Considerations for Workplace Operations

Loss of Electricity: Without power, most businesses would experience an immediate halt in operations. This affects everything from lighting to the operation of computers and machinery. Companies that do not have backup power sources might be unable to continue any form of production or service delivery.

Water Supply Disruption: The loss of water would impact sanitary conditions and halt processes that require water, affecting sectors like manufacturing, food and beverage, and healthcare services. It also raises serious concerns for employee welfare at workplaces.

Natural Gas Outage: For companies relying on natural gas for heating or as a part of their production process, a disruption would halt operations and affect the heating and comfort of work environments, especially in colder climates.

Communication Breakdown: The loss of phone and cell services would severely disrupt communication, both internally among staff and externally with clients, suppliers, and partners. This could lead to breakdowns in coordination, missed opportunities, and a drop in customer service quality.

Shipping and Logistics Challenges: The inability of shipping companies to operate would disrupt supply chains, leading to shortages of materials and products. This would cascade, causing production delays and potentially leading to financial losses.

Food Service Disruptions: If restaurants and food services cannot operate, it could affect food availability for employees, especially for businesses that rely on nearby food services for staff meals.

Manufacturing Disruptions: Manufacturing operations would be severely impacted, especially those reliant on continuous processes. This could lead to significant financial losses and contractual penalties.

Financial Impact: The cumulative effect of these disruptions would be substantial financial losses due to halted operations, spoiled goods, contractual penalties, and loss of business opportunities.

Unusable Work Environment: Inability to see or work due to power outages, coupled with extreme hot or cold conditions, would affect productivity.

Employee Safety and Morale: The safety and morale of employees would be significantly affected. Companies may face challenges in maintaining workforce engagement and productivity during such crises.

Employee Prioritization of Family Needs: With schools closing and potential dangers at home, employees would naturally prioritize the safety and well-being of their families. This would result in increased absenteeism and a significant decrease in workforce availability.

Dependency on External Aid: Companies would be heavily reliant on external assistance, whether from government aid, emergency services, or community support, to navigate through the crisis.

Long-Term Recovery Challenges: Even after services are restored, businesses would face challenges in resuming operations, managing backlogs, and dealing with the financial and operational aftermath.

Challenges You and Your Employees May Face in Personal Life

And just as important, how will you support your workers as they face the challenges at home with their immediate and extended families? How will you take care of your family? Here are some of the challenges that company leaders can consider to help employee well-being:

Food Supply Issues: The lack of electricity would lead to food spoilage at stores and homes, creating a food scarcity crisis. Companies should consider ways to support their employees with necessities in such scenarios.

Cooking and Sanitation Challenges: Without electricity or gas, cooking would become a significant challenge. Lack of water would also impact basic sanitation, including dishwashing and toilet flushing.

Automobile Fuel Shortage: Fuel pumps would cease to function without electricity, leading to a fuel shortage. This would impact employees’ ability to commute, further reducing workforce availability and potentially halting any operations involving transportation. Work from home is not an option when Internet connections are down.

Increase in Crime: A breakdown in public services could lead to increased theft and other crimes, as law enforcement may be overstretched or focused on their own families’ safety. Companies must enhance their security measures to protect their assets and personnel.

Hygiene and Health Concerns: The lack of water and proper sanitation facilities could lead to hygiene issues and the spread of diseases. This would have a direct impact on employee health and absenteeism.

Inadequate Healthcare Services: Healthcare facilities might be overwhelmed or incapacitated, limiting access to medical services. This could exacerbate health issues among employees and their families.

Payment and Transaction Challenges: With credit card machines down, transactions must be conducted in cash, a medium that might become scarce. This would affect both personal transactions and business operations.

Lack of Resilience and Knowledge: Most people are accustomed to modern infrastructure and might not be resilient to such a drastic change. This could lead to widespread panic and confusion, affecting mental health and the ability to cope with the situation.

Influx of Refugees: Should your area maintain functional infrastructure, expect an influx of refugees from impacted zones. This could stretch your community’s resources thinner, intensifying issues like food scarcity, healthcare access, and public safety.

Steps to Take:

Be sure to see the article about ways to make your organization more resilient https://fosterinstitute.com/executive-guide-to-navigating-power-internet-and-infrastructure-disruptions/

Conclusion:

The ramifications of a disruption in a nation’s infrastructure extend far beyond the workplace, affecting every aspect of employees’ lives and, by extension, the overall resilience of the business. Leaders must, therefore, not only focus on fortifying their operational infrastructures but also invest in strategies that support their workforce in times of crisis.

