Most people's perception of hackers comes via what they see in modern pop culture … but does this perception match up to a hacker in real life? Alas, pop culture doesn’t always differentiate between different hacker types and their motivations very well.
The notion of cloud computing and cloud storage has revolutionized the way companies manage data storage and software distribution. Macro Systems has helped many of our clients utilize cloud-based services, and these days, most of us are connected to this entity labeled as “the cloud” in one way or another. The question is: how can we tell if our data is safe?
Data is of critical importance to many modern businesses; with the help of a managed service provider, it can become even more useful. Let's take a look at the ways that data can be utilized to your organization's benefit.
Data loss is a nightmare for your business, and ransomware is the boogeyman. Once your data has been breached, your organization's reputation is damaged in perpetuity; that’s why it is imperative to confront these fears and start prioritizing data security.
The big tech companies have influence. These organizations, which include Apple, Google, Amazon, and Facebook, have been in the spotlight more and more as the argument of data privacy has increased and become louder. Public sentiment is starting to blow back on their business model--and since, Yahoo, once the principal name in Internet-based services, was broken up and sold to Verizon for cents on the dollar after being at the center of the largest data breach in recorded history--there have been rumblings that there has to be something done to defend the public from major publicly-traded technology organizations that use individual’s data in ways that some deem unethical.
Many organizations have taken the cloud into consideration as their next technology implementation, but there’s more to adopting a cloud solution than just going to the cloud store and asking for one. You first need to determine what kind of cloud solution is best suited to your needs.
Productivity is the goa in business. Alas, there are so many interruptions in the workday, you have to capitalize on the moments where you’re in the zone. To get in the zone more frequently, and to measure the ability of workers to find their zone, companies have started using trackable systems fueled mainly by their management software-usually a CRM, but sometimes a larger, more integrated solution-to pump out metrics designed to give managers an idea how their teams are performing, and give them an idea about how to best utilize them.
Databases are especially convenient for allowing access to critical data, but they, by default, expose data to risks depending on how they are stored. For example: if a database is stored in the cloud it could potentially be vulnerable to threats that put the future of your organization in jeopardy. Compared to the public cloud, a private cloud database can give you more opportunities for security, flexibility, and customization.
Small businesses usually fall into the trap of assuming that they are too small to be targeted by hackers. This misconception could ultimately cost your business too much. The fact is that all businesses have data that is worth something to hackers, and Macro Systems is here to prove it to you and provide a solution to this dilemma.
How valuable is the data that you’ve gathered during your time in business? What would it mean if it were to leak somewhere beyond your control? Let's talk about methods to control your data leakage.
With World Backup Day occurring one month ago, it hasn’t been long since we should all have been reminded of the critical value of data backup. Nevertheless, there is never a bad time to discuss the harsh realities of business data loss, and how businesses can circumvent it.
It's amazing how much trust most people have in Internet-based companies; people routinely give extremely sensitive information to these companies without thinking for a second about what these companies do with it. Let's take a look at data collection practices, what Internet companies want with that data, and how millions of people every year become victims because they entrust their PII (Personally Identifiable Information) to companies that promptly lose it.
It's easy underestimate the importance of monitoring your solutions. Nevertheless, the advantages of tenacious monitoring were recently thrust into the spotlight when 24 spammers were arrested in October by the Delhi Police’s cyber cell for impersonating Microsoft support staff and duping American citizens.
So far, the majority of our experience with the Internet of Things has been on a small scale: accessories and appliances that connect to the Internet to gain some additional functionality. This technology can also be applied to a larger, more civic purpose, including the development of a “smart city.” Sadly, this application could prove to be as troublesome as the IoT we are more used to.
There’s a significant difference between operating a smart business and making smart business decisions, although you could argue that one contributes to the other. More businesses than ever before are looking to their data to create better opportunities and make more intelligent decisions. Let's take a look at what the differences are between business intelligence and business analysis, as well as how they can contribute to your company's success.
Data has always been imperative, but more modern trends have placed emphasis on utilizing it to make important, educated decisions on the future of your business. Let's take a concentrated look at the data revolution and how your data has become a commodity.
It doesn’t take much to derail a business. Even the slightest disruption in power can lead to an unexpected power-down, and something as simple as a severe rainstorm could lead to floods that wash away your data. The point stands that you have everything to lose, and without data backup and disaster recovery, your business practices could be in danger.
March 23rd, 2018, was the date when the United States Congress passed another spending bill that could reduce individual privacy protection all over the globe. This bill included a provision called the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (or CLOUD) Act, which makes modifications to the Stored Communications Act of 1986 and supplies unelected American officials a significant amount of power over digital privacy rights.
As if the initial revelation of Equifax’s 2017 data exposure wasn’t terrible enough, it has now been reported that there are even more victims than we initially believed. While news like this is obviously never positive, it can produce a silver lining if the opportunities that said news presents are taken advantage of.
How much do you think a criminal would pay for your company’s sensitive data that’s been stolen by hackers? As it turns out, your data may not be worth as much as you may think, and that’s a bad thing for you and your business.
