It’s pretty great, right? With every silver lining, there is a darker, more dreary side. For cloud computing, it’s the fact that, like all technology, it is not inherently secure. The Cloud is (Basically) Just Someone Else’s Computer When you connect a computer to the Internet, you invite outside entities to try to infiltrate it. Viruses, malware, unpatched vulnerabilities, and other threats can creep onto an unprotected device and take over. This could lead to data theft or data loss. That’s why we all know to use antivirus and avoid using outdated software. That’s why we don’t install random software or visit sketchy websites. I’m pretty confident my reader base knows the drill here. The cloud is essentially no different. It’s just a computer or an array of computers connected to the Internet. If it isn’t properly protected, it can be compromised. If you use Google’s G Suite platform and your email is handled through Gmail, and you are storing files in Google Drive, then you are simply using Google’s computers to do so. If you are using Microsoft 365, then you are storing your email and data on Microsoft’s computers. *Side note, I miss being able to refer to anything related to Microsoft as belonging to Bill Gates. I’d love to be able to tell clients that they are using Bill Gates’ computers to store their Outlook. Maybe I just still haven’t come to terms with the fact that he stepped down from Microsoft back in 2006. The point is, while we can typically trust these massive services to handle our data correctly, we still need to be aware that we are depending on them to do so. On a smaller scale, you might use a local web hosting company, or you might pay to host a server at a smaller data center. The same applies – you are relying on this third-party to keep you safe. My gut tells me to be skeptical whether I’m entrusting a major corporation like Microsoft or a small company with a data center, but at least with Microsoft I know that millions of others are using the service. The Cloud Isn’t Always the Fast Path to Compliance Complying to industry standards like PCI DSS, HIPAA, and the GDPR can be a big undertaking, especially for smaller businesses. Often, a nice big step towards compliance can be to rely on a third-party who focuses on hosted environments that meet those compliance regulations. This means that moving towards the cloud is often a win, but you need to read and understand the fine print before you simply pull the trigger. For example, let’s say you are storing names and credit card numbers. You absolutely need to keep this data encrypted and control who has access. If your cloud host can get around that and employees can access the data, you might not fall under certain compliances. When it comes to protecting the data of your customers, there are a lot of moving parts and considerations, so spending a lot of time upfront and ensuring that your cloud solution can handle this, AND doing regular checks will have to become a way of life. Like Anything Else, It’s Only as Secure as Its Weakest Link (Sorry, End Users) Ever play Jenga, where you have to […]
The GDPR Prior to the ratification of the GDPR, individual data privacy was the responsibility of the individual. Outside of the EU, it largely still is, but when the GDPR went into effect it opened people’s eyes to just how many of the corporations they come into contact with were misusing their personal data. The GDPR, which grew from individual privacy laws enacted by individual EU states, provides individuals with recourse if they do not approve of the way their data is being used by corporations. Information such as names, physical addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and medical and financial information were being shared by technology companies. Somewhere in the lengthy terms of service agreement, companies would have language that allowed them to package individual data and effectively use it as an alternative revenue stream. Consumers in the know don’t see this as fair. This level of data privacy has been roundly rejected in the United States up until recently, and those who do want to see a GDPR-like law on the books in the U.S. may not want to hold their breath. Before the GDPR was in the news, not many organizations were thinking about how data breaches could negatively affect anyone but themselves. This has led to a wholesale change in the way businesses view data management, the training of their staff, and security investments as a whole. After One Year In the first eight months, over 59,000 personal data breaches have been reported to GDPR regulators. This may be less than you may have liked to see, but it is twice as many as there were in 2017; and, of course, 59,000+ more than anyone wants. The fines levied by GDPR regulators are hefty (up to €20 million, or up to 4 percent of total revenue from the previous year, whichever is larger), so you are seeing an increase aligned and strategic approach to keeping data secure; and, reporting any data breaches that do happen quickly. If you would like to see how the GDPR has fared in its first eight months, download the DLA Piper GDPR data breach survey, here. The results of the GDPR don’t speak to its effectiveness thus far, but in future reports it will become evident that the law is working to keep individual data secure; or, at the very least, keeping companies honest. Under the GDPR, companies that sustain data breaches have 72 hours to notify the people whose information has been exposed. This strict deadline eliminates the possibilities that companies can manipulate public perception about how they are faring with data security, as you’ve seen numerous times over the past two decades. Unfortunately, the huge teeth that the GDPR was built with haven’t been used to bite non-compliant companies thus far. Fines that add up to €55,955,871 have been levied against the companies responsible for the 59,000 and change reported data breaches, an admittedly modest amount when you consider that around 90 percent of that sum was the fine levied against a single company, U.S.-based tech giant Google.. According to a French GDPR regulator, this small amount should be considered the result of it being a transition year than some type of long-term ineffectiveness of the law. It remains to be seen just how effective the law can be if […]
