How to Prevent a Cyber Attack at Work

How to Prevent a Cyber Attack at Work It seems like theres news of a cyber attack every day. From retailers to credit reporting bureaus and even identity theft monitoring companies, no company appears to be immune from cyber attacks devastating financial and brand impact.  Is your company ready for a cyber attack? A data report by Verizon indicates that the most common types of cyber attacks involve stolen and/or weak passwords and malicious email attachments. Despite these alarming statistics, a PwC report revealed that nearly half of all corporate executives admitted they do not have an employee awareness training program for cybersecurity. The changing landscape of cyber-hacking means cyber attackers are becoming more sophisticated than ever before.  It is therefore essential to determine potential threats to your companys data security and ensure that your company complies with all federal regulations and industry standards for cybersecurity.  Investing some time, effort, and financial resources in a security audit could save your organization millions of dollars in the long run. 1. Take stock of your companys cyber operations Where do you keep your most sensitive data?  If you do not know the answer to this question, this data could be vulnerable to attack.  Sensitive files and folders should have a higher level of data security than other data. Talk with your system administrators to set up automated data classification so that highly important data has a higher security level.  You may also want to keep track of who has access sensitive company data to identify malicious network behavior. Institute a policy to review who can access this confidential data. 2. Modernize your password rules Make sure your employees have strong passwords but also realize that passwords are not enough for securing sensitive data.  Work with your companys system administrators to enforce more stringent password policies, and require users to include complex passwords including a variety of different characters: uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.  Prohibit password reuse, as that can make data more vulnerable to unauthorized access, and require your employees to change their passwords every two to three months. Multi-factor authentication requires users to enter a code sent to their email or cell phone to gain access to their account and can be utilized for the highest level of cybersecurity. 3. Monitor employees data use Restrict employees access of data to only that data which they need to perform their work; for example, do not give an entry-level staff member access to the most sensitive data unless it is required for their job to view and work with this data.  Furthermore, when employees leave the company, make sure that they no longer have access to your valuable data by disabling their accounts. Make sure to use additional monitoring to keep a close watch on account activity of employees who access the most sensitive data to make sure that the correct people are accessing the data. 4. Develop a security policy for smartphones Develop and implement a policy regarding employees smartphones.  This system should include all smart devices, such as smartwatches.  Many companies do not support mobile logins to company data due to the security risks involved.  Work with your system administrators to determine the best solution for your company and employees regarding smartphones and wearable devices. 5. Train your employees on best practices Educate your employees on the best practices for data security, including how to create a secure password, how to avoid phishing attacks and the use of company data.  Hold regular seminars to update employees on the newest security threats so that your organization can stay informed of the current cybersecurity threats. Make sure to inform your employees of the consequences of failing to adhere to security best practices. 6. Prepare for the worst Back up data regularly and make sure to employ additional security practices for the backups of highly sensitive data.  Develop and test a contingency plan in case of a disaster and review your plan yearly. So, is your company prepared for a cyber attack? Check out this infographic from Varonis to evaluate your company’s cybersecurity plan and see if there are any weak spots that could leave you open to an attack.

