Wake up. Take a shower. Get dressed. These are just some of the numerous tasks we do every single day. They may not be fun, but they are essential to our daily routine. Managing a website is very much the same. By going through certain necessary steps, you can ensure the speed and security of your WordPress website. The best part? They don’t take long to complete!

Make backups

It’s crucial to perform a daily off-site backup of your WordPress files and database. This ensures data security in the event of a network breach or natural disaster, and it will facilitate the resumption of your business’s regular operations. Although plugins like BackUpWordPress and hosting servers like SiteGround automate the backup process, manual backups are still necessary.

Verify backups

Not only should you be making backups, but you should also be verifying them. By doing so, you are making sure that the backed up files are going where they are supposed to, and backups are being updated. The last thing you need is a failed backup strategy on the day you need it most!

Daily security reports

If you ask any cybersecurity expert, “Is it crucial to maintain a daily network security report?” the answer will be a resounding “YES.” While you might not have enough time to carry out thorough inspections and create these reports yourself, you can use security monitoring services like Sucuri. Not only does it carry out the inspections, but it also sends an SMS to notify you of any suspicious activity and emails you a daily status report.

Malware scans

Cybercriminals are growing in both number and sophistication. With every passing day, new strains of malware are developed and released onto the systems of small- or medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Unless you are a bonafide hacker yourself, detecting malware might be a little tricky. WordPress plugins like Wordfence keep your website safe using the latest firewall rules and flagging the latest malware signatures and malicious IP addresses.

Speed audits

Slow and steady may be qualities valued by some, but not so much for your website. Plugins like Google PageSpeed Insights test how fast your site loads. If it takes more than five seconds, you should consider implementing caching and other measures to speed up your site. Slow sites put off visitors, and that further lowers their search rankings.

Review your site

For this step, sit down with an impartial friend and let them explore your website. A fresh pair of eyes will highlight issues you may have overlooked, such as forgetting to update the copyright date in your footer.

Forbes, National Geographic, and The New York Times are all powered by WordPress, which means you are in good company. By sticking to the checklist, you too can harness the power of this online, open-source website creation tool. Or, instead of signing up for half a dozen services that need daily check-ins, why not have us take care of all of it for you? If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to send us an email or give us a call!

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Whether it be cloud, mobile, or on-premises, every technology you use stores confidential data that are accessed by your employees. So how do you guarantee the safety of said data from cyberthreats like identity theft, phishing attacks, and more? Identity and access management (IAM) is the answer, and here’s why.

What is IAM?

Identity and access management is a system that secures, stores, and manages user identities and access privileges. It ensures that users are who they say they are and will grant access to applications and resources only if they have permission to use them. System administrators can make it so that employees can only access apps and data they need for work.

Other solutions that go into identity and access management include single sign-on (SSO) and multifactor authentication (MFA). The former allows users to securely log in to multiple applications that they are authorized to access. Meanwhile, MFA sets an additional method of user verification other than passwords. This includes fingerprint scans, facial ID, or a one-time security code from an SMS.

These security solutions are designed to protect digital assets even if users attempt to access company accounts through mobile devices and the cloud.

Centralize access control

Too much access to certain systems is risky, while too little can hamper productivity and frustrate users. IAM strikes the perfect balance by letting you set centralized policies for the right access privileges. For example, you can deny your design team access to the accounting system while granting it to your CFO.

Each user’s role and attribute can be used to determine which resources they’re allowed to access and to what extent. This not only offers better security, but also more flexibility and ease of management.

Lower chances of data breaches

With SSO and MFA, your employees will no longer have to remember multiple passwords. Instead, they’ll be able to prove their identity using evidence-based authorization such as answering a personal question that only they would know. IAM also comes equipped with advanced encryption tools to protect sensitive data, reducing the risk of compromised user credentials.

Improve user experience

Customers today interact with your company across multiple channels, whether in the cloud or via third-party applications. This is where IAM helps provide a better experience through SSO, self-service capabilities, and unified customer profiles that make communication processes quick and easy.

Your employees, on the other hand, will be able to access the information they need securely and conveniently no matter where they are. This means productivity will no longer be confined to their office desk.

Achieve regulatory compliance

Businesses today must meet the constantly changing regulatory requirements concerning data access governance and privacy management. IAM was designed with just that in mind and provides control over who can access data and how it can be used and shared.

