Stop Targeted Security Threats From Hitting Your Business Bullseye

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Security Threat|Stop Targeted Security Threats From Hitting Your Business BullseyeA lot has changed for businesses this past year, with virtual work changing the way we operate and the threats that we face. Most notably, worrying trends in an increase of targeted phishing attacks (around 73%) have left countless companies open to threats that simply didn’t exist before. This, alongside an almost overnight shift to long-distance network access, has contributed to the 400% increase we’ve seen in cybersecurity breaches since the pandemic began.

Clone phishing is especially coming to the fore, mimicking official sources or even in-office addresses, to increase the risk of damaging downloads. What’s more, rising unemployment rates have seen even non-versed cybercriminals launching DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks that, unlike traditionally invasive malware, can cause untold damage without an in-point.

Put together, all of this spells significant problems on the cybersecurity front, which, in many instances, can feel entirely above intervention. In truth, though, there are ways to prevent even targeted or out-of-house setbacks, and we’re going to consider them here.

1. Bring experts onboard

In-house IT has been struggling for a while and, as cyberthreats become ever more intelligent, the need to do away with limited in-house expertise has only grown. By instead turning to the IT support offered by companies like Envision IT Partners, you ensure that you’re working with individuals who have seen first-hand how security threats are changing and who have already been working to offset those shifting risks in real-time. Even better, the managed services offered by companies like these ensure ongoing, expert-led monitoring that can prevent even DDoS attacks from doing any real damage.

2. Protect your network

Targeted phishing attacks are increasingly challenging to identify and avoid, with hackers now using personalized tags and mimicking official resources. If they gain access to your information, cybercriminals may now even be able to mimic individuals within your very own enterprise! As such, even the best-trained team (more on that later) can’t be held accountable for mistakes made. Instead, many companies are finding that protection is the best cure, and considering your network is the most reliable way to achieve that. Specifically, you’ll want to ensure end-to-end encryption, preferably with a cloud-based backing, that guarantees hackers can’t gain access even if an employee opens a phishing email on their device.

3. Revamp your training

Even with an encrypted network and monitoring oversight, you’ll want to avoid breaches and the potential risks those bring as much as possible, and training remains the best way to do that. Most importantly, regular training sessions (around every three months) ensure that employees understand the intelligent threats on the table as they arise. This makes them far less likely to fall foul to even convincing phishing downloads, and saves everyone a whole world of hassle and potential downtime.

Change can always be daunting, especially where the activity of cybercriminals is concerned. Luckily, while phishing attacks may be becoming more intelligent, so, too, are the solutions on-hand to offset them. So, stay ahead, and stay safe by putting these pointers into action sooner rather than later.

Will Passwords Soon Be A Thing Of The Past?

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Passwords|Will Passwords Soon Be A Thing Of The Past?Is it only a matter of time until we see the death of passwords as a security measure? In fact, many believe passwords offer very little security at all. A mere word, with a few unique characters or numbers, is supposed to protect all of your personal details and payment information. Is this really enough?

The landscape of digital security is changing all of the time. Hackers are becoming more and more sophisticated with every day that passes, which means that we simply cannot afford to remain stagnant. We need to make a conscious effort to patch all possible security vulnerabilities, and many believe that passwords are a major problem!

To ensure that your business is up to date with all of the latest security efforts, you need to team up with an experienced IT company, such as Haycor IT support. Businesses like this can help to make sure that you’re using the latest methods and approaches, giving your business the best possible protection. Plus, all businesses are different, and this is why a bespoke approach is a must. Security is not a one-off thing; it is something that needs to be addressed all of the time and the security approach must be layered, meaning a range of different tactics are used to ensure the highest possible level of protection.

With that being said, let’s take a look at the use of passwords in further detail so that we can understand the concerns and what steps may be taken to move forward in this area.

Choose your password

Nowadays, it’s constantly drummed into us that we need to protect ourselves online and choose our passwords wisely. Most companies offer a feature telling you how weak or strong your password is as you compose it. Yet, did you know that 8.5 per cent of people use either the word ‘password’ or ‘123456’ as their password? In fact, 40 per cent of people have a password that features in the list of the Top 100 Passwords, with ‘iloveyou’ and ‘abc123’ being some of the most popular.

So, whilst the tech-savvy user may construct their password using a random sequence of numbers, unique characters and letters, it appears that most people are doing very little to make their password not guessable. Even so, with intelligent hackers ready to pounce, even those with complex passwords can suffer.

What’s the alternative?