Why attitude is so important in the workplace

Why attitude is so important in the workplace At a BAFTA creative industries careers event I attended recently I was struck by the number of industry professionals who referred to the importance of attitude in terms of career success. Particularly the impact a positive attitude can have, both for the individual employee and the team they are a member of. But what do we mean by attitude in the context of making a good impression in the workplace? It is something that can mean different things to different people but attitude is distinct from having the skills and abilities to perform a job role. It can, for example, refer to a perspective, an outlook or an opinion. But essentially it determines how we behave. Ask yourself how you would feel if, on your first days and weeks on a graduate programme, you were asked by your employer to do some photocopying. Or deliver some documents to a colleague on a different floor of the building. Would your reaction be ‘why am I being asked to do this, don’t they realise I have a degree?’ You may feel this is a legitimate response given what you are capable of. But if your body language suggests a negative response what impression could it give to the person making the request? If you want to be successful, building a professional reputation is so important in the early stages of a new job role. It can be hard to develop and is easily undermined by a negative demeanour. Are you someone who is seen as reliable and who can be trusted to deliver? Above all, are you demonstrating a willingness to work hard? Are you developing a perception among your colleagues that you have a ‘can-do’, positive outlook? If you are, you are subsequently more likely to be asked to take on more challenging, important responsibilities. Your colleagues will view you as someone who is collaborative and who is prepared to muck in. A positive outlook develops effective working relationships I am not suggesting you have to accept tea making duties throughout a 2 year graduate scheme! If you do what is reasonably expected of you however, without questioning it, you will earn your colleagues respect more quickly. Demonstrating your willingness to perform a wide variety of duties means that you will be trusted to work without supervision and take on more responsibilities as you work through a graduate scheme. There is also evidence that a positive attitude at work creates a more productive workplace. You may experience higher levels of job satisfaction if you play a part in creating a work culture and environment that is motivating for everyone. How can you create and maintain a positive outlook? Work can be stressful and workplaces in some employment sectors can be pressurised, demanding environments. If you are the person who remains upbeat and who sees challenges as opportunities you can become a positive role model for others to emulate. Remember that enthusiasm is infectious. Contrast this personality type   with the other extreme, the employee whose default response to any/some requests always appears to be, no... Perhaps a negative response to a request in the workplace is a result of a training gap, that the person simply doesnt have the skills, ability or confidence to perform the duty. But if it is indicative of a pattern of negative behaviour it may start to become an issue for your colleagues and line manager. It can start to effect the way a team gels and people may start to question if you are a good fit. Moreover, it may start to impact on the individuals enjoyment of the job role and become demotivating. In the longer term feeling disillusioned at work can lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety. A positive attitude resonates with employers Conveying a positive outlook in a job application is more engaging and will make an impression when recruiters sift through applications. When looking at placement or graduate candidates the only thing we need to see is potential and a positive attitude is a vital part of that says Tim Page, co-founder and programmer at   Well Played Games   Positive attitude means willingness to learn,  professionalism, enthusiasm, the right mix of confidence and humility, dedication and team-work. The great news for candidates, is that if you are an interesting and switched on person, a prospective employer will be able to see most of these traits evidenced in your hobbies and interests. We do tend to gravitate towards positive people consider how your positive outlook will help you to achieve higher levels of job satisfaction, be more effective in your work and help you to develop social as well as professional relationships. It may make work even make work easier as colleagues are more likely to want to help you!

Part time work developing and building your skills for internships University of Manchester Careers Blog

Part time work â€" developing and building your skills for internships University of Manchester Careers Blog Gaining part-time work during your studies can be both helpful to support yourself financially, but it can also be great to demonstrate a range of skills on your CV that are needed by employers including applying for work experience and internships. As each experience you have brings opportunities to learn and develop skills, it is important to recognise the skills you do have and make the most of this during your applications. Even if your part time work is not directly related to the type of internship or work experience you would like to get, consider all the skills you have gained, and you will find some core skills in any part time job that transfer to other jobs including internships. Here are some examples of skills in one popular part time job: If you work part time in a bar or restaurant then you can: Serve customers to meet their requests Work well together in a team under time pressure getting drinks or food orders out to customers Have good communication skills to liaise with staff and customers Have good telephone manner The ability to be organised in your own work Able to prioritise requests and solve problems and respond appropriately as they arise Show ability to learn tasks quickly and demonstrate good practical skills. Have the ability to show your numeracy and cash handling skills Demonstrate good IT skills Able to work flexibly on different shift patterns Managerial/ team leader roles: involve leadership, people motivation/management and using analytical skills etc. These are just a few skills and there may be more that you could identify from doing this part time work that could demonstrate your competence and transfer to internships in most sectors. Some other examples of part time work that are popular with students and can fit around your studies can include: Serving on a till in a supermarket Inputting data and answering telephone calls Selling products in a shop Administrative work Working in the library on campus However, this is not a complete list of opportunities available. Search and check  CareersLink regularly for part time jobs and you will soon realise the range of work available. Being proactive to find part time work or opportunities that help develop skills in areas you need more experience When you have identified your skills from your current experience, you may also be able to identify any gaps where you need to gain experience or develop skills needed for the role in the sector you want to work in. This is a positive thing as you can   be proactive, research and plan how you can take action to find work opportunities that will start to fill any gaps and develop these skills whether experience in a related role within your sector of interest or in other areas. For example, if you need to develop management and leadership skills that can be useful for a number of graduate level roles, then consider what part time work is available that allows you to take some responsibility or become a team leader in some way, or show how you can manage a project or budget. Consider also opportunities on your course working with other students and within university societies or other hobbies. Where do you start looking for help and find a part time job? See our finding work webpages for information and advice and useful links pop into Careersâ€" staff will be able to provide support Part time jobs board on CareersLink Part time Jobs guide for information and advice â€" local shops and restaurants, recruitment agencies. Local newspapers/ websites with regional jobs including The Manchester Evening News on a Thursday or online at fish4jobs.co.uk. Also in the Careers Resource Centre there is Jobs Northwest, or available at your local newsagents. There is also online Northwest jobs The Jobs Centre in Rusholme or online at gov.uk Local Recruitment agencies for temporary or part time work â€" see our information on Recruitment agencies and also Agency Central. You could also research them online yourself. Finally things to consider when looking for part time work: What work can I fit around my studies? How many hours am I allowed to do with my studies?   (especially relevant for international students) What skills do I have and what jobs are there I can do? How far am I willing to look for work and travel within the Manchester area? Am I willing to look for different types of work? (examples: bar work, administration or telephone work) Do I know how to tailor an application (CV/ covering letter/ application form) to each job I apply for? Do I need support to know where to look for work or have my application checked? (speak to staff in the Careers Resource Centre for help) Check out our website for  guides on how to tailor your CV, Covering letter and application and booking an Applications Advice or guidance appointment. All Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted part time jobs summer internships work experience

