What Is a Cyber Risk Insurance? Should You Get One?

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business, computer, codes

Protecting your business from online attacks.

Online businesses rely heavily on the internet for its marketing, administrative work, processing of credit cards, managing the inventory, and distribution controls. Any disruption of the operation can lead to damages like discontentment of stakeholder, financial loses, good name and brand, and regulatory inspection. It only takes one cyber attack to wipe out your business.

To correct a breach has ballooned to over $6 million.

All online business is at a tremendous risk for data breach or commonly known as cyber attack. Just one good hacker, a lost paper record, a stolen laptop, or one virus can create such an enormous financial lost. It can also destroy your business reputation. The question now is, when will you be prepared if that should happen to you?

Presenting, the cyber risk coverage, a new product in the insurance business. Yes, there could be at least 50 insurance carriers that offers this, but the coverage is limited. The policies are called many names like “privacy,” “cyber risk,” “information security” and “media liability” coverage. This type of coverage frequently gives room for reflection of the terms of cyber policies as compared to other types of coverage.

Most cyber policies has a combination.

The customary liability coverage safeguards businesses against the third party claims, and the first party coverage, secures businesses from losses. There are important terms and conditions of this policy that can affect the coverage on hand. Businesses should realize not to hope and presume to secure all parts of the coverage. Know the dissimilarity in the policies that are being offered so you can maximize your budget.

For fair comparison of the policies available, know the special circumstances and limits.

  • Know if the cyber insurance policies offered by the insurance policy companies has more than one types. The thing is, a coverage could just be an extension of an existing policy. If that is so, then get a stand-alone policy which is more comprehensive. Perhaps the policy can be adjusted to your business.
  • Differentiate the deductions of the insurers.
  • Is your cyber coverage and limits applies to first and third parties? Then ask if your service provider offers cyber insurance. Will that have an effect on your agreement?
  • Does the policy covers attacks where the business falls as victim or only aimed attacks against a particular business or industry in particular?
  • Does the policy also covers the non-malicious action of an employee which is part of the E&O coverage (errors and omissions, a form of a liability insurance) that is applicable to cyber insurance?
  • Will it cover network and social engineering attacks?
  • Does the policy has a time frame within which the coverage applies?

Get a cyber risk insurance or cyber liability insurance if you want your business to survive. Be cautious when doing transaction online. You should have a computer that is strictly used only for your business. Do not mix your personal files and your work. Do not wait for a cyber attack, always be prepared.

Guide on How to Choose the Right Colors for Your Website

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art, colors

Choosing the right colors will boost your site.

Color is the most powerful way of creating an impression. It keeps in touch with the users emotionally. Your website can have a unified look with the right combination of colors. There are ways in picking the right colors. Study your brand colors, then select your color palette. You will never go wrong if you go for the colors that best represent your products and services.

Use a color scheme tool to do this.

  • COLOURlovers – here is where you can view the latest trends in color. It is a wide community composed of people around the world. They share and create colors, patterns and palettes, talk about trends and explore the colorful articles.
  • ColoRotate – is a 3D tool used in viewing and testing the various colors, mix, and adjust to how you like it.
  • Adobe Kuler – this is like ColoRotate but the difference is that, but Adobe Kuler offers suggestions. The color rule will give you the guidelines in selecting the right colors. This can surely help you decide on what colors to pick.
  • Paletton – When in doubt, Paletton has a built-in randomizer that will help you choose the colors just by a single click.

Think of the symbolism of colors. Learn the emotions and realization of the various hues. Colors gives different emotions to different people. Think of your target audience and pick the colors that represent them.

There are no rules in colors, although interior and fashion designers follows the 60-30-10 rules to achieve the perfect harmony.

  • 60% primary color of the space. This will bring the theme together.
  • 30% contrast with the 60% for notable effect.
  • 10% accent color that complement the primary and secondary colors. It can be used to highlight the material on your site like a sort of call-to-action.

Think of the goals of your website. If your website wants an action to be done by someone, pick the colors that can move an emotion from the site visitors. Do not be afraid to experiment with colors.

Start with five colors, and add or subtract colors depending on how you develop your design.

When you have five colors, tints and shades can be applied. A content-rich page is a good example because it needs to separate the tables, captions, and the side bars from its content. The result unites the design and that a fourth or fifth color is no longer needed. The tints and shades can be utilized for added color. They do not clash with the color scheme.

The psychology of color is used by businesses to help product engagement. The restaurants chooses red and orange, financial institutions or banks uses blue, hotels is partial to blue, white, black or green. Luxury products chooses the elegant black in packaging.

