Cloud computing has been a hot topic in the world of technology for a while now, and with good reason. The cloud offers a cost-effective alternative for smaller businesses looking to take advantage of new technology and can improve the way current technology operates. But when a network of IoT (Internet of Things) gadgets like routers, DVRs, and closed-circuit TVs can take down hardened, well-provisioned Internet giants like Twitter, Spotify, and Amazon – as happened last October – you’ve got to think twice before moving your data to the cloud.

Yes, a move to the cloud can yield significant payoffs regarding cost savings, increased efficiency, greater flexibility, better collaboration for your workforce, and more. Yet there is a dark side. It would be naive to think otherwise. Your choices about whether and how to use cloud technology in your network merit serious consideration.

So, just what is “the cloud”?

Instead of always buying new equipment and software, cloud computing allows you to pay for only what you need. Just as with a utility company, you get software and storage on a monthly basis, with no long-term contracts. Chances are, most of the software you now use is cloud-based. You simply access it on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Similarly, you can store data in the cloud, where it can be easily accessed when you need it. This reduces the need to buy and manage your own backup gear and software, thus reducing overhead. Yet, as with any major decision, it’s critical to be aware of both the benefits and pitfalls of putting your company’s data in the cloud.

The Pros

There are three significant advantages offered by cloud computing:

1. Flexibility. Scaling up or down can be done without major investment or leaving excess capacity idle. It also enables your entire workforce to get more done, where and when they need to.
2. Collaboration. With data and software in a shared cloud environment, staff can collaborate from anywhere. Everything from HR to accounting, and from operations to sales and customer relations, can be managed from diverse and mobile environments, giving your team greater power to collaborate effectively.
3. Disaster Recovery. Typically, data stored in the cloud can be easily retrieved in the event of a catastrophe. It also augments local backup and recovery systems, adding protective redundancy.

The Cons

While the cloud offers obvious benefits, it also increases your company’s potential “attack surface” for cyber criminals. By spreading your communications and access to data beyond a safe “firewall,” your network is far more exposed to a whole bevy of security concerns. Many of them can be addressed with these three best practices:

1. Social Engineering Awareness. Whether you go cloud or local, the weakest link in your network is not in your equipment or software; it’s the people who use them. Cyber criminals are aware of this fact. And you can count on them to come up with an endless variety of ways to exploit it. One day it’s a phone call ostensibly from your IT department requesting sensitive data, the next it’s an e-mail that looks official but contains malicious links. Make sure your employees are aware of and trained to deal with these vulnerabilities.
2. Password Security and Activity Monitoring. Maintaining login security is absolutely critical anytime you’re in a cloud environment. Train your staff on how to create secure passwords, and implement two-factor authentication whenever possible. Take advantage of monitoring tools that can alert you to suspicious logins, unauthorized file transfers, and other potentially damaging activity.
3. Antimalware/Antivirus Solutions. The malicious software allows criminals to obtain user data, security credentials, and sensitive information without the knowledge of the user. Not only that, some purported antimalware software on the market (like Mackeeper) is actually malware in disguise. Keep verifiable antimalware software in place throughout your network at all times, and train your employees on how to work with it.

Want to learn more about the ways the cloud can benefit your business? Contact us at help@creativetechs.com or 206-682-4315. We’re the Mac IT professionals businesses trust.

Website microcopy helps you connect with your online audience. Clever, funny & honest error pages, tool tips & administrative copy offer a valuable opportunity

Microcopy is an often overlooked chance to show your website visitors that they’re in exactly the right place. The word “microcopy” may sound unfamiliar, but trust us, you’ve seen it often before. So sit back, relax, and use the ideas presented here to bring your business’ website that much closer to perfect.

What is Microcopy?