Lessons Learned From 60 Countries of Travel

Lessons Learned From 60 Countries of Travel From breaking down in Bolivia to falling off a bike in Bora Bora, author Kia Abdullah has seen and done it all. She’s hiked to the rim of an active volcano in the remote islands of Vanuatu, traversed ‘suicide bend’ on the hair-pinned Sani Pass in Lesotho and dived, hiked and biked her way through fascinating countries like Eswatini, Tonga and Djibouti. Here, she shares five lessons she learned along the way. Confidence is like a muscle When I embarked on my first big trip â€" a year-long journey across the South Pacific and South America â€" my boyfriend, Peter, did most of the logistical wrangling. He would buy tickets at train stations, ask about schedules and book tables at restaurants. He was generally more direct and less reserved. Fast forward six months and we arrived in South America where I took the reins because I could speak elementary Spanish and he could not. For five months of travel through the continent, I was the one making calls, asking questions and booking rooms. Doing all this in my third language strengthened my confidence immensely. I didn’t even realise how much until we visited Turkey a year later and Peter commented that I was far more direct. It made me realise that confidence is like a muscle: the more it’s exercised, the stronger it becomes. If in doubt, spend the money When it comes to experiences, I’ve learned that I should just go ahead and spend the money. In Patagonia, we forwent a trekking trip on Perito Moreno Glacier because it was $100 USD per person. Years later, I regret not doing the trek. Had I spent the money, I wouldn’t be thinking about that $100 USD at all. I have the privilege of living in a developed country and, in reality, $100 USD isn’t very much to me â€" one or two dinners out in London. Does that compare to trekking Perito Moreno Glacier? Not for a minute. Now, if I’m in doubt, I spend the money. You’re not too old to learn new tricks I learned to ride a bicycle at the age of 28, approximately 21 years after most of my friends. I learned to ride a horse at the age of 30.   And I learned to dive at the age of 31. I have sustained a few injuries from these newly-adopted activities.   But I have improved in skill over the years and have always had fun. Travel has taught me that I’m not too old to learn new tricks and in all likelihood neither are you. Phones are killing our manners I have a hard rule against using phones at the dinner table. I will not tolerate Peter using his phone while we eat and I always return the courtesy. Too many times I have seen couples (in places like Mauritius, Fiji and Tahiti no less) staring into their phones at the dinner table instead of talking to each other or enjoying their surroundings. Much is made of the fact that we had other ways of ignoring each other before phones became popular (books, newspapers and so on).   But I’ve never seen a person excuse themselves at dinner to read a page of a book. I genuinely feel that something is being lost because of this collective addiction. Comparison is the thief of joy Theodore Roosevelt once said that “comparison is the thief of joy”. Travel has taught me that this is true â€" at least for me. Sometimes, I look at my friends in London with their careers, big homes and multiple cars.   And I wonder if I’m doing the right thing in travelling instead of working in an office and trying to climb the property ladder. It’s when I catch up with these friends and they tell me how much they hate their jobs and how they wish they could do what I do that Roosevelt’s quote rings most true. This guest post was authored by Kia Abdullah   Kia Abdullah is an author and travel writer from London. She has contributed to The New York Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph and the BBC, and is the founding editor of outdoor travel blog Atlas Boots, read by 250,000 people a month. Kias new novel, Take It Back, is out now (HarperCollins, 2019).

