3 Cybersecurity Questions Business Leaders Should Ask Their IT Team

Cyberattacks are a threat to businesses of all sizes. In many organizations, the owner, president, CEO, or CFO has the difficult responsibility of overseeing the IT department (or working closely with the IT vendor). We understand this can be challenging. Your role is focused on business strategy, yet you have to ensure your company data and customer data are secure.

While you may not be adept at tech issues, you can work with your IT team to make sure the company is doing everything possible to prevent cyberattacks. Communication is the key. Below are three questions to ask your IT team so you can be confident when reporting to your board or company executives about the security of your company’s data, and your role in overseeing IT.

1. How susceptible are our employees to a phishing attack?

A phishing attack is a form of social engineering that cybercriminals use to deceive users and exploit weaknesses in your network security. These attacks often come in the form of an email and look very real, but they lead to malicious downloads that could hold your data for ransom.

Additionally, what is our plan to reduce our vulnerability?

Of the organizations and companies we have worked with to determine their overall vulnerability, we have found that while their initial vulnerability tests may be high, there are proven, quick and efficient ways to train and educate employees to spot cybersecurity threats. The bottom line is, your company can purchase the most advanced firewalls and security software there is, but one wrong click could result in all of the data on your network being hijacked by a ransomware virus.

Find out what percentage of your employees are phish-prone by requesting our phishing cybersecurity assessment. Contact us today to facilitate your phish-prone assessment and see how your organization compares to others in your industry.

2. What is our password policy?

It doesn’t take an IT whiz to figure out that the more complex your passwords are, the more difficult they are to crack. While at least having a password policy is great, having a complex password policy is preferred. We recommend your complex password policy includes, but is not limited to:

1. Change passwords regularly – at a minimum, every 90 days.
2. Set a minimum password length – for example, 14 characters.
3. Require special characters and capital letters.

PRO TIP: Consider implementing a policy that recommends that employees use “passphrases” rather than passwords as they can be more complicated to crack, but easier for the employee to remember.

Don’t be afraid to ask these questions to get a better understanding of how your company is currently handling the cybersecurity threat. Even if you are not directly responsible, if there is ever a cybersecurity attack on your company, someone will pay for it – figuratively, and literally. We want you to be prepared, so you can take comfort knowing that if (or grimly, when) the day comes, at least you can say you and your employees did everything you could.

You may not be an IT expert, but having a good understanding of what your company policies are regarding cybersecurity doesn’t take years of IT experience, it just takes asking the right questions and ensuring the work is being done.

3. When was our last software update and patch?

It is critical to keep all of your computers’ software and patches as current as possible. I know what you are thinking – that is great, but what is a patch? Software companies, such as Microsoft, constantly release software security updates and “patches” that need to be applied to the computers on your network to keep them as secure as possible. When your patches and software are not up to date, you are significantly more vulnerable to viruses and malware.

PRO TIP: Request regular patch reports that you can keep on file should you ever be in a situation that you need to prove your software is up to date. It is a simple way for you to be sure your team is updating all computers on the network regularly, and these reports may also come in handy when negotiating cybersecurity insurance.

Bonus. Where and how do we back up critical data and how do we restore it?

Have you ever thought about what course of action you would take should your data become compromised? It’s an important matter that is often overlooked. In the event of a ransomware attack or disaster, have you considered where your data is and how you can recover it? Many organizations have a good backup and recovery solution in place but fail to test it regularly. Just checking regularly to see if the backup has run “successfully” is just not good enough. Recovery of backup data needs to be tested regularly to ensure if (or more likely when) you need it, the data can be restored as quickly and efficiently as possible to ensure as little downtime for the organization as possible.

PRO TIP: Having a business continuity and disaster recovery plan in place will protect your business from catastrophic data loss.

YYYC can support your IT team in the defense against cyberattacks with YeoSecure.

Our comprehensive cybersecurity monitoring and compliance solution, YeoSecure, transforms the way companies detect, investigate, and respond to cyber threats. YeoSecure provides 24/7/365, enterprise-grade cybersecurity monitoring and support while cutting costs and keeping your IT team from scrambling to detect and troubleshoot cyberattacks.

Learn more about how YeoSecure can help your organization detect, respond, and comply.