Microcopy serves as an umbrella term for text like tool tips, error page copy, administrative messages and more. Microcopy is a big part of the UX (user experience) design of your website. When you’re initially setting up your site, some microcopy (like generic error page text, for example) may be solely provided by (or built into) your website building software. Often, once you have your new website up and running, you begin to notice these little bits of text. Effective microcopy can and should:

• Direct the user. A CTA (call to action) is typically needed so that you don’t lose the user’s attention or frustrate them as they navigate through your website. Microcopy on an error page, for example, must work to keep the user from leaving your site. It should provide instructions on how to complete the task they were trying to do when they got the error or how to find the type of content that should have been on the page.
• Apologize. Your microcopy should show empathy and use language that respects the user, rather than wording that could make them feel they are at fault.
• Explain something–apparently. This type of microcopy often appears as tool tips that show what actions various icons/buttons do–what might happen if they’re clicked. Explanatory text can also appear at the end of a TOS (Terms of service) page next to a checkbox, saying something like “I promise I’ve read the fine print.” The grayed-out in each field of a form prompting your visitor to enter specific types of information; name, address, etc. Clarity is crucial here, but you can introduce some creativity and personality to the text as long as instructions remain clear.
• Ease concern when asking for personal info or when asking the user to download something from your site. These microcopy messages often appear as pop-ups, or as text that sits beneath an “email address/Subscribe” field.
• “Stall” the user or set a timeframe for when you will get back to them. This microcopy might be on a loading screen for a video, app or online game, or on an acknowledgment page after the user clicks “Submit” on a form.

More Microcopy Branding Opportunities

The definition of microcopy can extend to things like:

• Email auto-responders that tell the user you’re “on vacation on a small remote island, so don’t expect an immediate response. If the message is urgent, contact So-and-so in the meantime.”
• Calendar pop-up meeting reminders for your staff can also benefit from some attention to their microcopy–internal branding is important too, after all.

Take Ownership of Your Microcopy

If you take the time to compose useful, convincing and intelligent microcopy in place of the standard, you’ll be joining the group of businesses that get every little detail of the customer experience spot-on. That, my friends, is always impressive to clients and website visitors.

Custom, creative and non-generic microcopy has the power to:

• Reassure the user so they will continue toward your goal, such as providing their email address for your list (This is where you might remind the user about your mutual distaste for spam.)
• Provide peace of mind (For instance: “Your info is safe with us. We never share…”)
• Build trust (Use social proof, for example: “Joining a group of 10,000 newsletter subscribers that get our latest recipes every week.”)
• Emphasize value proposition (“Sign up to get FREE offers and significant discounts every month.”)
• Diffuse frustration or disappointment (You could use an amusing image of you or your employees, an illustration and/or use verbal humor to lighten the mood–but don’t sacrifice giving real, precise info.)
• Humanize your brand and send out an approachable, friendly and/or humorous vibe. (“Your password doesn’t match our records. Wanna try that again?”)
• Show you understand your audience (By using terms they might relate to. (Does your audience feel more comfortable with the word “exquisite” or “killer” or “excellent”? Or use wording that establishes what you have in common with your audience, such as, “If you like cooking as much as we do, consider joining our email list for tips.”)
• Express your unique brand voice (Choose words that fit the image you want to project. The proprietor of a country inn would use different wording than the manager of a Hilton Hotel. Your blog most likely reflects your unique brand voice, but you can extend the feeling to your microcopy.)

Inspiration for Your Microcopy

Details such as the microcopy examples shown here offer you the chance to ensure that every ounce of your online brand experience (aka your website or web presence) is tailored to fit your voice and display your style.

You can incorporate microcopy that:

• Reflects recent news, or current memes that are spreading across the Web–just remember to change these often.
• Appears on other sites your users may visit and that have a similar “ambiance” to your website.
• Includes watchwords or trends that your audience is talking about to make your microcopy current and super relevant. “Listen in” to your customers or potential clients in your blog comments or on your social media–and use some of the terms they use to describe your product or service.
• Incorporates photos, illustrations or video — on an error page or loading screen.

Excellent examples of creative and entertaining microcopy:

Error Pages

We’re guilty of a 404″ — TMZ
and this one comes complete with funny photo of Harvey Levin, lawyer, and producer of TMZ

Random Famous Movie Quotes – IMDB

Yikes! This page doesn’t exist! — Icanhazcheezburger

Something broke, or you can’t type! — Magnt

TOS Pages

Very clear, simple language on the right, legal-ese on the left! — Pinterest

Humor + clarity: “Don’t Buy if You Can’t Be in Porn or Join the Army” — Snapterms

Contact Us Form

What does your mom call you? (instead of Name) — Mostly Serious

Getting vital details like microcopy right, using thoughtful language, creates a seamless brand experience for visitors to your website. And writing them can be fun. If you’d like more marketing tips or ideas, contact {company} in {city} at {phone} or {email} today!

