508-909-5961 [email protected]

Technology has long been a cornerstone in the healthcare industry. Changes in technology and advances in medicine are so closely linked that they’re often one and the same. This time, the changes have to do with artificial intelligence (also known as AI). This autonomous technology has the opportunity and the means to completely transform and […]

2016november1_healthcarearticles_bTechnology has long been a cornerstone in the healthcare industry. Changes in technology and advances in medicine are so closely linked that they’re often one and the same. This time, the changes have to do with artificial intelligence (also known as AI). This autonomous technology has the opportunity and the means to completely transform and revolutionize the healthcare industry in various ways.

Virtual Personal Health Assistants One of the most easily recognizable manifestations of such a technology is the use of AI as a virtual personal health assistant. This is a recognizable technology because it is essentially already used in everyday life. Siri, Cortana, Alexa, and other virtual personal assistants have already been put to use with smartphones and other devices.

If this existing AI technology could be combined with medical apps for the same devices, healthcare can rise to new levels. These personal assistants can help with mental health, appointment reminders, answering health questions, and medications and refill alerts. They can assist people get the medical care, advice, and tracking they need without putting additional burdens on healthcare professionals that are already stretched thin.

Health Coaching Another way that artificial intelligence can positively impact healthcare is through its use as a personal health coach. For patients who have chronic conditions, suffer from obesity, or have other long-term healthcare needs, AI health coaching might be the solution that provides continuous support, encouragement, and care. This could include monitoring of vitals and other health information, data analysis, and health advice based on the results.

Healthcare Bots Bots are also a possibility in the healthcare field. They can be accessible through the internet or via telephone and can provide 24-hour support for scheduling and billing issues. They may also have clinical applications, such as answering questions about medications and treatments. Bots can fill in the gaps when healthcare providers are unavailable, and they can help those providers focus on medical care rather than administrative and billing tasks.

Considering the numerous applications for artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry, it’s apparent that there are so many opportunities, current and future, to incorporate AI into the healthcare field.

Only time will tell if healthcare institutions will integrate this new technology with their clinics and hospitals. Want to discuss whether AI is right for you? Talk to us today to find out.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Read More

Microsoft Outlook has recently gone through some major updates and renovations. The purpose of all the massive changes to this oft-used communications tool is simple: to improve user experience and make this a streamlined and easy-to-navigate communications hub. Here are just some of the ways that the latest Outlook update changes the user experience. Improved […]

2016october31_office_bMicrosoft Outlook has recently gone through some major updates and renovations. The purpose of all the massive changes to this oft-used communications tool is simple: to improve user experience and make this a streamlined and easy-to-navigate communications hub. Here are just some of the ways that the latest Outlook update changes the user experience.

Improved Contact Cards One of the most welcome changes with the Outlook update is that the concept of the Contact Card has been greatly improved upon. In previous manifestations of Outlook, the information about contacts that was quickly available was limited to basic information such as name, phone number, and email address. With the new Outlook, Contact Cards can contain a person's job title, their relationship to you, and what your most recent communications were so that you can better remember who you are talking to and what you were talking about.

Smarter Search Features Searching contacts, emails, and other features of Outlook is easier with the latest update. Search features are now smarter in that they can go off of the first letter you type and retrieve your most frequent search requests starting with that letter. This speeds up searching and helps retrieve relevant information in seconds, not minutes.

People Section Enhancements Outlook has also made some major improvements and enhancements to the ‘main people’ section of Outlook. You can now create smart lists of people based on common features. This will include your most frequently contacted people, groups based on job titles or departments, favorites, and those who need follow-up. These lists makes sending group emails to relevant contacts much simpler because you don’t have to scour all your contacts to find the right people.

Now that you know some of the ways that Outlook has changed the user experience with its latest updates, you can begin to put these to use in your business. Contact us to help you navigate those changes and put the benefits to use in your business and personal communications.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Read More

A new Android malware is attacking sensitive files at some of the largest corporations in the U.S. and Europe. Companies that use BYOD programs are particularly vulnerable to infection of the malware, which comes from the DressCode family. Find out more about this malicious malware and how you can protect yourself from it. DressCode The […]

2016october28_android_bA new Android malware is attacking sensitive files at some of the largest corporations in the U.S. and Europe. Companies that use BYOD programs are particularly vulnerable to infection of the malware, which comes from the DressCode family. Find out more about this malicious malware and how you can protect yourself from it.