Cloud-based application use continues to grow at a fast pace, yet managing cloud software can be complex on traditional network structures. With businesses transitioning to a virtual work environment, more organizations are switching from performance-inhibited wide-area networks (WANs) to a software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN). SD-WAN can benefit your organization in many ways. Let’s look at five of them.

First, let’s review what SD-WAN is. SD-WAN solutions leverage corporate WAN as well as multi-cloud connectivity to deliver high-speed application performance at the WAN Edge of branch sites. SD-WAN provides a dynamic path selection between MPLS, 4G/5G, or broadband. This ensures organizations can quickly and easily access business-critical cloud applications. Secure SD-WAN enables organizations to enable next-generation firewall (NGFW) with SD-WAN in the simplified offering.

Here are 5 Ways SD-WAN Technology Benefits Your Organization

1. Strengthens security. Security is the number one priority. Expanding your digital presence can open your organization to cybersecurity attacks. Many SD-WAN solutions offer built-in cybersecurity through integrated security features, such as NGFW, encryption, and antivirus that can help prevent data loss and downtime.
2. Reduces cost. Security is the most important factor when adding new technology to your organization – so is cost. The more applications a business adds, the more the cost of data use rises. Fortunately, SD-WAN can reduce this price tag by leveraging low-cost local Internet access through direct cloud access, and reduced traffic flow through the network.
3. Improves performance = improved employee productivity. SD-WAN can be configured to prioritize business-critical traffic and real-time services like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems. Your business-critical applications operate through reliable, high-performance connections and allow for reduced packet loss and latency issues.
4. Lowers complexity. More technology and digital assets add layers of complexity to your network. This can hurt network performance and add difficulty to the management of the network for your IT staff. SD-WAN can simplify WAN infrastructure, using broadband to off-load non-critical business apps, automating monitoring tasks, and managing traffic through a centralized controller.
5. Enables cloud usage. More and more organizations are adopting multi-cloud strategies. SD-WAN offers direct cloud access for your employees to directly and securely access their applications regardless of their location. This is done without adding extra traffic that can burden your network.

SD-WAN solutions offer features and benefits that traditional WAN is simply unable to provide. Organizations not only save money but benefit from increased business agility, worker productivity, and faster application deployment. It is the preferred choice of organizations looking to make the switch.

Yeo & Yeo Technology is the first IT company in Michigan to receive the Fortinet SD-WAN Specialization designation. Contact us today to learn more about how SD-WAN can benefit your business.

*Some information for this article was sourced from Fortinet.com.

Your home office ecosystem encompasses everything you need to tackle your day. Take care of your most important essential—your body—with an ergonomic fit.

• Keep your body in a neutral posture with your elbows close to your core, shoulders open and chin level with the floor.
• Adjust the monitor height so that the top of the screen is at eye level, and the monitor is about an arm’s length away.
• Follow the Sit-Stand Switch™ and alternate every 30 minutes between sitting and standing to improve your circulation, calorie-burn and insulin management.
• And don’t forget about rest time. Take regular breaks to relax your eyes, wrists and body.

Learn more from Ergotron.

As a movement company, Ergotron understands “ergonomics” is widely known, but narrowly understood. That’s why we’re sharing insights on vital ergonomic topics to help you move forward while you work from home.

Support a healthy mind and body. To make a stronger, healthier and more comfortable you, we need to talk about your physical and mental health. Did you know that movement has a positive impact on your mental health? Here’s how.

Thrive with movement. Taking care of your body and supporting a feel-good workday starts by merely adding regular movement to your work style. Whether it’s using a sit-stand workstation or leading a walking meeting, research shows that our heart, mood, back and neck will thank you.

Fire that frontal lobe. Did you know that your posture and your brain’s frontal lobe have a shared interest? Research shows that bad posture does more than hurt your neck and spine. It negatively affects the frontal lobe, which is responsible for critical tasks like problem solving and memory.

Get into the zone – your comfort zone, that is! The three-part ergonomic equation provides answers to the ergonomic problems you might face. Consider your workspace in terms of Neutral Posture + Voluntary Motion + Rest Time to find your fit.

Article provided by Ergotron.

Cybersecurity is mission-critical in today’s digital-first world, especially with news of data hacks and breaches that seem to happen daily. Thanks to this fever pitch of online threats, security has become the go-to answer for staying safe and controlling the online experience. But is security the only solution — or even the best solution — for keeping your organization safe and its most critical data private online?