It seems digital profiles may be the way forward. We have long toyed with the idea of using biometrics, such as a fingerprint reader or some method of voice identification. The problem with this is that such technology is buggy and expensive. Because of this, no one uses them, and consequently, they are never improved nor do they become cheaper. So, it’s unlikely that this will be the immediate solution – although we shouldn’t rule out biometrics being used in the future.

Instead, online identity verification will likely be a natural transition. This may well include the use of passwords, but passwords will only make up a very small portion of the identification system. The multifaceted process will be based on everything from where we go, to when we go there, to who we are, to what we do, to what we have with us and how we act when we are there. We already see this on a small scale with the security measures that are in place to identify an unusual pattern in an individual’s shopping behaviour, such as excessive spending.

  • Protect yourself now
  • But for now…
  • Never use the same password twice
  • Use long passwords
  • Use all authentication methods offered
  • Don’t use a dictionary word
  • For password recoveries, use a secure and unique email address
  • Give bogus answers to security questions

So there you have it: an insight into some of the worries and concerns regarding passwords. When you consider this, it is not hard to understand why we may end up embracing different solutions, such as a digital profile. We have already seen the move to two-factor authentication so that people have to do more than input a password to gain access to a system. However, we should not expect this to be the final change when it comes to enhancing security. More still needs to be done. For now, though, make sure you’re using strong passwords and you are changing them on a regular basis too. Plus, consult with an IT expert to ensure that your business is protected.

The Value Of Legal Protection For A New Business

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Legal Protection|The Value Of Legal Protection For A New BusinessAs an entrepreneur who has just taken off with a dream venture, startup growth is bound to be your top priority. You will want to stabilize your business early with the right steps at the right time. Arranging funds will be on top of your checklist, while you will also want to go the extra mile to secure the top talent in the industry. There is much more on a typical startup checklist, such as market research, product launch and promotional strategies, customer experiences management, and compliance.

With such a lot of work at hand, it is easy for entrepreneurs to overlook the legal aspects of running the startup. But it is the worst you can do because going slack with legal protection can land your business in deep trouble. It becomes all the more vital at the initial stage because the assurance of being on the right side of the law lets you focus only on growth. Let us highlight the value of legal protection for new businesses.

Good relationships with founders are vital

Most entrepreneurs cannot embark on the journey alone. It makes sense to collaborate with co-founders and partners to share risks and get support at the early stage. You also need to ensure good relationships with partners so that they stick with you for the long haul. Even if they want to part ways, they must do it amicably. Legal advice about founder contracts and agreements keeps your business in a safe place. The right language and clauses in the contract prevent misunderstandings and disputes with partners down the line.

Protection of intellectual property is essential

New businesses often sell unique ideas and products, which need to be copyrighted. You will also want to protect your brand logo and marketing collateral from infringement. Protection of intellectual property is not a choice for startups because losing it can take away your competitive advantage. Fortunately, the apt legal steps can help you safeguard these assets from competitors. Trademarks, patents, and copyrights protect your branding assets. You can go the extra mile with non-disclosure agreements with employees and contractors and confidentiality contracts with third parties.

Lawsuits can happen to any business

Another reason to prioritize legal protection at this stage is that the last thing you will want to encounter is a lawsuit. It can be expensive and cause reputational damage. Unfortunately, lawsuits can happen to any business these days. Slips and falls are common on business premises, while you may also come across a defective or dangerous product lawsuit. The risk runs high if you let your employees drive company vehicles. They may have an accident with a pedestrian or another driver and injure them. The victim can seek help from personal injury attorneys to file a massive compensation claim against your company. It is best to have legal guidance from an expert to handle such lawsuits or even avoid them through settlements.

Employee disputes can be a hassle

Startups need to steer clear of employee disputes too, but it is easier said than done. Multiple issues can cause a problem with your workforce. However, it is possible to secure your business against employee lawsuits if you have proper employment contracts at the time of hiring. Ensure that they have clauses related to leaves, appraisal, and termination so that there are no chances of disputes later. Also, cover contingencies like workplace injuries, occupational safety, and office harassment to stay on the right side of the law. Proper provisions for the employees will also enhance your reputation as an employer and boost employee retention in the long run.

Client disputes need to be handled

When you lack real-world business experiences, it is easy to get into trouble with contract disputes with clients, suppliers, and vendors. You may even face lawsuits without an intentional mistake or due to sheer lack of awareness. Clients may sue you for delays in delivery, while vendors and suppliers can bring claims for missed payments and deadlines. A focus on legal protection with clear and comprehensive contracts can provide significant coverage from such lawsuits. It is best to have your contracts drafted and checked by legal experts before you sign them.

