Got Your Sparklers Handy?

The Fourth of July falls on a Thursday this year, but we aren’t letting the fact that it’s a weekday stop us from celebrating.

Of course, just because it’s a holiday, that doesn’t mean you’ll have to make do without us.

Your small business needs a cybersecurity strategy, but beyond that, it also needs security awareness training. These two areas are not one and the same. There are important, distinct differences.

The Importance of a Cyber Security Strategy

First, let’s talk about cybersecurity in general.

Cybercriminals lock victims out of computer and network files – sometimes destroying data – and extort cash to get that data back. That’s a ransomware attack, costing businesses billions worldwide.

Ransomware can spread by the simplest of user actions.

When it comes to watching videos online, no name comes to mind more often than YouTube. They host nearly 2 billion users each month. 60% of people now prefer watching YouTube to watching TV. 80% of people under 49 are watching videos on YouTube.

It’s popular.

Local Guides have contributed content about hundreds of thousands of businesses. They get together and have held meetups and conducted projects in Europe, India, South America, North America, Australia, and Asia.

How Are Google’s Local Guides Different From Google Users?

People have been contributing reviews, photos, and videos to Google for years.

When a company functions at a high level, productivity and profitability appear seamless. But it’s also incumbent on decision-makers to understand the potential ramifications for business disruption. Without a working knowledge of how a breakdown in one area of an operation impacts the other moving parts, viable solutions remain out of reach.

The small city of Riviera Beach, Florida, north of West Palm Beach is the latest government to be crippled by a ransomware attack. Their data was encrypted by hackers so they couldn’t access it. This has paralyzed the City’s computer systems.

There are many types of risk in business: the risk that a new competitor will come on the market and steal market share, the risk that top staff members will jump ship for a better offer . . . but are you considering the significant risk that is associated with a cyber attack? A recent report by IBM shows that more than 77 percent of companies don’t have a cybersecurity response plan in place, a dangerous proposition when you consider that 60% of businesses that suffer a cyber attack fail within 6 months.

Hackers Now Using HTTPS To Trick Victims Via Phishing Scams

Everything you’ve heard about the safety of https sites is now in question. According to a recent FBI public service announcement, hackers are incorporating website certificates (third-party verification that a site is secure) when sending potential victims phishing emails that imitate trustworthy companies or email contacts.

June 16th is Father’s Day, a great reason to spend a little quality time with the family doing a few of Dad’s favorite things.

Whatever your plans are, take some time this Sunday to let Dad know how much you appreciate everything he’s done for you over the years, and how glad you are to have him in your life.