In the digital world, security has become synonymous with privacy. But the truth of the matter is that they are not the same at all. As long as these two terms continue to be misunderstood or interchanged for one another, businesses will struggle to protect the privacy of consumers online.

Security: Privacy’s Poser

Security comes in a myriad of shapes and sizes and is defined as being free from danger or protected against it. It is anything from the lock on your front door to the online protection package recommended by your favorite cybersecurity provider.

Cybersecurity, in particular, protects users from infiltration and cyberattacks of internet systems, hardware and software. Security is an important element of any connected device because it helps keep user information protected from unwanted, malicious interruptions. In other words, security for businesses and their customers is mostly about keeping data secure from incoming threats to their devices.

Due to several high-profile data breaches in recent years, consumers have become more aware of their own need for protection against such crimes. For example, early in 2017, hackers gained access to the data of nearly 150 million users during the Equifax breach. Without warning (and without any say in how their data was stored and used), this put customer names and even driver’s license data in the hands of cybercriminals who are capable of storing and accessing the data for years to come. In 2018, Marriott International announced cyberattackers had stolen the data of 500 million customers, leaving their personal information exposed.

Privacy: Security’s Ally

Privacy, on the other hand, is a more complex idea than security. When we experience true privacy, we are free from uninvited observers and disturbances. Security software may address the challenge of protecting your devices from viruses and intruders, but it doesn’t provide control over how your information is shared online. It also doesn’t give you the choice of what to share or with whom. Security software is important in that it safeguards your devices from incoming threats, but it is ineffective when your data is shared with others.

Along with an awareness of the need for security, consumers have become increasingly conscientious of their individual need to be private as we continue to lose trust in significant names like Facebook and Google in terms of using our data carefully.

To better understand why privacy matters, imagine enjoying a beautiful, sunny day from your backyard. A few minutes later, imagine your neighbors decide to do the same thing next door. Instantly, the environment would likely change from one of relaxation to one of interaction, entertainment or uncomfortably pretending the others don’t exist by attempting to avoid eye contact. For this reason, we put up privacy fences in our yards that protect us from unwanted company or observation. It’s important to note that a privacy fence is not necessarily a form of security. It is not impenetrable and could easily be scaled by a physical intruder, but it does allow you to control who sees you and when.

The same expectation of privacy should exist in the cyber world. The most imperative and valuable part of true privacy is the ability to dictate how and when your information is used and by whom. How do we accomplish this sense of privacy?

We’ve reached a tipping point where everything we search, look at and (sometimes it seems) think about is tracked online, and it’s starting to spill over into our physical lives, leaving us feeling as though we’ve been followed all day. Imagine the possibilities if we had the choice to be private and could enjoy an entirely private landscape online when we desired. Without worrying who might be in the background silently taking notes, we would be empowered to live more freely, openly and creatively.

Becoming Both Private and Secure

The good news is we may be closer to the freedoms privacy allows than we think. By taking a few simple precautions, companies can help ensure the private data of consumers remains private. The following are a few ways to stay secure and private in an increasingly connected world.

Be sure to look for these features when choosing the security suite for your company’s devices:

• Fraud alerts/vulnerability detectors
• Antivirus software
• Anti-malware/anti-ransomware
• Firewalls

Your customers’ privacy should be an embedded experience that gives them the control in choosing when to be tracked, ensures a secure connection and allows them to make changes to personal details at will. Must-haves in your privacy software should include the ability  to:

• Check whether or not your customer data has been exposed.
• Keep your customers’ personal information private.
• Stay private on public Wi-Fi.
• Log in easily and privately.
• Block trackers.

Security and privacy have been treated as interchangeable terms for too long. As you work to make our world both secure and private, keep in mind their innate differences and the need for each in creating a truly safe online experience.

This article is provided by ContentMX and Forbes.

How confident is your business in recovering from a breach? Earlier this year, the AppRiver Cyberthreat Index for Business took the pulse of cybersecurity readiness among small and medium-sized businesses.

AppRiver, which is owned by my company, Zix, surveyed 1,059 decision makers, including CEOs, presidents, owners and others, who seemed to indicate that leadership takes cyberthreats seriously. A 58% majority felt that data breaches have become more detrimental than traditional disasters, such as break-ins, fires or floods.