Entrepreneurs need to focus on legal protection for their new business. While you must pay attention to other aspects of running the company, ignoring contracts and legal loopholes isn’t the right approach. Hiring a lawyer to handle these matters gives you peace of mind because they will have the right advice to safeguard your business from lawsuits in the first place. Even if someone files a suit, your lawyer will represent you and fight it out.

Hire an Attorney and Know Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Pedestrian Accident Injuries|Hire an Attorney and Know Common Pedestrian Accident InjuriesOne of the most devastating things about being involved in a pedestrian accident can be getting hurt or losing a loved one. No matter the circumstances, an accident can be distressing, especially when the cause is somebody’s wrongful act or negligence.

According to the Center for Disease Control, the United States foresees one person’s death every two hours due to a pedestrian accident. Around 2 million pedestrians are injured in this particular accident every year, resulting in severe injuries. Children, 5-9 years- old boys’ and the elderly are the most exposed to pedestrian accidents and suffer from catastrophic injuries.

Hit by a car? Well, you might be wondering if it’s possible to sue someone for hitting you with their car? Motor vehicle collisions can be devastating, and many families now file for compensations to cover the costs of damage. And, why not? If you or your loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, you want to take action for holding the other party responsible for their negligence. The accountability process becomes smoother when you hire an experienced attorney for your case. Law firms know what it takes to bring you justice.

Some of the most common types of injuries sustained by pedestrians after encountering a car accident are:

  • Traumatic Brain Injuries:

What happens when you get hit by a car? One of the most common injuries that pedestrians incur is traumatic brain injuries (TBI’s). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define TBI as the disruption in normal brain functioning due to blow, bump, or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury. The pedestrian accident attorney emphasized the head and brain injuries as the most life-altering. Some of the most common symptoms include dizziness, sensitivity, mood swings, depression, anxiety, coordination losses, and fluid leaking from the ear. Studies show that three million people visit emergency centers seeking treatments for TBIs, and that includes more than 837,000 injured children.

  • Broken bone and fractures:

These are other common injuries in automobile collisions. Pedestrians fracture their wrists, shoulders, back, legs, arms in accidents. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons shed light on the variation in fracture severities. Some severe bone breaks are known to occur, including compound fractures where the broken bones puncture through the skin. A person may suffer a complete or partial bone fracture and are most likely to cause long-term problems requiring amputations, in some cases.

  • Injuries in Soft Tissues:

Many injuries are known to involve soft tissues. These may be bruises, tears, dislocations, lacerations, and sprains. While many tissues heal with a little medical intervention, many others can cause pain and keep sufferers from engaging in everyday activities. Thus, soft tissue injuries can leave victims with scarring and other permanent issues, impacting their emotional well-being.

  • Pelvic Injuries:

Pelvic injuries are difficult and challenging to treat. These types of damages are so common in pedestrian accidents- all thanks to the average car hood’s shape. These hit in the right spot during immediate contact with the pedestrian.

  • Internal Injuries:

Medical professionals claim these injuries as the worst type since they are difficult to spot, let alone treating them in the first instance. Internal organ injuries, brain bleeds, rib fractures require immediate treatments. Some of these injuries may not show symptoms first, but the adrenaline may still run high.

  • Spinal Cord Injuries:

The spinal cord injuries can have life-threatening repercussions. Spinal cord is the part that transmits signals between the body and the brainA person’s ligaments, discs, vertebrae in a spinal cord or spinal column can lead to temporary or permanent paralysis.

  • Lacerations:

Depending on the laceration location and the depth to which it went, this type of injury is most likely to have lasting and painful consequences.

  • Amputations:

Sometimes the forces of high-impact accidents may have some lifelong repercussions on the body of the victim. These include the amputation of limbs such as toe, finger, leg, and arm.

  • Emotional Trauma:

Not all injuries are physical. Even if the victim doesn’t sustain permanent physical injuries, the chances of emotional trauma are quite evident. It can be a traumatic experience of being struck by a vehicle, which may be challenging to cope up.

  • Death:

Pedestrians struck by a vehicle have high death risks. It is the cause of not only the sheer vehicle size but lack of pedestrian protections also. There were around 4,735 pedestrian deaths in 2013, as per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports.

The pedestrian injury depends upon the area hit and the car’s speed. He/she may either fall on the ground or be hit by some object like a building, some other vehicle, or into the windshield of the car or into the hood.