Let’s talk about how to make the switch between the two. Check to Make Sure You Have OneNote Installed If you are a frequent user of Microsoft OneNote, you’ll want to know what version you are actually using. If you have Office 2016 or Office 365, chances are you are using OneNote 2016. If you are pretty new to OneNote, you might just have the newer version that came bundled with Windows 10. If that’s the case, you don’t have anything more to do! If you aren’t sure, there are a few ways to check. The older version of OneNote is typically labeled as OneNote 2016 while the new version is just called OneNote. You’ll also notice a difference between the icons, as shown above. To check to see if you have the new OneNote installed, click on the Start Menu and type ‘onenote’ and you should see the app just labeled as ‘OneNote.’ If you have 2016, that should show up there too. If you don’t see the new version of OneNote, you are either very behind on your updates, or it wasn’t dished out to your workstation. Either way, it’s best to check with IT if that’s the case or give SRS Networks a call at (831) 758-3636. You can open and use the new OneNote app at any time, but your notes from OneNote 2016 might not appear. Keep in mind you’ll also need to sign into the new OneNote for the first time with your Microsoft or Office 365 account, which might require your IT admin. Migrating Notes from OneNote 2016 to OneNote OneNote 2016 has a couple different ways it can store a notebook. Chances are even if you use OneNote a lot, you probably don’t realize how it’s working behind the scenes, because it rarely asks you if and where you want to save something. That’s part of the beauty with every version of OneNote – once it’s set up, it just saves everything you do on the fly. First, Let’s Back Up Your OneNote 2016 Notebooks Back Up your OneNote 2016 Notebook Open OneNote 2016 and perform the following to back your notes up. Click File > Options. In the OneNote Options dialog box, choose Save & Backup. On the right, you’ll see a section called Save. Select Backup Folder. Click the Modify… button. Choose a destination to store your backup. A good spot would be a folder called OneNote 2016 Backup in your Documents folder or on your desktop. Once you’ve found a place to put your backup, click Select. Then click Ok on the OneNote Options dialog. Go back to File > Options > Save & Backup. On the right, in the section labeled Backup, click Back Up All Notebooks Now. Wait for OneNote to finish backing up your notebooks. Try Simply Opening Your Notebooks in OneNote OneNote 2016 stores all of your notes in notebooks. These notebooks, by default, are either stored in your Documents folder in their own folder, or on Microsoft OneDrive. You can also store notebooks on a shared location on your network or essentially anywhere else. If you are using one of the default options, the new version of OneNote will likely have no problem pulling up your old notebooks. Open OneNote (the new version) and […]
OneNote has been sort of a hidden gem over the last several years. It’s been included in most Microsoft Office packs, including Office 365 subscriptions, and for those who have discovered it and got to know it, it’s a great little app for taking quick notes, organizing thoughts, and most importantly, it even syncs with smartphones. If you’ve been using OneNote for a while, chances are you are using OneNote 2016, which over the last few years, has come with Office, including Office 365. You might have noticed how some Microsoft Office apps get little updates and tweaks over time, but OneNote 2016 hasn’t been given that kind of love. That’s because Microsoft has other plans for the app. OneNote is Leaving Office Although OneNote 2016 will still get support from Microsoft for a little while, their focus is on the OneNote app that comes bundled with Windows 10. In fact, there’s a very good chance it’s already installed on your computer. Click on your Start Menu and type OneNote and you’ll likely see two options; OneNote 2016 and simply, OneNote. These are two separate apps, and Microsoft is focused on making OneNote (Not OneNote 2016) the definitive version. What’s the Difference Between OneNote 2016 and OneNote? According to Microsoft, the big difference is that OneNote now comes with Windows 10, and it’s no longer exclusive to Office. It will still be bundled in with Office 365 and Office 2019, AND OneNote 2016 will still be available as an option for anyone who still needs it, for now. They’ve been adding new features to this new version of OneNote, especially when it comes to sharing, sorting, and dressing up your notes with annotations. If you have a computer or tablet with a pen, like the Surface Pro, support for that has improved a whole lot too. Microsoft has a big list of features available on the new OneNote, and a much shorter, and hopefully less critical list of features that are only on the older version. Check out both lists here. OneNote 2016 isn’t going to get new features, so if you want the latest and greatest capabilities, you’ll need to move everything over to the new OneNote. Fortunately, you can run both apps side by side, so you can play around with the new OneNote before you commit to migrating your notes over. Personally, this gave me some time to get rid of old notes and do a little spring cleaning, and since my notes were all organized into Notebooks, I was able to simply open up my Notebooks in the new app and start using them right away. We’re going to put together a guide shortly on how to migrate your OneNote 2016 notes into the new version of OneNote for those who might not be so lucky. Keep an eye on our blog!
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