Construction firms that work on large projects are obvious targets for cybercriminals. The motivation is clear – if you can take down a single construction firm and disrupt one of their building sites, the business interruption could easily cost them hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars which they would never be able to recoup. Engineer Reddy Kancharla has some ideas on how to protect yourself from cyber-attacks.

Upon initiating an attack, cybercriminals typically begin with recon work – looking for clues about the target online through basic research so they can gather information about how sensitive/critical your data is and if it might be useful to them. Such research will allow them to choose the best type of attack for you, which could vary from simply trying to find and exploit a vulnerability in an outdated website CMS (Content Management System) to sending phishing emails.

One common form of cyberattack is called “phishing” – the art of essentially luring the victim into providing data which they would otherwise not provide or take action upon. A typical phishing attack would be an email that looks like it’s from your bank notifying you of the suspected fraudulent transaction, so you can click on the link in the email and provide additional details to verify your identity. This is only one kind of “phish,” though – here are some other examples,

· Phone call pretending to be IT at your company and claiming that they’ve found a vulnerability in your network

· Email from a reputable website (i.e., CNN) alerting you to an online survey, asking for information like your passcode or credit card number, etc.

There are no simple ways to protect against such attacks – simply putting up firewalls and antivirus software isn’t going to be good enough. For one, attackers may go after a trusted internal employee – an HR director, for example, and hack into the firm’s payroll database from inside the network. Additionally, most respectable companies have firewalls and antivirus software installed, but these programs require constant updates to still protect against new types of attacks. The frequency of updates is a key consideration when choosing a security solution – the more frequent, the better. Larger firms should look for an automated update system that can be scheduled during non-peak business hours not to interrupt your day-to-day operations.

Another way to protect yourself from cyber attacks is to ensure that you have a clear data classification policy, outlines the categories of information your firm deals with and specific ways that this information should be handled. Data classification policies are important because they give your employees guidelines on classifying and handling sensitive data. This topic might very likely never come up during their day-to-day work. What’s more, it helps you ensure that appropriate security measures are in place for different categories of data. I.e., only highly sensitive information like payroll data should be kept on servers with physical access protection (most firms use biometric readers or swipe cards to enter server rooms).

By 2025, the high-tech industries in most nations look set to change. A new wave of innovation is about to hit, and it’s all part of what many are calling the fourth industrial revolution. According to Northwestern Polytechnic University, technology breakthroughs are emerging, which are expected to make a big impact on employment, particularly in skilled jobs. So it might be time for some education and training updates.

According to a new research report presented at the World Economic Forum, nanotechnology and cyber security figure among the top skills that will be in demand in 2022. The report entitled “The Future of Jobs” predicts that 70% of children entering primary school today will work jobs that currently don’t exist. That’s why high schools need to be prepared with current learning materials.

The teaching of computer coding is set to become a larger part of the curriculum in most countries, especially due to the rise of driverless cars. “Experts predict that traffic accidents will drop by more than 80 percent when all vehicles are automated,” said Future Focused Institute’s Director of Research, Dr. Elizabeth Long Lingo.

Computer coding will also be important in other aspects of high tech, from helping robots communicate to making devices more energy-efficient, the report predicted. But, unfortunately, it’ll only get more complicated too, so it’s a good idea for teachers to try and drum up extra income by taking computer programming lessons themselves before they try to pass it on.

Teaching about the risks of cyber security breaches will also be crucial, as more electronic devices are used at home and work. Experts recommended that schools try and collaborate with local technology companies to ensure students understand how hackers might look to exploit them. Fortunately, computer programming can play a big role in making sure new products are hack-proof.

Teaching students about foreign cultures and languages is a big priority in high schools, with the world becoming more connected. However, with so many different dialects to teach in Asia alone, schools will have to consider investing in language learning tools to keep up with demand from parents wanting their children to gain a competitive edge when applying for universities.

