The possibility of hackers gaining access to your information is unsettling. To actually learn that you have been hacked and your information is in the hands of nefarious individuals will nearly drive you insane. So, what should you do when this happens?

What You Need to Do First

If the organization that holds your personal data is compromised, you must act quickly and take certain steps.

• Seek confirmation that a breach has indeed occurred, and your information is at risk
• Identify the type of breach that has occurred
• Confirm what information (if any) has been compromised
• Find out if the hackers with your data have personal identifiable information (PII)

What actions should you take at every step? Read on for tips on how to respond every step of the way.

Response to Data Breach

Confirm the Breach and Whether Your Data is Exposed

You do not want to panic based on a possible rumor. The first thing you should do is confirm that a breach has actually occurred. You may even receive an email or some form of correspondence informing you that there is a breach. Read more. . .

Today, technology has created a flexible working environment where employees can work from anywhere. Remote working is fast becoming a critical way for businesses to scale and remain competitive.

To facilitate remote working, employees need gadgets. However, providing laptops, tablets, or smartphones for each employee can be costly especially for small businesses and startups.

To counter the costs involved, many companies are opting for the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy. While it is a cost-saving strategy, there are risks involved as seen below. Read more. . .

All computer or mobile device users should have a data backup plan. Unexpected events such as file corruption, hard drive failure or viruses can erase all your data when least expected. For this reason, data backup should be a crucial part of your machine’s usage routine. Some people are intimidated the backup process, making them less diligent than others in the secure storage of their data.

What is Data Backup?

It’s when your computer or device creates copies of your data and stores them in the event of data loss.  While some computer users use cloud backups for their data, others use flash drives or external hard drives. A backup is essentially an insurance policy against catastrophe. Read more. . .

One of the most effective ways of managing your technology needs is to outsource your IT department to a Managed Services Provider (MSP).  This is also the solution for you if you are short on IT staff or if you don’t have an IT department at all.

The advantage of partnering with an MSP is gaining an IT department minus the cost of hiring a full-time team. If you already have an existing IT team, working with an MSP can help take the pressure off your team, eliminating the need for hiring additional staff. This also results in huge cost savings. Read more. . .

Utilizing technology to improve daily tasks is a popular method among many companies. This option is popular for specific industries and insurance is no exception. In ways you may not immediately realize, mobile apps help insurance businesses excel.

Apps are available for almost everything and fortunately, there are numerous kinds which are relevant and helpful to insurance industries. To help give you an idea of the benefits, here are five major reasons apps are helpful.

1. Expansion of Services

Apps can be created by insurance companies to better reach their client base. Or, they can use multi-purpose apps to get in touch and discuss services. Apps allow insurance agencies to expand their outreach and make communication a simple process. And when sales, questions and concerns revolve around efficient communication, everyone benefits. Read more. . .

Spring has come once again and soon enough, so will summer. While everyone is busting out their shorts and tanning lotion, they’re bringing on the tech too. The increase in work from home opportunity makes for an appealing option to work in unique locations. But, amidst all the flowery frolic, it’s easy to forget that while we appreciate the warm weather, hardware is a different story.

Even in spring, there are a few things to do (and not do) as spring rolls around. To help, here’s a quick list of basics to make sure your mobile tech doesn’t turn into a popsicle on the sidewalk. Read more. . .

Too many businesses stay with the first service provider they choose without questioning whether a move would benefit them. Unless something goes wrong and even then, the thought of diving back into the market and researching all of those other vendors can be overwhelming, making it easier to stay where you are.

If you’re thinking of switching providers – and even if you’re not – when was the last time you considered the service your vendor provides? All vendors should supply the basics and if you’re not getting them, why should you stay? Read more. . .

To be successful in today’s market, your insurance company needs to be constantly moving forward, keeping up with the competition and enhancing its reputation. Normally, insurance companies have a business continuity plan that helps you to adapt to different working practices and technology while continuing to run at the best capacity.  Often, these plans include adoption of a cloud solution.

Security and BDR

The worst thing that can happen to any company is the loss of critical and sensitive data. The loss of reputation and physical cost can close businesses for good. This is much more likely to happen if you depend solely on in-house hardware systems. If you have a break-in, or even a flood, all of your hardware backups will be useless. Using a cloud storage solution provides a backup and disaster recovery system that doesn’t rely on data stored onsite. Data can be backed up incrementally, meaning you pay less for storage as no data is stored more than once. Read more. . .

More and more insurance companies have begun to see the benefits of employing remote workers. Remote working does not mean the end of the office culture, there will always be a need for a hub. What remote working does offer is a more fluid alternative to the ‘presenteeism’ of in-house staff.

So what are the benefits for your insurance business?

Attracts and retains staff

Offering remote work employment can be a great way to tap into a whole new field of workers in the digital market, with many people now preferring to work from home due to other commitments such as child care. This flexibility has a positive effect on staff morale, which can mean higher insurance sales than when your workers are in the office worrying about getting back to pick up the children. Finding employment that can work around obligations means employees are less likely to leave. Read more. . .

IT has become a core component to most modern businesses, especially those handling important client data. If you’re a mid-size company or bigger, you probably have an IT department. Whether it’s a few experts or a whole team, IT handles the technical issues of a business, whatever this entails. In some cases, companies outsource this to a Managed Service Provider, a third party handling your IT needs. This has its benefits; however, no MSP is perfect. If you currently feel like you MSP is not performing to standards, here are a few things to look out for when considering whether a change is needed. Read more. . .