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dislocation stress home working
Expert Articles Learning Centre Working from home

Dislocation, Dislocation, Dislocation

Dislocation: A look at the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on our daily lives and our businesses

No, this is nothing to do with Phil and Kirstie, just a look at the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on our daily lives and our businesses. In particular, the impact that dislocation can have on our ability to rationalise the present and plan for the future.

Dislocation is defined as ‘disturbance from a proper, original, or usual place or state’. Suddenly, our sense of normality is ruptured and, in the midst of a global pandemic, we have the added stress of worrying about family, about ourselves and about our business livelihoods.

I’m unhappy with my IT support – what should I do?
Expert Articles Strategy and policy

I’m Unhappy With My IT support. What Should I Do?

I’m unhappy with my IT support. What should I do?

In this article, I explain what to do if you outsource your IT support to a third party and things aren’t going as well as they should be.

[lwptoc]

I don’t know what to ask, let alone understand the answers!

I’ve got an admission to make – IT used to be my least favourite thing at work. It all started from the shock of being given responsibility for the IT function in a very large manufacturing plant. My politics degree hadn’t covered servers, firewalls and networks. I had managerial experience but felt very uncomfortable wearing my new hat. I didn’t know what questions to ask; I wouldn’t have understood the answers even if I did.

What is CEO fraud and what can we do to avoid it?
Cyber security and resilience Expert Articles Learning Centre

What is CEO Fraud and What Can We Do to Avoid It?

What is CEO fraud and what can we do to avoid it?

CEO fraud reputedly cost companies a whopping $1.1bn in 2018 and has been increasing steadily ever since. Impacting any size of company from micro to enterprise it is essential to understand how the scam works to protect your company and employees from it.

Firstly, what is it?

CEO fraud is when scammers impersonate a company executive making urgent and sometimes confidential requests of a member of staff within the company. Their motivation is usually financial, but we have seen rare instances where confidential data has been requested.

EasylifeIT™ Data Protection Audit
Expert Articles GDPR Strategy and policy

EasylifeIT™ Data Protection Audit

Data Protection Audit

[lwptoc]

THE STORM HAS PASSED – RIGHT?

“GDPR – thank goodness that is over! I got fed up with e-mails asking for my consent and inviting me to read privacy notices.”
Relief seems to have been a common reaction to the arrival of the UK’s third generation of data protection laws. After months of media attention and a good deal of confusion, everything seemingly went quiet.

You could be forgiven for thinking the storm had passed. Time to start the clean-up operation and cleanse the inbox of all those GDPR related messages from May you never opened. It all blew over and nothing really happened. It was just like the Millennium Bug. Not quite…

Expert Articles GDPR Strategy and policy

GDPR – Separating Fact From Fiction

The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force in May 2018. Awareness amongst businesses is increasing. However, whilst some companies are well on the way to updating their processes and procedures in preparation, the majority have either yet to start or are in the very early phases.

I’m confused – is this going to prevent ‘Business As Usual’?

A key concern of many businesses is confusion surrounding the implications. As the profile of GDPR has grown, so too has a perceived level of misinformation. It is something which the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the government body which upholds data rights such as GDPR, recognises.

Expert Articles Strategy and policy

Using systems to help your business prosper

When we started EasylifeIT in 2006, my business partner insisted that we had strong systems in place from day one. More than a decade on and having seen the company flourish over that period, I appreciate more than ever how sound that advice was. It’s something I’m passionate about when I work with clients because I know from my own experience that it delivers results.

Despite having worked in the IT industry, but unlike many of my peers, I am a firm believer that not every problem requires an IT solution. However, when it comes to driving customer service and sales efforts, I am completely sold on the value of systems.

Expert Articles Strategy and policy

IT policies – A cure for insomnia?

IT policies – A cure for insomnia?

Let’s face it – IT policies are not the most exciting topic. Because of that reality, there are two common (but similarly futile) approaches:

  • Approach 1 – don’t bother.
  • Approach 2 – Find a generic IT policy on the internet. Put a copy in the staff handbook. Hope the staff will read it.

Does this sound familiar? Don’t worry – you are far from alone if so. However, it’s still worth taking a moment to think about trying to be better than average. The good news is that it isn’t difficult or costly to make a big step forward. And it’s worth doing to help protect your business, your customers and your staff from the threat of cyber crime.

Expert Articles Strategy and policy

Do I really need a new IT system?

They say the customer is always right. But, was anyone really doing the Emperor any favours when they remarked how wonderful his new clothes were?

If a customer approaches me and says “We need a new system,” my first questions are often “Are you sure? Can we talk this through?” This may surprise you as it might appear to be suggesting the customer is not always right. Although it could be interpreted as being unhelpful, there is method to my madness.

Expert Articles Strategy and policy

Off the shelf or bespoke? Which type of software is right for me?

Off the shelf or bespoke? Which type of software is right for me?

You have a business problem.  You know IT could help you solve it.  But you don’t know where to begin.  Have you ever been in that position?

The starting point is often to think about whether someone has already invented a solution that you could purchase and configure for your needs.  These are often referred to as ‘off-the-shelf’ or ‘third-party’ solutions.

The more generic the challenge, the more likely somebody has invented a solution.

Online accounting packages are a good example.  Every business from the smallest to the biggest needs to understand its income and expenditure.  Type “Online accounting software” into any search engine and you will see that there is a lot of competition for your business.

Should I be concerned about cyber security and where can I start?
Cyber security and resilience Expert Articles Learning Centre

Should I be concerned about cyber security and where can I start?

Should I be concerned about cyber security and where can I start?

The threat of cyber crime is a very real one. However, there is a big difference between being sufficiently concerned that you take action and being so terrified that you behave irrationally or do nothing at all.

The problem with fear is that it sometimes drives the wrong behaviour. Faced with a predator, our instinct can be flight rather than fight. Cyber crime is not a challenge from which to run away or bury our heads in the sand and hope the aggressor picks on someone else.