What the Future Holds

“By 2030, the world’s technological landscape will be vastly different,” said Eric Nattinghouse of Future Focused Institute. “This is why high schools need to make sure they are prepared to teach our students properly. Learning about nanotechnology, the evolving Fourth Industrial Revolution, and cyber security will help them take advantage of these changes.”

He went on to say that teaching students about foreign cultures and languages will be a big priority in 2022. In the next few years, it’ll become quite common for children to learn Mandarin Chinese and English.

Lingering fears of artificial intelligence (AI) taking over jobs should also be considered by schools, especially since tech giants like IBM are looking at making smarter computers. “It’s only a matter of time before AI systems start making decisions about other AI-related tasks,” Long Lingo said.

 

If you are ready for the currency trading business, it returns profits to your effort. However, your trading fundamentals must be suitable for making profits. If there is any defect noticeable in your trading approaches, you will lose money from the business. And sometimes, the losses are prominent, and you cannot prevent them from happening. In that case, a trader should perceive the best preparations for his trading career. Especially during the preliminary stage of the trading career, a trader needs to take care of his trading strategies. If someone can use efficient techniques for money management and market analysis, his business will be profitable. That’s because he will predefine the best position sizing for a purchase. And that trader will also implement valuable precautions to the trades. As a result, there will be a low loss rate noticeable in the trading performance.

However, to experience a profitable trading career in Forex, every trader should make up the mindset. And with efficient trading strategies, the traders should develop their psychology. Thus, they can understand the market sentiments efficiently. Eventually, it will result in the most efficient trading quality that achieves an impressive win rate in this marketplace.

Mitigating the potential of losing money

To participate in the currency trading marketplace, traders need to secure their investment. It is crucial for the high volatility of this industry. Since the price charts are uncertain and unstable, traders cannot have confidence in a purchase. That is why everyone should take precautions with money management. It helps to reduce the risk exposure of the trades. And the traders can predefine a viable position sizing for their market analysis skills. Ultimately, it provides the most soothing trading experience in Forex.

As a result, everyone can protect the trading money from being lost. If a rookie tries winning instead of securing his capital, he will not control the investment. He will opt for the most insane size of lots and leverage ratio. As a result, the tension related to risk exposure will increase. Moreover, higher risk exposure will also increase the loss potential. Inefficient rookie traders increase the loss potential even more due to a lack of analytical skills. So, there is no value in avoiding safe money management in currency trading. Feel free to get more info at Saxo and learn to secure your capital in a strategic way.

Showing great effort in the market study

The market study is crucial for the volatile marketplace of Forex. As mentioned earlier, it is not simple for a trader to predefine profit potentials in Forex. In that case, a trader can only predefine the system for taking preparation. The system should support every precaution available for securing the investment. So, there is no alternative option other than position sizing. That is why a trader needs market analysis for the business. The money management will provide a suggestion to the risk-to-reward ratio. In the meantime, the market analysis helps to find the most suitable trade signals. In that case, a trader should learn how to research the markets efficiently.

Using valuable financial news and technical analysis techniques, every trader can prepare the most efficient trading plan. And it also provides the best protection to the purchases. As a result, traders can implement stop-loss and take-profit and call it a day. Ultimately, it results in the safest trading experience with the highest profit potential. But for a rookie trader, the most benefit comes in the form of low loss potential.

Implementing the crucial factors

Without implementing crucial factors in currency trading, a trader cannot protect the trading money. That’s because every fundamental element of currency trading has its purpose. Money management provides the most efficient risk exposure for a volatile marketplace. In the meantime, the market analysis helps to allocate crucial spots for opening and closing a trade. It also provides the best supports and resistances for implementing stop-loss and take-profit. Just like that, every trade execution should implement those elements for securing the trading capital. Otherwise, the losses in this business will be prominent.