The color of the background and text are important. Use contrasting colors in the font and the background. Black is easier on the eyes and people are used to black fonts. Dark on light or vice versa is also a good choice.

The Top 5 Social Media Platforms

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social media apps

Social media apps that will boost your online presence.

We have numerous social websites available for us to choose from. So, how will you know the best social media website that fits you and your brand?

Here is the list of social media sites to help you decide:

  • FACEBOOK is one of the most popular platforms both for personal and business use. It is a good site to post photos, updates, news with the users to follow or like. Business fans visit your page to know what is new in your company and to see photos and know your events. Facebook makes use of activities to know which market needs your brand. They present social graph and their advertisements are successful too. Facebook has 1.65 billion active users.
  • TWITTER has 310 million users and to date, numbers are still adding up. This is because communicating in this platform is simple and concise. It is also a micro-blogging service which allows short messages sent and received from consumers and prospective clients. The key tool is hashtags (#). These will reach a wide audience and not just followers. This happens when users join in a conversation. Read more in this Twitter guide.
  • GOOGLE + is the social networking site of Google. It is similar to Facebook but it has a feature that can create “circles.” This will separate your followers from other different groups. This way, you can share your announcements only to the group that you prefer. This is one feature that other social media does not have.
  • YOUTUBE is a social media that can help you expand your outreach. This is done by going to Google search results. There is a total of 6 billion hours of video watched by users every single month. Make sure your video is really worth watching, otherwise, be prepared to receive negative comments. YouTube offers marketers the likelihood of promoting their product/s or clients by way of its target market.
  • PINTEREST is a distinguished platform when it comes to marketing. Post pictures that are clickable which includes a short caption. The given caption should be keyword optimized as it is how your pin will appear when visitors browse. The images should have good quality and must pop out in your feeds.
  • Linkedln presents job experience and professional views. It is an important site for business to business (B2B) people. It does not only drive traffic, but establishing through leadership, leads to prospecting, and recruiting. There are little conversations here, but you can still meet people from the same industry as yours. All you have to do is ask and some will answer. This can start a conversation which will show how expert you are in your field.

The websites above are where people are. The more people use the sites, the more you will have the chance to promote your product/s. Of course, there are other sites you can use. There are blog sites, customer view sites, location-based marketing sites, coupon sites, online photo-sharing services, and so on. Choose the site that suits your brand.

Reasons Why You Should List Your Business in Google Maps

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Google Maps

Listing your business in Google Maps.

When an internet user wants to research on anything, people refer to Google. It is the most used search engine because users believe all the information they read there.  After all, Google is one of the largest technology companies worldwide. People also use Google Maps, which is one of its services.

People prefer this as it shows street views for reference, and everything else in it are updated. The location and information of businesses are also available. So while users look at the map, they get to know more about your business. That is the reason why you should put your establishment in Google Maps.

Here is the list to tell you why:

  • Listing in Google Maps gives you an online presence showing your contact details. While users browse Google Maps to look at areas or a particular street, they will eventually bump into your business.
  • Being on the list of Google Maps can get you to be listed at Google Places for Businesses. This is a good resource for both small and medium businesses. Options include special offers, videos, images, coupons, and methods of payment. This will save a lot of time and could promote customer satisfaction and thus, boost the reputation of your business.
  • Question is, what is Google Places for Business? It is like a business directory, but the difference is that, it is a big part in the search optimization. It is a system of techniques, master plan, and movement to have a larger numbers of visitors to the websites. This is to make sure that the high ranking in the pages of results of a search engine will be retained.
  • Google Places and Google Maps for Businesses will assist you to be visible by looking at the search results. Who knows, your business could have a first page ranking of the search results. The best part is that you do not have to do anything more. This is the outcome of being listed at Google Maps or Google Places for Business. This is definitely a great chance for your business to progress.
  • Google Places and Google Maps opens the door for communication. It also assist customers to find, share, and rate and eventually endorse your business to relatives, friends, and people in the site. This is also a good place for you to know what people think about your products and services. You can respond to them as well.

Consider Google Maps to start your business. Go to this link and fill up the necessary details on the form. Just give as much information as you possibly can. Do not forget to add a particular webpage URL so you can have more page views and sales. It will take at least a week for your business listing to appear right after you affirm your PIN and verify your listing. Now,  you will be able to win over new customers. Wait a while and your business could be a winner.

Tips in Taking Better Product Photos

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camera

Better product photos will help your business.

