Category: Productivity

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10 Tips to Stay Safe Online While Working From Home

Cyber Security

Cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and more expensive to manage. According to an IBM and Ponemon Institute report, the average cost of a data breach reached a record high of $4.35 million in 2022. In 2020, there were 1.4 million cases of identity theft, double the number from the previous year.

From phishing and ransomware to malware and social engineering, adversaries are constantly trying to gain access to your personal information, credit card numbers, login information, and more—and we’re even seeing an uptick in attacks targeting remote workers—so how can you fight back?

Whether you’re interested in launching a career in cybersecurity or just want to avoid a cyberattack, these 10 tips will help you stay safe online while you’re working from home.

1. Treat Business Information Like Personal Information

Just as you know to keep your personal banking information, passwords, and data private, it’s also important to keep business information like trade secrets, employee information, and company credit accounts secure.

In addition, make sure the software you’re using for work is up-to-date and only save what’s completely necessary to do your job. If you’re the boss, keep track of what customer data you collect and where it is stored. Learn more about keeping your customer info safe.

2. Change Passwords Frequently

Once you set a strong password for an account or device (we recommend using a password manager like LastPass), it’s easy to forget about it.

Change your passwords every 30, 60, or 90 days depending on your industry—especially if you’ve recently logged onto a public or shared computer, if you’ve received a notification that your account has been compromised, or if you’ve shared your password with someone who no longer needs access.

3. Set Up Two-Factor Authentication

Using two-factor authentication when logging into all your accounts, including email, Slack, and other productivity apps, is especially important when working remotely and adds an extra level of security to access sensitive information.

The idea is that it protects your accounts if your passwords become compromised because you need an additional one-time code to log in successfully.

Apps like Google Authenticator, LastPass Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and Okta make it easier to incorporate two-factor authentication into your security strategy. If you don’t have two-factor authentication at your company, talk to your head of IT or CTO to get it set up.

4. Lock Your Home Screen and Set Up Your Screensaver

It might seem basic, but locking the home screen on your phone and setting up the screensaver on your computer are two easy ways to stay safe online (not to mention it saves battery life).

Another tip? Increase the passcode length on your phone to the maximum available and make sure the password for your computer is complex and challenging to guess. These simple steps make it harder for others to access your personal information and for hackers to break into your devices.

5. Disable Desktop Notifications + Minimize Tabs While Sharing Your Screen

When you’re sharing your screen in a meeting, there are a couple of extra steps you can take to make sure you don’t accidentally share sensitive information.

First, disable your desktop notifications while presenting. This way, no one will be able to see your private Slack messages, emails, or upcoming meetings and events (it’s also just more professional and less distracting!). This goes for text messages too if you have them synced to your computer.

Second, keep the tabs you want to present in a separate window and minimize the rest—again it’s more professional, but it also keeps your information secure.

6. Take Advantage of Free Cybersecurity Tools

Many companies that build cybersecurity software offer free scans so you can check your devices for known viruses and spyware and see if your device is vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Some options include McAfee’s Security Scan, Microsoft’s Safety Scanner, and Webroot’s Secure Anywhere Antivirus.

Beyond conducting regular scans, make sure to keep your cybersecurity software up-to-date—it’s worth investing in and is bound to save you money down the line if you or your business gets hacked (not to mention maintaining your brand reputation and client trust).

When choosing cybersecurity software or providers, consider what your core risks are. Once you’ve determined what information needs to be protected, where it is stored, and who has access to it, you can find the right service for your needs.

7. Be Skeptical of Your Inbox

Phishing accounts for more than 80% of reported security instances, so how can you evaluate whether an email is safe or suspicious?

If you receive an email that looks like it’s from a company or person you trust and it asks you to click on a link or open an attachment because they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or login attempts, there’s a problem with your account or payment information, or you need to confirm personal information, those are cues that something’s not right.

Obvious signs of phishing are misspellings, generic greetings, excessive punctuation, and an email address that doesn’t match up. If you receive an email you think looks suspicious, it’s always good to confirm it with your head of IT or CTO. If it’s from a person you trust, like your manager, reach out to them directly to make sure it was from them.

If you want to put your skills to the test, try this free quiz to see if you can identify a real email versus a phishing email.

8. Secure Your Social Media Accounts

Whether you’re in charge of running your business accounts or just want to keep your personal accounts secure, keeping your social media accounts safe is more challenging than it might seem.

First, make sure to be selective about which third-party apps you allow sign-in access. It might seem easier to use Facebook to create an account, but it makes your information more vulnerable, so it’s better to have a standalone login for each additional account.