Many people can agree that they are not quite as productive as they would like to be. After all, it’s easy to find yourself distracted with so many things going on on a day-to-day basis. However, if you’re consistently finding yourself wishing you had gotten more done at the end of the day, then you may not be reaching your full potential in your career. If you are looking to become even more productive, then take a look at some of the most practical tips for doing so.

Don’t Take On Too Much

One of the most common reasons why people become distracted is because they have too much on their plate. If you give yourself too much to do then you may find yourself dragging your feet to get started on a task. Before giving yourself too much to take on alone, ask yourself what you can realistically commit to. Decide when to outsource to a third party, and when it’s practical for your schedule. Finding a balance between what you can realistically take on and what you’d like to take on. You’ll find that you’re much more capable of getting things done by only giving yourself what you can do.

Reward Yourself

Rewarding yourself for hard work is a wonderful way to stay motivated. Working in spurts with the promise of a reward at the end can be incredibly motivating. Consider giving yourself a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow so to speak. By focusing on a positive reward at the end of hard work, you’ll be more inclined to perform even better.

Love What You Do

Sometimes you can’t force yourself to be productive when you simply don’t care about what it is you’re supposed to do. If you find yourself frequently falling behind on your work, it may have to do with your level of interest. When you find pleasure in your work, it never feels like you’re actually working. Consider changing careers if it means you’ll be better at what you do

Take Breaks

It may seem counterintuitive, however, taking breaks is a wonderful way to boost your productivity. When you give your brain a break, then you’ll recharge your battery and be able to work even harder when you get back to work. Productivity experts recommend taking several breaks of at least 10 minutes throughout the day.

It’s important to note that when you are working outside of a break, that you don’t allow yourself to succumb to any distractions. You should take full advantage of your breaks so that you can benefit fully from your work time. Ideally, you should get rid of any distractions when you’re not on a break to avoid break time spilling over into your productivity time.

Josh Melick has worn many hats throughout his career. First, as an engineer, he worked on some of the earliest mobile phone apps for managing field service operations. Then as a startup CEO, Josh wore the product leadership hat and helped grow Broadly into a ten-thousand user SMB CRM platform that Smith-Micro acquired in 2010. In the years since Josh has been a venture capitalist and startup founder in residence. But right now, he’s helping other entrepreneurs bring their ideas to fruition as a mentor in the Founder Institute, an early-stage incubator that helps entrepreneurs launch companies with sound business models.

We recently caught up with Josh to ask his advice for founders who are looking to hire their first employees.

Q: What do you base new hires’ salaries on?

Josh: “The most simple rule is that salary should be based on fair market value for the industry, skillset, and location of the role. Let me explain a bit further, though. I think there are many ways that founders can go about fair market value. One is to look at salary data on websites like Glassdoor or Salary.com. However, this can be challenging in early-stage companies without a lot of data because often the salaries are missing pieces of information, especially when you have an early-stage company that has raised less than $5 million in outside capital.”

“Another way to look at fair market value is by going to your local staffing agencies and seeing what they would charge for a candidate with the same skillset as the person you want to hire. If both options aren’t available, I think it’s okay to use a number you feel comfortable with based on research and personal knowledge. Still, I suggest that founders always err on the side of being generous.”

Q: How do you think about salary caps for new hires?

Josh: “I don’t know much about salary caps. Each time we’ve hired someone at Broadly, we just set the cap based on our current revenue and profits. Sometimes it was more than what we were paying a candidate, and sometimes it was less. It all depended on how much money we had in the bank (or more accurately, how much money we projected to have) at the time.”

Q: What’s your approach for bonus or equity incentives?

Josh: “My personal opinion is that bonuses are used best when you feel like you’ve really nailed the compensation number. This is especially true for higher-level roles like sales or marketing where you feel like you can show revenue goals and know what the bonus should be if the goals are met.”

Q: Anything I haven’t asked that you think is important to mention?