Amateur products shots will not help to gain your customers trust. So if you want to increase your sales online, take good product pictures that can introduce your product. This will give your costumers the chance to decide if they need your product. You do not have to spend so much for the equipment and no need to hire a professional photographer. You just need a good camera and take the product shots yourself.

Here are the easy steps:

  • Good camera is good, but you can also invest on good lenses. A point-and-shoot camera is affordable. When you get a camera, make sure it can also capture a video. If your budget is not enough, use the camera on your phone. A modest equipment can likewise give you a great result.
  • Consider your background. Shooting products in a continuous background of neutral color like grey, beige or white, is great. Use a poster board or craft paper. Get clamps to attach the paper on the table or whatever it is you will use for your shoot.
  • Natural lighting can do the job. It gives us the best lighting. Set your product near a window and get the lighting you need. The down side is the weather, if not, the sun could hide and that gives you poor lighting. Another option is to use the lighting kit which is available in the market. Make sure that it can operate in a continuous mode as compared to flash only. This can also take videos. Two lighting kits attached on top of a clear plastic container will work. Just put the right color and wattage for the two lighting kits.
  • If you want to produce an excellent result, get a tripod if you have shaky hands. This way, you don’t have to hold the camera with your hands. A camera that has slow shutters, will produce blurry images once your hands moves. What you need is a result that is clear and sharp down to the littlest detail.
  • Aperture can add a dimension by blurring the background or put everything in focus. It is an opening through which light travels specified by an “f-number”, “f/4” or “f/16”. Use the small f-number and a wide aperture to produce a narrow depth of field. Set your camera in the “aperture priority” mode to take professional shots.
  • A shadow in the photo can be an eye irritant. Harsh backlights or setups can bring shadows in your product. Lighting should be on the same side as the product and your camera, or a bit off to one side.
  • Clean your product from dirt or fingerprints. Make sure there is no dust on your lens. Use a microfiber rags to clean everything on the set before shooting.

Practice makes perfect. Be creative and have the patience to go on. Keep on clicking until you produce a great result. Be bold and experiment. Remember that good product shots can translate into sales.

 

How to Research on the Internet

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research

Your guide to researching on the Internet.

The internet is the most commonly used source of information. It has many available topics. It can be fun and effective, but if you do not know how to research, then you will waste your time looking for something you cannot find.

To avoid this, first, find out if your subject matter is soft or hard research, or maybe both. Learning the nature of your topic will help you to design and produce reliable results.

  • Hard research is a report in science and objective research. This needs figures, statistics, and proof. The resources must be dependable. You must search for publications with the right credentials
  • Soft research has topics that are personal, opinion-based, and cultural. A lot of soft research authorities are writers who has the actual experience in their field.
    Here are the sources of soft research:

    • Consumer review sites.
    • Computer and technical sites.
    • Commercial sites that has advertisements.
    • Discussion forums and sites.
    • Personal opinion and business blogs.

The soft and hard research is difficult as it requires an extensive research. After putting together all your research materials, you need to have an opinion to pit against the powerful opinions of others. Topics like international economy and politics are an example of a hybrid research.

After identifying the type of research, the next step is to know what kind of information you need.

  • Type a multiple-word search to find the pertinent information. For example, do not type “Beautiful Spots in Japan,” if what you want is “Beautiful Tourist Spots in Kyoto, Japan.” Be specific and use the keywords that are vital in your research.
  • For lesser hits, use quotation marks. Example, instead of the fiercest animal, type “the fiercest animal”.
  • The minus sign can screen the unwanted information. When looking for Hilton, type Hilton -Paris. If not, what you will get is all about Paris Hilton.
  • Search engines provide a preview of the website’s content. A one or two-liner of information is available. Read the overview and if you do not need the information, disregard. Do not waste your time loading information you do not need.
  • Place your search engine to a particular settings. Set a date. This is useful when you research for news articles. There is also an adult content filter for the videos and images. That will keep out explicit images from your research.
  • Anybody could just write an information online, it does not mean that it is right. Look for the information about the author in the website. Also, observe for the grammar mistakes and spelling.
  • Use your own language when researching. If your are a Korean, use Hanguk-eo; if you are from Paris, use French. This way, you will understand your research more.
  • There are many sources of information like the books from your local library. It has reference resources that can also be from the websites.
  • After you gather the information, list down the major details like the URLs as well as the titles of the web pages.

Internet Etiquette 101

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working online

Important things to remember when engaging with people online.

Answering your email the best you can and watching for what you write in social media is like doing a “handshake.” Your ways will surely affect how people think of you. Knowing your business is good, but knowing how to deal with people can result to a more lasting business relationship.