Second, if you’re going to enable third-party access, read the fine print and ensure you understand what permission you’re giving them. Can they post on your behalf? Can they view your personal information and share it? Be wary of giving any third-party app too much leeway with your data.

Third, make sure to use a unique password for each account, so if one is compromised, it won’t impact the security of your other accounts.

9. Use a VPN to Securely Connect, Browse, and Access Data

You might not think you need a VPN when you’re working from home, but there are many scenarios in which having one would come in handy.

When you use a VPN or a virtual private network, it creates an encrypted tunnel between you and a remote server operated by a VPN service. All your internet traffic is routed through this tunnel, which means your data is secure.

If you’re conducting business from a coffee shop or airport and using a public WIFI connection, a VPN can certainly give you peace of mind, but it’s also worth using while you work from home, too, so your internet service provider can’t access or sell your data and so you can keep your company information secure.

Popular VPNs include those offered by ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and NordVPN—and most cost less than $10 a month to use, making VPNs an affordable and accessible way to stay safe online. Oh, and we recommend avoiding using a free VPN. It might be tempting to save money, but in the long run, it’s more secure to use a paid option.

10. Avoid Using a Personal Computer for Work

At first glance, your personal computer might seem as safe as your work computer, but experts warn that it’s unlikely that your home computer has sufficient antivirus software, customized firewalls, and automatic backup tools running compared to devices deployed by your employer.

If you have to use your personal computer for work, make sure to use encrypted communication for all sensitive information, continue to use strong passwords for your accounts, use two-factor authentication, and ensure firewalls are set up.

Bonus Tip: Learn More About Cybersecurity

The online Fullstack Academy Cybersecurity Bootcamp can take you from beginner to knowledgeable cybersecurity professional. There is no previous cybersecurity experience needed to apply.

The more you know about staying safe online, the more prepared you are to deal with a cyberattack while you’re working from home.

Source: fullstackacademy.com  ~ Image: Canva Pro

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Top 10 Internet Safety Rules & What Not to Do Online

Online Safety Tips

A 19-year-old running for public office in New Hampshire found out about the importance of following Internet safety rules the hard way. As Seacoast Online reports, his opponents found images in his social media posts that were sexually suggestive and referenced past drug use. Just like that, his political career crashed and burned upon takeoff. But, unfortunately, he isn’t the only one, as careless Internet habits have left others exposed to scams, identity theft, and physical harm at the hands of people they met online. With more users accessing the Internet through mobile devices, these risks are changing and growing quickly.

Even though apps loom larger in most people’s daily online interactions than traditional websites do, that does not mean that the basic Internet safety rules have changed. Hackers are still on the lookout for personal information they can use to access your credit card and bank information.

Unsafe surfing can also lead to other threats—from embarrassing personal comments or images that, once online, are nearly impossible to erase, to getting mixed up with people you’d rather have had nothing to do with.

Here are the Top 10 Internet safety rules to follow to help you avoid getting into trouble online (and offline)

1. Keep Personal Information Professional and Limited

Potential employers or customers don’t need to know your personal relationship status or your home address. They do need to know about your expertise and professional background, and how to get in touch with you. You wouldn’t hand purely personal information out to strangers individually—don’t hand it out to millions of people online.

2. Keep Your Privacy Settings On

Marketers love to know all about you, and so do hackers. Both can learn a lot from your browsing and social media usage. But you can take charge of your information. As noted by Lifehacker, both web browsers and mobile operating systems have settings available to protect your privacy online. Major websites like Facebook also have privacy-enhancing settings available. These settings are sometimes (deliberately) hard to find because companies want your personal information for its marketing value. Make sure you have enabled these privacy safeguards, and keep them enabled.

3. Practice Safe Browsing

You wouldn’t choose to walk through a dangerous neighborhood—don’t visit dangerous neighborhoods online. Cybercriminals use lurid content as bait. They know people are sometimes tempted by dubious content and may let their guard down when searching for it. The Internet’s demimonde is filled with hard-to-see pitfalls, where one careless click could expose personal data or infect your device with malware. By resisting the urge, you don’t even give the hackers a chance.

4. Make Sure Your Internet Connection is Secure. Use a Secure VPN Connection

When you go online in a public place, for example by using a public Wi-Fi connection, PCMag notes you have no direct control over its security. Corporate cybersecurity experts worry about “endpoints”—the places where a private network connects to the outside world. Your vulnerable endpoint is your local Internet connection. Make sure your device is secure, and when in doubt, wait for a better time (i.e., until you’re able to connect to a secure Wi-Fi network) before providing information such as your bank account number.