Reduce IT costs

IAM automates and standardizes many aspects of identity, authentication, and authorization management. This means you’ll be able to minimize significant labor costs associated with keeping your business environment secure.

An identity and access management solution equips you with much-needed security without compromising on usability and convenience. To operate in a digital business environment, it’s not a matter of “if” but “when” you’ll adopt IAM within your company.

If you’re looking to enhance company-wide security, whether with IAM or other solutions, why not give us a call? We’re sure we can help.

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Technology plays an important role in streamlining business processes. Artificial intelligence (AI), for example, is making huge strides in the healthcare industry, not only helping medical professionals better care for their patients, but also giving people proactive means of managing their health and lifestyle.

Virtual personal health assistants

At the helm of the AI revolution are virtual personal health assistants. A lot of people are already using such apps through their smartphones, wearable devices, computers, and other gadgets to keep track of their heart rate, blood pressure, and diet.

Virtual health assistants can also set a doctor’s appointment for you and remind you about it. They can document your symptoms so you can relay them to your doctor easily and efficiently.

The proliferation of smart watches and other wearables that utilize AI also helps doctors monitor patients with early-stage heart disease. This enables them to detect potentially life-threatening episodes and deliver the proper treatment earlier, increasing patients’ chances of survival.

Healthcare bots

Healthcare bots are another AI-powered tech making waves in the healthcare industry. These provide quick answers when a patient’s primary healthcare provider is not immediately available. Accessible via the internet or over the phone 24/7/365, bots can ask patients about their medical history, allergies, and medical concerns, and provide immediate, affordable, and legitimate medical advice.

AI research and development is also making patient-physician and physician-physician interactions more efficient. Now available on the market are AI-powered apps that let doctors better understand their patients’ conditions, allowing them to provide better feedback and overall care. There are also apps that let healthcare providers compare their prescribing behaviors with others who are treating or who have treated the same condition.

What’s more, bots help healthcare providers minimize administrative and billing tasks, so they can focus more on medical care.

Health coaching

People with chronic illnesses can gain a lot from using virtual health coaches. For example, patients with diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and other long-term conditions can find the assistance they need from an AI coach that regularly monitors and analyzes their vitals and behaviors. A virtual coach can also provide accurate dietary and medical advice based on a patient’s health data.

These are just some of the ways that AI is transforming the healthcare industry. For questions about how your healthcare organization can leverage AI and other technologies, drop us a line today.

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Firefox is known for its versatility, a quality that only gets better with each new upgrade. But a feature is only good if you actually use it. Here are Firefox features that you can use to empower your business:

Firefox’s secret tweak interface

Catering to the more tech-savvy users, Firefox’s secret interface gives you a peek behind the curtain into the world of coding. This helps you make adjustments to improve browser performance.

Customize your toolbar

Choose which tools you want to see in your Firefox toolbar and maybe even discover new ones you haven’t heard of! Click on the menu button on the top-right corner and then click Customize. Drag and drop desired items into the toolbar, which is located along the address bar near the top of the browser page.

The master password

‘One can never be too safe’ is the mentality you should have every time you log on. Enter the master password. This acts like a key that unlocks all your vital passwords and information that could be detrimental if left exposed.

Create your own password by going to the menu button > Options > Privacy & Security. Then check the box next to “Use a master password” and follow the directions in the pop-up window.

Customize your own shortcuts

If Mozilla’s current shortcuts take too long to master, consider your problem solved. With the help of the Shortkeys add-on, you have the luxury to design your own shortcut sequences. No more confusion, no more time wasted.

URL autocomplete

To spare you the fuss of entering prefixes or suffixes, Firefox lets the new URL autocomplete feature do the work for you. For example, type in “wordpress” in the address bar followed by Ctrl + Enter (Mac: Command + Enter) and voila! Firefox fills in the www and the .com parts.

Firefox Send

This feature enables you to share files up to 1G in size. The files you send are encrypted for added security. Your recipient doesn’t even have to have an account — all they need is a password to receive your file.

Firefox is still developing and with the browser market becoming more and more competitive, there is no doubt that this smart tool will only become smarter and more versatile in the future.

If you want to discover new ways to make Firefox work for your business, just give us a call.

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