With cybercrime rates on the rise, business professionals in every industry are always looking for the right ways to stay protected It seems a new headline is released every week that details the debilitating hacks and attacks that business owners across the country have experienced. 2016 saw many institutions attacked including everything from Wendy’s having customer payment details exposed to high-level government bodies having their systems infiltrated.

There is absolutely no doubt that the evolving technology landscape and the accompanying cyber-threats are changing the way institutions operate. Cyber-security is no longer an afterthought – organizations now know that staying informed and being proactive is the only reliable defense. However, with the constant talk of threats, the shocking headlines and the continual reminders to make sure data is safe, business owners can quickly become overwhelmed. Business owners are busy and focused on driving growth and profitability – when it comes to ensuring internet safety, they need simple and reliable solutions that are easy to implement and monitor.

Annually, since 2012, Safer Internet Day falls on February 9th and serves as a reminder for business professionals to staying informed and secure online. Ever since its inception, the team of IT professionals at {company} use Safer Internet Day as a chance to remind business owners that staying cyber-secure doesn’t have to be as intimidating as it sounds. When professionals see cyber security horror stories in the news, the burning questions begin: what if that happens to us? Is our data protected? Are we prepared to bounce back quickly if something did happen? The overwhelming doom and gloom can leave business owners unsure of where to start. But {company} is determined to change the conversation.

We have an underlying mission to empower business owners using technology.  Safer Internet Day is a chance for us to fulfill that mission every year. Technology should always be a tool to drive business growth and should never be a window through which business can be hindered. Businesses can be attacked in so many ways, and we’ve actually seen it all. But there is one thing we believe in strongly: there is no way to keep a business down if they’re prepared. We’re committed to working with businesses of all kinds to assess and secure their technology landscape, and custom-build disaster recovery plans that allow for quick and seamless comebacks.

If you’d like to connect your business-minded audience with more information about how {company} is changing the cyber-security conversation for this year’s Safer Internet Day, and please don’t hesitate to contact us at {phone} or {email}.

Why Software Updates Need Your Attention

If software updates are the bane of your existence, then perhaps it’s time to rethink how you see them. Find out more about why they need your attention, and how they just might save your business.  

Software updates seem to pop up at the worst times, bugging you to pay attention to them when you’re right in the middle of something. Most people have no idea what’s behind them or the urgency of installing them, making it easy to hit the Remind Me Tomorrow button. But you really can’t delay. Here’s why updates (called patches in the IT world) can’t be pushed to the back burner.

The Threat Is Real

Hacking is in the news every week because companies aren’t taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves. And it’s not just for mega-stores like Target either. Almost half of every cyber attack in 2015 was on business with less than 250 workers. These cases often don’t make the news because they fly under the radar — 60% of small firms that are hacked go out of business. While it’s true that even companies like Apple can be infiltrated, many of these attacks are preventable.

What’s the Problem?

Machines are made by people, and so are the codes that dictate what a machine does. There are often vulnerabilities in both your software and hardware that you would never know about until it’s too late. Updates to the software are attempts to work out these bugs and ensure that your valuable information isn’t breached by an opportunistic thief. Many of these threats aren’t exposed until a hacker starts experimenting with different ways to breach the system, so it will always be an ongoing process. Vendors refer to them as patches, and you can think about these updates as a way to plug any holes that may have existed in the programs you’re using.

Handy Tips

Well, one thing is for certain is you can’t ignore the alerts you get concerning your updates. Getting the most out of these patches may mean asking more questions. It also may mean going more modern machinery, considering hackers will exploit wherever and whenever they can. Often the older machines can’t handle the updates or were never designed to be updated in the first place. You’ll need to know exactly who’s sending you patches and who services your machinery. This includes your OS, browsers, business software and any in particular payment systems. The cash registers, terminals and tills need to have the maximum security possible and generally need top priority. Ensure that you understand how, when and where you’re notified about these patches, and always install them as quickly as possible.

Business owners of all kinds need all the help they can get when it comes to managing their technology. The rate of change is astonishing and requires expert skills to navigate. {company} is the trusted choice when it comes to staying ahead of the latest regulatory changes and can provide you with tips, tricks, and news. Contact us at {phone} or send us an email at {email} for more information.

Facebook’s new security dongles offer additional opportunities for users to protect their accounts, though they come with some serious drawbacks.

