October 2023 Tech Times Newsletter

TECHNOLOGY TIMES

Insider Tips To Make Your Business Run Faster, Easier And More Profitably

WHAT'S NEW

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our valued clients who joined us in celebrating our 20th anniversary Your presence at our milestone event meant the world to us. The evening was filled with moments of reflection, appreciation, and excitement for the future, and your participation made it all the more special.

Your loyalty and trust in our company have been instrumental in our success over the past two decades, and we look forward to continuing to serve you with dedication and innovation Thank you for being an essential part of our journey, and here's to the next 20 years of growth and collaboration

OUR MISSION:

“As a business owner, you don’t have time to waste on technical and operational issues. That’s where we shine! Call us and put an end to your IT problems finally and forever!”Dewayne

Chappell

“Thankgoodness”isprobablywhat Illinois-basedmanufacturingcompany ICSthoughtabouthavingacyber insurancepolicywithTravelers Insuranceafteradatabreachin2022. Butafterclaimsinvestigatorspulledout theirmicroscopes,theyfoundthatICS failedtousemulti-factorauthentication (MFA)acrossalldigitalassets,which theyhadagreedtodointheirpolicy. TravelerssuedICS and won.Thepolicy wasrescinded,andsowereICS’sfeelings ofgratitude,whichlikelyevolvedinto worriedwhispersof“Oh,crap”

Smartbusinesseslikeyoursareadding cyberinsurancetotheirpoliciesbecause theyknowgoodsecurityhygieneisjust asmuchacompetitiveadvantageasa waytoreducebusinessriskButwith cyberinsurancepremiumssteadily increasing–theyrose62%lastyear alone–youwanttomakesureyour claimispaidwhenyouneeditmost.

Why Claims Get Denied

“Mostclaimsthatgetdeniedareselfinflictedwounds,”saysRustyGoodwin,

theOrganizedEfficiencyConsultantat Mid-StateGroup,anindependent insuranceagencyinVirginia

Thoughweliketopaintinsurance companiesasmaliciousmoney-grubbers hoveringoversize“DENIED”stamps overclaims,denialsareusuallytheresult ofanaccidentalbutfatal misrepresentationoromissionby businessesorsimplynotlettingan insurerknowaboutchangesintheir securitypracticesHowever,thereare simplestepsyoucantaketopreventa claim-denialdoomsday

4 Ways To Make Sure Your Claim Doesn’t Get Denied

1. Find a broker to help you understand your policy.

There’snodoubtthatinsurancepolicies aretedious,filledwithlegallingothat makeseventheAflacDucksweat. Nevertheless,thereareseveralpartstoan insurancecontractyoumustunderstand,

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This monthly publication provided courtesy of Dewayne Chappell CEO of Divergys.

4 THINGS TO DO NOW TO PREVENT YOUR CYBER INSURANCE CLAIM FROM BEING DENIED

includingthedeckpages(thefirstpagesthattalk aboutyourdeductible,totalcostsandthelimits ofliability),theinsuringagreements(alistofall thepromisestheinsurancecompanyismakingto you)andtheconditions(whatyouarepromising todo).

“Ifyourbrokercanhelpyouunderstandthem andyoucangovernyourselfaccordingtothe conditionsofthatcontract,youwillneverhavea problemhavingaclaimpaid,”saysGoodwin. Somebrokersdon’tspecializeincyberinsurance butwilltakeyourmoneyanyway.Bewaryof those,Goodwinwarns.“Ifanagentdoesn’twant totalkaboutcyberliability,thentheyeither don’tknowanythingaboutitortheydon’tcare becausetheywon’tmakealotofmoneyoffit.”If that’sthecase,hesays,“takeallyourbusiness elsewhere.”

2. Understand the conditions.

Insurancecompaniesarehappytowriteacheck ifyou’rebreached if andonlyifyoumakecertain promises.Thesepromisesarecalledthe conditionsofthecontract.Today,insurance companiesexpectyoutopromisethingslike usingMFAandpasswordmanagers,making regulardatabackups,andhostingphishing simulationandcybersecurityawarenesstraining withyouremployees.

Understandingtheconditionsiscritical,butthis iswheremostcompaniesgowrongandwindup withadeniedclaim.

FREE REPORT:

You Will Learn:

3. Make good on the promises.

Ifyou’veeverfilledoutahomeowners insuranceapplication,youknowyou’llgeta niftydiscountonyourpremiumifyouhavea securityalarm.Ifyoudon’thaveone,you mighttick“Yes,”withgoodintentionstocall ADTorTelustoscheduleaninstallation.You enjoyyourcheaperpremiumbutarebusyand forgettoinstallthealarm(nobodycomes aroundtocheckanyway)

Then,yourhomegetsbrokeninto“Guess whoseinsuranceclaimisnotgoingtobe paid?”Goodwinsays“Thepowerisinour handstoensureourclaimgetspaid.There’s reallynothingtobeafraidofaslongasyou understandthepromisesthatyou’remaking.”