Mindset And Belief Systems In The 2nd Half Of Life - Career Pivot

Mindset And Belief Systems In The 2nd Half Of Life - Career Pivot Mindset And Belief Systems Copyright: rawpixel / 123RF Stock Photo We all have mindsets and belief systems that proved useful in the 1st half of life. I am squarely in the 2nd half of life and that mindset no longer works for me. Over the last couple of years, many of my mindsets and belief systems have been challenged. I am sitting in our rented house just outside of Ajijic, Mexico. We originally hadplanned to move here full time in the next 3-6 months. That plan is being accelerated rapidly; I would have never done that in the first half of life. A big mindset shift but more on that later. A couple of years ago, I would have never thought I would be leaving Austin, TX where my wife and I have lived for the last 40+ years. I believed that we would be living in our condominium, a short distance from downtown, for at least another 10 years. Then a number of things happened that challenged me to look at why I was doing things the way I was. Necessary Endings In late 2016, I was introduced to the bookNecessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forwardby Henry Cloud. You can read my full review of the book here. My favorite quote from the book is: “Whether we like it or not, endings are a part of life. They are woven into the fabric of life itself, both when it goes well, and also when it doesn’t. On the good side of life, for us to ever get to a new level, a new tomorrow, or the next step, something has to end. Life has seasons, stages, and phases. For there to be anything new, old things always have to end, and we have to let go of them. Infancy gives rise to toddlerhood and must be forever shunned in order to get to the independence that allows a child to thrive. Later, childhood itself must be given up for people to become the adults that they were designed to be.” As we all move to the next phase of life, what things should end so that new things can begin? Listen to the most recent episode Why am I Still in Austin? It got me thinking, why am I still in Austin? Other than my wife, I have no family in Austin. My business is virtual and I work with clients all over the world. Although I do have a network in Austin, most of the people I regularly speak and interact with are not in Austin. Why was I still here? I did not have a good answer. Austin has become very expensive and the city is growing by 150 people every single day.Traffic has grown dramatically. It is not the sleepygovernment/university town that I moved to in the late 1970’s. The city had changed, but my mindset and belief systems had not changed with it. Health Insurance and Healthcare In October of 2016, we received our rate increase notice for our health insurance from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas. It was an eye-popping 50% increase which made us rethink this entire area of our lives. My wife has endocrinological issues that are treated fairly inexpensively, that until the Affordable Care Act (ACA), disallowed us from the private health insurance market. I stayed employed in the private and public sector for years just so we could get health insurance from an employer. I have had to rethink and re-imagine how we would get healthcare and pay for it. Eversince that time, my mindset and belief systems have been challenged. You can read more about this in my recent post,The Looming Healthcare and Insurance Catastrophe for Baby Boomers. Business and Economic Climate I launched Career Pivot in 2012 when we were still clawing out of the great recession. My target audience was baby boomers who were struggling to recover the 2nd major recession in the last 10 years. Many saw that retirement was no longer a possibility, or like myself, had no real desire to retire like my parents did. A lot has changed since I launched the business. The economy today is growing at a rapid rate, but at the same time, creative destruction has accelerated. I have had multiple clients who have seen their industry change so much that they no longer fit in, or their industry just simply went away. I wrote about this in the post Living in a “Career Disaster Area” at the Age of 65. Even though the economy appears to be booming, it is not booming for everyone. Many boomers are being left behind in this economy. I wrote about this in my post Full Employment is Here Except For Baby Boomers. Our finances and investments have done very well in the recent past, and with our move to Mexico, our expenses have been cut dramatically. I have started to look at my business model of one-on-one coaching. I have rapidly reached the point where the people who can afford my services, are not the people who most need my services. This is why I have formed the Career Pivot Community, which is currently in beta phase. I am totally rethinking how I might be able to help my target market. I have had to totally rethink and ask, why am I doing what I am doing, and for whom? This shift in my mindset has been pretty dramatic. Fixed versus Growth Mindset I know many of you have what is referred to as a fixed mindset versus having a growth mindset. The quote I love from the linked article is this: People in afixedmindset believe you either are or aren’t good at something, based on your inherent nature, because it’s just who you are. People in agrowthmindset believe anyone can be good at anything because your abilities are entirely due to your actions. I have a growth mindset. We arrived in Ajijic, Mexico a month ago on our third exploratory trip. Our plan was to find a long-term rental property and return in January to live full time. Well…. we discovered that simply will not work. Rental properties are snatched up quickly. It is a hot market for long and short-term furnished houses and apartments. On top of that, the high season is October through March when snowbirds descend on the North Shore of Lake Chapala. Our plan was flawed, in fact, horribly flawed. In the past, I might have continued for several more months trying to find something that would be available in January. Instead, we have adapted and as I write this post, we are pulling together funds (all in cash) to put a deposit on a 2 bedroom, 2 bath furnished apartment with off street locked parking, and a courtyard for $950 a month. Rates have gone up a lot in the last 2 years. We are not waiting, and to follow the Nike slogan, we’re going toJust Do It. We will take possession on September 3rd of 2018. We will likely return to Austin in late September to handle all of the details of renting out our condo there. This will include selling and giving away a lot of “stuff” and putting a little bit in storage. This is 3+ months sooner than planned. My wife and I are adapting to the situation and changing our mindset and belief systems. Check out my podcast in a few weeks to learn more. Has Your Mindset and Belief Systems Stopped You? I want you to question yourself whether your mindset and belief systems are holding you back. What is stopping you from taking that next step? I know this is stressful because I find these shifts to be very stressful, but that has never stopped me. What is stopping you? Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