DressCode

The malware in question is part of the DressCode family of malicious programs. It has the potential to invade and spread through large corporations, infiltrating and downloading sensitive files directly from their networks. There are currently more than 3,000 cases of the ‘trojanized’ apps being sold in popular app stores, including 400 instances in the Google Play store alone.

The real danger of DressCode malware

This new Android malware is particularly hard to contain, as it hides within games and optimization boosters, occupying very little of the programming footprint and thus being very hard to detect. When an app containing it is downloaded, DressCode can invade whatever network the infected device is connected to. For corporations that allow employees to bring their own devices into the office for work, this ability to springboard from one device to another can be devastating.

The DressCode malware, once in control of a system, can communicate with the trojan’s developers and receive orders from them. It can turn infected devices into digital zombies than can be commanded to send spam and carry out attacks on other systems.

Avoiding the Impact of DressCode

There's no doubt that this new Android malware is a vicious infection that can leave hundreds of thousands of Android users suffering. But there are ways that you can avoid being one of those suffering from its effects.

To ensure that the apps you want to download are legitimate, it’s a good idea to start by checking their reviews. And while it should go without saying, we must remind you to never download anything from an app store that isn’t backed by reliable providers like Apple and Google.

Another solution is to install a mobile security program that blocks malware from being downloaded onto your Android device. Finally, always avoid unsecured networks, including public Wi-Fi.

We absolutely love our Android devices. Unfortunately, mobile devices, regardless of their brand, are some of the most vulnerable pieces of technology on the market. They switch between networks like you switch between apps, and that means a lot of security exposure. The only way to truly minimize these concerns is to hand off the management of your mobile device protocols to the professionals. Get in touch with us today to start the conversation about how we can help.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Read More

Windows 10 delivers comprehensive protection with built-in security features, including anti-virus firewalls and windows defender. The operating system also updates itself regularly to keep your security current and to continuously help safeguard against threats. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect, and Microsoft has announced some dangerous flaws hiding within Windows 10. But fret not, they’ve released patches […]

2016october27_windows_bWindows 10 delivers comprehensive protection with built-in security features, including anti-virus firewalls and windows defender. The operating system also updates itself regularly to keep your security current and to continuously help safeguard against threats. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect, and Microsoft has announced some dangerous flaws hiding within Windows 10. But fret not, they’ve released patches for them all, and we’ve got the details right here.

Internet Explorer

In its Windows 10 announcement, Microsoft clarified that it found four zero-day flaws, which are vulnerabilities that have never been seen before. Of the four, the most concerning is the one that allows cyberattackers to remotely take control of your machine with full administrative rights via Internet Explorer. All that is required to deploy the malware is visiting a website with the corresponding code.

Office

Microsoft Office also has a critical flaw that grants attackers the ability to corrupt memory and abuse privileges inherent to the user who opened the mischievous Office document. By amending how documents are saved and how code within a document is executed, Microsoft believes users will be much safer from email attachment schemes.

Exchange Server

For companies with on-premise servers, Microsoft Exchange Server patches need special attention. Without them, a malicious email could grant cyberattackers the ability to remotely insert and execute commands within the server. Patch MS16-108 provides cumulative updates and changes the way hotfixes and service packs are delivered. Lastly, it tries to ensure Microsoft Exchange Server follows a scheduled delivery model.

Microsoft Graphics

This security update for the Microsoft Graphics component of Windows 10 is considered ‘critical’ because of its presence throughout the entire operating system. Patch MS16-106 removes vulnerabilities in graphics processing protocols that would allow attackers to remotely control and exploit target systems.

If your desktops have not automatically updated themselves, users can trigger a manual update by opening the Settings window, selecting Update & Security, and finally Windows Update. Once there, simply select Check for Updates and follow the prompts to download and install the necessary updates.

Managing one machine is hard enough. If you're struggling to keep an entire office up and running, chances are you feel like you’re treading water in steel-toed boots. For total monitoring and maintenance of all your Windows machines, call us today -- we’ll throw you a lifeline and pull you aboard.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Read More