Thishappensallthetimeincyberinsurance. BusinessespromisetouseMFAorhost trainingbutdon’tenforceit.Asinthecaseof ICS,thisishowclaimsgetdenied

TheonlywaytoknowforSUREyourdatacanbe recoverediflost,corruptedordeleted–yetfewer than10%ofbusinesseshavethisinplace. Seventhingsyoushouldabsolutelydemandfrom anyoff-sitebackupservice. Wheremanybackupsfailandgiveyouafalse senseofsecurity

The#1causeofdatalossthatbusinessesdon’teven thinkaboutuntiltheirdataiserased.

4.

assume the right hand knows what the left hand is doing.

Goodwinseescompaniesmakeonebig mistakewiththeirinsurancepolicies:making assumptions.“IseeCFOs,CEOsorbusiness ownersassumetheirMSPiskeepingallthese promisesthey’vejustmade,eventhough theynevertoldtheirMSPaboutthepolicy,” hesaysMSPsaregoodatwhattheydo,“but theyaren’tmindreaders,”Goodwinpoints out.

Regularlyreviewyourpolicyandhavean openandtransparentlineofcommunication withyourITdepartmentorMSPsothey canhelpyoukeepthosepromises.

“We’rethearchitectofourownproblems,” Goodwinsays.Andtheagentsofourown salvationifwe’repreparedtoworkwitha qualitybrokerandmakegoodonour promises

CARTOON OF THE MONTH

Don’t

Smart businesses like yours are adding cyber insurance to their policies because they know good security hygiene is just as much a competitive advantage as a way to reduce business risk.

CREATE THE PERFECT BALANCE

Incorporating AI While Maintaining Human Connection

ChatGPThasbeenahottopicinouroffice latelyAsanauthor,Iimmediatelyscoffedatit SinceChatGPTlacksemotion,it’spretty unsatisfyingTechnologyconstantlyevolves,and wemustgrowwithitThequestionisthis:How doyouincorporateautomationandAIintoyour businesswhilemaintainingintegralhuman communication?

AutomatingyourbusinessandutilizingAIwhile maintainingyourintegrityandhumanitycanbe achievedthroughacombinationofstrategies. Herearefivewaystoaccomplishit.

IdentifyAreasForAutomation. Analyzeyourbusinessprocessesandidentify tasksthatyourteamcanautomatewithout sacrificingthehumantouch.Lookforrepetitive, time-consumingactivitiesyoucanstreamline usingtechnology.

CreateSystemRecordings AndDocuments.

AIcan’tdoitall!Youstillneedhumanstohelp runyourbusinessButwhatifsomeoneisout, hasanemergencyorjustwantstotakea sabbatical?Here’swhatwedoinmybusiness: Foreveryprocess,ourteamcreatesaLoom recordingandaTangodocumenttoillustrate andtrainotherteammembersThismeanswhen anyonetakesafour-weekvacation,nothingfalls tothewayside,andtherearelimiteddisruptions inproductivity(read,profitability!).

ImplementAI-Powered Solutions.

LeverageAItechnologytoautomatespecial aspectsofyourbusiness.Forexample,youcan usechatbotsorvirtualassistantstohandle customerinquiries,enablinghumanresourcesto respondtomorecomplexinteractions.AIcan alsoassistindataanalysis,forecastingand decision-makingprocesses,allowingyouto makeinformedbusinessdecisionseffectively

PersonalizeCustomer Interactions.

Whileautomationishelpful,it’sessentialto maintainapersonalizedcustomerexperience. Tailoryourautomatedsystemstogatherrelevant customerinformationanddelivercustomized recommendationsorresponses.Thiscaninclude usingAIalgorithmstoanalyzecustomer behaviorandpreferencestoprovideintelon marketingcampaigns

EmpowerEmployees.

Ratherthanreplacinghumans,AIcanaugment theircapabilitiesandenablethemtofocuson meaningfultasksProvidetrainingforyour employeessotheycanworkalongsideAI technologyeffectivelyThismightinvolve developingskillsinareaswherehumansexcel, suchascreativity,problem-solvingand emotionalintelligenceEncouragecollaboration betweenhumansandAIsystemstoachieve optimalresults

Remember,whenitcomestoautomationand usingAI,it’scrucialtobalanceautomationand humanity!ByleveragingAIandpersonalization, yourbusinesswillbeabletoscaleandstill connectwithcustomersandclientsonahuman level

Mike Michalowicz has always believed that he had the formula to success and has proven it on multiple occasions. He is the creator of the Profit First method, which hundreds of thousands of companies across the globe use to drive profit He is the author of multiple books, including Get Different and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. Mike is a former small-business columnist for the Wall Street Journal and currently leads two new multimillion-dollar ventures as he puts his latest research to the test

Pizzaisoneofthemostcommon mealseatenbyAmericans.The averageAmericaneats23poundsof pizzaannually,andeveryday,13%of Americanseatpizzaasameal.Ifyou enjoymakingyourownfreshpizza, considergettinganOoniVolt12 ElectricPizzaOven.Unlikemostpizza ovenscurrentlyonthemarket,you canusetheOoniVolt12indoorsand outdoors Itscompactsizemakesit easytomove,andsinceit’selectric, there’srarelyamesstocleanup The OoniVolt12heatsupto850°Fwithin 20minutes Oncetheovenhas preheated,yourpizzawillbereadyto eatinonly90seconds Ifyouwantto improvepizzanightatyourhouse, looknofurtherthantheOoniVolt12

