Why HIPAA-Compliant IT Support Is Critical for Business Success

 

No matter what business you’re in, information and technology management is important for success. But in the health-care realm, the ability to keep data safe and secure is even more paramount. That’s because government regulations mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) state that all protected health information must be strictly protected — and that any breach of such information must be reported immediately.

5 Tips and Tricks to Supercharge your Everyday Use of Microsoft Windows

The Microsoft Windows landscape is scheduled to change again in mid to late 2015, when Windows 10 will be released. That may excite some early adopters who love to have the latest and greatest operating system on their computer. And many industry experts are thrilled that Windows 10, which is currently in its public beta testing period, was designed with business customers in mind — and is forecasted to be much more responsive to user needs.

5 Ways to Protect Your Business Email from Cybercriminal Attacks

In late January, the FBI and the Internet Crime Complaint Center released a public service announcement about the recent proliferation of Business Email Compromise (BEC). Defined by the FBI as a “sophisticated global scam targeting small to large businesses,” BECs affected more than 2,000 victims worldwide in 2014, while inflicting upwards of $200 million in fraudulent losses.

5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs to Prepare for the End of Windows Server 2003

Remember the build-up last year for the death of Windows XP? A similar scenario will play out in 2015, as Microsoft announced in November that it would end support for Windows Server 2003 and Server 2003 R2 on July 14th.

The most immediate impact of this announcement is that any system using Windows Server 2003 will no longer receive updates or patches from Microsoft, which the computing giant said in a white paper “can result in a less stable and less secure infrastructure for your organization.

5 Ways to Secure Your Data and Protect Your Privacy Online

Data Privacy Day is celebrated each January 28th by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), which leads an international effort that focuses on “respecting privacy, safeguarding data, and enabling trust.” Studies of North American consumers show that a large percentage of them are concerned about the privacy of their data; last year, CMIT Solutions cited a Gallup poll that found 37% of the public had lost trust in the companies they regularly do business with, while 30% said they had little to no trust in those companies to keep their information secure.

The Top 10 Tech Trends for 2015

The New Year is upon us, which means we all get a fresh opportunity to consider what’s important for the next 12 months. In the small to medium-sized business world, technology routinely tops that list — you can’t work well without technology, and technology that doesn’t work well will only hold you back.

What 2014 Holiday Shopping Statistics Mean for the Push Toward Mobility

As many news outlets have reported over the last few weeks, the major trend in e-commerce this year has come from mobile device use. Over the three-day period encompassing Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday:

•    33% of Thanksgiving Day sales came from mobile devices, as did 52% of online shopping traffic

•    Mobile drove 50% of all Black Friday shopping traffic, up from 40% from last year

•    Mobile sales accounted for 28% of all Black Friday online sales, up from 22% last year

•    41% of Cyber Monday traffic came from mobile devices, up from 30% in 2013

•    22% of all Cyber Monday sales came from mobile devices

•    46% of emails on Cyber Monday were opened on mobile devices

What do all these numbers mean for the average small to medium-sized business owner? A January 2014 Pew Research Internet Project study found that 90% of North American adults have a cell phone; 58% have a smartphone; 32% have an e-reader; and 42% have a tablet.