Data breaches are on the rise, and they’re becoming more expensive as companies collect and store an increasing amount of data. According to Accenture and Ponemon Institute, breaches could cost a total of $5.2 trillion over the next five years, and companies suffer an average loss of $13 million for each cyberattack. That price tag is high enough to close the doors of 48% of small businesses.

The fact that 90% of small businesses ignore data protection entirely is an indication that they are either small enough to work completely within secure, cloud-based apps or that they don’t understand the risks. To count yourself among the 10% that take strong precautions, follow these three steps:

1. Evaluate your needs and assess your budget.

Establishing a budget is a foundational part of the defense against cyberthreats. Between cloud-based email services and managed network access, you should look at allocating several hundred dollars per employee per year.

2. Address gaps in cybersecurity information.

The entire C-suite needs at least some knowledge of cybersecurity basics. Too often, cybersecurity responsibility is delegated solely to the CIO, but that means the rest of the organization operates with almost complete ignorance. To be effective, leaders should understand the basic risks and how to mitigate them. Making case studies out of well-known lapses (such as the Equifax breach) is a good way to provide a basic overview of cybersecurity and communicate what’s at stake.

Just because an organization spends money doesn’t mean it effectively mitigates risk. For example, spending a fortune training employees to spot phishing attempts might reduce the chance of a breach, but a more efficient expenditure could be stopping the phishing attempts from ever reaching inboxes. Once you have a budget and the right expertise, you can decide how to use it most effectively.

3. Acquire or access the right cybersecurity talent.

Thanks in part to the well-documented skills gap in the tech world, hiring cybersecurity professionals internally is cost-prohibitive for most small and medium-sized businesses. For those that can afford it, building a team internally might be the right move. Otherwise, outsourcing needs to a managed service provider (MSP) can be a cost-effective decision.

In fact, we estimate that there are more than 100,000 MSPs across the United States that can serve as a new civil defense force for cybersecurity — one that could help bridge the gap between governments or enterprises and the SMBs that need higher levels of protection they can’t afford on their own.

The right MSP offers several advantages to clients. First, cloud computing allows organizations to mitigate the risks of storing data on-premise while eliminating expensive and often irregular hardware purchases. Instead, businesses that choose cloud computing operate with a fixed cost that allows for easy scaling as the needs of the organization grow. In addition, MSPs can keep applications updated to the most secure versions and intervene at the earliest signs of a cyberthreat so that it doesn’t result in a costly breach.

Organizations need to determine whether they have the breadth of knowledge necessary to protect themselves or whether they can acquire the right internal expertise. If the answer to both is “no,” outsourcing to an MSP is the right move. Most small and medium-sized businesses won’t recover from a data breach, and those that do will have to overcome severe setbacks. Regardless of company size or budget, the best way to deal with cybersecurity risks is to establish a strong defense against them.

This article was provided by Forbes and Partner On.

Mobile devices have shifted customer and employee behaviors and expectations-and put your traditional on-premises phone system, and your business, at a disadvantage.

Our white paper “3 ways cloud phone systems benefit your business” outlines how and where cloud phones deliver. Download it today to learn how cloud phones:

• Improve customer experience
• Attract higher quality talent
• Cut costs and eliminate budget surprises

Don’t let legacy on-premises phone systems put your business success on hold. Download our white paper today and see why it makes sense to switch:

3 Ways Cloud Phone Systems Benefit Your Business

We want your business to continue operating effectively during these uncertain times and believe these tools and resources can help. Contact us to get started today at 989.797.4075.

Learn the Hidden Costs of Your Old Phone System

Many businesses were unprepared when the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic required them to close their physical offices and shift to remote operations. Your company, for example, may have had to scramble to set up a virtual private network (VPN) or move files to the cloud. And while adapting to working from home, employees may have let your usual security procedures slide.

From a cybercrime perspective, working from home generally isn’t as safe as working in the office. So you need to look for ways to protect your disbursed workforce and prevent criminals from gaining access to your digital assets.