Subscribe to maximize your executive potential with Foster Institute’s E-Savvy Newsletter, packed with practical IT security solutions and actionable strategies for success: https://fosterinstitute.com/e-savvy-newsletter/

The post Consequences of Infrastructure Disruptions: A Realistic Assessment for Business Leaders appeared first on Foster Institute.

Envisioning the Business Impact: Understanding the potential consequences of an infrastructure attack is critical. This includes being aware of how a loss of electricity or water supply, communication breakdowns, or disruptions in shipping and logistics can impact your business. It’s not about anticipating doom; it’s about recognizing and planning for possible business interruptions.

Interrupted Cloud Connectivity: In this digital age, many companies have transitioned to cloud-based operations. It’s crucial to acknowledge that while cloud services offer tremendous benefits, they also present unique challenges, especially in scenarios of power failures and internet outages. Be sure your business continuity and disaster recovery plans consider periods of limited or no access to cloud services, including critical functions like email.

Emergency Communication Plan: Diversification in communication methods is key. Developing a plan that extends beyond digital and cellular networks can ensure continuous operations. Alternatives like two-way radios, messengers, and satellite phones for key personnel are not just about crisis management, but about maintaining uninterrupted communication channels under various circumstances.

Financial Resilience: Financial strategies that encompass scenarios like cash-based transactions and alternative payroll methods demonstrate foresight in financial planning. It’s about ensuring that your business remains operational and your employees are taken care of, regardless of the situation.

Supply Chain Resilience: In the face of fuel shortages and electricity disruptions, rethinking your supply chain is vital. Local sourcing can reduce dependence on long-distance transport, while increasing buffer stocks of key materials ensures consistent supply flow. Adapting to manual or low-tech inventory management maintains operational continuity when digital systems fail. This strategy is not just about responding to crises; it’s about proactively creating a robust and flexible supply network for any situation.

Employee Support and Training: In any challenging situation, the well-being of your workforce is paramount. Educating employees on fundamental resilience skills and establishing support systems for essentials like food and water are not only about disaster readiness but also about nurturing a strong and supportive corporate culture.

Regular Drills and Plan Updates: Engaging in routine exercises to test and update disaster recovery plans is not just about remaining resilient in worst-case scenarios. It’s about ensuring that your team is ready and efficient in any form of business interruption, maintaining agility and responsiveness.

Supporting Employees in Crisis: In any significant disruption, employees will prioritize their families’ needs. Acknowledging and planning for this – through support in food supply, healthcare, and security – is an integral part of maintaining a resilient workforce. The support you provide will encourage employees to remain engaged and productive at your organization during challenging times.

Conclusion:

This article offers essential insights to help your business thrive amidst a wide spectrum of operational challenges. Please forward this to your friends so they can increase their organization’s resilience too.

Comprehensive List of What to Expect:

https://fosterinstitute.com/consequences-of-infrastructure-disruptions-a-realistic-assessment-for-business-leaders/

Subscribe to maximize your executive potential with Foster Institute’s E-Savvy Newsletter, packed with practical IT security solutions and actionable strategies for success: https://fosterinstitute.com/e-savvy-newsletter/

The post Executive Guide to Navigating Power, Internet, and Infrastructure Disruptions appeared first on Foster Institute.

To combat this, Apple’s iOS 17.3 introduces “Stolen Device Protection”. Here’s why activating it is crucial:

1. Face ID/Touch ID Requirement: Your iPhone will require your Face ID or Touch ID to turn off lost mode or erase the phone.
2. Time-Delay Security: Changes to your Apple ID password, iPhone passcode, and key settings now have a one-hour delay.

Settings for Theft Protection:

• Quick Tip to find specific settings: Open Settings, swipe down slightly, and use the search box that appears at the top. You will find all of the settings in bold text by searching in Settings:
• Software Update: iOS 17.3 enables Stolen Device Protection.*
• Backup: Check your backup status by searching for Backup in Settings.
• Use Face ID or Touch ID so potential thieves won’t see you enter your passcode.
• Activate Stolen Device Protection:This is the new setting that spurred me to write this blog for you
  
• Ensure “Find My” is enabled on Apple devices. Use iCloud.com/find or the Find My app to be sure tracking works.

Other Essential Steps:

• Have alternate login methods for resetting passwords for apps and websites that use multi-factor and two-step logins.
• If you use authentication apps, ensure you configure ways to generate codes or recover keys if you lose or erase your phone.

