Can Small Businesses Defend Themselves from Cyber Attacks?

 By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy pxhere

You read about big businesses being hacked every day.  Either their data has been stolen, their servers have been hit with a denial of service attack, or their computers have been locked down due to ransomware. In 2022 some of the companies that were hit included Twitter, Uber, WhatsApp, MailChimp, and Toyota.  Hacking in the US last year also included targets in the banking, healthcare, government, cryptocurrency, and law enforcement sectors.  While many of these high-profile targets made the news, what most people fail to realize is that more than 80% of hacks were not targeted at large companies but small businesses that had less than 100 employees.  This should come as no surprise.  I mean, if hackers can crack the biggest companies with the most advanced cyber security systems in the world, why wouldn't they target small businesses that are much easier to breach?  While I've covered such things as the 10 Signs of a Cyber Attack and Does Your Business Need Cyber Insurance?, what I"d like to show you today are 10 ways small businesses can defend themselves from cyber attacks.

Does Your Car Roll Out the Red Carpet for Thieves?

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pixabay

With the average price of a new car being $48,558 and the average price of a used car running at $20,000 at $25,000, you'd think people would take care where, when, and how they park their rides.  But you'd probably be surprised to find out that many motorists neglect to secure their vehicles properly.  This resulted in 45,973 vehicle thefts in Florida alone in 2022.  That doesn't account for items stolen from or damage done to unattended vehicles.  More shocking still is the fact that many of the thefts could have easily been prevented if their owners had practiced a few simple security measures.  To keep you from being one of the thousands of owners who file police reports due to break ins, vandalism, or theft of their wheels, I've come up with ten tips to help you secure your ride.

10 Hacks to Help You Survive Hurricane Season

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy pxhere

Even though it's only the second week in June and Hurricane Season has only just begun, we've already had our first named storm of the year.  Tropical Storm Arlene kicked off the season with more of a whimper than a bang as it spawned just north of Cuba in the Gulf of Mexico before moving east and turning into a tropical depression a couple of days later.  Still, there's a long way to go until November 1 when Hurricane Season officially ends.  In the meantime, the National Hurricane Center is predicting 15 named storms to make landfall this year.  To help you maximize your protection and minimize the damage that a tropical storm or hurricane can do to your property, I've come up with 10 hacks that can help you deal with Mother Nature when she turns ugly.

Top-10 Tips for Travelers

 By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy pxhere

Summer travel season is upon us.  While for some that means interesting trips to exotic destinations, for others it will amount to missed flights, lost reservations, and unforeseen expenses.  If you don't want to waste part of your vacation languishing in endless TSA security lines, getting bumped from flights, or paying exorbitant impact fees for accommodations, transportation, or hospitalization, there are ten travel tips you need to heed before you book your flight.