Here are five ideas:

1. Invest in education. Require remote employees to participate in security-related training that covers “old-school” phishing scams as well as new COVID-19 variations. As schemes emerge (check the Federal Trade Commission’s website at ftc.gov for the latest), notify employees and remind them what to do if they think they’ve fallen victim to a scam.
2. Enable automatic updates. To keep the operating systems of employee computers safely patched, remind workers to enable automatic software updates. Also, double-check that every employee-assigned device is fortified with current malware and antivirus software.
3. Revisit access privileges. To maintain productivity, most employees need access to the same systems at home as they had in the office. However, consider reviewing which workers have access to certain files, network controls and cloud accounts — and whether they really need access now. Remember that when employees work from home, their partners, children and visitors may have easy access to their computers. To protect your company, ensure systems generate user audit trails that can be followed in the event of a breach.
4. Protect WiFi connections. While working from home, employees use their personal WiFi connections to access your company’s IT environment. Unfortunately, many people use the default WiFi password or a simple password that hackers can easily break. To foil fraud perpetrators, employees should change it to a complex combination of letters and other characters. If possible, require them to use a VPN with two-factor authentication.
5. Secure your videoconferences. Most videoconferencing services employ multiple layers of security. But some platforms offer greater protection than others. Before choosing one, perform a simple Google search to read user reviews and security bug reports. Once you’ve selected a service, communicate security protocols before allowing employees to use it for company business.

Finally, provide employees with access to a technical support desk so they can report problems — and get solutions — as quickly as possible. Working from home may be new for a lot of Americans, but fraud is a familiar foe for most. If can be defeated with appropriate knowledge and tools.

© 2020

The global climate has forced employees to work differently. From juggling childcare to following quarantine guidelines, workers must alter both how they work and where they work.

Many office-based employees don’t have an ideal setup at home. Some don’t have a dedicated home office or the ergonomic equipment to work comfortably during the long workdays.

There are many opinions about how to work best at home, especially during these unprecedented times. Our recommendation is simple: Ergotron’s MoveMore®.

Research shows that movement is key not only to physical health, but our mental health. By simply switching from sitting to standing every 30 minutes (what we call the Sit-Stand Switch™), you can positively impact your health, mind, and body.

During these stressful times, caring for yourself holistically is key. Here are five ways you can add movement and comfort to your workday for a more productive, peaceful you, even amid the unexpected:

1. Build an ergonomic workspace

Sitting hunched over a small laptop or working on your couch for eight-plus hours can mean bad news for your neck and back. Look into professional-grade, height-adjustable workstations that will let you add low-level physical activity throughout your day without disrupting your work routine.

The WorkFit® Z-Mini Standing Desk works on an existing desk and is ready to go out-of-the-box, while options like the new Mobile Desk can move wherever you want to work. For the most comfortable views, add a flexible monitor arm. For a productivity boost, consider a second or third screen. Our workspace planner will help you choose the right install heights for an ergonomic fit.

2. Set a timer for the Sit-Stand Switch™:

Prevent the all-day sit fest by setting a timer on your fitness tracker, smartphone, or in your kitchen to ring at 30-minute intervals.

3. Get some fresh air

Enjoy the outdoors while getting your steps in by taking a short walk outside. Block a half-hour meeting on your calendar to walk your dog or make a loop around the block. There are many health benefits to sunshine and fresh air, including boosting your immunity. 

4. Find new ways to exercise

Even if you can’t head to the gym or the weather doesn’t cooperate, you can still exercise at home. You just need to get creative! Search online for free resources tailored for at-home workouts. If you only have a few minutes to spare, try these simple exercises to sharpen your focus as you stretch your muscles.

5. Have a standing meeting

Employees, on average, attend 62 meetings per month. Make the most of your meeting time at home by standing while you’re on the phone. Better yet, take a lap around your house or head outside (see tip #2). Movement increases your blood flow and circulation, which translates to a natural jolt of energy.

We hope you’re inspired to add movement to your workday! Have other ideas? Be sure to share them on our social channels!

• Review the Top 10 Tips for Working at Home Effectively 
• Get FREE HD Video Conferencing for your entire business for the rest of the year and have reliable, stress-free meetings to stay connected and share business information with anyone, anywhere, anytime.  

4 Benefits of Unified Business Communications

Jim Landis, 53, is job hunting after a year spent as his wife’s full-time caregiver. Because she has ongoing medical issues, one of Landis’ must-haves is the ability to work from his Denver home at least part-time. To make himself a stronger candidate for remote work, the requirements-analysis manager and software programmer paid roughly $500 for four online classes in advanced digital skills such as data science and data analytics.

