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Your Luckiest Move This Year

Do your employees bring their own smartphones, tablets or laptops to work?

If your company is like most these days, they do. And that raises a whole new security risk to your computer network. One of the best strategies your company can employ to defend against this emerging threat is what’s known as “web content filtering.”

Here’s a quick but essential guide to what you need to know about web content filtering. It might even prompt you to make a move so lucky, it would turn a leprechaun green with envy…
New Gaps In Your Network’s Firewall
It used to be, when your employees needed a desktop computer to get work done, locking cyberthreats out of your network was relatively simple.

However, now when employees work on a mobile device, the boundaries of your firewall can walk out the door and into a “Wild West” of unknown security risks at any minute of the day.

At the same time, threats to your network from malware, hackers, cybergangs and even foreign governments show no signs of abating.

The best way to bolster your network’s defenses against this emerging threat is through web content filtering. Older “in-line” filtering programs just filter at the network level. For complete protection as workers become more mobile, you need an “endpoint” web content filtering system that works at the device level.
So What Exactly Is “Web Content Filtering”?
Web content filtering restricts access to certain types of material delivered over the web or by e-mail. It blocks things like phishing e-mails, infected web sites, adult content, pop-up ads, spambots and other intrusions that can penetrate your network’s defenses.

The latest web content filtering programs protect your network even with a highly mobile workforce. Rather than just filtering content at the network level, they filter content on each employee’s device.

Web content filtering is not just a great investment in your network’s security – it’s an absolute must in today’s crime-ridden “cyberscape.”
Questions To Ask
How can you tell if a proposed content filtering solution is a good one? Here are a few key features to look for:

Activity-Triggered Logging – Allows the filtering system to start logging events when suspect activities occur. Helps assure vigilance against new and emerging threats.

Password Release – Lets a user with the right password visit sites that would otherwise be off-limits. Gives your company added flexibility as needed for trusted employees.

Download Blocker – Keeps employees from downloading files from any but approved sites. Greatly reduces the risk that somebody will unwittingly unleash a vicious piece of code into your network.

BYOD Support – Accommodates the “Bring Your Own Device” trend so you can monitor and manage employee use or abuse while on the job.

Time Settings – Allows employees access to certain sites only during preselected times of day. Adds flexibility so employees can, for instance, visit Facebook only during off-hours.

There are others, and not every company needs all these features. But knowing what to look for gives you a head start on putting the best system in place.
Now It’s Your Move…
As today’s workforce becomes ever more mobile and interactive outside the company network, endpoint web content filtering becomes a must-have weapon in your company’s network security arsenal.

By understanding the emerging threat posed by mobile devices to your company’s network, and gaining a basic grasp of how endpoint web content filtering works, you can allocate resources to button up this potential threat to your company’s finances, data and efficiency.
Let Us Help!
Here at ET&T, our first priority is to keep your network safe and secure. Let us help you make sure your web content filtering system is on guard 24/7. Now through the end of March, we are offering a free Internet Usage Audit for the “lucky” first 10 companies in the Northeast Pennsylvania area who request this valuable service. Contact us today at (610) 433-1000 or Help@ET-T.com and we’ll get started for you right away. But don’t delay – we can only serve the first 10 companies who take us up on this uncommon offer.

 


 

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5 Ways To Reduce Stress In Seconds

Life is stressful, especially if you’re in a start-up or are an entrepreneur. The techniques below help force me to relax and chill out when I over-schedule, under-sleep and freak out.
Breathe.
Yep. We all do it until we’re dead. But most of us don’t do it right. Stress tends to make us shallow breathers. When you’re stressed, stand up and take long, slow, deep breaths – the kind you take before jumping into a swimming pool of cold water, or before giving your kids “the sex talk,” or asking your boss for a raise. Slow inhale, slow exhale. Do this at least five times. If you get dizzy, sit down. You’re probably not used to that much oxygen.
Laugh out loud.
If there’s nothing funny in your life or office, turn to YouTube. Search on “Cats, Fail” or “Epic Face Plant.” You’ll find lots to laugh out loud at. If you’re not near the Internet, think about something funny.
Put things in perspective.
I used to think noises and distractions outside my office were annoying and stressful. Then Hurricane Sandy hit and suddenly I was walking to a shelter every day and working at a table with six other people. It put a lot of things into perspective. So did going from a net worth of millions to a net worth of whatever coins I could find in the couch, my ashtray and my daughter’s piggy bank. Think of the worst thing that’s ever happened to you or someone you know, and put your stress next to that.
Change location.
Being able to teleport to a hot tub or a deserted beach somewhere would be awesome, but until that technology is available, the break room or bathroom will have to do. If that sounds depressing (and it does, doesn’t it?), then step outside instead. Walking to the vending machine or coffeepot, or taking the elevator to another floor and wandering around pretending to be lost, is an option. The point is to change locations and get away from the place (or person) stressing you out. The walk there and back, and even a different environment, can reduce stress in a matter of minutes.
Stretch.
Yeah, crazy, right? But it works. Stand up and stretch. Move to a doorway and push on either side of the door frame. Twist. Sit down and put your legs out in front of you and point your toes. Find a stairwell and do some standard runner’s stretches. Google “stretching” to find something if you’ve put your high school gym class behind you.
No technique is going to work if you’ve let stress build up. The minute you start to feel stressed, address it head-on. Then figure out what’s causing the stress and eliminate it as much as possible.