Josh: “I think that equity incentives are great but should be reserved for the very top talent. I also think it’s important to give a minimum amount of cash upfront, even if you have to take a small percentage away from the equity incentive.”

It feels like there have never been more ways to market a business than there are in 2021. Paid ads, content marketing, email lists, influencer campaigns—the list goes on.

Yet search engine optimization (SEO) is still the most consistent form of marketing. Organic searches create 53% of trackable website traffic.

Getting SEO marketing can be the difference between filling your hotel and selling rooms at rock-bottom prices. So what are the benefits of SEO marketing for your hotel?

Read on to learn more.

1. Enjoy Increased Visibility

People might consume travel content on social media. Yet when they want to book a hotel, they turn to search engines.

That’s why SEO marketing is so important. It boosts the visibility of your hotel online, right where potential guests are looking.

A smart marketer can get the website to appear higher in the search results. This leads to more traffic to your website and thus more bookings.

2. SEO is More Cost-Effective than Paid Ads

SEO marketing is more profitable than advertising. After all, you’re getting traffic without paying for it. This pushes up your profit margin.

Killer content is key to the success of your hotel marketing. That might include articles about places to visit near your hotel. Perhaps you delve into the attractions of the area.

This means you can target keywords of other things potential guests will search for. This hotel SEO broadens your reach beyond hotel listings. It puts your hotel in front of people who are actively interested in visiting the area.

3. SEO Marketing Gives a Brand Awareness Boost

On average, people need to see your marketing seven times before you make a sale. The higher you are in the search results, the more often people will see your brand.

This improves your brand awareness and makes it more likely that people will book with you. Using smart marketing lets you beat your competition to secure bookings.

Such great brand awareness can also lead to customer loyalty. The more users see your site in the top-ranked results, the more they’ll associate your hotel with high quality.

4. Improve Your Credibility

Better brand awareness also has a pay-it-forward effect on your marketing. When more people have heard of your hotel, it appears more credible in the search engine results.

This is particularly the case when paired with reviews. Creating a Google My Business listing lets guests leave reviews. These reviews show up in Google Maps when people search the area.

When people see how much others have enjoyed your hotel, they’re more likely to book with you.

Better SEO Leads to More Bookings

You can see how each element of SEO marketing works together to make SEO the best option you have. More visibility in the search results leads to more traffic. More traffic means more bookings, which means more reviews.

Better reviews also mean more traffic and more bookings. Over time, this increased traffic pushes you up the search results leading to more traffic! It’s a great self-perpetuating system once you get it set up right.

Keen to make more money and improve your marketing? Check out my business articles for more advice.

 

If you run your own business in heavy industry, you probably know a lot about your pumps and manufacturing equipment. But if you want to reduce expenses and increase profits, it will help if you follow some of these tips:

Leverage Advertising

When you send out invoices and other business material to your clients, remember to include advertising, such as promotions and flyers. This allows you to accomplish two things at once, which saves you money and may make you more, as well.

Try Free Software

Eventually, you will need to purchase the best software for your industrial company, whether you work in oil and gas, chemicals, or another sector. But did you know that you can try all kinds of software for free at www.download.com?

This handy site offers free versions and limited software versions to try with your employees before you invest.

Use Lean Management Principles

Businesses that want to make more money and attract investors should use lean management practices, such as hiring only necessary managers and combining responsibilities when possible.

Lean management also means cutting down on wasteful practices in your office and facilities and only hiring necessary managers.

For example, get rid of extra inventory that ties up your extra cash. Automate every task possible so you can save your money for the vital parts of your operations.

Minimize Meetings

The Harvard Business Review reports that meetings can reduce productivity and waste money. You can cause problems when you have so many meetings that it’s difficult for your staff to get their essential work done.

There is a time and place for meetings, but a group can wind up sacrificing their work for the whole, which can cost your company money.

Purchase Bulk Supplies

Most products are less expensive when you buy them in bulk. So unless your industrial company is just starting and you need to pinch pennies, you will usually be better off when you purchase office supplies in large quantities.