Here are some online etiquette that can help you:

  • Be unbiased when interacting with another person. Do not be aggressive, sarcastic or make any innuendo. Do not try to be funny. These could increase doubt and could be mistaken as being too friendly.
  • Write in complete sentences using words that are honest and believable. Never use emoticons. That is nice in social media, but never in business virtual communication. Always check your grammar and punctuation before posting, emailing, texting or blogging.
  • Social media is not the platform to write your essay. Post only brief messages. Again, no emoticons, web-friendly irritants or shorthand. You should also be acquainted with operational rules before using them. Include vital details in your business profile with your contact information and company news. Self-control is needed at all times.
  • Remember to consider the receiver in your online dealings. Put yourself in the shoes of the other person on the other side. Always be polite; there is nothing wrong in being yourself but make sure you are honest in dealing with your client.
  • Carefully think of your identifiers and select a professional user name for yourself. Do not be cutesy. You could also consider using your business name as your user name and have an email address that uses your own domain name.
  • For clarification, call the person. Texting may even create a bigger confusion. If you chose to email, make it easy to read, courteous and simple. You can write the vital information and use short but concise paragraphs. Using bullets can make it look short and organize.
  • Turn off your phone or anything that might distract you before making a video call to your client. Always give your full attention and look at the face and not the screen. Listen intently and be interested in what your client has to say. If there is any question, address it right away.
  • Keep your email messages short, but concise. Do not forget to check your grammar and punctuation before sending your message. Use the proper greetings like Mr., Miss, or General unless you are in the first-name basis. Stay professional and even if you are already in the friendly level with your client, do not send the person forwards, jokes, and chain letters. Before you send a big file, do ask the person’s permission first and make sure it works so cross-check the compatibility of the software first.
  • Never showcase your competitor’s shortcomings. That is negative marketing and consumers know that you are bashing your competitor and that is truly in bad taste. Besides, consumers can research online. Instead of doing that, focus on your own product/s and how it can meet your client’s needs.

Not Just Another Keyboard

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Illuminated Keyboard

An illuminated keyboard.

The essential part of our computer life is the keyboard. It is that part of the computer we often touch the minute we open our computers. It is important to have a keyboard that is good-looking, has added features, and comfortable too. The market is full of the different kinds of keyboards. It is important to know the different keyboards to give you a heads start.

Check out this list:

  • An ergonomic keyboard is designed for efficiency and comfort to lessen muscle strain or similar discomfort. The ergonomic keyboard was design in a V shape so that the hands can type in a perfect angle that is suitable for the human form.
  • Mechanical keyboards are accurate, reactive, and long lasting. It makes use of physical, actual switches located under the keys. This will make the user aware that a key has been pushed. When pressing a key, the switch will be pressed down. This will send a signal to your computer that says that a certain key has been pressed.
  • A gaming keyboard is just like the standard keyboards but they have extra features. These are the palm rest, illuminated keys, additional LCD screen, multimedia keys, etc. It has illuminated light so the user can play their games even in the dark. Its keys are great for adjusting the volumes, music tracks and keys enables the user to do other things while playing a game.
  • Wireless keyboard is accompanied with a wireless mouse. It is used to communicate with computers, tablets, Bluetooth technology, infrared (IR), laptops using the radio frequency (RF).
  • Multimedia keyboard – is designed to enter often-used programs and functions with one-touch. It has keys used to enter internet, music, and other programs such as calculator, email etc. The five buttons controls the play/pause, volumes, next, and previous buttons. There is an icon to mark the volume of the speaker. It also controls the music programs. The songs can go forward, backward, play, pause, etc. by using the right buttons. There is also a mute key. Multimedia keyboards has many connection formats – USB, PS/2, and wireless. This keyboard is pre-programmed and is ready to use.
  • A fixed-split keyboard is a single board. The keys are separated into two or three groups. The user can type in different angles which is something that the usual keyboard cannot do. An adjustable split keyboard is split in independent pieces. Here, the angles can be changed.
  • Portable keyboards have many kinds – roll up, foldable, and many more. The foldable keyboard is handy but not as handy as the roll-up keyboards. The roll-up keyboards look like a normal keyboard, but it also has a soft feel. Both are light and easy to carry. The other kind of portable computer keyboards are the mini keyboards and the numeric keyboards.

Now, you know the different types of computer keyboards You can  read this buying guide to assist you more on which type you would like to purchase.

Guide on Choosing the Right Keyboard for You

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Thin and light keyboard

A slim and compact keyboard.

