The Datamax Thinking Blog

Is your SMB ready to think bigger about the technology you deploy? Are the practical advantages that come with cloud-based solutions a right fit for your organization? 

Author Tim Ferris says “Life’s too short to think small.”

Many ambitious, hungry start-up entrepreneurs begin with nothing other than a huge dream.

Naysayers may accuse them of having their head “in the clouds” when it comes to their business vision, with their seemingly unrealistic, impractical ideas and expectations.

Either way, business owners having their heads in cloud technology is both practical and advantageous. Given the right technology partner, utilizing cloud-based tools can boost productivity and demand minimal management effort on their part.  

While the 4Cs in education help empower students to be think-tanks of tomorrow, the 4Cs of business technology should and can liberate your on-campus technology team to apply these classroom initiatives.

As educators further pursue the ideal 21st century learning environment, one won’t dig far without uncovering the 4Cs.

The 4Cs – critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication - have been adopted and implemented into the curriculum of school districts and professional development programs for years. Established by the National Education Association and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, these four components are a guide post for choosing specific tools, software and curriculum for the modern day, technologically advanced environment of today’s youth.

Your business technology partner should play a key role in helping bring those 4Cs to light. 

Social Engineering is really no different than any old school scam from the past, other than modern technology is the setting (for the modern attack)." - Justin Huffaker, Vice President of Strategic Technology, Datamax Inc.

Most recall the Martin Scorsese film “Catch Me if You Can,” which follows New York teen Frank Abagnale (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor and a Louisiana parish prosecutor to successfully execute million-dollar cons.

Abagnale’s ploys, while sophisticated, relied heavily on the ingrained, trusting nature of humans to carry out his elaborate schemes: Much like Social Engineering in 2018, some 60 years after Abagnale’s antics.

A Network Risk Assessment can dispel security concerns and propel your team to the ultimate goal for your organization and its network infrastructure – peace of mind.

For me, there’s perhaps no better mind-clearing, stress-relieving pastime then a jaunt along the trails at a nearby state park. The sun poking its way through the towering pine trees, coupled with the low-volume sounds of the early morning surrounding me, provides me peace of mind to empower a productive week ahead.

Isn’t peace of mind – in our homes and our workplace – what we all ultimately crave? Given today’s volatile cyber security climate, fear and uncertainty of everything from downtime to network intrusion can disrupt an organization’s collective contentment.

As companies of every size rely on IT to operate, it’s becoming more difficult to find and hire the IT expertise you need. Is there an alternative?

When it comes to IT, many small and medium businesses struggle to find the right balance of reliability, responsiveness, and cost – not to mention technical expertise. In most cases, IT support is usually one of four ways:

• Your niece, nephew, or first born, who is “really technical” and oversees the details for you
• A company a business friend of yours uses that you call when your computers start freezing
• A dedicated, in-house IT department that you keep on your payroll and “does it all”
• A proactively, managed provider who provides a blend of remote monitoring, preventative maintenance, and help desk support when you need it

Understanding the difference between these types of support is critical to protecting your business. Hackers are everywhere, they want your information, and they are just waiting to take advantage of your small business’s network vulnerabilities.

Employees are a big weakness in any information security plan. These 6 tips will make your security stronger.

The biggest security hole in any business isn't the network or your computer assets or the various programs you operate on.

The biggest security threat to any business is the people that work there.

Because people do stupid things. And when they do stupid things with company information (like leaving a laptop in the backseat of a car with customer information), your company is at risk of a data breach.

That's why when it comes to cybersecurity, paying attention only to the IT side of things isn't good enough (though that's essential, of course).

You need to train your users.

Here are a few tips to help you get started on training employees on information security.

Every business needs to be secure today. Data backup and disaster recovery are key tools to keep your office safe and in business.

There are two items essential to every business today:

1. a robust, secure data network
2. continued access to vital business information and documents

Without either of those, no business can succeed.

You want to be HIPAA-compliant? You need to perform a risk assessment.

It shouldn't be a surprise to know that security research shows that the healthcare industry is a prime target for hackers and assorted cybercriminals.

From insurance companies to small doctors offices to research facilities to hospitals, all have a treasure-trove of personal information that criminals are itching to get their hands on.

Not involved in the healthcare industry? If you're reading this and are in manufacturing, financial services, government, or transportation; those round out the top five targets.

“Only” a small business and think you're safe?

Stop thinking the small size of your business will protect you from cybercriminals. It won't.

Too many small and medium businesses believe that they aren't a target for hackers and cybercriminals.

If that statement describes your view of security, you're wrong.

Cybercriminals target businesses of every size and in every industry. They're looking for easy pickings. After all, why try to rob Fort Knox when the houses down the street all have their doors unlocked?

Here are eight things every SMB must know about cybersecurity.

Data backup is (or should be) a part of every businesses IT strategy. Add in the fact, that data backup is a final line of defense against ransomware, and you're crazy if you don't have an online backup strategy.

Cyber attacks on small businesses is BIG BUSINESS for cybercriminals. That’s because they know that you may not have the money (or the muscle) to secure your small business’s network. Even worse is the fact that there is little or no recourse for the small business owner who falls prey to a ransomware attack. Many simply pony up the money just to get their critical information back.