To further improve your Internet browsing safety, use secure VPN connection (virtual private network ). VPN enables you to have a secure connection between your device and an Internet server that no one can monitor or access the data that you’re exchanging. Read more about What is VPN

5. Be Careful What You Download

A top goal of cybercriminals is to trick you into downloading malware—programs or apps that carry malware or try to steal information. This malware can be disguised as an app: anything from a popular game to something that checks traffic or the weather. As PCWorld advises, don’t download apps that look suspicious or come from a site you don’t trust.

6. Choose Strong Passwords

Passwords are one of the biggest weak spots in the whole Internet security structure, but there’s currently no way around them. And the problem with passwords is that people tend to choose easy ones to remember (such as “password” and “123456”), which are also easy for cyber thieves to guess. Select strong passwords that are harder for cybercriminals to demystify. Password manager software can help you to manage multiple passwords so that you don’t forget them. A strong password is one that is unique and complex—at least 15 characters long, mixing letters, numbers and special characters.

7. Make Online Purchases From Secure Sites

Any time you make a purchase online, you need to provide credit card or bank account information—just what cybercriminals are most eager to get their hands on. Only supply this information to sites that provide secure, encrypted connections. As Boston University notes, you can identify secure sites by looking for an address that starts with https: (the S stands for secure) rather than simply http: They may also be marked by a padlock icon next to the address bar.

8. Be Careful What You Post

The Internet does not have a delete key, as that young candidate in New Hampshire found out. Any comment or image you post online may stay online forever because removing the original (say, from Twitter) does not remove any copies that other people made. There is no way for you to “take back” a remark you wish you hadn’t made, or get rid of that embarrassing selfie you took at a party. Don’t put anything online that you wouldn’t want your mom or a prospective employer to see.

9. Be Careful Who You Meet Online

People you meet online are not always who they claim to be. Indeed, they may not even be real. As InfoWorld reports, fake social media profiles are a popular way for hackers to cozy up to unwary Web users and pick their cyber pockets. Be as cautious and sensible in your online social life as you are in your in-person social life.

10. Keep Your Antivirus Program Up To Date

Internet security software cannot protect against every threat, but it will detect and remove most malware—though you should make sure it’s up-to-date. Be sure to stay current with your operating system’s updates and updates to the applications you use. They provide a vital layer of security.

Source: usa.kaspersky.com ~ Image: usa.kaspersky.com

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How To Use Email To Build Your Brand

Use Email To Build Your Brand

Email is a powerful business tool. We’ve become dependent on it for communicating with customers and coworkers, using it as a marketing tool and a customer service channel, and more.

We can’t live without email, although there are some things we might like to change about it, such as spam messages, unintentional group emails, and so on. The reality is that even with all of its flaws, email makes sense. I did a little research and came up with seven effective ways we can use email to enhance our communication with customers and employees, promote our brand, and improve customer relations.

Nate Skinner, Chief Customer Officer of Campaign Monitor, a company that specializes in email marketing, had this to say: “When it comes to sales, marketing, and customer service, it’s important to think of email as a channel that can accelerate the customer journey.”

In other words, email provides a fast connection to your customers. Think about the many ways email can be used. Skinner shared a few ideas about the effective use of email, and I’ve added a few more, along with some commentary. Here are seven ways to effectively use email to build your brand and create a better customer experience:

  1. Create awareness through newsletters and special offers. This is a common use for email. Just be careful you don’t send too frequently. You can ask your customers how often they want to hear from you. Today’s technology will allow you to customize your contacts based on their preferences.
  2. Customers can give you feedback. Email provides a great way to survey your customers. An important consideration, however, is to respect your customer’s time. I stay at the same hotel several times a year. The first time they sent me an email survey, I answered it. It took almost 15 minutes. Three weeks later I stayed at the same hotel and, you guessed it, they sent me the same survey. I didn’t take it. Be smarter than that. Respect your customer’s time. Don’t send repetitive appeals for feedback – or other too-frequent requests.
  3. Use automated systems to re-engage with customers who haven’t had contact with you or your brand for a certain amount of time. Technology has given us some gifts, and this is one of them. It can track our customers’ buying patterns and frequency … or lack of frequency. When it spots a break in a customer’s buying pattern, it can jump in with engagement email.
  4. Share value-added information, such as tips on how other customers are using your products and services. Customers love to get tips, tricks, and helpful hints on how to best use the product they’ve purchased. And, they really love to hear how other customers are using it. It not only validates their purchase but also gives them ideas on how to gain more use and enjoyment from the product.
  5. Use email as a tool for onboarding new customers. Amazon.com AMZN -1.06% does an amazing job of this with its Echo, one of the coolest inventions ever. The Echo sits on a table and can best be described as a cylindrical object with a microphone and speakers. You ask it questions and it answers. It can play the music you request, give you a weather report, order a pizza, and much more. Amazon sends weekly emails introducing customers to the amazing things that the Echo can do. I look forward to those weekly emails, as do many other Amazon customers.
  6. Use email for internal messages to employees and coworkers. This isn’t about individual messages from one employee to another. Similar to the way you use content marketing to deliver value-added ideas to customers, you can communicate with your team. At its most basic level, an employee newsletter can be sent via email. The nice thing about creating and sending emails through an internal communication program is that you don’t have to worry about anyone unsubscribing!
  7. Analyze your customers’ buying habits and use the data to create targeted personalized email experiences. One of the great opportunities for data collection is tracking an individual customer’s buying patterns. Smart companies are using this information to create a customized, personalized experience. Emailing content that the customer sees as 100 percent relevant to him/her will create a stronger connection that can lead to trust, and ultimately, more business.

