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Donna Aplin
Data is the lifeblood of modern businesses. It fuels insights, drives decision-making, and ultimately shapes your company’s success. But in today’s information age, data can quickly become overwhelming.
Scattered spreadsheets, siloed databases, and inconsistent formatting. All these create a data management nightmare. This hinders your ability to leverage this valuable asset.
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Donna Aplin
Don’t Risk It!
Cyber threats are a perpetual reality for business owners. Hackers are constantly innovating. They devise new ways to exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks.
For businesses of all sizes, a proactive approach to cybersecurity is essential. One of the most crucial elements of this approach is regular vulnerability assessments. A vulnerability assessment is a systematic process. It identifies and prioritises weaknesses in your IT infrastructure that attackers can exploit.
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Donna Aplin
(Everything You Need to Know)
Calendars, task lists, and project planning are important business tools. Many people use Microsoft’s apps to power these processes. Including Planner, Microsoft To Do, and Project for the web.
These tools help keep processes on track and enable task accountability. But they’re separate apps. Switching between apps can be cumbersome. It adds more complexity to a workflow.
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Donna Aplin
What are some of the key differentiators that can propel small businesses forward? They include efficiency, productivity, and innovation. Microsoft has expanded the availability of one of its most dynamic tools to SMBs. A tool that can be a real game-changer for growth.
Copilot for Microsoft 365 is a powerful new addition to the M365 suite. It was first offered to enterprise customers only. But Copilot is now open to businesses of all sizes. As long as they have Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Business Premium.
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Donna Aplin
Zero Trust security is rapidly transforming the cybersecurity landscape. It moves away from traditional perimeter-based security models. In this approach, every connection attempt is continuously verified before granting resource access.
56% of global organisations say adopting Zero Trust is a “Top” or “High” priority.
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Donna Aplin
The Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer a futuristic concept. It’s rapidly transforming industries and reshaping how businesses operate. IoT is a blanket term to describe smart devices that are internet enabled. One example is smart sensors monitoring production lines. Connected thermostats optimising energy consumption is another.
Experts project the number of connected devices worldwide to continue growing. It’s estimated to rise from about 15 billion in 2023 to 21 billion in 2026.
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Donna Aplin
Have you been hearing more about email authentication lately? There is a reason for that. It’s the prevalence of phishing as a major security threat. Phishing continues as the main cause of data breaches and security incidents. This has been the case for many years.
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Donna Aplin
With cyber threats evolving at an alarming pace, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. It’s a must for safeguarding sensitive information. Data security threats are becoming more sophisticated and prevalent. The landscape must change to keep up. In 2024, we can expect exciting developments alongside persistent challenges.
Over 70% of business professionals say their data privacy efforts are worth it. And that their business receives “significant” or “very significant” benefits from those efforts.
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Donna Aplin
Have you ever seen a video of your favorite celebrity saying something outrageous? Then later, you find out it was completely fabricated? Or perhaps you’ve received an urgent email seemingly from your boss. But something felt off.
Welcome to the world of deepfakes. This is a rapidly evolving technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI). It does this to create synthetic media, often in the form of videos or audio recordings. They can appear real but are actually manipulated.
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Donna Aplin
Back when you were a kid, living in a “smart home” probably sounded futuristic. Something out of Back to the Future II or The Jetsons. Well, we don’t yet have flying cars, but we do have video telephones as well as smart refrigerators and voice-activated lights.
But even the most advanced technology can have analog problems. Hackers can get past weak passwords. Bad connections can turn advanced into basic pretty quickly.
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Donna Aplin
We are living in an era dominated by digital connectivity. You can’t overstate the importance of cybersecurity. As technology advances, so do the threats that lurk in the online world.
Often, it’s our own actions that leave us most at risk of a cyberattack or online scam. Risky behaviors include weak passwords and lax security policies. As well as thinking “This won’t happen to me.” This is why human error is the cause of approximately 88% of data breaches.
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Donna Aplin
Smart home devices are becoming more popular and convenient. But they also pose some serious security risks. Hackers can target these devices to access your personal information. As well as spy on your activities or cause damage to your home.
Often the dangers of smart home devices fall under the radar. Seventy-five percent of people feel some level of distrust about the use of their data. Yet most people are willing to use smart home technology.
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Donna Aplin
Cloud computing has revolutionised the way businesses operate. It offers scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency. But cloud services also come with a downside: cloud waste.
Cloud waste is the unnecessary spending of resources and money on cloud services. These services are often not fully utilised or optimised. About 32% of cloud spending is wasted. This can lead to budget concerns as spending skyrockets.
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Donna Aplin
Be Careful When Scanning QR Codes!!
QR codes are everywhere these days. You can find them on restaurant menus, flyers, and posters. They’re used both offline and online. QR codes are convenient and easy to use. You just scan them with your smartphone camera. You’re then directed to a link, a coupon, a video, or some other online content.
With the rise in popularity of QR codes comes an unfortunate dark side. Cybercriminals are exploiting this technology for nefarious purposes. Scammers create fake QR codes. They can steal your personal information. They can also infect your device with malware or trick you into paying money.
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Donna Aplin
Cybersecurity is a constantly evolving field. There are new threats, technologies, and opportunities emerging every year. As we enter 2024, organisations need to be aware of current and future cyber threats. Businesses of all sizes and sectors should plan accordingly. In this blog we look at the 5 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2024 and what plans you can put in place.
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Donna Aplin
Microsoft Edge continues to redefine user experiences. This is due to Microsoft’s commitment to innovation. The latest updates bring a host of features. These are designed to enhance productivity, security, and browsing satisfaction.
Chrome may have been number one for years. But Edge has been steadily gaining popularity. It is now the third most popular browser worldwide. Overtaking Firefox a while back, it’s now just behind Chrome (1) and Safari (2).
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Donna Aplin
And Should You Use It?
It can be challenging to keep up with the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape. Companies need to process large amounts of data. As well as respond to incidents quickly and effectively. Managing an organisation’s security posture is complex.
That’s where Microsoft Security Copilot comes in. Microsoft Security Copilot is a generative AI-powered security solution. It provides tailored insights that empower your team to defend your network and works with other Microsoft security products. It also integrates with natural language to generate tailored guidance and insights.
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Donna Aplin
Relentless digital innovation has defined the last few years. The symbiotic relationship between AI and cybersecurity has become pivotal especially when it comes to safeguarding sensitive information and digital assets.
As cyber threats evolve in complexity, AI has emerged as a formidable ally. It empowers organisations with advanced tools and techniques. Helping them to stay one step ahead of malicious actors.
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Donna Aplin
Staying ahead in business often means embracing cutting-edge technologies. New tools can unlock new avenues for growth especially for small businesses. SMBs are often looking for affordable ways to gain a competitive advantage.
One such transformative force is Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). This is a technology that goes beyond automation and the AI we used to know. It can create content, solutions, and possibilities before unimaginable. It’s so revolutionary that it’s hard to go online without seeing it everywhere.
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Donna Aplin
Browser extensions have become as common as mobile apps. People tend to download many and use few. There are over 176,000 browser extensions available on Google Chrome alone. These extensions offer users extra functionalities and customisation options.
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