If Your Phone is Stolen:

• Act Fast: Use iCloud.com/find or the Find My app to enable “lost mode” and track your phone.
• Consider Carrier Notification: They can disable phone calls and cellular data but might limit Find My functionality.
• Device Erasure: If you have backups, and ways to recover keys in authentication apps, use Find My to erase your device to help prevent data access.
• Password Resets: If not erasing your phone, consider resetting passwords for critical accounts if passwords are stored on the phone or if apps login automatically.

As always, threat actors will seek ways to bypass this protection. As of now, this feature is a huge leap forward to protect an iPhone and iPad from thieves who see the passcode. Congratulations, and thank you, Apple!

*If your phone or tablet is too old to update to iOS version 17.3 or newer, see https://fosterinstitute.com/be-prepared-know-the-impact-of-iphone-theft-and-what-to-do-right-now/. for recommendations.

Note: Testing the Stolen Device Protection feature at home may not work, as Apple devices might waive the strict requirements in familiar locations like home or work. You can read all of the details about Apple Stolen Device Protection for iPhone here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212510

Subscribe to maximize your executive potential with Foster Institute’s E-Savvy Newsletter, packed with practical IT security solutions and actionable strategies for success: https://fosterinstitute.com/e-savvy-newsletter/

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general informational purposes only. Technology changes constantly, and some of this information might become obsolete or incorrect. We do not endorse or receive compensation for mentioning products, services, or brand names. Any outbound links provided are for your convenience and to get you started, but we cannot guarantee the security or safety of those external websites. Conducting your research and making an informed decision about any products or services mentioned here is essential. We shall not be held responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided.

The post Safeguard Your Apple iPhones and iPads: Activate the Latest Theft Protection Setting Now! appeared first on Foster Institute.

Before you click a link, follow instructions, or consider believing a text message, look at the sender’s phone number.

Major organizations do not text you from a phone number; they use an SMS Short Code. The code is five to eight digits long and is much more difficult for attackers to spoof.

See if you can figure out which of these messages is fake:

Sender: 59569
Thank you for joining Target Circle! Reply STOP to unsubscribe

Sender: 26096
Use verification code 908197 for Microsoft Authentication

Sender: 754-555-1279
Your credit card is suspended due to fraudulent activity. Proceed immediately to HTTPS://…

Sender: 14105550009
Did you claim your gift from ATT? Hurry up! HTTP://…

You’re right. The third and fourth messages are fake, and less aware users who follow the link are likely to experience a cybersecurity event they might not recognize. Attackers could install malware that will spy on their phone, download contact lists, record conversations, and more. The link could take them to a fake login screen for their bank. The screen will look perfectly accurate and ask them to reset their password. The trusting phone owner will enter their old password when prompted. They might install an app that can attempt to access the smart devices in their home to gather personal information. You get the idea.

Please forward this to your friends so that they can keep an eye out for the SMS Short Codes and know those are more difficult for attackers to spoof. They’ll know to be suspicious of messages that claim to be a major organization but come from what looks like a phone number.

The post One Way to Identify Dangerous Text Message Scams appeared first on Foster Institute.

A big problem is that security patches that protect against these kinds of breaches never reach users’ Android devices because of something known as Android fragmentation. When Google releases security patches, the patches are sent to device manufacturers, who are then responsible for releasing the patches for their different models. Some do not release the patches, or do so after a long delay.

Google is taking steps to help mitigate the problem, such as scanning phones and apps to look for Gooligan code and forcing resets of credentials to Google accounts. But so far that hasn’t been enough to protect those million users that have had their accounts hacked.

So, what can you do? Always stay up to date with the latest Android versions and patches. Choose a brand that has a track record for releasing patches every 30 days. Blackberry is one of those brands, but few people use those devices. If 30 days is too long to wait, consider using the Google Pixel line of Android phones since, because Google makes the devices, patches and upgrades should be available for download immediately upon release. Note: Brand names are mentioned to provide value to you. We do not receive any kind of compensation for mentioning brands. Another strategy is to install as few apps as possible on your device. Each app is a potential security issue and many people have installed apps that they realize are not essential, and some apps are rarely, if ever used.

Please forward this to anyone you know that uses Android devices and would like to be more secure.

The post 1 Million Android User Accounts Reported Hacked appeared first on Foster Institute.

First of all: Don’t panic.

Apple is removing the infected apps from the App Store.

If you receive an email about XcodeGhost, even if it appears to be from Apple themselves, be wary. If there are any links in the email message, or if there are any attachments, do not click the links or open any attachments. You may be infected by attackers who are taking advantage of frightened users.