Skinner says, “To successfully use email marketing, you need to be aware of what the customer journey looks like for your business and use email strategically to directly impact team or company goals. It’s surprising how many people think ‘email is a good idea’ without stepping back and thinking about how it can work in tandem with other channels, or actually deliver value.”

Yes, email is more powerful than ever, but it must be used the right way. And even with all of the great uses of email, the customer has the ultimate control. If you have been given permission to interact with the customer on this channel, don’t abuse it. All a customer has to do is delete the email, or worse, unsubscribe from being connected to you.

So relish email, but respect it. And most of all, prosper from it!

Source: forbes.com ~ By: Shep Hyken ~ Image: Canva Pro

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5 Ways to Keep Your Productivity High All Day

Keep Your Productivity High All Day

We all get to that time of day sometimes when you look at the clock thinking 4 hours have passed and it is only 2 minutes later than when you looked last time… Know what I mean? So when we see an article like this it spikes our interest. I know I would try what I could to keep productive. Unfortunately, time is just one of those things that we cannot control, but what you do with it could make a huge difference. Ayodeji Onibalusi has contributed this awesome article pinpointing five ways to keep us productive. Let’s give them a go, shall we…

There are a few things we can actually control in our lives; sadly, time isn’t one of them. But we can control how productively we use it. Certainly, we need to: Most of us have been in situations where we wished there were “more hours in the day” to get things done.

However, a recent Stanford study throws water on that notion, suggesting that simply devoting more time to getting things done isn’t as helpful as it would seem.

The study revealed that productivity falls off dramatically after a 50-hour work week and that those working 70 hours accomplish little more with those additional 20 hours. So, the issue isn’t about having more time to get things done, it’s about using the time you already have more wisely. Consider these five productivity hacks to optimize your daily hustle.

1. Start your morning right.

How you start your morning sets the tone for the entire day.

Waking up earlier and getting into full activity mode can help you get more done the entire day. You should also start your day on a positive note. While most people tend to focus on what they’ve not been able to accomplish the previous day, resetting your priorities and attacking the new day’s goals is key to making the best use of your time.

Keep the phone and emails aside and start with some mind-stimulating exercises such as lifting weights and doing yoga. The workouts will get your blood flowing and pump you up for work, while yoga will help you clear your mind.

2. Employ the Ivy Lee productivity method.

This an old productivity strategy recommends that you close each day by writing down a list of six important things you want to do the next day. Each task is listed according to its level of importance. The most important one comes first, the least important, last.

Your aim is not to clear your tasks as soon as possible but to focus only on completing the first task. Move on to the next task only once you’ve completed the first one. Do this until everything is done.

James Clear, productivity expert and author, explains in a blog post how in 1918 Ivy Lee, a productivity consultant, counseled Charles Schwab, then the president of Bethlehem Steel, to adopt this plan for his employees. Schwab did just that, saw productivity soar, and presented the consultant with a $25,000 check — a princely sum back in those days.

3. Try polyphasic sleep.

According to research reported in the New York Times Magazine, sleep deprivation costs businesses in America more than $63 billion annually. While it’s in our nature to sleep only at night — which for most people is insufficient — taking short naps or siestas during the day may be just what you need to keep your productivity high.

Polyphasic sleep is a sleep hack that aims to boost productivity by disrupting the normal straight seven-hour sleep (monophasic sleep). With polyphasic sleep, you sleep only 30 minutes every six hours. This approach gives you roughly five hours extra in a day, while your body still gets the rewards of a normal six-to-seven-hour sleep.