Landis says his previous employer wasn’t very cutting edge, so his digital skills lagged. “I wish I had been a bit more focused on my own interests and kept an eye on staying technologically current with the broader industry,” he says. Landis doesn’t expect the courses to lead directly to a job offer, “but if a hiring manager is thinking about moving to a new technology in the future, being able to say I have course work — that will get me some points,” he notes.

Brushing up on digital skills is a smart move if you want to work remotely in your 50s or 60s. That’s true whether you hope to get hired as an employee who works remotely, or you want to get freelance jobs that let you work from home.

Apps for Remote-Based Work

Older workers can possess all the qualities that make them a great fit for remote work and not get an offer if they aren’t up to speed on popular apps for sharing files, participating in video chats or communicating with co-workers.

A younger candidate might be less qualified, but if that person can use the tools and speak the lingo, it can give an employer peace of mind, says Laurel Farrer, a remote work strategist and founder of the Remote Work Association,

Farrer, Kate Lister (a long-time remote-work analyst and president of Global Workplace Analytics) and other professionals group must-have digital skills for remote work into four categories:

• File-sharing platforms that let coworkers upload and share work-related documents, including apps such as Google Drive, Dropbox and Box.
• Videoconferencing applications such as Zoom, BlueJeans, me, Skype and WebEx.
• Enterprise communications platforms that have taken email’s place as the main source of interoffice communication, including Slack or Microsoft Teams. Remote workers can use the platforms to exchange public or private messages with individual coworkers or groups and search old messages (like a Facebook newsfeed but for the workplace). Most communications platforms connect with other workplace apps so remote workers can share files and calendars or participate in video chats.
• Collaboration apps that make it easier for people on a team or project to work together, including project management applications such as Basecamp, Asana and Trello. Collaboration apps typically include some type of shared project checklist so team members can see who’s responsible for what and check off tasks as they’re finished.

At Dell Technologies, for example, six out of 10 employees of all ages work remotely at least one day a week in a typical month. When they work remotely, employees stay in touch through Skype, Zoom, Slack and Chatter, an enterprise communications platform owned by Salesforce. “We strive to make the process of leveraging flexible and remote options easy and simple for all of our employees,” says Dell spokesperson Jennifer Faulk.

Independent contractors who are savvy about digital tools find that expertise beneficial in landing assignments.

Working From Home With Digital Skills

Take Lee Ann Harris, 59, who works from an office she set up in a spare bedroom of her Sunnyvale, Calif. home. Since leaving a job as a senior director of clinical operations for a medical device manufacturer five years ago, Harris has crafted a livelihood out of doing a variety of contract work.

Harris consults for a few medical device companies on training and regulatory compliance issues, and got a notary public license to do home loan signings and similar work. She uses conference-calling services and file-sharing platforms such as Dropbox with all her clients. She also uses Google’s office apps suite, including Google Docs for writing and Google Sheets for spreadsheets.

“It comes down to making a living,” she says. “I also have a component of fear. I’m afraid of being left behind by technology.”

Along with the basics, people interested in remote work need to keep up with digital skills unique to their profession.

Prior to leaving her full-time job, Harris dabbled in interior design as a hobby. After quitting, she completed an online interior design certification program to become an interior decorator. She followed that up by teaching herself a few computer-aided design (CAD) programs in order to show interior design clients what their spaces would look like after a remodel.

“I’d never done any kind of computer-aided drawing in my life. It was a lot of fun,” Harris said.

Getting Your Boss to Let You Be a Remote Worker

If you’d like to work remotely with your existing office job, ask your manager during a routine performance review or a check-in about career goals, says Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half, a global staffing firm that places professionals into temporary and full-time positions, including hybrid or fully remote jobs.

And if your company already offers remote work, let a supervisor know that it’s something you want to map yourself toward doing, McDonald adds. He also suggests taking advantage of employer-offered training to pick up needed digital skills.

To find remote-work digital training on your own, McDonald says, look into courses available on online-learning sites such as LinkedIn Learning (previously known as Lynda.com) and Udemy.

DIY types can teach themselves through free online resources offered by app developers, including training videos, step-by-step instructions and on-demand classes. Examples include Microsoft’s on-demand end-user training videos for Teams, the Slack Foundry tutorial app, Zoom’s instructor-led weekly online training classes, and  free video lessons for adult learners that Google offers for its office apps suite, including Docs, Sheets and Slides.

Learning Digital Skills at Community Colleges

Some community colleges offer training on in-demand digital skills, in some cases, partnering with tech companies to train educators. Classes and costs vary by institution.

