Gaining access to your account can provide everything from photos stored in your phone, to the passwords of Wi-Fi access points to which you’ve connected to in the past. That is very concerning.

When attackers know your browsing history, your email messages, your past search terms and the links you’ve clicked, they can use that information to perform very effective attacks tailored to trick you and the members in your company. With knowledge of your passwords, they can wreak all kinds of havoc.

Go get an idea of the kind of data that is stored in the cloud and is potentially accessible to attackers who use the right tools, see google dot com /policies/privacy/

Additionally, there are tools available, such as cloud explorer, that make it easy for even non-technical attackers to conveniently gain access to the sensitive information stored in your phone.

Please forward this to whomever is concerned about their mobile device’s security.

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Do this:

Any data that is non-sensitive in any way, feel completely confident using any of the “cloud” services. This is both for convenience (so you can share between devices and share with people outside of your organization) and or “backup” or archival purposes.

Any data that you deem as slightly sensitive, but the consequences of a breach would be minimal, store that information in the cloud too. When you are making your decision, assume there is a 10% chance that this data will be exposed while in the cloud. In reality, the chance of exposure is probably significantly less than 1%, at least from a technology standpoint. I want you to be overly cautious when you choose what not to put into the cloud.  User and Employee error is also an important factor to consider.

For an added protection: Encrypt the files and data before you put it into the cloud. If you use a service to backup your computer to the cloud, make positive to set the proper settings to encrypt those backups.

For your most sensitive data, store it only on computers that you have direct control over. Do not store any data in the cloud if the loss of the data would be devastating to you, your business, or your customers who trust you with their sensitive information. Period.

The key to knowing what to (and what not to) put into the cloud is to categorize your data and consider risks vs. benefits. Cloud storage can save you time, money, and provide added functionality. Make informed decisions about what to store there.

The post Should You Trust Cloud Storage? appeared first on Foster Institute.

Depending on your IT Pro’s expertise and their roles and responsibilities at your organization, facilitate their earning their MCSE Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert level certifications in one or more: Server infrastructure, SQL Server, cloud, messaging, etc.  Additionally, there are certifications for Windows 7 and Windows 8.

For IT Pros that support your users, Microsoft even has certifications for Word, Excel, etc.

More info about Microsoft Certifications: www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification-overview.aspx.

IT changes so fast that IT professionals must—continuously—update their knowledge and skills. Your business depends on it.

The post What Your IT Pro Doesn’t Know Can Hurt You appeared first on Foster Institute.

Storing information in the cloud could be using Microsoft SkyDrive, Apple iCloud, Evernote, Dropbox, etc. Many executives use online backup such as Mozy, Carbonite, or CrashPlan.

Many companies are using applications that run in the cloud, referred to as SaaS Software as a Service. Popular examples include CRM products such as Microsoft Dynamics Live and SalesForce. GoogleDocs and Microsoft 365 are other common examples. If you aren’t paying another company to host your Exchange, you might should.

Using hosted virtualization may allow you to eliminate all servers from your organization. With this solution you pay a hosting provider a set fee per user each month and they handle everything your servers used to do for you. Additionally, the hosting provider generally provides additional services that you may have deemed too expensive in the past—such as generator power, strict physical security with armed guards, and servers with automatic failover if one server dies. And, you don’t ever have to worry about the servers again! In some models, the ones I recommend, the provider even keeps all of your licensing, including Microsoft licenses, up to date for you. No more worrying about buying licenses, no more servers, no more needing server support? Sign me up! Your organizational computers simply act as remote terminals but the feel like powerful computers. Your users can be on a laptop, desktop, Mac, tablet, etc. – it won’t matter that much. Think of LogMeIn or GoToMyPC on a grand scale.

There is a good chance that your organization uses a hybrid—mixing cloud services with your existing technology and that is fine. You may move more to the cloud, or not. The most important part of using the cloud properly is to increase returns, reduce costs, and improve both your users’ and customers’ experiences.

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