If you spend a lot of time in front of your computer, your fingers stay on your keyboard until your work is finished. If you are a graphic designer, a writer, a serious game player or a plain housewife, there is always the right keyboard for your needs. Read the various types of keyboards in this link.  If you are using a desktop, you are probably thinking of getting a keyboard with extra features that will make your computer experience better. If your current keyboard does not suit you, buy another one, but use this guide in choosing a keyboard.

Read the guide below:
  • Check the back of your computer to see the port. The round one is PS2 port while the rectangular is a USB port. This will tell you what type of connection your keyboard needs. If you do a lot of typing, use an ergonomic keyboard. On the other hand, if you deal with numbers, use a numeric pad. The right keyboard will allow you to work in great ease and comfort.
  • Today, both PAS/2 and USB ports are obsolete. The most recent keyboard is a wireless that connects to your computer via Bluetooth technology. The only problem is how to set it up. The keyboards needs to be compatible with the system. Find out if your computer has a Bluetooth adapter before purchasing one.
  • For serious game players, a gaming keyboard is just the right one for you. This is usually backlit and illuminated. You can play all night in the dark because you can see the keys very clearly. There are keyboards that needs more pressure when you type, but there are those that has that soft and sensitive touch. Depending on what kind of game you are playing, the “switch” is the mechanism that takes care of the sensitivity, level of noise, and comfort.
  • Nowadays, keyboards are design to make your computer experience relaxing. Keyboards can be group together according to the various needs of people. There are now portable and compact keyboards and the keys are close together. Additionally, it may not have a numpad like the picture above.
  • Should you go wire or wireless? The wireless will not clutter your working space because it has no cord. But it could get into the way of other wireless devices. If you are a serious game player, the wireless can lag which can affect the gameplay. Also, wireless is powered by batteries that will add to your cost, or you have to charge it as often.
  • The keyboards are also adjusted to the fast-paced lifestyle of users. There are keyboards like multimedia. It has extra keys for controlling the music player, launching apps, volume control, and so on. Others use a touch pad or a joystick in place of a mouse.

Of course, the keyboards that has added features has a price. You can always chose the one that fits your budget. The more features you want, the more expensive. Whatever you decide, whether ergonomic, gaming, wireless, multimedia, portable, do not forget to check the keystrokes first. See how the keys feel when you use it.

 

What To Do When Someone Steals Your Website?

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Website on a Browser

Oh no! Someone stole your content. How do you contact the perpetrator?

If you are in business, you surely have a website. What if someone stole your site from you? Someone could control your domain name and who knows what else could transpire. From there, the criminal can now control everything in your site including its content. It could be rerouted to any location the perpetrator/s chooses.

Getting back your site is no easy task, but if you really work hard for it, then the fight could be all worth it. Here are the steps of what to do, if it does happen to you.

  • Take a look at the email address of the offending website. If that is not workable, just go to WHO IS to know who registered the offending website. WHO IS  will provide you the website’s owner, and other pertinent information. Jot down all the contact information.
  • You should also find out who hosted the offending website. You can check it out by using WHO IS HOSTING THIS. Communicate with them because no respectable company will tolerate piracy.
  • Make use of Way Back Machine to review the past reviews on your site. This is a proof that you have been around longer than the offending website.
  • Provide a link to Google Cache to inform that Google Spiders found your content earlier than the offending site.
  • Do take screenshots of the materials stolen from you is another proof. If the whole site was stolen, it is wise to save the source code for future comparison.
  • Aside from taking screenshots, take note of the dates that the users made a comment on your blog to answer the original post. Gather all possible proofs and evidence. Do not forget to have your MySQL records. Get all the original and unedited graphics and images including the file date. Put together all backups of your site in the past which should include the modified dates.

After all the steps has been accomplished, contact the perpetrator. It is a good move to let the person know that you know that he or she has done a big mistake. And the reason for this are:

  • To inform the person about the theft.
  • Tell the person to modify, make correction, remove and then ask for a fair compensation.
  • Keep the line of communication open between you.
  • Make sure that the person knows that you have all the necessary information.
  • Mention that there is a paper trail of evidence to prove your authenticity.

When talking to the perpetrator, retain a professional tone and attitude even if the person is a bit hostile or defensive. Listen to the person’s side of the story. Never make a threat but just continue being professional. You gain the upper-hand when you do not show your anger. If everything else fails, seek for legal counsel.

To avoid the same thing in the future, make sure to have a stronger password. Change it whenever necessary. Choose a dependable antivirus software and often scan your computer for spywares. Get a Cyber Risk Insurance too. Prevention is better than cure.