Online lists of infected apps includes a PDF Reader app, WinZip, and card scanner applications. More apps are being discovered as the investigations continue.

If you want to find more information, enter this search into Google: XcodeGhost site:apple.com

Finally, and most importantly, raise your awareness that all devices are susceptible to attacks. It doesn’t matter what manufacturer, what platform, what operating system, or whether it is a phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. We are living in a different kind of world now. Some people on the planet, very brilliant people, have different ethics and morals than you do.

Keep using good security habits!

The post iPhone and iPad Hacking Alert appeared first on Foster Institute.

Discussing this with a chief executive last week, he expressed that his phone needs to be able to fit into his pocket in order for the phone to be useful. That makes a lot of sense.
In my experience, temporarily switching to a larger phone with a six-inch screen, just as an experiment, became permanent. With big fingers, and eyesight affected by experiencing more and more birthdays, the larger screen is a wonderful thing!

Perhaps with perfect timing, that phone fell on the ground last night and the screen cracked. Moments later, I ordered a replacement despite the scratches caused to my left ear. If the new iPhone 6 with the larger screen were already shipping, it would have been very tempting to order it instead.

If you choose to purchase an iPhone 6, will you opt for the new larger screen or prefer to stick with the normal screen? And why?

The post New Big Screen iPhone appeared first on Foster Institute.

The Fire Phone, scheduled to be available the end of July from AT&T, tracks your face for “sort of 3D,” sports an amazing camera, can recognize almost everything it sees or hears, but what about features for your company?

You will have the ability to view MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. The phone provides Outlook and uses your Exchange server for messages, contacts, calendar, tasks, etc. The device supports encryption and is supposed to support VPN connectivity soon. Then, of course, there are so many apps available in Amazon’s own Fire Phone Apps in Amazon’s store. See details by googling: “Fire Phone for Work site:amazon.com” or click here: Fire Phone for Work

For IT Pros, they will be happy that the phone supports their ability to remote-wipe a lost or stolen phone and control the installation of applications. A notable tool is Amazon’s Whispercast.

Whispercast is a stable platform that schools and businesses use already. It provides an easy interface for your IT professionals to manage these devices including limiting Wi-Fi connectivity and provide content restriction (such as blocking access to social media sites). IT Pros can configure users into “groups,” with each group receiving different content and restrictions.

Soon other MDM (Mobile Device Management) tools will add robust features that your IT Pros need in order to enhance security and productivity for devices using your network.

Is there a Fire Phone in your future? Can your IT manage the BYOD features? At least you know it can “do business.”

Please post your comments below…

The post Fire Phone at Work appeared first on Foster Institute.

After months of using the Windows Phone as an experiment, I saw no compelling reason to stay with the Windows Phone. So I moved back to an iPhone 5S and was shocked to realize how much better the Windows Phone really is. Voice quality is much better for one thing.

The first big improvement: Selecting text

Copy and paste are two very important functions for people who like to move paragraphs. Some people like to pull information from web sites and other email messages into a new email (or text) message.

When “Select All” includes text you don’t want, have you ever tried to use an iPhone to select specific text in order to copy and paste? Success can be hit-and-miss, especially for text close to the edge of the screen. The Windows phone provides a significantly better experience. Granted, I have comparatively big fingers. My wife is much more adept at using the tiny touch screen.

Even if you never copy and paste, consider the second biggest improvement: Auto-correct

When typing an email message on an iPhone, when the iPhone is supposedly “correcting” your typos, you have to click the little x to tell Apple to leave your word alone the way you typed it. That can mean “one more click” per word. Extra clicks just slow you down.

Except for the most obvious typos, the Windows phone actually leaves your text as you typed it. It provides options from which you can choose if you realize you made a typo.

It seems to learn complete sentences that you’ve used before and makes “next word” suggestions accordingly.

In summary, the improved “copy and paste” and better auto-correct will be enough reason for some people to switch to a Windows Phone.

Thank goodness for the 14 day testing period. I traded the 5S right back in for an upgraded Windows Phone. The 6-inch screen and processing power of the Lumina 1520 are impressive.

Please post your comments below…

The post Two Reasons Why Microsoft Phones are Better than Apple Phones appeared first on Foster Institute.

I’ve owned three MacBook Air computers and have loved them all. I bought the Airs because they are compact to carry, are very powerful, lightweight, durable, and really nice looking.

Apple iPhones and iPads have touch screens that we all love. We’ve become a touch-centric world, and Apple has driven that transition perhaps more than anyone.

The post Apple is Silly for Not Offering Touch Screens appeared first on Foster Institute.