In April, Google teamed up with the Coalition on Adult Basic Education to train community college teachers and other educators countrywide how to impart digital skills to adult learners, part of the tech giant’s ongoing Applied Digital Skills initiative. In 2018, Facebook said it would work with community colleges and other local groups in 30 cities, including Houston, St. Louis, Des Moines and Greenville, S.C., to develop classes on coding, digital marketing and other skills.

Remote work’s popularity has also led to startups offering specialized remote-work training programs for companies and individuals.

Workplaceless has a self-paced remote-work certification course costing $195. The full course, which can take up to a year to complete, covers seven topics, including productivity and time management, teamwork and critical thinking.

Some nonprofits also offer digital skills training for older workers who can’t afford classes. One is Senior Service America, which runs programs to connect low-income and disadvantaged adults with prospective employers.

Article provided by PartnerOn and Forbes.com.

The way we do business is in a constant state of evolution. Having a strong business phone system presence is increasingly important as we all look to deliver the best client service. Here are the 4 benefits of unified business communications you should be aware of.

1. High Reliability
Top-level, unified business communication systems are designed with multiple data centers that provide redundancy and minimize latency. Strict guidelines for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network testing ensure reliable connections and high voice quality.

2. Increased Employee Productivity and Collaboration
There’s a good chance that your employees are highly mobile in our current age of technology and client service. Having a unified business phone system allows your mobile devices to interact seamlessly with your corporate phone lines. Increased flexibility allows your staff to be more productive and accessible.

Business Communication System Mobility Features

• Integrated chat
• Short Message Service (SMS)
• Video conferencing
• Screen and file sharing
• Data backup

3. Business Continuity
A business communication system is not complete without a mobile application with full phone functionality. Should a desk phone become unavailable, these cloud-based systems are immune to local outages, keeping your business moving and flexible.

4. Scaling and Management
A unified business communication system is scalable based on your current needs. Phone services are designed based on the number of users or resources that are needed. Users pay only for what they need and can order additional services quickly.

Yeo & Yeo Technology specializes in unified business communications with YeoVoice through its partner, Elevate. Contact us to learn more and get started today!

• Email helpdesk@yeoandyeo.com
• Use our online Tech Support Request Form
• For emergency support after 5:30 p.m. and before 7:30 a.m., call 989.797.4075 and select option 7.

There seems to be a constant supply of news stories involving high-profile, high-impact, criminal cyber activity. More often than not, the data breaches that we hear about occur at large businesses or global organizations. This leads many people to think that it’s only those big companies that are at risk of being attacked. They incorrectly assume that today’s cybercriminal is always looking for a giant financial payout or a huge cache of personal data. But the reality is that small and mid-size businesses (SMB) are actually at greater risk. SMBs’ focus on cybersecurity needs to be a high priority.

In their 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report, Verizon found that 58% of all cyberattacks target small businesses. While it is true that the ultimate reward might not be as high as from a multinational organization, cybercriminals go after SMBs because they are easier to penetrate.

Gaining access to a multinational organization can be difficult. Larger organizations have the budget and the obvious need to protect their networks. When you collect personal data from around the globe or generate billions in revenue, you dedicate time and resources to protecting yourself. SMBs, on the other hand, don’t always focus on cybersecurity the way they should. And this is what cybercriminals are counting on.

Why Are Small and Mid-Size Businesses at Risk?

Regardless of the size of your business, cybercriminals who want to access your network will take advantage of any vulnerable attack surface. A single unprotected or improperly secured edge device can be all they need to access an entire system.

According to the Verizon Report, cyberattacks can occur in several different ways. 48% of last year’s breaches featured hacking while 30% included malware. Other less prevalent but still dangerous methods of attack were social attacks, privilege misuse or physical breaches.

A comprehensive approach to security is crucial for keeping cybercriminals at bay. Unfortunately, when it comes to the cybersecurity of physical security systems, many smaller organizations have a relatively haphazard approach. They roll out disparate solutions for access control and video surveillance which puts them at greater risk. And, as they grow or evolve, they add new cameras or technology when they can find the resources rather than developing a strategic plan to upgrade their system as a whole. This means that they may not be aware of potential points of attack on their evolving physical security network.