MikeMichalowiczMIKE MICHALOWICZ (pronounced mi-KAL-o-wits) started his first business at the age of 24, moving his young family to the only safe place he could afford—a retirement building. With no experience, no contacts and no savings, he systematically bootstrapped a multimillion-dollar business. Then he did it again. And again. Now he is doing it for other entrepreneurs. Mike is the CEO of Provendus Group, a consulting firm that ignites explosive growth in companies that have plateaued; a former small-business columnist for The Wall Street Journal; MSNBC’s busi-ness makeover expert; a keynote speaker on entrepreneurship; and the author of the cult classic book The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. His newest book, The Pumpkin Plan, has already been called “the next E-Myth!” For more information, visit www.mikemichalowicz.com/.

 


 

 

 

The revolution has begun – and it’s right on your wrist. It began with the Apple Watch and its gentle “taps” for reminders. Now, a whole new wave of digital technology known as “haptics” lets you literally feel what you’re working with. Imagine an employee skillfully maneuvering a precision machine in a distant factory. Or a surgical resident actually feeling what it’s like to operate on a patient’s brain – with no real patient in danger. Lechal, for instance, makes footwear that works with a smartphone app to help with navigation. Set your destination and your left or right shoe vibrates when it’s time to turn in that direction – especially useful for the visually impaired. And this is just the beginning… Inc. magazine, July/August 2015

Avoiding the “Bad Apple” has the greatest payoff. An apple a day… You know what Grandma always said, and now scientists agree. A recent working paper from Harvard Business School revealed that simply avoiding a “toxic worker” doubled returns compared to hiring someone in the top 1% of productivity. The estimated cost of hiring a “rotten apple” added up to $12,489 in worker turnover. And that doesn’t even include potential litigation, regulatory penalties and reduced employee morale. The benefit of hiring a superstar? Just $5,303… One bad hire could simply prompt an early fire and rehire… Yet, at the other extreme, it can cost a company billions of dollars, as in the case of JPMorgan’s London Whale. When hiring, best you listen to Grandma’s advice about apples. Harvard Business Review, Working Paper 16-057

Missing either of these two key ingredients could make your marketing fall flat in 2016. Want to make your marketing irresistible to your target audience? Make sure it includes content on platforms besides your blog. Nowadays, everyone’s got a blog. Stand out by adding a YouTube channel, or live streaming. No fancy gear needed – smart firms use smartphones to capture content. You’ll also need “mobile-first” focus. Now that more adults access the net on a smartphone than on a desktop device, content and calls-to-action must be clear and actionable on a mobile screen. If you’re running pay-per-click ads, consider a Google AdWords call-only campaign to drive calls with buyer intent. For best results, blend well and implement often. Entrepreneur, 12.31.15

A healthy workforce starts – or stops – at the top. Some programs foster real worker wellness. But going too far can backfire on you. For instance, a weight-loss contest can create a host of problems. First, not all workers need to lose weight. Plus, some already suffer from eating disorders. And weight loss doesn’t do anything to address high blood pressure, cholesterol or overall nutrition. Instead, replace candy, chips and soft drinks with healthy snacks and beverages. People will tend to eat what’s there, and you can make it easy for them to make healthy choices. Also, make it easier to exercise: install showers and offer standup desks. Just a few key changes could put a healthier, more productive team in your court. US News, 04.13.15

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