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Make Sure Your IT Department Safeguards Your Technology to Avoid HIPAA Security Breaches

February 12th, 2014

The HIPAA Security Rule was enacted in 1996, designed to establish national standards to protect individuals’ electronic personal health information (PHI) used and/or stored by a covered entity.

Many healthcare organizations have complex technology environments, thus making it difficult for healthcare providers and business associates to comply with the HIPAA Security Rule policies and procedures.

Claim of Privacy Infraction Leads To Another Lawsuit For Facebook

February 11th, 2014

Do you share personal information via private Facebook messages? If so, it’s time to consider what you’ve written before you hit the send button. A complaint filed in California claims that:

“Facebook misleads users into believing they have a secure, private mechanism for communication, when in fact, Facebook mines user data, and profits from this data by sharing it with third parties.

The Top 4 Benefits of Upgrading From Windows XP to Windows 7

February 11th, 2014

Many organizations plan to continue running Windows XP after April 8th, 2014. If you’ve neglected to begin the migration process, it’s important to consider the security threats involved with running an unsupported and unpatched operating system. Most cybercriminals are hoarding Windows XP exploits until April, when Windows XP systems will become vulnerable to malware and hacking attacks.

ATM Operators Must Migrate Away from Windows XP As Soon As Possible

February 10th, 2014

Automated teller machines, commonly known as ATMs, are essentially computers. While they’re not traditional PCs, there’s a user interface, a screen, a processor, various hardware, and an operating system. Did you know most financial institutions are running Windows XP on their ATMs? This is a recipe for disaster when it comes to the end of support for Windows XP on April 8th, 2014.

Many banks, credit unions, and other ATM operators are scrambling to upgrade their systems to Windows 7 in order to maintain compliance with industry security standards, however, versions of Windows XP power roughly 95% of the world’s ATMs.

After April 8th, 2014, ATMs running Windows XP will no longer receive regular security patches.

Developing an Enterprise Cloud Strategy? Here’s What You Need to Know

February 7th, 2014

Cloud computing is becoming a popular trend for businesses looking to increase agility and lower costs. There are three categories of cloud computing:

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a Service is a software distribution model in which applications are hosted and managed by the service provider and end users access the applications over a network.

Using Dropbox In Your Law Firm? Dropbox Tips, Tricks, and Keyboard Shortcuts.

February 6th, 2014

Dropbox is one of the most popular cloud applications for law firms. As a legal professional, you must consider the ethical obligation to maintain client confidentiality while using the cloud. This means employing reasonable measures to ensure security of data stored in the free, multi-user sync app.

The Benefits of Outsourced IT Support and What to Look For in an IT Provider

February 3rd, 2014

As a business owner, the decision between outsourcing vs. in-house IT support can be difficult and time consuming. Ultimately, you want to choose the most effective way to support your IT systems and end-users. But how do you know which option is the most effective for your business?

Let’s start by defining the word “outsourcing,” which happens to be an inconsistently used term.

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How To Create A Social Media Policy For Your Employees

February 2nd, 2014

Acceptable vs. Unacceptable Social Media Behavior

Social media is extremely popular for consumers and businesses alike. A well-structured social media plan can be powerful when successfully launched, but it can also become a disaster if employees aren’t knowledgeable about acceptable and unacceptable social media behavior.

Data Breach Plan: Does Your Business Have A Strategy? Just In Case.

January 31st, 2014

Designing and implementing a comprehensive Data Breach Response Plan is a must during the first quarter of 2014.   What's stopping you from being prepared?
Retailers including Target, Neiman Marcus, and Michaels, experienced data breaches in the beginning of 2014. For many businesses, these massive data breaches served as a wakeup call.