Most small business owners have the misconception that a problem of that scale will never happen to them

And so, the season starts. Which one is it that we’re referring to? Cyber Monday, Black Friday, Prime Day…all of these sales tend to lean towards exceptional deals on electronics, and today that means the “smartest” of appliances are being purchased and set up in our homes.

As we move ahead, taking advantage of the energy of the new year and work to get our annual plans moving, sometimes rushing to get a lot more done than usual since we now know the unexpected is all that can be expected, let’s have a quick refresher.

We are past the point of whether or not working remotely, or from home, is something we are unsure of. It is likely our permanent setup, or at the very least, a long-term one that we need to move forward with and in confidence. These recommendations should be for readers who find themselves in this situation as well as any IT provider that oversees clients and their cybersecurity.

As a not-for-profit or charitable organization, the threat of a cyber breach may not be top of mind. After all, why would any hacker attack a charitable organization or a non-profit (NFP)?

Since November 1, Canada has had changes to their privacy laws, and with it, new requirements for companies, and their boards to report data breaches, both to the privacy commissioner, but also to their clients. This will mean that we will see, more than ever, headlines and stories of data breaches within our Canadian corporate world. Up to now, less than 1/10th of Canadian companies report data breaches to law enforcement, instead looking to deal with the issues internally.

Social media is great for a lot of things. Sharing photos, reconnecting with old friends, finding like-minded people and groups to share ideas and hobbies. But when does sharing become oversharing?

Hackers gain access to your personal data via your profile and the information you share there – and you don’t even realize it’s happening. Photos with your children and pets with identifying names on them, locations of where you’ve been, or where you are currently on vacation.