Social media is no longer merely social. As consumers use online platforms for shopping, networking, and other essential activities, their social media accounts quickly accumulate valuable financial and business data. Protecting these accounts from hackers and thieves is thus just as important as securing your bank information. Facebook’s new security keys provide independent authentication, reducing the risk of compromised social media:

Additional Authentication

Two-factor authentication is a standard tool used by banks, money transfer firms, and other services that deal with sensitive information. It involves linking your account with an email server, mobile device, or other independent platforms. After you enter your username and password, the account will send a message to that platform containing a code. You must enter the code to gain access to the account. Thus even if an attacker figures out your password, they will not be able to log in.

Facebook has long allowed users to set up additional authentication for their accounts. Previously, it relied on smartphones for this function, sending users messages by text or through their Facebook apps. Its new keys expand upon these past security measures, giving users additional opportunities to keep themselves safe.

Dongle Details

Whereas Facebook’s previous authentication method relied on devices that users already owned, it is now providing physical keys, or dongles, to users. The dongles come in two forms: USB and NFC keys. Users can engage the USB keys by connecting them to a laptop and activating them by touch, thus indicating that the device is authorized to access the user’s Facebook account. The NFC keys are compatible with the chips in a variety of Android phones, sending a signal that the phones are authorized for Facebook.

Risks & Rewards

Facebook will still offer authentication through smartphones, but there are a variety of advantages to relying on dongles instead. Not all Facebook users have smartphones, so dongles provide them with another option to shore up security. Even those who do have smartphones may live or frequently go to areas with poor reception, preventing them from attaining the login code in a timely fashion. At only $15 to $20 each, the dongles provide an affordable, convenient way around these problems.

Although dongles are a practical solution to the limitations of phones, they do present some risks and drawbacks of their own. Because they are physical devices, a user can lose them and therefore be locked out of their accounts. Facebook does provide recovery codes, but users who fail to remember these will have trouble regaining access. The NFC keys are also limited to Android phones, a serious barrier for Apple and other users. Dongles only work for desktop and mobile websites that you access through Chrome or Opera browsers; they currently do not provide access to the Facebook app.

{company} provides timely, detailed analyses of the latest IT and cybersecurity trends. For more information on keeping your {city} business safe and up-to-date, contact us at {email} or {phone} today.

Due to the increased connectivity of technologies, as well as the growing number of cyberattacks, cybersecurity is set for unprecedented growth in 2017.

If 2016 taught business leaders and IT experts anything, it was the importance of implementing best practice cybersecurity measures. However, in addition to the growing number of cyber attacks, 2016 also positioned itself as the year before a massive growth within the cyber security sector. As the number of events per second reaches the hundreds of thousands, cyber security is set to scale or expand exponentially.

What Factors Will Contribute To Cybersecurity Growth?
There are some factors that will encourage the cyber security sector to continue to grow. These factors include:

• Increased Connectivity Via IoT — It is suspected that the number of connected devices will exceed the 20 Billion mark by 2020. What does this mean for cyber security? It means that network connections will be regularly tested for weaknesses, as the number of connected devices increases. It also means that industries such as healthcare, energy, retail, and manufacturing must continue to ramp-up their IT security measures to deploy, maintain, and update secure IoT applications. Finally, a more connected state means a drastic increase in the number of sensors, data collectors, and actuators that need to be monitored and authenticated.
• Cloud Utilization Will Expand — Thanks in part to the increased use of agile development lifecycles, the cloud has become home to more workloads that are uploaded, tweaked, left to their own devices, and then haphazardly removed. Security teams must develop the monitoring, auditing, and investigative tools needed to monitor the cloud. Also, security efforts will have to be redoubled for organizations choosing to implement cross-cloud solutions, including hybrid, private, or public cloud operations.
• Digital Transformation Applications — Organizations across industries are using technology to revolutionize how they do business. Whether it is a simple cab-hailing app or a lifesaving medical device that uploads data to the cloud, society is trusting technology to an even greater degree. As trust, and dependency, increase, so too will the need for all-encompassing cyber security solutions.

As seen with the above factors, cyber security is going to become an integral component across a multitude of avenues. The more that cyber security continues to scale, the more diligent organizations will have to become to ensure that they continue to implement best practice approaches to protect their valuable business data and assets. Contact {company} located in {city} via {email} or {phone} to discover how you can leverage a customized approach to cyber security to protect your organization throughout 2017 and beyond.