A pedestrian, if hit by a car traveling 15 miles per hour isn’t likely to sustain fatal injuries. However, being hit by a faster car has the possibility of severe injuries and the chances of death also increase. Lower extremity injuries can result in long-term mobility problems, and can be life-threatening.

How to keep pedestrians safe? Some Tips!

One of the best things for keeping pedestrians safe is following the laws. Florida statutes have some rules that one needs to abide for becoming a responsible pedestrian. These are:

  • Obey traffic controls to the best of your ability unless a police officer directs you to something else.
  • Pedestrians don’t have the permissions to walk or run onto the vehicle path.
  • The sidewalk must find its usage, if available.
  • Pedestrians must enter crossroads only at a right angle.
  • Pedestrians have the right of way whenever moving in a crosswalk.

What are the legal options available after an accident?

Injured pedestrians have the path of recovering by reaching out to qualified doctors and injury lawyers. Obviously, experienced doctors will help you to recover soon. As per the experts at georgiatrialfirm.com with experienced lawyers on your side, you can enjoy the bliss of catering to your pedestrian accident cases as soon as possible and determine the options and rights for pursuing a legal option.

After all, it’s all about more in-depth understanding and better case solutions!

How Damaging Can Air Leaks Be to Businesses if They are Not Detected Rapidly?

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Air Leaks|How Damaging Can Air Leaks Be to Businesses if They are Not Detected Rapidly?Considering how much of an asset compressed air systems are to a wide range of industries, it’s a thing of wonder why any industry would be hesitant to monitor their machines for air leakages. It is estimated that $138m (£100m) is lost every year to air leaks in the UK, but it’s quite understandable why one would think that a tiny bit of air escaping won’t make so much of a difference to your business. Think again. Businesses could be losing as much as $832/year (£600/year) from a 0.1inch (3mm) hole.

Identifying air leaks is important because in addition to leaks being the source of wasted air/gas and therefore increased operating costs, they can also be the point of ingress for contamination to the system. Leaks will grow and worsen if restorative action is not taken, which means small leaks can quickly advance to high hidden costs.

How to Detect Leaks

Industrial machines have a high degree of background noise which can veil any obvious evidence of small leaks, making it difficult to understand the scale of leakage. This makes it a secret expense for its operators. Identifying and rectifying all the leak points will reduce operating costs and improve the delivered air/gas quality.

Learning if an air compressor is leaking is a critical aspect of its operation, here we provide some of the easiest ways to detect air leaks:

  • Listening for leaks is only possible during a shutdown when the entire system is so silent that massive leaks can be audible. Smaller leaks can be below the hearing threshold, making it difficult to hear the characteristic leaking gas hiss. However, this does not suggest that there are no leaks because even if leaks are heard, they can be very difficult to pinpoint, particularly in areas difficult to access.
  • Ultrasonic leak detectors enable testing of out of reach areas to determine if access is required to pinpoint leaks quickly. With a range of up to 8m, it allows operators to promptly survey gas distribution systems with detachable sensors to simplify testing in confined spaces.
  • The traditional direct method widely used is to wash over any suspected joints with a soap solution. If there are any leaks, bubbles will form and judging by the number and size of bubbles, and the technician can pinpoint the fault. While this is a straightforward method, it is very time-consuming as every joint has to be tested individually. There are also potential issues for contamination and corrosion.

Why You Need to Fix Leaks

Leaks do not just have detrimental effects on your annual energy expenses; they also decrease operating efficiency and cause productivity loss due to the inevitable drop in air pressure of the system. This could result in reduced equipment life and inefficient operation of tools that rely on compressed air.

Reasons why you should fix air leaks;

Inefficient Tools and Lower Productivity

Drops in air pressure resulting from leaks can significantly impact the productivity of machines by causing tools to operate inefficiently, which in turn creates an overall less-productive environment.

Reduction in Equipment Longevity

Considering that leaks cause a higher demand for airpower than what is typically needed, compressors need to cycle more frequently, which results in a decreased lifespan of your compressed air system. This could be very expensive. It can be avoided through routine maintenance and inspection, so leaks are identified and repaired.

Losses Due to Downtime

If your system is experiencing unnecessary demands, and maintenance is the result, you may be faced with downtime, which can severely hamper productivity — and eventually, profits.

To run a productive and profitable industrial facility, you must keep your air compressors working efficiently at all times. To that end, any air leaks that occur must be identified and fixed before such problems spiral out of hand.

Increased Production Cost

A poorly-operated compressed air system can cost more than water, electricity, steam or even natural gas. Air leaks also can slow a plant’s operation by using more power than necessary to supply compressed air.