Who Wants To Win A $75 Gift Card?
Last month’s Trivia Challenge Quiz was: Who was the classic Hollywood film star and avantgarde composer who helped invent WiFi? a)Hedy Lamarr b) Arnold Schwarzenegger
c) Clint Eastwood d) Judy Garland
The correct answer was a) Hedy Lamarr. Now, here’s this month’s trivia question. The winner will receive a $75 gift card.
Daylight Savings Time was originally dreamed up by whom, and why?
a) Sir Isaac Newton
c) Benjamin Frankline
b) Franklin Delano Roosevelt
d) Thomas Edison
Call us right now with your answer!
*Trivia winners are eligible to win again once every six months
“Lucky Charm” Keeps Hackers Out
This monthly publication provided courtesy of Mark Bowles, President of Ranger Business Solutions.
Our Mission: To build a community of successful minded entrepreneurs that inspires excellence, encourages collaboration and expands the capacity of all members to achieve great things.
Ralph’s been a good employee for you. Shows up on time. Gets the job done. Doesn’t hassle anybody.
He’s also a porn addict. When nobody’s looking, he’s visiting sites – on your network – that you’d be appalled to see. IF…you knew about them. Without careful monitoring and filtering, this kind of Internet use on your network can remain hidden. Shocking? Hard to believe it could happen at your company? A survey by International Data Corporation (IDC) revealed that 70% of all web traffic to Internet pornography sites occurs during the work hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ralph’s little visits may seem harmless, but they’re adding a serious level of risk to the financial health and security of your company
Here’s how. A visit to an adult website can be tracked. And if a logged-in user’s identity is leaked, it can be embarrassing, to say the least, to that user. The user may even become a victim of “sextortion” or blackmail. Just ask any of the people who used Ashley Madison, a dating site for illicit affairs. When the site was hacked, users were suddenly at risk of having their indiscretions revealed. This gives cybercriminals a powerful lever to pressure an employee into revealing sensitive company data. Considering that 60% of security breaches start from within the company, you have to wonder what someone at risk of being exposed might do to keep their little secret, well…secret.
Let’s face it, if you’re not carefully monitoring and managing how your network is being used, your company’s data could be in serious jeopardy
Content Filtering In Today’s Web 2.0 World Whether you’re already monitoring user activity on your network or not,you need to stay vigilant about evolving risks. And content filtering is key. If your business is like many, you may already be doing some filtering. But is it enough? As technology evolves, hackers drum up ever stealthier ways to invade your network.
Cloud-based filtering, for example, becomes a must when mobile devices tap into your network. The old concept of a static, location-based “firewall” just doesn’t cut it anymore when your staff goes mobile.
Then there’s social media. It’s like a big window into the personal lives of your personnel. It lets cybercriminals “case the joint” before breaking in. Forinstance, when users log in to a personal Facebook account at work and talk about vacations, favorite hangouts or weekend activities, hackers can use that information for social engineering and other ploys.
The number of ways your network is exposed to potentially damaging content grows daily. It’s no wonder that 90% of companies and government agencies surveyed by IDC detected computer security breaches within the previous 12 months. Eighty percent of those organizations acknowledged financial losses due to these breaches. With odds like that against you, an up-to-date content filtering system could well be THE “Lucky Charm” that keeps your company, and your data, safe from all kinds of harm
FREE Web And E-mail Usage Audit Instantly Reveals If You Have A Problem If you’d like a snapshot of where your employees are going online and how much time they’re
spending surfing the net on nonwork-related activities, I’d like to offer you a FREE Internet And E-mail Usage Audit worth $300. At no cost or obligation on your part, we’ll come by and install a special diagnostic program that will expose lurking threats due to inappropriate employee use of websites, e-mail and instant messaging.
I’m making this offer because I’d like to give you a bite-sized sample of our extraordinary customer service and proactive approach to protecting you and your organization. And to be perfectly clear, no matter what we may find during your audit, you are under no obligation to buy anything or ever use our services again. However, there is a catch: we’d like to help every company in the North Texas area eliminate this risk, but we’re only able to perform
Let’s not let your company become yet another statistic, hemorrhaging cash as a result of a destructive cyber-attack. Call me TODAY at 214.329.1349, or e-mail me at info@rangersolutions.com and let’s make sure your systems are safe. I’ll provide you with a Cyber Security Risk Assessment to check for and safeguard against any points of entry for an attack. This service is FREE, but DO NOT RISK WAITING: contact me NOW before the next scam puts your network at risk.
Shiny New Gadget Of The Month:
Handheld? Console? No, It’s…Switch!
Nintendo’s long-awaited new gaming platform Switch should be available any day now, if it isn’t already. It combines the best elements of handheld games with a home console. Handheld, the gamepad is the screen. Slip it into its dock and it plays on your TV.
The gamepad comes with two detachable “Joy-Cons.” One player can hold a Joy-Con in each hand, two players can each take one, or bring in more Joy-Cons and multiple people can play.
If you’re on the go, pull out the “kickstand” on the back of the gamepad and prop it up on an even surface for easy viewing. There’s a slot on the side for game cards and a USB-C port for quick charging.
