ChatGPT into your business requires careful consideration. You need to ensure that it is effective and secure.
Need help navigating the changing technology landscape? Give us a call today to schedule a chat about AI, where to leverage it and business concerns.
In today's fast-paced and digitalized world, efficient document handling is crucial for the smooth operation of any business. Printing is one of the most significant processes in document handling and Microsoft Universal Print is a cloud-based printing solution that can streamline this process and improve productivity.
In this article, we will explore in detail the benefits and how it can improve document handling for your office.
What is Microsoft Universal Print?
Microsoft Universal Print is a cloud-based printing solution that simplifies printing for both administrators and end-users. With Universal Print, you can manage printers and printer drivers from a single console in the cloud which eliminates the need for on-premises print servers. This makes it easier to deploy printers, manage printer drivers and configure printer settings across your organization.
4 Ways that Microsoft Universal Print Can Improve Document Handling for Your Office
Simplified Printing Management
Managing a printing infrastructure can be challenging when there are several printers and print drivers involved. Microsoft Universal Print simplifies printing management by enabling you to manage printers and printer drivers from a single console in the cloud. With Universal Print, you no longer need to manage on-premises print servers which reduces the complexity and cost of managing your printing infrastructure.
Improved Printing Security
Printing security is critical and Microsoft Universal Print uses Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) to authenticate users and secure print jobs. This means that only authorized users can print documents and print jobs are encrypted in transit and at rest. This improves the security of your printing infrastructure and reduces the risk of data breaches.
Greater Printing Flexibility
With Microsoft Universal Print, users can print from anywhere and on any device without the need for complex printer configurations or VPN connections. This improves productivity by allowing users to print from wherever they are and eliminates the need for IT staff to manage printer configurations on individual devices. Universal Print makes printing easy and efficient and allows users to focus on other important tasks.
Reduced Printing Costs
Managing a printing infrastructure can be expensive. However, Microsoft Universal Print can help reduce the costs associated with it. By eliminating the need for on-premises print servers, Universal Print can reduce the costs of managing your printing infrastructure.
Additionally, you can reduce printing costs by using features like print job redirection which allows you to send print jobs to the most cost-effective printer based on factors like location and paper type.
Getting Started with Microsoft Universal Print
If you are interested in implementing Microsoft Universal Print in your organization, here is how to get started:
Get an Azure Subscription
To use Microsoft Universal Print, you will need an Azure subscription (which is Microsoft's cloud computing service). You can sign up for an Azure subscription on the Azure website.
Find a Universal Print-Enabled Printer
You will also need a Universal Print-enabled printer. Several printer manufacturers like HP, Canon and Brother offer printers that are compatible with Universal Print.
Register your Printer
Once you have an Azure subscription and a Universal Print-enabled printer, you will need to register your printer with Universal Print. You can do this using the Microsoft 365 admin center or the Universal Print API.
Manage your Printer
After registering your printer with Universal Print, you can manage it from the Universal Print dashboard in the Microsoft 365 admin center. From here you can configure printer settings, manage printer drivers and monitor printer usage.
Printing for End-Users
End-users can then print to Universal Print-enabled printers from any device by selecting the Universal Print printer and the document they want to print. The print job is sent securely to the cloud and then to the printer.
Get Started Today
Microsoft Universal Print is a powerful cloud-based printing solution that can simplify printing management, improve printing security, increase printing flexibility and reduce printing costs for businesses of any size. With its ease of use and flexibility, Universal Print can be an essential tool for any organization looking to streamline their printing infrastructure.
If you are interested in implementing Microsoft Universal Print in your organization, it is essential to ensure that you have the necessary resources and expertise to make the most of this solution. You may need to work with a Microsoft partner or a third-party printing expert to ensure that your printing infrastructure is optimized for Universal Print.
When you are ready to learn more about Microsoft Universal Print and how it can improve document handling for your office, contact Sound Computers. Our team of experts can help you understand the benefits and provide guidance on how to implement this powerful solution in your organization. Get in touch with us today to learn more!