Push Energy Efficiency

You can spend a lot of money on utilities at your office. However, if you can boost energy efficiency with your staff, this can save you hundreds of dollars per month or more, which is more money you can put back into the company.

One of the high costs is heating and cooling. So it’s wise to invest in a smart thermostat so you can program your heating and cooling system to cycle off at night and on the weekends.

But if you have a large facility, it’s probably necessary to buy thermostats with multi-zone capability to address temperature needs across a large area.

Keep these tips in mind if you want to make your industrial company more profitable and efficient.

We live in extraordinary times. Never in history has mankind witnessed such a technological boom as the one we are currently going through. With such phenomenal developments, however, come greater threats to security.

From the cyber world to the real world, security cannot be ignored. Whether you have a business, a family, or both, implementing security strategies in your life can save you from heartache at a later date. Don’t ignore it until it’s too late.

But, you’re probably wondering where to start. Well, fear not! Keep reading to find out 4 tried and tested strategies for your home and business.

1. Upgrade Your Alarm System

Many people have this “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” attitude when it comes to their alarm system. While your trusty system may have served you well in the past few years, you could be unwittingly making your life more difficult.

Thanks to smart technology, many traditional alarm companies now offer more secure and user-friendly alarm systems that are now very affordable.

So, if your alarm still has those rubber buttons, it might be time to give it a makeover.

2. Get a Security Guard

Nothing beats the human (or animal) touch. If your security strategy involves safety against crime and violence, there is very little technology that beats the effectiveness of living, breathing, guards.

For example, you could hire a drug sniffing dog if you are concerned about drug activity in your business or home. Or using a human security guard serves as one of the best deterrents for any unwanted visitors.

3. Protect Your Passwords

One of the biggest misconceptions about passwords in this day and age is that one password for every account is sensible. The truth is, it’s a piece of cake for a hacker to obtain your passwords if you use one for everything and it’s the same one you’ve had since high school.

Why not consider a password manager that will throw cybercriminals off the scent and ensure that your data has ironclad protection at all times?

4. Regularly Update Software

Updating software can often be time-consuming and seemingly unnecessary. While it is true that it can slow your day down, unnecessary it is not! Along with bug fixes, updates are mainly security-based. The longer you put off updates, the longer you leave a kink your cyber-armor for hackers to exploit.

Set time aside, daily if possible, to make necessary updates. They are far more important than meets the eye.

You’re Only as Strong as Your Security Strategies

In this demanding world, it can be easy to put things off, but it’s crucial to be aware that cybercriminals feed off your complacency. None of these security strategies are foolproof, but that’s not a good reason for ignoring them.

The longer we wait, the more vulnerable we become. So, take advantage of the measures you’ve read above and make sure that your sleep is sound knowing that you’ve done your best in protecting your business and home.

For more informative articles like this one keep browsing our site.

 

Getting a new logo is a significant and scary step for any business. After all, from Pepsi to Pizza Hut, even redesigns on the most famous logos in the world can go disastrously wrong.

However, you can follow some simple tips to make sure you get your logo perfect the first time around.

Here is a quick guide on creating an eye-catching logo that works perfectly for your growing business.

Understand Your Intention

Not all logos serve the same purpose. If you are a small online business, you might only ever use your logo on your website.

However, say you are an events business. In that case, your might need a logo that works well on branded merchandise too.

So before starting any design work, figure out what your logo is going to be used for. This will help guide your design process and ensure you have a fit-for-purpose end design.

Figure Out Your Brand

Branding is more than a color scheme and font. What does your brand say about you and your business? What does it suggest to the average stranger on the street?

Branding is about creating a message with your audience. When designing logos, decide what you want that brand message to be first before you begin thinking about specific ideas.

Find Design Inspiration

Inspiration comes from many places. So take the time to capture ideas when designing a logo. You can collect thoughts together in a mood board.

