Upcoming Area Events

Happy New Year!

 

• The way we communicate will continue to change as businesses turn to social media to improve client communication and office efficiency. Since business information is now communicated via these outlets, security is paramount. Social media archiving will also be important as more businesses increase their social media presence. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) introduced a set of guidelines for social media users (mainly geared toward large investment firms.) Chief among those guidelines is to capture and retain all communications from any public website: every firm that intends to permit its registered representatives to communicate through social media sites must first ensure that it can retain records of those communications. While this type of guideline hasn't hit small businesses yet, protecting a business's image is important and users must exercise caution when using social media sites.
• Small businesses control vast amounts of client data and client information, and new regulations make it essential to ensure its complete protection. Banking information, credit card numbers, and personal records need to be recoverable in case of a disaster. Symantec initiated a disaster preparedness survey, and the results were alarming: The 2010 Symantec Small and Medium Business Disaster Preparedness Survey found that SMBs are still not taking disaster preparedness seriously. Half of those surveyed said that they still do not have a plan. Sixty-five percent of SMBs surveyed live in regions susceptible to disasters, and have experienced an average of 43 power outages. Most SMBs cannot afford not to have a disaster preparedness plan in place. The businesses' futures could depend on it.
• Cyber-attacks will grow in frequency and significance. Small businesses need to prepare for these attacks by implementing complete protection on their devices, and educating their employees on best practices to prevent them.  Cybercriminals are persistent, but security providers are always working to stay one step ahead. In addition to preparing for cyber attacks, small businesses will also be preparing to help stop the loss of critical data. Data loss can happen in various ways, including internal employees emailing confidential information, or copying that information on USB drives. However, not all data loss incidents are malicious. There are well-meaning employees that accidentally share information that they shouldn't. Once again, employee education will be essential for small businesses to prevent data loss in 2011.

(View the full article here.) 

Five Tips for Comfortable Laptop Ergonomics

That laptop of yours is mighty convenient, but it's slowly killing you. Well, maybe not killing you, but it could be nudging you towards repetitive stress injury, eyestrain, and back problems. Thankfully, it's all preventable. Check out these five ways to use your laptop ergonomically.

1: Get your keyboard at a comfortable angle

Laptops used to come with little pop-out legs in the back to set the keyboard at an angle. (I'm really dating myself.) But these days, to position the keyboard at an angle, you can prop the back of the laptop on a small book or other widget.
                 
2: Position the laptop for the task at hand

If you're doing a lot of typing, your wrists should be straight and elbows at a 90 degree angle, as if you were typing on a keyboard in the office. For many people, that might mean putting the laptop in your lap. But if you're mainly reading, that's a bad place for the screen. Instead, elevate it to near eye level. (You can put it on a stack of magazines or books.)

3: Make the screen brighter

Dim screens are better for battery life, but you'll get a headache staring at a low-contrast screen for hours on end. Bring a power cable so you can plug in and crank the brightness until it's comfortable to see.

4: Use a separate mouse

Integrated touchpads or pointing sticks are clumsy to use for extended periods. Invest in a small portable Bluetooth mouse. Likewise, many ergo experts advise using a separate keyboard, so you can position the laptop for optimum display position. This isn't practical on the road, but you might consider it if you use the laptop as your primary PC in the office.

5: Carry it in comfort

Your laptop, mouse, power supply, and other accessories probably weigh anywhere from five to 10 pounds. Be sure to carry it all in a bag that has a wide, padded strap to distribute all that weight comfortably across your shoulder. Even better, consider a rolling case so you don't have to carry it at all.

Upcoming Area Events

Happy New Year!

 

• The way we communicate will continue to change as businesses turn to social media to improve client communication and office efficiency. Since business information is now communicated via these outlets, security is paramount. Social media archiving will also be important as more businesses increase their social media presence. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) introduced a set of guidelines for social media users (mainly geared toward large investment firms.) Chief among those guidelines is to capture and retain all communications from any public website: every firm that intends to permit its registered representatives to communicate through social media sites must first ensure that it can retain records of those communications. While this type of guideline hasn't hit small businesses yet, protecting a business's image is important and users must exercise caution when using social media sites.
• Small businesses control vast amounts of client data and client information, and new regulations make it essential to ensure its complete protection. Banking information, credit card numbers, and personal records need to be recoverable in case of a disaster. Symantec initiated a disaster preparedness survey, and the results were alarming: The 2010 Symantec Small and Medium Business Disaster Preparedness Survey found that SMBs are still not taking disaster preparedness seriously. Half of those surveyed said that they still do not have a plan. Sixty-five percent of SMBs surveyed live in regions susceptible to disasters, and have experienced an average of 43 power outages. Most SMBs cannot afford not to have a disaster preparedness plan in place. The businesses' futures could depend on it.
• Cyber-attacks will grow in frequency and significance. Small businesses need to prepare for these attacks by implementing complete protection on their devices, and educating their employees on best practices to prevent them.  Cybercriminals are persistent, but security providers are always working to stay one step ahead. In addition to preparing for cyber attacks, small businesses will also be preparing to help stop the loss of critical data. Data loss can happen in various ways, including internal employees emailing confidential information, or copying that information on USB drives. However, not all data loss incidents are malicious. There are well-meaning employees that accidentally share information that they shouldn't. Once again, employee education will be essential for small businesses to prevent data loss in 2011.

(View the full article here.) 

Five Tips for Comfortable Laptop Ergonomics

That laptop of yours is mighty convenient, but it's slowly killing you. Well, maybe not killing you, but it could be nudging you towards repetitive stress injury, eyestrain, and back problems. Thankfully, it's all preventable. Check out these five ways to use your laptop ergonomically.

1: Get your keyboard at a comfortable angle

Laptops used to come with little pop-out legs in the back to set the keyboard at an angle. (I'm really dating myself.) But these days, to position the keyboard at an angle, you can prop the back of the laptop on a small book or other widget.
                 
2: Position the laptop for the task at hand

If you're doing a lot of typing, your wrists should be straight and elbows at a 90 degree angle, as if you were typing on a keyboard in the office. For many people, that might mean putting the laptop in your lap. But if you're mainly reading, that's a bad place for the screen. Instead, elevate it to near eye level. (You can put it on a stack of magazines or books.)

3: Make the screen brighter

Dim screens are better for battery life, but you'll get a headache staring at a low-contrast screen for hours on end. Bring a power cable so you can plug in and crank the brightness until it's comfortable to see.

4: Use a separate mouse

Integrated touchpads or pointing sticks are clumsy to use for extended periods. Invest in a small portable Bluetooth mouse. Likewise, many ergo experts advise using a separate keyboard, so you can position the laptop for optimum display position. This isn't practical on the road, but you might consider it if you use the laptop as your primary PC in the office.

5: Carry it in comfort

Your laptop, mouse, power supply, and other accessories probably weigh anywhere from five to 10 pounds. Be sure to carry it all in a bag that has a wide, padded strap to distribute all that weight comfortably across your shoulder. Even better, consider a rolling case so you don't have to carry it at all.