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT

"Ifyouarelookingforprofessional, experienced,attentiveITsupport, Divergysistherealdeal!Youcangetoff thefencenow!Divergysunderstandsthat Idon’tunderstandhowallmysystems workandtheydon’tmakemefeellikemy questionsarestupidorinsignificant The singlebiggestbenefitmycompanyhas receivedsincemovingtoDivergysis peaceofmind Ineverhavetoworryif everydetailiscoveredwithDivergys' ManagedServices Icannowjustdomy jobandtheydotheirs,theyjusthandleit!"

Wouldyoulikeyourcompany highlightedhereinour"Client Spotlight"?Thengiveusacall todayat713-715-1432.

SHINY NEW GADGET OF THE MONTH

Dr. Susan Lunson Owner, DDs

How To Implement

GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

By Mark Goulston And Philip Goldberg

As a business leader, you confront external obstacles daily You likely have no problem devising solutions to these problems, but it becomes a different story when the challenges come from within Most business owners’ #1 enemy is themselves. They second-guess their actions, grow envious of others’ successes and bottleneck important tasks while trying to devise the perfect solution By reading Get Out Of Your Own Way by Mark Goulston and Philip Goldberg, you’ll learn how to overcome your self-defeating behaviors We all have self-destructive habits that prevent us from reaching our goals, even if we haven’t identified them. This book offers examples and advice to identify and overcome any internal behaviors that are setting you and your business back

DISCOVER THE SECRET TO OVERCOMING DIFFICULT TASKS

Throughoutourlives,weallencounter obstaclesthatappeartoodauntingto overcome.Duringthesesituations,mostturn totheInternetorbusinessbooksforadvice, butthere’sanothersourceeveryoneshould turntoforsupportandhelp:someoneyou trust.Whenyoupartnerupwithsomeone, regardlessofwhetheryou’restartinga business,tacklingaprojectorworkingtoward agoal,itcanmaketheexperiencelessstressful. Workingalongsidesomeoneallowsyouto brainstormideasandfindsolutionsyoumay

nothavebeenabletocomeupwithonyour own.Asthesayinggoes,“Twoheadsare betterthanone,”sofindsomeonetohelpyou reachyourgoalsandstartworkingtogether.

THE DATA BREACH EPIDEMIC

How Cybercriminals Are Exploiting Human Weaknesses

Everyyear,thousandsofbusinessesfallvictim todatabreaches.In2022,over1,800data compromisesaffectedmorethan422million people,accordingtotheIdentityTheft ResourceCenter’s2022DataBreachReport. Ascybercriminalscontinuetorefinetheir tactics,it’sclearthatcyber-attacksanddata breacheswillnotstopanytimesoon.That’s whyit’ssocrucialforbusinessestodevelop strongcybersecuritystrategies.

Ifyouwanttobolsteryourcybersecurity efforts,agreatplacetostartiswithyour employees.ResearchfromStanfordUniversity suggeststhathumanerrorisresponsiblefor 88%ofalldatabreaches.Herearethetwo commonreasonswhyemployeesputtheir workplacesatriskofcyber-attacks.

Ignorance: Doyougivecybersecurity trainingtonewhiresduringonboarding?Do youhostannualcybersecuritytrainingtogive youremployeesarefresheronwhattheyneed toknow?Ifnot,youremployeesmightbe completelyunawareofwhatcyber-attackscan looklikeandhowtoprotectthecompany.

Stress: Ifyouremployeesarestressedout, overwhelmedandoverworked,theymay overlookpotentialcybersecurityconcerns. Evaluateyouremployees’workloadsand,if necessary,makeadjustmentstoensurenobody becomesoverwhelmed.

DON’T MAKE THESE MISTAKES WHEN HIRING ONLINE

ManybusinesseshaveturnedtotheInternet foralloftheirhiringneedsThey’llpostopen positionsonjob-boardwebsiteslikeIndeedor ZipRecruiter,createquestionnairesto prescreenpotentialcandidatesanduseartificial intelligencetoremovecandidateswithsubpar résumésHerearethreeonlinehiringmistakes youshouldavoid

NotBeingDescriptiveEnoughWithJob Postings:Yourcandidateswon’tbeableto clarifyanyquestionstheymayhaveaboutthe positionbeforeapplying,soyourposting needstobeasdetailedaspossible

RelyingEntirelyOnAutomation: Automatedscreeningprocessescanbeagreat toolduringhiring,butyoustillneedahuman toensureeverythingworksasintended.

FailingToInspectRésumésAnd Applications.Toomanyhiringmanagers avoidlookingatrésumésandapplicationsuntil theyinterviewcandidatesCarefullyreview everyapplicationtocraftrelevantinterview questionsandfindthebestfit.

Things To Do Now To Prevent Your Cyber Insurance Claim

Automation

Little-Known Facts Every Business Owner Must Know About Data Backup And Disaster Recovery