In addition, SMBs don’t always have a clear cybersecurity strategy that they communicate to every member of their team. The Verizon Report states that nearly one-fifth of system breaches occur because of human error. This can happen when an employee clicks on the wrong link or doesn’t adequately secure a device. Like any organization, an SMB can mitigate these errors through training and organization-wide awareness.

This takes a commitment from senior executives as well as an understanding of what is actually at risk. Unfortunately, SMBs tend to think that, because they aren’t dealing in billions of dollars, cybercriminals won’t bother attacking their networks. While they may believe they have less to lose to a cyberattack than large organizations do, they are actually at a greater risk that their business might not survive the fallout or cleanup.

The Impact of a Data Breach on SMBs

When a multinational or global company is attacked, the cost can be astronomical whereas, according to the Ponemon Institute, the average cost for small businesses to clean up after being hacked is about $690,000 and, for middle market companies, it is over $1 million.

To an outsider, this may seem less significant in comparison with the high-profile cases that make it to the top of the news cycle, but these costs represent a huge financial burden for an SMB. In fact, according to the U.S. National Cyber Security Alliance, 60% of small companies are unable to sustain their business more than six months following a cyberattack. They frequently just don’t have the resources.

And, in addition to cleanup and containment costs, SMBs who collect personally identifiable information (PII) in Europe are now also going to have to deal with potential fines that arise from the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The regulation includes mandatory breach reporting rules that stipulate an organization must report a breach within 72 hours of detection.

The penalties for non-compliance are steep with fines of up to 20 million Euros or 4% of global annual turnover – whichever is higher. When you think of a small business not being able to survive a breach that costs under a million dollars to clean up, you can imagine what the outcome of such a heavy fine would be. Clearly, SMBs need to put the work in now to protect their networks and their budgets for the future. But how do can they do this without breaking the bank?

How Can SMBs Focus on Cybersecurity and Protect Their Networks?

As with any organization, an SMB can protect itself by deploying solutions that are developed with cybersecurity in mind. This means the systems they use should include ways to encrypt data, authenticate users and authorize access.

Encrypting data helps SMBs protect the private and sensitive information on their network and enhance the security of communication between client and servers. When data is encrypted, even if an unauthorized person or entity gains access to it, it is not readable without the appropriate key. The question then becomes how to control access to those encryption keys. The answer is through authentication.

Authentication comes in different forms. Client-side authentication includes username/password combinations, tokens and other techniques while server-side authentication uses certificates to identify trusted third parties. These allow SMBs to first determine if an entity – user, server or client app – is who it claims to be, and then verify if and how that entity should access a system, including the ability to decipher encrypted data.

However, while encryption and authentication are great tools for protecting data, they cannot stop unauthorized access to a network. The Verizon Report also states that more than 25% of network attacks involve people inside an organization. As a result, in addition to protecting access through authentication mechanisms, SMBs also need to use authorization to control who sees sensitive data and what they can do with it.

When authorization capabilities are built into security solutions, they allow administrators to restrict the scope of activity within their systems by giving specific access rights to groups or individuals for resources, data, or applications. By defining privileges, administrators can fine-tune the level of access granted to each individual. This allows administrators to strike a balance between providing individuals with the access rights necessary to do their jobs efficiently and ensuring that they mitigate the risks associated with a potential data breach. This not only increases the security of the physical system as a whole, but it also enhances the security of other systems connected to it.

Return on Improvement

Prevention and detection are the best ways to avoid the costs associated with a system breach, including cleanup, loss of data and potential fines. By hardening your network against criminal cyber activity, you improve the security of your data and increase your resilience against cyberattacks.

At the same time, you should also be monitoring your systems for common indicators of a compromise. These can include unusual login times, reduced operating speeds across the network, errors in application and system event logs, new devices on the network, new users with admin privileges, unusual event log entries in the security log, or workstations with very high traffic.

Detection is increasingly important when it comes to mitigating the damage caused by a breach. The Verizon Report states that 68% of breaches took months or longer to discover. Having best practices in place to detect a breach as quickly as possible helps to reduce its overall impact and can make recovery that much easier. In the event of a data breach, you should also be prepared to respond quickly and effectively.

Overall, the challenge of securing SMB systems might be easier than for large businesses. SMBs tend to have a better picture of all their assets and a more direct way of communicating a new cybersecurity strategy to their teams. And their return on improvement is significant.

This article was provided by ContentMX and Securitymagazine.com.