Because it has greater processing power than the Wii U, you’ll have no trouble playing Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario and a host of your other favorite Nintendo games.
Solve It By Sundown
The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world like nothing before. This worldwide broadcasting system can disseminate information without regard to geographic locations at the speed of a “click,” and therein lies a BIG PROBLEM. The speed of a “click” has now conditioned us to how fast we expect things. If you want a book, you just download it (CLICK). If you want a movie, you just download it (CLICK). If you want a song, you just download it (CLICK). If you want information about something, you just go to Google, type in the info you need and CLICK. We are all being conditioned to getting INSTANT service and information. That being said, it should be no surprise to you that your customers are becoming more and more demanding at getting whatever they want…NOW!
Right now, there are some of you who nhave already received a few text messages while you are reading my article, and people are expecting an instant response. There is no turning back or slowing down when it comes to technology; there is only speeding up and moving forward. Therefore, the companies that will succeed are doing everything they can to please their customers in a manner their customers expect…which happens to be…NOW!
I would, therefore, recommend a simple slogan, mantra or motto for all employees of your company to live by… Solve “IT” by Sundown…because if you don’t, you have just opened the door for your competitor to do so. I used to work with an IT company that sent out my weekly articles; if I ever had a problem with their service, their standard response was “We will get back to you with a resolution in 72 hours.” The third time that happened I changed companies. My new IT company had me up and running in one hour and I have been working with them for years.
Anytime you push off a customer to fix something tomorrow (or in 72 hours), you are giving them the opportunity and incentive to go find someone who would be willing to fix the problem today. Your customer is thinking, “If they can fix it tomorrow, then why can’t they fix it today?” Now, sometimes you don’t have the part(s) or person available to fix it today and you tell the customer that. Well, my question to you is this: Does your competitor? Remember the Internet: a few typing strokes and clicks on a computer, and I will have a list of your competitors available to ask that question, and if they can fix it, YOU ARE GONE, FINISHED, TOAST.
The brilliant man Benjamin Franklin once said, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” I don’t believe Mr. Franklin ever envisioned the Internet, but he sure understood how to be successful. If you want to set your company apart from your competition, then I would do everything I could to establish a culture that understands…
WHEN AT ALL POSSIBLE – SOLVE IT BY SUNDOWN.
Robert Stevenson is a highly sought after, internationally known speaker. He is the author of the best-selling books How to Soar Like An Eagle in a World Full of Turkeys and 52 Essential Habits For Success. Robert is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and is a former All-American Athlete. He started his first business at 24 and has owned several companies. Robert has international sales experience dealing in over 20 countries, and his client list reads like a Who’s Who in Business. He has shared the podium with such renowned names as Generals Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf, Former President George H.W. Bush, Anthony Robbins and Steven Covey. www.robertstevenson.org
In The News
Imagine careening through a virtual forest on the back of a Pegasus in a race against other fitness buffs... VirZOOM hopes their stationary, VR-equipped exercise bikes will soon be coming to an arcade or fitness center near you. They’ve already installed the bikes in over a dozen venues in the US, from Connecticut to California. Walk into any of these places and you can strap on a VR headset and compete in live, multiplayer matches. Plans are already being hatched for full-blown tournaments, complete with prizes and onlookers. You can ride your way to fitness with the aforementioned Pegasus, straight bike races or even a good oldfashioned tank battle… Who’d’a thunk doing something so good for your health could be so much fun? Engadget.com, 01.05.17
Uber has added a new destination: people. Let’s say you just flew into Phoenix and you want to meet a friend there for drinks before heading to your hotel. It used to be that you’d ask them, “Where are you? … Where’s that again?” then try to quickly type in the address before you forgot any of the details, hoping you didn’t misspell anything. With Uber’s new “People” feature, instead of typing in your destination, you simply enter the person’s name, skipping all the back and forth. Uber then locks in their destination and directs the driver to take you there. It also sends your ETA to the person you’re going to see. Just sync your contacts with Uber before your next trip, and enjoy the ride. Mashable, 12.21.16
The Furbo Dog Camera lets you play with your pet from miles away. Missing your pup while you’re at work or on the road? Pull out your Android or iPhone and check in. Furbo delivers 720p video in a 120-degree field so you see what’s going on at home. Call your dog through the microphone and even flip her (or him) a treat for responding to your command. Just swipe your phone’s screen in “Dispense” mode and Furbo launches a treat out onto the floor – or right into your dog’s mouth, if she’s clever enough to catch it. Furbo can be placed anywhere with an electrical outlet nearby. And with its sleek white hourglass design and bamboo wood top, it blends in with any decor. NerdTechy.com, 12.5.16
Introducing the mercenary software that powered Trump and Brexit. NationBuilder was built for any person or organization with a supporter or donor base who cares about what they’re doing. It helps activists cast their influence into the wider world via e-mail, social media and campaign website updates. Its goal is to convert interest into tangible support such as voting intent, monetary donations or volunteered time. Yet NationBuilder isn’t the only platform used by politicos to carry out their vision. Nor is it just for political or advocacy groups; in one case a woman used it to help raise money for her fiancé’s fight against cancer. What NationBuilder and other similar programs do is help people make a difference – no matter what their beliefs. DigitalTrends.com, 12.21.16