How to handle being overqualified in an interview - Sterling Career Concepts

How to handle being overqualified in an interview How to handle being overqualified in an interview A  client recently asked me how to best handle the concern of being overqualified in an interview. In  discussing the issue with her, I read more on the topic by Women for Hires  Tory Johnson  and wanted to pass it along as this is a common scenario. I took some of Torys advice and suggested my client answer along the lines of, Ive thought about that long and hard, and heres why I will be good at this position   and then go into 2-3 reasons why the breadth of your past experience is a positive in this situation, not a negative. For job seekers, its all about addressing the concern head on and diffusing it. Your goal is to take it off the table as a concern by the end of the interview while creating an opportunity to highlight your strengths and convey how your additional  work experience actually adds value to the role. This particular client was transitioning  fields and would no longer be in  a management role.   Her answer  might include  I   want this career change. Im ready to be  a worker bee again. I understand that where Ill be coming in to the organization is different from my last role, but I feel strongly that my background brings a  valuable perspective to this role. Through the process of whittling the candidate pool down to one, your interviewer is looking for reasons why you may not be a good fit. Your goal in selling yourself during the interview is to address each  concern and show why you are a good fit!

Hannah Annes Grown Up Gigs recording is now available! - When I Grow Up

Hannah Annes Grown Up Gigs recording is now available! - When I Grow Up Doodle from the live chat done by  Nightly Doodles Having  CPAs  Hannah Brandt  and  Anne Lewis  as my first Grown Up Gigs duo  did double duty. First, we got to talk all about: what Hannah Anne wanted to be when they grew up (Hannah wanted to be a babysitter!) how they got into accounting the leap they each took last year to work for themselves how their lifestyle needs/wants led them through many career decisions why theyre pairing up for networking and business opportunities without having an official partnership Amazeballs stuff for any entrepreneur. Then, we got to pick their brains about: incorporating our businesses (and why you probably dont need to be an LLC) why you can absolutely run your business costs through Excel why you need a basic accounting class using QuickBooks the Affordable Health Care act. Amazeballs stuff for anyone starting/running a business. You can watch/listen by pressing Play below! Wanna watch this directly on YouTube? Click here to make it happen. Wanna listen instead?  Click here  for an MP3. These quotes from the talk are super tweet-worthy:  Its a small price to pay to be happy every day -Hannah Anne on #gugigs  w/@WhenIGroUpCoach  http://bit.ly/19i0ANI What type of accounting software should ya use for your biz? Whatever  works for you!  http://bit.ly/19i0ANI Why the lifestyle youre craving can be the link to your dream job:  http://bit.ly/19i0ANI On Tuesday 9/3 at 7p Eastern, Ill be talking to  Mark Powers, a percussion artist/educator, speaker, writer and adventurer. Save the date/time and join us right here!