4. Always wear a cheerful outlook.

Our productivity seems to be connected to our mood. That statement seems obvious, but now there’s proof: A University of Warwick study found that happy employees work harder. The study established that by working alongside cheerful people, employees studied were 12 percent more productive.

If you aim to see increased productivity at your business, stick with employees who are cheerful and happy and stay away from those who tend to share negative stuff. You can also contribute to the productivity levels of others by staying happy yourself — which is great for everybody.

5. Drink coffee.

Hey, all you Java fans, multiple studies show that drinking coffee can boost our productivity levels. Jeff Bickley, founder of Gayo Kopi, an exclusive coffee brand, validates this in a chat.

“Coffee can play a powerful role in boosting our productivity,” he says. “Throughout the day, a compound known as adenosine is produced, as neurons in the brain are fired. We end up feeling tired and worn down as a result of its continuous production.

Coffee helps combat this by impersonating the A1 receptor, which helps block adenosine.”

Source: Linkedin ~ By: Juliette Ryley ~ Image : Linkedin

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7 Healthy Habits That Maximize Your Productivity Every Day

Maximize Your Productivity

Entrepreneurs usually keep a densely packed schedule that fits as much work as possible into their waking hours. There’s always something else to be done and more you’d like to achieve, so how do you keep your day running efficiently without being overrun by the demands on your time?

There are some tricks I’ve learned over my entrepreneurial journey that has served me well in running my day successfully. Not every day will stick to the routine, but if you commit to practicing these steps daily, you’ll get better at keeping them over time.

Here are seven steps I’ve learned for effectively running your day as an entrepreneur.

1. Start your day the night before.

The night before is really when your new day begins. I’ve found over the years that by approaching bedtime with a routine I can effectively start the next morning with all systems go. Begin by ensuring you know what’s on the calendar for the following day. Go over appointments, calls and any other important deadlines in the day so you have an awareness of what’s on the agenda.

Next, get anything you need in the morning set aside and ready at night. Bag packed, if you bring lunch — then lunch made and ready to grab, gym bag all set up to go, etc. Make sure whatever you need in the morning is as easy as grab and go.

Finally, set yourself up for sleep success. Make sure you turn off all electronics that could beep, buzz, or light up during the night and disrupt your sleep.

2. Move first thing.

Getting out of bed and making your body move gets the blood flowing and the brain synapses connecting again. If you aren’t in the habit of moving first thing when you get up, this may feel a little strange at first but trust me, it works. Even if you aren’t a morning person, grab your gym bag and hit the gym or put on your shoes and walk your dog for 30 minutes. Fresh air and movement start your body and your brain off on the right foot for the day. You’ll have more energy and a clearer head when you’re done.

3. Tame your brain.

Meditation or mindfulness practice is an essential workout for your head. It only takes 10 to 20 minutes in the morning to adopt a practice that can really help you effectively manage your day and your life. Meditation is proven in study after study to help you deal better with stress and improve the fluidity of your mind, meaning you have a more adaptable brain.

Work your head out every morning with some kind of mind-strengthening exercise. Try the Headspace app for a free introduction to what mindfulness and meditation can do for you.

4. Get help with staying organized.

If you aren’t an organized or punctual person, get the help you need to become one. This can be done with an organization app like Trello, WorkFlowy, or Evernote, or by hiring someone part-time to assist you with task, time, and calendar management. If you want an efficient day then you need to be organized.

5. Remember to eat.

Your body and your brain need fuel. Don’t forget that food is an important part of the day’s routine. This sounds simple but so many times entrepreneurs run themselves into the ground, skipping meals and forgetting to eat, only to grab the quickest (and often unhealthiest) thing they can eat on the go. Don’t fall victim to this trap. Snack frequently and remember to eat the right kind of healthy, nourishing food you need to stay energized all day.

If you struggle, there are snack prep delivery options like Nature Box or home delivery healthy meal prep options like Blue Apron where literally everything you need for dinner is delivered to your door.

6. Batch your time.

Time batching is an efficient way to get the uninterrupted productivity time you need. Ensure that there’s at least one hour, preferably two, of batched time for you to problem-solve, think, brainstorm, and otherwise handle the work you need to do without being disturbed. It’s a highly efficient way to get a lot done in small bursts of productivity.

7. Disconnect from work.

Last but not least, when you leave work in the evening, try to disconnect from work. This may be less important when you’re still young and single, but it becomes a crucial lifestyle practice when you have a partner or a family. Your time outside of work greatly contributes to your time at work, so give your significant other and family the focus and attention they need and leave the office work at the office.

Source: entrepreneur.com ~ Author: Adam Toren ~ Image: Canva Pro

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