Don’t forget to collect ideas offline as well as online. Sure, Pinterest might be great for inspiration, but look at what captures your attention the next time you walk down a street in your local town too.

Try Different Ideas to Get an Eye-Catching Logo

The first idea you have for a logo is unlikely to be the final design. And the truth is, the more iterations of a design you do, the better your chances of creating the perfect logo.

So don’t be timid about testing wildly different ideas, even if they seem far removed from your original brief. You never know what logo you will end up falling in love with until you see them on paper.

Don’t Be Afraid Of White Space

Simple is undoubtedly beautiful. Many amateur designers make the mistake of thinking they have to create a big, bold logo. Still, you can get some stunning results by taking a more subtle approach to design.

So when thinking about how to design a logo, start small and use white space around the font and graphics to create a more elegant finish.

Get Honest Feedback

You might love a logo design, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that one will be the most suitable logo for your business. After all, you are not your customer.

Allow plenty of time to get feedback from friends or customers on about 5-6 shortlisted logos before you settle on the final design. By doing this, you will end up with a far more effective logo.

Take Your Time

An eye-catching logo is an ideal way for your business and brand to grab the attention of your target customer. So it’s worthing taking your time with the design to get it absolutely perfect.

What is your favorite big brand logo? Share in the comments below.

2020 was a year not so many people were happy about because of the pandemic. This affected many sectors, including real estate.

For instance, people were more concerned about saving their lives and loved ones than checking out a home. This dropped sales and investment for the year and has dragged on since.

Now that the world is beginning to get the hang of the virus, things are beginning to change across all sectors. For the real estate sector, many people are eager to know what 2021 holds for it.

This is why real estate entrepreneur Winston Deloney has been invited to speak about investing predictions in 2021.

Tell us about your love for real estate and investment.

I often get asked about my love for real estate, that I fear I might one day fail to find words that adequately express it. My life is built around real estate investment, and I always encourage people to dive into the sector.

Though sometimes it can be volatile, with the right knowledge you will know how to salvage bad situations. This is one reason I maintain a blog where I explore the art of real estate investing. My blog is a great resource for anyone looking to go into real estate or just seeking robust knowledge.

2020 was not a year that many people were happy about. Do you think the pandemic of last year affected real estate?

If you look around, I doubt you can point to any sector that was not affected by the pandemic that engulfed the world. Of course, the real estate was affected. Sales drop drastically, and investors couldn’t commit funds to the sector since it was rather too volatile to do so.

Are these effects recoverable, or has the real estate recovered from it? 

Like before, real estate will always bounce back. I believe that despite the negative effects of the pandemic on real estate, there are still many prospects to expect. So, I believe that these effects are not something that real estate cannot recover from.

What are the investing predictions for real estate in 2021?

There are some predictions for the real estate sector for 2021, especially regarding investment. After considering some available information, these are my predictions.

• In 2021, the real estate mortgage rate may remain around 3%. This is due to slow economic growth and the growing trade war between China and the USA.

  Since Covid-19 has not been defeated, there might be less expectation about the growth of mortgage rates beyond 3%.

• The retail sector may continue to suffer a decline. However, the medical sector will be the hot Commercial Real Estate (CRE) in property, while the industrial sector will follow.

  The basis of this is the shift the pandemic gave to the ways things are being done. For instance, there’s a greater focus on health and building more health facilities. In the same way, there is a de-escalation of the need for physical offices due to remote jobs.

• Housing prices will likely stay high in 2021 due to the boom in residential construction. It can be relatively seen in the Chicago real estate scene.

Do you envisage any changes that could affect these predictions positively or otherwise?

These predictions are what they are—guess works based on available evidence. If nothing changes these, then there are likely not going to be changes in the predictions.

Depending on the kind of change that happens, the effect might be positive or negative. But then, I will say let us keep our fingers crossed and be hopeful for the best.

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